Marc Chagall Exhibition in the Botanical Gardens

We had a great pre-Fourth of July weekend at with my brother's family in Ft. Myers, including dinner on the water at Dixie Fish Camp and a pontoon boat fishing trip up the Caloosahatchee River to Sword Point.  We had to come back to Sarasota Monday morning for Charlie's afternoon radiation treatment, but had the day off on Tuesday for the holiday.  We decided to check out the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, only about a mile from where we are staying.  They are having a Marc Chagall exhibition through July 31 called Flowers, and the French Riviera:  The Color of Dreams.



 

Three of Chagall's floral oil paintings are on display in the museum, featuring the masterwork painting The Lovers.  There are also ceramic vases owned by Chagall and featured in his art, archival photos, and outdoor garden scenes reminiscent of the French Riviera where Chagall spent the later part of his life.  Several large digital reproductions of his cathedral window are resplendent in the conservatory.

The gardens extend right up to the edge of Sarasota Bay, offering great views of the Sarasota skyline.  Throughout the garden walks are signs with Chagall quotes regarding art and flowers.

The regular signage at the gardens all have lovely watercolor illustrations.

I took over one hundred photos in this beautiful setting.  Inspiration for my own art?

This one of the koi pond in the Conservatory almost looks like an abstract painting.

 It was a nice way to spend time on our nation's birthday.

Art in Bloom 2016

Art in Bloom...a feast for the senses, a delight for those who love art and flowers!  This special exhibit is at the North Carolina Museum of Art through Sunday.  I went with two of my Anything Art buddies yesterday.

Many of the floral arrangements were inspired by paintings or other works of art in the museum's permanent collection.  They could have similar colors, shapes, textures...or just represent the concept of the artwork.

This huge arrangement of orchids was near the entrance to the museum.

Here is an example of an arrangement inspired by a painting.  We thought it was amusing and clever. Even the pottery represented the painting well.  It earned my friend Ruth-Ellen's Viewer's Choice award.

Portrait of Emy, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff

Arrangement by Bonnie Mirmak, Pinehurst, NC

Proving that you can make something pretty out of almost anything, check out the arrangement made in a rubber tire, inspired by Raqqa II by Frank Philip Stella.

That's my friend Toni behind the arrangement!

Floral arrangement by Doug Odom, Purple Poppy Florist, Wake Forest, NC

Here is Toni's Viewer's Choice.  She is an archaeologist, and loved the arrangement whose structure and shapes were inspired by these African sculptures, specifically the one of the right called Veranda Post with Divination Priest and Drummer  by Lamidi Olonade Fakeye.

Floral arrangement by Debra Graham, Bloomers Floral Design, Burlington, NC.

 In fact, there were many arrangements inspired by sculptures rather than paintings.  I think it must have been a good starting point for the florist to structure their creations.  I loved this one inspired by Adoring Angel (German.)

Floral arrangement by Anahit Hakobyan, Viva La Flora, Laurel, Maryland.

It was fun to walk into the gallery space and try to guess which artwork inspired the arrangement.  I was sure that this one went with the painting behind it in the photo.

Floral arrangement by Kathryn Herdrich, The Watered Garden Florist, Raleigh, NC

Wrong!  It was inspired by this painting of Harriet Tubman helping some slaves to escape.  Hmmm.

Forward, by Jacob Lawrence

My Viewer's Choice vote went to this charming recreation of a country home with architectural elements and framed family photos.  It was not inspired by a specific work of art, but was a large standing exhibit.

Cydney  Davis-English, The English Garden, Raleigh, NC

There were so many wonderful shapes, textures, colors and fragrances to experience, both indoors and out.

We were at the museum for six and a half hours, including lunch and snack breaks.  It was a wonderful day with good friends.

Beach to the Mountains

I have been working on a Trip Around the World quilt for my friend Marcia.  Last week, I spent a few days with Marcia and her husband at Topsail Beach, NC.  They have a lovely home that faces the Intercoastal Waterway and is just a short walk to the beach.

Look at my bed in the guest room!  This is another of Marcia's mother's quilts, a Grandmother's Flower Garden.  So pretty!

The weather was not good...cold and drizzly.  We were able to walk on the beach and sit out in their screened room near the water.

This is a sea turtle nest, protected from predators by wire fencing, sticks, boards, and signs (for the human predators.)

There was an osprey, or sea hawk, perched on a scraggly tree right behind the house.

On Thursday morning I drove back to Raleigh, hopped in the truck with my husband, and went to our mountain place.  About halfway there, the sun came out and the skies turned blue.

The leaves are just starting to turn color.  The mornings were misty and the colors looked stronger against the gray.

With so much rain this summer, my flowers on the front porch of the cabin have flourished!

This weekend's project was to build steps between our upper and lower driveways.  I was not expecting them to look this fine!  The project is still not finished.  Our friends from Raleigh, Tom and Pauline, came up to work on the steps and the wall.

Someday the wall will be covered with something...stucco or stone.

I got to entertain Tom's mother, who came along to enjoy the mountains.  We went to the Church of the Frescoes in Glendale Springs, where there is a huge plaster painting of The Last Supper.

We also rode up Mount Jefferson and were treated to a clear view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I guess that is enough scenery for one post!  I am burying thread tales on Carolyn's quilt, stitching the binding on Marcia's, and now must replace the binding on a quilt I made for a high school grad years ago.  And tomorrow I am spending the day at an art museum with friends!  

Life is good!

Summer Blooms

It has been incredibly nice outside for the past two days, with low humidity.  That is a rare occurence here in the South!  I walked around with my camera to see what was in bloom (and yank some weeds that are coming up despite my 45 bags of mulch!)


The day lilies are spectacular this time of year.  I have several different colors and varieties.

These double orange flowers are probably my favorite.  I tried to paint them with watercolors, working from this photograph, while we were in the mountains last weekend.   I was not too happy with the painting, but will try to salvage it with a little more work.

The knock-out roses have really started blooming along the front of the porch.

One of the shrubs that does okay with our hot dry summers is the butterfly bush, or buddlea.  This one is sort of periwinkle blue, and hides the garbage container next to the garage. 

 

I have never had much luck with hosta before.  They like the shade.  I finally have some that are thriving at the edge of the camellias under a tree in the back.

For areas with full sun and a tendency to suffer drought, you can't beat crepe myrtle.  I have some growing along the driveway and in the shrub bed out front.

 

                    

And if the hot summer sun gets to be too much for the flowers planted in the yard, I always have a few pots in bloom.  This one has lantana plus a petunia that wintered over from last year due to the mild temps.

Some things look nice in the garden even if they don't bloom.  I like this crimson barberry.