Cay Denise

Since late March, I've been planning an international solo trip that included meeting up with friends.   The planning is what makes a trip an adventure, and it was definitely fabulous -- now that it is in the rearview mirror -- so to speak.   During my two weeks abroad, the sights visited included the: Mauritshuis, a lovely art museum (The Hague, Netherlands) Binnenhof (The Hague, Netherlands) Delft (Netherlands) Kasteel de Haar, a castle (Haarzuilens, Netherlands) Museum Speelklok (Utrecht, Netherlands) Walking Tour of Amsterdam (Netherlands) Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Dutch Resistance Museum (Amsterdam, Netherlands) De Oude and Nieuwe Kerks aka old and new churches (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Anne Frank House (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Sainte Chapelle/Conciergerie (Paris, France) Giverny - Monet's residence at one time (outside Paris) Versailles (outside Paris) Musee d'Orsay/VR Event titled 1874 Impressionists First Exhibition...

A trip to my roots brought with it opportunities to make some art finds along the way.  From walks and drives, to museum visits, to a shopping excursion--there was an amazing array of visuals as you can see.   'Sloth Pieta' in front of the Broad Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI Abandoned Building Eaton Rapids, MI Entrance Tile Design at the Lansing Art Gallery Lansing, MI Porcupine Quill Box by Y.W. Keshick Natural History Museum, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Quilt Block Painted Barn Siding Dimondale, MI 1920s Millinery Exhibit Natural History Museum, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Painted Hubcap from Wall of Painted Hubcaps Lansing, MI Alley Painting of Brick Wall Lansing, MI Decorated Key by Sharon Martin-Fertig

Returned from a recent trip to Banff where the photographic opportunities are boundless.  The Vermillion Lakes are a great location for bird-watching and snapping some terrific images (especially by using the reflections in the water)! Banff is a Canadian national park and as such really cares for its wild animal populations. The area's water supply -- from the Bow River that is fed by the Columbia Glacier and mountain snow melts -- winds its way far beyond Calgary.    

My first try at making a fresco...at a class in Florence, Italy no less! Fresco-making is far more difficult than you might expect.  The second photo shows the cartoon that needs to be made first to guide the overall painting.  All facial/skin features begin with a wash of green (on 'olive' side) as the base.  Material has to be worked while still wet, so large areas took days or longer. The class experience gave me a much greater appreciation in which to view the frescoes I had the opportunity to see while on a recent Italy trip! This post also linked to  http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com .