For me, art is seeing with imagination. I see the world and modify it with my imagination.
Orchidaceae Rhyncholalia cultivar Arbin, Honduras with Painted Background
Orchid Painting
Orchids, Feathers, and Fur
Walking Iris
Backlighted Orchid with Painted Sky
I have a passion for making close-up photos of flowers. The following are from the collection of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida. These particular blooms are about one-quarter inch in size, so the photographs reveal more details than I can see in person.
Because macro lenses are notorious for their shallow depth of field, i.e., they focus one very thin slice at a time. Therefore I use a technique called focus bracketing or focus stacking to allow us to see a much greater depth of field. I make a large number of photos each focused slightly nearer to the subject (bracketing) then I stack them together in Adobe Photoshop and run a program that selects the most in-focus part of each photo and merges them into one. Any movement of the flower will cause the merged photo to misalign and make an interesting abstract. The artist in me make like the abstract result, but the botanists may be frustrated.
Bromeliaceae, Tillandsia ionantha, Mexico
Bromeliaceae, Tillandsia ionantha, Mexico
Orchidaceae, Stelis argentata, Los Rios, Equador
Orchidaceae, Stelis argentata, Los Rios, Equador
Orchidaceae, Laelia undulata ‘alba’
Orchidaceae, Laelia undulata ‘alba’
Orchidaceae, Maxillaria, Cayo, Belize
Orchidaceae, Maxillaria, Cayo, Belize
Orchidaceae, Pleurothallis racemilflora
Bamberg, Germany was our first destination on this trip.
“Bamberg is a town in northern Bavaria, Germany, laid out over 7 hills where the Regnitz and Main rivers meet. Its old town preserves structures from the 11th to 19th centuries including the muraled Altes Rathaus (town hall), which occupies an island in the Regnitz reached by arched bridges.”Bamberg.Germany “is a town in Upper Franconia district in Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in 2022.[6] The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby Babenberch castle. Cited as one of Germany’s most beautiful towns, with medieval streets and buildings, the old town of Bamberg has been a UNESCO World Heritage Sitesince 1993.[7]” wikipedia.org
During our Masters in International Business Studies (MIBS), we met a young man from Bamberg. Tragically he died during his study at University of South Carolina of a car accident. Bamberg remained a mystery to us until this trip. What an historic and beautiful place this is and how fortunate he was to be raised here.
A mill in the middle of the Regnitz became Hotel Nepomuk, where we stayed. You can see our room windows under the eaves.
“According to legend the bishop of Bamberg did not grant the citizens any land for the construction of a town hall. This prompted the townsfolk to ram stakes into the river Regnitz to create an artificial island, on which they built the town hall they so badly wanted.” Bamberg.info
View of the cathedral towers from our hotel room
Böttingerhaus built from 1707 – 1713 as a baroque palace for Johann Ignaz Tobias Böttinger
The front door and knocker of Böttingerhaus
“St. Peter’s and St. George’s Imperial Cathedral is one of Emperor Heinrich II’s legacies. Emperor Heinrich II. had the Cathedral constructed in Bamberg as early as 1002 and it was completed in 1012. However, this house of worship fell victim to fire, as did its successor. The third construction which contains stylistic elements of the late romanesque and early gothic periods has survived to the present day.” Bamberg.info
Adjacent to the cathedral are the Old Court and New Residence, seats of the Bamberg Bishops since 1007, containing a magnificent rose garden
These picturesque homes were once owned by the fishermen.
St. Stephan started in 1008 as a Roman Catholic Collegiate church. In 1807 it became a Protestant parish church.
Fermate, by Walter Green, created 2007, located in St. Stephans church, Bamberg, Germany
The baptismal font is elegant in its simplicity
Evening view of the cathedral
Evening view of the Rathaus from our hotel
Glass vessels and sculpture fascinate me. Over 15,000 pieces are on display inside the Hotel Wilder Mann, famous in the 19th c. where Elisabeth II, Empress of Austria, stayed for a week in 1862. The collection is from Bavaria, Bohemia, Austria and Silesia and comprises glass from 1650 to 1950 and features Biedermeier, Art Nouveau (Jugendstil), and Art Deco (Modern) styles.
Biedermeier, Friedrich Egermann, Blottendorf, Bohemia 1828 – 1845
Biedermeier, First Experiments from Franz Pohl Glashütte Carlsthal, Schliesien, 1835 – 1842
Art Deco, Modern, Josephine Glassworks, Schreiberhau, Silesia, 1920 – 1950
Art Deco, Modern, Josephine Glassworks, Schreiberhau, Silesia, 1920 – 1950, closeup
Art Nouveau, Meyr’s Neffe, Adolf bei Winterberg, Bohemia, 1900 – 1915
Jugendstil, Wilhelm Kralik Sohn, Eleonorenhain Bohemia, 1900 – 1905
Jugendstil, Wilhelm Kralik Sohn, Eleonorenhain Bohemia, 1900 – 1905, closeup
Jugendstil, Wilhelm Kralik Sohn, Eleonorenhain Bohemia, 1900 – 1905, closeup
Vienna Winter Exhibition, 1902 -1903, glass with leaf or heart-shaped applications that are first preheated and then rolled onto the hot surface of the glass bubble and embedded in the wall
It is fun for me to make photos of others’ arts and crafts to share and to keep as memories. This is a quirky assortment of just some of the sculpture, graphics, paintings, and vessels we saw on our trip to Europe this summer, spanning many artistic styles over the years.
Bamberg, Germany
Bamberg, Germany Cathedral Rose Garden
Einstein with marijuana graphic beside stickers on the downspout, Regensburg, Germany
Don Juan of Austria, 1547 – 1548, born in Regensburg, illigitimate son of the widowed Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. John (Johann) became a military leader in the service of his half-brother, King Philip II of Spain, Charles V’s heir, and is best known for his role as the admiral of the Holy League fleet at the Battle of Lepanto.
Bronze relief map of old city used as beer table at Regensburgerfest, Regensburg, Germany
Barbara Blomberg, mistress of Charles V, Holy Roman Emporer, mother of Don Juan de Austria, Regensburg, Germany, wall graphic in the lobby of Das Regensburg Hotel
Passau, Germany
Art Nouveau (Jugendstil), glass vessels with silver decoration put on in an electrolytic bath, by Johann Lötz Witwe, Klostermühle, Bohemia, 1900 – 1905, The Glas Museum, Passau, Germany
Mirabell Palace Garden, Salzburg, Austria. The Mirabell garten was laid out under Prince-Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun from 1687 according to plans designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.
A sculpture in a nook of the mighty 11th c. Hohensalzburg Fortress (Festung), built on a rock 400 feet above the Salzach River
Door handles, Salzburg, Austria
Trail of the Witches, Alpe di Suisi, The Dolomites, Italy
Trail of the Witches, Alpe di Suisi, The Dolomites, Italy
Trail of the Witches, Alpe di Suisi, The Dolomites, Italy
The gardens of Hohenschwangau Castle, Füssen, Germany
The gardens of Hohenschwangau Castle, Füssen, Germany
A cairn at a barn in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland
Balade D’ouchy, Port de Lausanne-Ouchy, France on Lake Geneva
Parc Olympique, Balade D’ouchy, Port de Lausanne-Ouchy, France on Lake Geneva
Quartier du Flon, Lausanne, France
Suspended discs spanning between buildings, Quartier du Flon, Lausanne, France
Bamberg, Germany
Bamberg, Germany
Regensburg, Germany
Regensberg, Germany
Passau, Germany
Passau, Germany
Passau, Germany
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg, Austria
Kastelroth/Castelrotto, Italy
Kastelroth/Castelrotto, Italy
Füssen, Germany
Chamonix, France
Chamonix, France
Lausanne, Switzerland
Lausanne, Switzerland
Lausanne, Switzerland
I have always been intrigued by shop windows. I enjoy them as an art form. I used to try to remove all reflections with a polarizer or blurring, but now I am fascinated by the added dimension and sense of context. Yes, it makes them more complex and murkier to see, but I feel the interaction is worth it.
We recently spent three and a half weeks in Europe, touring where Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and France meet in the great mountains and Alpine meadows. Here is a whirlwind tour with just one image of every area, with more to come.
Bamberg, Germany from our Hotel
Regensburg., Germany
Art Deco, Passau, Germany
Salzburg, Austria
Alpe di Suisi/Seiser Alm, Italy
Castellroto/Kastelruth, Italy
Neuschwanstein from Hohenschwangau, Füssen, Germany
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Jungfrau and Silberhorn from Männlichen, Switzerland
Near Gruyère, Switzerland
Chamonix, France
Saint-François Church, Lausanne, Switzerland
Lac Léman/Lake Geneva from Lausanne, Switzerland
St. Peter’s Clocktower on the River Lemmatt, Zürich, Switzerland
Tiller is nearly 16 weeks of age. His eyes are hidden under his hair. We notice that much of his hair is coming in the wheat color of wheaten terriers. He weighs about 18 pounds and has taught himself to jump up and down off the couch bringing toys back that we have thrown across the room. He is not easy to photograph!
Tiller is a Whoodle, a soft-coated Wheaten Terrier and French Poodle mix. Since neither breed sheds, it means lots of combing and soon a puppy cut.
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Orchid Show 2022 has now closed and I am catching my breath. This year the curator asked the six volunteer photographers of the Selby’s Living Collection if we would consent to have our orchid photos printed large scale on aluminum and shown in their museum. We were happy to do so. He also asked us if they built us a temporary photo studio in the museum, if the four current studio photographers would demonstrate to the visitors how we make such detailed closeups of the flowers. We agreed and it was a delightful experience. We tethered our cameras to our computers and tethered them to a monitor they provided so the visitors could see on a large scale what the camera’s viewfinder was imaging. We focus bracketed the images, meaning that we took multiple images of each flower focusing on slightly different planes. Macro lenses have a notoriously shallow depth of field, so we use this technique to get everything in focus. We then stack these photos in a computer app and have the app select the most in-focus parts of each image and merge them into a single image.
This orchid is named Beallara Marfitch ‘Howard’s Dream.’
This is the first time my jade plant has flowered. The flowers are about a half inch across and resemble flowers from other succulent plants I have.
My jade plant has three clusters of flowers. The plant gets morning sun from the east and shade for the remainder of the day. The main trunk has grown to about three inches in diameter. I have pruned and propagated it many times. The more sun it receives the redder the leaf tips become.