Adventures in Design

The Countdown is on

2011-04-17T02:15:00.001-06:00

Memorial

2010-05-31T11:37:00.006-06:00

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. - Malachi 4:6

Unfortunately the hearts of the children have not yet been turned to the fathers in Denver. Since I can't be home this holiday weekend I took a drive through the oldest and largest cemetery in Denver. I'm shocked at the lack of flowers decorating the graves of loved ones. Only about 10% of the graves had flowers to indicate that they were remembered, and grocery stores do not have plats of mums on sale. I've always loved cemeteries. They feel like sacred places to me, full of stories. I considered continuing my family's Cache Valley tradition of adopting a forgotten grave and making sure that it is decorated each year, but with tens of thousands of lonely headstones on memorial weekend it seems futile.

Thankfully the veterans are remembered with flags, but no flowers from the families they were torn from. For those of you in Utah, where Memorial Day is marked with trips to multiple cemeteries dripping with flowers and visiting families, be grateful that you live in a place where people still care about their heritage. And I am thankful that even though I can't be home, I have family who will remember all those who have come before.

April Showers

2009-04-19T20:36:00.010-06:00

I haven't figured out the winters in Colorado yet. The year before I moved here the Metro area was hit my a series of blizzards over Christmas that trapped people in their homes for weeks. It was so severe that it resulted in a Blizzard Baby Boom nine months later. I was so worried I bought a new car before I moved. Since then the storms have pathetic, and the snow doesn't stay around for long. Last week temperatures in Denver were in the 70s for the Tax Day Tea Party (more on that to come), but on Friday the biggest storm of the season hit. Coloradans are horrible drivers in the snow, so I took a Snow Day and stayed home. By Friday night we had 8-10" of wet, heavy snow on the ground. It's the most snow I've seen since I left Utah, and it was beautiful.

The storm continued through Saturday and the snow turned to rain. Rivers of water and slush ran through the streets.

Today temperatures reached the 60s and the snow is all but gone.

I'm so disappointed. I wait all winter for snow. It finally comes in April and it's gone in 36 hours. On Tuesday the temperature will be back in the 70s.

Richard III

2009-02-27T16:27:00.001-07:00

True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings;
Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.
Richard III, 5. 2

Was Blogging Ever Cool?

2009-02-20T17:13:00.002-07:00

Click to enlarge.

Google Me

2008-12-13T18:12:00.005-07:00

I'm not much on memes, but when I ran across this one I was intrigued. It combined two of my favorite things, googling and picking out pictures. So here is a collage of all things me. The funny thing is I googled all these pictures last fall and never had the chance to post them. Now I can't remember what I was thinking when I picked them out or which trait they represent. Your guess is as good as mine. Click on the collage to see it bigger.

Google Me

my AGE, my MIDDLE name, my favorite place to TRAVEL, my FIRST job, my GRANDMOTHERS name, my favorite VACATION spot, my kids NICKNAME, my VICE, my first PET, my favorite COLOR, my SCREEN name, my first LOVE, where I LIVE, what I studied in COLLEGE, my FIRST name, my favorite FOOD, my favorite ANIMAL

Shigeru Ban

2008-12-11T23:24:00.001-07:00

Innovative design from one of my favorite architects. Shigeru Ban and the Pompidou Metz was the subject of my senior thesis.

Blankets for Christmas

2008-12-10T22:42:00.003-07:00

via flickr

My friend Liz posted this story about her mom on her blog.

Last year during one of her lessons on traditions she showed the students a picture of a little girl on Santa's lap and asked them what they thought she was asking him for. A little boy in kindergarten responded immediately by saying that she was asking for a blanket. My mom responded by asking why, and the little boy said, "Because her body shakes and wakes her up at night because she is cold."

Her family has started a Blankets for Christmas campaign to donate fleece blankets to children in need. Read more here to find out how you can help.

A Conversation with My 8 year old Nephew on His Birthday

2008-11-12T22:21:00.004-07:00

Me: What did you dress up as for Halloween?

Ethan: Indiana Jones.

Me: Did you have a whip?

Ethan: No, I forgot it at home.

Me: Did you have the hat?

Ethan: Of course! What's Indiana Jones without his hat?

Me: laughing

Ethan: No, I'm trying to tell you a joke! What is Indiana Jones without his hat?

(Answer: The Hatless Adventurer)

Daedalus Update

2008-11-02T08:52:00.005-07:00

Athena likes the lamp too.

Daedalus

2008-10-20T21:42:00.004-06:00

This is my new lamp. It's named Daedalus, after the Greek architect who created Minos' labyrinth. According to mythology Daedalus and his son Icarus were imprisoned by Minos to protect the secrets of the labyrinth. In order to escape he created wings out of feathers and wax for himself and his son. They flew away from Crete to freedom, but the careless Icarus flew too high and the heat from the sun melted the wax in the wings and he fell to his death. Daedalus eventually landed in Sicily where he built a temple to the god Apollo and offered up his wings as a sacrifice.

Design as beauty and tragedy. It seems apropos to own it.

What my cat typed after I left the room

2008-10-11T18:18:00.001-06:00

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Think she's trying to tell me something?

Vote!

2008-10-11T14:30:00.002-06:00

This video is part of the nonpartisan AIGA Get out the Vote ad Campaign. My philosophy has always been if you don't vote you don't have a right to complain.

"What we do here affects the rest of the world. People follow."

2008-10-03T23:55:00.003-06:00

Gensler alumn Cameron Sinclair is featured in a new Gap ad. Watch it here. As co-founder of Architecture for Humanity he is one of my design heroes. I met him in Qatar and he is kind, passionate and genuine. (Plus he told me I was a rock star!) If there is ever a day when I don't show up for work it will probably be because I've run off to join him. If you aren't familiar with him here is his Ted Talk.

Is the election over yet?

2008-10-02T20:09:00.001-06:00

Now that the VP debate is over and McCain is in Denver today to take his turn at campaigning, I thought I should finally get around to finishing my report on the DNC.

I love this quote posted in the Pavilions. Denver definitely increased its pulse during the convention and it made it a lot of fun to be in the midst of. I've missed the craziness since it ended.

Bands played in the streets. (The keyboard player's shirt is awesome, is it not?)

Statues came to life.

People spoke their minds.

And everyone showed off. I can't wait for the election to be over, but it was fun to be a part of it.

PS: The homeless were finally allowed to return to the streets of LoDo.

PPS: McCain Palin 2008!

Liberal Craziness, Day 2

2008-08-26T19:49:00.019-06:00

This is a view of the craziness outside my building today. Protest drama came in the form the Pro Life Rally. SWAT teams dutifully arrived, but mostly to keep everyone on the sidewalk so they wouldn't be hit by the buses. Protestors are certainly passionate, no matter what they are shouting about. This woman with a bull horn was on an hour long anti-abortion rant. I wonder if she changed any minds. I wonder if anyone changed another's mind today.

I haven't had any luck on the celebrity front, but a friend in the office did. Susan ran out to Barnes & Noble and got this picture of Susan Surrandon outside of Earl's.

I would put her outfit firmly in the what not to wear category. Who wears plaid pants?! But as a whole the democrats I've seen are universally bad dressers, as these pictures attest.

Further down the road were the Anti-Bird Porn protest group, because birds have a right to privacy too.

I got a copy of their manifesto. It's written in Russian on the back.

Check out their website. These are important issues!

Bill and Hillary were out making sure everyone was registered to vote, but don't you think they're preaching to the choir? Wouldn't everyone at the DNC already be registered?

Then there was the Jesus Saves Guy, but he's always here so I don't think he counts. I didn't see any McCainiacs out today, but I did find Fox News. Not the local Fox, but the real Fox! I wanted to give them a hug too.

Sean Hannity got his own shout out below. Message to "Hillary's Non-Obama Supporters": Run!

See what I mean about bad fashion?

Classy. Not just the twist open relax, but the VPL of the woman on the left.

I wasn't fast enough to get pictures of the donkeys riding around on segways, but one thing I haven't seen at the DNC are the homeless. There are a group of regulars that are on the streets every day but they are nowhere to be found this week. The joke is that they were all given movie tickets, but I suspect they were bused to Fort Collins.

Stay tuned for Day Three.

A Republican at the Democratic Convention

2008-08-25T21:23:00.021-06:00

It's been 100 years since it happened last, and when it finally came around again I find myself stuck in the middle. I'm a Republican and the Democratic National Convention has descended on downtown Denver. This is even more annoying than having no interest in baseball and finding myself in the midst of the World Series last fall. It does however make for an interesting walk at lunch.

Light Rail this morning was packed! (Once again proving Americans do not know how to use public transportation, but that's a rant for another day.) My building is on lockdown and I need picture ID and a keycard to get on and off my floor. On the walk in a local news crew was reporting in front of a stall called Denver-crats selling "Obama-bling".

When I snapped this shot the reporter (Chris Parente from News2, in the blue shirt) had just finished saying, "Good Morning Denver, Good Morning delegates, and Good Morning Oprah!" (apparently she's in town), and was throwing the shot over to the vendor.

At lunch Kitty, Thana and I headed out to catch some action. Not that I've been here that long, but I have never seen this many people in Denver. It was almost like being in Chicago or New York, except for the SWAT teams.

The Police are everywhere, and in huge numbers. They're not messing around.

The crowds don't seem to mind though. The atmosphere is charged, and it's a little surreal to see it all. The usual buskers are out.

I see this guy everyday, usually singing "Hotel California", but he's been joined by a slew of new street performers.

The number of vendors has also doubled. In addition to knock-off designer bags (a Denver staple), you can now get a bit of entertainment with your over-priced t-shirts.

I wonder, if you buy two shirts, will you get the third joke free?

There are more protestors out than there are delegates or tourists. PETA pigs, anti-war activists and vans with awful photos of aborted fetuses plastered across them are making their way through the streets. (Making me very happy I'm staunchly pro life.) I also ran into some McCain supporters who gave me my "nobama" sticker. I was so happy to see them I wanted to give them a hug.

I just saw on the news that shortly after I left work the police had to tear-gas a protest group across the street from my building. Tomorrow I'll see if I can get pictures of a riot.

Spring in the Rockies

2008-06-15T21:32:00.012-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. Spring has been pretty busy but I'm enjoying a little lull at work. I thought I should catch everyone up before things get crazy again.

In April I was able to attend my first groundbreaking ceremony for a project I worked on. Speeches were given, project boards were displayed and everyone, including me, took turns posing with shovels. I'd like to tell you all about the project, but it's for the government and if I put up details on the internet I might get audited. But here are a few photos of our presentation boards and some of the people I've been working with. The building is under construction and it will be exciting to see it as it goes up.

In May I participated in a Spring Swap hosted by my friend Susan. I sent a package of my favorite organizing supplies to Marilyn in Utah, and I got this lovely box of goodies from Raphelle in Brooklyn.

It included all her favorite things for spring, from makeup to sidewalk chalk. It was wonderful to come home to a box of spring fun!

In May I was part of my office's IIDA Pret-a-porter team. We were teamed up with an office furnishings dealer in town and our challenge was to turn their products into high fashion. We chose one of their task chairs, tore it apart, and remade it into a dress. It was so much fun, and we won 2nd place in the professional category. You can check out photos of the night here.

Memorial day week I flew home to visit my family. I was there for nine days and had absolutely nothing to do. It was wonderful! My niece Paige turned 8 years old and was baptised. She even asked me to give a talk at the baptism. As you can see she was very excited.

Her message in chalk says "Party on!" I'll post more photos of my week home when I download them from my other camera.

When I got back to work I found out I'm going to be on the IIDA chapter board as the new Student Liaison. For the next two years it will be my responsibility to represent students in four states. I'm not quite sure what I've gotten myself into, but it should be fun.

After all my hard work this past year I decided to splurge a little and on Saturday I bought myself an oil painting. I went to an art market held by a local art league and fell in love with this painting by George Coll. It was painted in the Denver Art Museum and is finally bringing some color into my beige living room.

It's much richer in person. You'll have to stop by and see it.

That's my quick recap. I really need to write about my trip to Qatar and a few other things I've been thinking about. Unless I get distracted by the warm weather.

A is for Aalto, B is for Breuer

2008-04-28T20:46:00.008-06:00

I've been ABC tagged by Pam, and I finally had a chance to fill it out.

ABC's "getting to know you" TAG ABC's of you. Each player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

A- Attached or single: Single
B- Best Friend: My mom
C-Cake or Pie: Pie. It's the only thing that broke my birthday cake curse!
D-Day: Saturday, of course!
E- Essential Item: Pen and sketchbook
F- Favorite Color: Ice yellow
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears
H-Home town: Logan, Utah
I- Indulgences: Chocolate marshmallows and Doctor Who
J- January or July?: Neither. These are my two least favorite months. One is too hot and the other too cold.
K-Kids: Nope
L-Life is incomplete without: Chocolate marshmallows and Doctor Who
M- Marriage Date: TBD
N- Number of Siblings: 3 brothers and a sister
O- Oranges or Apples: Oranges
P- Phobias or Fears: clowns, cliche but true.
Q- Quote: "Light seeking light doth light of light beguile." - Shakespeare
R- Reason To Smile: Alvar Aalto's Savoy vase
S- Season: Autumn
T- Tag Three: Brett (this time he better do it), Susan and Loralee
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I once ran into Gorbachev at the Parthenon.
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: One time vegan come carnivore
W- Worst Habit: infrequent blog updates
X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Only x-rays so far
Y-Your favorite food: Anything with tomatoes in it
Z: Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

On Being Tagged

2008-03-18T20:21:00.004-06:00

I've been blog tagged by Hayley. Enjoy!

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.

C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

#1 What was I doing 10 years ago?
Working on a major in history and a minor in classical studies with an emphasis in Latin. What was I thinking?!

#2 Things on my To-Do List today:
Prepare for a client presentation in the morning
Return a phone call to the USGBC chapter president about a presentation I will do next week on sustainable development in the Middle East
rework my portfolio to enter an AIA competition
clean up the house for the visiting teachers coming on Thursday

#3 What would I do if I were suddenly a Billionaire:
Quit my job, travel and do humanitarian design work.

#4 Bad Habits:
Being too quiet when I'm nervous.

#5 Places I have lived:
Logan, Utah
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Orangeville, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Denver, Colorado

#6 Jobs I have had:
babysitter, various families in Logan
design consultant, On the Avenue
event planner, Utah Festival Opera
wedding planner, all my siblings and cousins
design intern, GSBS Architects
teaching fellow, Utah State University
interior designer, Gensler

#7 Things that people don't know about me:
I've been to Qatar - twice (the first time with Hayley).
I can curl my toungue into a clover leaf.
I've always wanted to learn how to fence.
I volunteer my time as a missionary.

I now tag Brett and/or Annie, Shannon and Karen.

Stanley's Weekend

2008-02-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend is snowed! Stanley wanted to play outside so we made a snowman. Isn't it cute?

Then Stanley slid down the hill.

And fell into a big pile of snow! It was cold!

It's almost time for Stanley to got home, so on Saturday night we went to a concert in a town called Boulder.

Here is Stanley at the Boulder Theater. He's so excited to see a concert that he is glowing in the picture. We heard a taping of a radio program called E-Town. The guests were Tim Finn and Ky-Mani Marley.

It was a cool concert. Stanley thinks Ky-Mani is great, but he liked Tim Finn best. Here is Stanley at the concert during the song "One Love" by Bob Marley.

Stanley has had lots of fun in Denver, but it's time for him to go home. He wants to see Paige and play with her at school.

Good-bye Stanley! Come back and visit me soon!

Stanley's New Friends

2008-02-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

Stanley made lots of friends at work. Everyone was excited to see him. Here is Stanley at my computer. I'm an interior designer and I help architects design buildings.

Stanley got a tour of the office.

Jenny, Claudia and Karin showed Stanley our plotter. It's a machine that prints giant pieces of paper.

Then Caroline, Carrie, Amy and Kirsty helped him pick out some carpet and tile for a new office.

Harry, Anne and Karin showed him how the computers work.

At lunch Flat Stanley and Flat Holly went exploring downtown.

This is the capitol building where the Governor of Colorado works. It's where all the laws are made.

The capitol has a big gold dome and it is exactly 5280 feet above sea level, which is one mile. That's why Denver is called the Mile High City.

There are cannons in front of the capitol to protect it from invaders. Stanley and Holly tried them out.

Across from the capitol is Civic Center Park, and at the other end is the County building and the Denver Mint. The mint is where money is made.

There are lots of churchs in Denver. This one next to the capitol has a tall spire.

This is the Colorado History Museum where you can learn about the Native Americans and pioneers who lived here over 100 years ago.

Here is the Colorado Ballet where all the Ballerinas practice dancing.

This is the new Denver Art Museum. Isn't it a crazy building?

It has lots of angles and looks like a spaceship. It was designed by a famous architect named Daniel Libeskind.

Look! A giant broom and dustpan!

Here's another building with crazy windows.

Across the street is the Denver Library. It was also designed by a famous architect. His name is Michael Graves.

Stanley really likes this big orange sculpture. Orange is his favorite color.

This is another sculpure of big red Ys that have messages of peace on them.

But this is Stanley's favorite sculpture of all. A giant chair with a horse on it!

Then Flat Stanley and Flat Holly went back to work so he could see his new friends.

Goodbye Flat Stanley! Come back and visit us again!

Stanley Goes to Work

2008-02-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

This week Stanley has been coming to work with me. We ride a train from south east Denver to downtown. There are lots of cool places to visit in Denver.

This is the 16th Street mall.

Stanley really likes the Hard Rock Cafe. Look at that giant guitar!

This is Nike Town where Stanley tried on some new shoes.

There are lots of concerts at the Paramount Theater. Stanley wants to see Lenny Kravitz and Kelley Clarkson.

Stanley got tired of walking around so he tried out this bench.

Then he ran over and sat on this bench. They are hand painted by artists and make the street very colorful.

Then he jumped up to look at this cow. It has Denver painted right on it's side.

16th Street is really long and there are stores and restaurants everywhere.

Denver has lots of tall buildings built around historic buildings. Look down this road and you can see an old church.

This is the World Trade Center where I work every day. It's more than 25 stories tall.

Stanley's Sunday

2008-01-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today Flat Stanley and I went to church. My church is on a street called Holly Street. Stanley thought that was funny.

In church he played with the other kids in primary and had lots of fun.

On the way home I stopped and showed Stanley this giant ice fountain.

Isn't it cool? Stanley thinks so. But it was so warm today that the ice was melting fast.

After lunch Stanley played with Athena. He had another fun day.

My New Friend

2008-01-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

I have a new friend who has come to visit me in Denver. His name is Stanley and he arrived in my mailbox. Stanley is very unusual because as you can see, he is flat. Stanley has been staying with my niece Paige, and she sent him to me in the mail.

Stanley was excited to get out of his envelope. It was a nice sunny day, so I took him to the park.

We played basketball.

Stanley slipped down the slide and played with the puzzle.

He climbed up the ropes . . .

And almost fell off! But he caught himself just in time.

On our way back home we saw a squirrel in a tree. Stanley was very excited to see a squirrel!

Stanley will have lots of fun while he is on his vacation, but he already misses Paige.

I Could Hear Them Breaking Free

2008-01-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Why couldn't my school choir have been this cool? I might have enjoyed singing if it had! The PS22 Chorus in New York sing my favorite song - ever. And do one of the better covers of "Private Universe" I've heard.

Here is an amazing live version of the original by Crowded House, on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.

So what was I singing in my choir? This song. Years after it was cool.

We also sang a song about painting a rainbow. No wonder I quit after the first trimester!

Happy Birthday to Me

2007-12-11T20:50:00.001-07:00

My first birthday away from home. I bought myself a little cake. It's not nearly as good as the five chocolate and pumpkin gingerbread cakes my mom had sent to the office!

I also got my first delivery of organic produce which will come to my door every two weeks. It's my birthday gift to myself.

Why Design?

2007-12-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

Philippe Starck's talk at TED2007 is not what you might expect from the designer of the sleek Louis Ghost chair and the luxe Hotel Mondrian. Rather than play a slideshow of chrome and polycarbonate objets, he just talks, for 17 minutes, about why he works, how he sees the world, and how he wishes humanity to evolve. It's a passionate, funny talk about being fully engaged with life; as Starck puts it: "Nobody is obliged to be a genius, but everybody is obliged to participate."

Digital Sketch

2007-12-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

My creative exercise for the day. Fifteen minutes with Photoshop and a random word generator. I don't know where the soft colors came from. This would be the perfect poster for the bedroom of an eight year old girl.

Vote

2007-11-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Vote for The Police for best reunion tour and Doctor Who for best sci-fi series! That's all I really care about.

Wish List

2007-11-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

If anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas, you can start with these shoes from United Nude by architect Rem Koolhaas.

Peel, like an apple.

Eamz, inspired by an Eames chair.

Mobius, after the strip, and connecting the curves of a Barcelona chair.

Light

2007-11-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

When I moved this summer I left most of my old furniture behind. I only brought the basics - a bed, a dining table, and drafting table. I'm content to get by in a bare condo until I can afford to buy pieces I truly love. My new philosophy is that if it's not good enough for my future kids to fight over it when I die, I don't want it. That meant a few months of living on folding chairs, but my resolutions held firm.

Fortunaetly it didn't take long for me to fall in love. First I found an Artimide Mega Tolomeo floor lamp for a steal. The tag said there was a scratch on the shade, but there isn't. Even the salesperson couldn't find the defect and she gave it to me for the clearance price anyway. I took it right home and set it up in my living room.

It makes me happy, even with a folding chair.

I was even happier to find the perfect sofa at the same store. It took weeks for my order to arrive, but it was worth the wait.

The beige walls and vertical blinds will be going away soon, but until I find the perfect wall and window treatments, I'm content.

Address At The Heavenly End

2007-11-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then this weekend I've caught up on months worth of posts. I hope you don't mind a few more.

I love cemeteries. Either you love them too, or you think I'm weird. There isn't much in between. I've always found them to be peaceful and fascinating places. Back in Utah I used to take friends around on cemetery tours in the fall and tell stories about all the interesting people. Now that I've moved I'm cut off from the familiar names and traditions I know. Near my home in Denver is a large cemetery named Fairmount, and last week I spent an afternoon wandering through. Apparently it's a popular thing to do because there were many others walking or biking along the lanes. There was even a group of people sitting next to a grave playing the guitar and singing.

I was also joined by a bus from a retirement center. The bus slowly drove around and stopped in front of a monument. Then a minute later it would drive around the corner and stop again. No one ever got off, but it slowly made the rounds as each person inside must have had a turn giving directions.

It was a beautiful fall afternoon. The weather was perfect.

According to the Fairmount's website, the 285 acres was opened in 1890.

Designed by German landscape architect, Reinhard Schuetze, the layout incorporates sweeping vistas in broad curved lanes thus creating a beautiful and serene park like setting.

Brett, is this the type of work you want to do?

It does, indeed, have sweeping vistas and some very curious monuments. There is also a different section for every religion and affiliation you can think of. There is a section of physicians, of veterans, of Catholics, of Greeks, of Jews, of Elks. If you belonged to it, you could be buried among it. Here are a few of the more interesting things I came across.

Most unusual monuments, in a contemporary art sort of way.

The inscription ad astra per aspera is Latin for "through adversity to the stars".

(The white building in the back is the mausoleum. It's huge!)

Best Nick-Names

Furthest Distance Travelled to be Here

Most Melodramatic Carved Image

Most Apropos Decoration

Idea I'm most likely to steal

Most "Colorado"

If this were Utah it would be red rock.

Most Cliche, but Still Touching

Coolest Headstone Calligraphy

Accompanied by
The Most Poetically Over-wrought Inscription

It's a little hard to read but it's by Tennyson.

"Now folds the lily all her sweetness up,
and slips into the bosom of the lake."

Most Appropriate Landscaping

Loveliest Carving

Best Name - Ever!

Most Intriguing Offerings

At the base of the candle is a pile of coins. Does anyone know the meaning behind this?

Coolest Religious Offerings

Most of the Jewish headstones were covered with rocks.

Best Monogram

Best Carved Name

Oddest Headstone

Cheesiest Amateur Poetry

Best Inscription and Carving Combination

Most Overly Sentimental Sentiment

If Tears Could Build a Stairway
And Memories Were A Lane
We Would Walk Right Up To Heaven
And Bring You Back Again

I wish I knew some of the stories of the people buried here. I bet they are fascinating.

Family

2007-11-02T22:11:00.000-06:00

It's only taken me six weeks, but I finally had a chance to dig through moving boxes and find the cord to my digital camera. In September I flew back home for a weekend to attend my cousin's wedding. It was my first time back since moving to Denver, and I loved having the chance to see everyone. Here are a few pictures of the event. You can see more on flickr.

Writing

2007-11-01T20:45:00.000-06:00

What's up with all the blogging? For the longest time hardly anyone I knew blogged. Now all of a sudden everyone is doing it. Friends, my brother and sister, even my office has a blog. So I guess I should post something more than once every six months. Here is my first little offering to the blogiverse. I'm heading back to handwritten blogs because I spend too much time in front of a computer as it is.

PS: Moleskins don't have spell check.

Wrong Number

2007-06-24T00:52:00.000-06:00

Over the past six months I've been getting a lot of wrong numbers calling my house. I have no idea why, but several odd messages have been left on my answering machine by people who think they have another house. One recent caller left a detailed message that I can't help but share. The number on caller ID is in Wyoming, and I think someone may be in trouble if he shows up with a pineapple upside-down cake.

Hey Joseph, this is Hope. Ah, mom and me worked it out. We're either going to have tacos or chicken enchiladas. Haven't decided. If you could bring a good dessert it'd be great. Anything that doesn't have cooked fruit. I hate cooked fruit, so I just don't want to do anything fattening for you guys. Anyways I'll talk to you in a little bit. Bye.

I'm very curious about Hope and her aversion to cooked fruit. And at what point did she realise Joseph never received the message. Did she believe him when he said he had no idea what she was talking about, when she knows full well she left a message on a machine? I'm tempted to call her back and tell her I have a good recipe for enchiladas.

Here Comes the Bride

2007-05-12T21:58:00.000-06:00

My sister Shannon was married to Brian on May 11th.
It was a beautiful day.

With a beautiful luncheon.

And a beautiful reception.

The fish all made it through.

This is my three year old nephew Colin. He helped decorate.

And then there was the food.

It tasted even better than it looks. But not everyone agreed.

Apparently Oliver doesn't like ice cream.

Aiden wasn't too excited about it either.

And Cameron was being shy.

Their sister Paige isn't shy.

Neither is Kaylee!

There was dancing.

They cut the cake . . .

And Shannon threw the bouquet.

It was caught by Mekenzie.

On her sixteenth birthday!

Ethan had a little too much fun.

He hit his ear on a chair.

Ouch!

The bride and groom are off to Mexico.

I'm sure they'll live happily ever after . . .

More photos here.

I'm Still Alive!

2007-05-07T18:37:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's May! So much has happened since the last chance I had to blog that I don't know where to start. I'll have to backtrack and write about the most remarkable and exhausting spring I've ever had.

Where to begin . . .

Winning two major competitions in a week?
Eleven days in Qatar?
Speaking at the American Society of Interior Designer's convention in San Francisco?
My senior project that turned into design anarchy?
Senior exhibit and a presentation to the dean?
Beginning the job search?

How about graduation!

Yes! At last I am a college graduate! Last Saturday I graduated magna cum laude with honors, with a degree in Interior Design and a minor in history. What was my honors thesis on? I titled it, "Design Response to Humanitarian Crisis: An Analysis of Low-Income Labor Camps in Doha, Qatar in the Context of a Student Charrette." I know, I know. I can't help it. I wouldn't be me if I didn't go overboard and push a few boundaries.

Now I'm sifting through job opportunities and trying to decide whether to stay in Utah or move to a bigger market. It's not a decision I'm taking lightly. I'll catch up with everything else that has happened over the next few days.

The Police are Back!

2007-02-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

I got them! I have tickets to see The Police in Denver this summer! I've always been wary of a reunion. I hate it when bands get back together and they just look old and desperate. But if their performance at the Grammy's is any indication the concert should be incredible. I know I can count on Stewart to keep Sting from becoming complacent. Hopefully the edge will still be there and the music will continue to evolve.

Now I'm waiting for the Crowded House tour to be announced. (I still can't believe my two favorite bands got back together in the same month.)

Lucky Spendlove Murdock

2007-02-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

LOGAN, UT– Lucky Spendlove Murdock’s luck finally ran out at 12:45 Thursday morning February 22, 2007 in Logan, Utah; following an extended illness. Lucky was born on or around January 1, 1992 in Logan, Utah, the son of a Golden Retriever father and a Cocker Spaniel mother. He was one of an unknown litter.

Lucky was born in Logan, Utah. He was abandoned as a pup, but later adopted by the Steve and Cheri Murdock family on Sumac Drive where he grew up as a happy and contented canine. He attended Logan Obedience School where he was a somewhat interested student. He led an active life when someone took him for a walk or if the door was accidentally left open. Lucky enjoyed laying around the house, begging for food, and hiding under the bed. He was a very kind and considerate canine who loved his human family and was greatly loved in return. His life was one of loving his family, especially his step-mother, Cheri Murdock. He enjoyed being petted and in being let outside to run around. He greatly appreciated being provided a secure and comfortable home. Family trips to his step-grandparents, where he could run wild and act nuts in their large yard was a highlight of his life.

He made friends easily and when someone showed him even the slightest attention they became a lifetime friend. Lucky will be greatly missed by all who loved him. He is survived by members of his human family which include: Cheri, Steve, Holly, and Shannon Murdock, all of Logan; Brandon, Jan, Paige, Oliver, Cameron and Aiden Murdock of Clinton; Bron, Rachelle, Ethan and Colin Murdock of Hyde Park, and Brett and Annie Murdock of Alta Loma, California. Lucky was greeted in Heaven by his step-greatgrandmother Zola Allen and feline step-brother Bodow. Burial will be at the Murdock Pet Cemetery Logan, Utah. Friends and family may call at the cemetery at any time. A graveside service will be held at a date and time that is yet to be determined.

Globe Trotting

2007-02-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

I finally have my travel itinerary for Qatar. I won't announce the exact dates online, but I will be gone for 11 days! The flight will be about 24 hours each way and we will come in a few days before the conference to participate in a charette with the other students. I will miss seven days of school. I'm glad all my classes are in my department and they will let me go. But I have no idea how I will get everything done this semester.

To add to everything else going on I found out this week I won another competition. It's not time yet to announce the details, but it will involve me travelling to San Francisco three days after I get back from Qatar! I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Guess what!

2007-02-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting this little blog because I've been working on another blog (see previous entry) . That blog has been part of a competition entry for a design conference called Tasmeem. The competition is to identify an issue dealing with water and generate design solutions for the problem. I worked on the project with a friend and we focused on the 1.2 billion people who don't have access to a source of clean drinking water and the 6,000 children who die every day from a water-borne illness. It's a little outside the realm of interiors, but it was fun to apply what I've learned to another area of design.

I just found out that we won! The prize is all expense paid trip to Qatar for a sustainable design conference in March. The speakers are some of the best in the world - David Suzuki who spoke at Greenbuild, Cameron Sinclair the founder of Architecture for Humanity, Susan Szenasy the editor of Metropolis, and other architects and designers from around the world.

Yes, that's right! I'm going to Qatar! Where in the world is Qatar?! Here it is:

Yes, I know. It's in the Middle East. But the safe part of the Middle East. I promise.

Qatar has mosques . . .

. . . and luxury resorts . . .

. . . and camels . . .

. . . and this giant pearl.

It is also the home of Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar who is sponsoring our visit.

I'm so excited!

Experiment

2007-01-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a blogging experiment. I want a blog to save the world.

We all know the power that blogs have to bring people together, people who would never have met otherwise. Blogs can entertain and inform and shape our lives in unexpected ways. I want to take this power and use a blog to help those who need it most.

Over 1.1 billion people in the world, right now, don't have access to a clean source of drinking water. Children are hurt the most - 1.5 million children under the age of five die every year from water-born diseases. Every one of these deaths is preventable.

Just by having access to a computer puts every one of us in a position of great privilege and power. What will you do with that power?

I want to do something, so I'm starting another blog to explore what we can do to address this global crisis. We are all affected by the way water is used and misused, whether we realize it or not. My new blog will be a discussion of what we can do. I don't know what form it will take. It is something that I hope will start a discussion and grow as we try to figure this out together.

So please visit Water Is . . . I chose that title because water is so many things, to so many people. Water is hope, it is freedom, it is power, it is life. I will update it daily, so check back and help me find ways to make it fun, as well as informative. Together we can save the world, even if it is for one person.

Resolutions

2007-01-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

I've never been big on resolutions because I've always been pretty good at self motivation. If I want to do something I don't wait for a certain date to start. So I began my resolution a few weeks ago. It's my goal to sketch something every day. I tried to do this last spring but life was a little too complicated. Things are no less hectic now, but I'm making this a priority because sketching helps me relax and it helps me design.

These sketches are meant to be quick and casual. I've taken drawing classes but I've never been taught to shade with a pen. I'm sketching now to try and teach myself how so they will be very experimental. I'll share the sketches here and on flickr when I have the chance.

525,600 seconds

2006-12-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

I spent some time reading through my past posts. I do tend to be obnoxiously self-reflective, don't I? I'm afraid that's not going to change. It seems I only make time to write when I'm in a reflective mood. Studying design forces me to live in a world of abstractions. I have a million ideas but none of them will become reality. It's very frustrating. Sometimes it's hard to find concrete things in my life to guage my progress by. So I'm stealing this idea from Karen as a chronicle of my past year, to prove that it wasn't all in my head.

January: For good or ill school has defined my life the past three years and January was a month of transition. A new semester began with one professor leaving Utah State for an international position, and I began studying under another one. I also began my search for an internship.

February: Event producer Scott Corridan came as a visiting designer. I made him cry. I spent the rest of the month preparing for our next visiting designer. The lack of sleep made me cry.

March: Jamie Drake came as our second visiting designer. He said I was daring. I found out I won honorable mention in the International Design Guild/ASID rug design competition. I applied to GSBS for an internship, and went to Las Vegas and Los Angeles on a design trip. At NeoCon West I met Karim Rashid.

April: I had an interview and got my internship. The semester wound down, leaving me in utter exhaustion. My nephew Aiden was born. I began blogging.

May: I found out I won honorable mention in the IIDA Sustainable Design competition. I saw Sigor Ros in concert and moved to Salt Lake to begin my internship.

June: I worked at GSBS and loved every minute of it. The month ended with the Theresa Bradly Spirit Award at Design Awareness.

July: I sadly left my internship, but not before applying for another one at G. I flew to London and spent most of the month there. It was hot. Very, very hot.

August: I moved on to Paris before flying home to crash for two weeks after a summer as a nomad. I was offered the G internship and school began again.

September: I'm finally a senior and won 1st place commercial and 2nd place residential in an ASID competition. I begin working as an undergraduate teaching fellow. I also started an IIDA Campus Center at school and was put on the IDSA board.

October: I worked. I worked on projects, on my job, and on my honors thesis.

November: I organized an IIDA campaign to donate stockings to children with cancer. I started working part time at GSBS and volunteered at Greenbuild in Denver, flying home in time to see my brother get married. On the 28th my grandmother died.

December: I went to my grandmother's funeral and two days later my sister-in-law's father died. After two funerals in a week I finished three projects and travelled to Salt Lake seven times. Thankfully the last week has been very quiet.

The year is ending and a new one beginning. I hope 2007 will be a little more peaceful, but no less eventful.

What a Difference a Year Makes

2006-12-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

It's amazing the perspective a little rest can give you. The past month has been hard. It's been intense and exhausting, but it's been no harder than any other month. Life has a way of evening itself out. For every trial there is a blessing.

This last year I've lost people who were important to me, but I've met incredible new people. I've travelled and had the chance to learn in ways I could never anticipate. I've learned to relax, to let go, and to trust that everything that is meant to happen will - in the right way and right time. I know what is important to me and what doesn't matter at all.

We've lost two members of the family this year, but we've gained two as well. I have a new nephew and a new sister-in-law. I got two internships - one at GSBS and a second next summer at G. I also got a job.

I've travelled, and made up for lost time doing it. In 2006 I spent time in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Denver, London and Paris. I moved to Salt Lake City for two months, and drive back there every week to work. I've gained confidence while I wasn't looking. I've won a few competitions that have opened doors. I've filled sketchbooks. I've written and blogged and taken thousands of pictures. I've done more than I could have planned for, or hoped for, or conceived of. It's amazing what a year brings. I wonder what will happen in the next one.

I was recently told by an architect that the definition of luck is proper preparation combined with an attitude of openness to the possibilities. The work is hard and taking risks is frightening, but the rewards are rich and worth the effort. There are a lot of things I wish for, even more I hope for. All I can do now is be open and trust. That is the definition of faith.

Breathe Out

2006-12-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

In less than three weeks I've had a wedding and two funerals take place in my family. Throw into that mix finals week with multiple projects due, the latest in a succession of crappy birthdays (yea for December, everyone is too busy to notice), and weekly trips to Salt Lake to work, and I am exhausted. Overwhelmed and utterly exhausted. All I have to do is make it to graduation, but that doesn't feel like it will ever happen. It's the middle of the night and I'm even too tired to sleep.

So for you, and mostly for me, I present a bit of visual bliss. Next semester my senior thesis will involve research on the work of Santiago Calatrava. Just looking at these images helps me relax. They feel like modern cathedrals.

When it rains . . .

2006-12-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

Today I went to my second funeral in less than a week. This time it was for my sister-in-law's father. I feel so bad for her and her family. And I'm sad for my little nephews who will never know their grandfather. The past few weeks have been overwhelming.

Myron Dee Bigler

August 21st, 1948 - December 4th, 2006

Obituary:

HYRUM, UTAH: Myron Dee Bigler of Hyrum Utah, died suddenly on Monday, December 4, 2006. Myron was born in Basin, Wyoming on August 21, 1948 to Orville Bigler and Elvira Dobson Bigler. Myron married Georgia Fay Thomas in the Salt Lake Temple on June 1, 1972. They are the parents of two sons and two daughters: Jason (Mindy) Bigler of St. Helens, Oregon; Rachell (Bron) Murdock of Hyde Park; Amber (Todd) Smith of Nibley, and Dedrick Bigler of Hyrum.

Myron was raised on a small farm in Basin, the ninth child in a large family of eleven children. He attended Basin High School where he played on the basketball team. Later, he attended Ricks College where he received an associate degree. He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and throughout his life served in various capacities and callings. In 1967-69, he served a mission in the Colombia/Venezuela Mission. He had a strong love and unwavering faith in his Savior. Myron had a deep love for people and his friendly and open manner drew people to him He was strong and steadfast and accomplished things without fanfare or self adulation. He was loved by all who knew him. He was a man generous with his time and talents and always put others before himself. For many years Myron was a technician for Thiokol, working on the Minute Man missile and Space Shuttle rocket booster projects. He also worked for Logan City and did various part time jobs. Myron was a hard worker and did all he could to provide a comfortable living for his family.

For twenty years he served his country in the U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring in June of 2006 with the rank of E-6. He is survived by his wife Georgia of 34 years, 4 children and 7 grandchildren. He is also survived by four brothers: Edwin (Clara) of Layton, UT; Dale (Joan) of Elkridge, UT, Perie (Floie) of Clean Creek, AZ, Bill (Julie) of Vernal, UT and four sisters: Charmayne (Tom) Kasperian of Taylorsville, UT; Edith (Bill) Johnson of Nacogdoches, TX; Donna (Dawan) Cecil of Cypress, CA; and Roseann (Randy) Bishop of Westchester, PA. Myron was preceded in death by his mother and father, Ruth Bigler a step-mother, infant sister Alice and a brother Dean (Wendy) Bigler. The funeral will be held at 12:00 PM on Friday, December 8, 2006 at the Hyrum Stake Center, 595 S. 200 E., Hyrum. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Allen-Hall Mortuary, located at 34 E. Center in Logan. Friends and family may call at the mortuary from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, and at the church on Friday from 10:30 - 11:45 am. Interment will be at the Hyrum City Cemetery with a military gravesite tribute.

Breathe In

2006-11-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

I went to school yesterday and was told to go home and not come back until I was ready. I appreciate that. I need a little time to catch my breath.

Just as I was leaving the sun lit up the sky. The air was bitter cold after Tuesday's snow and the silhouettes of the trees were lovely. I'm glad I had my camera with me.

The scene fit my mood on many levels.

I recently came across a website with an image that I also think is lovely. The Night and Day World Map shows you what part of the world is currently in darkness, and what part is light. In spite of my stand against light pollution I think images of the earth at night are gorgeous.

My family and I are doing fine. We're in that strange post-passing, pre-funeral limbo when no one's sure what to do. That will be over soon and then I'll have to get back to work.

Obituary

2006-11-30T01:01:00.000-07:00

Thelma Brierley Murdock of Kaysville, died Tuesday, November 28, 2006 in Logan, Utah following an extended illness. Thelma was born in Park City, Utah on February 6, 1923 to James W. “Bob” Brierley and Christy Clegg. She was the oldest daughter in a family of three boys and four girls. Thelma married John H Murdock on Feb. 5, 1945 in Alliance, Nebraska. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of three sons and one daughter; Steven John (Cheri) of Logan, Kristine Murdock of Layton, Brent Heber (Mary) of Jackson, Wyo., and Alan James (Helen) of Black River, N.Y.

Thelma grew up as a young girl in Park City and later moved with her family to Heber City, Utah. She graduated from Wasatch High School, where she was active in many functions including serving as one of her junior class officers. During World War II she was a telephone operator and was awarded a War Service Certificate for working at the Heber Telephone Company. Following their marriage, Thelma and John moved to the town of Kaysville. This was to be their home for the next fifty-five years.

Thelma was a master of all the domestic arts and was an exemplary wife and mother. She especially enjoyed crocheting, knitting and cooking. She crocheted dozens of afghans and tied quilts that were given to people with special needs. She was an excellent cook and made sure that anyone who visited her home never left hungry. Her holiday meals were legendary. At Christmas time, her Santa Claus cookies were of such fine craftsmanship that no one dared eat them. Her home-made fudge was divine. Thelma was a very kind and considerate person who loved all her family and friends and was greatly loved in return. Her life was one of loving service to others. She met the needs of those around her before her own. She provided a secure and comfortable home for her family and a place where everyone was welcome. She will be greatly missed by all who loved her.

Thelma was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and throughout her life and served in various capacities in the Kaysville First Ward. For several years she sang in the ward choir, was a counselor in the Young Women’s MIA and held special positions in the Relief Society. She had a strong testimony and unwavering faith in her Savior and His Church. She now joins with her beloved mother and father and a sister and three brothers who proceeded her in death. For several years, she was employed as a cook at Kaysville Junior High for the Davis School District where she made friends among fellow workers, students and teachers. She used her earnings to help her children in their schooling and helped pay for one son’s mission. She was generous with her time, talents and money. She was very resourceful and her home was always neat, clean and organized. She is survived by her husband John of over 60 years, four children, thirteen grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren. Also surviving are two sisters: Bertha (Clark) Woodbury of St. George, Norita (Sharron) Winterton of Charleston and two brothers: Wayne (Leva) Brierley of Roy and Howard (Connie) Brierley of Layton. The funeral will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2006 at the Kaysville First Ward Chapel.

Goodbye

2006-11-29T00:35:00.000-07:00

My grandma, Thelma Murdock, passed away about 12 hours ago. She was the perfect grandma. Her cooking was amazing. She always had a jar full of cookies and a purse full of Necco wafers. Thanksgiving and Christmas were events to remember. She crocheted beautiful afghans and made me a little kewpie doll in a pink dress when my mom gave birth to brother number three. I got my curly hair from her.

This is the first grandparent that I've lost, and while she is finally at peace it's a difficult time for the rest of us. It's comforting to know that she is with her parents and siblings and others she loved so much. The funeral will be on Saturday and I have family flying in from out of state. It will be good to be together, especially now.

Walking and Sketching

2006-11-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

Inspite of an overwhelming amount of work to do before the end of the semester I took a break and went for a walk around campus. A storm is moving in and the ground is covered with a beautiful dusting of snow. I stopped by the bookstore and bought a new sketching pencil in terracotta to break out of my usual black and white mode.

I stopped outside the Merrill-Cazier Library and made a quick sketch to try out the pencil. It has a waxy feel, but the color lays down nicely and doesn't smear. It was truly a quick sketch - I was sitting on cold concrete.

I was gone almost an hour and it felt good to get some fresh air. I think I may be able to get some work done now.

When I got back to my desk an envelope was waiting for me. It contained our IIDA (International Interior Design Association) Campus Center certificate. We're official! This is the first year our school has been a Campus Center and it's exciting to have proof of all the hard work.

If I were a state . . .

2006-11-25T00:34:00.000-07:00

Oddly, this is my result!

You're Utah!

You are extremely busy, one might even say as a bee. With a fondness for salt and colorful rocks, you believe in marrying early and, if possible, often. You're not above going on television or door to door for what you believe in, no matter how many people think you're a little bit strange. Despite rumors to the contrary, you actually have nothing whatsoever to do with jazz.

Take the State Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

If I were a country . . .

2006-11-25T00:26:00.000-07:00

Even more accurate . . .

You're the United Nations!

Most people think you're ineffective, but you are trying to completely save the world from itself, so there's always going to be a long way to go. You're always the one trying to get friends to talk to each other, enemies to talk to each other, anyone who can to just talk instead of beating each other about the head and torso. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, and you get very schizophrenic as a result. But your heart is in the right place, and sometimes also in New York.

Take the Country Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid

If I were a book . . .

2006-11-25T00:09:00.000-07:00

I've always felt like I belonged in a Jane Austin novel, but I'm open to the possibilities. My tree is calling . . .

You're Siddhartha!

by Hermann Hesse

You simply don't know what to believe, but you're willing to try anything once. Western values, Eastern values, hedonism and minimalism, you've spent some time in every camp. But you still don't have any idea what camp you belong in. This makes you an individualist of the highest order, but also really lonely. It's time to chill out under a tree. And realize that at least you believe in ferries.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Design Crisis

2006-11-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

I found this quote on a forum at Design Community.

"In many ways, the environmental crisis is a design crisis. It is a consequence of how things are made, buildings are constructed, and landscapes are used. Design manifests culture, and culture rests firmly on the foundation of what we believe to be true about the world."
— Sim Van der Ryn, quoted in The Philosophy of Sustainable Design, by Jason McLennan

This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Bruce Mau.

"What if we could do anything? What if the questions surrounding design turned out to be the big questions? What if life itself became a design project? What if - as Arnold Toynbee once suggested - we were committed to an audacious, altruistic global project that imagined 'the welfare of the entire human race as a practical objective'? What if design turned out to be that project? What if we succeeded?"

The thought of "the welfare of the entire human race" as a practical design objective is intriguing. If it were true, then there is a corollary. Most of society's problems have been caused by bad design. If the problem is bad design, then the solution lies in good design. What if saving the world is easier than anyone realises?

Of course the next question is, "What is design?"

The Design of the World

2006-10-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

My passion is my frustration.

I have accepted the curse of the designer. I will forever be able to see what is wrong, know how it could be better, and not have the power (the time, the ability, the money, the cooperation) to make a change. Even if I could, it is too much. There is too much that needs to be done, to many things that need to change. It is overwhelming to think about, to imagine. Yet I see it everywhere. It's not about the environment we live in. Though our environment influences every aspect of our lives. It's not about making things "look pretty", and never should. It's about making a difference. About making things better.

I have been blessed. I have been given more than I will ever deserve. It's humbling, and staggering, to think of all that I have. Now I feel a responsibility to give back. With everything that I know, and everything that I've experienced, it feels immoral for me not to do everything in my power to help others. I'm not trying to make people happy. It's not possible, and it's not right. Sometimes the thing you need is the thing you don't want, or the thing you fear. Change is hard. Change is agony and exhilaration. And change is a constant. You either move forward or you move back. Nothing stays the same.

Life is a choice and I have decisions to make. I pray that they will be wise ones. I will use this blog to raise questions as I continue to explore the world of design and my place in it.

Labyrinth

2006-10-14T18:48:00.000-06:00

I've been a big Sting fan for as long as I can remember. I still think the early Police songs are some of the best pop songs ever written. What I love most about Sting is that he has consistently pushed the boundaries of what pop music is, and should be. He blurs boundaries between genres and the results are always beautiful.

The current bandwagon for aging rock stars is to release an album of standards. Sting isn't immune to this trend. He's been playing with the classics for the past 10 years. His cover of "My One and Only Love" is one of my favorites. But his new album has taken this concept to extremes. Songs From the Labyrinth is a selection of Elizabethan songs accompanied by lute. It's an intriguing concept and the results are surprisingly poignant. "Come Again" doesn't sound that different than a few of the songs on his 1987 release ". . . Nothing Like the Sun."

Four of the "new" songs are available to listen to online. Whether you like it or not, you'll be surprised.

Schmap!!

2006-10-14T15:21:00.000-06:00

I was notified today that two of my photographs have been chosen for the Schmap Guide to London. They are pictures I took this summer while on study abroad. These weren't my best pictures, but here's a sneak peek.

This is the South Kensington Tube Station that was home for the three weeks I spent there.

Here are the beautiful gardens of Hampton Court. The day we were there was hot and the ongoing drought left everything yellow and wilting, but it was still stunning.

These pictures join the two pictures from my trip to South Carolina that were inculded in Schmap Myrtle Beach.

This is a mall parking lot during Bike Week.

And this is Ripley's Aquarium on the same day.

Does this mean I'm a published photographer? I need to keep traveling so they can use more of my pictures! I have trips to Denver and Chicago planned already . . .

Week in Review (a little late)

2006-10-14T14:49:00.000-06:00

To hold myself accountable I will give you a report of the progress I made on the goals I set for myself last week. No organizing or cleaning got done, correspondence was partially written and I only averaged seven hours of sleep every two days, but I accomplished more than I expected. I said no twice, I saw the premiere of Lost, I relaxed for one entire night on Friday, I read the first chapter if Bruce Mau's Massive Change, and my plans for saving the world are firmly in place. Not bad results for such a crazy week. I should set short-term goals more often.

Progress

2006-10-04T22:09:00.000-06:00

I am so proud of myself. I am well on my way to accomplishing my goals for the week. In spite of a deadline in the morning and a general proclivity towards being a workaholic, I took some time off this evening and watched the premier of Lost. And it was worth it! I've never seen a show as well written or executed as this.

I have also said no twice this week to things I was asked to help with but really don't have the time for. I'm still not doing well on getting enough sleep and have done no cleaning or organizing, but I'm making progress. I even have some plans for saving the world. I may not be able to do it by Monday, but I will do it.

My 10 Things

2006-10-01T14:00:00.000-06:00

When I check in on three of the blogs I read regularly, and they all have the following lists, I guess that means I should do it too.

10 Things I Did This Week:

Received the LEED-NC 2.2 Reference Guide and began studying for the LEED AP exam.
Worked ridiculously hard on a class project and completed a mock up of the finished brochure.
Began work on another class project, which will be even harder.
Solved the mystery of the History of Architecture test scores.
Faxed in all the paperwork to organize USU's first Campus Center of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).
Put together my Honors Thesis Committee, composed of two architects and a commercial designer.
Found a bunch of design competitions, compiled a list, and passed it out to the junior and senior studios.
Watched "The Lake House", the THIRD movie I've seen this year! It was about architects. Even when I try to take a break I can't!
Watched General Conference.
Drove to Clinton to visit my brother and his family, and to get some help on #2.

10 Things I Wanted to do This Week, But Didn't:

Send out thank you notes.
Get enough sleep.
Relax.
Clean my house.
Watch just a little bit of TV to know what's going on in the world.
Read.
Email a few people I need to keep in touch with.
Finish #2 on the first list, so I can get on to #3 on the first list without distraction.
Help with a wedding.
Back up my computer files.

10 Things That Made Me Smile:

My six year old niece who sounds out my name and spells it H-O-L-E.
My five month old nephew who just learned to roll over.
My four year old nephew who is obsessed with chocolate and Star Wars.
My four year old nephew (they're twins) who named his fish Murdock.
Winning the IDSA weekly photo contest and getting a candy bar.
International hits on my little blog.
Knowing that I'm making a contribution.
Fall leaves in the canyon.
Fresh salmon.
Getting a lot accomplished.

10 Things I WILL Accomplish Next Week:

Get my studio space organized.
Get IIDA records organized.
Say No to something.
Write all outstanding thank you notes and emails.
Take one evening to relax.
Get the equivalent of seven hours of sleep each night.
Read something I enjoy (whether it's design realted or not).
Clean my bedroom.
Watch the premier of Lost (harder to do with my schedule than you might think).
Save the world.

Let's Dance

2006-09-28T20:50:00.000-06:00

Another one for Karen. I couldn't resist.

Depeche Mode's "Precious" [Early Version]

2006-09-23T22:26:00.000-06:00

Precious [Early Version of video]

I love this song. It is, in fact, my cell phone ringtone. The video is very cool, but I prefer this one. It's fascinating from a creative viewpoint to see the process and the storyboarding. It makes me want to direct a video!

Drawing

2006-09-23T01:13:00.000-06:00

One of my ongoing goals is to improve my drawing abilities. I've spent the evening on two tutorial websites. Drawspace has an impressive library of printable drawing lessons from beginning to advanced levels.

Even more helpful for my current project has been Manga University. It feels a little silly drawing anime all day, but it's been a lot of fun.

Here are the preliminary results of my presentation.

More to come.

Thesis

2006-09-22T14:33:00.000-06:00

I'm in the honors program and in order to graduate next spring I need to complete an Honors Thesis. It's meant to be a scaled down version of a master thesis and will be combined with the senior project I will do next spring. By the end of October I need to complete a thesis proposal and choose a thesis advisor and commitee. I have a good idea of the direction I'm going and the people I want to ask. The project will be commercial, sustainable and significant. I also want to look into publishing the research paper that I will write to accompany the design. It's a little overwhelming to think of now, but I'm excited to get started.

For Karen

2006-09-14T12:28:00.001-06:00

In Senior Studio we are designing a retail boutique for Target. In an attempt to be fun and funky I'm studying fashion illustration and rendering. I love the work of Yoko Ikeno, and one of her illustrations reminds me of a friend. Karen, this is for you.

I Want That

2006-09-13T22:39:00.000-06:00

My favorite game from childhood has been recreated in some of my favorite fabrics! If anyone wants to give me a present I want the Maharam Memory Game. Does it get any cooler?!

Palais Royal

2006-09-11T23:55:00.000-06:00

Palais Royal, originally uploaded by zenroxie.

I filled my sketchbook while I was in Europe this summer. This is one of my favorites of the art nouveau details on the Paris Metro.

Watter Bottle

2006-09-05T23:36:00.000-06:00

My water bottle is inspired by the shape of fan vaults and the handles of tea pots. Not much can be done to improve the functionality of water bottles, so I designed it to be stylish instead.

Sofa

2006-09-05T23:27:00.000-06:00

This little boy abandoned his parents and found his own space to fall asleep on the train. He wanted to prove his independence, but only moved a few rows away. The perfect sofa is a comfortable leather sofa that looks like an adult piece, but is sized just for him.

Wayfinding Pamphlet

2006-09-05T23:23:00.000-06:00

Each exhibit space is unique. I arranged each group so that visitors could wind their way through each space. They can see each exhibit in turn, but still have the opportunity to explore.

Building Materials

2006-09-05T23:16:00.000-06:00

I analyzed the cost effectiveness of sustainable building materials. I found that the materials themselves don't have a huge effect on the cost. It is the consultant fees required to design and test the building that add to the price. But the additional expense pays for itself within 3 to 5 years and after 20 years a building can save $50 a square foot each year.

Rug Pattern

2006-09-05T22:06:00.000-06:00

This rug pattern is inspired by the architecture of the eatchquake exhibit design at the Natural History Museum in London. I wanted a dynamic pattern with a sense of movement.

Making History

2006-08-22T15:32:00.000-06:00

I just found that Wikipedia has an entry for 2006 European Heat Wave.

The 2006 European heat wave was a period of exceptionally hot weather that arrived at the end of June 2006 in certain European countries. The UK, France, Benelux, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany are most affected. Several records were broken. In The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the UK, July 2006 is the warmest month since official measurements began.

It wasn't fun, but I lived through history!

Happily Ever After

2006-08-13T21:19:00.000-06:00

I'm so happy to be home, especially because I made it back in time to see two friends from the studio at their wedding receptions. They were two of the most beautiful brides, and most beautiful receptions I've been to. And I'm not just saying it.

First was Karamie Moore and Neil Maynes. Their reception was in a beautiful yard in Kaysville. I didn't know views like this still existed in Davis County.

The timing of each reception was perfect for me to make it to South Jordan in time to see Hayley Joy Brady and her new husband John Neil.

It was a beautiful evening and you both did an exquisite job. I wish you both joy and happiness!

There's No Place Like Home

2006-08-11T21:53:00.000-06:00

I don’t know if I was more excited to fly home, or to fly to London. This trip has been wonderful, but I’m exhausted. We’re all ready to get back to our family and friends. The day started out uneventful. I shared a taxi with Tim and Susan. We left Hotel Arley at 8:30 and were dropped off at Terminal 1 of Charles De Gaulle Airport a little after 9:00 a.m. Security was light, just a few questions about when I packed my bags and a metal detector at the gate. I joked that this was the airport the shoe bomber left from and it was the only airport that let us keep our shoes on.

The rest of our group came about an hour later on the metro and our flight left on time. Besides Tim and Susan, Wendy, Megan P., Natalie, Barbara, Russell, Adam, Gabe, Kelly, Melissa and Una were on the flight with me. It’s only an hour shorter flying from Paris to Chicago than it was flying San Francisco to London, but it felt a lot longer. I think that’s how all trips are. It always feels longer on the way home. It didn’t help that the audio on my seat didn’t work. I missed out on all the movies and had nothing to watch but the map the whole way. Boy is the Atlantic big!

I amused myself by sketching. I know everyone in the group is sick of my sketches at this point, but I find relaxing. It’s also a great way to kill time. I sketched several pictures in the in flight magazine and was surprised to find that a picture of Jackson Hole’s antler arch made me homesick. I’ve never liked anything western, but this was the first familiar thing I’ve seen in a month.

At Tim’s suggestion I also sketched the inside of the plane. This was my view for 8 and half hours.

The tedium also made me feel guilty. How spoiled are we? For $500 we can fly half way around the world in a day. Travel couldn’t get much easier. It took my great great great grandparents their entire life’s savings, and months on ships, trains, and covered wagons to make this same trip.

About 30 minutes before we landed an announcement was made. Due to new Homeland Security measures we needed to take all liquids of gels we had with us and put them in our checked baggage before we could get on our next flight. That included water, lotions, shampoo and anything else of that consistency. I thought it was odd, but I was a little more concerned with filling out the customs and immigration form.

We landed about 20 minutes late which made me nervous after the flight we missed on the way to London. We still had two hours before the next flight but that isn’t a long layover for an international flight.

This is my first time in Chicago and I didn’t see much of it. I didn’t even see much of the airport. I did notice that the designers did some cool things with the carpet pattern to enhance wayfinding. A pattern of stripes led the way down the hallway to customs, and started to break up and then run perpendicular to the walls when it was time to stop. No one asked, “Where are we supposed to go?” The carpet pattern was clearer than the signs. I also thought, “How lame is it that after all this time away, I finally make it back to the US and all I notice is the airport design!” I can’t help it. I’ve never pretended to be cool!

Immigration was a piece of cake. Two or three questions and I was through. Then things got complicated. We had to collect all our luggage, go through customs, and recheck everything before finding the connecting flight. All would have gone well if it hadn’t taken FOREVER for our luggage to arrive. One of the most stressful parts of the entire trip was waiting at baggage claim knowing how little time we had.

During the wait I found out what was going on. We heard a few more announcements about no liquids or gels, so I finished my water and looked through my bags. All I had in that category was hand sanitizer and sun tan lotion. I pulled them out, ready to put them in my luggage. I stood next to an airport employee who was helping an elderly man with his luggage. Another man nearby asked him why we needed to get rid of anything liquid. He responded, “You haven’t heard yet?” When he was assured that, no, we had no idea why, he continued. “You were in the air while it was happening, but a terrorist ring was busted this morning in England. They were trying to smuggle explosives on to planes in small shampoo bottles. They arrested 24 and think there may be more. The security level has been raised to Orange.” We had absolutely no idea! I found the rest of the group and told them what was going on. It explains why it was taking forever to get our luggage. They must be rescreening everything that came in on an international flight.

The luggage finally came, but mine was in the last batch to arrive. I gathered everything up, put my liquids in the luggage I needed to recheck, and headed for Customs. There was a bottleneck of people trying to get through, but they quickly checked our forms and sent us through. Our souvenirs were the least of their worries. United let us leave our luggage in a pile and with an assurance that I could make the flight I ran to the train. I made it up the stairs just as it was about to leave for Terminal 1. I tried to step on the train and I was half way in as the doors started to shut. This happened all the time on the Tube, and everyone would step back an make more room. It was amazing how many more people could fit into a car that you were sure was packed. But here no one budged! Everyone just stood there staring at me and I barely had time to jump back before the doors shut. I heard Barbara yell my name and looked up to see her and Russell in the corner, and PLENTY of room in the rest of the car. Welcome back to the US! No one here knows the proper way to use mass transit!

It was several minutes before the next train came and as the first one on I went all the way to the back so there would be plenty of room for the next group of travelers. I was joined by a pilot and a few people I recognized from our Paris flight. As the train slowly made it’s way around the terminals there was a long line of news vans outside. Some one asked the pilot if that was because of the terrorist arrests and he said yes. “Heathrow has been shut down” he added. Things must be worse than I thought. I’m very glad that we didn’t fly out from England in the midst of this! My sister went on study abroad last summer and flew to London the morning of the Tube bombings. Now I’m flying back amidst terrorist arrests. My parents may never let their children leave the country again.

Of course my flight left from the furthest terminal and I ran to security. This is where I realized I might not make my flight. The line was long and slow, and they were in no hurry to get us through. Barbara and Russell were a few people ahead of me. If we were going to miss the flight we would miss it together.

As I entered the line a man was going over the security restrictions again. He said to no one in particular, “Do you have any liquids or gels? Any water . . . shampoo . . hair gel . . . booze . . .?” I laughed, which made him laugh to. Under the circumstances there was nothing else to do. I looked through my carry on again and discovered that I had missed my lip gloss. It took it out and looked at it. It was a gel and I had to abandon it on the counter. I loved that lip gloss, and it was a new container. It became my sacrifice to our national security.

I can’t believe how long it took to get through Chicago security. Salt Lake was quite fast, and San Francisco was a model of efficiency. Here they were understaffed and didn’t seem to care about anything. They didn’t screen people based on how soon their flights left. There was no ushering through the multiple lines to make sure they moved at the same rate. There were no instructions on what they wanted done or how to put your belongings through the scanner. This caused delay after delay as they had to rescreen bags that weren’t put through properly. I don’t mind waiting, even when I’m late, but I can’t stand inefficiency.

When I finally made it through I ran with my laptop, camera and bag to gate C16, expecting to miss my flight. I also expected C16 to be the last gate but was relieved to find it way only half way down the hallway. I turned the corner to see they were still boarding the plane. I made it!

Once on board I found that everyone else was there except for Una. She was behind me in baggage claim and must still be in security. An announcement was made over the intercom. Our pilot hadn’t made it in from Seattle yet and they were still waiting for passengers to arrive. It was another half an hour before we were ready to take off which gave Una time to make it. It was a very stressful two hours and there was still another layover in Denver ahead of us.

The flight went by surprisingly fast, but once again I had audio problems. The sound actually worked, but the in flight entertainment from NBC didn’t. The sound cut in and out and was then gone completely. I tried to turn to a music channel, but the woman next to me had her tray table down and her lap top out. Her tray completely covered the controls to my headset. I was stuck again with no sound but I was too tired to care. The flight attendants finally changed the tape and played an episode of The Office. I have only seen one episode of the show before and yes, that is the episode they played.

We finally landed in Denver and for the first time there was plenty of time before the next flight. Tim and Susan were scheduled to leave an hour before the rest of us but they found that their flight had been cancelled due to security reasons and they went to get on stand by. We found our next gate and collapsed on the floor. I pulled out my sketchbook. Sorry everyone, but it helps me de-stress.

Before long the sun started to set. We had been traveling for almost 20 hours, but we flew with the sun and the end of the day was just catching up with us. It was our first rocky mountain sunset in ages. I never really noticed a sunset in London or Paris. You need mountains to make them dramatic. Even behind an airport it was beautiful.

It actually felt good to sit still for a little while. A few of us split an overpriced pizza and Kaylee fell asleep on the floor. She looked like we all felt.

There were concerns that our flight would be cancelled too, but when it was only delayed an hour we considered ourselves lucky. On the plane I shut my eyes for a minute and woke up over the Rockies. I don’t remember take off at all. I looked out the window (this way my first window seat the entire trip) and saw Logan below. The temple was lit and I could see where my house was.

We landed safely and our luggage soon followed. But Tim and Susan were back in Denver and on the carousel were Kelly and Wendy’s luggage going around and around. Their flight went directly from Chicago to Salt Lake, but apparently their luggage didn’t. My parents were there to pick me up and we took Una back to Logan as well. When I got home it was after 1:00 a.m. which was 9:00 a.m. Paris time – over 24 hours after leaving the hotel. I can’t believe I actually made it.

This is a long post, but it was a LONG day to end a LONG trip.

Don't Think, Just Shoot.

2006-08-09T23:07:00.000-06:00

On a trip like this you see so much that you almost become numb. You don't know what you will assimilate into your being and what you will leave behind, touched briefly and then forgotten. It's especially difficult to immediately implement something you see, hear or smell into your experience. Sometimes you need instructions.

In an unlikely and subversive spot, the gift shop at the Centre Pompidou, I found a photography exhibit. This exhibit was unusual. It was displayed on the ground. While dozens of people fought to get a look at overpriced watches I became engrossed in hundreds of little pictures pieced together like a mosaic on a platform no higher than my knee. Each photo was an unremarkable snapshot of life. Signs at a Tube station, people passing by, feet on a beach, and a thousand other things we pay little attention to. Together they made up a fascinating cross section of a life where the mundane becomes beautiful. The collage was accompanied by a series of signs explaining the practice, called Lomography. There are 10 Golden Rules to follow to capture spontaneous, intimate pieces of life. I wrote them down.

1. Take your camera everywhere you go.
2. Use it anytime, day or night.
3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it.
4. Try the shot from the hip.
5. Approach the object as close as possible.
6. Don't think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don't have to know beforehand what you captured on film.
9. Afterwards either.
10. Don't worry about any rules.

According to the website of the International Lomographic Society, the purpose of the organization is to "shoot as many impossible pictures as possible in the most impossible of situations from the most impossible of positions. These lomographs are put together to make up vast walls of pictures with tens of thousands of images shot by what are often hundreds of individual lomographers, and then exhibited all over the world."

Lomography began in Vienna in 1991 when a group of students shot rolls of uncomposed pictures on cheap Russian cameras. They put their pictures together and found their spontaneity had captured life in an intriguing way. Often serendipity is more powerful than planning.

I spent the afternoon implementing the rules. The camera sees things you can't.

Click each photo for a larger view. The story is told by the details.

Contrast

2006-08-08T23:26:00.000-06:00

This morning we visited an exhibit about architects designing exhibits. As always I am inspired by architecture.

This exhibit features Charollete Perrand. I love the feeling of enclosure this space creates.

After the exhibit a group of us headed to the catacombs.

I didn't expect to actually see the bones. Once I walked into the chamber and realized where I was it was cool. Many of the remains here are victims of the French Revolution. It was a sobering and sacred space. I'm not sure if taking pictures should be allowed, but it was.

These remains were moved from the Cemetery of the Innocents.

Afterwards I dragged everyone to the Montparnasse Cemetery nearby. I've always wanted to see a cemetery in Paris. I find them places of peace and reflection. I don't know why but I'm happy here.

The last stop of the day was La Defense. It's amazing the contrast it provided from the cemetery. Once again I love contemporary design.

This has been one of my favorite days in Paris.

Such Great Heights

2006-08-07T23:17:00.000-06:00

The views from the Eiffel Tower are amazing.

But, like everything else in Paris it's covered in grafitti.

Natalie and I left our mark too.

Afterwards I spent the afternoon shoppping and getting my hair cut in a chic bohemian salon. In Les Halles we saw this very cool building.

Admiring Detail

2006-08-06T23:43:00.000-06:00

Notre Dame is as beatiful as I always imagined. The amount of detail dripping off every surface is astounding.

I arrived during mass and tourists were still allowed to walk through and take pictures. It made me very uncomfortable. I don't know how the parishoners feel but it had to detract from the sacred nature of the service.

This drinking fountain is just outside the cathedral. It makes you dizzy just walking by.

I spent the rest of the afternoon at the Louvre. I decided years ago to withhold judgement on I.M. Pei's glass pyramid until I saw it in person. Now I can say I love it. I think it fits the building perfectly and adds an amazing amount of light into the building.

Once inside the world's largest museum the crowds all went right to the Davinci Code sights. So I turned left and headed to ancient Mesopotamia. The first thing I came across was the Code of Hamurabbi! I love ancient history and have always dreamed of seeing it!

I was in heaven!

I woulnd my way throught the exhibits on ancient art. It almost made me regret leaving my major in history. I came across the Venus de Milo almost by accident.

Then I found Nike of Samothrace. I can now die. There is nothing else I need to do in life. It is stunning.

After that the Mona Lisa was a disappointment. I've never been a huge fan and the adoring crowds were obnoxious.

In the Napolean III apartments I fell in love with this furniture. The color and lines are exquisite. I wish I had more time. I could live here forever.

More to Come

2006-08-06T02:57:00.000-06:00

I'm now in Paris. Internet is hard to come by here so it will be a few days before I can continue blogging about the adventures I'm having. Stay tuned . . .

Saddly Disappointed

2006-08-05T23:47:00.001-06:00

Yesterday at Fontainebleau I said, “As spectacular as this is it will be nothing compared to Versailles.” I’ve studied the history and the architecture, I’ve read the stories of court intrigue, and all I can say after finally seeing Versailles myself is, “Eh.” Has it come to this? Have I finally become immune to everything I’ve seen? I’m at Versailles! How could I be disappointed? Why am I unmoved? This is the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV! The grandest and most spectacular palace ever built!

My primary reason for feeling underwhelming are the crowds. Not just the crowds here today, but the millions of people who come to the palace each year. The traffic is taking a toll on the building and preventing anyone there from appreciating it. As pretentious as I thought the tour of Buckingham Palace was, I can’t help but wish for a similar treatment here. If you control and limit the crowds, you control the experience. In spite of the grandeur, Versailles felt seedy and overrun. It’s almost as if the French don’t care about the palace and it’s place in history. Is the chaos here today a sign of the French disdain for royalty that led to the revolution? I have to admit I’m a little upset by the current state of affairs at Versailles.

It is beautiful though.

As the Sun King, the reincarnation of Apollo, Louis XIV thought he brought light and truth to his people. Gold was symbolic of his power.

The Hall of Mirrors does deserve its reputation. It must have been spectacular.

Outside we toured the gardens as the fountains are timed to music. A group of us decided to take a carriage ride through the gardens, splitting the 80 Euro price with a Japanese woman and a couple from Brazil.

Evidently people begin looking like their animals here too.

We found that in the carriage we became as much a part of the show as the fountains.

I think we're all feeling worn out at this point in the trip so we headed back to the hotel to rest. Versailles looks like it needs a rest as well.

Palaces

2006-08-04T23:58:00.000-06:00

After all the walking we’ve done I definitely appreciate the little things. When we we’re picked up this morning by a chartered bus it felt like a luxury. We had the chance to get out of the city today to visit a pair of palaces.

The Royal Château of Fontainebleau, 35 miles south of Paris, began as a home for Francis I. He was crowned king in 1515, just as the Renaissance dawned in France. He was a great patron of the arts, employing numerous artists and writers. He convinced Leonardo da Vinci to come to France and collected work by Michelangelo, Titian and Raphael. Francis was also a prolific builder and Fontainebleau was his largest palace. The design and decoration reflects the Italian influence, with elaborate paintings, woodwork, plasterwork and sculpture adorning every surface.

I became a little obsessed with chandeliers today. I lost track of how many pictures I took of them.

We had to leave Fontainebleau far too early, with only a glance at the gardens. But the spectacular Vaux Le Vicomte was waiting. The drive to Vaux gave us our first real look at French suburbia. It was startling and disappointing to find it looks just like American suburbia. Tract houses, grocery stores and McDonalds look identical to ours. The only difference was the language in the signs. We aren’t the only ones responsible for modern urban sprawl.

You approach Vaux Le Vicomte through a long tree lined road. Driving down it feels like being transported into a fairy tale. In a stroke of marketing genius someone came up with the idea of opening the chateau and gardens at night, lit entirely by candle light. We arrived in time to have a picnic on the grass across the street before touring Vaux right at sunset.

According to the castle’s website,

“Vaux was the tragic setting for the downfall of Fouquet, a faithful minister who paid the price of life imprisonment, because of an embezzlement he did not commit, because of the jealousy of others and also because he went a little too far in bestowing lavish hospitality.”

That sentence is oh so very French, in syntax and in historic style. As a financial secretary Nicolas Fouquet was in a position of prestige and power. He used his fortune to create in Vaux le Vicomte the most spectacular castle in the region. Fouquet proved to be a brilliant businessman, juggling Louis XIV’s debt, financing the military, and keeping a healthy profit for himself.

“Yet, this brilliant man, always an ardent and loyal supporter of the King and the Cardinal had too great a faith in his own charmed destiny and did not stop to consider the envy and suspicion his high rank and wealth inspired in the minds of his more ambitious detractors.”

How many others fell into this trap as well? Fouquet became embroiled in controversy when the financial disorder of the kingdom became increasingly difficult to manage. When Cardinal Mazarin, the First Secretary, died, Fouquet was accused of embezzlement and anti-royalist plots by Mazarin’s private secretary Colbert. Fouquet chose to disregard the warnings to curtail his lavish lifestyle and he became a convenient scapegoat. Louis XIV ordered Fouquet’s arrest and used Vaux as justification. The king asked to see Vaux and Fouquet hosted a spectacular feast featuring theatrical entertainment and firework. His personal motto Quo non ascendet ("What heights will he not scale?") was shown to full effect at the elaborate event. The king had his ammunition and Fouquet was soon arrested. Voltaire later wrote of the event, "On 17 August at 6 in the evening, Fouquet was King of France; at 2 in the morning, he was nobody."

Fouquet was arrested three weeks later and his trial dragged on for years. He was finally sentenced to life imprisonment by Loius XIV to prevent him from divulging state secrets. Fouquet remained in prison until his death 19 years later and his story was linked by writers such as Alexander Dumas to that of the man in the iron mask.

Vaux is what remains of the royal intrigue and it has been preserved as a monument to beauty and excess. Touring the rooms lit only by candle light adds to the grandeur.

Once again I found myself photographing chandeliers. It's difficult to describe how beautiful they are.

Beneath the palace is the kitchens and cellar, also dramatically lit.

Outside you are allowed to wander the acres of gardens, accompanied by candle light and classical music, until midnight. The evening was magical.

A History Lesson

2006-08-03T23:19:00.000-06:00

This was our day to explore Paris as Seth took us on a walking tour. I will now amaze and astound you with my knowledge of the city. Not only did I get three-quarters of the way through a history degree, I also took a class on the history of Paris. I did double check a few of the following facts on Wikipedia.

Our first stop was the Eiffel Tower. It was built in 1889 as the entrance to the World Expo celebrating the centennial of the French Revolution. When it was built it was the tallest structure in the world and remained so until the Chrysler Building was completed in 1930. The tower was built as a temporary structure and many in Paris were upset when it wasn’t disassembled. It was almost universally hated by Parisians. It later proved to be valuable as a radio tower and was allowed to stand.

[Eiffel sketch ]

We all sat on the Champ de Mars and quickly sketched the tower. The Champ is named after the Roman god of war because it was used for military exercises conducted at the Ecole Militaire at the far end. This is also the site of a massacre. In 1791 the military opened fire on a crowd who had gathered with a petition to remove Loius XVI from power. Fifty people died.

In June a new museum opened nearby. The Musée du quai Branly was designed by Jean Nouvel to house a collection of tribal and indigenous art. It features a wall covered in plants. As much as I love art, history and culture, I get excited by contemporary architecture! This building is incredibly cool.

In Paris you don’t walk along the Seine, you stroll. The walkways and streets are wide and comfortable, thanks to Baron Haussmann. In 1853 under the direction of Napolean III, Haussmann began a massive rebuilding of the city. At that time Paris was a still a medieval city plagued by crime, disease and decay caused by decades of revolution. The narrow winding streets had proved the perfect defense for revolutionaries as barricades were built in battles with authorities. Haussmann’s plans demolished large sections of the city, replacing them with wide, safe and indefensible streets. He created the long, dramatic avenues that connect major sites. The look we associate today with Paris was created by him. But “Haussmannisation” wasn’t without criticism. It destroyed the historic Paris and displaced all but the bourgeois.

The Champs-Élysées is French for the Elysian Fields, the place in Greek mythology where the righteous dead went to rest. The tree-lined avenue runs from the Place de le Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. We crossed the Seine on the Pont Alexandre III, passing the Grand Palais on the way to the Champs-Élysées.

You never know what you’ll find on the streets.

This was our first view of the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte to celebrate his victories, but not completed until the 1830s.

I took this picture while crossing the street, but everyone else was willing to risk their lives for the perfect shot.

Today the Place de le Concorde is a busy square full of tourists, but it has a sordid and gruesome history. The Place was first designed in 1755 to hold an equestrian statue of King Louis XV. The statue was torn down during the French Revolution and a guillotine was erected. In this spot Louis XVI, Marie Antionette, Robspierre and thousands of others were executed during the Great Terror. The obelisk that is now the center of the Place once stood at the Temple of Luxor in Egypt and was presented to King Louis-Philippe in 1833.

To the west is the Tuileries Garden. The garden was part of the Tuileries Palace originally built by Catherine de' Medici. When Louis XIV completed Versailles the Palace in Paris was left vacant and the gardens became a resort for Parisians. After the revolution the Tuileries became the primary home of Napolean and Josephine. The Palace was finally destroyed by arson in 1871 as a political protest. It once made up the fourth side of the Louvre and there is some talk of rebuilding it to allow the museum to expand. The formal gardens today still reflect the original plans from 1664 and are a beautiful spot to sit and watch the crowds.

At the far end of the gardens stands the largest museum in the world, the Louvre. The building began it’s life as a palace for Philip Augustus in 1160. The oldest part of the existing building dates back to the 1500s and sections were built over the centuries by different monarchs. For many years artists were allowed to occupy parts of the palace and it began it’s life as museum began during the French Revolution. The Pyramid was designed in 1989 by I.M. Pei when the museum was renovated.

Northwest of the Louvre is Les Halles, considered by my guidebook as the “heart of contemporary Paris”. It was once the location of a vast covered market and today it is a bustling shopping district. We spent the rest of the afternoon here, exploring the streets.

Art nouveau accents are everywhere, from the Metro stations to building details.

This is a recycling bin. Not much chance of missing it, is there?

Each Arrondisment has a distinct feel, and Les Halles, bordered on the north by Montmartre, is full of life. This is the bohemian, artistic area, full of musicians and street performers. As we ate at a little café a pair of flautists serenaded us with a piece from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” I sat and sketched, and for once I didn’t call attention to myself. This is the area to find great deals in the little shops that line the streets. Audrey, Brighton, Marty and I had fun exploring. On the way back we came across St. Eustache and I had another chance to sketch.

[sketch]

These lamposts illustrate the different personality each district of Paris has.

I can't take this one seriously. It looks like a giant cactus.

We walked all the way back to the Eiffel Tower and at a crepe stand nearby Brighton introduced us to a French delicacy, banana nutella crepes.

Moving Day

2006-08-02T23:18:00.000-06:00

I’ve been dreading this day for months. I knew the move from London to Paris would be traumatic and I was right. One word describes what we just went through: nightmare.

The morning started out with the fire alarm going off, for the second time during our visit. Fortunately I was dressed so I grabbed my laptop and my camera and made my way downstairs. It was several minutes before it was determined which flat was the culprit (none of us) so I snapped some pictures of our last morning at Manson Place.

First Row: Una, Marty, Deann, Tim, Susan
Back Row: Kelly, Audrey, Megan R., Darrin

Knowing that I would have to haul everything I own to Paris has given me the incentive to be careful with my purchases. I haven’t spent much money because every time I look at something I think, “Is this worth carrying?” The answer is usually no. Getting through the Tube isn’t bad if you only have one suitcase so I limited myself to that. Every stop has escalators and a durable suitcase with wheels can take it. The only difficulty I had at this stage of the move was my 17 inch laptop. It’s large, heavy, and very awkward to carry long distances. Getting on to EuroStar to make the trip through the Chunnel wasn’t too bad either and security is surprisingly light. I wasn’t asked a single question when my passport was stamped.

I’ve heard so much about the amazing engineering feat that it took to create the Chunnel, but it’s anticlimactic to actually ride through. It wasn’t much different than any other train ride and we weren’t under the channel for very long. You never see the ocean either. The countrysides of both England and France are beautiful, however. It’s amazing that you can be in two of the largest cities in the world and an hour later be in farm land.

We arrived in Paris and things went down hill fast. The station was filled with guards armed with machine guns. Not very welcoming, but a bit reasuring.

Our hotel was on the opposite side of the city and would take some time to get there even without luggage. It took awhile to get our Metro tickets and when we finally started our trip I realized very quickly that the Paris Metro is not the London Underground. The Metro has adopted the easy to understand graphics the Tube is known for, but the lines are laid out awkwardly and require more transfers than was usually necessary in London. We faced two transfers and three trains to make it to our destination. The Tube has so many dramatic escalators that it never occurred to us the Metro would have almost none. The trip required us to lift our luggage up and down hundreds of steps through the course of the next hour and a half. Oh, and did I mention it was rush hour? The cars were packed even before we jumped on. It was miserable, and I was better off with my one suitcase than most. Stress like this brings out the best or worse in people, and I have to thank everyone for pulling together. It was a group effort and a special thanks goes to Adam and Gabe for carrying many bags up many steps for almost everyone. I don’t know how you guys did it. It was not worth the trouble to do this and I don’t recommend it to anyone. Take a taxi, it’s worth the money. I would have gladly paid not to have had such a miserable first day in Paris.

I don’t think any of us thought it would ever end, but at last we reached Dupliex and the Hotel Arley Tour Eiffel. I am in room 115 with Kelly. It’s a small hotel on a side street, but it is much nicer than the accommodations in London. If you lean out of the far window of our room you can see this.

After a rest we broke into groups for dinner. I went with Deann, Una, Kelly, Tim, Susan, Marty, Darrin, Kelsea and Corrine and we found a nice restaurant around the corner from the Eiffel Tower. I decided to be adventurous and tried frog legs for the first time. I was surprised but they really do taste like chicken, with a slightly tougher texture. And yes, it did look like Kermit. I also had grilled salmon. When we went to NeoCon West in March I ate at The Paris in Las Vegas and had the salmon there too. I decided then to have salmon in the real Paris to compare. The two dishes are both very good, but the best salmon I’ve ever had it still the grilled salmon caesar salad at Le Nonne in Logan.

We walked over to the Eiffel Tower after dinner. I’ve never been that impressed by the tower, but it is much more delicate than I expected it to be. The open steel framework is almost lacey and it is lit beautifully at night. It almost made the rest of the day worth the trouble to get here.

Buckingham and Clarence

2006-08-01T23:14:00.000-06:00

Today is our last day in London. It’s a little sad to move on. Our flat at 13 Manson Place is a bit of a dump, but for the past three weeks it has been home. I never thought I could live in a city this large, but I’ve fallen into a routine and I feel safe here. London has become comfortable. The city is crowded and noisy, but you learn to define your own world, creating an individual intimacy that makes the surroundings a bit less overwhelming. The South Kensington Tube Station, Tesco Express, the “teeter-totter tile” on the corner, and the flower shop I pass every day all provide a sense of normalcy and belonging. I would prefer to live in a smaller city, but if I needed to I could make London, New York or any other metropolis home.

Our stay in London ends with Buckingham Palace. As you can imagine words like grand or lavish can’t describe Buckingham. It is truly a palace. The rooms are large, ornate, and full of priceless pieces. The furniture is exquisite, the art work is stunning, and the scale is nothing less than palatial. The tour is different than anything we’ve experienced. The audio headsets guide you through the rooms at a careful pace. You are prompted to stay in a room for just enough, but not too much time. Music plays in the background and the ushers standing at predetermined intervals make sure you walk through at the appropriate pace. This creates an imposing atmosphere of reverence that adds to the awe of the experience, but also made me want to kick off my shoes and run down the hallways like I did when I was little at church. For as magnificent and ostentatious as Buckingham is, words like immoral also come to mind. I’ve felt this way in all the palaces we’ve been through, but there is something different about a palace that is lived in, and that charges admission. I believe in preserving historic places, and I also believe that you can’t judge the past by current standards of morality. But I can’t see any justification for Buckingham Palace. If I were British I’m not sure I would put up with this. As I walked through I just kept thinking about all the children in Africa you send to school for the cost of that console table, or the workers in India that you could train in place of a chandelier. I have no problem with spending money, even large amounts of money, on your surroundings. What I have a problem with is excess, especially in the face of want. Buckingham Palace is beautiful, but it is also upsetting. I feel this same way when I’m in Las Vegas. Things like this should not exist. Put this place to good use and make it a museum. Is this why the VAT is so high?!

After lunch we toured Clarence House, the home of Prince Charles and Camilla. To my relief it is much smaller and easier to relate to. I wouldn’t call it humble, but it isn’t overwhelming either. You just can’t live in a palace and remain sane. But once again there is a feeling of forced reverence and awe imposed on you, this time by the tour guide. You can walk through the ground floor rooms, but feel very privileged just to be allowed to gaze on this bookcase and don’t you dare breath. Sorry, I’m just not falling for it.

On the way back to the flat we walked through St James Park. This is stunning. It makes London look like something out of a fairy tale. I wish I had know about this park earlier; I would have come here often. It is much more beautiful than Hyde Park and has only been two tube stops away.

A bunch of us celebrated our last night in town by jumping on the Number 11 bus for a wild ride. It is the unofficial tour bus of London because it makes a large circle around the major sites. We sat on the top deck sharing scones and other goodies as we rode through the streets we’ve explored for the past few weeks. Our Oyster cards expire at midnight and it was one last chance to enjoy England’s public transportation. We didn’t hop on early enough however because we were ushered off the bus when service ended at 10:00 p.m. Fortunately we were let off in front of a Tube station and we made our way home to finish packing.

Everybody Wants To Rule the World

2006-07-31T23:08:00.000-06:00

For centuries Bath has been a resort town, a place to get away from crowded cities and relax. I can see why. There is something in the air here. It’s impossible to be in Bath and not feel relaxed. The green hills, the charming town, the Avon river meandering through the center of town all create a tranquil atmosphere. It also helps that the heat wave has finally broken and it rained this morning. One of the things I’ve been looking forward to most in England is the rain and this is the first day I’ve experienced a real rain. And the rain was a beautiful, convenient rain. It fell only when I wanted it to and kept the temperature perfectly mild. Bath is a place I want to come back to. It’s the perfect spot to stay in a bed and breakfast and explore the countryside from.

Bath, now a World Heritage City, received it’s name from the Roman baths that have been preserved in the center of town. As far as Roman ruins go Bath in unremarkable. What is remarkable is that they exist at all after two thousand years of use. The most exciting thing about the ruins is that the ancient temple here, which included the rare tholos, was dedicated to Sulis Minerva. This is a fascinating blend of the worship of a the local goddess of thermal water - the source of prophecy from the Otherworld,and the Roman goddess of wisdom, known to the Greeks as Athena. Minerva was one of the most beloved of the ancient deity and it is significant that the Romans allowed her worship to blend with that of a Celtic goddess. This adaptability was part of the reason the Romans were so successful in expanding their empire. They allowed the peoples they conquered to retain their religion and traditions, and in the case of Sulis, assimilated them into their own culture.

The site of the baths remained in use long after the Romans lost their empire. The town of Bath grew around it, and Bath Abbey was built nearby. Dating from the 16th century, the abbey features exquisite fan vaulting. The vaulting was designed by Robert and William Vertue who are responsible for King’s College Chapel.

As an interesting design feature the altars in the abbey are covered by stunning contemporary fabric art.

Unfortunately the abbey suffered vandalism recently and some of the stained glass windows have been broken.

The Costume Museum has a comprehensive collection of historical fashion. It’s interesting to see the way the fashionable English men and women dressed as a counter to the way they decorated their interiors. Contemporary fashion is also featured and visitors are invited to leave their own designs.

Bath underwent a cultural renaissance in the 18th century when it became a favorite destination of artists and writers. Jane Austin is one of the most notable, and despite the fact that she only lived here for five years and was glad to leave, the Jane Austin Center is open to celebrate her life. Don’t bother visiting though. The gift shop and simple presentation on her life aren’t worth the price of admission.

Much of the architecture in Bath is Georgian and can be seen as you walk through the streets. The townhouses that make up the Circus and the Royal Crescent are particularly charming.

The Circus

Royal Crescent

Several of us had dinner at Sally Lunn’s House, a restaurant famous for their buns. The building dates from 1482 and Sally’s has been open since 1680. For me it was more exciting to know that Doctor Who had been here!

One more bit of Bath trivia: this is where the band Tears for Fears hails from.

Identity Assignment

2006-07-31T17:19:00.000-06:00

Roaaar

2006-07-30T16:14:00.000-06:00

I spent my last free day in London at the Natural History Museum. It's very different from the other museums I've spent the past few weeks in because it designed for short attention spans. It's bright and flashy and perfect for kids. All the other parents in the country must agree because it was mayhem, especially in the dinosaur exhibit. Kids were running everywhere. It was crazy, but refreshing to see children excited by learning.

This is the Ecology exhibit.

It feels more like the entrance to a ride at Disneyland than a science exhibit. It makes an exciting contrast with the historic architecture.

This feature is created with one tv screen surrounded by mirrors set at angles to reflect the image. In the bottom picture you can see my reflection while taking the picture. (Click for a larger view.)

The museum shop is full of educational toys. Once again it was fun to see kids excited by learning.

The Natural History Museum was designed by Alfred Waterhouse and opened in 1881. It's been a landmark in London ever since. Children have been coming here for over 100 years to discover a world bigger than themselves. There has been so much traffic that the mosaic floors have been worn away by 80%. The museum is trying to restore them.

The dinosaur exhibit seems to be the most popular spot in the museum.

You enter on a cat walk that looks down on suspended and dramatically lit dinosaur skeletons. The walkway itself looks like the backbone of a dinosuar.

At the far end you find an animatronic T Rex, and then wind back at ground level under the walk way. It's fun and fast and the kids loved it.

I felt like a kid again too, exploring something new.

Sambourne and Leighton

2006-07-29T23:31:00.000-06:00

The advantage to spending three weeks in London is that it gives me time to visit some of the more obscure and less touristy places that I probably wouldn’t see otherwise. Today I had the chance to visit the Linley Sambourne and Frederick Leighton Houses in Kensington with Deann, Kelly and Una. These homes compliment Red House and gave me a more rounded feel for the life of an artist in the late 1800s.

Linley Sambourne was a cartoonist for the satirical Punch Magazine for almost 40 years. His friends included William Morris, Henry Irving and Oscar Wilde. He began his career as an engineering draftsman but the cartoon sketches he made for his friends got him noticed by the editor of Punch. Freelance work soon turned into a permanent position. Sambourne made up for his lack of artistic training by using photography to improve his illustrations. He had his family and friends dress up in costumes and pose, acting out the ideas for his illustrations. This soon led to a passion for photography which he pursued as avidly as he did his cartooning. Sambourne’s home, located at 18 Stafford Terrace, Kensington, is remarkable in that all the interiors have been preserved by his family. It looks much the same today as it did over 100 years ago. The tour through the home is also remarkable. You are greeted at the door by the Sambourne family’s housekeeper who over the next hour gives you a running monologue of their life based on journals they kept. The home is very Victorian, but modern in it’s outlook. William Morris wallpaper and stained glass windows remarkably similar to those at Red House are still in place.

Kensington and Notting Hill are beautiful residential areas and it was nice to spend an afternoon walking through them.

The shops are just as nice as those in the busier areas in London, but are less crowded and the atmosphere is more relaxed. We found an art store with remarkably low prices. I bought myself a new set of sketching pencils.

We also discovered Hotel Chocolat. Hotel looks like it’s name, a trendy boutique hotel lobby with sleek brown and black walls. The chocolates are displayed like artwork, making the store sensual on several levels. I splurged and bought a few to taste.

Next we walked to the Fredrick Leighton House at 12 Holland Park Road. Leighton’s Pre-Raphaelite style has seen a resurgence in the last few years and he is most know today for “Flaming June.”

Leighton was famous in his day and painted portraits of England’s nobility. Unlike Sambourne he was paid very well for his work and put much of that money into his house.

He created for himself a fantasy land similar in vision to that of William Morris, but very different in character. The main floor features the Arab Hall, a soaring Arabian inspired dome lined in gorgeous turquoise tile. It must have been incredibly exotic to his Victorian contemporaries. Leighton had a large studio here and renovated several times before his death in 1896. Today the home is a museum and outreach art center. The current exhibition upstairs features the work of a Muslim fashion designer.

World Exclusive: Art!

2006-07-28T23:17:00.000-06:00

Today was another day on my own so I headed to the National Gallery.

I don’t think I could ever get bored by a museum, especially an art museum. I stopped and looked at every single painting in the building, and loved every one. That’s remarkable even for me because this collection has 2,300 pieces. The paintings I saw include:

Virgin of the Rocks, Da Vinci

Venus and Mars, Botticelli

Sunflowers, Van Gogh

The Arnolfini Portrait, Jan Van Eyck

St. Catherine of Alexandria, Raphael

Self Portrait, Rembrandt

Seeing so many paintings together makes a few things clear. The Masters are called Masters for a reason. I’ve never been one to praise a painting just because I know the artist, but the best definitely stand out. Leonardo, Van Eyck, Rembrandt and Degas are all known for a reason. Their work is stunning. But for me they all take a back seat to Botticelli. Seeing his paintings, especially Venus and Mars reaffirmed his place as one of my favorite artists. His work is just lovely. It is sensitive and playful and full of life. In fact today, I think he became my favorite artist.

Una was with me for part of the morning, but I stayed for hours. I would have stayed longer if there was time, but I had the National Portrait Gallery to see as well. I took a break and sat on the lawn outside the gallery to sketch Trafalgar Square. The week we arrived Nelson was covered with scaffolding but today it was all gone. You could see all the way to Big Ben.

I pulled out my sketchbook and started squiggling. Before long a man in his early 20s sat down next to me and asked if he could watch me sketch. I was a little surprised, but I’m getting used to the being a spectacle when I sketch in public. Inside the gallery a man was reproducing a Rembrandt portrait in oil and people paid more attention to his work than the original. I’ve learned that there is no reason to be embarrassed because chances are you are a better artist than they are. Why aren’t they sketching too? If by chance they are better than you, then you have a chance to learn something.

He talked to me as I continued sketching. His name is Marco and he’s from southern Italy, somewhere “unimportant”. He is spending the summer in London to improve his English, but everyone in his office speaks Italian. He asked where I was from and why I was there. When I told him I was studying design he told me I needed to go to Rome and Milan. That is the home of the best Italian design. He loves art and spends his weekends in museums. Tomorrow he is going to the V&A. We discussed the Chihuly piece in the foyer. He thought the artist was Italian but I had to break the news that he is American. We then talked about our mutual love for Murano glass. When I finished the sketch I asked him his opinion. He thinks I need to add watercolor or an ink wash. He’s right. Here is the sketch.

[sketch]

It was fun talking to Marco, but I needed to leave. I still had the National Portrait Gallery to see. The Portrait Gallery is part of the National Gallery, but it has a separate entrance and the interior is much more modern. The collection is modern as well and it made an exciting contrast to everything else I saw today.

J.K. Rowling by Stuart Pearson Wright

The interesting thing about portraits, especially contemporary ones, is that the subject can be as important as the artist. Sometimes the subject overshadows the artist. The name on each portrait listed the sitter first and the artist second, with a description of both. Does that make portraiture a lesser art than everything I saw today? No where else was an explanation of the subject given greater prominence than the artist. Does it matter who the person in the portrait is? Or does the sitter create the art as much as the artist? I think there are arguments for both sides. The collection here is varied and fascinating, and was a fun way to end the day.

Kew

2006-07-27T23:23:00.000-06:00

What am I doing in Interiors!? People keep telling me I need to be an architect and they must be right! This is what I really want to do.

This morning we visited a student exhibition at an architectural school. It was so much fun to see their ideas and the ways they were presented. The students used this opportunity to display their projects and masters theses in new and exciting ways. And it looks like they were given the freedom to express themselves beyond the typical student exhibits I’ve seen.

It’s not enough for me to make things pretty. I need to be involved in the inception and creation of a project. I want to do construction documents. I want to push the boundaries and exceed expectations. I want to make an impact with the work that I do. I know I’m idealistic, but like everyone else I want to change the world.

We left London for Kew Palace and Gardens. Kew was the home of King George III, his wife Charlotte, and their 15 children. The palace was built by a Dutch merchant and is surprisingly humble compared to the likes of Windsor and Blenheim. It wasn’t the only home of the royal family, but it was the one they preferred. The palace has been renovated and each floor reveals a different personality for the home. Some clever things have been done to tell the family’s story as well.

The dining table is set with elegant, contemporary place settings featuring quotes about George III by his contemporaries. Not all of them were flattering and subtly told the complicated story of his life. It’s a brilliant way to present information without detracting from the building.

The carpets on the second floor have been researched and restored by Brinton’s, and they are beautiful. This floor hold the most furnishings and gives a glimpse into the style and fashions of the time. The top floor has been stripped back to the framing and left to reveal the building’s structure. I had the most fun on this level where you could see the mortar mixed with horsehair and the original notes scrawled on wood by the builders.

Kew gardens are beautiful, but disappointing after all I’ve heard about them. The grass was dry and little beyond a few hydrangeas and wilting roses were in bloom. A tram called the Kew Express took us around the perimeter of the gardens. The pagoda has been in place since 1762.

Nearby is a Japanese garden.

Tim seems to think that everything I do is a masterpiece. To prove him right I artfully composed this shot in the tram.

Kew has an amazing collection of plants and Barbara and I found the best of them in the conservatories.

Kew is lovely, but like all the gardens we’ve seen they’re not at their best. The heat also makes it difficult to enjoy things right now. I'm glad temperatures are reported in celcius because 36 degrees C, 47 degrees C in the Tube, doesn't sound that bad. This evening there were rolling blackouts in central London due to heavy electricity demands from air condtioners. Where are these air conditioners? I haven't seen any! The signs in Picadilly Circus went dark and shops had to close.

Gone Wilde

2006-07-26T23:47:00.000-06:00

Being in England and travelling from Victoria Station has put me in the mood for Oscar Wilde. Here are a few of my favorite Wilde quotations.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
(Lady Windermere's Fan)

One should absorb the colour of life, but one should never remember its details. Details are always vulgar.
(The Picture of Dorian Gray)

To give an accurate description of what has never occurred is not merely the proper occupation of the historian, but the inalienable privilege of any man of parts and culture.
(The Critic as Artist)

But what is the difference between literature and journalism?
...Journalism is unreadable and literature is not read. That is all.
(The Critic as Artist)

Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
(De Profundis)

Hmmm, perhaps I should stop with that!

Westminster and Red House

2006-07-26T23:17:00.000-06:00

Today was “Design Your Own Day” and we broke into small groups to explore on our own. I went with Darrin, Kelsea, Deann, Una and Marty to Westminster Abbey and William Morris’s Red House.

Westminster Abbey is remarkable. It’s official name is The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster.

The Abbey is the home of St. Edward’s Chair, also known as the Coronation Chair. It is on this chair that almost every king and queen of England has been coronated since King Harold and William the Conqueror (whom I am descended from) in 1066. This is also the burial place of much of the English royal family, including the Plantagenets (whom I am also descended from). Poet’s Corner began when Geoffrey Chaucer was buried here, and now includes Robert Browning, Charles Dickens, George Fredrick Handel, Thomas Hardy, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Rudyard Kipling, Laurence Olivier, Dante Rossetti, and Alfred Tennyson. Elizabeth I established Westminster as a Royal Peculiar, reporting directly to the monarch rather than the bishop of the diocese. It represents the mistrustful relationship many kings had with the church, and is the reason why Westminster is an abbey and not a cathedral.

Several monarchs added to the abbey and each section features a different architectural style, from Romanesque to Gothic. The vaulting in the nave and the beauty of the rose windows are inspiring.

Next we decided to track down Red House, the home of William Morris designed by Phillip Web. On the way to the Victoria rail station (the very same Victoria station one Jack Worthing was left at as a baby in The Importance of Being Earnest) we passed this building. I don’t know what it is but I love it. It looks like it could jump up at any moment.

Red House is located in a suburb of London called Bexley Heath and due to a missing sign, it proved to be quite elusive. We got to know the back streets of Bexley as we searched for the house that none of the locals knew existed.

At last, thanks to Deanne’s determination, we found Red House.

It was worth the search. We were first greeted by a very happy cat. Do you think it’s name is Morris?

Red House is incredibly charming. It was Morris and Web’s response to the Industrial Revolution and an attempt to recreate a fairy tale. It was also the gathering spot for the artist’s commune that Morris tried to create. The home is a reflection of Morris’ ideals, and still holds fixed furniture designed by Webb and painted by Morris, and stained glass by Edward Burne-Jones.

Red House was acquired by the National Trust in 2003. Previous to that it was a family farm for 150 years. Murals, letters, and other treasures are still being uncovered as the home is restored.

The garden, also designed by Morris, is as charming as the house. It is a relaxed cottage garden filled only with plants that Morris considered both beautiful and useful. The artichokes are in full bloom.

It’s charm and accessibility make this house warm and comfortable, and one of my favorite places so far.

Juxtaposition

2006-07-25T12:51:00.000-06:00

This is how I feel today, like a rose wilting in the heat.

The heat wave continues, but we spent the day at one of the most fascinating places we’ve visited yet. Hampton Court Palace began as the home of Thomas Cardinal Wolsey and some of the rooms of this original structure still remain. They feature elaborate carved ceilings and walls inspired by the Italian Renaissance. Within ten years Henry VIII had taken over the palace and added several rooms, making Hampton one of his favorite pleasure palaces. This is where Jane Seymour gave birth to Henry’s only son, Edward, and died twelve days later. It is said that her ghost still roams the staircase. James I also spent time at Hampton Court, and it was here that he commissioned a new English translation of the Bible. Willliam and Mary rebuilt the palace during their reign, adding a new wing design by Christopher Wren. After William and Mary few royal families used the palace. Queen Victoria finally restored it and opened it to the public in 1838.

This span of history and renovation is what makes Hampton Court so fascinating. Walking through the rooms is a tour of architectural styles, from Tudor to English Baroque. You can feel the history and the impact events had on architecture as you walk from room to room.

The front of the palace has a foreboding, medieval feel.

Wren’s addition on the back is light and refined. It’s hard to believe this is the same building. This central courtyard separates the wings.

Other details reveal the variety of Hampton Court.

The gardens are just as remarkable in their beauty and history. We are here during a drought and record heat. I can just imagine what this looks like in the spring.

The juxtapositions of the day continued as I left and found this.

Love and Hate

2006-07-24T18:58:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you learn more by discovering what you don’t like than what you do. It helps you to narrow your focus and keeps you from getting overwhelmed by details. Today I found out what I like, and what I don’t like in retail design.

Our first stop was the Chelsea Harbour Design Center. I like skylights and spaces that are easy to find your way through. I like being able to see the showrooms from a central location, and I like good signage. I like being able to see furniture and large pieces of fabric and be able to browse through them quickly. I like having the prices displayed. We all have budgets, and no matter how deeply I fall in love with a fabric I will not be able to use it if it’s too expensive. Tell me how much up front so I don’t waste my time. I like free pencils. However, I don’t like shopping and running out to showrooms every time I need a piece of trim. I love reps who come to you, especially when they bring treats, and I love generous samples. Commercial design is more my style.

I like sleek furniture with clean lines.

I like pillows with feather fringe.

I love hand blown custom Italian lighting.

I like orange. (Sorry mom.)

Next we were off to observe retail design and identity at the fashionable shops on Oxford and Regent Streets. I hate crowds. I hate fighting my way into spaces. I hate loud music over a loud crowd. This was everything I hate about shopping. It was interesting, however, because all of this combined to make me more aware of my surroundings and what I felt comfortable with.

We stopped at Hamley’s, a toy store. This place is loud and obnoxious. It is sensory overload, and I imagine it is wonderful for business. It felt like a Las Vegas for kids and had all the charm of a casino. The kids were going wild in the themed areas with employees demonstrating toys at every turn. I’ve been to FAO Schwartz in Caesar’s Palace and it, in the middle of a casino, had a calmer atmosphere than Hamley’s. I don’t know how you could ever tell your kids no in a place like this. With the flashing signs and loud 80s music they could never hear you!

We passed this bakery on the street. The cakes made a stunning display.

Next we looked through Habitat, a home furnishings store. The interiors are sleek and tight, all in black and white. It’s a wonderful backdrop for their merchandise, which is high style at affordable prices. They’re going after the Ikea crowd. They even have a furniture line called “Utah Mod”.

This is a much more comfortable space to be in. The space was split into levels with stairs which gave you the opportunity to explore, and the higher you went the cheaper the prices got. Clearance items were up top, and on the highest level was a little coffee shop. You were rewarded for your climb.

We looked through Apple, which is cool no matter where you are. No other company has as cohesive a message and image than Apple, and no one is pushing modern design in the US with the same zeal. After all the years of Apple sales being hurt by the tight control they’ve always kept over their products is paying off.

Many of the stores we were supposed to observe we couldn’t find in the crowds. I’ve never seen so many people in one place in London. The Tube felt like an oasis after this. I hate crowds, I hate the heat, I hate being pushed, and I hate traffic. I also hate pickpockets. It was somewhere in this mess that my watch was stolen.

Our last stop, out of desperation, was Coffee Nation for a Summer Berry Twister. Coffee Nation was loud and busy, but it was air conditioned and had soft sofas to lounge on. I love that you can sit around and read a book or surf the internet without feeling rushed.

Today I definitely learned what I love, and hate about retail design and the shopping experience.

Water Bottle Design

2006-07-24T15:56:00.000-06:00

A House and A Museum

2006-07-23T18:35:00.000-06:00

Apsley House

Wellington Arch

Today I explored the Apsley House on Hyde Park Corner. It was designed by Robert Adam as the home of the Duke of Wellington. Walking into a Robert Adam house is a unique experience because you can feel the influence of his study of classical design. The proportions of each room are perfect and they simply feel good to be in. No matter how ornate the details the rooms still feel comfortable. Most notable for me were the high ceilings. They added drama and still gave the rooms space to breath. Any shorter and the house would be claustrophobic and uncomfortable. Much of Adam’s original design has been changed by later renovations, but you can still feel his influence.

The interiors were magnificent. Each detail was exquisite, and the accessories were made up of gifts and trophies given to Wellington for defeating Napoleon at Waterloo. The Waterloo Gallery is almost indescribable. Not only does it have a two story ceiling, a pair of 10 foot candelabras, and elaborate gold leaf moldings and details, but the red damask walls are covered in fine art. Once I got over the grandeur of the room and started to look at the paintings I realized I was surrounded by works by Velazquez, Carvaggio, Ribera, Van Dyck, Mengs, Correggio, Romano, Brueghel, Marillo, Rubens, Van De Velde, and Von Aachen. No wonder there are so many security guards. Apsley House is gorgeous and sumptuous, and truly palatial. It’s an incredible place to visit, but I can’t imagine what it would be like to live here.

I finished the day with a trip back to the V&A and the rooms I missed the first time through.

This is a sketch of the Mellville Bed. I think it's hideous in all of it's spendour.

I love the lighting in the architecural rooms even more than I loved the models.

The glass exhibit is beautiful, from ancient to contemporary. Glass has always been one of my favorite materials.

Another Chihuly piece

This bench is incredible. It's lit with LED lights with no wires showing, and they let you sit on it!

I'm fascinated by this railing too. So simple, yet so beautiful.

A better view of the Chihuly from the second floor.

The iron work is just as delicate as glass.

A new Islamic exhibit opened since I was here last week. This rug is just gorgeous.

And this script is 1,000 years old.

Controversy

2006-07-22T14:08:00.000-06:00

Striking out on my own today, I spent some serious time at the British Museum. I don’t want to subject anyone else to my unusually long attention span for museums.

The British Museum is huge. I was there for hours and I didn’t get through half of it. The collection is comprehensive and a bit overwhelming. I saw everything from the Assyrian game of Ur to contemporary prints and sketches. It is the scale of the collection that makes this museum, and others like it, quite controversial in some circles. I’ve been to Greece and walked the procession to the Acropolis. You can’t see the carvings from the Parthenon when you finish the climb because they aren’t there. They are here, in London. Some of the most significant artifacts from around the world aren’t where they were created, they’ve been taken and amassed here, where the world can see them for free. There are two sides to this argument. If Lord Elgin had left the scattered pieces of the Parthenon what would have happened to them? Would they have been destroyed completely by the Ottomans, or left to be pillaged by treasure hunters or travelers? Elgin brought them back to England and when he realized their importance arranged to have them displayed. Does his noble intention condone the fact that he stole some of the most precious treasures Greece had? For me it diminished the power the carvings have seeing them separated from the building they were created for. It also diminished my experience in Greece. There are still fragments of the marbles in Greece and scattered through other museums around the world. The friezes need to be reunited. It needs to be whole again. But where should that happen? In Greece? The Acropolis is suffering from pollution and heavy traffic. Millions more people see these magnificent pieces each year in London than would be possible in Greece. They are accessible to a larger audience here that wouldn’t be possible elsewhere. And, as my Greek history professor once said, “The Greeks don’t take good care of their stuff.” So should the entire collection be reunited in London? Is that fair to Greece? Will this magnificent collection ever be brought together again? The explosion that tore apart the Parthenon in 1687 couldn’t tear it apart in the way it has been now. But if Elgin hadn’t taken as much as he could find in the rubble it is doubtful that the collection would be as complete. It also struck me as I studied each panel that if the Parthenon hadn’t been damaged and these carvings were still complete and in place, you couldn’t see them at eye level. They would be so high that the incredible detail in the carvings wouldn’t be visible. I found myself taking pictures of the small details, the masterful ways in which emotion is expressed in stone when the carvers believed that no one but themselves would ever see their work this closely. The craftsmanship is stunning.

The same arguments could be made, on both sides, for the Egyptian, Assyrian and Roman collections. Don’t pieces of this magnitude belong in their own countries? Is it fair that museums in England and other countries have them? But could native countries, often with little money or plagued by political unrest, take care of these pieces the was they deserve? And since the civilizations that created them no longer exist is there an argument that they belong to no one, that the whole world deserves to have access to them?

There is one incredible advantage to having all of this together in one building. I know so much about the history of each civilization that I chose to disregard that knowledge. I wandered without much intent, trying to soak everything in. I wanted the magnitude of history to wash over me without expectation. Doing this I was able to see parallels and make connections between cultures and times that would not be possible if all of this had not been brought together in one building. I was entranced by what I saw. Contemporary Islamic calligraphy is strikingly similar to ancient Korean text and Assyrian carvings. Words expressed throughout history, often in a religious context, is something I was drawn to again and again.

I also found myself drawn into details. That is where I found beauty.

One of my favorite collections was the temporary exhibition, “Word Into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East.”

The British Museum itself is stunning, The inner courtyard designed by Norman Foster is one of the most beautiful ways I’ve seen to marry historic and contemporary architecture. The enclosure makes the building better than it was before. I’m looking forward to the Louvre to decide for myself how successful I.M. Pei’s attempt was.