Next Stop - the Pantheon by way of Piazza Colonna

Continuing down the Via Something or Other, which by the way has an interesting array of shops and restaurants whose proprietors were busily restocking for the day's business, is quite interesting. Except for the fact that we were never quite sure just exactly where we were, who is to care.  Getting  a bit lost this time, landed us in the Piazza Colonna to the discovery of  The Column of Marcus Aurelius. Oh my!

 The column’s shaft is 29.60 m (about 100 feet) high, on a 10 m high base, which in turn originally stood on a
3 m high platform - the column in total is 41.95 m. About 3 metres of the base have been below ground level since the 1589 restoration. The column consists of 27 or 28 blocks of  Carrara marble (the good stuff that Michelangelo used), each of 3.7 m diameter, hollowed out at the quarry for a stairway of 190-200 steps within the column up to a platform at the top. This stairway is illuminated through narrow slits into the relief.

Just look at the detail. It is so beautiful.

Finally, we arrive at the Piazza Della Rotonda. Many of these squares contain obelisks. This one is called the Obelisk of Ramesses.

This square is most famous for the Pantheon, which was originally built in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippa and reconstructed by Hadrian in the early 2nd century. The Pantheon is a perfect sphere, at 142 ft wide and 142 feet high, as is it's dome. Before the 20th century, this was the biggest pile of concrete ever constructed.

The oculus (latin for "eye") is an opening in the dome which is 30 feet in diameter and allows rain to enter. See the bird in the opening.

The Pantheon was originally a pagan temple but in 609, the Byzantine emperor Phocas gave the building to Pope Boniface IV, who converted it into a Christian church and consecrated it to Sancta Maria an Martyres, now known as Santa Maria dei Martiri.
 
Here it is decorated for Palm Sunday services.

 

 

Raphael and Vittorio Emanuele II, king of Italy, and his successor, Umberto I, are buried in the Pantheon. It is a beautiful space, which we visited twice. The first time was in the morning and it was ever so peaceful. The second time was on the eve of Palm Sunday and while it was beautiful because a choir was singing, it was ever so crowded and the sense of space was lost.

The Trevi Fountain

Rick and I headed out from our hotel on foot. Our destination was the Vatican by way of a few intended sights. With map in hand, we looked for the streets indicated but most of them turned out to be more like alleyways. Street signs are engraved blocks on the sides of buildings. Our first destination was the Trevi Fountain.

This fountain is enormous!

It was based on the design of Nicolo Salvi and built from 1732-1762.

The central figure of the fountain, in front of a large niche, is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses.

Each sea horse is guided by a Triton. One of the horses is calm and obedient, the other one restive. They symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea.

In the niches flanking Neptune, Abundance spills water from her urn

and Salubrity holds a cup from which a snake drinks.

Before I went to Italy, I rented the movie Three Coins in the Fountain. I had never seen this film but do think it has contributed significantly to the popularity of this fountain. The movie suggests that if you throw a coin over your shoulder, you will find true love. In Rome, the legend has it that if you toss the coin, then you will return to Rome. I couldn't chance not returning to Rome and so in the coin went.

Borghese Gallery

A wander (def: to go by an indirect route, in our case also unknown) north from our hotel took us to the Borghese Gallery. I was told to make reservations ahead of time, which I did, on line. It was a good thing as none were to be had for the days we would be in Rome. Pictures were not allowed either and so I borrowed these from copyright free places on the internet.

This villa was originally built in the early 1600's and was restored to it's original condition in 1997.

It houses a substantial portion of the Borghese family collection of paintings and sculptures begun by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V (reign 1605–1621).

Scipione Borghese was an early patron of  Gian Bernini, and thus many of his works are housed here.

My favorite of everything I saw was a fresco on the second floor in the Gallery of Lanfranco, named The Council of the Gods. This fresco decorates the ceiling of a large room, called Sala della Loggia and was done in 1624 by Giovanni Lanfranco.  At the centre is set the scene of the gods gathered in council around Jupiter. This room had originally been an outdoor room and so the fresco had deteriorated. Between 1779 and 1782 the  ceiling  was restored by Domenico Corvi (1721-1803), who added the paintings on the walls and arches. The ceiling is a fresco, which is a painting done in wet plaster. Small sections are worked at a time so the painting can be completed before the plaster dries. The apparent statuary of  men holding up the ceiling all around the edges is done in the trompe-l'oeil style, which tricks the eye into thinking it is 3-D. It was utterly amazing!

I sat in a chair on the edge of the room and looked at this painting for a long time. It was so beautiful.

I had not yet seen the Sistine Chapel.

Santa Maria Maggiore

A quick walk from our hotel, led us to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. A basilica is an important church that has been given special ceremonial rites by the Pope. There are four basilicas in Rome and this is the oldest. It dates back to the 4th century. Something that old is hard to imagine.

The condition of the exterior is a bit underwhelming, but then hey, it is quite old. We should look so good.

I especially like the dandelions growing on the statuary.

But walk inside and you will be totally amazed.

 

The center aisle.

 

The sculptures.

The mosaics.

The paintings and frescoes

in even a side chapel.

The gold leafing.

Every little detail ...

a piece of art

Even the floors are stunning marble mosaics.

If you have ever been to Rome, then you know that the work of sculptor, Gian Lorenzo Bernini is everywhere. He is buried in this church and his epitaph simply states "He decorated the city."

First Impressions

We arrived in Rome on Thursday, March 25 at about 7 AM, just a tad bit tired and waited for what seemed like forever for our luggage. Good thing it was marked PRIORITY. Otherwise we might still be waiting. Our prearranged transport was spot on, holding that oh so welcomed sign "Millar". Thank God we did not have to drive. Traffic in Rome is comparable to traffic in China--hectic.

Lots and lots of small cars everywhere.

And motorcycles jutting in an out. I have never seen so many and they create new lanes of traffic on an impromptu basis.

Parking meters don't exist and so a bit of the cost incentive to find alternative transport is missing. The trick is finding a place to park your vehicle and probably the reason why vehicles are small. Some are parked on curbs; some are double parked; some even triple. Narrow streets become even narrower and so commences the horn honking. Music to your ears?

Another note is the graffiti on many buildings.

Some more artistic than others but everywhere.

But my favorite, which I have saved for last is the landscape of trees, called umbrella pines, that grow in this area. Simply gorgeous...

Ciao, Italia

The trip begins with a very long flying day. Leaving Portland at 7: 15 AM and landing in DC, our first destination. A 2+ hour layover and then on to Italy at 5:30 PM. Eight hrs in the air until arrival in Rome. How to pass that much time. Besides sleep, I found a very good book to read, which has been sitting on my shelf for just the right opportunity.

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King tells the story of how Michelangelo who considered himself to be a sculptor and who had already completed two very famous pieces, the Pieta and David, was forced to work as a painter using a fresco technique for which he had very little experience. The story describes not only Michelangelo's challenges and triumphs but also shares the history and politics of the day.

A fascinating read and most appropriate for a field trip to Italy. 

Did you know that in Italy, the name Michelangelo is pronounced as if it rhymes with nickel + angelo.

Get Out of Town

Travel to the next county, the next state, the next continent. Experience something different for a change. View a different landscape, a bigger skyscape. Meet people who talk differently from you, who look different, who are different.

Ahhhh! Italy!

Buongiorno!

Come sta?

Oh When Those Saints go Marching In

Week 6 - SuperBowl Party

Just a tad late, don't cha think...

But don't much care either.

Till next time!

Voices Contemporary Lectures

If you live in Portland, run, don't walk and sign up for next
season's Voices lecture series. It is money well spent.

My week 5 highlight was having the opportunity to hear
Dee Dee Myers speak. At age 31, she was President
Clinton's Press Secretary and served in this position for
2 years. She most recently wrote a book by the title
Why Women Should Rule the World. It is not a male
basher but rather discusses the gifts women bring to
the table in business or politics or life.  Myers also
encourages women to give consideration to the voice
they use when speaking of their own achievements

As a side, she graduated from Santa Clara University,
which is where my girlie goes to school.

Totally loved Week 5.

Wabi Sabi Eye Candy

I needed some industrial cloth for a project I am working on.
As I mentioned, I had a pile of fabrics that really were bad dye jobs. I also had a bottle of Jacquard's Discharge Paste. This cloth is the result.

These are made using a three layer

process. For the bottom layer, I
placed some type of texture: drawer
material, bubble wrap, just whatever. 

Then the "bad dye job" cloth. The
top layer is a household screen. it
provides some additional
texture and adds the feature of holding
the cloth in place.Using a sponge roller,
I applied the paste. The biggest trick is
learning how heavy a hand to use. 

Too much and all the color is removed.
Too little and you don't alter the cloth
much. It's all in the wrist.

Some cloth was not as successful. To
these, I will add some additional texture
with thickened dye and then remove
some more. The final layer will be 

and Layers. PS has really helped me

They are even better up close and
personal. The colors are much richer.
They are delicious!

 

Wabi Sabi

I am reading a book called Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers by Lawrence Koren and trying to grasp the concept of wabi-sabi. I am not sure why other than I love the term. The author says it is a concept derived from the Buddhist assertion of the Three Marks of Existance "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete". Andrew Juniper claims, "if an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi.".  Richard Powell summarizes by saying "It (wabi-sabi) nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.". If that doesn't sound like life itself.

I am altering some cloth that I need to use in a piece of fiber art. I fondly refer to it's beginnings as a "bad dye job". The colors were flat mostly sort of solid browns and greens. I would like to add some interest and complexity to them. The first layer was the solid colored dyes. The second layer was the removal of some of the first layer with discharge paste. I used a variety of household items that had texture to them as the understory and a window screen as my silk screen wannabe. It was pretty slick because the window screen held everything in place and kept it all fairly stable. Do you think this is wabi-sabi. It just might be. I showed them to a group of fellow fiber artists today and they all loved them. Wait until they see where they are going.

 I promise to add some photos to this post tomorrow showing some of the results. So do come back then.

How Green Is My Garden

I believe the highlight for Week 4 is simply how nice it
is in Portland. Not the usual rain and many sunny days
which translates into warmer temperatures. So this week,
I decided to walk around my garden and see if anything
green was showing its face. Low and behold, some of my
flowers are raising their heads and hands. Check out the
Autumn Sedum and the Cranesbill geranium. My all time
favorite is the rosemary, which is like an evergreen here
in Portland.

I love my yard art. My sister is responsible for starting
me on all of these rusty elements but now I am hooked.
Don't you just love them. They get better every year.

Destination St Louis

St Louis is my home town. I haven't lived there for 12 years
and do like to claim Portland as my new home town. My definition
of a native is "deciding to stay" and I have. I don't get back
to St Louis much since my dad died and I have no other family
there. Well no other blood relatives but plenty of family. You
know the saying "friends are the family you choose for yourself".

Week 3 took me to St Louis and my work that week was connecting
with old friends, not to be confused with friends that are old.
Weelllllll maybe....

 

Anyway, here we are. Well most of us.
Week 3 was fabulous!

Begin.....

So there is this movement afoot. Actually it has been
around for a few years now. That is, to choose a word
to focus on for the year. So this is me, Elena (my alter
ego). Tell me how do you focus on just one word. Last
year I chose three: Focus,balance, joy. I liked them.

This year I forced myself to chose just one and it has
taken a bit of time. I read this bit of prose by Rachel Snyder.
It goes like this.

Begin.
Start something. Put one foot in front of the other and
inch forward ever so slightly. Show up. Say hello and
begin a conversation. Ask Says who? and begin a
revolution. Write one sentence and begin your novel.
Begin again, this time in a different key, at a different
tempo. Begin putting yourself first. Begin enjoying it.
Begin an intentional community if that's how you want
to live. Begin a reading group and focus on women who
made bold new beginnings. Begin a new way of eating,
a new way of moving, a new way of getting your needs
met. Begin as soon as you finish reading this page. Begin
at the beginning and don't even think about where it will
take you. Now begin.

Have you figured it out. My word is BEGIN. And, I don't
know where it will take me. But, I will begin by sharing
a pretty image I captured.



Until next time...

Week with a View

I started the week with an amazing discovery
at a new friends home. She has a bird's eye
view of the city, the river and most importantly,
Mt Hood. Amazing!

Next stop is the Rip City Rose Garden by way
of the MAX, where the Trailblazers play in "our"
house. And finally, the Japanese Garden
with big views of the city.

It was especially fun because we got to show
off our city to Rod and Delse who paid a visit.

It doesn't get any better!

OMG! I missed 01.01.10

I so wanted to type the numbers

01.01.10

on the first day of the New Year. Do not ask me
what happened on that day or any since. Oh well!

I considered beginning the 365 project. This is
where you take a photo a day and upload them to
a flickr group. I finally decided the structure
would soon make it a chore for me. It takes the
focus away from the things I really want to do.
My SIL, Delse, as always, had the right suggestion
My plan is to simply journal the year by picking
the highlights of each week.




I was sorry to see a lot of things go this week.
First the Christmas tree which was so perfectly
symmetrical. I think the best tree we have ever
had. Then, Caite went back to school. She is in
her second year at Santa Clara. Next Nick headed
to Argentina for 4 months. Otherwise, I went to
the Pittock mansion with some friends and started
getting things back in order around here.

Yosemite--Three Rocks

This summer we took a side trip to Yosemite. The Kodak
moments were amazing. HMMM! I wonder what they will call
Kodak moments in the future. The next generation will never
have heard of film and processing. Whatever.



The is the juxtaposition or is superimposition of three
famous Yosemite Rock formations--El Capitan, Half Dome
and Sentinel Rock--filtered, blended and then some.
I think the result is spectacular.

My Buddy

My very best four legged friend died today. He was 15+.
His name was Buddy and he was. Though, he had a lot of
nick names...Boo, the Bud-man, the Budmeister, Mr Dude,
Mr Bud. He was loved.



Everyone in the neighborhood knows Buddy. They have been
watching this gentle soul for a long time. First as a pup
while chasing crows and the neighborhood coyotes. Never
on a leash, he didn't wander or bother others. Later as
his hearing failed him, more cautious. He was kind to people
and other dogs but there was a special place in his heart
for Belle. He always knew when she was passing.

During the last few years, he slowed down and so we took
4-5 very small walks each day. I learned to slow down and
love the colors of the seasons and the birds singing and
the peace there is in silence.

It's hard to say good-bye. But as my son said, "He had a
good run!" He did and we did. He will be missed.



Love you, Mr. Dude!

Capturing the Glory

I love coneflowers and have some in my garden. It is
difficult to get just the right lighting because they
are on the south side of my house and that translates
into full sun most of the day. This first photo is the
actual picture I took.



After running it through Photoshop and applying a burn
technique, I think the flower is presented as a stronger
focal point.



And then, just because I can possibly means that I have to.
Layers and layers later, this flower is blended with the sky
and gradients to become something altogether different.



What do you think?

A Good Read

I just finished a really good book, People of the Book
by Geraldine Brooks. It is a work of fiction inspired
by a true story about the Sarajevo Haggadah, which is
a book of prayer used at a Jewish Seder meal. This
haggadah dates back to 14th century Spain.





The author creates stories in an attempt to trace the
origins of this beautiful old codex over the centuries.
I came to love each of the characters in each of the
stories who added something to the value of this book.
One added beautiful art, one added Jewish script, one
added book bindery skills and several added risk of life.
Their were many Muslims who protected this Jewish tome.

One of the author's most thought provoking statements is:
Ozren says: I have spent many nights, lying awake in this
room thinking that the haggadah came to Sarajevo for a
reason. It was here to test us, to see if there were people
who could see that what united us was more than what
divided us. That to be a human being matters more than
to be a Jew or Muslim, Catholic or Orthodox"

It is a truly captivating and beautiful novel. I highly
recommend you find it at your library.