Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Quote
"One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks."
-Jack Penn
This speaks to something I have found coming up inside me more and more over the last few years. The first time I really started to take this to heart was actually brought to me by a fictional character named Tyrion in A Song of Ice and Fire by G.R.R. Martin.
He basically says to take what is your weakness and make it your own. To grasp it, use it, accept it, and you cannot be harmed by it.
-Jack Penn
This speaks to something I have found coming up inside me more and more over the last few years. The first time I really started to take this to heart was actually brought to me by a fictional character named Tyrion in A Song of Ice and Fire by G.R.R. Martin.
He basically says to take what is your weakness and make it your own. To grasp it, use it, accept it, and you cannot be harmed by it.
Cathedral Park
It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood today. I decided it was a good day to get off work early and get out into one of the many parks and hikes I have not experienced in our wonderfully green city/state.
My plan was to go to Council Crest, just a little ways southwest of downtown which delivers the highest elevation in Portland proper, but that was a little ruined due to much heavier traffic than I anticipated. 2:30pm rush hour? I guess it is Friday, and beautiful out... so it looked like everyone else was trying to get out of work early. But honestly, when the afternoon rush "hour" lasts for four hours of the day, it just makes thinking about trying to get out of your local neighborhood a pain.
So I turned around and decided to go to a park near where I live that I hadn't seen yet.
Cathedral Park up in St. Johns.
Actually, directly under the St. Johns bridge. Which is, to be honest, the only thing this park has going for it. I mean it is pretty, and during the spring I might take a lunch there and read, but its smaller than I anticipated. It buts right up to the Willamette, and has both beach and docks, but also signs posting that sewage is dumped there, so... yeah. Anyway, seeing the bridge from the underbelly is pretty fantastic and I can see why it has been known as a popular spot for artists to photograph and paint and generally be impressed by.
So, here are photos:
My plan was to go to Council Crest, just a little ways southwest of downtown which delivers the highest elevation in Portland proper, but that was a little ruined due to much heavier traffic than I anticipated. 2:30pm rush hour? I guess it is Friday, and beautiful out... so it looked like everyone else was trying to get out of work early. But honestly, when the afternoon rush "hour" lasts for four hours of the day, it just makes thinking about trying to get out of your local neighborhood a pain.
So I turned around and decided to go to a park near where I live that I hadn't seen yet.
Cathedral Park up in St. Johns.
Actually, directly under the St. Johns bridge. Which is, to be honest, the only thing this park has going for it. I mean it is pretty, and during the spring I might take a lunch there and read, but its smaller than I anticipated. It buts right up to the Willamette, and has both beach and docks, but also signs posting that sewage is dumped there, so... yeah. Anyway, seeing the bridge from the underbelly is pretty fantastic and I can see why it has been known as a popular spot for artists to photograph and paint and generally be impressed by.
So, here are photos:
Friday, February 13, 2009
Indian Tapestry
I bought this tapestry just when I bought my new house last summer. I saw it online and knew I wanted it to be the focus of the living room. It's an authentic hand embroidered tapestry from a (unknown to me, although I'm sure I could find out) village in India.
I was unaware it would come without any method of hanging it however, so it sadly took a back seat to nearly everything else I did around the house until just now.
All it took was creating the tabs and sewing them on, but sometimes little projects just get lost along the way.
Anyway, it looks great now, and I'm happy to have it up.
I thought that it would be distracting right above the TV, with so many little antique mirrors, but really its quite beautiful with the "quiet" light that I prefer when the TV is on making it shimmer.
oh and as a side note : check out the Crown Molding! Nice dentals right? My mom and dad helped me put it up this January while they were in town coming back from Hawaii. Always good to put family to work - I try to give more than I get though ;)
I was unaware it would come without any method of hanging it however, so it sadly took a back seat to nearly everything else I did around the house until just now.
All it took was creating the tabs and sewing them on, but sometimes little projects just get lost along the way.
Anyway, it looks great now, and I'm happy to have it up.
I thought that it would be distracting right above the TV, with so many little antique mirrors, but really its quite beautiful with the "quiet" light that I prefer when the TV is on making it shimmer.
oh and as a side note : check out the Crown Molding! Nice dentals right? My mom and dad helped me put it up this January while they were in town coming back from Hawaii. Always good to put family to work - I try to give more than I get though ;)
Progression...
newest painting at its half-life stage:
no judging yet!
things to be done!
beautifying in process!
no judging yet!
things to be done!
beautifying in process!
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