Category: Art

Searching for better angels

No visit to Washington D.C. is complete without a visit to the Lincoln Memorial. The Washington Memorial, not far away, pierces the sky with a tall, stark spire. The Lincoln Memorial allows a visit with the man himself. I shared my time with dozens of other visitors but it still felt personal. I asked him about the crazy times we live in. This is what he said:

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Our country would be immeasurably different had Lincoln lived.

It’s a beautiful memorial.

Japanese American Internment Memorial

There is a quiet, low key memorial to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II in Washington D.C. A curving, austere wall to one side is inscribed with the names of internment camps where people of Japanese ancestry were imprisoned from 1942 to 1945. This statue of cranes imprisoned in barbed wire is at its heart.

Along the wall is an inscription: “The lessons learned must remain as grave reminder of what we must not allow to happen to any group.” Daniel Inoye, U.S. Congressman, Senator, and Captain, 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Treasures

This little companion sits on my desk. It is fashioned from Fimo clay, a plastic polymer that can be formed and sculpted into amazing pieces. I am totally taken by the fine work and images that cover this piece. The detail reminds me of a beautifully detailed woven rug. In addition to the repeated patterns, its back includes images of tiny hummingbirds (my favorite!), butterflies, and a dragon fly. It fits in the palm of my hand. A tiny piece of art can fill ones soul.

Marquetry

On Friday I posted a photo of some of the beautiful woods available at Edensaw in Port Townsend. It led a local blog follower, George Seifert, to share with me photos of some of the marquetry work he has done with woods from Edensaw. George noted that the work was copied from an original design by John Jeggo. That should not detract from the beauty of this work on which George placed 353 separate pieces of wood. Isn’t it gorgeous? See what I mean about the beauty of wood grain? Thank you for sharing, George.

Wood in motion

This wood sculpture was on display at Edensaw Woods when we stopped there recently. Entitled “Mesa Thunder” it’s by J. Chester Armstrong who is described as “The world’s foremost chainsaw sculpture [sic] from Three Sisters Oregon.”

The detail and movement of the sculpture is gorgeous. (It can be yours for $60,000.)

More masks

The Peninsula College Longhouse multipurpose room has Native American artwork on display. This is “Portrait of an Ancestor” by Makah artist Greg Colfax.

This is “Wild Woman of the Woods” by another Makah artist, Micah McCarty. I’ve heard a couple of versions of the wild woman legend this represents. They seem to center around fierce old women who lurk in the woods, ready to snatch up bad children.