Location, Location, Location

How many times have you heard location, location, location?

One of the best things about living where I do is definitely location.

Living near Rice University there's always plenty going on...

athletics, art, music, community education.

I'm also near the museums and Hermann Park.

There's lots of shopping and good eats in Rice Village.

The latest public art installation in Rice Village is an owl by California artist Nathan Mabry.

A blue origami-like aluminum owl, along with four smaller lifelike owls, 
are a nod to Rice University.

"While researching Rice Village, I became interested in the vibrant history of the neighborhood and proximity to Rice University. I find myself particularly engaged with the mascot of Rice University, the Owl," Mabry said in an announcement.

"It's a powerful symbol in both antiquity and contemporary life. My work has long explored the depiction of birds from all facets of art history."

The Owl weighs 868 pounds and took 8.3 hours to install.
It's a fun addition to the neighborhood.

*

Speaking of location.

I'm also near the Zoo.
The zoo always celebrates Spring with a Spring Fling for some of its members.
Usually it is a breakfast.
This year the zoo decided to make it Breakfast for Dinner and hold the event in the evening.
It was a beautiful night.
Breakfast was delicious -- with the best biscuits and gravy I've had in awhile!

I invited my next door neighbors and can say that a good time was had by all!
There was a hula hoop competition for the kids,
face painting, endless carousel rides and the children's zoo was open with
the petting zoo. 

And even the adults had fun watching the zebu.
He put on quite a show.
His keeper asked him to walk in a circle.
He did and he was given a treat.
Then he kept walking in a circle and back to his keeper --
"treat please"!
We were all laughing --
all except the Llama who seemed quite put out!

*

A good friend took me to lunch.
We went to one of our mutual favorite spots --
the Hobbit Cafe.
The Hobbit has been around since 1972 and for some time was the 
only spot to get good, fresh vegetarian food.
They have now added the "regular" food for those who just can't live without their burger.

I had the "slim" Gandalf.
(Believe it or not, there is a larger version of this sandwich.)
Their wheat bread is amazing.
Avocado, mushrooms and melted cheese.
You can pick your side - black beans for me.

My friend had the Fatty Lumpkin -- tuna salad, tomato, melted cheese
with carrots on the side.

They are knife and fork sandwiches -- 
no way I could get my mouth all the way around to take a bite. 

*

Last and not least for locations--
there is no place like home! 

Wishing you well, much joy and a "Hoppy" Easter!

Five on Friday

Willy Nilly Friday

Mosaic Monday

Monday Social

More Art In The Park

More Art In The Park 

Celebrating the Centennial of Hermann Park.

Wind Waves, made in 2009, is by Mexican artist, Yvonne Domenge (1946).

She was on hand to supervise its placement near the Museum of Natural Science.

From a distance, this Ferrari red orb looks as if it is floating in air.

Wind Waves is thirteen feet in diameter and weighs close to 6 tons.

Demenge draws on organic curvilinear forms for her sculptures.

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

A big thank you to the Our World Hosts.

Art In The Park

Hermann Park is celebrating its centennial with Public Art.
I've already shared the twig maze.

Today I'm sharing the Spider.

A giant arachnid descended on the Jones Reflection pool where it appears to float on the water's surface. It is part of Hermann Park Conservancy's year-long Art In The Park series celebrating the historic green space's centennial.

Spider was created by the late internationally acclaimed artist Louise Bourgeois.

The newest addition to Hermann Park comes from an anonymous private collector in Houston who offered the loan specifically for 

Art In The Park.

The Spider weighs about 2,000 pounds.

Measurements: About 11 feet tall and 21 feet wide.

Even at those dimensions, the Spider exhibits a strength in metal work yet with a spindly, even intricate, appearance.*

Wishing You well and much joy!

A big thank you to the hosts of Our World.

*information for this post from various media releases for Art In The Park

My World: Hermann Park Centennial

Hermann Park is undergoing a transformation.

A giant maze constructed from saplings can be seen sprouting out of the ground

near the Japanese Garden. Constructed with over 1000 volunteer hours, it is the first of nine works of art that will grace Hermann Park as part of the park's centennial celebration.The maze was designed and created by artist, Patrick Dougherty.

Fun!  

I'd like to thank the wonderful hosts of My World.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

My World: Rice University Public Art

Rice University is celebrating it's centennial this year.
Several sculptures have been added to the campus.
Today I'm sharing one of my favorites.

The Owl is the mascot for Rice.

Here I am with Sammy.

The newest Sammy on campus is this magnificent Bronze Barn Owl
by sculptor Geoffrey Dashwood.

Ralph and Becky O'Connor, longtime Rice supporters, donated the sculpture to Rice.
The owl has been placed in a grove of oak trees just east of Rice Memorial Center,
where it's surrounded by a patch of impatiens, a bed of Asian jasmine
and a circle of low limestone benches.

This peaceful space, a blend of art and nature,

has been dedicated as the Milus E. Hindman Garden.

Rice is a beautiful university to visit, linger, sit under the magnificent oaks.

Education and beauty all in one place.

Be sure to bring your camera! 

Thank you to Mary for Mosaic Monday

and the wonderful hosts of My World.

Wishing you WELL and much JOY!

My World: Circle of Animals

Back to Hermann Park and Ai Weiwei's Circle of Animals.

You might remember from last week that Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
is Ai Weiwei's re-creation on an oversized scale of the traditional zodiac sculptures
that once adorned the fabled fountain at Yuanming Yuan outside Beijing.


Designed by two European Jesuits in the 18th century the original animal heads surrounding the fountain-clock of Yuanming Yuan spouted water every two hours. In 1860, French and British troops raided Yuanming Yuan, and the heads were looted. To date only seven of the legendary 12 heads have been recovered; the location of the remaining five is still unknown.

The Circle of Animals overlooks McGovern Lake in Hermann Park.

Each head, without the pedestal, measures at least 4 feet in length.

The Horse

The Goat, The Monkey, The Pig and The Dog

The Rooster

You might remember Ai Weiwei, Chinese artist, architect and social activist,

 from the 2008 Olympics in China.

He designed the famous Bird's Nest. 

Because he is a critic of censorship and human rights violations, he has been in prison, tortured and is currently on a heavily restricted travel visa.

That made siting this exhibition difficult.

Google maps helped save the day!

The exhibition will move on to Princeton University 

and then to the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C.

Thank you to the Our World hosts.

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled week. 

(P.S. I'm having back problems. Not nice since I had back surgery in 2003. Sitting at the computer is difficult. I'll see you when I can.)

Wordless Wednesday

Mosaic Monday

Mr. Dragon and I headed over to the beautiful Rice University campus to see the seven James Surls sculptures that are visiting for six months. The public exhibition, "Magnificent Seven: Houston Celebrates Surls," features monumental bronze and steel outdoor sculpture, some of which were unveiled and exhibited along New York's Park Avenue last year. Ranging between 750 and 2,200 pounds, the sculptures include Surls' signature forms of flowers, diamonds and eyes. The Rice Public Art Program joined with the Houston Arts Alliance to sponsor the exhibition.

Surls has deep roots in the Houston arts community. Among other endeavors, he taught at the University of Houston and helped create Lawndale Art Center, a nonprofit alternative space for the exhibition of contemporary works in all media, which helped launch Houston as a significant player in the national art scene. He and his wife now live in Colorado.

"I like to take things that you see in the natural world and cast them in a new light," Surls said. "I like to make art of the things we see in the natural world that are repeated over and over again, like the spiral -- it's in a baby's cowlick, a blowing seed, the wind."

(Information and quote from Rice University News Media.)

I was in such a hurry to get this posted that I forgot one of the most important parts: Mosaic Monday is hosted by the lovely (and forgiving) Mary at The Dear Little Red House. Be sure to visit to see the other participants.

Mosaic Monday/My World

Today you are getting a two for one (or is that a one for two)?!!!

Mosaic Monday's hostess is the lovely Mary at The Little Red House. Be sure to visit.

It's also time for My World where you can travel around the world without leaving home.

The weather finally cooperated last week and on Friday we went to Hermann Park. It wasn't raining, it wasn't too cold, but the sun wasn't shining. Too bad! French artist Bernar Venet transformed Hermann Park from a green space into an outdoor gallery with the exhibit "The Monumental Sculpture of Bernar Venet" and we wanted to see them.

As you can tell, the sculptures are enormous. Some tower 30 feet and weigh 12 tons. Venet's sculptures have been called "monumental linear improvisations." The beams are bent into arcs and curves. Venet allows each beam's unique reaction to extreme heat and pressure to play a role in the final form. The works are simple, inviting, playful. We watched several small children walk up to them in awe, look around as if to see if anyone was watching, and walk/climb through. One of the sculptures had a sign to please not touch -- as if everyone could resist! We called our favorite "the blooming onion"!

The exhibition, sponsored by the Texan French Alliance for the Arts (TFAA), opened in January and will remain on display for nine months.

I had to throw in some of the *regulars* found in Hermann Park: the train, Mr. Hermann himself, and the wonderful, well fed, top-knot duck!

Happy Monday!

My World

Go visit the My World site to see more of our world or to participate yourself!

The museum district in Houston is on the northern edge of Hermann Park.
This is the original building of the Museum of Fine, Arts.
It opened in 1924.

This was the original entrance.
This entrance is no longer used.
If we could go in this door, we would enter the new Arts of India Gallery.

As you walk around the building to the *new* front door
you see this lovely surprise.

Looks like a horse made of driftwood.
It is actually bronze.
The artist (Butterfield) is a horse lover.

Keep walking and you'll reach the entrance to the Law Building.
(The backside of the original building that has had many additions over the years.)
The photo was taken from across the street, outside of the sculpture garden.
This is the part of the museum designed by Mies VanderRohe.

The sculptures outside the building were from the Red Hot exhibition
that featured modern art from China.

We like reflections!

The dinosaur was also part of the Red Hot exhibition.
It's cage is the same size as one of the containers you see on container ships.

Enjoy your day and I hope you visit My World for a trip around the world.