Facebook ♦ Twitter ♦ Pinterest ♦ Instagram ♦ 500px ♦ Website

Brookfield Place celebrates Earth Day by releasing a unique flock of 50 luminous floral-patterned birds into the Allen Lambert Galleria. Their propulsion draws on the air we breathe, underscoring the interconnection between man, nature and the preciousness of our environment.

Breath is an iteration of Air Pressure, a successful exhibition of blue birds mounted at Brookfield Place New York. Building on the concept, the Earth Day installation utilizes a variety of floral patterned silks, a natural organic material, to create a cohesive cloud of colourful forms, representing the beautiful complexity of our planets diversity.

Studio F Minus is the collaborative of artist/architects Mitchell F Chan and Brad Hindson, working with a network of world-class engineers, fabricators, and technologists to create large-scale art projects for broad public audiences. Since its founding in 2008, Studio F Minus has been commissioned to produce major public works for cities across Canada and has exhibited installation works in galleries and museums internationally.

Produced by Sandy Pearl and Clyde Wagner

Media & Art Consultants

www.brookfieldplacenewsandevents.com/events/240/breath-ar...

Have you ever noticed how grandparents and small children are attracted to meet each other. This is a special connection of generations.

Excerpt from the plaque:

Mooshknemgog Bmaadziwin: Full Circle by Emily Kewageshig

Emily is an Anishnabe artist and visual storyteller from Saugeen First Nation No. 29. Her work captures the interconnection of life forms using both traditional and contemporary materials. Her work is centered around themes of birth, death, and rebirth as they are closely intertwined in both her cultural teachings and personal lived experiences. Emily celebrated her first solo exhibition titled “Mooshknemgog Bmaadziwin: Full Circle” (2020), which was shown at the Tom thomson Art Gallery in Own Sound, Ontario. She continues to create artwork for various organizations to highlight Indigenous knowledge and culture.

She graduated from Sheridan College’s Visual and Creative Arts Diploma program with Honours in 2017, receiving the “Best in show” award at the final exhibition. She attended OCAD University in the BFA Indigenous Visual Culture program (2017-2020).

Highways Interconnection

in our culture of busyness and distraction, important things get lost: compassion, creativity, and presence. when i'm in a rush or lost in thoughts, i more easily box people into "other." but when i pause, i see our interconnection. it's not my pain or your pain, it's just pain. i can breathe in the collective pain, and breathe out love, acceptance, and compassion—compassion for myself, for friends, for strangers; compassion for the world.

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

Interconnection by Moonlight Murals Collective is one of over 35 public artworks on display across the City of Mississauga.

Moonlight Murals Collective, 2022

Exterior acrylic on asphalt

Living Arts Drive, between Burnhamthorpe Road West and Square One Drive

Interconnection is a new temporary public artwork by Moonlight Murals Collective, integrated with the protected, on-road bike lanes on Living Arts Drive. These ground murals are located in the buffer zones that run alongside the cycling and parking/road lanes, helping to build a safe, connected, convenient and comfortable cycling network in Mississauga.

“Our aim in these ground paintings was not only to create a visually pleasing piece of art, but also to tell the story of people in a growing town such as Mississauga and how interconnected we are, not only to each other but also to nature and the land we reside on. Each thematic panel seamlessly connects to the next and at times, appear as opposing forces that make a complete whole reminiscent of the concept of Yin and Yang. Our designs focus on the relationship between humans and the natural environment and inspire the viewers to discover their imagination, emotion, interaction and relationship with their surroundings.” – Moonlight Murals Collective

Many species of dandelions (Taraxacum) disperse their seeds by wind. After flowering is finished, the dandelion flower head dries out. The dried petals and stamens drop off, the bracts curve backwards, and the parachute ball opens into a full sphere. When development is complete, the mature seeds are attached to white, fluffy "parachutes" which easily detach from the seedhead and glide by wind, dispersing. This photo is a detail showing the bracts curving backwards. Some photo manipulation used to show the interconnections.

We are related, interconnected, in order to make what we have just right now

Orion's current name derives from Greek mythology, in which Orion was a gigantic, supernaturally strong hunter of ancient times.

It has a strong presence in the night sky, a distinctive constellation that many of us learn to recognise in childhood.

Especially those of us who turn our gaze frequently to the stars, and to the inherent possibilities to be found there.

The magic of the wild and natural world, and the possibilities in the heavens, these things resonate within. It seems that there is a tribe of us who feel this deeply, and whose lives will revolve around the values inherent in embracing the interconnections in all life, in every form. Starseeds.

Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-70mm @ 44mm

f/11, 1.3s, ISO 31

Excerpt from torontounion.ca/events/here-now-here-always/:

This installation by Anishinaabe artist Emily Kewageshig depicts four figures who walk ahead into the future, striving forward with ways of being and existing. The painting symbolizes the importance of culture transitioning throughout time and history. Kewageshig created the imagery to display how life is cyclical: it shifts, changes, and adapts in cycles in order to preserve knowledge and allow for continuity of future generations. Kewageshig ties this piece back to her homelands by using naturally found materials to ground the art piece and create a direct connection to where she comes from. The artist encourages viewers to recognize the history that is rooted in the land that we reside on, and to encourage viewers to Walk with Us on this journey, while imagining a future of togetherness.

Emily Kewageshig is an Anishnaabe artist and visual storyteller from Saugeen First Nation No. 29. Her work captures the interconnection of life forms using both traditional and contemporary materials and methods. Her work is centered around themes of birth, death, and rebirth as they are closely intertwined in both her cultural teachings and personal lived experiences. Emily attended Sheridan College’s Visual and Creative Arts program, as well as OCAD University’s Indigenous Visual Culture program. She continues to create artwork for various organizations to highlight Indigenous knowledge and culture.

This project is an expansion of Union’s long-term partnership with the Downie Wenjack Fund, which focuses on education and awareness of Indigenous history and our shared path towards reconciliation.

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

Interconnection by Moonlight Murals Collective is one of over 35 public artworks on display across the City of Mississauga.

Moonlight Murals Collective, 2022

Exterior acrylic on asphalt

Living Arts Drive, between Burnhamthorpe Road West and Square One Drive

Interconnection is a new temporary public artwork by Moonlight Murals Collective, integrated with the protected, on-road bike lanes on Living Arts Drive. These ground murals are located in the buffer zones that run alongside the cycling and parking/road lanes, helping to build a safe, connected, convenient and comfortable cycling network in Mississauga.

“Our aim in these ground paintings was not only to create a visually pleasing piece of art, but also to tell the story of people in a growing town such as Mississauga and how interconnected we are, not only to each other but also to nature and the land we reside on. Each thematic panel seamlessly connects to the next and at times, appear as opposing forces that make a complete whole reminiscent of the concept of Yin and Yang. Our designs focus on the relationship between humans and the natural environment and inspire the viewers to discover their imagination, emotion, interaction and relationship with their surroundings.” – Moonlight Murals Collective

To view more of my images, of Sissinghurst Castle & Gardensl, please click "here" !

I would be most grateful if you would refrain from inserting images, and/or group invites; thank you!

Vita Sackville-West, the poet and writer, began the transforming Sissinghurst Castle in the 1930s with her diplomat and author husband, Harold Nicolson. Harold's architectural planning of the garden rooms, and the colourful, abundant planting in the gardens by Vita, reflect the romance and intimacy of her poems and writings. Sissinghurst Castle was the backdrop for a diverse history; from the astonishing time as a prison in the 1700s, to being a home to the women’s land army. It was also a family home to some fascinating people who lived here or came to stay. Today you can take in the ruined architecture of the extensive original buildings, vast panoramic views from the top of the Tower, the current working farm and the 450-acre wider estate along with Vita and Harold's gardens. Now we're well into our new season there are lots of events for you to enjoy. The National Trust took over the whole of Sissinghurst, its garden, farm and buildings, in 1967. The garden epitomises the English garden of the mid-20th century. It is now very popular and can be crowded in peak holiday periods. In 2009, BBC Four broadcast an eight-part television documentary series called Sissinghurst, describing the house and garden and the attempts by Adam Nicolson and his wife Sarah Raven, who are 'Resident Donors', to restore a form of traditional Wealden agriculture to the Castle Farm. Their plan is to use the land to grow ingredients for lunches in the Sissinghurst restaurant. A fuller version of the story can be found in Nicolson's book, Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008). The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England at Sissinghurst village, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England. Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous. The garden itself is designed as a series of 'rooms', each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls. The rooms and 'doors' are so arranged that, as one enjoys the beauty in a given room, one suddenly discovers a new vista into another part of the garden, making a walk a series of discoveries that keeps leading one into yet another area of the garden. Nicolson spent his efforts coming up with interesting new interconnections, while Sackville-West focused on making the flowers in the interior of each room exciting. For Sackville-West, Sissinghurst and its garden rooms came to be a poignant and romantic substitute for Knole, reputedly the largest house in Britain, which as the only child of Lionel, the 3rd Lord Sackville she would have inherited had she been a male, but which had passed to her cousin as the male heir. The site is ancient— "hurst" is the Saxon term for an enclosed wood. A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here. In 1490, Thomas Baker purchased Sissinghurst. The house was given a new brick gatehouse in the 1530s by Sir John Baker, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors, and greatly enlarged in the 1560s by his son Sir Richard Baker, when it became the centre of a 700-acre (2.8 km2) deer park. In 1573, Queen Elizabeth I spent three nights at Sissinghurst. Rose arbour in Sissinghurst's White Garden room, which set a fashion for 'white gardens' After the collapse of the Baker family in the late 17th century, the building had many uses: as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Seven Years' War; as the workhouse for the Cranbrook Union; after which it became homes for farm labourers. Sackville-West and Nicolson found Sissinghurst in 1930 after concern that their property Long Barn, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was close to development over which they had no control. Although Sissinghurst was derelict, they purchased the ruins and the farm around it and began constructing the garden we know today. The layout by Nicolson and planting by Sackville-West were both strongly influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens; by the earlier Cothay Manor in Somerset, laid out by Nicolson's friend Reginald Cooper, and described by one garden writer as the "Sissinghurst of the West Country"; and by Hidcote Manor Garden, designed and owned by Lawrence Johnston, which Sackville-West helped to preserve. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.

An oast, oast house or hop kiln is a building designed for kilning hops as part of the brewing process. They can be found in most hop-growing areas and are often good examples of vernacular architecture. Many redundant oasts have been converted into houses

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

Interconnection by Moonlight Murals Collective is one of over 35 public artworks on display across the City of Mississauga.

Moonlight Murals Collective, 2022

Exterior acrylic on asphalt

Living Arts Drive, between Burnhamthorpe Road West and Square One Drive

Interconnection is a new temporary public artwork by Moonlight Murals Collective, integrated with the protected, on-road bike lanes on Living Arts Drive. These ground murals are located in the buffer zones that run alongside the cycling and parking/road lanes, helping to build a safe, connected, convenient and comfortable cycling network in Mississauga.

“Our aim in these ground paintings was not only to create a visually pleasing piece of art, but also to tell the story of people in a growing town such as Mississauga and how interconnected we are, not only to each other but also to nature and the land we reside on. Each thematic panel seamlessly connects to the next and at times, appear as opposing forces that make a complete whole reminiscent of the concept of Yin and Yang. Our designs focus on the relationship between humans and the natural environment and inspire the viewers to discover their imagination, emotion, interaction and relationship with their surroundings.” – Moonlight Murals Collective

Enrico David (Italian, b. 1966) has distinguished himself as one of today’s most original artists, fashioning a universe of imagery that revolves around the human figure and its many states of being. Rendering the body as fragile, vulnerable, grotesque, tortured, and ecstatic, he uses a wide range of media, including sculpture, painting, installation, and works on paper, to achieve an encyclopedic yet extremely personal account of the human form.

The subtitle of the exhibition, Gradations of Slow Release, comes from a sculpture of the same name but also characterizes the circular process of this artist’s work, in which imagery and ideas slowly morph and evolve over time, guided by shared themes that find different but related forms. References to interiority, multiplicity, privacy, introspection, and disembodiment course through his works, which sometimes feel extremely contemporary in their expression and, at other times, appear archaic or timeless. The exhibition traces David’s works made over the past 20 years, revealing the interconnections in his body of work in an attempt to build an empathic relationship between the viewer and the objects he has created.

David lives and works in London and has exhibited around the world, including at Tate Modern and the Venice Biennale. His work is in the collection of the MCA, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Hammer Museum, and Tate Modern, among others. This exhibition is the first survey of the artist’s work in the United States.

In the video presentation, Enrico said of this sculpture that it communicates what it takes in our modern world just to stand up.

This scene features a trio of interacting galaxies found in the constellation of Virgo, being some 70-90 million light years away from Earth. The largest galaxy in the group is NGC 5566, which is a barred spiral galaxy stretching nearly 150,000 light years in diameter. Having widely sweeping spiral arms, with dark dusty lanes, these arms are speckled with new star forming regions throughout. The elongated galaxy to the left of NGC 5566 is the heavily distorted NGC5560. You can just see faint dusty interconnections between NGC 5560 and NGC 5566, providing us some clues that these are in fact interacting. The lower blueish galaxy NGC5569 does not appear to be disturbed, and maybe placed slightly in the foreground.

In the darkness of the surrounding space, the speckled background indicates a sea of background objects, all being in the significant distance.

This image represents only 34% of the cameras full frame, composed of luminance, red, green, blue, and hydrogen alpha filtered colour channels. Thanks for having a look.

Hi res link:

live.staticflickr.com/65535/50577593972_849ecd82d2_o.jpg

Information about the image:

Center (RA, Dec):(215.064, 3.940)

Center (RA, hms):14h 20m 15.436s

Center (Dec, dms):+03° 56' 24.737"

Size:28.7 x 18.8 arcmin

Radius:0.286 deg

Pixel scale:0.733 arcsec/pixel

Orientation:Up is 126 degrees E of N

Instrument: Planewave CDK 12.5 | Focal Ratio: F8

Camera: STXL-11000 + AOX | Mount: AP900GTO

Camera Sensitivity: Lum & Ha: BIN 1x1, RGB: BIN 2x2

Exposure Details: Total: 22.75 hours | Lum: 47 x 900 sec [11.75hr], Ha: 15 x 1200 sec [5.0hr], RGB 16 x 450sec each [6.0hrs]

Viewing Location: Central Victoria, Australia.

Observatory: ScopeDome 3m

Date: June-July 2020

Software Enhancements: CCDStack2, CCDBand-Aid, PS, Pixinsight

Author: Steven Mohr

Advent Valley

I find the names of places so intriguing.

Dalen being Nordic for valley, Dalur is the Iceandic and Dale is good old Northern English for valley. The interconnections of the languages is so obvious.....

Svalbard a truly multicultural place if ever there was one!

My Website : Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : Photocrowd

A photo of the 7m diameter revolving 'Gaia' art installation in Southwark Cathedral.

I saw it earlier in the year in Oxford but unfortunately despite making a special trip to see it on it's last day I got there only to realise I didn't have a battery in my camera....... Luckily I knew the installation toured so I'd hoped to catch it again at some point. Currently there's two of these installed in Grimsby and Leeds and if it's going to be in your area it's definitely worth a visit with your (battery filled) camera.

More info and touring dates for Gaia here : my-earth.org/tour-dates/

From the website, "Gaia is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. Measuring seven metres in diameter and created from 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface* the artwork provides the opportunity to see our planet, floating in three dimensions.

The installation aims to create a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

The artwork also acts as a mirror to major events in society. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the artwork may provide the viewer with a new perspective of our place on the planet; a sense that societies of the Earth are all interconnected and that we have a responsibility toward one another. After the lockdown, there has been a renewed respect for nature."

© D.Godliman

P.S. : Seen in Explore, #459, 26/04/23

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

Interconnection by Moonlight Murals Collective is one of over 35 public artworks on display across the City of Mississauga.

Moonlight Murals Collective, 2022

Exterior acrylic on asphalt

Living Arts Drive, between Burnhamthorpe Road West and Square One Drive

Interconnection is a new temporary public artwork by Moonlight Murals Collective, integrated with the protected, on-road bike lanes on Living Arts Drive. These ground murals are located in the buffer zones that run alongside the cycling and parking/road lanes, helping to build a safe, connected, convenient and comfortable cycling network in Mississauga.

“Our aim in these ground paintings was not only to create a visually pleasing piece of art, but also to tell the story of people in a growing town such as Mississauga and how interconnected we are, not only to each other but also to nature and the land we reside on. Each thematic panel seamlessly connects to the next and at times, appear as opposing forces that make a complete whole reminiscent of the concept of Yin and Yang. Our designs focus on the relationship between humans and the natural environment and inspire the viewers to discover their imagination, emotion, interaction and relationship with their surroundings.” – Moonlight Murals Collective

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

Interconnection by Moonlight Murals Collective is one of over 35 public artworks on display across the City of Mississauga.

Moonlight Murals Collective, 2022

Exterior acrylic on asphalt

Living Arts Drive, between Burnhamthorpe Road West and Square One Drive

Interconnection is a new temporary public artwork by Moonlight Murals Collective, integrated with the protected, on-road bike lanes on Living Arts Drive. These ground murals are located in the buffer zones that run alongside the cycling and parking/road lanes, helping to build a safe, connected, convenient and comfortable cycling network in Mississauga.

“Our aim in these ground paintings was not only to create a visually pleasing piece of art, but also to tell the story of people in a growing town such as Mississauga and how interconnected we are, not only to each other but also to nature and the land we reside on. Each thematic panel seamlessly connects to the next and at times, appear as opposing forces that make a complete whole reminiscent of the concept of Yin and Yang. Our designs focus on the relationship between humans and the natural environment and inspire the viewers to discover their imagination, emotion, interaction and relationship with their surroundings.” – Moonlight Murals Collective

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

Interconnection by Moonlight Murals Collective is one of over 35 public artworks on display across the City of Mississauga.

Moonlight Murals Collective, 2022

Exterior acrylic on asphalt

Living Arts Drive, between Burnhamthorpe Road West and Square One Drive

Interconnection is a new temporary public artwork by Moonlight Murals Collective, integrated with the protected, on-road bike lanes on Living Arts Drive. These ground murals are located in the buffer zones that run alongside the cycling and parking/road lanes, helping to build a safe, connected, convenient and comfortable cycling network in Mississauga.

“Our aim in these ground paintings was not only to create a visually pleasing piece of art, but also to tell the story of people in a growing town such as Mississauga and how interconnected we are, not only to each other but also to nature and the land we reside on. Each thematic panel seamlessly connects to the next and at times, appear as opposing forces that make a complete whole reminiscent of the concept of Yin and Yang. Our designs focus on the relationship between humans and the natural environment and inspire the viewers to discover their imagination, emotion, interaction and relationship with their surroundings.” – Moonlight Murals Collective

I think convergence is a model. I think interconnection is probably the right model. If you connect one to the other, I think you're pretty much there.

Marc Andreessen

** Due to its great luminescense range, from the shadows of the archade to the brigth sky, I considered this an obvious case for an HDR. I consider that the HDR here is more close to what I saw when shooting, adapting successvely the eyes to the shadows and to the bright sky.

The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England at Sissinghurst village, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is grade I listed.

Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous. The garden itself is designed as a series of 'rooms', each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls. The rooms and 'doors' are so arranged that, as one enjoys the beauty in a given room, one suddenly discovers a new vista into another part of the garden, making a walk a series of discoveries that keeps leading one into yet another area of the garden. Nicolson spent his efforts coming up with interesting new interconnections, while Sackville-West focused on making the flowers in the interior of each room exciting.

For Sackville-West, Sissinghurst and its garden rooms came to be a poignant and romantic substitute for Knole, reputedly the largest house in Britain, which as the only child of Lionel, the 3rd Lord Sackville she would have inherited had she been a male, but which had passed to her cousin as the male heir.

The site is ancient; "hurst" is the Saxon term for an enclosed wood. A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here. It was long thought that in 1490 Thomas Baker, a man from Cranbrook, purchased Sissinghurst, although there is no evidence for it. What is certain is that the house was given a new brick gatehouse in the 1530s by Sir John Baker, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors, and greatly enlarged in the 1560s by his son Sir Richard Baker, when it became the centre of a 700-acre (2.8 km2) deer park. In August 1573 Queen Elizabeth I spent three nights at Sissinghurst.

After the collapse of the Baker family in the late 17th century, the building had many uses: as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Seven Years' War; as the workhouse for the Cranbrook Union; after which it became homes for farm labourers.

Sackville-West and Nicolson found Sissinghurst in 1930 after concern that their property Long Barn, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was close to development over which they had no control. Although Sissinghurst was derelict, they purchased the ruins and the farm around it and began constructing the garden we know today. The layout by Nicolson and planting by Sackville-West were both strongly influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens; by the earlier Cothay Manor in Somerset, laid out by Nicolson's friend Reginald Cooper, and described by one garden writer as the "Sissinghurst of the West Country"; and by Hidcote Manor Garden, designed and owned by Lawrence Johnston, which Sackville-West helped to preserve. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.

The National Trust took over the whole of Sissinghurst, its garden, farm and buildings, in 1967. The garden epitomises the English garden of the mid-20th century. It is now very popular and can be crowded in peak holiday periods. In 2009, BBC Four broadcast an eight-part television documentary series called Sissinghurst, describing the house and garden and the attempts by Adam Nicolson and his wife Sarah Raven, who are 'Resident Donors', to restore a form of traditional Wealden agriculture to the Castle Farm. Their plan is to use the land to grow ingredients for lunches in the Sissinghurst restaurant. A fuller version of the story can be found in Nicolson's book, Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008).

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissinghurst_Castle_Garden and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

Interconnection by Moonlight Murals Collective is one of over 35 public artworks on display across the City of Mississauga.

Moonlight Murals Collective, 2022

Exterior acrylic on asphalt

Living Arts Drive, between Burnhamthorpe Road West and Square One Drive

Interconnection is a new temporary public artwork by Moonlight Murals Collective, integrated with the protected, on-road bike lanes on Living Arts Drive. These ground murals are located in the buffer zones that run alongside the cycling and parking/road lanes, helping to build a safe, connected, convenient and comfortable cycling network in Mississauga.

“Our aim in these ground paintings was not only to create a visually pleasing piece of art, but also to tell the story of people in a growing town such as Mississauga and how interconnected we are, not only to each other but also to nature and the land we reside on. Each thematic panel seamlessly connects to the next and at times, appear as opposing forces that make a complete whole reminiscent of the concept of Yin and Yang. Our designs focus on the relationship between humans and the natural environment and inspire the viewers to discover their imagination, emotion, interaction and relationship with their surroundings.” – Moonlight Murals Collective

The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England at Sissinghurst village, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is grade I listed.

Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous. The garden itself is designed as a series of 'rooms', each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls. The rooms and 'doors' are so arranged that, as one enjoys the beauty in a given room, one suddenly discovers a new vista into another part of the garden, making a walk a series of discoveries that keeps leading one into yet another area of the garden. Nicolson spent his efforts coming up with interesting new interconnections, while Sackville-West focused on making the flowers in the interior of each room exciting.

For Sackville-West, Sissinghurst and its garden rooms came to be a poignant and romantic substitute for Knole, reputedly the largest house in Britain, which as the only child of Lionel, the 3rd Lord Sackville she would have inherited had she been a male, but which had passed to her cousin as the male heir.

The site is ancient; "hurst" is the Saxon term for an enclosed wood. A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here. It was long thought that in 1490 Thomas Baker, a man from Cranbrook, purchased Sissinghurst, although there is no evidence for it. What is certain is that the house was given a new brick gatehouse in the 1530s by Sir John Baker, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors, and greatly enlarged in the 1560s by his son Sir Richard Baker, when it became the centre of a 700-acre (2.8 km2) deer park. In August 1573 Queen Elizabeth I spent three nights at Sissinghurst.

After the collapse of the Baker family in the late 17th century, the building had many uses: as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Seven Years' War; as the workhouse for the Cranbrook Union; after which it became homes for farm labourers.

Sackville-West and Nicolson found Sissinghurst in 1930 after concern that their property Long Barn, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was close to development over which they had no control. Although Sissinghurst was derelict, they purchased the ruins and the farm around it and began constructing the garden we know today. The layout by Nicolson and planting by Sackville-West were both strongly influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens; by the earlier Cothay Manor in Somerset, laid out by Nicolson's friend Reginald Cooper, and described by one garden writer as the "Sissinghurst of the West Country"; and by Hidcote Manor Garden, designed and owned by Lawrence Johnston, which Sackville-West helped to preserve. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.

The National Trust took over the whole of Sissinghurst, its garden, farm and buildings, in 1967. The garden epitomises the English garden of the mid-20th century. It is now very popular and can be crowded in peak holiday periods. In 2009, BBC Four broadcast an eight-part television documentary series called Sissinghurst, describing the house and garden and the attempts by Adam Nicolson and his wife Sarah Raven, who are 'Resident Donors', to restore a form of traditional Wealden agriculture to the Castle Farm. Their plan is to use the land to grow ingredients for lunches in the Sissinghurst restaurant. A fuller version of the story can be found in Nicolson's book, Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008).

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissinghurst_Castle_Garden and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden

This is a close-up photo of a flex card, the textured surface of the fridge, and the interconnection of light, shadow and reflection.

Light design.Raw photography,slight edit (chopping from larger field,contrast adjustment to render the tiniest filaments), no retouching.

The upload file is almost 22MB, took me half an hour + 2 time outs of the server to upload it to Flickr but I see it now so downsized, what a pity, I was willing it's possible to surf & navigate inside this picture, like it was years ago on Flickr.

Anyway, pls, zoom it to enjoy it better. If possible, I'll try to replace it with a larger upload.

My photo represents my way to visually illustrate the concept of Oneness,

whose discovery and comprehension is an essential step towards Awareness and finally Enlightenment.

©WhiteAngel Photography. All rights reserved.

Non dirò "Tutto é connesso" perché nella ns. società ormai il lemma é inteso solo come esser connessi alla rete, 24/g, cosa che considero piuttosto un malanno mentre il senso della mia foto finalizza un concetto di spessore e importanza ben diversi.

©WhiteAngel Photography. All rights reserved.

#mieuxvautlavraiechose #BetterTheRealThing #LieberdasEchte #Megliociòcheèvero #Meglioquellovero

Ref. Tutto é collegato DSCN1934 (RAW Pareidolia)

EXPLORE: manually explored by the Panel of FlickrSocialMedia Jurors on TakeOver Day Contest, June 26 2024, theme #Movement

# 252 > 249

Absoluut fantastisch Lichtfestival Gent 2024

Deze ruimte van glas-in-lood en staal symboliseert de Tuin van Eden of het aards paradijs. Het werk verwijst naar het moment waarop privaat en publiek nog samenvielen. De speling van het licht in het glas nodigt uit tot stilte, bezinning en verbinding. De ruimte van glas is een werk van architect Geert De Groote en glazenier Katrien Mestdagh. Het werk werd in 2011 voor het eerst getoond op de glastentoonstelling Diafaan V.

Bron & meer info: lichtfestival.stad.gent/en/artworks/eden

&

ateliermestdagh.be/ons-vakmanschap/externe-ontwerpers/

---------------------

Absolutely superb Light festival Ghent 2024

This space of stained glass and steel symbolises the Garden of Eden or Terrestrial Paradise. The work refers to the moment when private and public still coincided. The play of light in the glass is an invitation to silence, contemplation and interconnection. The glass space was created by architect Geert De Groote and stained-glass artist Katrien Mestdagh. The artwork was displayed for the first time in 2011 at the glass exhibition Diafaan V.

Source & more info: lichtfestival.stad.gent/en/artworks/eden

&

ateliermestdagh.be/

Everything is part of everything. Some see a galaxy behaving like a molecule. or a solar system an atom. Few things in the nature are unique. she keeps using the same patterns over and over again in different ways. Here I see a brain with all its synapses. and ganglia interconnected in numerous ways.

The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England at Sissinghurst village, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is grade I listed.

Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous. The garden itself is designed as a series of 'rooms', each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls. The rooms and 'doors' are so arranged that, as one enjoys the beauty in a given room, one suddenly discovers a new vista into another part of the garden, making a walk a series of discoveries that keeps leading one into yet another area of the garden. Nicolson spent his efforts coming up with interesting new interconnections, while Sackville-West focused on making the flowers in the interior of each room exciting.

For Sackville-West, Sissinghurst and its garden rooms came to be a poignant and romantic substitute for Knole, reputedly the largest house in Britain, which as the only child of Lionel, the 3rd Lord Sackville she would have inherited had she been a male, but which had passed to her cousin as the male heir.

The site is ancient; "hurst" is the Saxon term for an enclosed wood. A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here. It was long thought that in 1490 Thomas Baker, a man from Cranbrook, purchased Sissinghurst, although there is no evidence for it. What is certain is that the house was given a new brick gatehouse in the 1530s by Sir John Baker, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors, and greatly enlarged in the 1560s by his son Sir Richard Baker, when it became the centre of a 700-acre (2.8 km2) deer park. In August 1573 Queen Elizabeth I spent three nights at Sissinghurst.

After the collapse of the Baker family in the late 17th century, the building had many uses: as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Seven Years' War; as the workhouse for the Cranbrook Union; after which it became homes for farm labourers.

Sackville-West and Nicolson found Sissinghurst in 1930 after concern that their property Long Barn, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was close to development over which they had no control. Although Sissinghurst was derelict, they purchased the ruins and the farm around it and began constructing the garden we know today. The layout by Nicolson and planting by Sackville-West were both strongly influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens; by the earlier Cothay Manor in Somerset, laid out by Nicolson's friend Reginald Cooper, and described by one garden writer as the "Sissinghurst of the West Country"; and by Hidcote Manor Garden, designed and owned by Lawrence Johnston, which Sackville-West helped to preserve. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.

The National Trust took over the whole of Sissinghurst, its garden, farm and buildings, in 1967. The garden epitomises the English garden of the mid-20th century. It is now very popular and can be crowded in peak holiday periods. In 2009, BBC Four broadcast an eight-part television documentary series called Sissinghurst, describing the house and garden and the attempts by Adam Nicolson and his wife Sarah Raven, who are 'Resident Donors', to restore a form of traditional Wealden agriculture to the Castle Farm. Their plan is to use the land to grow ingredients for lunches in the Sissinghurst restaurant. A fuller version of the story can be found in Nicolson's book, Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008).

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissinghurst_Castle_Garden and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

Interconnection by Moonlight Murals Collective is one of over 35 public artworks on display across the City of Mississauga.

Moonlight Murals Collective, 2022

Exterior acrylic on asphalt

Living Arts Drive, between Burnhamthorpe Road West and Square One Drive

Interconnection is a new temporary public artwork by Moonlight Murals Collective, integrated with the protected, on-road bike lanes on Living Arts Drive. These ground murals are located in the buffer zones that run alongside the cycling and parking/road lanes, helping to build a safe, connected, convenient and comfortable cycling network in Mississauga.

“Our aim in these ground paintings was not only to create a visually pleasing piece of art, but also to tell the story of people in a growing town such as Mississauga and how interconnected we are, not only to each other but also to nature and the land we reside on. Each thematic panel seamlessly connects to the next and at times, appear as opposing forces that make a complete whole reminiscent of the concept of Yin and Yang. Our designs focus on the relationship between humans and the natural environment and inspire the viewers to discover their imagination, emotion, interaction and relationship with their surroundings.” – Moonlight Murals Collective

The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England at Sissinghurst village, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is grade I listed.

Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous. The garden itself is designed as a series of 'rooms', each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls. The rooms and 'doors' are so arranged that, as one enjoys the beauty in a given room, one suddenly discovers a new vista into another part of the garden, making a walk a series of discoveries that keeps leading one into yet another area of the garden. Nicolson spent his efforts coming up with interesting new interconnections, while Sackville-West focused on making the flowers in the interior of each room exciting.

For Sackville-West, Sissinghurst and its garden rooms came to be a poignant and romantic substitute for Knole, reputedly the largest house in Britain, which as the only child of Lionel, the 3rd Lord Sackville she would have inherited had she been a male, but which had passed to her cousin as the male heir.

The site is ancient; "hurst" is the Saxon term for an enclosed wood. A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here. It was long thought that in 1490 Thomas Baker, a man from Cranbrook, purchased Sissinghurst, although there is no evidence for it. What is certain is that the house was given a new brick gatehouse in the 1530s by Sir John Baker, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors, and greatly enlarged in the 1560s by his son Sir Richard Baker, when it became the centre of a 700-acre (2.8 km2) deer park. In August 1573 Queen Elizabeth I spent three nights at Sissinghurst.

After the collapse of the Baker family in the late 17th century, the building had many uses: as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Seven Years' War; as the workhouse for the Cranbrook Union; after which it became homes for farm labourers.

Sackville-West and Nicolson found Sissinghurst in 1930 after concern that their property Long Barn, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was close to development over which they had no control. Although Sissinghurst was derelict, they purchased the ruins and the farm around it and began constructing the garden we know today. The layout by Nicolson and planting by Sackville-West were both strongly influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens; by the earlier Cothay Manor in Somerset, laid out by Nicolson's friend Reginald Cooper, and described by one garden writer as the "Sissinghurst of the West Country"; and by Hidcote Manor Garden, designed and owned by Lawrence Johnston, which Sackville-West helped to preserve. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.

The National Trust took over the whole of Sissinghurst, its garden, farm and buildings, in 1967. The garden epitomises the English garden of the mid-20th century. It is now very popular and can be crowded in peak holiday periods. In 2009, BBC Four broadcast an eight-part television documentary series called Sissinghurst, describing the house and garden and the attempts by Adam Nicolson and his wife Sarah Raven, who are 'Resident Donors', to restore a form of traditional Wealden agriculture to the Castle Farm. Their plan is to use the land to grow ingredients for lunches in the Sissinghurst restaurant. A fuller version of the story can be found in Nicolson's book, Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008).

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissinghurst_Castle_Garden and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

Where the Land Meets the City: Stories of Land, Water and Community

This six-banner series brings together the heart of Mississauga—its land, water, and people. Inspired by the Credit River, Lake Ontario, local parks, and the oldest oak tree in the city, each banner celebrates how nature and community live side by side.

The artwork blends bold colors and meaningful symbols to tell stories of family, belonging, and connection. You’ll see references to local plant life, sacred animals, and the deep teachings carried by the land. The turtle, for example, reminds us of balance and creation, while the oak stands tall as a symbol of strength and time.

These banners are meant to brighten the streets with more than just colour—they’re here to share a sense of unity, invite reflection, and remind us that we’re all part of something bigger. Whether you’re walking by or taking a moment to pause, these pieces invite you into the story of Mississauga—rooted, growing, and full of life.

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

Celebration of Nature in Mississauga

This piece reflects the spirit of Mississauga’s parks and conservation areas—places where nature is respected, protected, and joyfully celebrated. At the centre is a fox, or waagosh, a symbol of adaptability, resilience, and resourcefulness. Foxes have the ability to thrive in many environments, making them a fitting tribute to the wild heart that still beats within the city.

In the hustle and bustle of urban life, this image is a gentle reminder to move with care, to listen deeply, and to honour the quiet beauty that surrounds us. The fox gazes toward the rising sun, while butterflies flutter above and brightly coloured birds gather in song below—a scene alive with gratitude and wonder.

Together, these elements pay homage to Mississauga’s parks, trails, and green spaces—sanctuaries of life, balance, and celebration.

Sunrise over the Credit

The Credit River flows through Mississauga, serving as a central artery of life and memory—its waters representing the lifeblood of the land. As the sun rises over the horizon, the scene reflects the deep interconnection between water, land, and spirit.

Swimming through the current are fish, or giigoonh, who carry the teachings of knowledge and responsibility. In Anishinaabe culture, fish are seen as knowledge keepers and protectors of the natural world. Their movements speak to the rhythms of migration and the sacred cycles of life.

The flowing, wavy lines symbolize the layers of water, the current’s energy, and the river’s constant motion. Beneath it all, the lakebed grounds the scene—connecting the water to the earth and anchoring the story in place.

Above the river stand sugar maple and poplar trees, common to the banks of the Credit. Their presence pays tribute to the natural beauty that still surrounds us, even in the heart of a growing city.

View On Black

* * *

Featured in my photo-book ABSTRACTED ARCHITECTURE.

* * *

Published in The Building mag's issue from June 2009.

For my video; youtu.be/bIrd9afyrtQ?si=8SuGITB0xRctVOcE,

SRY 124 Rail Link

Railway Museum of British Columbia,

Squamish, British Columbia, Canada

The Southern Railway of British Columbia, branded as SRY Rail Link is a Canadian short line railway operating in southwestern British Columbia. The main facility is the port at Annacis Island with major import of cars, export of forestry products, and other shipments. The railway has interconnections with three Class I railroads, including Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Canadian National (CN) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF). SRY operates 29 locomotives, mostly consisting of EMD (8) GP-9 locomotives, MP15 locomotives, and SW900 locomotives. SRY also currently rosters 2 SD38-2s, 1 SD38AC and 1 SD35. Additionally, SRY formerly rostered 4 GMD1s. The railroad also operates a fleet 2,000 rail cars, hauling approximately 65,000 carloads annually. SRY operates around 123 miles (198 km) of track, 62 miles (100 km) of which is mainline track. SRY operates in New Westminster, British Columbia, and runs on the Fraser Valley Subdivision to Chilliwack, British Columbia.

In both Shinto and Konkokyo, to practice either of these two traditions means to live the “Way of Kami” — in other words — in harmony, respect, and awe to the universe, with nature, with all that is around us, and all that one lives in and interacts with, including one’s own self. Everything, even inanimate things, are seen all as being alive, and in profound interconnection with each other. For those who practice both or either traditions, they must respect and uphold this deep interconnection.

Nikon F3, Tokina 17.3.5, Fuji Reala 100.

Excerpt from the plaque:

The Second Voyage by Irene de Andres: El Segundo Viaje (The Second Voyage) is a work comprised of photographs drawn from the Archivo General de Puerto Rico and travel records of the arts that examines the island’s range of visitors, from the first colonizers to present-day tour operators. In the early 1500s, the Spanish empire colonized Puerto Rico, which briefly gained independence for forth-eight hours, in 1898, before becoming a territory of the United States, as it remains today. Puerto Rico’s strategic location facilitated American and Spanish military control over the Atlantic Ocean, and in later years, this history of occupation was cast as a model that alleged economic prosperity as an outcome of colonial incursions. Puerto Rico – its Spanish name translates to “rich harbour” – once sheltered galleons of the West Indies fleet, and now receives Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

Excerpt from agb.life/visit/exhibitions/here-comes-the-sun:

Here Comes the Sun traces the origins of extractive tourism industries through the works of contemporary artists whose practices examine the interconnections between colonial legacies of crop plantations and service economies in the Caribbean. Gesturing towards the Caribbean’s complicated relationship with the tourism industry, Irene de Andrés and Katherine Kennedy deliver criticisms of international stakeholders and land developers who stand to benefit from the economic, social, and environmental well-being of the region. Countering the intrusive colonial gaze, Joiri Minaya exposes fictitious representations of the landscape and the exoticization of Caribbean women. Ada M. Patterson subverts images of crops to offer a lamentation on the place of sugar and tourism in the Barbadian cultural imaginary.

The works problematize the paradise trope ascribed to the Caribbean by the West and pose questions about its construction: What are the historical foundations of this trope? Why, and for whom, was it built? Together, these works resist the Western gaze, address the shared complicity between tourists, diasporic communities, and land developers, and critique reductive conceptions of the Caribbean as a site of escapism.

The exhibition title is borrowed from Jamaican-born writer Nicole Dennis-Benn’s titular fictional novel. In Here Comes the Sun (2016), Dennis-Benn narrates the lives of three Jamaican women against a backdrop of power dynamics, economics, and gender inequities to advance conversations in the Global North about the complexity of tourism industries.

The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England at Sissinghurst village, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is grade I listed.

Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous. The garden itself is designed as a series of 'rooms', each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls. The rooms and 'doors' are so arranged that, as one enjoys the beauty in a given room, one suddenly discovers a new vista into another part of the garden, making a walk a series of discoveries that keeps leading one into yet another area of the garden. Nicolson spent his efforts coming up with interesting new interconnections, while Sackville-West focused on making the flowers in the interior of each room exciting.

For Sackville-West, Sissinghurst and its garden rooms came to be a poignant and romantic substitute for Knole, reputedly the largest house in Britain, which as the only child of Lionel, the 3rd Lord Sackville she would have inherited had she been a male, but which had passed to her cousin as the male heir.

The site is ancient; "hurst" is the Saxon term for an enclosed wood. A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here. It was long thought that in 1490 Thomas Baker, a man from Cranbrook, purchased Sissinghurst, although there is no evidence for it. What is certain is that the house was given a new brick gatehouse in the 1530s by Sir John Baker, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors, and greatly enlarged in the 1560s by his son Sir Richard Baker, when it became the centre of a 700-acre (2.8 km2) deer park. In August 1573 Queen Elizabeth I spent three nights at Sissinghurst.

After the collapse of the Baker family in the late 17th century, the building had many uses: as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Seven Years' War; as the workhouse for the Cranbrook Union; after which it became homes for farm labourers.

Sackville-West and Nicolson found Sissinghurst in 1930 after concern that their property Long Barn, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was close to development over which they had no control. Although Sissinghurst was derelict, they purchased the ruins and the farm around it and began constructing the garden we know today. The layout by Nicolson and planting by Sackville-West were both strongly influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens; by the earlier Cothay Manor in Somerset, laid out by Nicolson's friend Reginald Cooper, and described by one garden writer as the "Sissinghurst of the West Country"; and by Hidcote Manor Garden, designed and owned by Lawrence Johnston, which Sackville-West helped to preserve. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.

The National Trust took over the whole of Sissinghurst, its garden, farm and buildings, in 1967. The garden epitomises the English garden of the mid-20th century. It is now very popular and can be crowded in peak holiday periods. In 2009, BBC Four broadcast an eight-part television documentary series called Sissinghurst, describing the house and garden and the attempts by Adam Nicolson and his wife Sarah Raven, who are 'Resident Donors', to restore a form of traditional Wealden agriculture to the Castle Farm. Their plan is to use the land to grow ingredients for lunches in the Sissinghurst restaurant. A fuller version of the story can be found in Nicolson's book, Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008).

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissinghurst_Castle_Garden and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden

November is American Indian Heritage Month. One of the many celebrations held all over North America this year was a weekend-long gathering in San Jose. Tribes from throughout the United States, including Alaska, attended. Stories were told, traditional dances performed, plays in native languages were performed, competitions held, and handcrafts were sold. The event closed out on the third day with a Pow Wow, a gathering of all the tribes honoring their individual cultures as well as their interconnections.

The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England at Sissinghurst village, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is grade I listed.

Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous. The garden itself is designed as a series of 'rooms', each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls. The rooms and 'doors' are so arranged that, as one enjoys the beauty in a given room, one suddenly discovers a new vista into another part of the garden, making a walk a series of discoveries that keeps leading one into yet another area of the garden. Nicolson spent his efforts coming up with interesting new interconnections, while Sackville-West focused on making the flowers in the interior of each room exciting.

For Sackville-West, Sissinghurst and its garden rooms came to be a poignant and romantic substitute for Knole, reputedly the largest house in Britain, which as the only child of Lionel, the 3rd Lord Sackville she would have inherited had she been a male, but which had passed to her cousin as the male heir.

The site is ancient; "hurst" is the Saxon term for an enclosed wood. A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here. It was long thought that in 1490 Thomas Baker, a man from Cranbrook, purchased Sissinghurst, although there is no evidence for it. What is certain is that the house was given a new brick gatehouse in the 1530s by Sir John Baker, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors, and greatly enlarged in the 1560s by his son Sir Richard Baker, when it became the centre of a 700-acre (2.8 km2) deer park. In August 1573 Queen Elizabeth I spent three nights at Sissinghurst.

After the collapse of the Baker family in the late 17th century, the building had many uses: as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Seven Years' War; as the workhouse for the Cranbrook Union; after which it became homes for farm labourers.

Sackville-West and Nicolson found Sissinghurst in 1930 after concern that their property Long Barn, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was close to development over which they had no control. Although Sissinghurst was derelict, they purchased the ruins and the farm around it and began constructing the garden we know today. The layout by Nicolson and planting by Sackville-West were both strongly influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens; by the earlier Cothay Manor in Somerset, laid out by Nicolson's friend Reginald Cooper, and described by one garden writer as the "Sissinghurst of the West Country"; and by Hidcote Manor Garden, designed and owned by Lawrence Johnston, which Sackville-West helped to preserve. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.

The National Trust took over the whole of Sissinghurst, its garden, farm and buildings, in 1967. The garden epitomises the English garden of the mid-20th century. It is now very popular and can be crowded in peak holiday periods. In 2009, BBC Four broadcast an eight-part television documentary series called Sissinghurst, describing the house and garden and the attempts by Adam Nicolson and his wife Sarah Raven, who are 'Resident Donors', to restore a form of traditional Wealden agriculture to the Castle Farm. Their plan is to use the land to grow ingredients for lunches in the Sissinghurst restaurant. A fuller version of the story can be found in Nicolson's book, Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008).

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissinghurst_Castle_Garden and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden

Luke Jerram’s Gaia artwork measures seven metres in diameter, Gaia features detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface and provides the opportunity to see our planet floating in three-dimensions, suspended underneath the tower in the centre of the Abbey.

Gaia creates a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

The artwork is 1.8 million times smaller than the real Earth with each centimetre of the internally lit sculpture describing 18km of the Earth’s surface.

Bristol based artist Luke Jerram's Gaia is now on show in the Wills Memorial Building at the University of Bristol. The university has set up the Cabot Institute, a collection of 600 experts united by a common cause: protecting our environment and identifying ways of living better with our changing planet. Yesterday they invited a small group of us to view the Earth and listen to a series of talks.

The installation aims to create a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

This room means a great deal to me, it is where I and my partner graduated and the ceiling is one of the architectural wonders of my home city. Add to that the Earth was made at another Bristol institution, Cameron Balloons and it really is a very Bristolian thing!

More on Facebook

and Instagram

Painting, tempera on hardboard 50x60 cm. December 2015.

Beyond borders all is connected...

"Magical interconnection. I can feel all these shiny vibrations." (Dimitris Giovis)

"I like how you show the interaction and connection of all beings in energy." (Louisa Francia)

Excerpt from tourismhamilton.com:

We Take Care of Each Other (38) by Amy Egerdeen: This work focuses on our interconnection, and our responsibility as a community to protect one another. The use of the pattern is a visual symbol of how our repeated actions can impact each other in positive ways. The artist uses bright, bold colours and imagery to show hopefulness and resiliency.

The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England at Sissinghurst village, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is grade I listed.

Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous. The garden itself is designed as a series of 'rooms', each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls. The rooms and 'doors' are so arranged that, as one enjoys the beauty in a given room, one suddenly discovers a new vista into another part of the garden, making a walk a series of discoveries that keeps leading one into yet another area of the garden. Nicolson spent his efforts coming up with interesting new interconnections, while Sackville-West focused on making the flowers in the interior of each room exciting.

For Sackville-West, Sissinghurst and its garden rooms came to be a poignant and romantic substitute for Knole, reputedly the largest house in Britain, which as the only child of Lionel, the 3rd Lord Sackville she would have inherited had she been a male, but which had passed to her cousin as the male heir.

The site is ancient; "hurst" is the Saxon term for an enclosed wood. A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here. It was long thought that in 1490 Thomas Baker, a man from Cranbrook, purchased Sissinghurst, although there is no evidence for it. What is certain is that the house was given a new brick gatehouse in the 1530s by Sir John Baker, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors, and greatly enlarged in the 1560s by his son Sir Richard Baker, when it became the centre of a 700-acre (2.8 km2) deer park. In August 1573 Queen Elizabeth I spent three nights at Sissinghurst.

After the collapse of the Baker family in the late 17th century, the building had many uses: as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Seven Years' War; as the workhouse for the Cranbrook Union; after which it became homes for farm labourers.

Sackville-West and Nicolson found Sissinghurst in 1930 after concern that their property Long Barn, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was close to development over which they had no control. Although Sissinghurst was derelict, they purchased the ruins and the farm around it and began constructing the garden we know today. The layout by Nicolson and planting by Sackville-West were both strongly influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens; by the earlier Cothay Manor in Somerset, laid out by Nicolson's friend Reginald Cooper, and described by one garden writer as the "Sissinghurst of the West Country"; and by Hidcote Manor Garden, designed and owned by Lawrence Johnston, which Sackville-West helped to preserve. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.

The National Trust took over the whole of Sissinghurst, its garden, farm and buildings, in 1967. The garden epitomises the English garden of the mid-20th century. It is now very popular and can be crowded in peak holiday periods. In 2009, BBC Four broadcast an eight-part television documentary series called Sissinghurst, describing the house and garden and the attempts by Adam Nicolson and his wife Sarah Raven, who are 'Resident Donors', to restore a form of traditional Wealden agriculture to the Castle Farm. Their plan is to use the land to grow ingredients for lunches in the Sissinghurst restaurant. A fuller version of the story can be found in Nicolson's book, Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008).

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissinghurst_Castle_Garden and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden