View allAll Photos Tagged Masterful
It is not really common to have snow on the roofs of Neuchâtel. So, I had to go taking this picture before it melt !
Of course, I processed a bit to get a powerful image, but the colors here are quite natural. There was really this purple atmosphere before sunrise ...
This is my second shot from the same point. Here is the first, taken this fall with the first sun rays (there was some remaining leafs on the tree) :
www.flickr.com/photos/128294308@N05/22468177254
I like the idea of taking the same subject in different conditions of light (like the masterful serie of the Rouen Cathedral by Monet). I should maybe start a little serie ...
.........
All beautiful new FINCA things:
Small box hedge lighted
Pine hedge lighted
Straight tall long hedge
Paris Pathway long
Paris Bridge small
Enchanted tree moss lights
Enchanted tree forest
Flower marble set small pot
FINCA mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife//35/58/1744
FINCA flickr: flic.kr/ps/3VbUtF
Newly renovated Greyside Mansion by Hisa...if you haven't taken a look, please do...the texturing inside and out is beautifully done...
HISA - Greyside Mansion
Cupid Inc. Event: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Parallel%20Universe/103/14...
HISA Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hisa/123/117/22
HISA Flickr: flic.kr/ps/3RR2wW
These petunias from Konoha are a must...seriously...so many colors and masterfully made:
Konoha - Petunia liam
The Liaison Collaborative: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Liaison%20Collaborat...
Konoha Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Whitlock/147/173/2601
Konoha Flickr: flic.kr/ps/3S5rdX
[Rezz Room] Jack Russell Adult Animesh (Companion)
Equal10 Event: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/equal10/231/127/89
Rezz Room] Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Paris%20City/171/134/26
[Rezz Room] flickr: flic.kr/ps/37vrZw
Misc:
Apple Fall Queensland Fencing, Wide Panel - Weathered Oak
Thanks a bunch for all the support! 😁
Les vestiges archéologiques cachés de la première muraille médiévale ont inspiré la contribution d'Oliveira. Les branches en bois de Banisteria Caapi (Desnatureza 4) rampent sur le bord de pierre jusqu'à l'eau. Il semble que la nature ait libre cours derrière les jardins clos, mais son installation est trompeuse. Les branches sont artificielles et imitent la nature de manière magistrale. L'artiste joue subtilement avec ce que l'on voit dans la ville au quotidien et ce qui se cache derrière cette réalité. Et comment nos vies peuvent être déterminées, ou guidées, par des choses qui sont inconsciemment présentes dans notre environnement.
The hidden archaeological remains of the first medieval city wall inspired Oliveira's contribution. The wooden branches of Banisteria Caapi (Desnatureza 4) crawl over the stone edge to the water. It seems as if nature has free rein behind the walled gardens, but his installation is misleading. The branches are artificial and mimic nature in a masterful way. The artist subtly plays with what we see in the city every day and what lies behind that reality. And how our lives can be determined, or guided, by things that are unconsciously present in our environment.
Le terme de "polders", ces étendues de terre gagnées sur l'eau et dont le niveau est inférieur à celui de la mer, est généralement associé à des pays comme les Pays-bas et la Belgique, notamment la région de Flandre occidentale (Adinkerke en haut et Veurne en bas). Mais on en trouve un peu partout dans le monde, au Québec, au Japon ou en France (estuaire de la Gironde, île de Ré...)
//
The term "polders", these lands reclaimed from the water and whose level is below the sea, is generally associated with countries like the Netherlands and Belgium, including West Flanders region (Adinkerke above / Veurne below). But they can be found everywhere in the world, in Quebec, Japan and France (Gironde estuary, Ile de Ré ...)
"Masterful balance of light and dark through the clouds and the tree on the right." / "Un équilibre magistral de lumière et d'obscurité à travers les nuages et l'arbre de droite." (Elliot MARGOLIES / www.flickr.com/photos/elliotmar/ )
"Une image sombre et lumineuse à la fois.
Splendide." / "A picture that is both dark and bright at the same time. Superb." (Régis DUBUS / www.flickr.com/photos/dubusregis/ )
"C'est beau et dramatique." / "Drama and beauty." (PIERRE / www.flickr.com/photos/sofarsocute/ )
The original version photograph of this scene I uploaded last year. Recently came across this digital painting of the original buried in a file. My jaw dropped. Debra (Rose) Lynch did a masterful job here. I somehow dismissed it at the time. Suspect was too full of myself about all the attention the photgraph first recieved.
Most happy to have found this with fresh eyes. I believe this to be one of our best combined works. Debra and I are friends and co-artists on some works such as this.
Le bâtiment est de style tout à fait futuriste. En effet, il prend la forme d'un long squelette d'un Animal préhistorique dont les épines dorsales percent le ciel. L’architecture correspond donc parfaitement au contenu du musée.
Le musée représente une superficie de 42 000 m2. Il mesure presque 250 m de long, 104 m de large pour 55 m de hauteur. Ces dimensions magistrales en font le plus grand musée d’Espagne. Il a ainsi fallu 58 000 m2 de béton et 14 000 tonnes d’acier pour le bâtir. L’édifice est entouré de 13 000 m2 de bassins.
The building is quite futuristic in style. Indeed, it takes the form of a long skeleton of a prehistoric animal whose backbones pierce the sky. The architecture therefore corresponds perfectly to the content of the museum.
The museum covers an area of 42,000 m2. It is almost 250 m long, 104 m wide and 55 m high. These masterful dimensions make it the largest museum in Spain. It took 58,000 m2 of concrete and 14,000 tons of steel to build it. The building is surrounded by 13,000 m2 of pools.
Masterfully camouflaged nightbird. Active at night and rarely seen by chance, but might be flushed from daytime roost on the ground. Favors heathland and forest clearings, where it hunts from perch on ground or tree, sallying out and flying with agile, rather jerky wingbeats. Shape resembles a cuckoo or falcon, but plumage is cryptic, like dead leaves. Male has white tail corners and white band in wing. Loud churring song at dusk and night may draw attention. (eBird)
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Seen in the light from the headlights of our vehicle as we were heading for our lodge for the night. The nightjar just sat on the road, waiting for an unlucky moth to fly by.
Mole National Park, Ghana. March 2019.
Ashanti African Tours.
I would be remiss in my thinking not to give you a better look as to how wonderful this Heartsdale Jewelry Callie's Necklace & Earring Collection pairs in beauty and context with this fabulous Essence Karin Top & Skirt outfit.
The stunning multi-color glass embedments within this collection are truly a masterful work of art!
This HJ Callie's Necklace & Earring Collection is also available at Swank Events August '22 Around the World venue.
Landmark:
American Bitterns are masterfully disguised to blend in with the environment. Had it not been for the kindness of a lady named Corietha it would have easily been missed. I was so appreciative of her pointing it out I sent her a copy of this rare beauty.
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I wonder if wishes still come true when those rascal raccoons steal your coins...
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Bento Mesh Head: Catwa Lilly
Bento Mesh Body: Maitreya Lara
Face Applier: Susanne by [ session ]
Hair: Titania by Sintiklia
Gown: Promise of Sanctuary (incl. gown & jacket & available in six gorgeous colors) by Silvan Moon Designs now @ The Enchantment... Wearing "Turquoise"
Karina Tiara by !:Lybra:!
Earrings: Lys (gold) by Remarkable Oblivion
Luxy Rings: RealEvil Industries
Fluffy Eyebrows: [Buzz]
Lush Lipgloss: *League*
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The Crooked Cottage: Titans now @ The Liaison Collaborative
Provincial Town Fountain (French): Titans now @ The Liaison Collaborative
[Between Stone] Garden Area: tM Creations
Cheeky Raccoons-Stealing: Mutresse
Cheeky Raccoons-Clapping: Mutresse
Flagstone Paths - Tiling Center: Stormwood
SIM: IPPOS @ maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ippos/16/67/21
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Thanks as always, to Kynne Llewellyn, for the use of her masterful build! ♥♥
Le bâtiment est de style tout à fait futuriste. En effet, il prend la forme d'un long squelette d'un Animal préhistorique dont les épines dorsales percent le ciel. L’architecture correspond donc parfaitement au contenu du musée.
Le musée représente une superficie de 42 000 m2. Il mesure presque 250 m de long, 104 m de large pour 55 m de hauteur. Ces dimensions magistrales en font le plus grand musée d’Espagne. Il a ainsi fallu 58 000 m2 de béton et 14 000 tonnes d’acier pour le bâtir. L’édifice est entouré de 13 000 m2 de bassins.
The building is quite futuristic in style. Indeed, it takes the form of a long skeleton of a prehistoric animal whose backbones pierce the sky. The architecture therefore corresponds perfectly to the content of the museum.
The museum covers an area of 42,000 m2. It is almost 250 m long, 104 m wide and 55 m high. These masterful dimensions make it the largest museum in Spain. It took 58,000 m2 of concrete and 14,000 tons of steel to build it. The building is surrounded by 13,000 m2 of pools.
Le bâtiment est de style tout à fait futuriste. En effet, il prend la forme d'un long squelette d'un Animal préhistorique dont les épines dorsales percent le ciel. L’architecture correspond donc parfaitement au contenu du musée.
Le musée représente une superficie de 42 000 m2. Il mesure presque 250 m de long, 104 m de large pour 55 m de hauteur. Ces dimensions magistrales en font le plus grand musée d’Espagne. Il a ainsi fallu 58 000 m2 de béton et 14 000 tonnes d’acier pour le bâtir. L’édifice est entouré de 13 000 m2 de bassins.
The building is quite futuristic in style. Indeed, it takes the form of a long skeleton of a prehistoric animal whose backbones pierce the sky. The architecture therefore corresponds perfectly to the content of the museum.
The museum covers an area of 42,000 m2. It is almost 250 m long, 104 m wide and 55 m high. These masterful dimensions make it the largest museum in Spain. It took 58,000 m2 of concrete and 14,000 tons of steel to build it. The building is surrounded by 13,000 m2 of pools.
The perfect example of how nature masterfully, artfully and beautifully reclaims an abandoned rock quarry
Once upon a time, this property was part of the large Wadsworth Estate in Hiram, Maine. The area surrounding the pond (that white streak across the middle of the photo) was a productive cranberry bog you could walk across. Now inhabited by beaver, the property destruction is obvious.
And yet…
Beaver, brought to near extinction because of their pelts and their territorial difficulty living along side man, are extraordinary environmentalists. They create wetlands that support numerous species of plants, fish, birds, wild animals, and micro-organisms. Importantly, these wetlands safely isolate and store carbon both in plant life and in the debris of the felled trees they drag through the waters for their dams and lodges.
It is estimated that globally the “total carbon storage of wetlands is 225 billion metric tons, or the equivalent of carbon emissions from roughly 189 million cars every year.”
Unfortunately, beaver do not manage all those wetlands. Most are mismanaged or not managed at all, left to dry up and release that carbon back into our atmosphere. On the other hand, wetlands controlled by beaver are masterfully managed. Beaver guard and maintain them to support the life that depends upon their waters. And while you certainly do not want beaver in your yard, we need them in our wetlands.
Because of the Maine drought, I thought that this year Don and I would be able to walk across a somewhat soggy marsh to the pond, something we have never been able to do. Because of the beaver, we could not. The water in Cranberry Pond and its surrounding marshlands had not receded one single inch while a nearby lake was down significantly.
in collaboration with masterful Virginia Sequi
hers is on the bottom
please check Virginia's amazing photo stream: www.flickr.com/photos/134559847@N02/
"Though Isengard be strong and hard, as cold as stone and bare as bone, We go, we go, we go to war, to hew the stone and break the door!" J.R.R. Tolken. Lord Of the Rings.
This was taken in a place called Paradise (and it is), north of Glenorchy, a small town about half an hour out of Queenstown. Several scenes from Lord Of The Rings were filmed in the area. As soon as I saw the peak of the dome shaped mountain bearing down as we drove closer, I knew what I wanted to do with the image. It had to have a door.
Now it does ;-) The door is actually one from an old Monastery near Melbourne so I thought it was the perfect match.
As always, I worry when I put up my photoshop creations, knowing I am not particularly masterful but in this case I feel I achieved the vision I had while traveling along that lonely road, imagining Gandalf, Legolas and the crew disappearing into the Mountain.
** Exploring the Fairlands *** Fashion Show
Performance by Suoh Agency and Mahasiah Model Agency, a fashion show where each model will present a region through an original style. April 29, 2023
Roxana representing the SIALDOR region.
Dacien and Marcel Blackwood have worked on putting together this magical Victorian-Gothic city. According to the history of the port city of Sialdor, what could have been the search for new horizons, freedom and prosperity is marred by intrigues around the power of magic. Sialdor is designed to masterfully capture that air of intrigue surrounding the lives of its citizens. Hidden, persecuted, sought after or imagined, magic will continue in our collective imagination as the fountain of youth in antiquity, as a myth, or perhaps as something else...
Roxana shows us a modern Victorian gothic outfit, made up of a corset, bloomers, short skirt, and black top. The golden accessories golden necklace bring us closer to the Victorian baroque and a halo with details of and the orb remind us of the constant use of magic in Sialdor.
Санкт-Петербург и Петроград,
Любимый Питер, Ленинград,.
Моё признание в любви.
К тебе навечное. Лови!
Великолепный, Нереальный, волшебный,
в небеса портальный!
В нём, в монолитных изваяньях,
любуясь музыка застыла.
И вместе с песней заблудила...
Их след в оградах витьеватых
и двориках замысловатых,.
И в изумительно-прекрасных,
роскошных парках и садах,.
В пустых кварталах,в новостройках.
В метро,на людных площадях.
А в театральном свете рампы ,
в вечернем свете фонарей,.
и в светлости его ночей-.
Мелодия слышна сильней....
Великий.Стать его свободна.
Не сгорблена.Не сломлена.
Сияет в крестном блеске храмов.
И Невском блеске без изъяна,.
как зеркале отражена.
Глубоко,честно, на века.
Пропитан мастерским искусством.
И всё,что свято в нём-Не пусто!
И гениальностью идей
своих родителей, детей.
Там даже барабанит дождь,
с таким особым тактом, чувством!
Что прямо с неба проникает.
к душе восторженной моей!!!..Нева, стадион Динамо и Князь-Владимирский собор на Петроградской стороне Санкт-Петербурга — действующий православный храм Санкт-Петербургской епархии РПЦ. Собор является памятником архитектуры, стиль которого специалисты определяют как переходный от барокко к классицизму. Каменный пятиглавый храм с трехъярусной колокольней был спроектирован итальянским архитектором Антонио Ринальди... .
.................................................St. Petersburg and Petrograd,
Beloved St. Petersburg, Leningrad,.
My declaration of love.
To you forever. Catch it!
Magnificent, Unreal, magical,
portal to heaven!
In it, in monolithic sculptures,
admiring the music froze.
And together with the song I lost...
their trail in ornate fences
and intricate courtyards,.
And in amazingly beautiful,
luxurious parks and gardens,.
In empty neighborhoods, in new buildings.
In the subway, in crowded squares.
And in the theatrical light of the footlights,
in the evening light of the lanterns,.
and in the brightness of his nights-.
The melody is heard stronger....
Great.Become his free.
Not hunched over.Not broken.
Shines in the splendor of the cross temples.
And Nevsky brilliance without a flaw,.
as reflected in a mirror.
Deeply, honestly, for centuries.
Imbued with masterful art.
And everything that is sacred in it is not empty!
And the genius of the ideas
of their parents, children.
There's even a drumming rain,
with such a special tact, feeling!
That comes straight from the sky.
to my enthusiastic soul!!!...Neva, Dynamo Stadium and Prince Vladimir Cathedral on the Petrograd side of St. Petersburg are the current Orthodox church of the St. Petersburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. The cathedral is an architectural monument, the style of which experts define as transitional from Baroque to classicism. The stone five-domed temple with a three-tiered bell tower was designed by the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi...
Le bâtiment est de style tout à fait futuriste. En effet, il prend la forme d'un long squelette d'un Animal préhistorique dont les épines dorsales percent le ciel. L’architecture correspond donc parfaitement au contenu du musée.
Le musée représente une superficie de 42 000 m2. Il mesure presque 250 m de long, 104 m de large pour 55 m de hauteur. Ces dimensions magistrales en font le plus grand musée d’Espagne. Il a ainsi fallu 58 000 m2 de béton et 14 000 tonnes d’acier pour le bâtir. L’édifice est entouré de 13 000 m2 de bassins.
The building is quite futuristic in style. Indeed, it takes the form of a long skeleton of a prehistoric animal whose backbones pierce the sky. The architecture therefore corresponds perfectly to the content of the museum.
The museum covers an area of 42,000 m2. It is almost 250 m long, 104 m wide and 55 m high. These masterful dimensions make it the largest museum in Spain. It took 58,000 m2 of concrete and 14,000 tons of steel to build it. The building is surrounded by 13,000 m2 of pools.
The Choir is a fundamental place in the spatial and functional conception of a Cathedral and its origin responds to a tradition linked to the Paleo-Christian basilicas, specifically in the “schola cantorum”. It is usual for the Choir to face the High Altar so that the liturgy can be followed. To this we must add that the cathedral clergy has altar and choir services as fundamental obligations, therefore, the Choir is an essential part, to the point that if there is no Choir there is no Cathedral.
The Choir is accessed through a Renaissance grille from the first half of the 16th century, completed by Francisco de Salamanca. The seats, made of different types of wood and where several authors took part, are from the beginning of the 16th century and have a magnificent sculptural and iconographic program. It should be noted that the 117 seat backs have completely different decorations, made with inlays based on Mudejar lacework. This type of Mudejar adornment in the Choir is only found in the Cathedral of Puebla in Mexico, where the influence of the Cathedral of Seville in New Spain is again evident.
In the center, a large Renaissance lectern, carved in wood, which was used to place the huge liturgical chant books. Dating from the second half of the 16th century, it was made, among others, by Juan Bautista Vázquez “the Old”, who also masterfully carved the Virgin with Child, who presides over the lectern.
Mount Baker, Washington USA .... as seen from BC Canada
approx. 217 Km / 135 Miles apart
Mt Baker also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington in the United States. (Wikipedia)
**** I dedicate this mountain to my Flickr friend, Rich Border. If you enjoy quality landscape images.....check out Rich's masterful collection........his mountains are second to none. Enjoy......
www.flickr.com/photos/116895768@N03/37538260302/in/photos...
The Choir is a fundamental place in the spatial and functional conception of a Cathedral and its origin responds to a tradition linked to the Paleo-Christian basilicas, specifically in the “schola cantorum”. It is usual for the Choir to face the High Altar so that the liturgy can be followed. To this we must add that the cathedral clergy has altar and choir services as fundamental obligations, therefore, the Choir is an essential part, to the point that if there is no Choir there is no Cathedral.
The Choir is accessed through a Renaissance grille from the first half of the 16th century, completed by Francisco de Salamanca. The seats, made of different types of wood and where several authors took part, are from the beginning of the 16th century and have a magnificent sculptural and iconographic program. It should be noted that the 117 seat backs have completely different decorations, made with inlays based on Mudejar lacework. This type of Mudejar adornment in the Choir is only found in the Cathedral of Puebla in Mexico, where the influence of the Cathedral of Seville in New Spain is again evident.
In the center, a large Renaissance lectern, carved in wood, which was used to place the huge liturgical chant books. Dating from the second half of the 16th century, it was made, among others, by Juan Bautista Vázquez “the Old”, who also masterfully carved the Virgin with Child, who presides over the lectern.
James Renwick's 1846 Grace Episcopal Church @ 800-04 Broadway on the corner of E10th St in Manhattan.This was Renwick's first major commission by the city, he was 23-years old.The French Gothic Revival church was built 1846-47.Renwick's most notable work is St Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue in Manhattan,built in 1870.One interesting thing I read about Grace Church is that the marble it's made from was cut by inmates in Sing Sing (yes,the infamous maximum security prison facility in Ossining,NY!) and the stone is simply called,Sing Sing Marble. Also,an incident occurred upon the completion of the chancel for the church.The rector at the time hired a photographer,a Gotthelf Pach,to take a picture of the chancel.When the magnesia powder was ignited to take a flash picture,the resulting explosion blew out some of the stained glass windows. The "Wedding of the 19th century!".Perhaps.General Tom Thumb from PT Barnum Circus wedding ceremony was held at Grace Church.Read about how that went in the link below.daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2011/07/james-renwicks-mas...
I read a little less this year than usual. I found when my dad passed this summer, I became quickly wrapped up in the funeral and all of the things you have to take care of and then it took awhile to build up my concentration again. I only read 140 books this year, which is far lower than my usual amount of over 200. One year, I read 365 books! So, I slacked off this year. I found myself lingering along different pages and chapters more so than ever. Here are some of my favorite books that I read. They didn’t all come out this year but time is an illusion anyway.
I'd love to hear about all of your favorite reads from this year or other years!
Photo above is a multiple exposure from Iceland..a reading/study room with a landscape photo in honor of my favorite read of the year.
1. Rooms for Vanishing by Stuart Nadler
A real wonder of a book about different possibilities, split timelines, divergent futures confronting the personal horrors of WWII in one of the most creative and thought provoking ways I’ve ever seen. I read several chapters again and again and felt like this was one of the most philosophical and creative books Ive ever read!
2. The Membranes by Chi Ta-wei
Extremely ahead of its time and published originally 30 years ago and translated into English fairly recently. This is a glimpse of a future world which many facets have proved to be fairly accurate predictions but it is also about queer identity and is written sort of like a gay Taiwanese young William Gibson might write it. Wholly original!
3. Is a River Alive? by Robert McFarlane
Yes, a river is very much alive! This is a wondrous work of nonfiction that really explores some diverse and hard to reach areas of nature and its effect on both the nearby inhabitants and the visitors like this author. I loved its sense of environmental advocacy and questioning why we would allot personhood to corporations but not bodies of water, for instance. You really feel like you go on a psychological journey with the author and learn so much between the rivers he explores and the people he meets.
Thanks to my friend Bob for this recommendation!
4. Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich
There was a period of my life where I just didn’t quite get Erdrich for some reason…it just didn’t click…but now, I am reading at least a couple of books a year by her. This is really a striking book about desperate women who have lost all body autonomy. Her books are always well written and engaging but this one felt more fast paced and thrilling than the others in style and topic.
5. House of Day, House of Night: by Olga Tokarczuk
I really love how Tokarczuk writes about dreams and mushrooms in this one especially. There is quite a bit about religion as well as physical gender identity within that religious space and a really interesting sense of the people who live in Poland in a border town with Germany and remnants of WWII even. She just has a really poetic way of writing.
6. The Measure by Nikki Erlick
I read this on recommendation from my sister in law in one sitting on the plane to Los Angeles. It is one of the most engaging book I have ever read and a speculative fiction masterpiece exploring the psychology behind lifespan and how society might change if everyone over 21 was sent a single string of a certain length that told them how much longer they would live….but not how they would die. Fascinating storyline and very well executed…I kept wondering how I would handle this situation myself. Another book that made me cry this year…I guess I am a bit of a mess! Apparently, this was an “instant” NYT Bestseller back in 2022 but I hadn’t heard of it until my sister in law mentioned it…I guess I just don’t pay attention to popular culture.
7. Archipelago of the Sun by Yoko Tawada
This is the third book of the trilogy of friends where Tawada explores language and identity within the context of our current world and its insistence on borders and a national identity that not all have and definitely not all share the same level of privilege. These friends are so diverse and interesting and also one of the characters and their transitioning identity is also explored so it is rather complex but also very thought provoking and meditative the way she writes…you just want to linger on certain sentences again and again.
8. Tell Me Everything by Erika Krouse
I read three books by Erika Krouse and loved all three-this one is nonfiction and is about all of the horrific ways a football team takes advantage of, persecutes, and threatens women and how deep the cover up goes. Krouse is helping the investigator while also going through the horrors of her past and personal identity. I was honestly not expecting to find this book as engaging as I did but Krouse is an exceptional author whose short stories Save Me, Stranger have stuck with me for many months and who also writes vivid characters in fiction books (see Contenders). Highly recommended!!
9. The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and his Mother) by Rabih Alameddine
If you ever have the chance to see Rabih Alameddine speak, DO IT! I saw him a few years back after Trump was office the first time around and he spoke about how art including writing is in and of itself an act of resistance. This book is both tragic and funny. There’s an image of our protagonist hero escaping a bunker during a civil war in Lebanon that actually had me laughing so hard I’m surprised I could stop. But, this is also a portrait study of a city and how it changed when the fighting began and equally an exploration of a mother and her gay son as they navigate through their relationship across decades. This is technically fiction but reads at times like an autobiography and, after all, it is a true true story.
10. The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
This book scared the crap out of me and if it had been published when she first had started working on it, it would have been even more terrifying. The premise reads like a Black Mirror story where there are corporations who own and monitor your dreams and might even insert products into them. You can also be suspect based on your dreams but people give up their dreams in desperate situations just to fall asleep….very riveting and terrifying!
11. Poets Square Cats by Courtney Gustafson
I’ve been following this author’s cat rescue in Tucson, Arizona for a few years now but only had part of the story before I read this book. This is the autobiographical back story of the author and cat rescuer herself and the ways in which becoming a full time cat rescuer changed her and perhaps made her more human or at least helped her focus her values and what being alive truly means to her. She is doing very good work and it is important to support this work. This book also gives the back story behind so many important characters, many of whom don’t seem quite so feral when you see their true feline selves in her way. A book to be treasured!
12. Sunbirth by An Yu
I loved her speculative novel Ghost Music and this new one is even more bizarre and has an apocalyptic angle about the sun slowly disappearing and people in this town being enveloped by and exploding with light. None of the characters know what it is like in other cities and towns and some try to escape but, after all, the sun is something we all share so you wonder how it could be different when it is the same major problem occurring. I loved these astounding characters and the sense of imagination here.
13. ACLU The Fight of the Century: Edited by Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman
Never has there been a more important time to stand up for human rights and also understand the history of human rights. I loved some of the authors responding to historical cases that are organized chronologically. Yea Gyasi Viet Thanh Nguyen, Elizabeth Strout, Salman Rushdie, Aleksander Hemon, Brit Bennett, Li Yiyun, Rabih Alameddine, Louise Erdrich, and Anthony Doerr amongst main more give us glimpses into their own personal history and how these cases may have impacted them. Some of these chapters are also critical of the ACLU’s stance too in some aspects in a healthy way as in the case of campaign funding, for example. Regardless, it’s an organization under great threat in America whose continued existence is vital.
14. Bad Bad Girl by Gish Jen
This is partly a memoir of the author but also an exploration of her mother’s past and her ancestry from back in Shanghai. It explores the horrors of the history they lived through while her mother escaped to America but it’s also an engaging imaginary conversation Gish Jen has with her mother who suffered sexism in her own life and treats her daughter as if she should also be quiet and easy and not have so many opinions. But Gish Jen is a phenomenal author of so many great fictional stories exploring culture and identity and she will always be a Good Bad Girl that we should be grateful for. Thank goodness for the women who don’t succumb to societal and family pressures put on us.
15. My Beloved Monster: Masha, the Half-Wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me by Caleb Carr
An extraordinary nonfiction work that really had me on the edge of my seat several times and crying at others. This is a story of a human who Is battling a personal history with physical abuse and has gone through several surgeries that have been only minimally successful. He is an acclaimed author (I haven’t read any of his other books) and lives alone when he decides to adopt a cat later on in life. I just love how he explores his relationship with his cat and the cat’s personality and sense of adventure. This is actually a story about two wandering souls who find each other and meet in the middle and I do believe that they have found each other again in the ether of the afterlife.
16. Generosity by Richard Powers
I read four different books by Powers this year. If you haven’t read his work, it’s quite masterful! He is one of those authors that has great ideas and can truly craft a complex storyline and bring it all back home in an impressive way. This one is interesting because it focuses on an immigrant who by all accounts should be miserable…she has very little and her parents have been murdered and her brother imprisoned. At one point, she is even sexually molested. Still, throughout all of this, our protagonist, Thassadit Amzwar. remains happy and joyful in a way that others just can’t quite seem to manage or understand. As one might imagine, people try to diagnose her as if something is wrong with her and study her DNA…things go so haywire because other humans literally just can’t imagine how this human could be this happy when the rest of us are so depressed.
17. Bewilderment by Richard Powers
This book really got to me in so many ways…it’s so much about the relationship between a father and a son who is neurodivergent and tests him in so many ways but it is also about biofeedback, flexible thinking, and consciousness after death. It is filled with wonder and sorrow both and really explores the complexity of human consciousness.
18. Beyond Anxiety by Martha Beck
I read quite a few nonfiction books this year related to flexible thinkers, nature, human consciousness existing after death, and octopuses but this one really resonated with me in the sense that it helped me immediately to manage my anxiety and is highly recommended to any artists. There are people in this world who consume art and those who create art and those who do both. I am probably in the latter category because I create art but also really love being part of an international community like Flickr and don’t really enjoy participating in other social media type of sites that seem to focus more on making oneself look cool or rich or just a made up version of a human.
This nonfiction is about how creativity can cancel out the heightened anxiety that threatens to overwhelm us every day. If you start to feel the heightened sensation taking over like you can’t even breathe except to scream, maybe this book is for you. Also, just sitting down and doing art for hours is indeed a luxury and makes it hard to go back to the “real world” of capitalism, etc. but sometimes this is exactly what self care is needed
19. A Love Story From the End of the World by Juhea Kim
I loved the wild weirdness and environmental focus of these short stories set all across the world in this time of climate chaos and political upheaval. Kim is an author and activist with a truly creative spirit!
20. After by Bruce Greyson M.D.
After what happened this summer with my dad passing, I read a ton of nonfiction regarding human consciousness continuing and this one really goes through quite a variety of Near Death Experiences and how it also ends up changing people. It’s a really fascinating look into human consciousness and how it continues from a medical expert. I am fascinated by these human stories and really enjoy the perspective of someone from a background in Science. I do believe that, when the body dies, the consciousness and soul of the spirit does continue and that most of us have already lived multiple lives at this point.
Honorable Mentions:
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Annihilation by Michel Houellebecq
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home by Stephen Starring Grant
**All photos are copyrighted**
Eden-like, a still pool with a deeply mirrored surface, bird sounds and a gentle, tropical breeze, clouds drifting across the deep blue dome that covers all, and joyous color erupting in masterfully crafted spheres that seem less and less incongruous with each passing moment. Yes, they do belong here.
niijima floats, 2014. glasswork by dale chihuly
littletinperson
Statue of Paul Piquet in Beziers.
On October 27, 1838, Béziers inaugurated, on the Allées of the same name, the monumental statue of Pierre-Paul Riquet, its most illustrious son, in homage to his masterful creation: the Canal du Midi.
The statue was erected by public subscription, at the initiative of the Archaeological Society of Béziers.
It was created by the sculptor Pierre-Jean David, known as David d'Angers (1788-1856), who had just created the Pantheon fresco a year earlier.
In Baratti there is a feline colony that has become friends over the years. This in the photo is a practically inseparable couple and also the most vain ready to show themselves to the camera.
I usually wake up in the role of belated witness,
with the miracle already achived,
the day defined
and dawning masterfully recast as morning...
Une immense sculpture à l'effigie de Yayoi Kusama s'est érigée rue du Pont Neuf, entre le siège de la Maison Louis Vuitton et la
Samaritaine. Impossible à louper, le clone monumental de l'artiste
japonaise repeint à coup de pois
colorés la façade de l'édifice,
après s'être attelé à la boutique
emblématique LV des Champs
Élysées. Une installation
gratuite, magistrale et
surprenante en l'honneur de la
nouvelle collaboration pointillée
de Louis Vuitton avec la célèbre
designer.
A huge sculpture in the likeness of Yayoi Kusama has been erected on rue du Pont Neuf, between the headquarters of the Maison Louis Vuitton and La Samaritaine. Impossible to miss, the monumental clone of the Japanese artist repaints the facade of the building with colored polka dots, after having tackled the emblematic LV store on the Champs Élysées. A free, masterful and surprising installation in honor of Louis Vuitton's new dotted collaboration with the famous designer.
Welcome to the architecturally stunning Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, where heritage and adventure blend into a magnificent landmark. Housed in the classic Fulton Building, this Pittsburgh luxury hotel was masterfully restored, exuding the timeless elegance of old-world charm, while providing the personal service designed for modern contentment. Surrounded by five world-renowned theaters in the heart of the Cultural District, this hotel in downtown Pittsburgh is near the excitement of Heinz Field, PNC Park, and Mellon Arena, as well as the David L. Lawrence Convention Cente
Cultural District Allegheny River - Fulton Building - Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel 142
You may tire of me as our December sun is setting because I'm not who I used to be
No longer easy on the eyes but these wrinkles masterfully disguise
The youthful boy below who turned your way and saw
Something he was not looking for: both a beginning and an end
But now he lives inside someone he does not recognize
When he catches his reflection on accident
-Ben Gibbard & Chris Walla
Brown Pelicans are strong swimmers and masterful fliers.
They occasionally feed by sitting on the surface and seizing prey with their bills, like other pelican species, usually when a dense school of fish is close to the surface and the water is too shallow to plunge.
MANY THANKS FOR YOUR VISITS, COMMENTS AND FAVES
THEY ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!
Dedicated to Jerzy Orzechowski . He is masterful with light and composition, I know you will love his work:
www.flickr.com/photos/158897138@N08/
Thanks Jerzy for you inspiration in your awesome landscapes.
Seen in project contact thank-you#118. flic.kr/s/aHsmNjQ5M6
I have luckily managed to capture an incredible fish-hunt and fight this river otter has performed, in the calm waters of Alouette river. This was the first time for me to have witnessed such an amazing spectacle and I truly hope it won't be the last.
Otters are masterful fish predators, while in the water. On land, they can become prey for larger mammals.
Despite the apparent fearful expression in my photo, I think most of us love otters. They are cute and make funny poses and grimaces.
"Le soleil, une ampoule à basse consommation..."
"Magistrale celle ci ! Respect." // "This one is masterful ! Respect." (Patrick CANHAN / www.flickr.com/photos/patpardon/ )
Welcome to the architecturally stunning Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, where heritage and adventure blend into a magnificent landmark. Housed in the classic Fulton Building, this Pittsburgh luxury hotel was masterfully restored, exuding the timeless elegance of old-world charm, while providing the personal service designed for modern contentment. Surrounded by five world-renowned theaters in the heart of the Cultural District, this hotel in downtown Pittsburgh is near the excitement of Heinz Field, PNC Park, and Mellon Arena, as well as the David L. Lawrence Convention Cente
Cultural District Allegheny River - Fulton Building - Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel 139
Masterfully crafted stone work of transept entrance, of one of many beautiful churches in Avila, España. Amazing how such details were crafted even in the smallest of churches, truely a lost art.
Harris Brown-ALL rights reserved. This image may not be used for ANY purpose without written permission.
Alpine, New Jersey, USA-over the Hudson River
Peregrine Falcons catch medium-sized birds in the air with swift, spectacular dives, called stoops. In cities they are masterful at catching pigeons. Elsewhere they feed especially on shorebirds and ducks. They often sit on high perches, waiting for the right opportunity to make their aerial assault.
Thanks to all who take the time to view, comment on and favor my images. It is very much appreciated.
Nikon Z9 camera with Nikon Z600mm f6.3 PF lens
1/3200 f6.3 ISO 1100
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14,15