View allAll Photos Tagged Refinement
74mm telephoto shot from Friendship Park with subtle tilt shift added in Photoshop and further refinement in Perfect Effects.
I am home again for a while and will catch up when I can. Thank you all very much for your wonderful comments. It was so lovely in Akaroa it was hard to come back to the city again.
I meet up with a wonderful flickr friend and we had a wonderful time getting blown and rained on while looking around the city. It was great to meet up with her. Pity the weather wasn't kinder!
September 19, 2015 Christchurch, New Zealand.
It got so wet and cold we spent some time looking around the inside of the Heritage Hotel.
A Write up About the Heritage Hotel.
Christchurch is a long way from the Mediterranean – nevertheless, the opulence of an Italian High Renaissance Palazzo awaits you at the Heritage Christchurch. Designed by Joseph Clark Maddison and opened in 1913, the hotel is listed as a category one building on the Historic Places Trust Register, reflecting its status as a building of national significance. The hotel’s grand design is fitting: after all, Christchurch is regarded as the Garden City, and is regarded internationally for its culture and refinement.
For more Info and photos:http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/city-centre/9191247/Heritage-Hotel-reopens-on-birthday
This used to be a very common car, but nowadays they seem to be largely forgotten. While the rough lines of the design are very basic, the details really show the Italian refinement in their car designs.
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One of the benefits of living in a village known for it's nature and tourism: When going out for a walk you might just bump into a group of classic cars visiting 'your' area.
@Veluwsche Oldtimerclub Goes East 2021-10-24
I find it helps me choose who I love the most to put all the dolls of one mold together. If I look at one alone, I feel the need to keep it. Even if its not my favorite, I'm really good at justifying why she should stay. But when I put them together I can start to see who my top favorites are and who my least favorites are. I do have some trouble breaking this particular group up though, because I think this is all of the 3rd mold Vanessa dolls. Its a complete set! Or is it, since technically, Out Sass isn't factory original? And space in the doll room isn't infinite, and shouldn't I curate my collection to all things I really love instead of just like? And more dolls come every day, so some will have to move on, right? This is what I struggle with. I love them all for different reasons, but I need to make space. I cant enjoy them when they're crowded on top of each other. First world problems, eh?
Who's who?
Rear in box:
Convention Helper doll Illustrious Vanessa
4rd row left to right:
Chameleon, Adorned, High Point X2
3rd row: Enhanced Refinement, Refinement Original, Enhanced Out Sass, Star Power, OOAK full repaint
2nd row left to right:
Enhanced Fashion Explorer, Original Fashion Explorer, OOAK full repaint, Take Me On, Black Orchid
Standing in front
Left: Edge
Right: Sophistiquee
R&D Center A&B - the LEGO inspired box art parody (not a real set. sorry folks)
"The word of the Muad'Dib will penetrate deep within their hearts... one way or another..."
Built for the Burgomeister "R&D Lab" category of DA4, supporting General Farok. The embedded image in the comments meets the A&B criteria of designing LEGO inspired box art.
The research and development lab staff include:
- Master Administrator (main floor); oversees the overall running of the research institute, as well as the data analytics.
- Master of Chemistry (top floor); leads research in spice production, refinement, and weaponized usages. Controls the refining column that rises through the building.
- Master of Resources (in vehicle); procures all resources needed by the lab. Also the primary driver of the desert track ATV stored in the bottom level. The grand staircase in front of the building lifts up for the vehicle to pass through.
- Master of Arms (bottom level); tests all weapons for combat worthiness.
- Master of Communications (bottom level with headset); researches sonic weapons, specifically attuned to the "weirding way".
Jewel of Pays d’Auge, Normandy en.normandie-tourisme.fr/normandy-tourism-109-2.html, the Castle of Saint-Germain de Livet is striking by its architecture. Surrounded by moats, it is made up of a timber-framed manor dates back to the 15th century and a Renaissance wing built during the 16th century. This part is remarkable for its painting tiles. The castle houses marvellous frescoes dated from the 16th century. The visit is extended by the discovery of the flowery and raised park. This castle is also a museum. It presents the furniture and the works of art of the family Riesener-Pillaut who bequeathed the castle to the city of Lisieux in 1957. The inside testifies the refinement and the lifestyle of the 19th century. The trail evokes the artistic and personal journey of the painter Léon Riesener (1808-1878), grandson of the cabinet maker Jean-Henri Riesener and cousin of Eugène Delacroix. Visit the furnished interior of the Château de Saint-Germain-de-Livet, where you can also admire paintings by the artist Léon Riesener. The castle has been the property of the town of Lisieux since 1958. www.calvados-tourisme.co.uk/diffusio/en/discover/sites-mo...
I thought I was putting her on a NuFace2 body, but I accidentally used a FR16 body. Sort of like it!
Wearing: Luxuriously Gifted Natalia's shorts, Refinement Vanessa's blouse, Style Renaissance Adele's corset, and The Awakening Annik's boots.
This handsome timepiece is a classic example of the American shelf clock tradition, most likely dating from the late 1840s to mid-1850s, based on its form, materials, and painted lower glass.
Patina
One of the most evocative features of this clock is the thick patina that has developed on either side of the small brass door pull—a subtle but powerful indicator of its long history in domestic life.
This is not merely the result of age or environmental exposure, but a classic example of what decorative arts scholars call contact patina: the gradual burnishing and darkening of wood through repeated human touch. Each time the clock was opened to wind the movement or adjust the hands—typically once a week—fingers brushed the case beside the knob, leaving behind trace oils and wearing a soft polish into the surface. Over time, this built up into a tactile record of use, a kind of vernacular provenance that links the object to the rhythm of daily life.
Unlike a pristine museum piece, this clock bears visible witness to its role as a functional and familiar presence in the household, its case shaped not only by design but by the repetitive gestures of care and routine.
The Veneer
The close-up image reveals a richly figured, high-contrast wood veneer with ribbon-like banding and dark streaks set against a warm reddish-brown ground—characteristics strongly indicative of Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), the most prized species used for decorative veneer work in mid-19th-century American furniture and clocks.
The dramatic, almost bookmatched grain patterns and oily depth of surface reflect a level of natural complexity that would be difficult to replicate with faux graining techniques, and the coloration and striping rule out domestic species like walnut, cherry, or mahogany, which tend to be more uniform and subdued.
This is clearly not painted or grain-simulated pine, but a true tropical hardwood veneer, likely imported and carefully applied to elevate the visual sophistication of an otherwise utilitarian clock case.
Based on visual analysis alone, it is almost certainly genuine rosewood veneer—probably Brazilian in origin—confirming the clock's alignment with the mid-19th-century trend toward richly veneered consumer goods that aspired to refinement through both material and form.
The Movement
Based on the form, proportions, and stylistic features of the clock—particularly the case shape, stenciled dial, and reverse-painted lower glass—it was almost certainly powered by a weight-driven brass movement, most likely an 8-day mechanism manufactured in Connecticut between the 1840s and 1850s.
Clocks of this type typically featured two descending cast iron weights, each suspended by a cord or chain wound around a drum: one driving the timekeeping mechanism (escapement and gear train), and the other powering an hourly striking mechanism, usually a simple bell or wire gong.
These weights would descend slowly over the course of a week, requiring the owner to rewind the clock once every seven to eight days using a key or crank. This system marked a pivotal development in American clockmaking, replacing earlier wooden movements of the 1820s and 1830s with more affordable, reliable, and standardized brass works.
The relatively tall yet shallow case is typical of shelf clocks designed to accommodate a full-size pendulum and descending weights while remaining compact enough for domestic mantels or wall brackets. The upper glass door allowed access to the dial and winding arbors, while the lower glass panel—though primarily decorative—sometimes opened as well for pendulum adjustment.
Far from being a spring-driven or battery-powered novelty, this clock embodies the mechanical ingenuity and democratizing spirit of mid-19th-century Connecticut clockmakers, whose innovations brought accurate, ornamental timekeeping within reach of the growing American middle class.
️Case Design: Empire Revival with a Touch of Restraint
The clock case displays veneered rosewood - a hallmark of American mass-market clocks from the mid-19th century. The thick, broad molding with deeply chamfered edges is characteristic of the Empire Revival style, popular in clock cases after about 1835.
This style was a simplified, Americanized echo of high-style Empire furniture.
The form is rectilinear and masculine, eschewing the curves of Federal or Rococo Revival trends.
It speaks to the democratization of style in American decorative arts: mass-produced clocks like this brought a sense of refinement into middle-class homes at a time when furniture was becoming increasingly standardized.
The construction, likely by a Connecticut firm such as Seth Thomas, Eli Terry, or Chauncey Jerome, reflects the “transitional” period between early wooden works and later spring-driven brass movements.
⌚ Dial: Stenciled Roman Numerals with Exposed Movement
The dial features Roman numerals in a clean stencil style, with an open center that allows a glimpse of the brass gearworks—a detail that became common in mid-century clocks as brass movement manufacturing matured.
The relatively small, round viewing aperture reveals enough to showcase the clock's mechanical heart but not enough to distract.
The starkness of the numerals and simplicity of the minute marks suggest an effort to blend utility with modest refinement.
️Lower Door Glass: The Compass Rose Motif
This is where things get especially interesting.
The painted lower tablet features a central compass rose or eight-pointed star, surrounded by scrolling foliate patterns in gold and white. Here's what stands out:
Why It's Hard to Date:
The compass rose is an ambiguous visual symbol in American folk and decorative art. It:
Echoes nautical and cartographic traditions, making it appealing in both coastal and inland decorative contexts.
Is also a quasi-Masonic symbol, often associated with moral direction or worldly orientation, which gave it broad symbolic appeal in the 19th century.
This compass/starburst design overlaps with:
Fraktur and Pennsylvania Dutch motifs
Folk-painted furniture
Nautical-themed stencils
Patent stenciling in parlor decoration
Its execution here suggests factory stencilwork, not freehand, so it was likely part of the mass production system but intended to offer a slightly exotic, learned, or "mariner's" flair to the domestic interior.
The round motifs with jagged or scalloped edges in the corners of the clock’s lower glass tablet strongly evoke the flower known as a "pink"—a member of the Dianthus family, including carnations—whose fringed petals were a familiar visual form in 19th-century decorative arts. Though abstracted and rendered in a limited palette, these forms likely reference the symbolic language of flowers popular at the time: carnations represented affection, remembrance, and good fortune, and their inclusion here subtly feminizes and sentimentalizes the clock’s otherwise geometric design.
The pairing of these stylized floral medallions with the bold compass rose at the center creates a deliberate interplay between domestic warmth and directional clarity, between the emotional and the mechanical.
It reflects a broader 19th-century decorative tendency to merge industrial regularity with romantic naturalism—a hybrid language seen in stenciled walls, toleware, and reverse-painted mirrors and clocks throughout the antebellum period. In this context, the “pinks” not only soften the visual field but also root the mass-produced object in the sentimental and symbolic culture of the Victorian home.
While one must be cautious when drawing connections across periods in the decorative arts, the curving lines that frame the compass rose and corner motifs on this clock glass do appear to foreshadow the sinuous outlines of jigsaw-cut fretwork that became a hallmark of the Queen Anne revival and Eastlake-influenced styles later in the 19th century.
Though modest and schematic—painted rather than carved, and purely ornamental rather than structural—these flourishes share the same impulse to soften rectilinear form with graceful, scrolling detail.
They occupy a transitional space in American design, marking the shift from the simplified classical motifs of the mid-century to the more expressive, machine-assisted intricacy that would soon define Victorian taste. In this sense, the clock quietly anticipates a return to decorative elaboration—not through hand carving, but via scroll saws and jig-cut embellishments, as seen in furniture, gable brackets, and parlor ornament of the 1870s and 1880s.
The effect here is subdued and economical, but the visual rhythm of the lines hints at the more assertive ornamentation to come.
Context in Decorative Arts:
This kind of glass painting fits into the tradition of "eglomisé" (reverse-painted) glass tablets, a defining feature of American clocks from ca. 1830–1860. The patterns:
Were usually done via stencils and pounce patterns, then filled in by hand.
Balanced bold geometric clarity (in the star) with fanciful, curvilinear border scrolls.
Provided a splash of color and interest in parlors that otherwise may have lacked artwork.
This particular motif, with its clean divisions and symmetrical arms, aligns with navigational, moral, and even religious overtones popular in antebellum Protestant America. It may have appealed equally to the Yankee merchant, Midwest farmer, or Methodist schoolteacher—it was culturally portable.
Broader Context: American Consumer Goods and Clock Democratization
The entire object is emblematic of mid-19th-century American mass production:
Wooden shelf clocks like this were among the first true mass consumer goods in the U.S.
Clockmakers in Connecticut led the charge, thanks to:
Standardized brass movements
Pine cases with veneered or faux-painted surfaces
Factory stenciling and lithographed dials
The affordability and availability of these clocks meant that even modest households could own a timepiece, a powerful symbol of middle-class aspirations and punctuality culture in a growing capitalist economy.
Verdict on Date and Typology
Probable date: ca. 1845–1855
Maker: Possibly Jerome, Birge, or another Connecticut manufacturer—though unmarked, the design falls squarely within their domain.
Type: 30-hour weight-driven shelf clock, sometimes called a "transition" or "column and cornice" derivative. The absence of side columns or ogee curves suggests a transitional Empire form.
This text is a collaboration with Chat GPT.
(Image modifiée Lr).
Please do not invite me to share images in closed groups without prior invitation. Thank you.
... u make but there is one vision of the results (4 picts + 1 with refinements) (^^) enjoy.
Catwa HDPro with Belleza GenX Classic:
Capturing my multi-ethnicity in my face, has always been an issue in SL. We all know how one slider sometimes affects another part of your face, where quick-logic says it shouldn't.
I don't expect anyone to see what I did to my face and head, but I'm happy with the refinements of my face and cranium.
A couple of new rigged hairdos I got, just won't fit correctly.
To achieve my look sometimes makes parts of my cranium push it's way out of the hairdos, with alpha-cuts doing very little to help.
Last night, I came on briefly to try out a hair gifted to me. I really love it. This is not that hair. This is a new Bonbon which I love just-as-much. I won't mention the other hair, just because I don't want anyone to misunderstand and think I'm blasting the awesome work put into it by that creator.
I'm hoping a future update to it fixes my particular head issue ( WATCH IT, you pervs! ^_^ ).
Until then, I'll either just use that hairdo for shoots, or try wearing it with another.
Sometimes, to get a particular look, I'll wear 2 or 3 hairdos at once, if their textures and alphas compliment one another.
Performing every SL and Catwa HDPro slider combination trick I could think of, didn't solve my problem UNLESS I stretched my neck to about a foot and a half in height.
Hahahaha...
Datsun (Nissan) 280ZX 2+2 (S130) (1978-83) Engine 2753ccS6
Registration Number YOT 744 V (Portsmouth)
NISSAN ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623814850528...
The Datsun S130, 280ZX, Nissan Fairlady Z and Nissan Fairlady 280Z, depending on the market. was introduced in 1978, replacing the long running S30, The 280ZX was the first time the Nissan subscript was badged alongside the Datsun logo. The 280ZX was a complete redesign, retaining only the L28 inline-six engine and other driveline components from the 280Z. Both two-seat and four-seat (2+2) designs were offered.
Compared to the outgoing sports oriented S30 range, the 280ZX was a much softer, heavier car, focusing more on comfort and refinement with softer suspension and things like a high end audio system. The exterior design was evolutionary, less rounded and with better integrated safety bumpers. Many parts, including the rear-axle and the power steering came from the Datsun 810 luxury sedan shifting the car from a sports car to grand tourer. The new design had a lower centre-of-gravity with the cars rear stretched to accommodate a larger 80 L (21.133 US liquid gallons) fuel tank.
Diolch am 92,859,410 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 92,859,410 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 23.04.2022 at the Bicester Spring Scramble, Bicester, Oxfordshire 158-333
Collection Refinement #2
This is one of my hybrid dolls. It is Urban Antoinette Adele Makeda from 2006. She was a wigged doll that I put on a NuFace body. I found this Puki wig and glued it on. She is one of my favorite NuFace dolls, so I don't plan on "re-homing" her anytime soon.
That day I took photos in a shower..
_____________________
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maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Zurich%20City/65/20/1201
Like every Sunday, the Bouncing Betty welcomes DJ Alex for a moment of complete release to the rhythms of Electro Swing, Jazz and Blues. These are always beautiful nuggets to listen to. The Boucing Betty presents a breathtaking decor of realism, refinement with a subtle mix of baroque, art & deco, futuristic and also prohibition years, 1920', 1930'. The atmosphere, the show on stage, the lights, the colors and of course the music, everything is there for a total immersion, an assured enchantment and a certain escape. Come numerous and invite your friends.
With those new wedge plates, making that logo has become easier than ever! Doesn't come in yellow yet, so this method will work. A simple showcase, lots of refinement can be done, but you get the point.
The angle is super perfect. Only issue I have with this method, is the slight gap at the top of the inner black triangle, but that can't be helped, just with the way the part was designed.
This is a part of an ongoing & experimental photo project of mine entitled "Corpse Photo-Poetics." (This was was composed by myself & Melina, my former fiance.) It was conceived as a sort of abstraction of the Surrealist game, "Exquisite Corpse."
I can't locate my formal description of the project, but I'll try to succinctly state its simplicity:
With E.C., partipants divide a piece of a paper into thirds or quaters, choosing, for instance, the human form. Each participant chooses a section of the form to complete, covering their work, leaving only lines to give the next player a starting point for the next section of the piece. The result can be something quite surprising and, sometimes even good! ;)
I chose to use double exposure photographs. The CPP images have mostly been produced directly in the camera (35mm). With no fixed for in mind, person grans an image to be integrated with the photograph of another in the camera, and hopefully the result is just as surprising and, even good!
This is a randomly chosen example -- I have very few digital copies at this time, but will try to change that soon. I'm working on new methods and am always looking for new collaborators.
Let's see, thank you for taking a look, reading about this crazy project & LMK if you are interested. ;)
[BTW, this example is, like the others, from a 35mm shot, & has lost something in translation. In this case, the vivid colors of the flowers at the top edge of the picture are dull, and the great red stars that run vertically on the shirt, which work great together w/ the tree, are gone.]
OK. Here's further description that I e-mailed to one recent participant, the amazing Ms. LaDonna Chaos:
Let’s see… I'll do my best to b-r-I-e-f-l-y describe the project off the top o' my chaotic head here.
Firstly, I've hand-picked only a few collaborators for this admittedly odd little project. I plan future gallery shows (a close friend is currently shopping it around NYC, for instance) and even [gasp> a coffee table book.
OK. But first, here' how it started:
In the 90s -- yes, WAY BACK THEN -- I began d-a-b-b-l-i-n-g in photography, and became QUICKLY fascinated w/ multiple exposures when an old Arette 35mm I tried had a broken winding mechanism, producing these wonderful, almost halucinatory double & triple exposures.
I began to then INTENTIONALLY use the double exposure technique (with a properly functioning camera this time) in my compositions.
OK. One day, whilst traveling the long, lonely stretches of the 95 through rural Georgia, it occurred to me to try abstractly applying the dAdAists' and surealists' exquisite corpse game to photography.
With my game -- CPP: Corpse Photo-Poetics -- two photographers each contribute a photo or exposure w/o knowing what the other person had done to see what kind of final composition or new form, if you will, they end up with.
Here's how we'd do this: I'll take a roll of pictures (none of them needing to be complete compositions, not necessarily), and when I'm finished, I'll rewind leaving the film leader extending from the roll so that it can be reloaded into another camera.
THEN, you'll indeed (or so I hope that you’ll want to =) load the roll into your camera and shoot over my set of images, producing (no doubt ;) some AbFAB double exposure photographs -- CPP's!!!
OK. I hope that made SOME sense. ;)
One thing to keep in mind is that many of these won't work out, but there will NO DOUBT be GEMS, my dear.
Well, I t-r-e-m-e-n-d-o-u-s-l-y look forward to discussing this further and to working with you on this!! I AM QUITE honored by your interest!!!
Incidentally, this is the primitive, FUN technique, but I will soon move to enact some refinements to the process. In any case, I just thought that we could have some fun for now in this still early stage of things. What do you reckon?
MM-23A “Temare” Medium Combat Frame
The backbone of OSC's forces, this locally-manufactured frame was reverse-engineered from the popular Rascal, with minor modifications.
Equipment:
- Ceramic knife
- Medium assault rifle
- Radar pod
Credits:
-SuspendedAnimation-: Impetus for the original Rascal mech design/refinement (www.flickr.com/photos/160654348@N03/51691653110/)
Matt Lee: Original Rascal mech design adapted from SuspendedAnimation's Spearfisher (www.flickr.com/photos/69510126@N05/51688307635/)
Josh: Some very nice Rascal variants that I used bits of (www.flickr.com/photos/26409745@N08/51965059663/)
Integrity/Fashion Royalty/The 20th Anniversary collection/Adele Makeda/The Originals/Jason Wu
Integrity Toys/Fashion Royalty/The Retrofuture collection/Adele Makeda/Neo Look/Jessy Ayala
Barry X Ball’s installation it was exhibited at the Michela Rizzo Gallery, in a narrow street just behind the famed “Prigioni” (Prisons). The gallery owns two spaces. In a large room on the second floor of a nearby building, Ball placed some works from the past years. They revealed Ball to be a refined assemblagist of themes and materials, steeped in cultural references and quotations, of the kind that makes scholars gloat but whose essence remains anchored in the canons of late postmodernity. But it was in the smaller street-level room that this artist jumped into a realm that awakened in me the subtle vibration of discovery. The title of the piece is too long and fantastic to copy. It suffices to quote the beginning: “paired, mirrored, flayed, javelin-impaled, cable-delineated-pendentive-funnel-suspended, squid-like, priapic / labio-vulval, Janusian meta-portrait lozenges of the artist, screaming, and Matthew Barney, in two guises: determined combatant and recently-deceased, resigned stoic. (…)”, 2000-2007. The title continues then to describe the Baja California Mexican onyx marble the piece is carved in and indicates several other material and imaginary connotations of the work.
This sculpture it seems like contains the characteristics of both the Biennale and Artempo shows. It is attempting to bypass the shackles of current discourse. It is both mystical and grotesque, both transcendent and upsettingly earthy. I read it as having been made in a state of lucid, calculated obsession the resulting image of which triggers in the spectator a sense of unease while also giving reassurance because of its completeness. Two pieces of onyx are suspended from the ceiling in a way that pierces the void over which they float. Gilded stainless steel javelin-like tubular shapes that are spiked at either end traverse both vertically. 30 tiny micro holes have been drilled on all sides in the upper part of each javelin. In them are inserted very thin cables that radiate towards eyelets fixed to the ceiling from which the heavy sculptures thus hang. The marble is carved in great detail. Both parts consist of two back to back portraits linked as one head. One can see on their surface the horizontal lines of the computer-guided point that carved them before the sculptor started retouching and refining by hand. Barney’s faces face one another while Ball’s faces look outwards. Barney’s face is serious, eyes open as if looking into space, Ball’s eyes squint because he is screaming. Underneath, the necks morph into hanging folding cloths. The heads end at the top with a kind of exploded opening from which the upper part of the javelin comes out. Intricate reliefs carved in curlicues with crosses and heraldic imagery reminiscent, as the artist says, of decorations on Renaissance armor decorates the surfaces of the heads and necks. The inside of Ball’s open mouth is smooth and shiny.
It took Ball seven years to finish this piece. With other artists, often refinement becomes boring, and excessive symbolism and cultural references become pedantic, but the labor-intensive attention Ball pours into his art conveys to me a sense of disquiet, a bridge between death and life. I read here a desperate tenderness for the human condition exalted to the millionth degree, a daring frozen outlook spanning primitive rituals and cartoonish sci-fi banality.
DAGFINN WERENSKIOLD 1892–1977
NORWEGIAN NATURE
This relief once adorned the North Cape Bar in Norwegian America Line’s ship Sagafjord.
Norwegian Maritime Museum
Bygdøy, Norway
The MS Sagafjord was a luxury ocean liner and cruise ship launched in 1965 for the Norwegian America Line. Built in France, she was designed as a high-end passenger vessel to operate transatlantic and cruise routes at a time when ocean liners were transitioning into the modern cruise industry. Her maiden voyage from Oslo to New York took place in October 1965, marking the start of a distinguished service career.
Sagafjord quickly earned a reputation for elegance and superior service. She was known for her refined interior design and Norwegian cultural motifs, including bespoke artworks such as the wooden bas relief Norsk Natur by Dagfin Werenskiold, which originally adorned the ship’s North Cape Bar. The vessel was awarded a “Five Stars Plus” rating in the Berlitz Cruise Guide, placing her among the world’s most luxurious cruise ships of her era.
Over the decades, Sagafjord changed ownership and names several times. In 1983, she entered service under Cunard Line while keeping her original name. Later, she was renamed Gripsholm under charter, and eventually became Saga Rose when acquired by Saga Cruises. She remained in active service until her retirement in 2009. Despite her prestige, she was ultimately scrapped in 2010, marking the end of an illustrious career that spanned over four decades.
Today, decorative elements from the Sagafjord—like Werenskiold’s relief—serve as rare physical reminders of a ship that once epitomized Norwegian maritime refinement and mid-century transatlantic travel.
Dagfin Werenskiold (1892–1977) was a Norwegian artist known for his versatility in media and deep connection to Norwegian nature and folklore. Born in Bærum, he was the son of the prominent painter and illustrator Erik Werenskiold, who provided Dagfin with his first drawing lessons from an early age. This strong artistic foundation shaped his development as a multi-talented artist working across painting, sculpture, graphic arts, and relief carving.
Werenskiold pursued further artistic training in France, with significant periods of study in Paris and Provence between 1911 and 1923. In 1918, he married Elisabeth Mathilde Schram, a granddaughter of the notable book collector Thorvald Boeck. His works are deeply rooted in the Norwegian landscape and mythological tradition, often expressing a lyrical, decorative quality that balanced narrative content with formal beauty.
One of his most recognized contributions to public art is the set of bronze doors he created for Oslo Cathedral in 1937, which depict scenes from the Sermon on the Mount. He also created numerous church altarpieces and public reliefs, including the monumental Yggdrasil frieze in Oslo City Hall and decorations for various buildings in both Norway and the United States—most notably at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. As an illustrator, Werenskiold contributed to editions of Norwegian fairy tales and to Nordahl Rolfsen’s educational readers.
Dagfin Werenskiold’s career reflects a deep love for Norway’s cultural heritage, a mastery of materials, and a distinctive ability to fuse decorative artistry with narrative power. He passed away in his hometown of Bærum in 1977.
Refinement Vanessa Perrin Restyled/Customized Eyes/Eyelashes/Lip Gloss
Outfit: CULTE DE PARIS Cinematic Exclusive, LE8.
[ 923 First Holga rolls outtake -- mess, scan 0017 ]
I'm continuing to (finally) scan the remaining prints from my first Holga rolls.
There's me again! Wow. ;) Ok.
Now, I realize that these all seem like outtakes, but this one really needed some serious salvage work. And why not? Maybe such challenges will force me to someday actually learn how to properly use PhotoShop!
As mentioned, I just really played, trying to see for myself what I can and cannot do w/ this wondrous little camera -- testing it through a range of conditions, knowing much of it would not work out. So, I look forward to refinements & being able to post some better shots.
Thank you for taking a look! ^_^
Interesting Shore.
المبالغات البلوز جميلة مشاعر هستيرية الأشجار متعرج تعالى عالية,
צביעה אמנותית משפיעי צללים לוהטים זורחת פניני מים עצומים,
מאָדערן בלענדיק כוואליעס טשיקאַווע דעטאַילס שטאַרק עקסאַקיושאַנז מעטאַלליק טאָנעס גרויס,
прямолинейное грубости неуклюжим техника излучающие нервы фантастические легкие заветные трюки,
thar cionn soiléireacht absurd refinement lonrúil glowing óir ar resplendence ealaín ghrian lúcháireach blinding,
Impérieux utopies monomaniac ciel incassable peintre gestes symphonies expressif résumé extérieur,
Magische Intensitäten sublime betrunken neurotischen bürgerlichen Augen tiefes Schillernd leuchtet schmerzhaft,
υπερβολές ιδιοφυΐα τραγελαφικό λάβα θαυμάσια μαγικά μεταφραστεί απαραίτητο συμβολισμό,
opředeného disky hořící prach naivní možnosti nadměrná svědomitost svědomitý opar,
大爆発エメラルド豊かな夢無制限の芸術家永遠のビジョンの著しい結論.
Steve.D.Hammond.
Well last night was a real pleasure to get back in to the groove and lightpainting again with Tim G in our favourite go to location at the Lime Kiln in the Peak District. This was also the first time out in the wild for a new lightpainting tool, "The Quadrablaster"
This is a camera rotated image using the Quadrablaster. To make the shot, first I lined up Tim in the centre of the frame and fired a test shot. I then started the shot with the aim of shooting all the elements in one photographic exposure. First is the centre part as above and then I replaced the lens cap without ending the exposure. I panned the camera across 45 degrees to the right and rotated the camera minus 45 degrees on it's lens axis. I removed the lens cap and fired the flash again and replaced the lens cap. I repeated this a total of four times through 360 degrees. All in one exposure, job done!
I think maybe the new tool needs a little refinement with some pre-cut gels instead of me having to spend ages trying to tape gels over the flash!
Arkona Hadrianella and Niniel gowns are two dresses that take us to the world of dreams with a feeling of elegance and refinement.
When we wear them we have positive feelings and we are ready to face what life brings us.
The pastel colors and the animation that covers them give them an unusual and original touch
The name "Piper Cub" is nearly synonymous with lightplane. It was designed as a small, simple, tandem two-seat airplane for flight training. The J-3 model first flew in 1937, but its lineage stretches back to the 1930 Taylor E-2 Cub. After William Piper bought out C. G. Taylor's share of the company, Cub development accelerated. Young chief engineer Walter Jamouneau was charged with updating the E-2, and the J-2 model was born. With rounded wings, revised engine cowling, and wider stance, the J-2 established the classic Cub lines.
In 1937, the newly renamed Piper Aircraft Corporation introduced the improved J-3 Cub Sport model. The J-3 introduced many detail refinements over the J-2, and with its factory yellow finish and fuselage lightning streak, it became the iconic Cub model. It was popular in the pre-war years, but World War II thrust the little plane into a new role. The Army purchased 5,677 J-3 Cubs, called L-4s, for observation and liaison. Cubs, along with similar aircraft produced by Aeronca and Taylorcraft, enabled commanders to move quickly among their troops, spot from the air, and help direct artillery fire. After the war, many Cubs returned to civilian life, where they helped to popularize aviation in the post-war period. Although production of the over 14,000 civil J-3 Cubs ended in 1947, its descendants, most notably the Piper PA-18 Super Cub, were manufactured into the 1990s.
The Museum's Piper Cub is a J3C65 model, manufactured in 1946, and powered by a Continental A-65 engine. It had private owners in Maryland and Tennessee and was later owned and operated by the Dover Air Force Base Aero Club in Delaware and the Travis Air Force Base Aero Club in California. The Museum acquired the aircraft from AiRestore of Battle Ground Washington in 1997.
Red Fort Delhi India
The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546, with which it forms the Red Fort Complex. The private apartments consist of a row of pavilions connected by a continuous water channel, known as the Nahr-i-Behisht (Stream of Paradise). The Red Fort is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which, under the Shah Jahan, was brought to a new level of refinement. The planning of the palace is based on Islamic prototypes, but each pavilion reveals architectural elements typical of Mughal building, reflecting a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions The Red Fort’s innovative planning and architectural style, including the garden design, strongly influenced later buildings and gardens in Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and further afield.
Early morning fog on a field close to my home and finally some time to dance on my own. Enjoying nature and the pure, cold morning air. Listening to the ravens flying over my head and feeling the cold and the beads of the dewy grass on my skin.
I adore these moments when everything is just right. Your thoughts stop running and it becomes clear that these are the moments we are living for. Perfectly peaceful and a bit eternal. These moments we will collect and remember. Smiling every time we reminisce.
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Since Integrity doesn't seem interested in releasing dolls of color, I'm just buying back dolls from last year that I was on the fence about...
Vintage jumpsuit? FR bracelet
c. 900-1300 A.D.
One needs to imagine the Native American civilization (not tribe, not nation) that once stood here. The problem is that most do not have a reference point to fill in the rectangular and circular houses and public buildings that once dotted this ancient township.
It should be pointed out that the network of riverways and trails that connected these densely populated permanent communities and cities of the Mississippian Culture was amazing. Transportation was highly efficient, where something could be delivered from Florida to Wisconsin within a few days.* (That's roughly the distance from Paris to Moscow.) The town of Atzalan (a name those of European ancestry gave the ruins) was here, 172 acres (all of the mowed grass area) with pyramids, ramps, earthworks, mounds, artwork, artifacts, riverways, roadways, pottery, precincts, cemeteries, houses, stockades, public buildings, flat plaza, temple, and sports circuit. Some write that Aztalan was a miniature version of the city of Cahokia, which was near nowadays St. Louis and had a resident population larger than London. That made Cahokia extremely influential in the Mississippian Culture. OR, it could be said that Cahokia (c. 1050-1300 A.D.) was a larger version of Atzalan. After all, Atzalan predates Cahokia and is the oldest of the Mississippian Culture settlements. It looks like the geniuses who created the quantum jump in city living from the cruder late Woodland Culture to the organized refinements of the Mississippian Culture lie here in Atzalan, Wisconsin.
*Note: This is known from Conquistador Hernando de Soto's record of his travels and conquests through the Mississippian Culture communities in the south.
Based on a recent visit to the White Mountains, and results of further refinements in my night photography.
Hortos Isola dei Nuraghi IGT
Cantina Sociale di Dorgali (Sardinia, Italy)
Italian red wine (Dorgali, Sardinia)
Winemaking Process: With maceration for 15 days in truncated cone shape wooden fermenters at a controlled temperature of maximum 28 degrees c.
Refinement: French medium toasting barriques for 14 months.
Colour: Intense ruby red, with a violet nuance; very clear.
Bouquet: Intense; fresh and fragrant; you may feel pleasant notes of ripe red fruit, of jam and spices;
Taste: Dry, full body; you may feel a well balanced tannicity in perfect harmony with the fresh acidity; a taste of fruity and jam notes, with light vegetable nuances; the finish is persistent and clean.
Matching Guidelines and Serving Suggestion: Many dishes of regional cuisine; savoury first courses, grilled meat and roast, seasoned cheeses. Open the bottle at least 30 minutes before serving at 16 -18 degrees C.
MORE INFORMATIONS:
bellevy.com/buy-online-italian-wine/wine/red/red-wine-hor...
THIS PHOTO WAS THAKEN AT THE
CANTINA SOCIALE DI DORGALI - SARDINIA - ITALY
Awarded with the Gold Medal
at the Concours Mondial De Bruxelles -
A United Nations of Finest Wines - 2015
**************************************************
Please don't use any of my images on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
© All rights reserved
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A simple face shot from yesterday.
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The Royal Palace of Venaria, located just outside Turin, was built in 1675 by Duke Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy as a grand hunting lodge and summer residence. A masterpiece of Baroque architecture, it was designed to showcase the power and refinement of the House of Savoy, with vast gardens, opulent halls, and an expansive park. Abandoned and later restored in the 21st century, La Venaria Reale is now one of Italy’s most spectacular cultural landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage site, symbolizing both the splendor and resilience of Savoyard heritage.
Here is a portrait of the exquisite custom 7-string guitar, handmade by legendary Sonoma county luthier Taku Sakashta, completed in 2009. Sadly, this gifted artist was murdered in 2010 while working late in his shop.
The intense thought and musical craft that Taku applied to his work elevated his instruments to a completely different level.
This is my personal custom guitar that took Taku 2-1/2 years to complete. When the guitar was finished, Taku said he would need to hear the guitar in my practice room through my own amp rig so he could complete the set up. He and his charming wife showed up at my house, Taku holding his bag of tools. He immediately went to work making tweaks here and there while I played the guitar. Together, we dialed in just the right voice through the amp and it sounded amazing. I felt like I had purchased a high-end custom suit and the master tailor was making his final critical adjustments.
On that evening I could also see the spark in Taku's eye as he watched his creation come alive in the hands of its new owner. It had taken years of planning, building, and refinement in his hands for countless hours; now he would be leaving it behind at a new home, and I could sense his love and attachment for the instrument.
Shortly after, I was crushed to hear the news of Taku's death at the hands of a violent offender. I will skip over those details but you can search them online to learn more.
The guitar is a tangible record of Taku's contribution, however brief, to the world of music. Every time I hold the instrument, I replay in my mind some very fond memories of a friend and artist who touched my soul.
Rest in peace, Taku Sakashta (1966-2010)
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Lens is the A120mm f/4 macro on the 645Z. Overhead lighting is a Priolite MBX500HS strobe through a ParaPop 38" octabox. Focus stacking applied.
Lamborghini Squadra Corse presents the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2, the new version of the racing car that will be the sole protagonist of the three continental series of the Lamborghini championship starting in 2022. Radical aerodynamic refinements and the uncompromising design created by Lamborghini Centro Stile make the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 the most high-performance version ever designed to race in the one-make series.
This is the finish product. Paper used is Agfa MCP 310 RC.
"I love tulips better than any other spring flower; they are the embodiment of alert cheerfulness and tidy grace, and next to a hyacinth look like a wholesome, freshly tubbed young girl beside a stout lady whose every movement weighs down the air with patchouli. Their faint, delicate scent is refinement itself; and is there anything in the world more charming than the sprightly way they hold up their little faces to the sun. I have heard them called bold and flaunting, but to me they seem modest grace itself, only always on the alert to enjoy life as much as they can and not be afraid of looking the sun or anything else above them in the face." - Elizabeth von Arnim, Elizabeth and Her German Garden
"Tuckingmill Valley has been transformed from the most visible derelict land site in West Cornwall into an award winning park. The site is situated in the heart of Camborne and Redruth and has become a symbol of regeneration for the area." (Cornwall Council)
This valley was filled with stream works (ore refinement facilities) from several local mines, so the land here was heavily contaminated. So much so that the stream is known as the 'Red River'. The transformation made due to the regeneration project is simply amazing, and worth every penny (part of which came from the EU, which some people seem to forget). While most of the industrial ruins have been removed, one or two remain, including this arsenic calciner and chimney by the stream.
More to follow. Registration Serviceable Bipedal Vehicle 991754A. No classification yet.
Happy with the decals, but my technique needs some refinement. I really should buy that ND filter...
The Royal Palace of Venaria, located just outside Turin, was built in 1675 by Duke Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy as a grand hunting lodge and summer residence. A masterpiece of Baroque architecture, it was designed to showcase the power and refinement of the House of Savoy, with vast gardens, opulent halls, and an expansive park. Abandoned and later restored in the 21st century, La Venaria Reale is now one of Italy’s most spectacular cultural landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage site, symbolizing both the splendor and resilience of Savoyard heritage.
I made this ruffled tulle skirt a while ago but I decided it needed some refinement so I added the beads around the basque and a front lacing closure. Curiously the last time this was worn it was also modelled by an Agnes. Devotion Agnes' dress makes a good base layer for different looks and the subtle shimmer is very nice.
The portrait in the background, which I use in a lot of my dioramas, is the portait of Lucrezia Panciatichi by Bronzino. It is actually a postcard I must have bought about 20 years ago in the Uffizi gallery in Florence.