View allAll Photos Tagged transform
A discarded cup on the beach caught my eye during sunrise. The sun had cast a shadow that had turned the short fat cup into a tall mug or even a blender :-)
As in the world of fashion modelling, how you use lighting can totally distort what the eye can see.
OK, maybe an over active imagination on this shot, but it was taken after a night out on the town with a few vodkas ;-)
transform, 2001, 60"w x 40"h, mixed media painting on canvas
transform = transformation = transmute = transubstantiate = metamorphose = translate = convert = change = mutate = reform = modify = revolutionize = tweak
*Exhibited at Sandra Goldie Gallery, Montreal, Canada, group show. Nov15-26.05.
I had to go around the corner to take some photos of the neighbourhood, which was transformed overnight by a round of snow.
De dia es una gran madre, entregada a los suyos, su pasión es La poesia, pero cuando coge un papel y su pluma, se transforma en... La super miope!!!
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porfavor no uses mis fotos, si estas interesado en alguna ponte en contacto conmigo.
Please don't use my pics.If you are interested in this pic contact me.
email: rugercm@gmail.com
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Excerpt from irisvanherpen.com:
BIOPIRACY - In the recent past, patents on our genes have been purchased. Are we still the sole proprietor of our bodies? From this question arises a sense of arrested freedom in one's most intimate, solitary state. A mix of ready-to-wear and couture pieces is presented with artist Lawrence Malstaf -who specializes in the interaction between biology and physicality.
Models float in the air, embryonic, seemingly weightless and in a meditative suspended animation.
Metamorphosis is suggested through intricate enmeshing of materials. Imprisoned fire opal beads gleam through lacerated weaves, artificial fibers compose voluminous, architectural structures, the organic ripple of light on water.
A 3D printing collaboration with Julia Koerner fuses the artisanal with the technical to create a kinetic dress which dances as it amplifies bodily movement. Molded boots in collaboration with United Nude accelerate and reconfigure the silhouette.
Behold! The incredible transforming Batmobile, Batman's latest means of transportation and crime fighting! Inspired by the cartoon series Batman: The Brave and the Bold, this beast can turn into a giant Bat-mech! Check out the other pictures to see how! That way the Dark Knight can take on evil doers of any shapes and sizes!
Through one of the alternate plain glass windows in the Round Church (1185) - Temple Church, London. Built by the Knights Templar, the soldier monks who protected pilgrims to the Holy Land during the crusades.
The cold, grey and windy day outside was transformed by the random ripples in the old glass.
A little magic, creativity, smoke and mirrors, ....... and a space is transformed for a special night for a few privileged guests. After a 10 hour setup, the room was ready for the guests to flood the room and celebrate! At about 3AM, the rig was down, the decor loaded out, and the ballroom was clear and reset to normal. Just another Saturday in the event world.
Lighting by www.hylite.com
Decor by www.sutka.com
More about the event on the blog at www.mdsimages.blogspot.com
AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT CORVUS CORONE
LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY
By Paul Williams
Crows appear in the Bible where Noah uses one to search for dry land and to check on the recession of the flood. Crows supposedly saved the prophet, Elijah, from famine and are an Inuit deity. Legend has it that England and its monarchy will end when there are no more crows in the Tower of London. And some believe that the crows went to the Tower attracted by the regular corpses following executions with written accounts of their presence at the executions of Anne Boleyn and Jane Gray.
In Welsh mythology, unfortunately Crows are seen as symbolic of evilness and black magic thanks to many references to witches transforming into crows or ravens and escaping. Indian legend tells of Kakabhusandi, a crow who sits on the branches of a wish-fulfilling tree called Kalpataru and a crow in Ramayana where Lord Rama blessed the crow with the power to foresee future events and communicate with the souls.
In Native American first nation legend the crow is sometimes considered to be something of a trickster, though they are also viewed positively by some tribes as messengers between this world and the next where they carry messages from the living to those deceased, and even carry healing medicines between both worlds. There is a belief that crows can foresee the future. The Klamath tribe in Oregon believe that when we die, we fly up to heaven as a crow. The Crow can also signify wisdom to some tribes who believe crows had the power to talk and were therefore considered to be one of the wisest of birds. Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.
The crow features in the Nanissáanah (Ghost dance), popularized by Jerome Crow Dog, a Brulé Lakota sub-chief and warrior born at Horse Stealing Creek in Montana Territory in 1833, the crow symbolizing wisdom and the past, when the crow had became a guide and acted as a pathfinder during hunting. The Ghost dance movement was originally created in 1870 by Wodziwob, or Gray Hair, a prophet and medicine man of the Paiute tribe in an area that became known as Nevada. Ghost dancers wore crow and eagle feathers in their clothes and hair, and the fact that the Crow could talk placed it as one of the sages of the animal kingdom. The five day dances seeking trance,prophecy and exhortations would eventually play a major part in the pathway towards the white man's broken treaties, the infamous battle at Wounded knee and the surrender of Matȟó Wanáȟtaka (Kicking Bear), after officials began to fear the ghost dancers and rituals which seemed to occur prior to battle.
Historically the Vikings are the group who made so many references to the crow, and Ragnarr Loðbrók and his sons used this species in his banner as well as appearances in many flags and coats of arms. Also, it had some kind of association with Odin, one of their main deities. Norse legend tells us that Odin is accompanied by two crows. Hugin, who symbolizes thought, and Munin, who represents a memory. These two crows were sent out each dawn to fly the entire world, returning at breakfast where they informed the Lord of the Nordic gods of everything that went on in their kingdoms. Odin was also referred to as Rafnagud (raven-god). The raven appears in almost every skaldic poem describing warfare.Coins dating back to 940's minted by Olaf Cuaran depict the Viking war standard, the Raven and Viking war banners (Gonfalon) depicted the bird also.
In Scandinavian legends, crows are a representative of the Goddess of Death, known as Valkyrie (from old Norse 'Valkyrja'), one of the group of maidens who served the Norse deity Odin, visiting battlefields and sending him the souls of the slain worthy of a place in Valhalla. Odin ( also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan), preferred that heroes be killed in battle and that the most valiant of souls be taken to Valhöll, the hall of slain warriors. It is the crow that provides the Valkyries with important information on who should go. In Hindu ceremonies that are associated to ancestors, the crow has an important place in Vedic rituals. They are seen as messengers of death in Indian culture too.
In Germanic legend, Crows are seen as psychonomes, meaning the act of guiding spirits to their final destination, and that the feathers of a crow could cure a victim who had been cursed. And yet, a lone black crow could symbolize impending death, whilst a group symbolizes a lucky omen! Vikings also saw good omens in the crow and would leave offerings of meat as a token.
The crow also has sacred and prophetic meaning within the Celtic civilization, where it stood for flesh ripped off due to combat and Morrighan, the warrior goddess, often appears in Celtic mythology as a raven or crow, or else is found to be in the company of the birds. Crow is sacred to Lugdnum, the Celtic god of creation who gave his name to the city of Lug
In Greek mythology according to Appolodorus, Apollo is supposedly responsible for the black feathers of the crow, turning them forever black from their pristine white original plumage as a punishment after they brought news that Κορωνις (Coronis) a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis, Apollo's pregnant lover had left him to marry a mortal, Ischys. In one legend, Apollo burned the crows feathers and then burned Coronis to death, in another Coronis herself was turned into a black crow, and another that she was slain by the arrows of Αρτεμις (Artemis - twin to Apollo). Koronis was later set amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus ("the Crow"). Her name means "Curved One" from the Greek word korônis or "Crow" from the word korônê.A similar Muslim legend allegedly tells of Muhammad, founder of Islam and the last prophet sent by God to Earth, who's secret location was given away by a white crow to his seekers, as he hid in caves. The crow shouted 'Ghar Ghar' (Cave, cave) and thus as punishment, Muhammad turned the crow black and cursed it for eternity to utter only one phrase, 'Ghar, ghar). Native Indian legend where the once rainbow coloured crows became forever black after shedding their colourful plumage over the other animals of the world.
In China the Crow is represented in art as a three legged bird on a solar disk, being a creature that helps the sun in its journey. In Japan there are myths of Crow Tengu who were priests who became vain, and turned into this spirit to serve as messengers until they learn the lesson of humility as well as a great Crow who takes part in Shinto creation stories.
In animal spirit guides there are general perceptions of what sightings of numbers of crows actually mean:
1 Crow Meaning: To carry a message from your near one who died recently.
2 Crows Meaning: Two crows sitting near your home signifies some good news is on your way.
3 Crows Meaning: An upcoming wedding in your family.
4 Crows Meaning: Symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
5 Crows Meaning: Diseases or pain.
6 Crows Meaning: A theft in your house!
7 Crows Meaning: Denotes travel or moving from your house.
8 Crows Meaning: Sorrowful events
Crows are generally seen as the symbolism when alive for doom bringing, misfortune and bad omens, and yet a dead crow symbolises potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it. This wonderful bird certainly gets a mixed bag of contradictory mythology and legend over the centuries and in modern days is often seen as a bit of a nuisance, attacking and killing the babies of other birds such as Starlings, Pigeons and House Sparrows as well as plucking the eyes out of lambs in the field, being loud and noisy and violently attacking poor victims in a 'crow court'....
There is even a classic horror film called 'THE CROW' released in 1994 by Miramax Films, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee in his final film appearance as Eric Draven, who is revived by a Crow tapping on his gravestone a year after he and his fiancée are murdered in Detroit by a street gang. The crow becomes his guide as he sets out to avenge the murders. The only son of martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Brandon lee suffered fatal injuries on the set of the film when the crew failed to remove the primer from a cartridge that hit Lee in the abdomen with the same force as a normal bullet. Lee died that day, March 31st 1993 aged 28.
The symbolism of the Crow resurrecting the dead star and accompanying him on his quest for revenge was powerful, and in some part based on the history of the carrion crow itself and the original film grossed more than $94 Million dollars with three subsequent sequels following.
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK
So let's move away from legend, mythology and stories passed down from our parents and grandparents and look at these amazing birds in isolation.
Carrion crow are passerines in the family Corvidae a group of Oscine passerine birds including Crows, Ravens, Rooks, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Treepies, Choughs and Nutcrackers. Technically they are classed as Corvids, and the largest of passerine birds. Carrion crows are medium to large in size with rictal bristles and a single moult per year (most passerines moult twice). Carrion crow was one of the many species originally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (Carl Von Linne after his ennoblement) in his 1758 and 1759 editions of 'SYSTEMA NATURAE', and it still bears its original name of Corvus corone, derived from the Latin of Corvus, meaning Raven and the Greek κορώνη (korōnē), meaning crow.
Carrion crow are of the Animalia kingdom Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: Corvus and Species: Corvus corone
Corvus corone can reach 45-47cm in length with a 93-104cm wingspan and weigh between 370-650g. They are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom with a Green UK conservation status which means they are of least concern with more than 1,000,000 territories. Breeding occurs in April with fledging of the chicks taking around twenty nine days following an incubation period of around twenty days with 3 to 4 eggs being the average norm. They are abundant in the UK apart from Northwest Scotland and Ireland where the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) was considered the same species until 2002. They have a lifespan of around four years, whilst Crow species can live to the age of Twenty years old, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost Thirty years old. The oldest documented captive crow died at age Fifty nine. They are smaller and have a shorter lifespan than the Raven, which again is used as a symbol in history to live life to the full and not waste a moment!
They are often mistaken for the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), a similar bird, though in the UK, the Rook is actually technically smaller than the Carrion crow averaging 44-46cm in length, 81-99cm wingspan and weighing up to 340g. Rooks have white beaks compared to the black beaks of Carrion crow, a more steeply raked ratio from head to beak, and longer straighter beaks as well as a different plumage pattern. There are documented cases in the UK of singular and grouped Rooks attacking and killing Carrion crows in their territory. Rooks nest in colonies unlike Carrion crows. Carrion crows have only a few natural enemies including powerful raptors such as the northern goshawk, the peregrine falcon, the Eurasian eagle-owl and the golden eagle which will all readily hunt them.
Regarded as one of the most intelligent birds, indeed creatures on the planet, studies suggest that Corvids cognitive abilities can rival that of primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas and even provide clues to understanding human intelligence. Crows have relatively large brains for their body size, compared to other animals. Their encephalization quotient (EQ) a ratio of brain to body size, adjusted for size because there isn’t a linear relationship is 4.1. That is remarkably close to chimps at 4.2 whilst humans are 8.1. Corvids also have a very high neuronal density, the number of neurons per gram of brain, factoring in the number of cortical neurons, neuron packing density, interneuronal distance and axonal conduction velocity shows that Corvids score high on this measure as well, with humans scoring the highest.
A corvid's pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape's. Corvids have demonstrated the ability to use a combination of mental tools such as imagination, and anticipation of future events. They can craft tools from twigs and branches to hook grubs from deep recesses, they can solve puzzles and intricate methods of gaining access to food set by humans., and have even bent pieces of wire into hooks to obtain food. They have been proven to have a higher cognitive ability level than seven year old humans.
Communications wise, their repertoire of wraw-wraw's is not fully understood, but the intensity, rhythm, and duration of caws seems to form the basis of a possible language. They also remember the faces of humans who have hindered or hurt them and pass that information on to their offspring.
Aesop's fable of 'The Crow and the Pitcher, tells of a thirsty crow which drops stones into a water pitcher to raise the water level and enable it to take a drink. Scientists have conducted tests to see whether crows really are this intelligent. They placed floating treats in a deep tube and observed the crows indeed dropping dense objects carefully selected into the water until the treat floated within reach. They had the intelligence to pick up, weigh and discount objects that would float in the water, they also did not select ones that were too large for the container.
Pet crows develop a unique call for their owners, in effect actually naming them. They also know to sunbathe for a dose of vitamin D, regularly settling on wooden garden fences, opening their mouths and wings and raising their heads to the sun. In groups they warn of danger and communicate vocally. They store a cache of food for later if in abundance and are clever enough to move it if they feel it has been discovered. They leave markers for their cache. They have even learned to place walnuts and similar hard food items under car tyres at traffic lights as a means of cracking them!
Crows regularly gather around a dead fellow corvid, almost like a funeral, and it is thought they somehow learn from each death. They can even remember human faces for decades.Crows group together to attack larger predators and even steal their food, and they have different dialects in different areas, with the ability to mimic the dialect of the alpha males when they enter their territory!
They have a twenty year life span, the oldest on record reaching the age of Fifty nine. Crows can leave gifts for those who feed them such as buttons or bright shiny objects as a thank you, and they even kiss and make up after an argument, having mated for life.
In mythology they are associated with good and bad luck, being the bringers of omens and even witchcraft and are generally reviled for their attacks on baby birds and small mammals. They have an attack method of to stunning smaller birds before consuming them, tearing violently at smaller, less aggressive birds, which is simply down to the fact that they are so highly intelligent, and also the top of the food chain. Their diet includes over a thousand different items: Dead animals (as their name suggests), invertebrates, grain, as well as stealing eggs and chicks from other birds' nests, worms, insects, fruit, seeds, kitchen scraps. They are highly adaptable when food sources grow scarce. I absolutely love them, they are magnificent, bold, beautiful and incredibly interesting to watch and though at times it is hard to witness attacks made by them, I cannot help but adore them for so many other and more important reasons.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE PAIR IN MY GARDEN
Crows have been in the area for a while, but rarely had strayed into my garden, leaving the Magpies to own the territory. Things changed towards the end of May when a beautiful female Carrion crow appeared and began to take some of the food that I put down for the other birds. Within a few days she began to appear regularly, on occasions stocking up on food, whilst other times placing pieces in the birdbath to soften them. She would stand on the birdbath and eat and drink and come back over the course of the day to eat the softened food.
Shortly afterwards she brought along her mate, a tall and handsome fella, much larger than her who was also very vocal if he felt she was getting a little too close to me. By now I had moved from a seated position from the patio as an observer, to laying on a mat just five feet from the birdbath with my Nikon so that I could photograph the pair as they landed, scavenged and fed. She was now confident enough to let me be very close, and she even tolerated and recognized the clicking of the camera. At first I used silent mode to reduce the noise but this only allowed two shooting frame rates of single frame or continuous low frame which meant I was missing shots. I reverted back to normal continuous high frames and she soon got used to the whirring of the mechanisms as the mirror slapped back and forth.
The big fella would bark orders at her from the safety of the fence or the rear of the garden, whilst she rarely made a sound. That was until one day when in the sweltering heat she kept opening her beak and sunning on the grass, panting slightly in the heat. I placed the circular water sprayer nearby and had it rotating so that the birdbath and grass was bathed in gentle water droplets and she soon came back, landed and seemed to really like the cooling effect on offer. She then climbed onto the birdbath and opened her wings slightly and made some gentle purring, cooing noises....
I swear she was expressing happiness, joy....
On another blisteringly hot day when the sprayer was on, she came down, walked towards it and opened her wings up running into the water spray. Not once, but many times.
A further revelation into the unseen sides to these beautiful birds came with the male and female on the rear garden fence. They sat together, locked beaks like a kiss and then the male took his time gently preening her head feathers and the back of her neck as she made tiny happy sounds. They stayed together like that for several minutes, showing a gentle, softer side to their nature and demonstrating the deep bond between them. Into July and the pair started to bring their three youngsters to my garden, the nippers learning to use the birdbath for bathing and dipping food, the parents attentive as ever. Two of the youngsters headed off once large enough and strong enough.
I was privileged to be in close attendance as the last juvenile was brought down by the pair, taught to take food and then on a night in July, to soar and fly with it's mother in the evening sky as the light faded. She would swoop and twirl, and at regular intervals just touch the juvenile in flight with her wing tip feathers, as if to reassure it that she was close in attendance. What an amazing experience to view. A few days later, the juvenile, though now gaining independence and more than capable of tackling food scraps in the garden, was still on occasions demand feeding from it's mother who was now teaching him to take chicken breast, hotdogs or digestive biscuits and bury them in the garden beds for later delectation. The juvenile also liked to gather up peanuts and bury them in the grass. On one occasion I witnessed a pair of rambunctious Pica Pica (Magpies), chasing the young crow on rooftops, leaping at him no matter how hard he tried to get away. He defended himself well and survived the attacks, much to my relief.
Into August and the last youngster remained with the adults, though now was very independent even though he still spent time with his parents on rooftops, and shared food gathering duties with his mum.Hotdog sausages were their favourite choice, followed by fish fingers and digestive biscuits which the adult male would gather up three at a time. In October, the three Crows were still kings of the area, but my time observing them was pretty much over as I will only put food out now for the birds in the winter months.
Corvus Corone.... magnificently misunderstood by some!
Paul Williams June 4th 2021
©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®
No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 40.670+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.
***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on June 29th 2021
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1324877170 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**
This photograph became my 5,356th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Sixty two metres at 11:02am on a beautiful summer morning on Tuesday 8th June 2021, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Here we see a large adult Carrion crow (Corvus corone), a passerine bird of the family Corvidae and the genus Raven (Higher classification: Corvus), which is native to western Europe and eastern Asia. It can grow to twenty inches in length with a wingspan of up to thirty nine inches. This one keeps the magpie's and Jackdaw's in their place, as top of the food chain, afraid of nothing.They can reach a length of 47cm with a 104cm wingspan and a weight of up to 650g, and in the UK they are in the Green conservation list status with over one million breeding territories.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 460mm Shutter speed: 1/640s Aperture f/8.0 iso200 Hand held with Tamron VC Vibration control set to ON in position 1 14 Bit uncompressed RAW NEF file size L (8256 x 5504 pixels) FX (36 x 24) Focus mode: AF-C AF-Area mode: 3D-tracking AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (4470k) Colour space: RGB Picture control: Neutral (Sharpening +2)
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HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
The Landmark Hotel in Homestead, Florida, is a historic building that originally served as a movie theater in Miami before being transported to its current location via railroad.
Added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2008, it is a significant part of Homestead's civic history.
Origins and Relocation
1912–1913: The building was originally constructed in Miami as the Airdome Theatre, an open-air movie house.
1914: It was converted into an enclosed two-story structure and renamed the Colonial Theater.
1916: The theater was disassembled and moved by railroad to Homestead to provide the local community with a place for entertainment.
Transformation into a Hotel
1919–1936: James W. English purchased the building and renamed it the Seminole Theatre. To address local housing shortages, the second floor was converted into bedrooms.
1936: A major renovation fully transformed the remaining theater space into a 26-room hotel and restaurant.
1965: New owners acquired the property and officially changed its name to the Landmark Hotel.
Architecture and Preservation
The building is a prime example of early wood frame vernacular architecture. It is located at 55 S. Flagler Avenue in Downtown Homestead and remains a preserved landmark that can be viewed from the outside. It is often confused with the Hotel Redland, which is Homestead's oldest building and located nearby.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.google.com/search?q=history+of+the+landmark+hotel+hom...
apps.miamidadepa.gov/PropertySearch/#/?address=240%20KROM...
www.hmdb.org/PhotoFullSize.asp?PhotoID=271857
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
A sequence of images showing my transformation into Darla Chandler, a 1960s British pop singer/secret agent from my "Absolutely Smashing" franchise.
Plaisirs d'hiver - Marche de noel 2016 - Bright Brussels Winter
From 2 December 2016 to 5 February 2017, as the daylight recedes and gives way to the long and seemingly never-ending nights of the winter season, Brussels will light up, thanks to the Bright Brussels Winter project! An initiative of the Brussels-Capital region, you can follow a majestic circuit of light all around the inner ring, which will shine and sparkle with ten or so artistic light displays. Shimmering and impressive, these creations, accessible to all, light up several key areas of the city: the Place Stephanie, the Place Poelaert, the Square du Bastion, the Place du Luxembourg, the Botanical Garden, the Place Rogier, the Place Sainctelette, the Porte de Flandre, and the Stock Exchange (La Bourse). Private initiatives such as the Belfius tower, the P-V tower, and the ING Marnix will also be showing holiday spirit, adding to the spectacle. If you take a stroll along certain roads and in certain outer neighbourhoods such as the Avenue Louise, the Chaussee de Charleroi, the Avenue de la Toison d'or, and the Boulevard de Waterloo (Rue du Grand Cerf, Rue Jourdan, Rue Dejonker, Goulet Louise, or the Chaussee de Gant), you can dive into a true Christmas atmosphere with magical decorations. On foot, by bicycle, or by car, at last you will have a good reason to get out and rediscover our beautiful capital, thanks to a host of artistic works created by international artists. From the giant mirror ball to new and original works and majestically decorated buildings, the whole heart of Brussels will be transformed.
( Plaisirs d'Hiver et marche de Noel 2016
Du 25 novembre 2016 au 1er janvier 2017 dans le centre de Bruxelles.
Les Plaisirs d'Hiver, le grand marche des fetes de fin d'annee, revient dans le centre de la Ville de Bruxelles. L'evenement s'organise sur la Grand-Place de Bruxelles et autour de la Bourse, sur la place de la Monnaie, sur la place Sainte-Catherine et sur la place du Marche aux Poissons (Vismet).
Les Plaisirs d'Hiver 2016 c'est aussi:
* un marche de Noel de plus de 200 chalets
* des animations de Noel (maneges, grande roue, ...)
* une patinoire de glace (couverte) sur la place de la Monnaie (jusqu'au dimanche 8 janvier)
* un gigantesque sapin de Noel et des animations lumineuses (sons et lumieres) sur la Grand-Place
* concert de Lost Frequencies (mercredi 30 novembre, Grand-Place)
* Impulsion: playground lumineux au pied de la Bourse
* des visites guidees
* Origami Lights: Odyssee lumineuse a travers le Japon - video mapping (Eglise Sainte-Catherine) )
Union Pacific dispatched a Customer Special through Salt Lake City, Utah on May 20, 2024. Symbol SESML 16 carried a large transformer, en route from East St. Louis, Illinois to Moss Landing, California. The train originated in Mcgehees, Alabama, handled by HLI Rail Rigging Logistics, and shipped by CSX to East St. Louis. The load is mounted to a 12-axle, low boy type flat car. The other seven random freight cars were included for buffering and braking.
August last year [2015] 22 artists transformed used the walls of Waterford city are their canvas. The Waterford Walls event had surpassed all expectations as locals and visitors flocked to the city to see the street artists in action. I am not sure if the hall was included in the programme but I am assuming that it was
This building is an attractive and substantial composition of graceful proportions that, despite currently being disused, remains in very good condition. The building retains its original form and character, together with important original salient features and materials that contribute to the character of the site. The building is a prominent feature of the streetscape, and forms an important corner site linking Stephen's Street with Alexander Street.
Anna Chromy (18 July 1940 – 18 September 2021) was a painter and sculptor of Czech-German descent. At the end of World War II, Chromy's family was expelled from Bohemia to Vienna, Austria. Her family did not have enough money for her to attend art school however, so only after she married and moved to Paris was it possible. She received her education at the École des Beaux-Arts. It was here she realised an interest in Salvador Dalí and other surrealists, and began using the soft colours of William Turner in her paintings.
A life-threatening accident in 1992 meant that Chromy was unable to paint for eight years. She turned her attention to sculpture using bronze and marble as her media.
Anna was born to a Czech mother and a German father on 18 July 1940, in Krumau, Czechoslovakia. Anna's childhood in Bohemia provided her with her first indulgence in art, and she was often fascinated with images of ancient palaces displaying sculptures, graphics and paintings. After World War II, at the age of five, Anna and her family were forced to leave Krumlov and move to Austria. While in Austria, the musical culture of Vienna and Salzburg made a lasting impression on Anna, and would eventually be the inspiration for many of her works of art. In 1970, Anna and her husband, Wolfgang, moved to Barbizon, France, which is southeast of Paris. Here, Anna was surrounded by artists who came from far and wide to paint the beautiful forests of Fontainebleau. While in Barbizon, Anna began to study at the Academy de la Grande Chaumire in Paris.
It was during her studies in Paris that Anna met her mentor, Salvador Dalí, who also became a personal friend. As his pupil, Dali inspired Anna's imagination and creativity with his personal style of art known as surrealism. Anna developed an appreciation of Dali's style, and her paintings drew from her admiration of Dali and other artists of surrealism such as Max Ernst, Rene Magritte. She did a charcoal of Dali and Gala titled "Homage Dali & Gala," and Dali's image appears in her 1981 oil painting, "The Boat of Cadaces."
Beginning in the 1980s, Anna's work began to be the image of many widely publicized events. In 1985, Anna created three sketches called the Faces of Peace for the United Nations Year of Peace in New York. Her painting, Man, Earth, Universe, which was Anna's interpretation of transcendence to a better world, became the official painting of the 1992 World's Fair, also known as EXPO 92, in Seville, Spain. In 1985, Chromy and her husband established a new home in Cap Martin, France, on the Côte d'Azur, where she and her husband enjoyed many years with their three dogs and several cats. In this villa, Anna had the room to display all her works of art, turning her home into her own exclusive museum. Anna found pleasure adding her own individuality to this villa. She painted a mural of angels on one of the ceilings and dancing figures across her wardrobe doors. She turned one of the rooms into a studio where she painted her "Last Supper." Today, Anna's sculpture, "Coat of Saint Martin", sits at the entrance of Cap Martin.
Anna died on 18 September 2021 at the age of 81.
Anna Chromy has studios in Pietrasanta, Tuscany where she also has her bronze foundries, Fonderia Artistica Mariani and Massimo Del Chiaro. For her marble sculptures she worked at the studio of Massimo Galleni in Pietrasanta. In Carrara, she sculpted at Studio Michelangelo of Franko.
While living in Cap Martin, Anna began sculpting marble at the studio of Massimo Galleni in Pietrasanta and Carrara, Italy, as well as at Studio Michelangelo of Franko Barattini. In 2002, Anna's sculpture, "The Heart of the World," was presented to Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. In 2008, Anna received the "Primo Michelangelo" which is the highest award for a sculptor in Italy. Never forgetting Austria's musical influence, Anna was the first sculptor to do the characters of Don Giovanni in life-size bronze. In 2000, Anna had her showing of her Don Giovanni and the Sound of Bronze Exhibition in Prague. This exhibition was an enormous success and brought her great exposure. Today, Anna's fountain of Czech musicians is located in Prague's Semovazni Square. Her sculpture, "The Cloak of Conscience," is located in the front entrance of the Stavovske Divadlo. In Prague, Anna has received several prestigious awards, including the Masaryk, Dali, and Kafka Awards. Anna's interest in Greek and Roman mythology influenced her to create sculptures such as "Europe" and "Olympic Spirit." All of Anna's sculptures of mythical figures were displayed on the front terrace of the National Archeological Museum in Athens, Greece.
In 2009, China invited Anna as the first foreign sculptor to join the Chinese Academy of Sculpture and her work is mainly perceived as a message of peace and harmony. Anna's sculpture, "Carmen," will be the showpiece of the new opera house in Guangzhou and her sculpture, "Sisyphus," has a place of honor in the Museum of Modern Art in Guangzhou. Also that year, Anna"s sculpture, Olivier d'Or, was presented by Albert II, Prince of Monaco, to the Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Elie Wiesel.
Anna has been sculpting for over twenty years and has created many astonishing sculptures that can be seen in several countries. One sculpture in particular, "The Cloak of Conscience", is by far Anna's most monumental sculpture; it is her legacy. In 2008, Anna presented a model of "The Cloak of Conscience" to Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican to mark the creation of the Conscience Institute, an organization devoted to the development of the arts. "The Cloak of Conscience," a statue of an empty, draping cloak, whose true essence is hidden, has become Anna's motivation and inspiration. Anna has been sculpting this invisible hero standing against corruption, this symbol for hope, love and peace, from a 200-ton block of marble derived from Cave Michelangelo in Carrara. An unwavering amount of strength, courage, and devotion to this profound sculpture has spanned over five years and is close to completion. Anna Chromy's other sculptures of the Cloak of Conscience can be seen at the National Archeological Museum in Athens, Foundation Ferrero, Foundation C'a la Ghironda, Bologna, Museo dei Bozzetti, Pietrasanta, Italy, in Austria at the Salzburg Cathedral, at Keitum Church, Sylt, Germany, and at the Grimaldi Palace, Principality of Monaco.
Chromy's best-known piece is the empty coat, known as The Cloak of Conscience, Piétà or Commendatore, located in Cathedral in Salzburg, Austria, Stavovske divadlo in Prague, National Archeological Museum in Athens and elsewhere. Chromy has since transformed The Cloak into a chapel over four metres high, carved out of a block of white marble weighing 250 tons in the Cave Michelangelo in Carrara.
Other important works include the Olympic Spirit, to be placed in front of the new library in Shanghai; and Europe, a contemporary reinterpretation of the old myth, to be placed at the European institutions. In 2009 her “Olivier d’Or” was presented by Albert II, Prince of Monaco to Nobel Peace Prize winner, Elie Wiesel. In 2008 she presented a model of The Cloak of Conscience to Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peters in Rome to mark the creation of the Conscience Institute.
In 2012 at the London Olympic Games, Chromy's Olympic Spirit was positioned in the Olympic Village, the home of the athletes for the duration of the games. It was provided as a gift from Lord Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympic Association, and a compliment to the sportsmen and women competing at the Games. Some of them posed next to it to have their photograph taken, including Matthew Mitcham who climbed to the top of it for his photo. Ulysses, another of the Olympic collection, was positioned in the harbour of Monaco in 2011, and Sisyphus has been positioned at the University of Pisa.
Chromy draws inspiration from music, opera in particular; classic dance; and the ancient myths. Her paintings contain references to the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism and other Central European artists. Her colours, sometimes used also on sculptures, have a subtle Turner-like touch. She is said to be a quintessential European.
Exhibitions
Don Giovanni and the Sound of Bronze (2000) in Prague (Czech Republic)
Il Canto di Orfeo (2004) Pietrasanta (Italy)
Europe (2005) Place Vendôme, Paris (France)
Mythos Revisited (2007), National Archeological Museum, Athens (Greece)
Dream of the East (2009), Beijing (China)
Myths of the Mediterranean (2011), St. Tropez (France)
Spiritus Mundi (2012), Foshan (China)
The Chromy awards were conceived by Anna Chromy following her study and practice of conscience art. The first award ceremony, in 2013, honoured those individuals who were nominated for their diligence and service to saving humankind or the Earth, or both, in the work they do. The first nominees included people like Bill Gates, Desmond Tutu, Aung San Suu Kyi and Gene Sharp. Following completion of The Cloak of Conscience, and on further reflection of her life's work, Chromy painted a series of oils on canvas in 2012 called Chromology. These were created to reflect the emotion, purpose and meaning of those who might win a Chromy award. These paintings were later added to, and the entire collection became Chromatology.
Anna Chromy has gathered interest in China since 1995 when she was honorary guest at the Guangzhou-art-fair. In the time since then her popularity has grown in the region. In December 2011, at her exhibition in Foshan, Qiao Hua, Director of the Grandfather Art Gallery, formalised her popularity when he said her works have won the favour of collectors in China. She has been invited to exhibit her entire collection for the first time at the National Museum of China, on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. In June 2012, during the placement of Chromy's Olympic Spirit in the National Academy of Sculpture in Beijing, Wu Weishan, Director of the Academy appointed Anna Chromy Honorary Fellow in the National Academy.
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