For My Family

Mathias and LJ in NYC

2012-01-26T07:34:00.000-08:00

I love Facebook ... if, for no better reason than I get to see great photos like those taken by Mathias and Laura-Jane! Yet, my Mom and Dad and others in my family aren't on Facebook. They do, however, read my blogs. So ... this post is for them! Photos from NYC! Enjoy!

Wanda's Christmas present

2012-01-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

While visiting Oil City's artist relocation program over Christmas in Pennsylvania, Steve and I met a very, very talented illustrator in the midst of his own solo show. He had the original works for a new book on display but he also had a table of past books ... including one that had all sorts of problems for its publisher. It seems that the American translator of this Spanish song sued. The legal battle that ensued meant the book could no longer go into future publications and all sales of existing books had to have money go to charity. Thus, the purchase price for this volume included a $20 donation to an animal rights organization. I know my sister Wanda would appreciate both the rarity of the book and the money for the pets. So, even though this book was the most expensive one in the place ... I HAD TO BUY IT ... for Wanda, for her Christmas present. Since I won't be seeing her until April when we travel to Munich for a visit .... Here's the book. Enjoy. I know the music will be stuck in your head for days! (Sonya has no memory of this song but Mom started singing it as soon as she saw the cover!) All images can be enlarged so that you can get all the words for your singing pleasure!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

Generally I take load of photographs ... bracketing the exposures, changing the light settings, and playing with other options when off the "point-and-shot" automatic setting. Somehow, I didn't manage to do any of this during the recent Christmas trip to Pennsylvania. I have no idea why ... but these are the only pictures I snapped. I apology to family members who are blurry and don't have a smile ... but these are the only ones I took! Why am I posting poor photos? Well ... these are the only ones I took ... so these are the only ones I can share with Wanda in Germany who couldn't be with us! Merry Christmas!
However ... I have more to share with Wanda because I also bought her Christmas present while in Oil City, Pennsylvania checking out the artist relocation program. That post is HERE!

Vipin and Sonya got a really cool, retro cell phone attachment for Dad ... one that might allow him to hear better while on his phone ... doubtful but worth a try.

Plus ... it is really, really cute!

Even our kitties got Christmas presents!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-27T18:36:00.000-08:00

(Above: My youngest sister Sonya putting the final touches on her exquisite Thanksgiving dinner table. Click on any image in this post to enlarge.)

This year my youngest sister Sonya and her husband Vipin hosted our family for Thanksgiving in Slippery Rock. Their house was once my parents' home ... the place in which I lived from 3rd grade until the end of high school. Lots of Thanksgiving dinners took place here ... but it was a totally new experience this year!

(Above: Vipin, Grandma Baker, and Sonya in the kitchen before dinner ... appetizers!)

Why? Well, Sonya and Vipin are incredible hosts, have impeccable tastes, and also introduced us to a new Thanksgiving tradition .... TURDUCKEN!

(Above: Mom and Steve getting ready for Turducken.)

What's a TURDUCKEN? It's a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with cornbread and a hen! It was delicious. I made a video of Vipin carving this exotic bird. It is HERE. Vipin also popped the cork for champagne.

We all had a blast ... especially since the evening included a slide presentation ... images from 1953 - 65 ... taken by Grandpa Baker in fabulous Ecktachrome color and all carefully labeled. It was a walk down memory lane and a most memorable Thanksgiving!

The photo above was taken with my camera resting on the table ... using the automatic timer.

I tried all sorts of "strange" things during the course of the afternoon ... including CRANBERRIES! They weren't horrible ... but they are still the one food item that I despise the most ... even if they are layered with truffles!

Unbelievably, they weren't too bad ... even though the thought of them sort of makes me dizzy!

Above is Mom and Grandma ... sampling shrimp before dinner!

(Above: Mom, Steve, me and Sonya.)

(Above: Grandma, Mom and Dad at Thanksgiving!)

A Review from England!

2011-10-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

Mathias and Laura-Jane were both mentioned in a review! Read it HERE!

Back from a trip to Pennsylvania and England!

2011-06-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

(Above: Mathias and Laura-Jane ready to dance in David Bintley's Carmina Burana, Birmingham Royal Ballet. Click on any photo to enlarge.)

It feels like I've been out-of-town for a long, long time. Yet, I actually wasn't even away for a full two weeks!

First, Steve and I went to Pennsylvania for Father's Day weekend ... and to celebrate my sister Wanda's 50th birthday. Wanda and her husband Reinhard were visiting from Munich. I took several photos of us relaxing at Lake Lenzelhof, my parents' "private" 10-acre lake ... but I'm saving those for another post. For Father's Day, my youngest sister Sonya arranged for a lovely brunch at the Foxburg Inn, a beautiful place along the banks of the Allegheny River.

It was quite a spectacular day.

The dinner was great. The gift shop was nice. The view was crystal clear.

We saw a water snake....

... a giant pincher bug ...

before going on a family SEGWAY tour with Segway of Western PA. Sonya arranged the package ... with a golf cart for Mom and Dad and segways for the rest of us.

Of course, Sonya was prepared too ... with the perfect shade of lipstick!

We drove to the stables on the Fox Mansion ...

...where we got to see the horses ...

... and the collection of antique carriages ...

... and sleighs ...

... and finally arrived in the section for our individual segway instructions! Steve was the first to be taught how to operate these two-wheeled vehicles that are programmed to respond to one's shifting weight.

Before long Wanda was ready to go from "snail" pace to the whopping 12 miles per hour maximum! (We were "upgraded" for speed on the final stretch of the road back to the stables! Boy was it FUN!)

Vipin and Sonya looked fine in their protective helmets.

Mom and Dad looked fine in their golf cart too!

The "Heritage Tour" took us past the Fox Mansion and all over its property ...

...including a guest house ...

... and an aviary where we saw strutting peacocks ...

... to a barn ...

...with all sorts of antique machines ...

... and a wine press. Foxburg does have its own winery too.

On the grounds were small buildings for alpaca and miniature donkeys.

Dad would have like to take this firewood shelter with its great chopper home!

The birdhouses were even fancy!

The outhouse was cute too!

At one point we got off the segways to enjoy this view to the Iron Bridge over the Allegheny River.

Our guide took our photo there. It was a great weekend.

From Pennsylvania, I flew on to Manchester, England on Monday. I spent most of Tuesday exploring the Weaste Cemetery and a church in the suburban town of Bury. I collected several epitaphs and made a few great grave rubbings on fabric. Then, I took a train into Birmingham.

It is wonderful to have a son and his girlfriend with their very own HOUSE ...

..and a car ... so I never had to drive on the wrong side of the road.

Ballet dancers stay very busy ... especially with laundry.

They've hung a few of their framed pictures ... including this hand colored wood block by my friend Jeff Donovan.

I insisted that they take my camera back stage for these photos. Above is one of the casts for Allergi Diversi. Naturally, the guys are still in their "warm-up" pants.

This is Mathias and Laura-Jane with their friend Oliver.

(Anther shot of the three friends.)

Yet, the performance that I most wanted to see was David Bintley's Carmina Burana. It is undoubtedly my very favorite music of all time. Obviously, Mathias was one the seven seminarians. The ballet showed the trials and tribulations of three of them ... lust, anger/gluttony, and spiritual weakness. Mathias danced a role called "Boiling Rage". It was in the section about gluttony. Laura-Jane was obviously part of the section on lust. Ex Cathedra sang with live music. THEY DANCED FANTASTICALLY. Laura-Jane was featured in her role for all six shows. Mathias danced his principal role in three of six performances. The English audiences are usually quite subdued ... but not for this production. It was an honor to finally get to be part of a standing ovation.

Now ... to catch up a bit. Above is the photo from the Birmingham Royal Ballet's tour blog featuring Chi Cao, Nao Sakuma, and Mathias Dingman in their "The Dream" costumes. (Basically Midsummer Night's Dream). This was taken while touring Japan.

Also, above and below are two photos from Jamie Schumacher's college graduation day! I simply forgot to post them but know family members will enjoy them!

Artista Vista and Runway Runway with family

2011-05-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

I took hundreds of photos during the past several days at my I do / I don't installation and at Runaway Runway. Most will be in Flickr sets, on my "Art in Stitches" blog, and/or Facebook. Yet, there are some that just have to have their own post. This is it!

My Mom and youngest sister Sonya surprised Steve and me completely by showing up unexpectedly for the weekend! They booked a room at the Sheraton that came with all sorts of food coupons, shuttle service in the downtown area, and free drinks at the rooftop bar. The view was great ... but I forgot to snap that photo!

The photo above is my Mom, Steve, Sonya, Amanda (Jamie's friend who graciously provided hair and make-up services for our group of models), Jamie and her mother/my first cousin JoAnn. The photos was snapped at the "after party".

Above is Steve and my Mom looking into the installations at 927-929 Gervais Street. The first room, just before my installation, was Marius Valdes' The Unwantables Zoo Project of little Sculpty formed figures with screen-printed boxes.

Well, Sonya's extremely well behaved Yorkshire terrier Lulu had come to Columbia too ... and Sonya and I worked really hard to get these adorable photos! Enjoy!

Our Long Weekend in Seattle

2011-01-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

The first weekend in December Steve and I flew out to Seattle ... and we both took hundreds of photos. Honestly, I meant to blog about the trip sooner, but the holidays were quickly upon us and the photos were neglected until New Year's eve when visiting my parents in Slippery Rock. Thus, I'm posting now .... a month later .... and with the knowledge that we're about to travel to Phoenix for another long weekend of sight-seeing during which time I'll be taking even more photos!

So....the trip in a nutshell:

We arrived midday on the "First Thursday" of the month ... which meant all the art galleries, artist studios, and exhibition spaces in the Pioneer Square area where open late. This was a perfect, artsy way to be introduced to a city full of culture, diversity, and fun!

We visited too many studios to count in a converted warehouse(619 Western Avenue)....six stories of creativity. The crowd of people attending was as interesting as the artwork.

One young girl carried a "purse", or should I call it a "pet cage" of mice. There were "goth chics" and fashion models and Harley Davidson-cyclers and "leftovers" from the hippie generation. There were businessmen and socialites and parents of art degree seeking college students. People came in taxis, cars, mass transit, bicycles, and skateboards. Amazingly, I didn't feel "old" or "out of place". I felt like a "little fish" swimming in the "ocean" ... and it felt great. How I'd love to live in a city with such a vibrant visual arts scene, where the "established artists are names like Dale Chihuly" and everyone else just MAKES ART. It was a slice of heaven.

I particularly LOVE how artists "clean up" for such evenings....by shoving supplies into corners! (I do this too!)

I also adore the arrangement of materials....it sort of looks like my organizational system for yarn and thread....and just about as "neat and clean"!

The diversity of "source material" and "articles for inspiration" look similar to my "stash" too!

The inventiveness for electrical needs is impressive...and I'm not going to show a photo of my small dry mount press as it looks even more like a "fire trap"!

Now....I really wish my studio door had such a brilliant "sign"! I might have to work on this one!

So....this is me....trying on a piece of fashionable artwork. I didn't purchase it....but maybe I should have!

Visiting personal spaces of creativity has always fascinated me....and no wonder! Each artist has a unique way to approach the process and a special manner of surrounding himself with visual ideas! It was a GREAT evening!

We saw some amazing fiber work too.....like Luke Haynes' quilts which were on exhibit in his own gallery along with two other male quilters: Joe Cunningham and Shawn Quinlan.

Two days later, we found the "official guide" for "First Thursday". There is no possible way that one person can take in all the events and locations in a single evening. It is MIND-BLOWING! If I ever have the opportunity to return for this monthly event, I'll first visit:

http://www.firstthursdayseattle.com/

There are SO MANY galleries in this area of town! There's art for every taste and every budget. Even vacant/for rent store fronts weren't empty but used for installation artwork like James Barker's Metal Land. The sign read: Recycled sheet metal and prehistoric computer parts!

Our hotel was in the Pioneer Square district....very near the famous Smith Tower, once Seattle's tallest structure (now 7th).

Nearby is a Waterfall Park. It was the original UPS location!

(Above: The Victorian bus stop in Pioneer Square.)

Seattle is a city known for its coffee too. Pioneer Square has several nice coffee shops ... even "sole proprietor-ships" like Zeitgeist where the artwork rotates and is booked approximately six months in advance.

We had both a cup to "drink in" and a cup "to go"!

(Above: Art at Zeitgeist)

We also spent the better part of an afternoon browsing through the famous Pike Street Market. I took dozens of photos of pasta, fish on ice, news stands, Christmas wreathes, and booths of handmade craft items.

(Above: The Pike Market pigs dressed up for Christmas...including a lead sleigh-puller with a bright red, shiny nose!)

(Above and below: Pike Street Market interior shots)

(Above and below: SEAFOOD!)

(Above: One of the beautiful dried floral arrangements)

We also took the 1962 monorail from downtown Seattle to the site of the Space Needle....the sight of the '62 World's Fair.

The grounds include International Fountain. No still image does this amazing water display justice. The streams shoot at various heights and pressures to classical music. It is dazzling and people applaud. (So did we). I took a video .... Beethoven .... it is HERE!

In 1962 my grandparents were in Seattle. Grandpa was in one of the exhibition booths promoting the use of an electrical truck called GOLIATH. He and grandma had dinner at the rotating restaurant atop the Space Needle....so we did too!

The sunset was magnificent!

The cityscape at night gave me an opportunity to capture the lighting using every possible combination of shutter speeds and aperture openings on my camera....and THEY ALL TURNED OUT! (Probably because the city is too beautiful for images to ever be bad!)

Unfortunately Santa's hours in the Space Needle were only during the day time....because I would have paid for my photo with him in his futuristic sleigh!

The dinner was very, very good too.....expensive....but worth it! (Steve moved too much....this is NOT the result of too much wine....I think!)

We also visited the Seattle Museum of Art and its sculpture park! One can see this Calder piece long before entering the area!

One evening we attended the Nutcracker by Pacific Northwest Ballet. The sets, customs, and curtains were all designed by the famous Maurice Sendak. Obviously, one isn't allowed to snap photos of the performance .... but everyone was taking pictures of the curtain. I had to pose with the sculpture of the Mouse King in the lobby too!

We also made two trips outside the city.

One was to the Bellevue Art Museum (all fine crafts and really, really wonderful). The institution accepts unsolicited exhibition proposals. I'm very likely WAY OUT OF MY LEAGUE....but it is worth a shot...perhaps my work might merit consideration for curated group shows? Who knows! While there April Richardson was giving a free, hands-on monoprint demonstration. It was lots of fun.

We also took the ferry to Bainbridge Island.....

....enjoying the amazing view of Seattle and then walking the shopping district full of flower shops, art galleries, a kayak shop, an independently owned fabric shop called Esther's...

....and another sole proprietorship, a knitting shop called Churchmouse Yarns.

At 10:30 at night on Saturday, we went to the IMAX theater to see the new Harry Potter movie! It was fantastic on the large screen and the place was PACKED!

Despite leaving well after midnight and walking all the way back to our hotel, it was so much fun. Besides, Seattle's sidewalks are even great. They have a "walk of fame".... including Dale Chihuly's footprints!

Mathias and LJ move into their brand new house!

2010-11-30T07:01:00.000-08:00

We've known for some time that Mathias and Laura-Jane had bought a brand new home. They closed on it weeks ago and have been waiting for the keys....when the contractors finished building it! Well, the work was completed, the keys were delivered, and over the weekend Mathias and LJ started moving in. We've heard that they have a bed frame....just no mattresses. They're sleeping on the floor until Wednesday's delivery. These are the first photos we've seen! Click on any of them to enlarge. Mathias sent them via his cell phone!

Day Trip to Buckland Abbey and Lydford

2010-10-29T12:36:00.001-07:00

Steve and I were able to make a half-day trip with Laura-Jane and Mathias.....in their car.....with Laura-Jane perfectly maneuvering the hectic city traffic and dodging animals on the country roads. We went to Buckland Abbey, which became a private estate....once owned by Francis Drake. Here are some of the photos from this trip!

Above: Buckland Abbey.

Above: View of the side of Buckland Abbey....with sheep sculptures. Why sculptures? I have no idea. There certainly were enough real ones all over the place!

Above: When converted into a private residence, the church building wasn't really changed....just used as a building design....fitting staircases around transept arches!

The stairs were works of art in and of themselves!

Everywhere there were elegant new additions to the otherwise ancient building....like the flower arrangements and the late 20th century etched glass.

This stained glass sun dial was also "new" but blended into the elegant interior perfectly.

Many of the ceilings and floors were centuries old. This plaster ceiling was new....but based on historic designs. Buckland Abbey still has bees producing honey!

There were plenty of antiques.....from jugs to armor to kitchen implements and handmade furniture.

Believe it or not, this is the barn!

Inside was a gigantic cider press.

On top was a great weather vane.

It is not where the farm animals, like these sheep, live.

Yet, where ever the animals live, they're greatly loved. This is one of several plaques with the NAMES OF THE CHICKENS living at Buckland Abbey!

To get to the Abbey and continue on to Lydford, we had both sheep and these ponies on the road!

In Lydford's there is an ancient parish church, St. Petrock's....still very much in use....and with a glorious churchyard full of fantastic epitaphs (including a most famous one for a clock maker) and angel carvings on the late 18th c. grave stones. Yes, I made some rubbings on fabric.....before.....

....ending the day in a 16th pub called "The Castle Inn". It was GREAT!

Day trip from Plymouth to Exeter, UK

2010-10-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

Steve and I went by train from Plymouth for a day in the nearby city of Exeter. It was a fabulous trip to see an incredible cathedral, the grounds of the castle, the ruins of a Roman wall, and the art center. I collected dozens of epitaphs and snapped scores of images for future artwork and inspiration. Inside the cathedral was an incredible exhibit called "Good Grief", embroidery by Jacqui Frost. Below are the photos from this day trip with captions.

(Above: Exeter Cathedral, exterior. Flying buttresses.)

Above: Interior of Exeter Cathedral.

Above: Choir area of Exeter Cathedral

Above: One of the famous aspects of the cathedral....the longest, continuous

Above: Interior details at Exeter Cathedral.....just love the patina of peeling paint...and the mix of ornamentation added over dozens of decades!

Every nook held a treasure.

Every wall included many interesting pieces....including this still operating clock which dates to the 15th c.

But....look carefully at the picture of the clock. This door is there....complete with a hole for the church cat. Supposedly, the origin of the "Hickory Dickory Dock" nursery rhyme started with this door and a long line of cats who kept the mice from eating the ropes that make the clock tick!

I love all the areas of these ancient structures, especially the places set aside to remember the war dead....complete with weathered flags.

The gigantic low notes from the organ come from these pipes.

Of course, I'm always on the lookout for interesting graves, solemn last words, and unique ways of remembering loved ones. There was plenty to inspire at Exeter. Royalty was certainly given very regal tombs covered in colorful paint and gilding!

Above: One of the best ever epitaphs on a beautiful grave marker inside the Exeter Cathedral.

Above: Another great tomb...complete with a carved skull!

The doorways were even gorgeous....

....especially the locks that are still used! I'd love to see the key!

Exeter must have an incredibly gifted and active guild for the creation and maintenance of the church textiles. There were great needlepointed kneelers everywhere....

...and in the "children's area" they included a sign to help preserve these textiles!

I only snapped this one photo of the many stained glass windows....but sure it cute!

The gardens around the now private castle were picturesque.

Nearby was one of the oldest gatehouses.....

...with a plague to the last women prosecuted for witchcraft in England.

We also visited the small parish church of St. David's.....

....and its great churchyard, of course!

The art center was amazing and the exhibition on view was first rate!

Plymouth, UK

2010-10-29T10:30:00.001-07:00

Plymouth was wonderful!

For the past four years I've had a running joke with my elder son Mathias. He dances with Birmingham Royal Ballet, the touring royal company in England. Every year the company performs at least once, for a whole week, in Plymouth. I've asked for a "real" Plymouth rock every year. Mathias always said, "But, Mom, Plymouth Rock is in Massachusetts!" To this I've replied, "But, I want a REAL Plymouth rock....from the original Plymouth!" Well, every year Mathias "forgot". So....this year I went to get my own.

Steve booked us into the wonderful Crescent House Bed and Breakfast, right off the Grand Parade that makes up the coastline around the Plymouth harbor. (The price was excellent; the service was perfect; the full English breakfast was more than a person should eat....but we did it anyway!)

So....off we went in search of Plymouth rocks....along the Grand Parade....

....down a flight of concrete stairs....

......to the ROCKS!

Steve took these photos of me....

.....collecting my rocks!

Aren't they beautiful! I used my micron permanent ink pen and wrote "Plymouth Rock" on two of them as gifts for Mathias and Laura-Jane for their stellar performances that week.

Okay.....so this is silly....but I'm not the only one with insane ideas about Plymouth! Steve was super excited that we got to go inside and climb to the top of the old Eddystone lighthouse. This structure is actually known as Smeaton's Tower and was originally built on the rocky site (9 miles off the shoreline) from 1756-59. It was renown for its advanced structural design and was used until 1877 at which time it was, stone by stone, dismantled and rebuilt on the grounds of the Plymouth Hoe....where a small admission is now charged to go inside.

So we....off we went....with Steve singing the sea shanty song called "Keeper of the Eddystone Light"...which he knows (memorized) from the 1960 recording by The Brothers Four. Yes....he knows all the words and can sing the melody in the correct key!

Up the stairs we climbed while Steve sung: "My father was the keeper of the Eddystone light, And he slept with a mermaid one fine night".....

....(continual singing)....."Out of this union there came three, A porpoise and a porgy and the other was me!"

Up even more stairs to the lantern.....with continued singing: Yo ho ho, the wind blows free!

Finally at the top....."Oh, for the life on the rolling sea!" Steve has found all the words on line....including a link to the music and a ring-tone download.....but I just provided the link to one site above!

From the top, we could see our own shadows on the green grass below.

We enjoyed to view back to the area where I found my Plymouth rocks....

...and a view to the city monuments and downtown....

...and to the citadel and the harbor beyond.

We continued in the direction of the harbor....past the Mayflower steps.....

....over the water of a lock.....

....with its gigantic lock doors.....to the Plymouth Aquarium, the best in all of England.

There were jellyfish, baby manta rays, seahorses....

....unique lobsters, sea anemones, camouflaged flounders and sole fish....

...and two octopi that were incredible.

There were mammoth sized tanks fill of colorful fish.

There was also a shark tank....with a walkway underneath....

...and a great viewing area complete with a sunken airplane...

...and we got to see two divers who weren't actually supposed to be in the tank that day....but one of the young marine biologists had dropped his cell phone inside the day before!

In town, we visited St. Andrew's Church where I collected epitaphs and snapped photos of angel images and cemetery sculptures.

The path from the church to one of its exterior building was beautiful......

....just like the Elizabethan Garden in the historic Barbicon district.

We went to the ruins of another church that sat in the middle of a big traffic roundabout.

The juxtaposition of old and new architecture was terrific.

I even did some shopping in Plymouth....something I almost never do. How could I resist a t-shirt from a place called Funky Poppies, a shop dedicated to artistic creations using buttons!

We also took a guided tour with a tasting at the Plymouth Gin distillery!

Okay....so the main reason for coming to Plymouth really wasn't sight-seeing at all....but it is against the theater rules, copyright issues, and the BRB's (Birmingham Royal Ballet) policies to snap photos of the ballet. Let's just say.......the triple bill and Romeo and Juliet were breathtaking. Mathias danced gloriously as Mercutio, sword fighting until a second and a half minute, over the top emoking death scene. Yes, I cried! It was wonderful!

Cardiff, Wales

2010-10-29T09:00:00.001-07:00

Last week Steve and spent mostly in Plymouth, UK....but our first day and night was in Cardiff, Wales. I'd been to this pretty city before but didn't get inside the castle walls. So...the reason for the trip was a visit inside. It was very well worth it! We opted not to take the guided tour....which might have been a mistake. This would have allowed us into even more areas...but we know that we like to linger, so we opted for the provided headset explanations. If we had to do it over again, we'd take the tour because we could have then spent as much time as we did in the other areas. Oh well. We did run into one of the very well informed docents who took us into the very private chapel....a place not even on the "guided tour". Before our train ride the next morning we walked to the waterside and we even ducked into a small grocery shop where I had a blast photographing the unique alcoholic beverage labels.

This blog post is otherwise just a series of some of the photos with captions! Enjoy!

The Cardiff Castle complex is completely within a very thick wall, some of which dates to the Roman era. It is entered through the southern gate. There's a 14th c. castle that was totally renovated into a dazzling Neo-Gothic residence in the mid-19th c., a keep, a moat, a trebuchet, and walkways both inside and on top of the wall.

Above: Cardiff Castle and its reflection in the moat.

Above: The tower.

Above: The trebuchet with the keep in the background...photo taken from the wall.

Above: The walkway and steep steps up to.....

...the keep.....

...from which we climbed to the highest accessible point. Above: The green interior of the keep as seen from above.

Above: Steve on the steep keep stairs.

Above: A view down one of the walls' interior walkways.

Above: The wall at Cardiff Castle.

Above: Gargoyle metal gutter at Cardiff Castle.

Above and below: Fabulous Moorish designed ceiling. Click on any image to enlarge!

The 19th c. Gothic revival interior is the result of ....from Wikipedia..."its transformation began in 1868 when John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute commissioned William Burges to undertake a massive rebuilding which turned the castle into a 19th century fantasy of a medieval palace, with a series of rooms that, perhaps, constitute the highest achievement of later Victorian Gothic Revival design." It was FABULOUS!

Above: Cardiff Castle, Grand Hallway.

Above: Ceiling in the Grand Hallway.

Above: Above the fireplace in the Grand Hallway.

Above: The chapel ceiling.

Above: Cardiff Castle's library.

Above: Two capitals in the chapel....Please note that the architect altered one of them to be a rabbit!

Above and below: Architectural details at Cardiff Castle.

Above: Another elaborate capital....it's carved from stone even though it looked like a bronze figure.

Above: One of the fantastical beasts created by the architect as a wall painting.

Above: A Carrara marble angel in below the private alter in the chapel.

Above: A sculpture including a baby dragon....at the bottom of the stairs....which have an...

,,,,,alligator at the top!

I loved all the ornamentation and detail of the place too....including the stained glass...

....and the brass locks.....and the iron locks too!

So....here's some of the grocery store images....

Above: Mad Frog.....a vodka mix in Wales!

Above and below: Unique beers from Wales!

We sampled a local brew too....at a place called "Y Mochyn Du", which means "The Dirty Pig" in welsh!

Trip to Hungary!

2010-08-21T08:52:00.001-07:00

I'm absolutely flooded with work! My upcoming exhibition at City Gallery at Waterfront is looming! I've got Decision Portraits to stitch and keys to "tag" with handmade labels and details to attend....but I also have hundreds of photos to share from my recent trip to Hungary. It was an amazing adventure.

My Dad, Mom, sister Wanda, and Ann Feller (my Dad's first cousin's wife) all stayed in Tamási, the center of Tolna Megya (county). It is known for its thermal bath....which, of course, we visited. We went to Belecska and Keszöhidegut, places from which my Dad's mother came. We went to an interesting "Fish Park" and to two "Heitmatmuseums" (local historical museums) where we drooled over piles of traditional embroideries. We also went to Udvari....the town from which my Dad and the other Swabian Germans were deported in 1947. Udvari was having its annual Dorffest (Village Festival) and had invited the former Germans (most of whom ended up in Seifenersdorf, in the former East German Republic). There was goulash, schnapps, and plenty of local wine.

I've posted the photos on Flickr! albums:

General Photos of Hungary.....as a SLIDESHOW....as a SET OF PHOTOS
General Photos of Udvari.....as a SLIDESHOW.....as a SET OF PHOTOS
The Former LENZ HOUSE.....as a SLIDESHOW....as a SET OF PHOTOS
Belecska and Keszöhidegut....as a SLIDESHOW....as a SET OF PHOTOS
The Fish Park.....as a SLIDESHOW.....as a SET OF PHOTOS
Tamási....as a SLIDESHOW.....as a SET OF PHOTOS
Udvari, Church and cemetery.....as a SLIDESHOW....as a SET OF PHOTOS
Szaradz.....as a SLIDESHOW....as a SET OF PHOTOS
General photos of Heitmatmuseum in Gyonk.....as a SLIDESHOW....as a SET OF PHOTOS
Embroideries at the Heitmatmuseum in Gyonk....as a SLIDESHOW....as a SET OF PHOTOS

All these photos are saved in a large format.....a size that can be printed without a lot of pixelation.....ready for friends and family to "grab" and print for themselves. They are nice to view as a slideshow....but to copy to photos to your personal computer, visit the "Set of Photos" (above). Then, click on the individual image you want. The photo will "pop up" into view. Then, right click on that photo.....there will be a "pop up" tab with the words: View available sizes: Medium 500, Medium 620, large, original. CLICK ORIGINAL.....you will only see a small portion of the photo. Right click on this "small portion", select "Save Image As". The next "pop up window" will show you a place on your personal computer. Save the photo. This method will save the greatest number of pixels and allow you to print the clearest image in the largest size.

Mom.....call me if you have a problem.....but I'll be ordering prints for you and Dad too!

Mathias mentioned in Romeo and Juliet Reviews!

2010-07-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

From Wales.Online

Theatre review: Romeo and Juliet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Wales Millennium Centre

Jul 9 2010 by Mike Smith, Western Mail

THIS is the sort of evening Wales Millennium Centre was built for: glorious dance that engulfs the whole stage sweeping along on wave after wave of exquisite music.
No-one will mind that the production is ultra-classic and the sets, while at times lavish and detailed, happily make no attempt to make any comment of their own on the greatest love story.
Rather, Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet here performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet is a celebration of the beauty, grace and emotion of these fine dancers, with lots of charm and humour.
Right from the start the evening creates the feel that this is a story of testosterone with posturing lads and an innocent, emotionally and sexually awakening girl.

The contrast between the cheeky harlots, the haughty ladies of the rival courts and our young Juliet is carefully achieved, so when she does dance as a spirited child the effect is wonderful.
There is nothing particularly new about having the lovers’ bed centre stage to be replaced by the death-scene pyre, but the device always works, poignantly making that link between first love and death.
I adored the tableau of a Renaissance painting of courtiers, flanked by dancers in similar poses on the balcony with the formal dancing below. It added to the Dance of the Knights being ravishing.
With a large ensemble of dancers, the choreography was first class with intricate fight scenes, for example, with sword clashing becoming part of the music.
Ambra Vallo danced a doll-like Juliet, melting into womanhood and the arms of Romeo who was danced with elegance by César Morales. Their pas de deux were poignant and emotionally charged while Vallo’s dancing en pointe was breathtaking.
Mathias Dingman danced Romeo’s pal Mercutio splendidly and what a death scene, as over the top as anyone could wish for, while Robert Gravenor’s Tybalt had real presence and authority.
Glorious lighting from John B Read contributed to some memorable scenes that brought real freshness to even that balcony scene. But a little less scenery yo-yoing would have been good.
It is hard to fail with Prokofiev’s music, grand and powerful, gentle and romantic, but always with the chill of menace.
Mike Smith

FROM THE SOUTH WALES ARGUS

Romeo and Juliet, Wales Millennium Centre

11:48am Friday 9th July 2010

THE best-known love story of all time brought tragedy, emotion and a sprinkling of humour to Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre.
Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet, which is celebrating its 20th year, was performed spectacularly to Prokofiev’s music.
The evening began with a fight scene illustrating the rivalry and tension between the Montagues and Capulets, which was performed through a series of graceful sword fights between pairs of characters – adding percussion to the music.
Ambra Vallo, playing Juliet, danced with a vulnerable innocence, at times bringing out her character’s immaturity and headstrong nature.
Romeo, danced by César Morales, brought out the emotion of finding his lover, presumably dead, by dancing with her corpse, and his enemy, Tybalt, danced by Robert Gravenor, oozed authority and grace.
Mathias Dingman, playing Romeo’s friend Mercutio, brought humour to the production during his tomfoolery at the spectacular masked ball and a mixture of emotions through his over-the-top death.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and the only element of the production worthy of fault was that there were overly-long breaks between some scenes, as scenery was changed.

News from England

2010-06-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Who would have guessed? FOUR is a lucky number! Finishing his fourth year with Birmingham Royal Ballet, Mathias was finally promoted to FIRST ARTIST.....during the same week that he passed his driver's license on the fourth attempt!

Today I found these lovely photos by Ronnie Allan of Laura-Jane on Facebook!

Photos of Mathias on the Columbia City Jazz Website

2010-06-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

(Above: Mathias Dingman leads a master ballet class during our 2007 Winter Workshop
Photo by Les Mizzell.)
(Above: Mathias Dingman from the Birmingham Roayl Ballet works with a young student during master classes! Photo by Les Mizzell.)

(Above: Mathias Dingman from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Dusty Buttons from the Royal Ballet School, Jason Parsons, and Dale Lam during our 2007 Winter Workshop
Photo by Les Mizzell.) Dusty has since joined Birmingham Royal Ballet!

I have a "google alert" on Mathias' name. Yesterday a "hit" was posted that took me to the Columbia City Jazz Company website. They have a slide show that includes these three images. The website is HERE!

Mathias is included in another review!

2010-05-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

Every spring Birmingham Royal Ballet splits its company in two....part go "north" and part go "south"....bringing great dance to many smaller cities across the United Kingdom. It also gives many of the dancers opportunities to perform roles they've only under-studied or danced occasionally. It allows "third cast" to become "first" or "second" cast. It brings quality live performances into intimate places, instilling the love of movement and music in the hearts and souls of people who can't always make it to the "big city". It also affords local newspapers to cover the productions!

So....here's what David Bellan said in the Oxfordshire Limited Edition:
(Read it HERE as well!

The South African-born choreographer John Cranko is best known for his long directorship of Stuttgart Ballet, where he produced masterpieces, usually story ballets, for the superlative dancers at his disposal there. Brouillards, (Fog), however, is a plotless series of episodes in which the choreographer responds to Debussy’s music of that title. “Mist, snow, heather and sails are passing pictures in the music, leaving behind no more than sadness and memories of transient beauty,” Cranko said.

The work has a dream-like quality in which what we have seen seems to melt away as the final ensemble comes to a close. But there is humour, too. There’s a very funny Cake Walk by James Barton, Mathias Dingman and Kit Holder in which they dance, stiff as puppets, arms by sides with hands poking out sideways. They look slightly perplexed by what they are doing, and finally collapse on the stage. Among other highlights is a beautiful slow duet with Ambra Vallo and Jamie Bond, and Alexander Campbell’s solo expressing his love for a sleeping, uncaring girl.

David Bintley made The Dance House, inspired by Shostakovich’s first piano concerto, in memory of dancer Nick Millington, who died in his mid-thirties.This, again, is a series of pieces for various combinations of dancers, filled with a calm beauty, and demonstrating once again, in its phrasing, Bintley’s great musicality. Quite outstanding is the duet by Natasha Oughtred and Matthew Lawrence, with its many floating lifts and beautiful line.

Nowadays the name Balanchine brings to mind a whole series of abstract, neo-classical works that made his name, but when he left Diaghilev and went to the United States he worked a lot in musical theatre, even producing a ballet for 50 circus elephants in pink tutus, with music by Stravinsky. On Your Toes, with choreography by Balanchine and music by Richard Rogers, is a backstage story of jealousy over the favours of a ballerina — too complex to go in to here — but the finale of the show is a ballet — Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (right).

This on its own forms the final part of the triple bill. Set in Kate Ford’s amusing nightclub, with towering skyscrapers in the shape of high-heeled legs, this is an enjoyable romp, with showgirls, gangsters, bar-men and cops. The centrepiece is a long duet featuring Robert Parker and slinky, sexy Celine Gittens — dressed, apparently, only in a fishnet body-stocking. It ends with a multiple shooting, and makes a lively conclusion to the evening.

The Making of Swan Lake, Part 3: Opening Night

2010-05-14T05:57:00.000-07:00

The Making of Swan Lake, Part 3: Opening Night

Here's a marvelous review....including mention of Mathias!

Veer TV goes backstage with the Birmingham Royal Ballet in Norfolk, VA

2010-05-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

Norfolk: Part V....SWAN LAKE!

2010-05-12T12:48:00.001-07:00

Above: Mathias as Benno....curtain call! Just imagine the roaring applause! It was long and loud! Click on any image to enlarge...even though none are particularly great!)

(Above: The swans, bowing after the performance. Laura-Jane is in the second row, third from the left. Click on image to see her!)

The entire reason why we went to Norfolk was to attend (BRB) Birmingham Royal Ballet's production of Swan Lake, part of the Virginia Arts Festival. Since the ballet company performed it last year, we knew that Mathias had a chance to dance the principal part, Benno, friend to Prince Siegfried. He'd danced it last year. Steve and I both went (at separate venues) to see it.

As soon as tickets were available over the festival's website, we purchased four seats to all three shows. We crossed our fingers and toes....hoping for "good casting"....praying that my parents would get to see Mathias dance in tights (as opposed to heeled boots in the several "character" roles in which he is also cast.)

Well, we knew even before we left that Mathias was only appearing as Benno in the "children's program", an educational show of just Act III, a show to which tickets weren't available. Benno's "big part" isn't even in Act III. We were disappointed but still very, very happy to be going to Norfolk. After all, Sunday was Mother's Day and Mathias' twenty-second birthday. I hadn't spent time with him on either occasion since he was twelve. After that, he went to the Kirov Academy in DC and then on to live and dance in England.

Well, on Thursday night Steve and I were to meet Mathias and his girlfriend Laura-Jane in their hotel lobby. Two of the other dancers recognized us and congratulated us that Mathias "would be dancing more than planned". We were hopeful that this meant he'd be one of the four men that dance with beautifully clad ladies in Act I. (There's a video which I've shared in the post just above this that includes this part.) Mathias only confirmed that he'd "be dancing more than the character parts". That was all he said. He said it was "a surprise".

There was no announcement of a casting change on opening night. So, that Friday, as the curtain rose, we were very hopeful to see Mathias as one of the four gentlemen......but.....he came running onto the stage.....the first one to appear......BENNO! We all gasped and then my mom and I cried our way through a terrific first act watching him perfectly land his double air-tours (spelling? I have no idea....it's basically jumping up while completing two rotations before landing in the exact same position....impossible, if you ask me!)

Now....look at that video....I have no idea when it was taken....but Mathias is in it....Benno! The entire performance was great. The audience loved everything about it too. I'm unaccustomed to snapping photos in a theater....but flash bulbs sparkled during the standing ovation and curtain calls, so I took my camera out too! Though the images are the greatest, the memory they trigger is THE BEST!

Steve and I attended the Saturday night performance and enjoyed that cast too. The new mayor of Birmingham, England and his wife sat just a few rows in front of us. On Steve's right sat Christopher Barron, BRB's Chief Executive. Beyond him was artistic director David Bintley. This made us a little nervous. (I've actually never spoken to the artistic director....sort of scared to try. He's an immensely talented choreographer and obviously a great ballet leader.....and I LOVE his Cyrano best of all....should be the next production brought to the USA!)

Unfortunately, Mathias' appearance on Friday night was the result of another dancer's injury. Although thrilled to have witnessed Mathias in the part, we are quite sad by this news and hoping for a very, very speedy recovery. The other dancer was scheduled to perform on Sunday too....so....Mathias also danced in this final BRB show in Norfolk. He was wonderful again. We cried again too! It was Mother's Day, his twenty-second birthday, and he was dancing Benno! What could be better!

In the lobby that Sunday afternoon, we bumped into two BRB Friends. The "friends" are an amazing group that follow the company, see as many performances as possible, contribute financially to the company, are invited to attend company classes and specially arranged interviews with staff and dancers, and contribute regularly to Internet sites like the BRB page on Balletco.uk. The two sisters have already written an amazing recap of their trip to Virginia HERE with wonderfully glowing reviews of Mathias' dancing. (THANK YOU!)

We are always thrilled to see our son and his girlfriend Laura-Jane perform, but the "friends" are especially important. They are thrilled and attend regularly even though they aren't there for a special family member. It is a very happy feeling knowing that "someone" who really cares is watching my son dance. I wouldn't have made it through Mathias' first year in England if it hadn't been for the "friends" posting on every show.

After Friday night's "surprise" performance, we celebrated in my parents' room at the Residence Inn. Laura-Jane had slipped and hurt her foot. We had it on ice but otherwise we were all smiles!

After Sunday's matinee performance, we all went to a great Brazilian restaurant. We ate too much. We drank too much. Yet, we had lots to celebrate....a birthday, Mother's Day, and a fantastic weekend of fabulous dancing!

Norfolk: Part IV...The Chrysler Museum

2010-05-12T11:52:00.001-07:00

It's a good thing that my parents know where I got my love of museums, especially art museums. I got it from them.....and now I sort of "torture" them by spending so much time in them while on vacation. Of course, I don't actually think of it as a "vacation". Visiting an art museum is a quest for inspiration, an intellectual pursuit of the creative spirit, a challenge to my concepts of beauty, and the best way to spend a day! (All images in this post can be enlarged! Just click on the picture!)

Norfolk is the home of the Chrysler Museum of Art. One knows the artwork is going to be GREAT from the outside. Above is Mom and Dad posing in front of Anna Hyatt Huntington's The Torch Bearers, 1957.

The place is enormous. The collections are vast. The special exhibit, Women of the Chrysler: A 400 Year Celebration of the Arts, was particularly wonderful. I loved everything about Susan Taylor Glasgow's Good Housekeeping Toaster, 2005. It's a mixed media and glass.

The statement on the sign is FABULOUS. (Click on image to enlarge and enjoy! I relate on SO MANY levels....and I type too!) Of course, I am also taken with the notion of stitching glass! Great piece!

I also liked the room sized installation called The Women Series, 1992-99, by Gwen Akin and Allan Ludwig. These 200+ silver gelatin enlargements of both known and anonymous women are intentionally hung at random. The group is engaging....because of the many decades, the physical appearances, the quest for "stars", and the ages of all these ladies. The diversity in the portraits is marvelous, especially when presented in a uniform way. It really showcases the multifaceted definition of "woman".

Above and below: Vik Muniz's Orestes Pursued by the Furies (Pictures of Junk)

In another area of the museum I was blown away by Vik Muniz's Orestes Pursued by the Furies (Pictures of Junk) after Bouguereau's oil painting (below) that hung just across the wide hallway from it.

I studied Muniz' work very, very closely and still couldn't figure out all the "junk" and the skills involved in creating this gigantic picture. It was fascinating. The sign said that the artist used a space the size of a basketball court. He directed art students with a laser pointer to position the "junk" in various locations. It took over a month to replicate the artwork before photographing it.

In another place was a Grand Harmonicum.....a very strange musical instrument that is played by rubbing the edge of a glass for its tonal effect. Mozart even wrote music for it (which I assume is now played by some sort of other instrument). There was one in the Moses Myers historic home too. Odd. I can just imagine how obnoxious it would be to listen to one practicing the same piece over and over again....but the cabinet sure was nice!

(Above and below: Tiffany Lava Glass, circa 1895.)

We had lunch in museum's excellent cafe before heading into the "glass" area. It was an overwhelming collection. The Tiffany stained glass and lamps were TO DIE FOR! There are rooms of excellent art glass and modern works by big name masters. To me, however, I was totally surprised by "lava glass". The photos immediately above and below are by Tiffany and most date to the late 19th century to the 1920s. The asymmetrical designs, the intentionally "crude" shapes, the brilliant gilding, and the age just mystified me. Most look utterly modern....like something I'd expect to have been created within the last decade or so....not over one hundred years ago!

I was also found these petite bead covered glasses very unusual.

I have no idea what these were used for, who made them, or how the netting was attached to the glass because there didn't seem to be a seam....but they were quite beautiful, very precise beadwork!

And finally, I love these glass and fiber cinerary urns by William Morris. The statement also touched my heart....so enlarge that photo to read!

Norfolk: Part III....Day trip to Bacon's Castle

2010-05-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

(Above: Bacon's Castle, front.)

On Saturday we ventured out from Norfolk....driving over toward Williamsburg and taking the ferry from Jamestown across the James River.

(Above: Mom and Steve on the ferry boat. It was quite windy and hot!)

We headed to Bacon's Castle in Surry and took another great tour through the rare Jacobean structure. Built in 1665, it was updated with a Greek revival addition in 1844. The interior was furnished according to mid-18th century inventories. Our octogenarian guide instilled us with her love of the building, the preservation efforts, and covered all three floors plus the basement. She's been with the place since it was opened to the public in 1983. (It was purchased by the Preservation Virginia in 1972.) Steve and I have visited in 1984 and 1987. Since then the 17th century garden has been excavated and planted.

(Above: Bacon's Castle, back.)

From Bacon's Castle, we drove to nearby Smithfield and walked around the charming town, its art center, and then had a fabulous lunch at the Smithfield Inn.

Norfolk: Part II...The Moses Myers House

2010-05-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

I love touring historic homes. The Moses Myers House was no exception. The tour was private....just Mom, Dad, Steve, and me with a great guide who explained that the dining room (above) is generally more elaborately appointed.....but Birmingham Royal Ballet had some function in it during the week so the place settings were removed. We were further told that the table and chair were being put into temporary storage for this occasion too. No, Mathias was not part of this event. The room really can't hold the entire company and guests, but it was exciting to think about such a pretty, historic place being used for the arts festival and for the ballet company!

Mom and I had a bet about the detailing between these two elaborate mantles. Okay.....she won....but I got the photos!

We also visited two nearby small museums, a church with its old graveyard, and wandered around Granby Street peeking in the windows that were being used to showcase various artworks in a project called Art/Everywhere, a storefront art initiative.

Of 90 submissions, 33 projects were accepted and opened on May 1st. Easily, our favorite was Virginia Keith's Dry Humor at 250 Granby. Everything about it was clever and well done. I can't believe there are no Internet images, website with details, or this statement somewhere....but it was great....fit the space perfectly....and dealt with the waste of energy due to the prevalent use of dryers in the USA. Mom said to take a photo for my sister Wanda but this was the only one that turned out.

Norfolk: Part I...Mom and Dad and Mermaids

2010-05-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

The extended weekend in Norfolk for the Virginia Arts Festival was amazing. I took loads of photos, ate too much, cried tears of pure joy over ballet, visited several cemeteries, toured historic houses, and loved every minute spent with my family. There is no way to share the experiences in chronological order. It would take forever to get it all correctly written and illustrated. So, I'm just posting several entries, thematically....or at least that's my plan.

While in Norfolk, my Dad checked his email daily....even logged on once all by himself. He corresponds with my sister Wanda in Munich, Germany each and every day. Wanda wrote begging for lots of photos.

From that moment on, I started snapping pictures of Mom and Dad with as many of the Norfolk Public Art Mermaids as possible. The city has been adding to "Mermaids on Parade" for the last ten years. They're everywhere!

Mom and Dad got used to having their photos taken with public art....even non-mermaid pieces like Chaim Cross' bronze sculpture called The Tourists from 1904. It's by the waterfront.

Mathias is featured in an early rehearsal of BRB's Brouillard

2010-05-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

Birmingham Royal Ballet - Brouillards rehearsals from Rob Lindsay on Vimeo.

THIS VIDEO DOES NOT SEEM TO WORK ON ANY SITE WHILE USING INTERNET EXPLORER. PLEASE VIEW WITH MOZILLA FIREFOX OR OTHER BROWSER!

Above is the video. Below is the statement from the Birmingham Royal Ballet's "touring blog":

Birmingham Royal Ballet performs Brouillards in just three places in 2010: Cheltenham, Poole and Truro.

Each year the Company splits in two to perform different ballets at opposite ends of the country, in both the South West and the North East. This year’s very special South West leg features a programme of three one-act ballets: Brouillards, The Dance House and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.

Here you can see Birmingham Royal Ballet Artist Mathias Dingman in early studio rehearsals for the piece, in the Company’s own studios here in Birmingham, UK

Mathias is mentioned in a review!

2010-04-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

This review appears in Music OMH for a performance in London's Coliseum. Steve is visiting this week but I don't think he saw this particular performance.....but he might have!

The Sleeping Beauty
Coliseum, London, 20-24 April 2010

(Photo: Bill Cooper)

performed by
Natasha Oughtred, Iain MacKay, Dominic Antonucci, Laetitia Lo Sardo, Michael O’Hare, Victoria Marr, Lei Zhao, Jenna Roberts, Arancha Baselga, Kristen McGarrity, Sonia Aguilar, Angela Paul, Celine Gittens, Callie Roberts, James Barton, Mathias Dingman, Oliver Till, Christopher Rodgers-Wilson, Yvette Knight, Joseph Caley, Carol-Anne Millar, Nicki Moffatt, Yasuo Atsuji

Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of its move to Britain’s second city, the Birmingham Royal Ballet is contributing to the Coliseum’s spring dance season with Sir Peter Wright’s own take on The Sleeping Beauty.

Wright’s production, which premiered in 1984, works from Marius Petipa’s original choreography and possesses its own surprising, though highly successful, mix of the innovative and traditional.

As the curtain rises the production instantly feels safe because Philip Prowse’s golden palace design is beautiful but hardly revolutionary, whilst the various courtiers are introduced to the stage in a somewhat sedate fashion.
The dances of the six Fairies, however, reveal just how innovative Wright’s approach really is. Galloping around or scuttling on points, with arms either flying outwards or swaying lyrically, we witness Fairies thrusting legs this way and that as they typically stand on one point.

Equally interesting is the way in which both the Lilac Fairy (Lei Zhao) and the Fairy Carabosse (Victoria Marr) wear flat shoes and hardly dance at all. With their relative calmness exuding authority, this says something about the power that each commands, and Carabosse’s henchmen, in particular, scuttle around her in fear and awe. That both fairies also seem so similar, wearing identical dresses with only the colour differing, suggests that it is far too simplistic just to label them as ‘good’ and ‘evil’ respectively.

The highly talented Natasha Oughtred is a captivating Princess Aurora. It is a shame that she has to perform such difficult steps so early on as her nerves are somewhat apparent, but she rapidly gains in confidence over Acts One and Two to deliver a performance teeming with elegance and grace. As Prince Florimund, there is a brilliant lightness of touch to Iain MacKay’s strident step, and as the pair dance their pas de deux there is a real sense that they are in tune with each others’ movements and feelings.

The final act delivers all of the exuberant charm that we expect from the turns of Puss-in-Boots and Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. Particular accolades, however, must go to Joseph Caley’s splendid Bluebird and the wonderful pas de quatre of Arancha Baselga, Kristen McGarrity, Mathias Dingman and Oliver Till. Meanwhile in the pit, the Royal Ballet Sinfonia gives a strong and sturdy account of Tchaikovsky’s score under the baton of Philip Ellis, and the result is a joyous evening entirely befitting of a company celebrating its twentieth birthday.

Steve as ROCKY!

2010-04-21T07:00:00.001-07:00

I tried to make a little video of this but couldn't figure out how to purchase the "Gonna Fly" music from the movie Rocky! It would have to be that melody....nothing else would do! Steve was going to post this on him blog, but he managed to fly to London late last night....likely one of the very first international flights into the United Kingdom since the volcano erupted in Iceland. He's there to see Mathias perform Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty. So.....I'm posting his "Rocky Run" here!

So.....(above)....here he goes. Sing along...Bum..bumbum...Bum...bumbum...BUM.BUM.BUM!

Yes, it is ridiculous. No, he was not the only person doing this. There were plenty of people taking the stairs outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art two and three at a time. The air seemed to pulse with the ever-so-familiar beat from Sylvester Stallone's movie workout.

Up...up...up!

Higher and Higher!

Gonna Fly Now!

Yes! He made it!

Triumphant! ..... And, yes, plenty of people jump up and down, hands held high, at the top of the staircase....like like Rocky!

At the top, the exact spot is marked by two sneaker patterned bronze footprints and a carved word "Rocky". Yes....we waited our turn for Steve to stand in this spot!

Near the bottom of the steps is the bronze "Rocky" statue. (Photo far above!) There's a little chain rope partition around it so that a line automatically forms on the sidewalk leading up to the statue. People (including us) wait patiently for their turn for a photo-op. By the way, the museum is WONDERFUL. We stayed for most of the day and early evening. It was open until 8:45...and is on every Friday night. Live jazz was performed. We almost stayed for dinner in the posh restaurant....but we were under dressed! As we left, we giggled at the people taking turns for photos....fists in the air....Rocky style.....even though we'd done the same thing just hours beforehand!

Easter dinner

2010-04-05T11:59:00.001-07:00

This is a photo taken on Easter Sunday 2010....Mom, Dad, and Steve....using the Hungarian embroidered round tablecloth that my sister Sonya sent me. Thanks Sonya!

The Red Plaid Jacket

2010-03-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

(Above: Dad and me....and the red plaid jacket. Click on any image to enlarge.)

Once upon a time (approximately 1961), my Dad taught history in Mansfield, Ohio. It was some sort of summer class, possibly students who had failed history during the year. Evidently he made the experience memorable. At the end of the course his students gave him this red plaid jacket. He loved it and wore it for years. There's a special photo of him in the jacket.

(Above: My parents and me...and the red plaid jacket.)

Later, three of his four daughters sort of "borrowed" the jacket and wore it too. Although I'm the eldest daughter, I had never "borrowed" it. Recently, the youngest returned the jacket and said, "It's Susan's turn". So....this past weekend my parents visited. They were on their way to a time share in Florida. They brought the jacket and I immediately wore it to an encore art reception at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios. Those are Patrick Parise's abstractions in the background and Patrick's lovely wife Sandi snapped the photos. The jacket looks great...even after nearly fifty years!

(Above: My parents, husband Steve and me....and the red plaid jacket!)

Record Snowfall in Columbia, South Carolina

2010-02-18T11:57:00.000-08:00

(Above: Mouse House in the snow! Click on any photo to enlarge.)

During the run of Blues Chapel and Last Words, my solo exhibition at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios, Columbia experienced a record snowfall. Of course I had warning that it was coming. Steve, after all, has an undergraduate degree in some sort of meteorology. He taught both our sons to consult The Weather Channel every morning before dressing for the day. I've always laughed about this obsession....saying, "Yes, we will have weather today." Since my "day job" at Mouse House is on the first floor of our house, I've always figured that if I "dressed wrong"....I'd just go back upstairs and change.

Anyway, severe weather has always been a cause for great excitement for Steve.....and Friday, February 12 was a banner evening. I had planned to have Blues Chapel and Last Words open until midnight but everything comes to a total stand still in Columbia when there is just a threat of snow. I closed at 7 PM with the "white stuff" coming down hard.

Meanwhile, all of Columbia seemed to have cleared grocery store aisles of all bread and water....stocking up to be snowbound. At home, Steve fixed a steak dinner with red wine after walking the neighborhood.....much better plan.

In the morning, Steve was out with a yardstick measuring snow accumulation at various points throughout the yard. Average: 6 inches. Steve made a snowman. It lasted for three or four days even though the rest of the snow was gone by Sunday.

Please don't think we really "torture" Shadow, our beloved cat. We know she's much to dumb to remember any of this....and she does provide the perfect contrast for all these pictures!

So, above, is Shadow trying out the hammock.
(She didn't like it!)

She preferred being under the hammock....for a short while....

She did make some interesting paw prints.....

...before hiding under a snowy bush. She never did find the back door. I had to pick her up to bring her back inside!

Above is the hammock before Steve and Shadow touched it. Further back is our snow covered pond. (All the goldfish did live through this adventure. I am referring to the live ones under the ice, not the red, metal sculptural ones above ground.....made by Mike Williams, a wildly talented painter who also works in metal.)

(Above: Pond with Mike Williams' red metal fish. Below: Our backyard, view from pond across parking lot to house.)

We did have a small mishap due to the weight of the snow. The umbrella on our patio furniture was up. Snow weighs a lot. Shortly after I took the photo below, the umbrella went down...

...crashing through the glass table top. Fortunately, we have another one lined up. Our neighbor is moving in the spring time. She said we could have hers....she's not taking it with her to Asheville.

So, above, is the front of our house. It looks BEAUTIFUL in the snow. The large magnolia on the right looked like this....

....and the columns looked like this....

The Holidays!

2009-12-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

(Click on any of these photos to enlarge! Yes....Steve had another "zap" from the skin doctor....just a basil cell....now gone!)

Although we are still estranged from Alex, the Christmas holidays have still been a time to enjoy family and friends. Mathias was able to visit with Laura-Jane and her family in Scotland before flying here on Christmas Eve. We had turkey for the Christmas dinner.

A few days later my best friend Tina (from fourth grade through high school; from our weddings through the birth of our boys; now living in Charlotte, North Carolina) came for a great day. We all enjoyed the great tasting Omaha Steak dinner for four, a gift from my parents.

Even Sissy (on right....Shadow is on the left!), our newly adopted "rescue" cat managed to come out from hiding! Tomorrow we head north to Slippery Rock, PA to visit my parents and youngest sister Sonya for a New Year's Eve celebration...and to root The Ohio State University football team in its Rose Bowl appearance! Go Bucks!

Oregon

2009-11-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

(Above: Me sunning on a sand dune! Click on any image in this blog post to enlarge.)

Over Halloween weekend Steve and I went to Oregon. (Steve is a genius with on-line airline arrangements and managed to cash in a "companion ticket".....basically, a free flight for me....when booking an incredibly good deal for himself.) We went to see a new part of the country....to relax....to explore....to take photos....drive through Redwood forests....play in the sand....and visit a few cemeteries along the way. We did all this and more!

One of our first destinations was the Oregon sand dunes. We really didn't understand just how vast this area is. There are plenty of access points, parks, trails, and places to wander around in amazement. We stopped at several including the John Dellenback Trail. The photos here are all mixed up between the various locations....which doesn't really matter. Each spot was gorgeous. We didn't have time to rent an off-road vehicle....but it was a very, very tempting thing to do!

Above: We hiked along the forest trail at the John Dellenback Trail until it opened onto the acres and acres of sand. At this point, we were two full miles from the ocean beach. One could certainly get lost out here!

Above and below: More dune photos! It was hard not to snap the camera in every direction. As a matter of fact, I made a video. It isn't particularly good...but it does show a 360 degree view from a single vantage point.

The landscape looks almost like an alien planet....changing from mountains of clean sand to patches of wild brush.

The weather couldn't have been more beautiful.

Above: Steve on one of the sand dunes.

Above: The perfect day.....almost an abstract composition!

Above: Steve and the sand dunes.

Above: I couldn't resist....and made a "sand angel". Of course, this might have been when sand got in my camera. I've had difficulties getting the lens to expand and contract correctly and the shutters don't always open completely.....but it was worth it!

Above: Steve is about to climb this "sand mountain". My footprints are showing him the way!

Above: Steve is trying to climb up beside my tracks!

Above: Steve has "made it"....our tracks are behind him!

Above: Our nearly parallel tracks up the "sand mountain".

Above: If you look at the "sand mountain"....which in reality is more like a "hill"....center and slightly to the left.....you'll see our nearly parallel tracks! This place is huge!

Steve took photos of me....and....

....I took photos of him! I love the one above and might get it printed as a "real photo"!

Putting Steve into pictures really helped with the sense of perspective!

After exploring the dunes, we headed to a quaint cabin at Ireland's Rustic Inn in Gold Beach, Oregon.

Above is a view of our cabin....totally cute....everything was vintage Americana and it came with kindling and logs for the fireplace too!

Above: Me in bed!

We a fabulous dinner in a nearby restaurant. I ate skate....yes, like a sting ray! It was delicious...reminded me of scallops, which I love!

Ireland's Rustic Inn also has a beach side "spa" area with outdoor hot tubs. This is a hideous photo.....but....exactly what one would expect of a snap shot taken literally at arm's length with a flash going off directly into ones' faces! We might "look" terrible....but we had a blast!

Gold Beach has a nice, little, historic cemetery....called Pioneer Cemetery. I scribbled down several epitaphs and took some photos. Then, we headed down the southern Oregon coast.

The Oregon coast includes lighthouses....

...and jetties....

...and picture perfect rocky coastlines and inlets.

It was glorious.....yes, that's our shadows on the beach below!

For Halloween night, Steve booked a tree house at Out 'n' About Treesort outside Cave Junction. It was hilariously fun to stay in such a unique place.

We walked on all the rope bridges...some over 30 feet in the air. I took another video....this one with Steve on a rope bridge. Like the other video, it's not particularly "great"....but short and gives a sense of this unique place.

We stayed in the Peacock Roost which just happened to be the oldest of the tree houses.

It was a perfect place for Halloween night. I also tried out the rope swing. Steve took a video....which is better than my other videos.....of me on the swing!

That night we had local microbrews and pizza. It was fantastic!

While at the Treesort, I learned that there was an even older, historic cemetery in the former town of Waldo. Waldo was a gold mining town that went "belly up" years ago. In attempts to find any remaining gold dust, people literally took the town apart over the years. Now, there's nothing left....and I mean NOTHING....except the tiny cemetery. One of the nice people, the arborist at the Treesort, knew how to find this cemetery...."Turn left off the road by the gravel pit, take the center trail, go past the patch of trees and around the bend and over the hill....." There was no way to get there....until he took us!

The cemetery was there....in the middle of NOWHERE....and yet someone tended most of the graves. There were flowers on most of the markers. Crayons were placed on the sites that had been for infants and young children. Someone was still watching, caring, and coming. Someone remembered. I found this place quite special.

From Cave Junction, we made a trip to the Oregon National Caves Park. The tour was fantastic. We even saw a few little bats and spiders....coming inside for the winter.

Above: Crater Lake....a crystal clear view, six miles across on a most beautiful day!

On our last day in Oregon, we drove to Crater Lake National Park. There is nothing to prepare oneself for the natural beauty of this amazing place. The road just winds through the forest, ever climbing. The vegetation thins out to roughed trees. There are no quick glances out the car window....no "peeks" through the trees with a glimpse of the lake. Then you arrive. The view hits with its full impact. Our jaws dropped. This is truly one of the most magnificent places on earth.

Above: The water is amazing. This is a view down the steep, interior cliffs of Crater Lake's rim...directly into the calm azure water....with a reflection of the blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. We couldn't take a bad picture in any direction.

Above: This is a view to the northern rim with its steep slopes reflecting in the water.

Above: We walked away from the visitor's center for this spectacular view. We took another video....nothing really does this place justice though!

Above: Wizard Island. Crater Lake was formed after this still active volcano erupted, blew off it's "cap", and the "crater" was filled with rain water over thousands of years. Of course, the volcano continued to erupt (and will eventually do it again....but no time soon). These eruptions formed Wizard Island....which naturally looks like a little volcano surrounded by water.

The drive back to the Portland Airport took us through beautiful forests with spectacular views....like this one of Mount Thielson. The trip was magical.

Laura-Jane and her car!

2009-11-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

Laura-Jane behind the wheel.....yes, the wheel is on the right! This is ENGLAND afterall!

(Above and below: Laura-Jane and her first car!

The last time Steve and I went to England we took lots of photos. At about that time I started getting behind in my blog posting. I just realized that I never posted the pictures of Laura-Jane and her first car! So....here they are. Mathias is learning to drive....using a driver's education service. Eventually, they'll both be able to drive this cute vehicle!

Two Special Photos

2009-08-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

Recently Steve and I have been scanning old family photos and creating a digital file of images as well as a file of word documents....one per image....so that information can be added about the people, places, dates, and occasions captured. Two of the photos were larger than our scanner and in frames. Yesterday I did some "copy stand" work, including these two photos.

Above is my grandma and grandpa Baker's wedding day! Below is the only known photo of the log home in Wolf Creek, West Virginia (I think). It is hand tinted. My mother's family still living in this area would very much like to see this photo. I have a very, very large digital file of it from which full sized color copies can be made. (Click on images to enlarge.....though only to the size of the average computer screen....not quite big enough for a good photo print! If the larger file is needed, just email me!)

2009-08-03T20:28:00.000-07:00

(Above: Aunt Janet and Uncle Howard. Click on image to enlarge.....and these are LARGE photos meant for family members to save to their computers as printable files.)

When Steve and I visited my parents in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, we found a box with old family photos in it. It is only one of several boxes that belonged to Grandma Baker. Many of the photos came from her mother, "Mom". We asked to take just the one box back to Columbia, South Carolina....to scan the images and create word documents for each photos so that additional information can easily be added.

(Above: I think this is my Mom and some guy at Disneyland. They went for the Rose Bowl, January 1958. Ohio State was playing and Mom was a student. They went by train. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: This is a hand-tinted sepia toned photograph of my mom and her brother, my uncle Larry. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: This is another hand tinted, sepia toned photograph of Linda and Larry. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: This is Aunt Janet. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: Erica and Sonya. The box is full of a seemingly random assortment of images. One photo captures a baby in the first decade of the twentieth century, the next is a group of men during World War II, and then the third is like this one....my younger sisters! This is was taken somewhere around1969. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: Max Emil Oswald, aka "Pop". This is one of the photos that looks much, much better after a few minor digital adjustments with Photoshop. The image was restored to a darker resolution with higher contrast. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: This is my Grandpa Baker....as a very, very young man! Connel Ashmore Baker, Jr. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: This is another, earlier photo of "Pop", Max Oswald. The photo must date to the 1880s or 90s. It appears to have been taken with a pin hole camera. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: Here's another of Connel Baker, Jr. as a baby! I think the date must have been 1918 or even 1917. Click on image to enlarge.)

There are dozens of other photos....too many to post and several are unidentified. Still, I chatted with my sister Wanda through an Internet instant messenger program earlier today. I promised to share some of the picture as soon as possible....so here's the tip of the iceberg!

Our Trip to England!

2009-07-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

(Above: Mathias and Laura-Jane as gypsies from Act II of Two Pigeons. Click on image to enlarge. In fact.....all the photos can be enlarged! Just click!)

Below....in no particular (chronological) order is my recap of our trip to England.

(Above: Shadow wanted to come with us....or at least she tried to get packed into my suitcase! She stayed at home with my artistic mentor, Stephen Chesley, looking in on her!)

Steve and I had a great time last week in England. We stayed in a totally furnished, two-bedroom apartment situated directly beside the Lowry Theater....where Birmingham Royal Ballet was performing all week. Mathias and Laura-Jane shared the ideal location with us. The small balcony overlooked the quay area of Salford, just on the outskirts of Manchester....with the impressive Manchester United Football Club stadium dominating the view. (That's "football" in the UK.....known as soccer here in the USA!)

(Above: The tall building is the one in which our apartment was located. The other building is the massive Lowry Theatre complex. Below: Old Trafford, the Manchester United Football Club stadium.)

Steve and I explored the area, almost got into Old Trafford, picked flowers and watched the fish and birds in the quays....including a blue heron!

(Above: The ferris wheel in Manchester....not as large as London's Eye but truly a unique addition to the mix of old and new buildings).

We ventured into Manchester on several occasions, visiting the John Rylands Library, St. Ann's Church, St. Mary's Church (known as the "Hidden Gem"....and it was spectacular), and the downtown area with its ferris wheel and nearby quaint pubs located beside ultra modern office buildings. We also went into the Manchester Cathedral.

(Above: Manchester Cathedral. Below: Interior of the Cathedral.....with fifty florists setting up for a weekend event. We didn't return but it must have been beautiful. While there, I wrote down a few epitaphs, admired the carved misericords, took photos of the brass grave markers, and enjoyed the floral fragrance.)

On another day we went to the canal area and visited the Museum of Science and Industry. We'd been there before but it is such a large complex that we had to return. This time we were able to ride the 1830s replica train. It was so much fun!

(Above: The canal area of Manchester....near Roman ruins and lots of former warehouses that now are chic apartment buildings. Below: The train at the Museum of Science and Industry.)

Steve and I found a great grocery store at the end of the Metrolink line in a small town called Eccles. Of course, we explored the town before buying food....and found St. Mary the Virgin Parish Church. The hours were very limited but the garden surrounding the structure was very promising! There was a few flat gravemarkers with dates from the mid-17th century. So....we had to return when the place was open. It serves tea twice week....as if a regular cafe....full of people sipping the gossiping.

Inside we found a stained glass window donated by the Mayo family. From Eccles, this family went to America and founded a medical clinic! There was also a display area that documented the church's 800 year history. It had lots of late 19th c. and 20th c. black-and-white photographs. Many of the pictures showed the church surrounded by a large cemetery full of gravestones.

Finally an elderly lady noticed us and asked if we were looking for deceased family members. I told her about my grave rubbing quilts and said I was collecting epitaphs for another art project. I asked where all the gravestones in the photos had gone. She explained that the place smelled so badly that the congregation was forced to cement over the entire area and put in the sod for the current garden. (This happened in the 1960s). She had been on the volunteer committee that documented the graves. The record was in the Manchester Library.

(Above: Detail of one of the gravestones behind the sanctuary in Eccles.)

Steve and I thanked her and then went outside to the back of the church where five or six gravestones abutting the building were still above ground.....the ones with the mid 17th c. dates. I started making my rubbings. Steve looked around and noticed that the garden had to be a popular night time spot.....the bushes were full of cigarette butts, empty beer containers and used condoms. Thus, it didn't surprise us when two cops showed up. I thought I'd get into trouble....but NO! The two officers were quite impressed, helped, and insisted that I make a rubbing of the Celtic design on a nearby cross (that I really didn't want....but they were cops...so I obeyed!)

Steve and I went to Chester on another day. Although I'd been to Chester, Steve hadn't. I knew the Cathedral had great epitaphs. I scribbled down dozens. We got another rubbings from a gravestone outside.....just one word: "Sacred".....but the size is quite large and the script is quite elegant.

(Above: The main street and square in Chester as seen from the second floor of "The Rows". Chester is known for the connected balconies. One can walk the entire length of the pedestrian only old town streets but on the second story....balcony to balcony. Steve and I had lunch in a restaurant with seating in this area....in fact....its in the photo...the corner building on the left...above the sign reading "Samuels"...which you can see if you enlarge the photo.)

Chester's ancient wall has been restored. It is wonderful. The views are great. The photo above was taken from the wall....through the wrought iron gate.

The architecture in Chester is fantastic. In fact, I love the buildings all over England because of the blend of styles.

I adore the details....like these chimneys.

I adore the textures, colors, and materials.....in both public structures and private residencies. New mixes with the old. Function is often decorative. Everywhere I looked could have been a photograph....and I snapped a lot of them!

I don't know if the glass in these two windows is really old or newly made artisan's work. Whatever it is, it was beautiful and caught reflected light magnificently.

There are so many interesting things to look at in Chester.....like this round-about, the bright red telephone booth, and the compact utility vans (Steve REALLY wants one!) Chester was my idea of a perfect day....and it was perfect.

Steve's idea for a perfect day was Liverpool. Steve has been wanting to go to Liverpool for two years....the home of the Beatles, the famous shipping port, and the place where the "ferry crosses the Mersey". At this point, you ought to be humming the 1964 oldies song....."Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" by Gerry and the Pacemakers. Steve would be singing! I would be rolling my eyes!

(Above: The Liver Building....architectural details of Liverpool's downtown area. Click on images to enlarge.)

The idea that we'd spent an entire day pretending it was the late 50s to early 60s did not appeal to me.....but.....then we got to Liverpool. It was glorious. Again, architectural styles blended centuries and unique decades. History was everywhere. We were surrounded by art, culture, and unique city lifestyles.

The day was mostly gray and overcast....but this afforded some spectacular view to the buildings. Just lovely.....Art Deco in Liverpool beside neo-classical buildings known by as the classical "Three Graces".

These stood beside ultra modern structures like the Radio City Tower (above) and were near pretty shopping streets leading to community churches (below).

The Cunard building was grand. Yes, Liverpool is associated with all sorts of grand shipping names....White Star, Titanic, Lusitania, the Forgotten Empress, QE I and II....and finally the Carnival Cruise Corporation.

The sea air and salt made all metal sculptures rich in verdigris...patina everywhere!

But, of course, there were Beatles....modern and edgy....or at least on the risers of this staircase. Some tours go into the former Beatles members homes. Some tours....like the amphibious ones....go from the streets directly into the Mersey River. Fortunately, Steve wasn't really interested in reliving the early years of the Fab Four or getting us drowned. He really wanted to see the Albert Docks.

The dock area had once been a seedy, dirty, working class harbor but the restoration made it a chic, sophisticated tourist destination. Construction is still being done on a new Liverpool Museum. Everything was large, accessible, and brought the city's glorious past up to its dreams for a better future.

Boats lined the neat dock area. Museums filled the vast warehouses. We spent almost all our time here.

There were big boats and little ones. Amazingly, everything was super clean....picture perfect....dark, still waters and immaculately painted boats.

One of the museums was the Tate Liverpool. We had a blast.

Another building housed the International Slavery Museum and the Maritime Museum. The exterior sign for these two was this gigantic anchor. We spent quite a lot of time here. It was very interesting to see how the English present the Triangular Trade Route....slaves for raw cotton and sugar for finished goods. Coming from South Carolina, this is a topic close to home. It was all very well done.

Of course, the Maritime Museum focused on the ports...the actual reason for the buildings in which these museums were currently located......lots of ship building, seascapes, economic facts and figures....and DEATH.....in the ocean disasters like the Titanic.

The display area included this unique builders' model, several artifact from the ocean floor, and also this life jacket and rescue boat sign. I spent as much time as I could stand. It is all so sad.

Steve and I spent so much time in the dockside museums that, alas, we missed the last "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" that had commentary. Yet, we could hear the melody of the famous song as the craft pulled away! Just try getting it out of your head!

(Above: The 3:10 Ferry 'Cross the Mersey....we just missed it!)

Since we didn't get on board the ferry, we wandered through another part of Liverpool's downtown area and came across the Grand Central. The building was great. The architecture was soaring and grand....but the inside surpassed all expectations. The interior was loosely divided into areas....like an antique mall....full of independent dealers separated by small partitions. The vendors, however, were all counter culture shops....psychedelic, vintage, hippie, rebellious and peace-loving flower children sort of cubicles. I've never seen anything quite like this in one place. It was colorful!

(Above: Grand Central exterior. Below: Grand Central interior.)

I generally look for unique signs while abroad....and the one below was the best on this trip.

Of course....the "runner-up" sign is the one below!

Finally, Steve and I went to the Walker Gallery in Liverpool. There we enjoyed the Cecil Beaton photography exhibition, saw many original pre-Raphelite works, and quite unexpectedly the Henry Holiday painting of Dante and Beatrice. We have a late 19th century engraving of this painting in our bedroom!

The sculpture area was delightful. I love photographing sculpture....as models, the figures are always perfectly still! Since I'm "into" wings and all things "angelic", the place was great!

Okay....so why did we go to England....BALLET, of course! We saw two performance...twice each. The first was a triple bill: Galanteries; The Dance House; and The Dream.

Galanteries was a David Bintley (Artistic Director of BRB) work set to Mozart. It was quite lovely....but it didn't include Mathias or Laura-Jane.....so.....on to The Dance House. This was also a David Bintley piece inspired by a former friend/dancer named Nick who died of Aids. The music was Shostkovich. The central figure was "death" who flirted and touched the lives of the others. Mathias and soloist Laetitia Lo Sardo had a breath-taking duet....in rainbow colored outfits....and then joined the others in a "dance to the end". Laura-Jane was also in this piece.

The final production of the season was called "Sir Fred and Mr. B". The program featured Mozartiana by Balanchine (which didn't included Mathias and Laura-Jane) and The Two Pigeons by Frederick Ashton to the music of Ndre Messager as adapted by John Lanchbery. This was a two-act ballet. The young couple is visited by a band of gypsies. The young man is infatiguated by a gyspy siren and leaves his true love behind. Of course....things go badly. The gypsy girl is just a flirt; she has another lover. The young man is a fool, beaten, and returns to beg forgiveness. The final scene is touching....because forgiveness isn't immediate. The young girl was devastated, heart-sick, and needs a full pas de deux for a reunion. Actual doves are included in the performance. When the final dove returns, tears flow. It is beautiful.

Well, Mathias and Laura-Jane are among the gyspies. In fact, they even danced together. It was fantastic to watch. It was also great to learn about the body make-up that had to be applied to prevent the lights from washing the skin tones away.

Above and below: Mathias and his friend Yasuo Atsuji. Yasuo is from Japan. Mathias will be going with him to guest dance in Japan for ten days.

There was also a company party to mark the end of the season. The photos below were after all the body make-up went down the drain and before the party started.

Yet, the most important part of the trip was undoubtedly the opportunity to meet Laura-Jane's parents. They drove in from Scotland and watched both performances on Saturday. We went to dinner between the shows. They are great! We had a fantastic dinner. We all stayed in the apartment that last night. On Sunday morning Mathias, Laura-Jane, and her parents headed back north. They went via the grandparents....where Laura-Jane took possession of her new car! Mathias is actually learning to drive as well.....through an agency. He's had three lessons so far....with a stick shift! Summer promises to be glorious! The season starts again at the end of August. Hopefully, we'll be traveling for more shows!

I'm FIFTY!

2009-06-25T06:26:00.001-07:00

Although I've been claiming to be 50 for over a year and a half, yesterday officially marked the occasion! Steve and I went to dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant called Rosso where the wine list is superb and the food more than delicious. My sister Sonya and Vipin sent this floral cake...which our cat Shadow would very much like to eat. I got some stitching and art paperwork accomplished and am looking forward to this Sunday when we leave for Manchester, England to see Mathias and Laura-Jane in the Birmingham Royal Ballet productions. Best of all, it looks like I'm finally going to meet Laura-Jane's parents! Steve has met on another trip but I wasn't along that time.

Family friend....from the past!

2009-06-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

(Above: Steve with Maria Giomi)

Steve and I generally attend the monthly Vista Guild meetings. The Vista Guild is the neighborhood association for part of downtown Columbia, South Carolina. I am the liaison for Gallery 80808/Vista Studios. Steve is the liaison for CMFA (Columbia Music Festival Association). There's generally a meeting featuring an upcoming event or topic of local interest. There's always familiar faces and new people to meet.

Yesterday was the June meeting and we ran into Maria Giomi, Director of Sales for the brand new SpringHill Suites by Marriott at 511 Lady Street. The last time we say Maria.....well....she was in the sixth grade at St. Peter's Catholic School. She volunteered to sponsor our elder son Mathias at his confirmation! In a sense, her was his Godmother! It is simply shocking that so much time has past.

Our Trip to London!

2009-05-03T08:08:00.001-07:00

(Above: The London Eye and the former County Hall....currently a retail complex that included our hotel, the County Hall Marriott. Click on image to enlarge.)

Spring is a busy season in the arts scene in Columbia. I've been trying to keep up...but blogging has gotten away from me a bit. This post probably should have been done two weeks ago. I knew if it didn't get posted now, I'd never catch up because Steve and I are actually headed on another adventure next weekend...going to San Francisco to research cemeteries for my Grave Rubbing Quilt and Epitaph installation artwork.

(Above: The London Eye at night. Click on image to enlarge.)

So, here's the blog post about our trip to London.

My mother went with us to see Mathias and Laura-Jane dance at the Coliseum in two performances, a triple bill and the full length ballet Sylvia. My mother's generous offer to put "reward points" toward our hotel stay meant we were living high at the County Hall Marriott....in a suite....right beside the famous London Eye. It was amazing. Check out the video of our accommodations here!

Intelligently, my Mom wrote down everything we did....day-by-day. I didn't. Thus, this blog entry is "in no particular order"! Let's just say: WE HAD A GREAT TIME! I'll caption the photos below...a sort of running narrative.....but maybe Mom will send me her list and I can update this!

(Above: London's architecture! Click on image to enlarge.)

One of the best things about a city like London is the mix of architectural styles from all sorts of different centuries. I found myself snapping photos of rooftops and carved friezes, domes and steeples, bridge supports and monuments...without caring about the name or function of the structure. I just liked the lines and shapes.

(Above: Barbershop sign. Below: A leaning tree. Click on images to enlarge.)

I also love the signs in England.

Fortunately the weather was very, very good during the entire week. It rained only once during the day. Flowers and trees were in full blossom and we enjoyed walking along the Thames River in the Embankment Park. Among the places we visited were: St. Martin's in the Fields for a free piano concert, Trafalgar Circle, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, The Tate, and the Royal Observatory at the prime meridian, and Covent Garden. We saw the changing of the royal horse guard, walked through Chinatown, enjoyed the view of Big Ben and the Parliament buildings (this was also the view from our suite!), and found a little cemetery outside the archbishop's palace....where I got a grave rubbing and collected some epitaphs.

One of the best days was undoubtedly the river cruise boat trip to Greenwich. The guide was hilarious and pointed out all the sights we passed. The day was beautiful. Lots of locals were out having picnics and playing with their dogs. The Royal Observatory was very, very interesting and in town there was an arts and crafts market.

(Above: Mathias and Laura-Jane on the River Cruise to Greenwich. Aren't they cute?! Click on image to enlarge.)
'
(Above: Our cruise boat trip.....upper level exposed; lower level enclosed! Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: The view from the Royal Observatory back toward London. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: The view out the window from the Royal Observatory. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: The Royal Observatory....Prime Meridian! Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: One of the antique clocks and window reflection in the Royal Observatory. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: Laura-Jane, Mathias, and Steve at Prime Meridian! Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: Mathias and Laura-Jane on the way to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, UK. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: One of the craft vendors in the market....recycled palettes as planters! Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: Detail of handmade scarves available at the crafts market in Greenwich, UK.)

Another highlight was the view from St. Paul's Cathedral dome. It really gave us a lasting impression of the city and its immense size.....so large that we'll just have to go back for more!

(Above: View from the dome toward the London Eye. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: St. Paul Cathedral's dome. Click on image to enlarge.)

Of course, the reason behind this trip was to SEE BALLET! Birmingham Royal Ballet, the company with which Mathias and Laura-Jane dance, was touring to London's Coliseum. It is a beautiful building with a gorgeous dome. One isn't suppose to take photos inside....but I manage the one of the dome....it's not like I was trying to illegally photograph the choreography or the dancing! I just LOVE buildings!

(Above: The Coliseum, London. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: The Coliseum's stained glass dome. Click on image to enlarge.)

Mathias took Steve's camera backstage and captured these casual moments in costume. They are from the ballet Sylvia. Mathias' role....well....he played the part of one of the gay guys who brings costumes to an anniversary party (Scene I). The couple "celebrating" are having serious problems in their marriage. Their servants, Sylvia and her beau, see no future in love due to their employers situation. Eros, the God of Love, is "on vacation" as the couple's gardener.

(Above: Oliver Till, Laura-Jane Gibson, and Mathias Dingman....Sylvia! Below: Laura-Jane and Mathias. Click on images to enlarge.)

The costume party serves as a device to transform an otherwise mythological ballet into a contemporary setting. Scene II has the Gods and Goddess doing their thing...with pirates, the forlorn young couple seeking one another, Eros guiding them, and grapes being stomped into wine before a happy ending that fades back to the anniversary party (Scene III) with a love potion toast to eternal happiness....and the traditional grand pas/wedding duet.

(Above and below: Kit Holder and Mathias Dingman ready for Scene I of Sylvia. Click on images to enlarge.)

As one of the gay guys who transforms into one of the barely clad peons who stomps grapes, Mathias' role is one of classic comic relief, a real crowd pleasing part, lots of complicated jumps and spins, and a curtain call that receives nearly as much applause as the lead couple. It was pure joy to watch! They obviously had fun with the photos too!

Well, below are more photos we took during the week! Enjoy!

(Above: Mom, Laura-Jane, Mathias and I waiting for the River Cruise boat. Steve is thrilled that I've included some of the photos he took while on the trip. We tease him endlessly that he's a terrible photographer! Occasionally, however, he's like the blind chicken getting a crumb....he snaps a good one or two! Click on any image to enlarge!)

(Above: Me on the boat....another good one by Steve!)

(Above: Laura-Jane and Mathias on the river cruise boat.)

(Above: Laura-Jane and Mathias in Greenwich at the Royal Observatory.)

(Above: Westminster Abbey)

(Above: The Casting Room at the V&A.)

(Above: Detail of the Tower Bridge.)

(Above: Steve and Mom on the pedestrian only Millennium Bridge.)

(Above: Steve and Mom with Big Ben and the Parliament buildings in the background.)

(Above: Interior of St. Martin's in the Fields....where we listened to an excellent piano concert.)

(Above: Mathias, Mom and Steve on the bridge with the London Eye and the County Hall building including our hotel in the background)

(Above: The London Eye.)

(Above: The Changing of the Royal Horse Guard.)

(Above: Embankment Park in full spring bloom)

(Above: Dracula paper dolls based on designs by Gorey available in the coolest vintage Toy Shop in Covent Garden.)

(Above: Pastry shop in Covent Gardens.)

(Detail of County Hall...our room was the three windows just above the facade statue in the center of the image!)

(Above: Going under London Bridge on the river cruise boat.)

(Above: Another amazing mix of architecture in the beautiful city of London

Laura-Jane turned 21!

2009-03-15T17:27:00.001-07:00

I recently joined Facebook. I still don't understand most of the features....especially options that send photos of bugs and cyber-pokes to those on one's "friend list"....but I'm happy to share one of the recently uploaded images of Mathias and Laura-Jane taken on her 21st birthday.

The morning after the party we heard from Mathias....he was "caring" for her condition! Evidently the celebration was eventful....like many 21st birthdays!

Mathias and Laura-Jane in China

2009-02-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

Well, it didn't take a year to get Mathias' photos from the recent Birmingham Royal Ballet tour to China....but....that's because I brought my laptop to England and captured these images from Mathias' computer. Okay, in exchange, I cropped/color/contrast/titled/corrected all of the images! He took hundreds.....of course....they were in CHINA after all! It was grand to browse through his pictures, listen to the stories of adventure and fun, and share in the experience. Below are the ones, mainly of the two of them. They aren't in the video created while the company went to the Great Wall of China, but it is worth a look because it really shows the camaraderie of the group and the day they spent exploring one of the wonders of the world. It is here. NOTE: ALL THESE IMAGES ARE RELATIVELY HIGH RESOLUTION. EACH ONE CAN BE CLICKED ON FOR ENLARGEMENT. (That means, Mom and Dad, that if you save the enlargement on your computer, you can send the file to Ritz Camera and have it printed as a 5" x 7" or smaller without losing any resolution!)

This is Mathias in Gaungzhou. It was the first place BRB went.

This is also in Gaungzhou, in front of the Memorial Hall.

Here's Laura-Jane in front of the Gaungzhou Memorial Hall.

This is Rory on the Great Wall of China. He's obviously from Scotland and very proud of this fact. I just can't understand why Laura-Jane didn't wear a matching costume!

Mathias on the Great Wall.

Another one of Mathias on the Great Wall.

Mathias and Laura-Jane on the Great Wall....whoever took this image almost missed them....but I guess this is understandable. The view just had to be so breathe-taking that looking at anything else might have been impossible.

Mathias and Laura-Jane resting on one of the very steep staircases. It is nice to know that ballet dancers thought that this was strenuous climbing too!

Laura-Jane on the Great Wall.

Another one of Laura-Jane on the Great Wall. I've been told that Laura-Jane's camera has more images of Mathias. I'm hoping she'll send me a few!

Mathias and Laura-Jane in front of the Pearl Market. They didn't buy anything inside. Mathias said it was too mind-boggling to even consider chosing.

This photo and the next few were taken at a posh party in the British Embassy in Beijing. Above is Mathias an Yasuo with Deliah, Laura-Jane, Laura, Yvette and Nicki. Don't they all look nice!

Above is Tyrone, Oliver, Mathias, and Yasuo.

Mathias and Rory!

Mathias, Aaron, Tom and Tyrone.

Mathias, Yasuo, and Chi.

Chi and Mathias

Laura-Jane, Mathias, Celine, and Kit.

Laura-Jane and Yasuo.

Laura-Jane and Mathias.

A whole bunch of the girls.

This is Mathias in the Forbidden City.

Another place in the Forbidden City with Mathias.

Another place in the Forbidden City with Mathias.

Mathias and Laura-Jane in the Forbidden City. They said it was very, very cold this day!

Laura-Jane in the Forbidden City.

Another place in the Forbidden City with Laura-Jane.

Laura-Jane sending greetings from the Forbidden City.

Due to her blonde hair, many Chinese people posed with her for photos. Mathias snapped this one with two little kids....as their parents were snapping their own photos.

Laura-Jane in the Forbidden City.

Mathias and Laura-Jane in the Forbidding City Garden.

The company did more than just sight-see, dance, and go to formal parties as representatives of British empire.....they also went to night-clubs like this one in Beijing.

Of course, Beijing was the site of the most recent summer Olympics and this is Mathias inside the famous "Bird's Nest" stadium.

Here he is outside the Bird's Nest.

Laura-Jane and Mathias sitting in the stands at the Bird's Nest stadium.

They also toured the swimming facilities.

One of the ballets performed in China was Romeo and Juliet. This photo is Fergus, Mathias, and Aaron dressed in their mandolin costumes for the production.

Here's Mathias and Laura-Jane, both Capulets in the production.

Here's just another nice photo of the two.

The other ballet performed in China was Beauty and the Beast. This is Laura-Jane as the Vixen and Mathias one of the "awakenings"....whatever that is!

The final image shows how the female dancers get all their pointe shoes to the touring destinations....in large bags. Laura-Jane (Gibson) put hers on the top!

LifeChance 2009

2009-01-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

(Above: Seia Rassenti and Brooklyn Mack. Below: Joseph Watson, Seia, and Brooklyn.)

On Saturday night, January 24, 2009, Steve and I went to LifeChance at the Koger Center. LifeChance is an annual evening of ballet presented by Radenko Pavlovich's Columbia Classical Ballet. The one-night only performance features invited guest dancers, the company, a silent auction, and promises some of the proceeds to a local charity. (This year the funds go to Children's Garden.)

The company performed a very nice, newly choreographed version of Rite of Spring for the first act. The intermission went by quickly. The second act was tremendous. The celebrity dancers dazzled the audience with a series of classical and modern works, including Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, and a hilarious Bumble Bee. The finale ended with a well earned standing ovation.

I used to write my totally unofficial "review"...which I never called a "review". I always wrote my impressions. As a result, I've received some very, very nasty blog comments. (Most have been deleted....too foul to allow public viewing. Click here to see one remaining, earlier post....and the comments). One person very close to the artistic director has gone so far as to throw sarcasitic comments at me...in person....in front of others....just trying to embarrass me. Yet, I'm hardly embarrassed; I've only ever spoken the truth.

As a result, I resolved never to write about ballet in Columbia again. (I'm only writing this because Steve mention a "possible review" on his blog!) Afterall, my personal blog posts still appear on the first page when googling Columbia Classical Ballet company or its artistic director. These posts are two years old....pathetic! If these people can't handle the impressions of a mere ticket holder, fine! I don't have to bother writing about it. These people aren't that important. As far as I'm concerned, Google search engines prove it.

Of course, this time it is a shame that I'm not writing. The production was excellent; but, I'll say no more. I won't cite the individuals and their efforts. Why bother?

What is important to me about Saturday night is that Steve and I brought Seia Rassenti and her boyfriend Joseph Watson, two dancers from North Carolina Dance Theater, to the show. Seia graduated from the Kirov with Mathias. She hadn't seen Brooklyn Mack since he graduated two years earlier. There were hugs all around and I got to be an excited fan with a camera...asking them to pose outside the green room. It was a wonderful way to end a great evening of dance.

CYBER FYBER Weekend photos

2009-01-26T12:47:00.000-08:00

(Above: Sonya and Steve in front of a wall of fiber postcards at CYBER FYBER. Click on any image to enlarge.)

There's no way to cover January on my blogs at this point. CYBER FYBER consumed the month. From Christmas until the opening we were obsessed with the preparations. From January 8 - 20 I was totally busy with the exhibition and all its associated events. Since then, Steve and I have been swamped with the finishing work....dismantling the show, mailing packages across the globe, filing end-of-funding paperwork, and trying to piece together all the Mouse House work and everything else that had been neglected earlier.

(Above: Sandi and Pat Parise with me at the opening reception.)

Fortunately I was able to share these exciting weeks with my mother and sister Sonya who came from Pennsylvania. My sister Wanda was with us in spirit, through daily email messages and blog comments, and through the Decision Portrait I stitched of her.

(Above and below: Sonya and I posing with the portrait of Wanda.....Why two photos....well, we had two cameras!)

One of most amazingly special things that happened during the reception was Alex and Erica's arrival. Estranged from us but informed of the special day, Alex even dressed up for the occasion.

(Above and below: Erica and Alex. Why two photos....well, we had two cameras and absolutely no idea when any of us might see Alex again.....definitely two photos!)

For some reason there just aren't many photos of my mother. I guess that's because she was one of the people with a camera! She took some great shots. Sonya took most of the other photos during the reception. All these images were used in creating a video of that evening. Mom is always really, really helpful....just see below!

(Above: Mom and Sonya arrive early for the reception....bringing a much needed trash can!)

My cousin Joann's daughter Jamie also came for the reception. We all went out for dinner the next night too. Jamie's boyfriend took the image above. My mom took the one below.

The reception food was a visual delight. My dear friend Suzy Sheffield catered the event. The spread was a work of art in itself. Later Suzy said the bed of parsley went to feed animals!

Below is the only photo of Mom, me, and Sonya together....but we all look happy....so it's just fine that it's the only one! Behind us are more of the CYBER FYBER postcards.

I was totally thrilled to meet Jill Rumoshosky Werner who came from Kansas for the show. I've admired her work for a long time. Her conceptual approach to making art has been quite an inspiration. She challenges me to THINK before I just jump into stitching and this has helped me tremendously....in ways I'm still discovering!

(Above: Me talking to the incredibly gifted art quilter Jill Rumoshosky Werner.)

By the end of the evening we were all getting a little giddy....tired....and full of outright laughter. Above is a photo of the local arts reporter for The State newspaper, Jeffrey Day, myself, and my friend Denise....all sporting our unique leg wear!

Finally, the "Eight-Hour Only/Four Inch Heeled" shoes had to be retired in favor of my soft, felt house slippers. Well....these really aren't HOUSE slippers anymore. Mathias and Laura-Jane got me a new, hot pink and fuchsia pair for Christmas. These older slippers are now my STUDIO slippers!

The next day was FIBER DAY at CYBER FYBER. Creative Sewing came from West Columbia with all sorts of complicated machines and also the newest Embellisher model. The Embellisher really isn't a machine at all. Machines are suppose to be serious, solid, highly functional, industrial, and all sorts of other useful descriptions. The embellisher is hardly a machine in those words. It's a toy. It is full delight, whimsical, light-weight, fun, and does absolutely nothing necessary. One is suppose to PLAY with it. The new models have 12 barbed needles to mesh together raw fibers and most materials.

These photos are of Sonya trying out the new Embellisher. I hope she remembers what she learned....as if it was difficult!....because Mom bought two models. One is for Sonya. One is for me. Mom now has my older embellisher. I feel like I've hit cloud nine and I can't wait to see what Sonya and mom produce! Thank you Mom! I LOVE IT!

Photos from Japan

2008-12-29T13:48:00.000-08:00

(Click on any image to enlarge. Above: Mathias at Christmastime, 2008. He's working on the photos he took while BRB toured Japan almost a year ago!)

Okay....these aren't exactly new pictures. Mathias went to Japan last January (2008) with Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB). He took all sorts of photos but never downloaded them. He meant to bring his quite full "chip" home last summer but forgot. So almost a year passed. He had decided to "do something" with these pictures while here in Columbia because our computer has Photoshop.

During his Christmas break he color/contrast corrected them, titled them, made folders for them, copied them onto a CD for his computer back in England....and left the files on my computer to share on this blog. The photo above is of Mathias....working on his Japan pictures. I think the main reason he finally did this was because BRB is going to CHINA this January. He finally needed his camera's "chip" cleared for more photos. Hopefully, it won't be another year before I get to see these pictures!

I have put a title to most of these images....according to the titles Mathias used. It isn't as if Steve or I actually know most of these dancers! Yet, we remember fondly all the worrying we did when Mathias first moved to England. We fretted that he didn't have any friends. We agonized over the relationship he had with a Kirov Academy dancer...one we knew would fail and leave Mathias heart-sick. Yet, all our fears are put to rest with these fantastic photos of a foreign tour shared with close friends and a new constant companion known as Laura Jane!

We're madly in love with Laura Jane. She makes Mathias happy. I haven't met her family but Steve has. He adores them. Even without an introduction, I share the feeling.....after all, they seem to love, accept, and care about Mathias. What more could I ask!

So....here they are! Mathias and Laura Jane....at some very, very fancy party held last January for BRB while they toured Japan. They all look so lovely....and took a lot of photos....even more than I could post! I know that Mathias bought a new suit (Laura-Jane's selection!) for the trip to China. Hopefully, within a year we'll have images to share of the gala dinners and other engagements these talented dancers will attend in their best dress!

Below...in no particular order...just whatever Blogger uploaded first....are some of Mathias' photos from Japan! All images can be "clicked on" for enlargement!

(Above: Party...Vicki and Mathias)

(Above: Party....Yasuo and Mathias)

(Above: Party....Val and Mathias.)

(Above: Party...."My Table")

(Party....Ty, Ambra, and Mathias)

(Party....Nao and Mathias)

(Party....Laura-Jane, Koske, and Mathias)

(Party....Lei and Mathias)

(Party....Johnny and Mathias)

(Party....Jamie and Mathias)

(Party....Iain and Mathias)

(Party....Dom and Mathias)

(Party: Chris and Mathias)

(Party....Chi and Mathias)

(Party....Celine and Mathias)

(Party....Aaron, Sonia, and Mathias)

(Above: Yasuo and Mathias with Noodles)

(Above: Laura Jane, Mathias and "food".)

(Above: Mathias being silly....by the way....I taught him how to cross one eye at a time!)

(Above: Mathias called this photo "Friends" but went on to add: Jamie, Jenna, Nat, Ty, and Me.)

(Above: This is another photos called "Friends" that continued with "Jamie, Jenna, Nat and Me".)

(Above: This photo is called "Chris and I in Tokyo"....I think Mathias said this was part of the city completely devoted to technology....every Internet/camera/phone/printer/high-tech need imaginable within a few couple to the left, right, and up and down!)

Above: Mathias called this one "Chi and me"

Above: Mathias called this one "Bob, Goose, and Me". I have not idea what kind of a name "Goose" is!

Above: Aaron and Mathias

Above: "Olie, Furg, Sam, and I"

Now....here we go sight-seeing. Yes, of course, as the daughter of world travelers who escorted students since 1964 on college accredited trips, I taught Mathias how to navigate bus/train/airport schedules and gave him a particular "gene" that forces Michelin guide books and an absolute need to seek out cultural experiences....so....here are some of Mathias photos:

Above: This one is called "Kamakura, Me and Buddha"

This one is called "Kamafura: Laura Jane and I and a Really Big Buddha"

Here is: Kamafura, Funny Buddha and Me

Above: Nikko, Me and a Temple

Above: Nikko, Laura Jane

Above: Nikko, Laura Jane, Me, and another Temple

Above: Nikko, Laura Jane and some buildings

Above" Nikko: Buildings and Me

Above: Nikko: More buildings and me

Nikko: Yet more buildings and Me

Above: Nikko, Mathias and a Red Man

Okay...in Mathias' defense, he took scores of other photos....all very well composed and perfectly lit! They are very interesting and include lots of architectural and artistic details. He paid attention to the landscape, cityscape, people, and atmospheric conditions. He shot images of fast trains, paper prayers waving in the wind, and natural plant life. I didn't upload any of these photos....just the ones in which Mathias was featured! I'm hoping to do the same for the images he will soon be taking in China. As I type, he and the rest of BRB's company are in the air winging their way across the globe to theaters where they will undoubtedly impress!

Mathias' First Christmas Tree!

2008-11-24T18:51:00.000-08:00

(Click on image above to enlarge.)

Today Laura Jane and Mathias sent us a photo via his Internet connected cell phone. We were thrilled....and nostalgic. Years and years ago Steve and I collected all our nickles and dimes and bought our first Christmas tree. It was about three feet tall. We decorated it with artificial flowers that were on sale...ten stems for a dollar! From that holiday on, we've been collecting Christmas ornaments. There's no way our memories, however, can match the picture above! Steve can hardly wait to visit Birmingham for Nutcracker!

Raising the Barre...article in Lake Murray Magazine

2008-11-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

(Click on any image to enlarge. Above is one of the photos from the article. It is my personal favorite of Mathias dancing. It was shot by Jonas Lvndquist at the IBC Helsinki competition in 2005. Mathias had just turned seventeen. The piece is called "Hunter".)

While Mathias was visiting over the summer, my friend Cindi Boiter contacted him for an interview. She was compiling information for a November article in Lake Murray Magazine. (Cindi is also writing for CYBER FYBER and is a six-time winner of the South Carolina Fiction Project, most recently for her short story, Shoes.)

Well, the article just hit the stands! Of course we'll thrilled and looking for additional copies....but....click any of these images. Each one will enlarge enough to read and enjoy the photos! Thank you Cindi! Thank you Kristine Hartvigsen, the editor, who actually snapped one of my favorite photos of Mathias dancing. He was only eleven then!

Concerto in Birmingham

2008-10-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

While at the MacNamara Foundation on Westport Island, Maine, I've missed at least three telephone calls from Mathias. Cell phone connections are spotty in this remote location and mine wasn't programmed to dial England....until just the other day! So, I finally got to talk to Mathias....and scold him for not sending me any photos. He has a brand new iPhone. He could send me a photo every once in a while. He laughed, of course, but did send the image above. It is of Laura-Jane and him in Concerto, one of the ballets currently being performed in Birmingham. Don't they look cheery in bright yellow!

Mathias and Laura-Jane's apartment

2008-09-14T17:16:00.001-07:00

(Click on images to enlarge!)

Mathias and Laura-Jane have moved into together. The apartment is located on Paradise Lane....how utterly appropriate. Mathias also has a new phone. The old one accidentally got laundered several months ago. He got one of the new iPhones...which means he has Internet access! He can send and check emails! Today he even sent us these two phones of the new flat! Yes...this is life on Paradise Lane!

Laura-Jane Visits the USA

2008-08-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Birmingham Royal Ballet has a nice, long summer break which means Mathias is here in the USA for about a month. It also meant that there was time for Laura-Jane to visit without cheating her family out of time with her too. So, Laura-Jane came for about ten days. She flew into Dulles Airport, just outside Washington, DC. This allowed Mathias to take her to the Kirov Academy of Ballet, his old school, and introduce her to his Anatoli Kuchkeruk, his mentor and teacher. From there, Steve (the driver!) went further north....to Lenzelhof, my parent's lakeside cabin. Above is a view of beautiful Lake Linda. Below, Steve and my Dad have a motor...

....but Mathias and Laura-Jane has two oars. Everyone had a blast.

It was a whirlwind of a visit...just twenty-four hours! Then they headed to South Carolina via Foamhenge in Virginia. This hilarious tourist attraction is quite near Natural Bridge....but there's nothing natural about Foamhenge. Laura-Jane has never actually been to Stonehenge....do you think this is a good substitute?! (It is built to scale!)

There's also this strange Merlin sculpture at Foamhenge.

Not to be outdone by the natural beauty of Lake Linda, Mathias decided to show Laura-Jane the river near our house. They took the kayaks to Saluda Shoals park for a hot afternoon.

We forgot to take any photos when visiting the Pickens County Museum of Art and History. I was thrilled, however, to show off my solo exhibition "Blues Chapel" to the two. Then, the last full day Laura-Jane had was spent in Charleston. They enjoyed about twenty minutes on the beach before a storm blew in....but the winds made the boogie-boarding excellent....and they didn't have enough time to get sunburned.

(Above: Laura-Jane and Mathias at the battery in Charleston.)

On one of the days in Columbia, Mathias took Laura-Jane to the State Museum where they had fun posing with some of the displays.

We've heard from Laura-Jane. She arrived home safely. We hope the rest of her summer goes well....and we'll miss her.