Winter Musings

Posted on February 21, 2022 by cecelia

It’s that time of year in N. Texas when “iffy” is the operative word. Late winter means the days are getting longer but the temperature can go from 20’s one day (O.K., several days) to 65 the next. Brilliant sunshine, blue skies, then thunderstorms, hail, “wintry mix” (that means freezing rain, maybe snow). I kid you not. February seems to be the “it” month. February 2021 had 139 hours of below freezing temperature. We Texans are not cut out for that sort of thing. This February we had only 48 hours of “freeze.” Fingers crossed that will be it. The daffodils are popping up, a good sign.

During my “hunker down” days I thought about all the fun road trips my best friend, SF, and I took during our almost 59 years of marriage. Of the many stops we made while passing through small town(s) U.S.A. the fun and memorable ones were often at country cafes, roadside luncheonettes, gas station bar-b-q’s and soda fountains at the back (or front) of “emporiums.”

So, here’s to those special places where there’s always a “howdy” welcome and a slice of homemade pie or ice cream soda, sometimes both. If you are SF a chocolate ice cream sundae will do just fine.

Enjoy the ride unless you’re skiing.

St. Jo, TX

Clines Corners, NM

Homer, AK

Round Top, TX

Bells, TX

Canton, TX

Somewhere in OK

Minturn, CO

Eagle, CO

Redstone, CO

Marble, CO

Steamboat Springs, CO

Jefferson, TX

Hico, TX

P.S. SF is Stanley Feld (which you probably guessed) for whom there can never be enough chocolate ice cream.

JOY

Posted on August 27, 2020 by cecelia

I’ve been thinking about the meaning of the word joy and how to find it and embrace it in this off-kilter time, the year 2020.

I have come upon scenes of joy in so many places all around the world. I explored my archives and found images of people and places that caught my attention for their expression of joy. Often, something in a place that made me smile. People, young and old, near and far, anytime, anywhere doing something that makes them happy. Smiles. Joy!

Here is what I found.

Eat Dessert First

CU Boulder

Feld Days Spring Creek E.S.

Vietnam

Japan

Chile

Buenos Aires, Arg.

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

A Must Have, NYC

Music In The Subway, NYC

Boston

Redstone, CO

Music at the Met, NYC

An Unexpected Pleasure, NYC

Ljubljana

So Many To Choose, Ljubljana

Beaver Creek, Co

Cinque Terre, Italy

What a Ride, Cinque Terre, Italy

Travel and photography are experiences that bring me joy. Another, which occupies more of my time, especially during these months of isolation, is working in my studio. It is the joy of discovery working with familiar or unfamiliar materials. The what-ifs, maybes and perhaps. Keep this, change that, see what happens. The road to discovery can be straight-ahead or long and winding. Minutes, hours, days, or weeks. No matter. I sink down into the work at hand and emerge at some point thinking “finished” or “unfinished.” That’s it. Next.

My Studio

Outside my studio is the natural beauty of my farm in North Texas. It exerts its special brand of calmness on me and brings me huge amounts of joy. A special part is the Tally-Ho Trail, named by my granddaughter when she was young. It meanders through the woods, gently rising and falling, twisting and turning, following the creek. It’s not Colorado, but it’s our little piece of heaven in Texas. I’ll be on it as soon as it cools off. Summer does seem to last forever here.

Tally Ho Trail

Joy can be a small thing or a big thing. If we open our hearts to the possibility of giving and receiving JOY who knows what might happen?

Life Is Art

The Emerald Isle

Posted on October 16, 2019 by cecelia

Ireland is, indeed, the emerald isle, as in green, lots of it. Rain will do that. We might have had a bit of Irish luck with us as hubby, Stan, was born on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17^th). On our two weeks tripping around Ireland (the Republic of) with Odysseys Unlimited we had mostly sunny days. It was a gift, since we spent much of our time outdoors.

We covered a lot of territory, starting and ending in Dublin. From Dublin we went due west to Galway, explored the rugged Connemara region, then grabbed a ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Back on land we rode along the coastline to Killarney through the Burren, an area of spectacular scenery. We made our way around the Ring of Kerry in the southern part of Ireland and up to Kilkenny, our last stop before heading back to Dublin.

It’s a country rich in tradition with proud people who have experienced great hardship through the centuries. We saw a lot, did a lot and spoke to a number of people to get a sense of what their lives are like today. Today’s Ireland is very different from the Ireland of our first trip many years ago. The following impressions just skim the surface of our trip.

If you think there are a lot of pubs in Ireland, you’re right! I won’t say the Irish drink morning, noon and night, but they certainly like their pint(s) at noon and night. The pub is a gathering place rain or shine. Music makes for a jolly, good time.

Dublin

This bride and her bridesmaids (the “hens’) were celebrating the upcoming wedding in great form.

Dublin

We weren’t the only ones at lunch in Murphy’s Bar on the Ring of Kerry. These wedding guests were enjoying themselves at a pre-wedding celebration. I especially liked the woman wearing a hat.

Portmagee

More towns, more pubs.

Killarney

Kilkenny

This pub was ready for anyone who wanted a glass of Irish Coffee (watched over by Jack and Jackie).

Portmagee

Serendipitous moments come to those who walk a city (us). A shopping arcade with an installation of colorful umbrellas was the perfect sight on a sunny day.

Kilkenny

Here are a few more “moments.”

A mural on a hotel façade.

Dublin

A lone walker on a narrow side street.

Kilkenny

An extraordinary installation across two buildings in a passageway in Dublin.

Dublin

From place to place water, rocky pastures and cliffs were abundant.

Connemara

Inishmore

Cliffs of Moher

Ring of Kerry

And, an occasional craftsman.

Ring of Kerry

We did not lack for castles, abbeys, and medieval ruins (Rock of Cashel) with a 6^th c. monastic site (Clonmacnoise) thrown in for good measure. These are part of Ireland’s history, after all.

Blarney Castle

Kilkenny Castle

Kylemore Abbey

Rock of Cashel

Clonmacnoise

Ireland is a small country, about as big as Indiana (U.S.) ,with only about 4.7 million people (emigration seems to have stabilized). Its friendly people, beautiful scenery, ancient sites and walkable cities make Ireland a country to put on your bucket list.

I’ll end with these lovely Irish sayings:

May your day be touched with a bit of Irish luck, brightened by a song in your heart, and warmed by smiles from the people you love.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures.

Bauhaus at 100

Posted on May 13, 2019 by cecelia

A trip to Germany with the Davis Museum of Art at Wellesley College included a tour of the Bauhaus in Dessau. It was an opportunity to see, in person, this important icon of 20^th century architecture and design.

A (very) brief history. In 1919, one hundred years ago, Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany. The design aesthetic was lean and spare. It would influence modern design for years to come, 100 for sure. The Bauhaus was a school where designers, architects, painters, sculptors and craftsmen taught and built items. Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky worked there.

Nazi interference in 1924 made Gropius move the school to Dessau, a city southwest of Berlin. There, he built a campus consisting of the main building, a director’s house and three masters’ houses.

I’ve tried to capture some of the Bauhaus aesthetic like the exterior glass curtain-wall of the main building.

Bauhaus – Main Building

Bauhaus-Main Building

Bauhaus – Main Building

Construction details and color are all strikingly modern.

Bauhaus – Main Building

Furniture was constructed with tubular arms and legs. Door pulls were simple and unadorned.

Bauhaus – Main Building Auditorium Seats

Bauhaus – Main Building Door Detail

Rain-washed cement sidewalks seemed compatible with the tiny balconies.

Bauhaus – Main Building Balconies

The director’s house is a freestanding building. There are also three identical semi-detached houses for the masters. They are white stucco cubic structures designed by Gropius. They are modular with mirrored and rotated floor plans for variety. In the unadorned rooms light from windows, high and low, plays along the walls giving them an almost abstract quality as they intersect one another.

Master’s House

We take for granted much of what Gropius and his followers did to change the nature of design and architecture. What will the next hundred years look like?

If Walls Could Talk

Posted on March 6, 2019 by cecelia

On an art-focused trip to Germany with the Davis Museum at Wellesley College we visited the Boros Collection (known as Sammlung Boros) in Berlin. From 1990 to the present Christian Boros and his wife have amassed a large collection of contemporary art, including site-specific works. The art is housed in a converted bunker, which was originally built as an air raid shelter for civilians in 1942. It had many uses until purchased by Boros in 2003. It opened to the public in 2008 and is available for small group tours, which must be booked in advance.

As I went from room to room looking at the art on display my eyes wandered over the spaces themselves. I was drawn to the marks and writing on the walls, floors and ceilings. Here and there were remnants of color on mostly drab beige or gray walls. Large swaths of peeling color remained on some walls. There were arrows pointing in different directions and cautionary words. Doors, scraped and scratched, seemed foreboding, revealing spaces beyond. Some walls had things attached purpose unknown.

How many people stayed in these “rooms?” For how long? What would we hear if “walls could talk?”

Here is a selection of photos, in no particular order, from my wandering eyes.

Urbanity

Posted on October 25, 2016 by cecelia

I didn’t think urbanity was a real word, but it is. urbanity – noun. urban life. What I had in mind for this theme was anything that gave us a sense of life in an urban setting. What is the feel of an urban space? What is the experience?

For me, it’s often people, lots of them. Crowded sidewalks, busy streets. People, traffic, noise. You sense the cacophony all around you.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Budapest, Hungary

Tokyo, Japan

Florence, Italy

NYC

San Francisco, CA

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Sometimes the streets are devoid of people, but the architecture let’s you know it’s a cityscape.

NYC

Ephesus, Turkey

Hanoi, Vietnam

The Modern, Ft. Worth, TX

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dallas, TX

Brooklyn Bridge, NYC

High Line, NYC

London

Zagreb, Croatia

Lisbon, Portugal

NYC

A lot happens on the sidewalks of a big city. People make the sidewalk an extension of their home. They jam for us, they eat, they just hang out. They’re not always coming and going. The camaraderie belies the anonymity of urban life.

Budapest, Hungary

Rome, Italy

Barcelona, Spain

Calafate, Argentina

NYC

NYC

Here are some of YOUR photos! I am delighted to include them. Thanks for sharing your view of “urbanity.” You’ve made our day a little more interesting.

Bruce Schlein

Elizabeth Greene – Fish Fry

Moses Hawkins – Florence

Audrey Greene

Robert Weitz – Chicago

Theme #3 is “Reflections.” Gather up those photos and send them to me as email attachments, smaller than 1MG, by November 21, 2016.

Markets – Fleas & Farmers’

Posted on September 26, 2016 by cecelia

Farmers’ Markets can be found all over the world. You probably have one in your home town. Some, like the Triana Market in Seville, Spain, are indoors. Here, vendors stack their fruits and veggies in beautiful arrangements surrounded by tile walls naming their spaces.

Triana Market, Seville

Fish!

Triana Market, Seville

Most markets are outdoors, spring through fall. From Boulder, Colorado and Portland, Oregon to far flung places like India, Ljubljiana (Slovenia), Turkey and Vietnam, markets are here, there, and everywhere. The intersection of people and commerce is always a lively event.

Boulder Tomatoes

High Finances-Portland

Ljubljiana Lady

Turkey

Vietnam Street Market

Vietnam Street Market

India

Flea markets are a little different. Wander around a flea market and you’ll find a little bit of everything, cheap or dear, junk or “junque.” Something old, something new. There are treasures every week at the San Telmo market in Buenos Aires. Closer to home one can find the fun and funky by the side of the river in Redstone, Colorado. On the street or inside there is something for everyone.

San Telmo Market-Buenos Aires

Redstone, Colorado

Tangier, Morocco

Casablanca

India

Minturn, Colorado

Alaska

Turkey

Thanks to all of you who sent me photos for this theme. Here are a few which, for me, capture the theme’s spirit.

Bruce Schlein

Al Padwa

Ginger Mynatt

Next up – Theme #2 – “Urbanity.” Lots of room for interpretation. Send me an email with attached jpg files, no larger than 1MB each by October 24, 2016.

Autumn Along The Oregon Coast

Posted on November 3, 2015 by cecelia

To get to Ashland, Oregon and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) Stanley and I decided to go by way of the Oregon coast. We started in Portland, headed south along the coast, then turned east to Ashland, stopping at several beach towns along the way.

Portland has a lot to offer within a reasonable walking distance from downtown. It’s reputation as a “foodie” town is well founded. For drinking and driving try the Brewcycle (we did not). Fortunately, there seemed to be an “official” driver. What a fun way to get around!

There are restaurants and food trucks galore. Dessert, anyone?

Not all the art in Portland resides in its museums. I saw two very different walls. One might have been commissioned, the other probably not.

Some street markings for my “Underfoot” theme.

The BIG Saturday market reminded me of the Arlo Guthrie song “You Can Get Anything You Want At ….” It’s under and around the bridge and near the river. It was a perfect day for shoppers and vendors alike. Colorful wares, busy sellers and musicians playing jazzy tunes. What could be better?

Leaving Portland we made our way to the coast. First stop – Astoria, on the banks of the Columbia River. It is the oldest American community west of the Mississippi. There is a lot of Lewis and Clark history about. Our hotel was at the water’s edge, almost under the Astoria-Megler bridge which connects to Washington state. Miss the turn to the hotel and you are in Washington. We did.

Astoria is a port town. We took in the sights along the waterfront, walking to the center of town. We couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather. The birds were happy, too.

To the coast! Cannon Beach is charming, at its best without the summer crowds. Shops, restaurants and art galleries to explore.

We walked the almost deserted beach at sunset. The changing colors of the sea and sky transfixed us. It was a show just for the two of us.

Newport next. A beach town whose waterfront is an interesting combination of industry (fishing) and shops and restaurants for tourists. It’s a bit “gritty”, not all gussied up. A walk along the water revealed this combination, plus a little funk.

On to Ashland, our last stop, where we explored the town and markets each day before heading to the evening’s play at OSF. Remember the reason for the trip? BTW OSF is not only Shakespeare.

Jacksonville is close by and offers offices, shops and restaurants (more eating!) in well-preserved 19th century buildings.

I even found some “ghost” signs like this one, a reminder of things past.

It was hard to leave Oregon. Another time, another trip.

Mills & More

Posted on July 30, 2015 by cecelia

I recently spent a long weekend in Greenville, SC with good friends Bruce and Alice Schlein. I was there to attend the opening of “Surfaces and Spaces: Photography of Cecelia Feld & Bruce Schlein”, our exhibit at the Pickens County Museum, about thirty miles from Greenville.

Bruce gave us a tour of the area between Greenville and Spartenburg which was once home to a large number of thriving textile mills, now mostly in various stages of decrepitude. The remains of these large buildings make interesting photographic subjects. Some of them are experiencing new life as condominium buildings.

Bradford Mills, for example, is undergoing renovation. The finished part is now the Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) with classrooms and exhibition spaces. It is a welcome addition to the Greenville Arts scene. The rest of the mill will be condos.

Beautiful old glass and window fittings in the GCCA make the space special.

Brandon Mills-Inside GCCA

GCCA

Another mill, Glendale Mills in Spartenburg, occupied a large area on the water at Glendale Shoals. The remains of one of the buildings and foundations of others give one a sense of how large this complex was.

Glendale Mills

Glendale Shoals

Glendale Mills

So much for the Mills. Now, for the “More.”

Here are a few more of Bruce’s graffiti laden walls. As I notice and photograph markings and notations on streets and sidewalks near and far, Bruce’s discerning eye lights on walls and spaces filled with all kinds of drawings and symbols. In his photos the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but look closely at the details.

Bruce Schlein

Here are a few more of my “Underfoot” photos from the exhibit. They are a bit more minimal than Bruce’s.

Cecelia Feld

I hope those of you who live in the area will see the show which is up until August 20. Spend some time with cool art on a hot summer day.

Pickens County Museum

307 Johnson St.

Pickens, SC 29671

(864) 898-5963

www.pickenscountymuseum.org

New York City – After Dark

Posted on November 19, 2014 by cecelia

10 days. 240 hours. NYC – the city that never sleeps. Not an understatement. 42^nd St., Times Square, Broadway. Always crowded with people coming and going – to the theater, to restaurants, to stores, or just coming and going. Any night, in good weather, seems like New Year’s Eve.

The Great White Way is a sea of neon. What would you like to buy? Where would you like to go? What would you like to eat, drink, drive? It’s up there in lights. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is taking pictures. Give us a warm fall evening, a camera or a phone, and we’re on it!