When in DC ...
Couldn't resist this card. I also picked up one of the outgoing Bush but no need to post that here .... :)
Thursday, December 11, 2008
President Barak Obama
Acoma Pottery by Lucy Lewis
This card hails from the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC -- a beautiful, fascinating place to visit! Wish we had more time to spend here!
Vampire Kissing Fallen Angel No. 1
This is by Fritz Scholder, a highly controversial Native American artist. I don't know what it is about this card but I like it ... maybe the idea of evil finding love after all? Or the idea of evil desiring beauty despite itself? Or even beauty falling for evil? Or maybe it's just the love, pure and simple? I don't know and have not read the official interpretations ... but I like it :) From the National Museum of the American Indian in DC.
Miracle Card
I picked this and two other similar cards up at the Hirshorn Museum in Washington, DC. The card has two parts held together by a rivet. You can rotate the top, plastic part for a special optical effect. By Ges. Geschutzt. (By the way, we almost missed the Hirshorn, which would have been a mistake! Even my kids were enjoying the modern art installations -- and the gift shop help many treasures you don't see elsewhere on the Mall!)
Miracle Card
The card has two parts held together by a rivet. Rotate the top, plastic part for a special optical effect. By Ges. Geschutzt.
The Thousand and One Nights, Henri Matisse
This neat art card has an interesting feature; you fold it on the bend and use the attached sticky tape to make it a normal sized postcard. I should have copied the back as well, which shows a b&w line drawing of the artist. I picked this up at the National Museum of Art in Washington, DC.
Dresses Worn by First Ladies
These two cards hail from the National Museum of American History--also known as America's Attic! We saw the Star Spangled Banner there ... very moving!
Funky art postcard
I have no idea who did this design ... it is by a German firm. The circles turn all sorts of funky colors when you move the card around. I picked this up at the National Museum of Art!
The Mint
Of course we had to visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing while we were in DC .... All that money!
The National Mall, Washington DC
We hoofed it up and down the Mall many times during our stay! At the bottom of the card is the Capitol, at the top is the Washington Monument. And along the left and right sides of the mall are the Smithsonian museums!
Mei Xiang at Washington National Zoo
We saw Mei and Tian Tian at the National Zoo when we visited Washington! They are truly adorable! We also learned that these pandas are only here "on loan" to us from China as "ambassadors of conservation." What a fantastic gift!
100 Plates by Gabriel Kline
One morning while my sons were attending Super Saturday classes at UNC Asheville, my husband, daughter and I visited a Farmer's Market that takes place on the UNC Asheville campus each Saturday. A young man was among the varied sellers; he had several tables out with lovely plates, bowls and other finery. I overheard another customer say the magic words "buy one get one free," and then quickly decided I must have two of his wonderful rice bowls to decorate my office. So I purchased the bowls, which now greet me every time I walk into my office ... and also picked up this postcard! It is to promote the artist's showing at The Grace and Cameron West Art Gallery. Love local arts!
Linocut by Monica Miller, UNC Asheville
I picked this neat card up while my kids were attending Super Saturday classes at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. It is to promote "Environmental Impressions," A Collection of Linocuts by Monica Miller for her B.A. Art Exhibition. Support the local arts, I say! :)
Pottery by Cynthia Bringle
from the Clay Gallery on Penland School Road in Penland, North Carolina. I actually picked this card up at UNC Asheville.
Nutcrackers
This is a greeting card, from an ink and watercolor painting by Janice Peroni. Janice is a quadripleglic who paints with restricted use of her arms and hands. I love the colors, which is why it's included here :) Plus, I admire people who move beyond their limitations to inspire those of us not similarly challenged! :)
Ice Skating Memories
This is not a postcard, but a greeting card entitled "Skating in Sunlight" painted by Gertrude Dorman Doll, who was paralyzed by polio but retains use of her lower arms and hands. It reminds me of many fun times ice skating in on Strawbridge Lake in Moorestown, New Jersey :)
New River Gorge Bridge, West Virginia
We traveled this bridge many times during our Summer, 2008 mission trip to Summersville, West Virginia. This is the longest arch bridge in the western hemisphere!
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, Brunei
in the background is Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of this small country, population 380,000.
People's Republic of China 2008 Olympics
This adorable, petite "official" card came from someone in China!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Cats
Not a postcard, but this is the lovely notecard my sister Jessica sent with all the goodies she mailed me from her trip :) A keeper! Art by Kayomi Harai.
Winter in Gengenback, Black Forest
An official postcrossing card ... I love it! For a fascinating photo-journal of a family's tour through this beautiful region of Europe, visit www.slowphotos.com/photo/showgallery.php?cat=3588. I spent hours there just looking at photos and now am slowly making my way through the written journal of this family's 14-month tour of Europe! I think this area of southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland must house the most beautiful places on Earth!
There is no bad weather ...
This is in return from an official postcrossing card I sent ... and I love it! Love the language ... the photo ... the sentiment! Thank you for the generous return card! :)
Happy Easter!
This from my penpal in Finland. When I first saw the card I thought it was an official postcrossing card ... and I was not happy because I'm not fond of animal cards. But then ... I saw it was a happy Easter card from my friend! She says that this is much more a symbol of Easter in Finland rather than our USA Easter Bunny. Now I love this card! :)
Map of Scotland
I love this map because it shows the terrain as well as the places! The card says that Scotland's population of 5.1 million live in only 3% of the total land area, which equals 79,000 km.
Aerial of Bath
This unique view shows the Royal Crescent, the Circus and the Assembly Rooms in Bath.
Westminster Abbey
Henry VII's Lady Chapel ... this is my favorite view of Westminster ... marvelous!
Notre-Dame, Paris
This is beautiful. I want to visit Europe just to see the magestic cathedrals, including Chartres!
Paris
Love this view showing the Louvre, Garden of Tulips (? I don't speak French so guessing!) and the Champs Elysees!
Westminster Abbey Nave
Looking west; here you can really get an idea of the SCALE of this place! Lovely! And look at those windows ...
Westminster Abbey
Henry VII Chapel; this card and all the others here from London, Paris and Edinburgh are from my sister Jessica--gifts from her January trip to Europe!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Finland
wish I knew what this said :) I need to ask my penpal! But I love this oversized, colorful card with art (or perhaps the text?) by Marleena Ansio. In any case, it is a fun card for my collection :) (Note: If you can read Finnish and can tell me what this means, please leave a comment! Thanks!)
Water Tower, Blackpool, Englad
'This site specific installation utilises the nature of the Water Tower for a dynamic yet subtle display. Bathed in light, this iconic structure is animated as night falls, with a gentle rippling lighting scheme which can be seen from a distance, like an abstract lighthouse on the skyline." Love this beautiful card, also marked on back "Blackpool Festival of Light."
Blackpool, England
According to my friend who visited here recently, Blackpool Corporation runs over 70 different trains--double and single deckers and some "open tops," both modern and classic. All are in everyday service! Awesome!
Captured Africans by Kevin Dalton-Johnson, Lancaster, England
"This memorial to the victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade stands on St. George's Quay in Lancaster, once England's fourth largest slaving port. ... To view and download information, education resources, a town trail and new writings visit www.lancsmuseums.gov.uk/abolished." Thanks to Kerstin in England for this awesome card!
Embroidered Panel: Virgin and Child
This was designed by Guy Barton in 1964 for a medieval stall in the Lancaster Priory Church, Lancashire, England. Thank you to my pal in England!
White Reindeer, Lapland, Finland
My penpal tells me about folklore and stories of white reindeer. She says she's never seen a white adult reindeer though.
Greetings from Aland, Finland
This card is nothing special at first glance. But what my penpal Aila shared makes it extraordinary! She says that Aland, a group of isles between Sweden and Finland, is part of the Finnish state but still has some of its own rules and laws. People in Aland, though, speak Swedish only--and most folks there want Aland to be part of Sweden. She further explains that a person in Aland who speaks Finnish can't find work, except for maybe in agriculture. Now this is what penpals and postcards is all about! I would have never enjoyed this postcard as much without the commentary! Thanks Aila :)
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