Last spring I planted camellias in our front flowerbeds, not fully appreciating what a blessing I was giving myself. My husband and I worked the soil, adding amendments to create the acidity needed for the new camellias and azaleas. We went to Maas Nursery, the best place in the Houston area to get camellias, and … Continue reading From My Garden: Twenty Camellias in Haiku
photography
Quote for Today: Tyler Shields
I create other worlds, magical never-never lands where the camera is my weapon and the battles I fight are with the elements. I stretch the laws of the mind and displace people from their realities to capture a side of them they didn’t even know they had. Photography has the ability to freeze people in … Continue reading Quote for Today: Tyler Shields
Quote for Today: Marius Vieth
As a photographer you have a deep love for light, life and yourself. You know that the eyes of love aren’t blind, they are wide open. Only when your eye, heart and soul shine brighter than the sun, you realize how ordinary it is to love the beautiful, and how beautiful it is to love … Continue reading Quote for Today: Marius Vieth
Patterns of Connection: The Land Art of Dietmar Voorwold
Why should modern humanity regain and hold on to its connection with nature at a time when technology seems omnipresent? I have always loved making things: textures and patterns create a sense of calmness for me. In my early years I made a texture book into which I glued pieces of fabric. I would spend … Continue reading Patterns of Connection: The Land Art of Dietmar Voorwold
Portraits of a Nation: The Tenacious Beauty of Sudan
Did you know that Sudan contains more pyramids than Egypt? There is much beauty hidden in this war torn land. Sudan is largely a country of desert, the Sahara reaching deeper and deeper into the nation with every passing year. Ancient civilizations once flourished here on the banks of the Nile: Kerma, Nobatia, Alodia, Makuria, … Continue reading Portraits of a Nation: The Tenacious Beauty of Sudan
The Hidden Feminine: Examining the Female Image in Yemeni Art
Muslim women are frequently shortchanged by stereotypes. How do artists help to change minds and destroy prejudice? I have selected the work of two female photographers, Boushra Almutawakel and Yumna Al-Arashi, and two male painters, Hakim Alakel and Mazher Nizar, to show us the face of Muslim women. All of these artists are of Yemeni … Continue reading The Hidden Feminine: Examining the Female Image in Yemeni Art
Portraits of a Nation: The Devastating Beauty of Yemen
Challenged by the unknown and unfamiliar, we often turn away. Can our curiosity help us to become better, kinder people? This is the first post of a series exploring foreign cultures. We begin with Yemen, focusing not on the bloodshed and the destruction wreaked upon her, but the humanity and beauty that make her both … Continue reading Portraits of a Nation: The Devastating Beauty of Yemen
