Architecture, Fashion and a Rabbit Hole of Research

July 7, 2018November 6, 2018 / Tracey / 6 Comments

Cloak by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino in the Saint Guilhem Cloister

During my recent trip to NYC, I was able to enjoy Fort Tryon Park on a daily basis. One of those days, I visited The Cloisters embedded in the park and managed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I noticed the sampling of architecture throughout and learned it was constructed using bits and pieces of Romanesque and Gothic structures from France and Italy. Each piece has its own elaborate history. In addition, a portion of the Met’s feature exhibit “Heavenly Bodies” was integrated into it. Continue reading →

Trying On NYC – Fort Tryon Park

July 1, 2018April 29, 2022 / Tracey / 11 Comments

Battle field marker at Fort Tryon Park

Did you ever have a shirt or dress that fell out of favor, ending up in the back of your closet? Months or years later you find it, pull it on and suddenly it looks differently on you? That’s how I felt about NYC before retiring. I associated trips to NYC with work and travel related stress. Plowing my way through crowds and drug sniffing dogs in La Guardia. Stepping out into the heat wearing a suit. A scary cab ride into downtown. People everywhere. I had many creative excuses for not going to work in NYC. However my beloved niece lives there and I decided to try on NYC again. Continue reading →

The Art of Trees – Santa Fe

January 27, 2018November 7, 2018 / Tracey / 3 Comments

My holiday road trip on and off Route 66 took me to Santa Fe for a couple of days. It was a week into the new year and crowds were thin. We were able to wander the town square and other areas taking pictures without waiting on people and cars to exit the frame. We stayed just off the square at La Posada de Santa Fe, also known as the art hotel of Santa Fe. Filled with original works of art for sale, it was perfect. Also perfect, was the Georgia O’Keeffe museum. Here are some “tree-full” memories from the Santa Fe art scene and landscape.

Triptych in the lobby of the hotel by Kim Barrick.

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The Art of Trees – Arizona

January 19, 2018November 7, 2018 / Tracey / Leave a comment

I recently spent a week driving from Southern California to Houston Texas with a photographer friend. We drove from Indio, CA, through Sedona, Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon South Rim, Santa Fe, Amarillo, and finally home over the period of a week. Along the way we travelled through the Navajo Indian Reservation and intermittently on Route 66. Our primary mission was to photograph rock formations and Route 66 memorabilia, but then there were also trees. Not as many trees as we were used to (living in The Woodlands, TX) but still beautiful trees. These are my favorites from Arizona.

A lone tree near The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona.

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The Art of Trees – Painting on the Go

January 14, 2018November 7, 2018 / Tracey / Leave a comment

One of my readers challenged me to do a travel blog. When I travel, I prefer to enjoy the experiences and not be considering how I will write about it. Integrating a travel blog with my love of art and trees was the solution. Continue reading →

The Art of Trees – Part 2

September 22, 2017November 7, 2018 / Tracey / 4 Comments

As I mentioned before, I love trees. I didn’t really know this about my self until after I retired, had more time to look around, and noticed the theme of art and photography in my home. I’m not sure how or why it started, but…trees. Here are some of my favorite artistic images of trees.

Joichi Hoshi (1911-1979) was a Japanese wood block print artist. I learned about him from my Mom. She gave me a couple of his pieces as gifts and had a few in her own collection. This particular print was produced and purchased in 1973 when we were living in Japan.

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New Traditions With Artist Judy Mackey

July 19, 2017April 29, 2022 / Tracey / 11 Comments

angel and dog Creative Pension Payment: Learning New Things About Old Friends

My friend Judy Mackey told me about the red string of fate. I was not familiar with the Asian legend of gods tying an invisible red string around those that are soul mates destined to be married. Judy had written a short story about this, and it came up when I told her I wanted to start writing about traditions. As a military dependent with no roots, I felt like my life was lacking in traditions. I started to wonder how people with similar circumstances created traditions for themselves. I decided to start with Judy since we are similarly situated; middle-aged, no children/grand-children, grew up as a military dependent, etc. Continue reading →

The Art of Trees – Part 1

July 18, 2017November 7, 2018 / Tracey / 2 Comments

European Black Pine in Sapporo, Japan

Creative Pension Payment: More Time to Appreciate Nature Continue reading →

Watercolor Lessons

June 21, 2017September 11, 2019 / Tracey / 14 Comments

Artistic Pension Payment: Realizing the Capacity to be Creative

My Mother was an excellent artist. She was also a stunningly beautiful model, gourmet cook/entertainer, and excelled at gardening and interior decorating. The perfect 70’s Mom. Her clients, art students and friends asked if I shared my Mother’s artistic abilities. Uh, hell no! A daughter’s perception of her own Mother’s perfection.