Third week onwards...

The next week or so... I have to catch up quickly:-

By this time I was starting to find my feet.  Though the selection of beans.... almost as far as the eye can see, did have me feeling a little weak at the knees.  Beans are big business here - we are very close to Mexico as you probably know...and beans are a big feature of ones regular and gourmet diet. John says they are mostly with sugar and meat.
I reconnected with Vally Willis (see art-life blog entry).
Her friend at the Houston Quilters, gave me this note that had been in her pocket for years.  I gave her a toonie (two dollar coin) that replaced the paper money in 1996.

And I attended a meeting of the Quilt Guild of Houston (or similar titled Quilting group) and heard a fascinating talk which was also pretty funny about quilting with ties.  See my art-life blog entry.

On the Friday night we went to an opening at Hunter:Gather.  The work was by Gwendolyn Plunkett. She enjoys working in encaustic and other materials.

This one we snapped for Nikki, who also works in encaustic, we were quite taken with this piece, though not very original in concept.

As we drove into the car park we couldn't quite imagine a successful gallery in that location, but that just shows how wrong you can be... here is the entrance that we took into the building.

And below some of the art by the co-owner and director

Margaret  Smithers-Crump

I love these works.. perhaps it is the minimal use of colour and organic nature - it has many similarities with my own style of working.  Plastics and fibre.  John and I enjoyed the evening visit very much.
Next day: Menil, Rothko and Miller.
I think that John was testing me on this particular day - Just how much art can she take? -was probably the question.
Bring it on I said! Although I would have 'done' the Rothko Chapel after the Infinity machine... and not the other way around, which is what we did.

This sculpture outside the Chapel.  No photos inside obviously.
Go here to see the place - a multi-disciplinary space for contemplation.

Whilst we were there we saw people in silent prayer, mediation and I did little Reiki.

Next the Menil Collection's Byzantine Fresco Chapel
The frescos have now been returned to Cyprus.

Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller's Infinity Machine.  is there as a temporary art installation. Too much of an assault on the senses for me after Rothko Chapel. It was supposed to be provocative asking me about my place in the universe.  But the fire alarm was going off (a fault in the system)... not the best day to be there.

Dominique de Menil was an art collector, philanthropist and founder of the Menil Collection and heiress to the Schluberger Ltd oil equipment fortune.  She certainly has done a lot of good.
I love the Rothko chapel and the art galleries.
The wonderful Menil Collection is housed in an amazing building... (these places are all in walking distance of one another - a great way to spend some hours), below is John's lovely photo.

And it seems that people continue to make donations to the collection.  We saw a great deal including another Calder, provocative Dada, Rothko (obviously), Picasso... actually the list is endless.  I particularly liked seeing the special exhibition Apparitions: Frottage and Rubbings from 1860 to Now. - What is the difference between a rubbing and a frottage? read here to find out.

It had been raining such a lot - John and I had fun playing with our cameras.

Clever John

Above is my portrait of John.  Can you see him?

Contemplative image. I think I have the concept of non-conceptual photography.

 It's autumn in the oaks - that's conceptual you see.

 Companion Photographers.

In the evening we went to the Miller centre which is an open air theatre.  There is seating if you book early enough (no charge).  Later if there are still spaces you can move off the hill behind (where we are sitting having our picnic dinner and toasts)... It rained.

We got a little wet and then moved closer to the stage to watch a performance by Streb - choreography by Elizabeth Streb.  I am not sure this was actually enjoyable to watch. I guess the test is - Would I go to another performance and the answer is 'No'.  Very Cirque Du Soleil, without the costumes.  But too much tension in it for me.

And in fact Erna said that she and Gordon had seen this piece of equipment in a Las Vegas Cirque show.

 It was actually All Hallow's night... this is a garden close to where we live.
And now a photo to close on - Perceptive Photo by John. If you would like a print of this work please speak to his manager.

Artist: John Millson, all rights reserved.