Mandala (Part 2)

A second installment on the power of coloring. 

I chose to keep the torn edges in the photographs as a reminder of my child-like glee as I ripped the pages out of the coloring book. 

Little Lime Green

Little lime green bug lost on the leaves stuck to my car. 

Red Button Ginger

I have a striking Red Button Ginger plant right outside my apartment. The four foot tall stalks have a cone shaped bulb that releases one flower at a time in a spiral pattern. 

The bulb has a sweet nectar that attracted several ants.

Each flower only blooms for one day. Here you can see a withered flower, one in full bloom, and one about to emerge.

One stalk had a bulb that consistently produced twins. 

The Shaded Expanse

Gorgeous textured storm clouds given dimension by the setting sun. 

William in Brazil

Pictures of William in his hometown of Recife, Brazil. 

Our reflections in the window of our hotel. 

Boa Viagem Beach. 

I wanted to walk on the beach but he didn't want to get his shoes wet. 

Standing in front of some local graffiti.

Sitting at one of our favorite places to eat. 

Walking through downtown Recife. 

Floating in the hotel pool. 

Riding the bus. 

Our reflections in the glass wall of a mall patio overlooking the city skyline. 

The pond outside the Instituto Ricardo Brennand. 

One of my absolute favorite things is to take photos of people when they don't know they are being photographed. I get so many beautiful shots that way. 

Yellow and brown: I was teasing him about matching the color scheme of a local restaurant but I loved the way this photo came out. 

 

I took this shot of him while he was waiting for me to come back from the bathroom. I love his silhouette against the city street. 

Revisiting the Instituto Ricardo Brennand

As part of my second trip to Brazil, I insisted on going back to the Instituto Ricardo Brennand. It was one of the most stunning museums I have had the pleasure of visiting. 

A lovely courtyard.

A beautiful marble sculpture with gold. 

A close up of Alegoria Da Noite (Allegory of the Night), featuring her charming little star crown. 

A detail of a sculpture of a knight. I loved his calm, stoic expression and simple armor. 

Mulher Na Rede by Antonio Frilli is the most breathtaking sculptures I have ever seen. A true masterpiece from any angle.

You can almost see the movement in this bronze sculpture as he uses his body weight to string the bow.

Another one of my favorite sculptures I was lucky to see again. This emotive beauty sits in an outdoor pathway. 

This is an interesting piece I almost missed. This is a pocket watch, and it was on display with many others. They were all ordinary looking except for this one. Upon closer inspection you could see the racy imagery and the small piece of tape the museum used for censoring. I always laugh when people tell me that they think history is boring. What would you do if you owned this watch and someone asked you for the time? 

The museum had an extensive weapons collection. They had thousands of ornamental and decorative items. They were over the top because most were ceremonial. These blades were simple by comparison but I loved the golden covers. Each one depicted a leopard in pursuit of a ram. A reminder of the hunt, the thrill of the chase, and the life or death battle. 

The walk to the main entrance.

Brother's Backyard

My brother recently bought a house and I was captivated by the life in the backyard.