Ca'd'Zan Mansion

The People in the Museum

I went to the Ringling Art Museum yesterday with my sister, her boyfriend, their girls, my boyfriend, and our good friend. We made for a quite the group. We wandered about the art gallery letting the girls ooh and aah and cause the museum volunteers to teeter between panic and terror. "Do not touch" they constantly reminded us when no one touched a thing.

My sister and her youngest appreciate some art.

While I answered questions from my nieces and allowed myself to be pulled around by them I noticed that the most interesting thing on display in the gallery was not necessarily the artwork but the people looking at the artwork. 

The people from all over in a dimly lit building with art and history all around them pointing and whispering or just looking bored fascinated me.

From the hip shot to catch art patrons.

It wasn't because these groups were from different parts of the world but were still able to appreciate art it was their expressions; they way they stood, the way they screwed their face in concentration; the way they pointed to the details in the frame. The people looked interesting because they were just people.

Bust with woman in blue.

Friend Admiring Brush-strokes

Next time I go I'm going to be focusing on the people looking at the art as well as the artwork.

Me and Jos!

Not a very flattering picture of myself but I like it none the less. The reason is because of that little girl. Joscelyn is my sister's oldest daughter which makes her my first niece. I still remember the night my sister came to my house to tell me she was pregnant with Jos. I remember the first time I saw her. I remember the first time I held her. Joscelyn is incredibly smart, full of life, and is just so vibrant. She has a strong personality and can be a bit of a smart ass but in my family that is to be expected.

Jos starts kindergarten in a few weeks. I can't believe she's already at that point in her life. 

Joscelyn will always be an important part of my heart and soul.

My Sister's Family

Untitled Rooftop

I was born in Sarasota, though I never lived here until now. It's a weird city with a mixture of upper class and the impoverished. There's a strong artistic community here what with the Ringling art museum and the Ringling are college being located here. But there are also lawyers and doctors and little old ladies that have their faces skewered in a constant scowl walking their fluffy little dogs offering nary a hi or a nod to those who pass by. The Mennonites have a strong presence here as well and during the winter months certain neighborhoods are clogged with bicycles and women in bonnets and men with their great white beards. This is the city where condo owners of downtown balk and rail against the homeless doing all they can to push Sarasota's "ugly little problem" out of their sight.

I love Sarasota.

I took this shot on top of a parking garage on S. Palm Avenue. It overlooks the Golden Apple Theater Club to the trees of Five Points Park. To the left is just a hint of the Selby library and dominating the picture are the condos with a Starbucks on street level next to a handful of high class boutiques.

"Morning Paper"

There are few photos that I take that I fall in love with; this is one of them. I spotted this couple yesterday on my way to grab something cold and coffee like from Pastry Art. One of my favorite things to do with Harlock is to just sit together and read. It's an intimate moment. When I saw this couple I thought about Harlock and how true love doesn't need any spoken words just the desire to simply sit together and be near one another.

Parking Garage on S. Palm Avenue, Sarasota, Florida.

Spider!

I found this weird spider while raking today. I nearly walked straight into it!!