Golden Bowers

A few weeks ago, hubby and I took our first visit to the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. It has one of the prettiest entryways, built in the Spanish style, I've seen for a museum.

This is a large mural which is mostly obscured by a tree.

I'm not sure what to make of this pruning work. Perhaps they were trying to create a pom-pom tree.

This is in a small garden off of a large hall.

This is a museum that covers a variety of subjects. We saw exhibitions on Beethoven's late works, art of the Pacific (specifically headhunters in New Guinea), early California settlers' artifacts, and 19th Century European paintings. 

I'm sure we will be returning there again in the near future.

Day Tripper 1

Earlier this week, Hubby and I decided to enjoy a day out in San Diego looking at art.
It was the first truly warm day we've had for a while which was perfect since we went Balboa Park which has a collection of museums and parks all in a central location. Even so, we didn't get to see all we wanted to so another visit will be warranted sometime in the future.

We didn't have time to visit the Japanese Friendship Garden but this is a view from above.

Several of the buildings had these covered walks which had a graceful, serene feeling to them. Perhaps because it wasn't crowded.

Our first step was the Mingei International Museum.

The Mingei had an exhibition on musical instruments. One of my favourite was the Moon Guitar from China on the far left.

I'm not a great lover of models but I really liked this. Very creative and a lot of work.

These are batik tiles. Objects used for decorating can also be used as a decoration. Again it took a lot of work to make each of these intricate tiles.

This sculpture is outside one of the entrances to the Mingei. 

One the way to the next museum we passed through the Alcazar Garden. I love the sound of water in a garden.

Even a bathroom break affords a chance to see decorative design as in this tiled floor.

More next time...

Christmas music

What I’m listening to today (in no particular order):

Caz Christmas: The Brothers Cazimero

Kohala Christmas: Kohala

Holidays: Hapa

The Beach Boys Ultimate Christmas: The Beach Boys

Christmas Then & Now: The Lowe Family

Canon of Praise: The Kidmans

Christmas Time: Jean Frye Sidwell

Christmas Gift II: Na Leo Pilimehana

Joy to the World: Honolulu Madrigal Quartet

A Merry Christmas with Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

My choices remind me of Christmas’s in Hawaii, musical friends, visiting art festivals in Arizona and the good musicians we met there, our present life and Christmases in California, and the Christmas films I grew up with.

Merry Christmas/Mele Kalikimaka to you all.