Photo Blast of Rome

How can I describe the massive experience that is Rome? I can't. So here are a bunch of photographs.

The impossibly blue sky over the Colosseum.

Umbrella Pines at the Imperial Palace

The Boxer of Quirinal, a bronze of 330 BC.

A sarcophagus. Check that crazy detail!

The center of Rome, in the Forum.

Trajan's column.

The Pantheon. Appropriately a busker was playing Stairway to Heaven in the courtyard!

The enormity of the Colosseum.

Athena will mess you up!

Augustus as the Pontifex Maximus.

The head and hand of Constantine.

Reclining Dionysus.

A dramatic corner of the Baths of Caracalla.

The only photograph of Florence you will ever need.

You cannot go to Florence without seeing Michelangelo's David. 

It's hard to describe how truly epic this sculpture is. No photograph can truly capture it's emotion and passion.

Except, maybe this one:

From the Women's Restroom at the Accademia.

Viva Italy!

For the last two weeks, The Charming Man, the Flaming Chef, his husband Dr. Snickerdoodle, and I have been on vacation in...*drum roll*

Italy!

The Pantheon in Rome.

And it was cooler than even my deepest imagination.


We visited Florence, Rome, and Pompeii.

And over the next few weeks, I'm going to share some of the amazing photos we took there.

Like this one:

Fashion in Rome!

And this one, too.

Mosaics saved from the Baths of Caracalla

Let's go exploring the pleasures of this magical land!

Learning who you are.

I have had the honor and the pleasure of modeling with Michael Baxter, the genius of belly dance photography.

I never knew I had mystery inside.

Michael was gracious enough to experiment with me. The images he coaxed from me and his equipment showed me aspects of myself that I never knew existed.

If you asked me to describe myself, I would always say I was a little funny looking. I'm far from petite or graceful and - let's not mince words - overweight.

But Michael showed me a part of myself that was strong, passionate, and, yes, beautiful.  I learned a valuable lesson that day:

I no longer could justify my self-loathing.  

I wish everyone could have the experience of working with a gifted and empathic photographer. I wish you could discover the parts of yourself that you do not see.

Art, Emotion, And Muses

A repost from October 2009

Michael and I

I got to participate in one of the coolest things ever.

I got to experience a photo shoot with the hugely talented and visionary Michael Baxter. Internationally known as the premier belly-dance photographer in the world, he was willing to meet with me and work on some portrait and retro-style pinup photographs.

Michael is the sweetest person you'll ever meet. He's generous, kind, and the very definition of artist. In between shots, we talked about what makes a photo or a paragraph or music into art, something transcendental.

Not to get all Aristotelian on everyone's asses, but we kept coming back to the idea that art evokes emotion. For example, tragedy arouses fear and pity, then creates a catharsis for those emotions. All art forms revolve around emotion- the arousal, examination, and release thereof.

Aristotle, author of the Poetics.

The visual arts can suggest a story in a single image. The written arts can suggest actions and meanings that re-create or imitate the world.

Thank you, Michael, for being a Muse for me.

Blast from the past.

Here's a  post from December 2009. Yeah, I've been here a while now!

***

Gilgamesh and Enkidu

The most powerful myths are about extremity. They force us to go beyond our experience. There are moments when we all, in one way or another, have to go to place we have never seen, and do what we have never done before. (p. 3)

Bernini's Apollo and Daphne

[Myth] enables us to place our lives in a larger setting that reveals an underlying pattern and gives us a sense that against all the depressive and chaotic evidence to the contrary, life had meaning and value.

A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong.

Dream Big!

Self portrait of Peter Paul Rubens

Writers are told "not to quit their day jobs", that publishing is a difficult industry to break into, that you'll never be as big as you dream.

To these naysayers, I say,

MEET PETER PAUL RUBENS

Rubens, 1577-1640, was the foremost painter of his time and is considered one of the truly great artists of Western Civilization.

Rubber ducky added to show scale.

But most people know Rubens through pictures in a book - small pictures, if not down right tiny.
Look at these lovely thumbnails from the book The Louvre: All The Paintings.

Teeeeny-tiny little dreams. See that picture on the right with the three naked ladies just sort of hanging out? Yeah, looks like a masterpiece from a big shot artist, huh??

But! Rubens dreamed BIG. And I do mean BIG.

It's hard to take a steady picture in the presence of the magnificence of Rubens.

Here is (a crappy iPhone) photo of the painting in person, at the Louvre. With me, a 5'10" next to it to show scale.

This is not the dream of someone who is scared of losing their day job.

So dream like Rubens. Dream big. Dream of words thirteen feet tall and 10 feet wide.

Random photos from New York City

 I was shuffling through my iPhone pictures, and decided to post some things that I liked. Just because. :)

The Footed Bowl from the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art. I have a replica in my house, because this is one of the coolest pieces of pottery ever.

 William, the Blue Hippo, the Met's unofficial mascot, and the inspiration for my first tattoo. I admire hippos' strength and ferocity.

 Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh.

 This is Lucy (Austrolopithecus). I wept when I saw her. It was like looking at the mother of us all.


What random things cross your mind?

The finished patio project (and a few random photos).

Alma's Ganache In A Cup.

 The deck is finished! After months of mud and building, we finally got some furnishings (thanks to Lowe's discount area and various thrift shops) and it is starting to look like the retreat I always wanted. But first, I tease you with some random pictures of Portland!

(cue evil laugh)

The empty cup is the remains of an Alma Chocolate's Ganache in a Cup. I was not about to stop to take a picture before I ate it.

Cherish Yesterday; Dream Tomorrow, Love Today.

 Outside of Alma's, I saw this wonderful sign sitting on the sidewalk.

I call this The Retreat.

 And now for the main event. :)

Candlesticks from Goodwill.

Perfect for dreaming and reading.

The Garden Gate

The Party Pavilion

Pretty lanterns light the way.

A vase from a friend's mother's estate sale.

Rain chains: elegant and relaxing.

Romantic Times are the best of times.

At the beginning of May, I attended the Romantic Times Reader Convention in Kansas City, MO. 

While I was there, I was so busy, I couldn't keep good notes, but I was able to take many photos!

Lori Sjoberg

Me, Lori Sjoberg, and Kim Foster

Fellow e-Kensington auther, Marina Miles.

More fun with eKensington authors!

Kensington had cookies with our covers!

Me at the E-book Expo.

The "before" picture of my table at the E-book Expo.

My "after" picture at the E-book Expo.

OMG I got Laura Kinsale's autograph!

Jade Lee, after I was eating a candy penis from Delilah Marvelle.

Kim Foster and her stash of goodies!

John Scalzi for The Charming Man!