Daily Something #9: Update on my New Year's Challenge and Another One

At the beginning of the year I challenged myself to do something creative or stimulating to the mind for at least thirty minutes a day (DS #2).  So far, I'm happy to report that I have been able to keep up with my challenge.  I have been reading, studying geography, taking photographs, experimenting with watercolor, and have even attempted to write a few poems, in addition to taking a few trips and exploring the creativity of others.

My photo selection for tonight was taken at the Nashville Zoo and one that is going to inspire me to get ready for the Warrior Dash coming to Tennessee in September.  If all goes well, I think I'm going to give it a try.  Ropes appear to be prevalent in several of the obstacles.

 

Puzzle Number One

I've always liked puzzles, especially visual ones.  Here's a guessing game.  This is a picture of?

A.  Lace doily

B.  Bicycle spokes

C.  Ceiling of a dome

D.  Clock face

Daily Something #8: Picasso's Woman in a Dream

Blue Nude, c.1902 Art Print

Picasso, Pablo

Buy at AllPosters.com

Picasso's Woman in a Dream

Picasso's Woman in a Dream is a painting of mine inspired by Picasso's Blue Nude. When I painted her, I was thinking about how we sometimes hold on to things, both good and bad.  It is often difficult to let go of past mistakes and continue doing what we truly feel we were meant to do.  Sometimes we even question who and where we are.  I painted Picasso's woman under a tree so that she may have roots and be connected to one specific place.  The movement from cool to warm colors represents release, in whatever form that may be. 

To Be Seen

Okay, I'm a romantic.  Can't help it, but it's true.  What is it about the spark that starts a connection?

Lions In a Not So Rare Form

Chinese Lion at the Nashville Zoo

Classical African Lion in Chattanooga

Residential Lion in Bowling Green

Have you ever seen a lion in the city?  Sure you have, but while he probably didn't inspire fear, he may have inspired you to be curious.  Why are male lions so often found guarding the entrance to public or magnificent buildings?  I've wondered and if you have too, here is a link you may want to investigate:

Lion Statues

Spring: A Reason to Celebrate

No need to prop up our hopes anymore: spring is here!  When I saw these flowers popping out of this pot, I felt like I was ready to spring forward as well.  I hope this season will allow you the chance to bloom!  Happy Spring!

Through the Looking Glass

When I took this photograph, I was standing on a staircase opposite a mirror in the Hunter Museum of American Art.  I like how it portrays a sense of dark and light and in and out all at the same time.  This particular part of the museum is housed in the Faxon-Thomas Mansion that was built in 1906.    

Daily Something #7: Daylight Savings Time

TIME WARP

         (Lora Gill)

In the midst of the first day
of daylight savings,
my mind is lost
in the hour
I am missing.

Lost in the hour
meant for dreaming,
the hour of sleep that wrestles
with the cascading moments of thought
before the due of waking.

Sunday was the first day of daylight savings time in the U.S., and yesterday while I was running around checking things off my "to do" list and thinking about studying geography, I started wondering about how daylight savings time affects other parts of the world.  Here is a site I found that provides a lot of interesting information on the topic:   DST

Frozen Fire

melting

captured

I was remembering how much fun I had as a kid learning the opposites of words, so I picked one of my favorite pairs and experimented with putting the words into pictures. The picture of the ice cubes was taken in my kitchen, and the fire was in an outdoor lantern I walked by in Chattanooga. I don't think we realize much how opposites affect our lives, but when you really think about it, it's a rather important concept to understand, especially because there are so many of them that affect us.  Cold and hot are probably one of the most significant.   

I Share My Birthday and So Do You

March is a month that typically isn't a favorite, but for me it is because it's my birth month. Birthdays are a great reason to celebrate, and I like the thought that every day is someone's birthday.  In fact, I did a little research and discovered that we all share a birthday with nearly 18 million other people, give or take since this estimation came out a few years ago.  

Daily Something #6: Geography Challenge

After taking a geography pretest suggested by a friend of mine, I have come to realize that my knowledge of world geography is not what I had thought it was.  Therefore, I have accepted his challenge to learn all the countries of our great big world.  For those of you who are interested in taking the geo challenge, here are the links to the quizzes:

Country quizzes:

Africa

Asia

Middle East

Australia/Oceania

Europe

Central America and part of the Caribbean

South America

State and Provinces quizzes:

United States

Canada

The order of my retakes will be as follows:

March 18 - United States and Canada

April 1 - Central America/part of the Caribbean and South America

April 29 - Africa

May 13 - Middle East

May 27 - Asia

June 7th - Australia and Oceania

If you're up to the challenge, feel free to join me!

Circles of Glass

For as long as I can remember, circles have been my favorite shape.  I like that there is no beginning and end, and how there can be hints of movement regardless of where a circle might appear.  I spent this past weekend in Chattanooga and discovered some fun circles made of glass.