Museums, Galleries Visits, Art Exploration & Photography

Most Visitors Skip Museo del Grabado in Marbella Here’s Why You Shouldn’t

Elena Sullivan — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:20:22 +0000

If you are visiting Marbella only for a single day, you might easily skip Museo del Grabado while rushing between the beach, restaurants, and the charming streets of the old town. But if you are planning a longer stay on the Costa del Sol, I would definitely recommend adding this museum to your itinerary.

A visit fits especially well into a slow morning. After enjoying a traditional Spanish desayuno — perhaps toasted bread with tomatoes and olive oil, or a slice of tortilla Española, finished with a fresh café — you may feel perfectly energized to wander through Marbella’s historic center and explore one of its quieter cultural treasures.

Discovering Museo del Grabado in Marbella’s Old Town

The Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo is located in Casco Antiguo, Marbella’s old town, hidden among the labyrinth of narrow streets lined with white houses, small galleries, and modern restaurants.

From the outside, the building appears surprisingly modest. Walking past it, you might assume it’s a small museum that could be visited quickly. But once you step inside, that impression quickly changes.

At the entrance, a friendly host usually offers a short introduction to the museum and its layout. This small orientation already hints that there is much more to see than expected. The museum unfolds across several floors and rooms, gradually revealing its collection and history.

The building itself adds to the atmosphere. Arches, columns, and aged ceiling murals remind visitors that this space has lived through centuries. The quiet interior creates a calm environment where you can take your time and truly observe the artworks.

Picasso and Other Masters of Spanish Printmaking

One of the highlights I personally hoped to see was the collection of Pablo Picasso’s engravings. After visiting the Picasso Museum in Málaga, an experience I wrote about in my article “What They Don’t Tell You About Pablo Picasso Museum in Malaga”, I developed an unexpected curiosity about his artistic process and graphic works.

Seeing Picasso’s grabados (engraved prints) in Marbella felt like a continuation of that discovery. His works are exhibited in one of the museum’s main rooms and reveal another side of his artistic expression beyond painting.

The museum is thoughtfully organized. The first large gallery introduces visitors to the techniques of printmaking, explaining how engravings and prints are created. Through visual examples and explanations, you begin to understand the meticulous process behind this art form, something many visitors might not fully appreciate before seeing it explained step by step.

Following the signs on the walls, you can continue exploring the upper floors, where modern works and temporary exhibitions (like “Refreshing whispers of Bloom”) are displayed in several additional rooms.

When I visited the museum in February, the atmosphere felt almost meditative. I spent much of the time as the only visitor in the galleries, moving slowly from room to room.

Winter on the Costa del Sol has its own rhythm. Life slows down, the streets become quieter, and cultural spaces like this museum offer a peaceful retreat.

During the summer months, however, the museum becomes livelier, with more curious visitors discovering Marbella’s artistic side beyond the beach.

How Museo del Grabado Started

The Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo opened in 1992 and is dedicated specifically to Spanish printmaking from the 20th century onward.

The museum is housed in the historic Hospital Bazán, a 16th-century Renaissance building that once served as a hospital for the town. Restored and adapted for cultural use, the building now holds one of the most important collections of Spanish graphic art in southern Spain.

Over the years, the museum has developed an important cultural mission: preserving and showcasing the tradition of grabado, or printmaking, within Spanish art history.

What the Collection Includes

The museum’s permanent collection focuses on modern and contemporary Spanish printmakers, featuring works by some of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

Among the artists represented are:

Pablo Picasso
Joan Miró
Salvador Dalí
Antonio Tàpies
Eduardo Chillida

Through their prints and engravings, you can see how Spanish artists experimented with line, texture, and graphic expression across different artistic movements.

In addition to the permanent collection, the museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions, educational workshops, and cultural events that help keep the tradition of printmaking alive for new generations.

Museo del Grabado may not be the largest of the Marbella museums, but its quiet character and thoughtful exhibitions make it a rewarding cultural stop, especially if you enjoy art or want to explore a different side of Marbella.

If you visit, I would suggest allowing yourself a little more time than you initially expect. Move slowly through the rooms, observe the details of the prints, and notice how the historic architecture of the building interacts with the art.

Sometimes the most memorable travel experiences are not the busiest attractions, but the quieter places that invite you to pause and look a little closer.

All images in this article were taken by Elena Sullivan, ArsVie Photo Studio and are protected by copyright. If you are interested in using any of the them, please contact me for permission. Thank you for understanding!

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The Olive Oil Museum A Quiet Hidden Gem in Marbella

Elena Sullivan — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 19:39:18 +0000

Like many interesting and adventurous stories, this one began with a single intention and unfolded into something much richer.

On a cloudy day, I walked into downtown Marbella with one clear plan – to visit the Archivo Histórico Municipal de Marbella. According to the information I found online, it was located inside the Centro Cultural Cortijo Miraflores. I working on an article about one of Marbella’s old buildings and hoped to find books, documents, or photographs that might be available for public use.

While I didn’t get to view archival materials that day, I did gather enough information to continue my research later. My visit had already served its purpose, and I was almost ready to leave.

Almost.

As I walked toward the exit, a small table tucked into the corner of the hallway caught my eye. Beneath a glass cover lay a few books and objects, quietly waiting to be noticed. Curious, I asked the kind woman at the reception desk, who had already patiently answered several of my questions, what it was.

I had arrived expecting to spend no more than ten minutes in the building.

Her answer changed that completely.

What followed was nearly an hour of unexpected exploration and warm conversation with the people who work there. Instead of leaving, I found myself drawn into a small but thoughtful exhibition dedicated to olive oil production and archaeological finds from the Marbella area, some dating back to BC times.

It felt less like a formal museum (like High Museum of Art in Atlanta) and more like a place for a quite discovery, modest in size, but rich in meaning.

Olive Oil, Archaeology, and Everyday History

The exhibition offers a quiet glimpse into the agricultural and cultural history of the region. Tools, objects, and machinery from the past century or two reveal how olive oil production shaped everyday life over generations. The artifacts are presented with care and simplicity, inviting visitors to slow down and take a closer look. What makes this place special is its intimacy. It doesn’t announce itself loudly, and perhaps that’s why it feels so genuine.

Standing in this single, modest hall, it becomes clear that the exhibition holds more than one story at once.

Long before olive groves shaped the landscape, traces of human presence were already here. Stone tools found at Coto Correa point to the Lower Paleolithic period, reminding us that life in this area began hundreds of thousands of years ago. Later, during the Neolithic period, people lived and buried their dead in nearby caves and rock shelters, leaving behind quiet marks of daily life. Centuries passed, and with the arrival of Arab rule in 711, Marbella became a network of farmsteads and fortifications before evolving into a walled city centered around its castle. The modern town began to take shape after the Christian conquest in 1485, expanding beyond its walls and filling with new buildings that still echo through Marbella today. Inside this small exhibition, all these layers of time felt softly folded together in one space.

The History of Cortijo Miraflores

The Centro Cultural Cortijo Miraflores is housed in a building with deep historical roots. Originally constructed in 1704 by Francisco Domínguez, the structure functioned as both a sugar cane mill and an olive oil mill. Two family crests still visible on the balcony at the entrance quietly confirm its origins.

Before becoming what it is today, the site was known as Miraflores Country House. It once belonged to the monks of the Monastery of San Francisco and later passed through generations of the Domínguez family. Over time, the estate expanded, incorporating oil mills powered by horses and agricultural facilities that supported rural life in the area.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the mill remained active, surviving ownership changes, legal disputes, and periods of decline. Eventually, the estate fell into abandonment and suffered damage, even facing the risk of demolition.

In 1990, the Town of Marbella acquired the property and undertook a full restoration. Today, Cortijo Miraflores has been carefully preserved and transformed into a cultural center that houses the municipal archive, reading rooms, exhibition spaces, and an archaeological and ethnological collection. Many original machines and grinders from its days as an oil mill are still visible, offering a tangible connection to its past.

Exploration Always Leads to Discovery

What I love most about exploring towns on foot, and speaking with the people who live and work there, is how often it leads to the unexpected. These moments feel like small gifts, especially for creative explorers.

I try to follow my intuition, which often begins with a simple thought: That looks interesting. I wonder what’s there.

When traveling, it’s natural to visit famous landmarks and well-documented attractions. I enjoy those too. But I always leave space for wandering without a plan. Getting a little lost often leads to places that never make it into guidebooks, the kind later described as hidden gems.

Even on my very first solo trip to Spain, I spent hours walking, observing, taking photos, and letting places reveal themselves slowly. This small olive oil museum inside Cortijo Miraflores felt like one of those moments, a reminder that curiosity is often rewarded.

How to Get to the Olive Oil Museum at Cortijo Miraflores

Centro Cultural Cortijo Miraflores is located just outside Marbella’s historic center, within walking distance from the old town. From Plaza de los Naranjos, the walk takes approximately fifteen minutes through residential streets.

Address: Avda. José Luis Morales y Marín, s/n 29601 Marbella

If you are arriving by car, there is street parking available nearby, though availability can vary depending on the time of day. Public buses serving the area also stop within a short walk of the cultural center.

Once inside don’t hesitate to ask questions at the reception desk. The staff are welcoming and happy to guide you, and who knows, they might lead you to a discovery you didn’t expect.

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What They Don’t Tell You About the Pablo Picasso Museum in Malaga

Elena Sullivan — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:07:07 +0000

“Learn the rules like a professional, so you can break them like an artist.” — Pablo Picasso

Since moving to the Costa del Sol, and more specifically to Marbella, our days have been filled with practical beginnings: paperwork, learning the rhythms of daily life, discovering local stores, and slowly mapping the places that give this region its cultural depth. Among those places, one visit felt inevitable from the start: the Pablo Picasso Museum in Málaga.

Booking tickets online with a reserved time slot turned out to be a smart choice. It helped us avoid queues and made the visit feel relaxed from the very beginning, something I’d highly recommend, especially during busy seasons. If you’re planning to visit in the summer (very high season in Spain), reserving tickets well in advance is especially important, as time slots can fill up quickly.

As a former art’s student, I came in with a general understanding of Picasso’s importance, his stylistic shifts, and his place in art history. Yet I had never felt particularly drawn to his work on a personal level. Visiting the museum gave me the space to finally engage with it directly, without preconceptions.

Art is deeply personal.

For the artist, it is a reflection of how they see and process the world; for the viewer or collector, it’s about resonance, what speaks to you and what doesn’t. Picasso’s work isn’t meant to be universally understood, and that’s perfectly fine. We don’t need to fully “understand” every piece of art we encounter. But standing in front of his work, it becomes impossible not to respect his dedication, his discipline, and his lifelong commitment to exploration.

Sometimes, encountering art outside our usual preferences opens new visual pathways. Picasso’s work does exactly that. It invites curiosity. It feels confident and cohesive, playful yet deliberate. The colors flow, the forms simplify and distort, and yet everything feels intentional.

When I plan a visit to a particular museum (like Metropolitan Art Museum in New York or Getty Museum in Los Angeles), I tend to avoid reading too much about it beforehand. I prefer to arrive open, allowing my own impressions to form first. Following that instinct, we spent several immersive hours inside the museum, moving slowly through the galleries.

Meeting Pablo Picasso in Málaga. A Slow Walk Through Form and Imagination.

The Picasso museum itself is beautifully situated in Málaga’s historic center, close to landmarks such as the Roman Theatre, the Málaga Cathedral, and the Alcazaba. Housed in the Buenavista Palace, a 16th-century Andalusian building, the space feels calm and thoughtful. The exhibition unfolds chronologically, beginning with Picasso’s early, more realistic works, pieces that reveal his technical skill long before abstraction took over. Seeing this progression made his artistic evolution feel both intentional and earned.

Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga in 1881, and although his life and career unfolded across Spain, France, and beyond, this city remained his point of origin. In 2003, the Picasso Museum Málaga officially opened its doors. The project was made possible through a collaboration between the Junta de Andalucía, the city of Málaga, and members of Picasso’s family, Christine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, who donated a significant portion of the collection. Their involvement helped ensure that the museum would reflect both Picasso’s fame and the intimacy of his creative life.

The museum is housed in the Buenavista Palace, a 16th-century Andalusian residence that was carefully restored to balance historical architecture with modern exhibition spaces. Beneath the building, archaeological remains from Roman and Phoenician periods were preserved and incorporated into the museum experience, creating a powerful dialogue between ancient history and modern art. This layering of time feels especially fitting for an artist whose work constantly challenged linear thinking.

With over 200 works spanning painting, sculpture, ceramics, drawings, and prints, the museum offers insight into Picasso’s evolving vision. It’s more about understanding and watching an artist think, experiment, and transform.

Picasso’s Five Creative Phases

The Blue Period (1901–1904)
Marked by cool blue tones and introspective themes, this phase reflects solitude, emotional depth, and human vulnerability, shaped by personal loss and reflection.
The Rose Period (1904–1906)
Warmer colors and softer subjects emerge here, often inspired by circus life. The mood shifts toward intimacy, tenderness, and a renewed sense of balance.
Cubism (from 1907)
Co-founded by Picasso, Cubism redefined modern art by breaking forms into geometric shapes and presenting multiple perspectives at once, challenging traditional representation.
Surrealist Influence (1920s–1930s)
Although never officially part of the Surrealist movement, Picasso embraced expressive distortion, symbolism, and dreamlike imagery during this emotionally charged period.
Late Experimental Period (1940s–1970s)
In his later years, Picasso revisited earlier styles with boldness and freedom, painting with confidence, humor, and a sense of play that reflected a lifetime of mastery.

From Cubism to Curiosity and Understanding Picasso’s Visual Language

Although Picasso is best known as a pioneer of Cubism, certain periods of his work echo Surrealist sensibilities: distorted forms and dreamlike compositions (like in “Floral Abundance”) that feel guided as much by intuition as by structure.

Despite the bold outlines and surreal forms, I didn’t experience his work as aggressive. On the contrary, I felt curiosity and even a quiet sense of humor. His art encourages you to pause, to look longer, to question what initially feels simple. Those shapes, softened and reimagined, become something exploratory and alive.

One of the most inspiring aspects of Picasso’s story is his lifelong creative output. He remained active and experimental until the very end of his life. As a photographic artist myself, that kind of sustained curiosity feels grounding and motivating. Creativity, it reminded me, isn’t about arriving at a destination, it’s about continuing the conversation.

I left the museum with a sense of quiet fulfillment. Spending four hours there felt like an enriching experience, just enough time to take in the confidence of his work, the clarity of his vision, and the freedom with which he approached art.

As Picasso once said: “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”

Walking through the streets of Málaga afterward, I couldn’t help but think about the boldness and experimentation that defined his art, a reminder of how innovation often comes from taking risks, challenging convention and hard work.

Visiting the Pablo Picasso Museum in Málaga is a journey into the life and mind of one of history’s most revolutionary artist. For anyone curious about art, innovation, or the man behind the legend, the visit is undeniably worth it.

How to Get to the Pablo Picasso Museum in Málaga

The Pablo Picasso Museum is right in the heart of Málaga’s historic center, making it easy to reach on foot, by public transport, or by car.

By Foot:

If you’re staying in the city center, the museum is easily walkable. Strolling through the charming streets of Málaga’s old town is half the fun.

By Bus:

Several local buses stop near the museum. Lines 1, 3, 11, and 34 all pass close by. Check the latest schedules on the Málaga public transport site.

By Train:

If you’re coming from nearby towns, Málaga’s main train station, María Zambrano, is about 20 minutes on foot or a short bus ride from the museum.

By Car:

There are some parking options nearby, though spaces in the historic center can be limited. It’s often easiest to park in one of the city’s public garages and walk to the museum.

Tip: Málaga’s old town streets are narrow and full of surprises, so wear comfortable shoes and enjoy the walk!

Practical Tips for Visiting the Pablo Picasso Museum

Visiting the Pablo Picasso Museum in Málaga is a treat, but a few tips can make your experience even smoother:

1. Buy tickets in advance.

Especially during peak season, booking online helps you skip the lines.

2. Go early or late.

The museum is busiest around midday. Arriving when it opens or an hour before closing gives a quieter, more intimate experience.

3. Big bags, lockers, and no food or drink.

Large bags will need to be left at the museum lockers, and food or drinks aren’t allowed inside. It’s all about keeping the art safe.

4. Photography rules.

You can take photos, but no video recording is allowed and flash photography is prohibited.

5. Wear comfy shoes.

You’ll be wandering multiple floors, so comfy footwear is a must.

6. Take your time.

Some of his sketches and early works are small but reveal so much, they’re worth slowing down for.

Pablo Picasso once said that art is about learning how to see differently. Did any of the works in this exhibition shift the way you think about form, emotion, or creativity? Which piece made you pause the longest? Share your answer in comments.

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Immortal Petals The Pinker Times Silk Flower Exhibition That Makes You Rethink Beauty

Elena Sullivan — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 03:26:59 +0000

Muted petals, soft light, a whisper of fragrance in the air…

Time slows. Beauty lingers.

For a moment, the world feels gentler

As if flowers remember something we’ve forgotten.

Aesthetics matter to me — sometimes, I think I’m a little obsessed with them. Whenever I walk into a restaurant, shop, gallery, or even a tiny coffee shop, my mind automatically starts observing. I look around, study the space, notice how light moves through it, how colors interact, and whether the place manages to create a feeling that invisible atmosphere that lingers in the air when beauty and intention come together.

This article is about the aesthetics of flowers, their silent poetry and the way they can transform a space, a moment, even our mood. It took me longer than I planned to write about this particular flower exhibition, but as I sat down this weekend, I realized I wanted to capture it while the memories were still fresh, before they fluttered away like butterflies.

In 2024, I attended the opening reception of a flower exhibition by the incredibly talented florist and designer Skye Lin, the founder of Pinker Times. The exhibition marked the opening of her new studio space, a place that, as of 2025, sadly no longer exists. But that’s where photography comes in with its quiet power: to preserve the delicate, fleeting present moment. The moment itself may be gone, but it can be relived through images. That’s one of the romantic reasons I fell in love with photography more than twenty years ago, and why it remains both my career and my calling today.

My macro photography is also about flowers. With my macro lens, I capture those small, exquisite details that reveal elegance in every petal and curve. (You can see my flower photography gallery here.)

The Pinker Times Silk Flower Exhibition in Atlanta

The Pinker Times exhibition was light, immersive, and full of emotion. The main attraction, of course, was the flower sculptures: delicate compositions of preserved and silk flowers in different colors, textures, and shapes. I was mesmerized by Skye’s signature palette: soft, muted tones that carry a sense of quiet sophistication and tangible elegance. Each arrangement felt alive, almost as if the flowers were dancing together in a slow, graceful ballet.

Her work reminded me of flower sculpture art, each bouquet and installation had structure and rhythm, almost architectural in form, yet filled with softness and light. It was a reminder that floral design, when done with intention, becomes more than decoration; it becomes a conversation between nature, imagination, and emotion.

Books, mirrors, and sculptural pieces were placed thoughtfully throughout the space, each one adding depth and character. These objects didn’t compete with the flowers but rather conversed with them. The overall effect was intimate and ethereal, creating a feeling that time had slowed down just a little.

For those unfamiliar with her work, Skye Lin is the founder of Pinker Times, an Atlanta-based floral design studio known for experiential sculptures and large-scale installations. Her artistry has caught the attention of brands like Disney, InStyle Magazine, Architectural Digest, British Vogue, Elle, Westin, Jamestown, and IHG Hotels.

Skye’s story as an entrepreneur began during the stillness of the global pandemic, when the world paused and uncertainty became the norm. Amid the chaos, she found comfort and resilience in flowers — both living and silk flowers, which became her medium for expressing beauty that endures. What started as a two-week exhibition meant to bring joy to her local community slowly bloomed into Pinker Times, a flourishing design studio rooted in the belief that beauty heals and that joy can be expressed through the language of flowers.

You can explore more of her work on Instagram @pinkertimesofficial, or visit her website PinkerTimes.com. Her creations are described as “timeless botanical art that needs no maintenance.” Using preserved and silk flowers, Skye merges innovative techniques with raw beauty, crafting enduring pieces that evolve with their surroundings. Beyond exhibitions, Pinker Times also produces large-scale installations, private event designs, residential projects, and pop-up floral workshops, all rooted in her belief that aesthetics can transform the way we experience everyday spaces.

As I left the exhibition that evening, I felt both inspired and deeply at peace, reminded of how aesthetics, when approached with heart, can speak a universal language.

P.S. If you, like me, are endlessly fascinated by the concept of beauty and how it shapes our world, I highly recommend reading “Aesthetic Intelligence” by Pauline Brown. It’s an insightful exploration of why aesthetics matter and how cultivating our sensitivity to beauty can enrich both our personal and professional lives.

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Photography’s New Vision A Photo Exhibition That Changes How We See

Elena Sullivan — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:52:44 +0000

Muted light drifts in,

shadows shift and stretch.

The past speaks softly,

like a friend across the table,

reminding you to look again.

If you love a good photo exhibition, you know it’s not just about pictures on the wall, it’s about stories, details, and surprises that make you pause. At the High Museum of Art Atlanta, the new show Photography’s New Vision: Experiments in Seeing promises exactly that.

I’ve been a member of the High Museum of Art Atlanta for several years now, and together with my husband, we’ve wandered through many of their temporary exhibitions. They’re always so thoughtfully curated, a mix of history, surprise, and moments that stay with you. One show that still lingers in my mind was last year’s “Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.” I remember walking out with that rare feeling of deep satisfaction, like I had been transported into another world.

Now, the museum is presenting something completely different but just as compelling: “Photography’s New Vision: Experiments in Seeing,” on view from June 13, 2025, through January 4, 2026. If you’re searching for a thought-provoking photo exhibition in Atlanta, this one deserves a spot on your list.

Photo Exhibition "Photography's New Vision" in the High Museum of Art Atlanta

The “Photography’s New Vision: Experiments in Seeing” photo exhibition at the High Museum brings this history to life, uniting more than one hundred works from its photography collection. What struck me most while reading about it is how relevant it feels today. Just like the 1920s, our 2020s are marked by rapid technological change, global uncertainty, and shifting ways of communicating. Then and now, artists turned to photography not just to document the world, but to reimagine it, to remind us there are always other ways of seeing.

Walking through the gallery feels electrifyingly curious, like a puzzle for the eye, with a sublime aftertaste that lingers even after you’ve left. Many of the photo works play with geometry: sharp lines, abstract shapes, and shadows captured through unexpected angles of light.

Some photos feel almost poetic, like a large print of electricity resembling the delicate outline of human palms “Lightning Fields 182” by Hiroshi Sugimoto or “Sea Palms” by Wynn Bullock. Others are unsettling. I paused at an image of hands on a boat that carried the chilling tension of a horror movie (“Untitled” Ralph Gibson). But then, remembering that Surreality artistic movement emerged after World War I, the mood made sense: the world itself was filled with uncertainty, darkness, and the desire to see differently.

Hiroshi Sugimoto “Lighting Fields 182” 2009 Gelatin silver print Inspired by William Henry Fox Talbot, an inventor of photography who was fascinated with electromagnetic conduction, Hiroshi Sugimoto began applying charges of electricity directly to unexposed photographic film. After months of honing his technique in the darkroom, he managed to achieve remarkable results with a handheld wand charged by a generator. His Lightning Fields photographs are made without a camera or lens. Here, the abstract visual trace of an electric charge measuring over 400,000 volts sweeps across the composition, reading like the textures of a human hand, the upward tentacles of a fern, or the stark branches of a tree.

IFrancis Bruguière The Light That Never Was on Land or Sea, ca. 1925 Gelatin silver print Francis Bruguière created this image by cutting sheets of paper into sculptural shapes and then moving a light source around the paper while keeping the camera lens open for a long exposure time. In the resulting photograph, the paper appears ethereal, as though emanating light from within. Bruguière took several exposures to capture the different patterns of light on the paper's surface. His transformation of light into abstract forms gives the intangible subject an illusion of solidity, weight, and volume.

Wynn Bullock "Sea Palms", 1968 Gelatin silver print Wynn Bullock experimented with exposure and perspective to render this landscape with a disorienting, ambiguous scale. The sea palms appear to be full-size trees sitting atop a fog-filled gorge; in reality, they are kelp plants clinging to tidal rocks. By leaving his camera lens open while waves washed over the scene, Bullock translated the micro into the macro to make visible a reality that transcends a single moment. His early career as a singer took him to Europe in 1929, where he encountered avant-garde imagery by László Moholy-Nagy and Man Ray, inspiring him to make his first photographs.

One photograph that held me longest was “Line of Sight Drawing” by Gretchen Hupfel, a collage of transmission towers captured with a Polaroid camera. Their lines tangled into a kind of industrial lace, mesmerizing in their complexity. I caught myself trying to count each one, tracing their intersections, before turning to the artist’s note. She explained her fascination with the structures we pass every day but rarely notice. That struck me. It reminded me of why I love macro photography: flowers (like “Peaceful Bloom”), textures (like “Leaf Labyrinth”), little fragments of beauty that so often escape our busy eyes. Both are about the same thing: slowing down and really seeing.

Gretchen Hupfel “Line of Sight Drawing”, 1999 Diffusion transfer prints with ink In the 1990s, Gretchen Hupfel began photographing transmission towers using a Polaroid camera. She observed that "these gigantic structures are everywhere and yet invisible-the proliferation of this architecture has happened without notice. People don't see them or at least pay no attention." Hupfel assembled her studies of towers into large grids and made intricate, weblike line drawings connecting each tower, suggesting an invisible modern net within which humans exist. Her interest in repetition, systems, and logic led her to develop a complex set of rules to shape the final forms of her works.

Astrid Reischwitz “Secrets, from the Spin Club Tapestry” series, 2019 Pigmented inkjet print with handsewn embroidery “Four Did Not Return”, from the Spin Club Tapestry series, 2019 Pigmented inkjet print with handsewn embroidery Inspired by traditional spin clubs (Spinneklümpe) in Northern Germany where she grew up, Astrid Reischwitz creates photographic tapestries embellished with her own needlework. In these clubs, women gather to spin wool and stitch while sharing stories where narratives of past and present merge. Reischwitz echoes this in her work by combining historic and contemporary photographs of the town and its residents with images of fabrics passed down through generations. She collaborates with the makers of those fabrics by adding in stitched patterns. The title Four Did Not Return refers to an inscription on the back of the photograph indicating the tragic postwar future for the lighthearted group.

Hans-Christian Schink “2/26/2010, 7:54 am-8:54 am, S 36°49.622′ E 175°47.340’” (Cathedral Cove), 2010 Gelatin silver print Since 2005, Hans-Christian Schink has carried his large view camera to locations around the world to capture the trail of the sun over a one-hour exposure. The long exposure causes an in-camera solarization that inverts the sun's light and is rendered black in the print, revealing the sun's normally unnoticed trail across the sky. The photograph's detailed title reveals the exact location, date, and time of day the negative was exposed. Schink's lush, mystical work fuses the aesthetics of nineteenth-century travel photography with a contemporary approach.

And maybe that’s the real gift of this Photography’s New Vision High Museum exhibition. It doesn’t hand you easy answers. Instead, it asks you to pause, look differently, and question how you see the world around you.

Almost like an invitation to train your eyes and maybe even your heart to notice more.

Abelardo Morell “Camera Obscura: View of Philadelphia from Loews Hotel Room #3013 with Upside Down Bed”, April 14th, 2014 Pigmented inkjet print Abelardo Morell is renowned for photographs that evoke visual surprise and wonder. He is best known for his use of the room-sized camera obscura, an ancient optical device that projects exterior views onto interior spaces. To create his camera obscura images, he covers windows with black plastic and pokes a 3/8-inch hole in the material. The outside world is projected upside down onto a wall, and he uses a camera inside the room to document this melding of interior and exterior. Here, he has flipped the image 180 degrees to create a dreamlike scene where the hotel bed floats above the city's skyline.

For someone museums like the High Museum of Art is just another gallery filled with objects. I see museums as guardians of vision, preserving the past and also showcasing the human need to experiment, to push, to imagine new ways of seeing. And in a time when life feels faster, noisier, and more distracted than ever, stepping into a space like this feels like a reset.

Because in the end, that’s what art does best: it slows us down, surprises us, and reminds us that meaning often hides in the smallest details.

P.S. If you enjoy a good photo exhibition, you might also like peeking at mine: “Refreshing Whispers of Bloom,” my solo show about macro photography displayed in Alpharetta, GA. I shared a little summary of it in this article. It’s close to my heart flowers, light, and the small details of beauty that whisper when you pause to notice.

Elevate your decor with my Elegant wall art prints

Threads of Gold

Blooming Enigma

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The visual power of aesthetics at Biltmore house Asheville NC

Elena Sullivan — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 02:40:58 +0000

I stood in front of the window, gazing outside as the first soft sunbeams slowly emerged behind the mountain. The sunrise was inspiring and mesmerizing, making it easy to lose track of time. Despite my desire to keep admiring the awakening light, I needed to start getting ready and think about my outfit for the day.

It was Saturday, the second day of our honeymoon in Asheville, North Carolina. The weather forecast promised another beautiful day, which we hoped for since we planned to visit the Biltmore House later.

Some call the Biltmore House a mansion or an estate, but when you see it in person, you might start calling it the Biltmore Castle. Its dimensions, spanning over 175,000 square feet, easily fit that description.

Visiting a castle calls for a nice outfit; after all, it’s not every day you get the chance. Since I found out we were going on a tour of the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC, I knew I would wear a dress. Those of you who are subscribed to my Art blog and are familiar with my fine art photography know I am a strong advocate for the “Power of the Dress,” offering a “Flying Dress” experience. I believe in the power of aesthetics, art, creativity, and personal style to enrich and elevate your life. I have experienced this myself and shared the results on my blog.

I try to avoid creating expectations, especially when traveling or visiting a museum, gallery, or fine art photography exhibiton. It never works out; I usually end up viewing the real moment through the lens of my expectations instead of enjoying it as it is. After a tour of El Cielo in Cozumel, Mexico, I made a promise: “Never create expectations.” This is why I avoid looking at highly advertised pictures that make you want to say, “OMG! Amazing!” or “This is perfect!”

Visiting the Biltmore Estate is not about experiencing perfection; it’s about having an enriching experience. It’s about practicing curiosity, expanding your view of the world, and nourishing your senses, all of which together provide aesthetic pleasure without the need for exclamation marks and high emotions.

My husband secretly organized our honeymoon trip to Asheville, so I didn’t have time to form any expectations. He revealed our destination just twenty minutes before we arrived in this artistic town. Later that day, he announced he had booked a tour of the Biltmore Mansion directly from their website. You can also book tickets by clicking the following link. They offer several ticket options based on the number of activities and the time of year. General admission to the Biltmore House starts at $69, and during Christmas, it’s $99.

A historical note about Biltmore house in Asheville.

The Biltmore Estate is a historic house museum built for George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. The main residence, Biltmore House, features a Châteauesque style inspired by French Renaissance architecture. Although it is a museum open to all visitors, the Biltmore House remains privately owned by George Vanderbilt’s descendants and is the largest privately-owned house in the United States.

In the 1880s, after traveling to Asheville with his mother, George Vanderbilt fell in love with the local scenery and climate, deciding to build a summer house in the area. The name “Biltmore” originated from a combination of two words: “De Bilt” (a place of his ancestor’s origin in the Netherlands) and “more” (Anglo-Saxon “moor” – an open land).

To facilitate the estate’s construction, a woodworking factory and brick kiln were built on-site. About 1,000 workers and 60 stonemasons were hired to work on the main Biltmore House. George Vanderbilt II made numerous trips overseas to purchase decor for his mansion, including furniture, linens, tapestries, paintings, prints, and many other decorative details dating back to the 15th century. The construction of the mansion reportedly cost 5 million dollars, equivalent to 150 million US dollars today.

The Biltmore House opened on Christmas Eve in 1895 to family and friends. Over the years, many famous people have stayed at Biltmore, including novelist Henry James, Edith Wharton, ambassador Joseph Hodges Choate, and several U.S. presidents.

The Biltmore House is surrounded by 75 acres of formal and informal gardens designed by the renowned American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

In 1963 the Biltmore estate was designated a National Historic Landmark. It is still family-owned, and with over 1,4 million visitors per year, it remains a major tourist attraction in North Carolina.

Inside of Biltmore estate.

When I was a kid, I loved listening to Carmen Suite and looking through the pages of a book about European paintings. Later in life, I earned a Master’s degree in Art and became a professional photographer. At 30, I pivoted my life in a completely different direction, moving halfway across the world to Mexico with just one suitcase and a camera. I didn’t know anyone there or speak the language, but I was captivated by the idea of living in a “tropical paradise,” thinking that a beach and sun were all I needed to be happy.

After nine years of living in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, I realized that wasn’t enough. My childhood love for art resurfaced, and I felt a strong need to experience art more often and from different perspectives. While I love nature and the sea, in my version of the “balance of life,” art and aesthetics play a significant role. Visiting museums (like the Metropolitan Museum in New York), galleries (like Vinings in Roswell, GA), and theaters, along with painting and writing, gently nourish my spirit and mind. So, when I stepped inside the Biltmore Estate, I felt an incredible surge of energy and revitalization.

Even if I used all the superlative adjectives, it wouldn’t be enough to describe the aesthetic pleasure I experienced from spending five hours inside the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. I would have gladly spent more time there, but as a visitor, you can only get a fleeting glimpse of that masterpiece.

Prominent New York architect Richard Morris Hunt was commissioned to design the Biltmore House. Having previously worked for several members of the Vanderbilt family, he drew inspiration from French Renaissance châteaux. In 1889, Hunt and George Vanderbilt visited several of these châteaux in France, as well as Waddesdon Manor in England, to gather design ideas.

The Biltmore House features 250 rooms, including 35 bedrooms for family and guests, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, and three kitchens. The main rooms are situated on the ground floor.

The Entrance Hall is made of marble, and to the right is the Winter Garden, which is surrounded by stone archways.

The Biltmore House was equipped with several innovations of its time, including an electric elevator, forced-air heating, centrally controlled clocks, and a fire alarm system.

The Banquet Hall is the largest room in the house, featuring a 70-foot high barrel-vaulted ceiling. On one side of the hall is an organ gallery that contains a 1916 Skinner Pipe Organ.

The Grand Staircase, with 107 steps spiraling around a four-story structure and a wrought-iron chandelier, is the main access to the second floor. As you walk through the Living Hall, you’ll pass by George Vanderbilt’s gilded bedroom and his wife’s oval-shaped bedroom in the Louis XV style.

The basement level of the Biltmore House features various activity rooms, including an indoor heated swimming pool, a bowling alley, and a gym. It also houses a service hub with the main, pastry, and rotisserie kitchens, laundry rooms, a servant’s dining hall, and walk-in refrigerators.

My top three favorite rooms in the Biltmore House are:

The Library
The Louis Suite, which includes four rooms: the Damask Room, the Claude Room, the Tyrolean Chimney Room, and the Louis XV Room. These rooms are located on the second floor.
Mrs. Edith Vanderbilt’s bedroom

The architecture and interiors of the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC, are so exquisite and rich in detail that the moment I stepped inside, I was instantly transported to the 19th century. The details are so compelling that they evoke the character of the people who envisioned this magnificent estate, as well as the architects and designers who worked tirelessly to bring it to life. To fully appreciate every detail, multiple visits to the Biltmore Estate are necessary.

In our hi-tech era, we often believe that to appreciate life and feel happy, we must fully engage with the present moment, which typically means avoiding distractions like phones and other devices. However, this can be nearly impossible in a place like the Biltmore House, where every room, wall, and ceiling is irresistibly captivating to a curious visitor.

As a photographer with fifteen years of experience, I couldn’t resist taking numerous photos and recording videos. It’s my instinct to capture and share beauty, which I later post on my blog and social media. Given the overwhelming negativity in the news and similar sources, I created the “Fine Art Lifestyle” project to promote beauty, aesthetics, and creativity, which can uplift the spirit and positively impact one’s life.

I was thrilled to find two paintings by my favorite artist, Claude Monet, in one of the rooms on the first floor. I wished I had more time at the Biltmore to study each painting in detail, but that felt like an idealistic plan for the future. For now, my visit offered only a glimpse of these absolute masterpieces.

Dress up to elevate your experience in the Biltmore mansion.

The developing theory of “Enclothed Cognition” explores how clothing can influence our behavior and attitude toward everything we do. I support this theory based on my personal experience during my transformation after a divorce. As I embraced personal style, swapped pants for skirts, and filled my wardrobe with colorful dresses, started practicing public speaking, these changes became a silent supporter in my journey to restore my femininity and nurture my self-love.

On tour at the Biltmore house, I was wearing a flowy dress with a flower pattern, which was appropriate for that gorgeous place. The dress elevated my perception of the whole experience. Walking through the halls at the Biltmore House in a dress was like dancing between a past and a present, and on every twirl, feeling a soft touch of graceful heirlooms trying to get your attention.

There is no dress code for visiting the Biltmore house. Still, I noticed that many visitors were dressed elegantly and stylishly, which added a lot to their enriching experience of visiting the Biltmore estate.

How to arrive to Biltmore House.

We stayed at the Omni Grove Park Inn. On the day of our scheduled tour, we left the hotel around 7:40 AM and arrived at the Biltmore Estate in just 12 minutes. At the main entrance, security welcomed us, scanned our tickets, and gave us a map of the estate. Following the signs, which were placed at short intervals, we easily drove to Parking Lot A. Since it was early morning, finding a spot was quick and easy.

We then walked through a small park that led to the Observation Area of the Biltmore House. We left around 2 PM and headed to the exhibition “Leonardo Da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius,” hosted at Biltmore’s Amherst Deerpark venue.

On our way back, still within the estate, I noticed small buses stopping by the main entrance of the Biltmore House. These were for private tours, so if you book one, you won’t need to worry about parking—these buses will drop you off right at the main entrance.

Returning to the hotel, I was pleasantly tired from a full day of walking in heels that felt fitting for the grand ambiance of the Biltmore Mansion. The estate is an extravagant example of human potential driven by pride, wealth, and creative vision. I was thrilled by the architecture, interior designs, and the historical aspects, but most of all, by the genuine joy of experiencing a masterpiece.

Address for the Biltmore Estate entrance: 1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803

Hours of Operation: 9 AM – 5 PM

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The inspiring triumph of art in the Metropolitan Art Museum New York

Elena Sullivan — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 16:19:11 +0000

There is something sincerely special when you make your dream come true, despite all the hardships that might have flooded the road to a destination. The new philosophy teaches us that to be happy and enjoy the triumph of achievements, first of all, we must love the journey, the road, every step along the way, and occasional bumps.

So, to visit the Metropolitan Art Museum, I had to apply that idea in action.

From the Caribbean beach to the largest museum in the United States - Metropolitan Art Museum

Being an art student 18 years ago, I read about the MET. Yet growing up in a restrained society (former USSR), I never allowed myself to dream of visiting it. It wasn’t until I moved to Cancun in 2013, where I established my photography business and was exposed to international tourism, that I started dreaming big. And though living in a tropical destination might sound alluring to those of you who live in a cold climate, with many rainy days and no direct access to the beach, there are some pitfalls. And one of them is the limited number of museums, galleries, and other places that represent different art, including classical.

At some point living in Cancun, I clearly realized I have a visual hunger! I needed more art and all it encompasses – beauty, diversity, inspiration, variety of texture and forms, creative communication, and the hidden message that tickles my curious mind. And I started actively dreaming, which was interrupted by a Global Pandemic.

However, I am a true believer in the power of thoughts and the magic formula “dream+act=victory” So, despite all the circumstances that were against me traveling to New York, I made it happen. I patiently waited for my visa appointment for a year, working, doing “Empowering Flying Dress photoshoots,” and staying true to my dream. And it worked out, as always it works out when you combine dreams with actions.

I imagined myself visiting the Metropolitan Art Museum for many years. So, when it finally happened, I was super excited, and it became a gently nourishing experience for me. And I didn’t expect less than that. After all, going to the MET symbolized my first solo trip to New York and the United States, the country I had been so curious about since I was a teenager.

New York, New York – a city that never sleeps, with skyscrapers reaching high to the sky, yellow taxis creating a colorful puzzle mood, and infinite geometric patterns formed by a city skyline.

In March 2022, I visited New York for the first time, coming from Cancun. I wasn’t prepared for the cold weather. My friend, a long-time New Yorker, explained, “It’s because a cold front is passing by, but don’t worry, it will be gone in a couple of days.” I replied, “That sounds good, but I’ll be leaving by then.” Since I couldn’t postpone my visit to the MET, I went the next day, which was the day after its day off.

On vacation, I allow myself to sleep in, but on that magical day, I woke up around 6.30 AM. I wanted to arrive at MET at least thirty minutes before opening to ensure I didn’t have to stand in a long line. So I took a hot shower, did my makeup, and put on a dress and several casual blouses underneath to keep me warm because my spring coat was just not enough. Living in Cancun for nine years, I almost forgot why one needs a warm coat and how cold weather feels. But I realized I should have prepared better for this trip when I stepped outside the JFK airport and saw little snowflakes dancing in the air. But anyway, even this minor weather-type misunderstanding couldn’t stop me from enjoying the Big Apple and visiting the MET NYC.

The West Side YMCA hostel New York where I stayed, is located at 1.3. miles away from the Metropolitan Museum and on a warm day, I would easily walk there, even wearing heels. However, the cold and terrifyingly strong wind made it impossible.

So, after having breakfast, I took an Uber, and in fifteen minutes, I was at the MET’s main entrance.

I didn’t expect a long line entering a museum, but I was glad it was there because it gave me just enough time to purchase a ticket online. That was the best option. Otherwise, I would have spent more time outside in the cold waiting in line at a ticket office. I added detailed information about the MET hours and tickets at the end of the article.

When I entered the Metropolitan museum, I thought – hello, her Majesty, The palace of art. It’s one thing when you read about a museum (for example The High Museum of Art in Atlanta) and different when you visit it. “It’s real,” I thought, “I am real, and my experience traveling in New York is real.” I was 100% present in the moment, and it was magical.

Art and history are romantically connected, so in writing about the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s, it’s important to mention how it was established.

The MET Museum was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens that included businessman John Taylor Johnston, painter Jonathan Eastman and art collector William Tilden Blodgett. Their main objective was to establish, encourage and promote the knowledge and study of Fine Art in the city.

The first collection was purchased in 1872 and consisted of 174 paintings. It’s estimated that the current MET collection includes almost 2 million works of art covering 5000 years of world culture. The museum was first housed in the building at 681 Fifth Avenue, but smart leadership and management led to its fast expansion, and in 1880, it moved into its current building located at 1000 Park Avenue, New York City. By the 20th century, the Metropolitan Art Museum has become one of the world’s prominent art centers.

In 1967 a grand plan for expansion of the major building was approved, and the architect Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo & Associates was in charge of the MET’s renovation. It took them 26 years of continuous work to complete the project. The result was the construction of the Robert Lehman Wing, The Sackler Wing, The American Wing, The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing, and the Henry R. Kravis Wing. The new space allowed the MET museum to refine and reorganize its collection.

The Metropolitan Art Museum recorded 2.11 million visitors in 2021, compared to 2019 when it received around 7 million visitors.

MET major collections

The MET’s primary permanent collection is curated by seventeen departments, each with its own group of scholars.

African Art in The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
The American Wing
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Arms and Armor
Ancient American Art in The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
Asian Art
The Costume Institute
Drawings and Prints
Egyptian Art
European Paintings
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Greek and Roman Art
Islamic Art
The Robert Lehman Collection
Medieval Art and The Cloisters
Modern and Contemporary Art
Musical Instruments
Oceanic Art in The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
Photographs

Period Rooms in MET

What can be a better representation of a period in time other than a room?! And in the Metropolitan Art Museum, there are 29 “period” and historic rooms of different sizes. The decoration of each of them reflects a particular epoch and artistic style. They are curated by scholars and partly inspired by museological trends and MET’s collections. In most “period rooms,” the furnishings are not original but have been selected to give visitors an idea of what it might look like.

Here are photos of some of the rooms that I visited. As a kind reminder, note that a video recording is not allowed.

I spent all day in the Metropolitan Art Museum and still didn’t get to see it all. The statistics say that, on average, a person spends 3-4 hours in MET, and with that schedule, you probably need at least a week to walk around every hall. If I lived in New York, I am sure I would have a membership as I did in the High Museum of Art Atlanta.

I needed more time to see all the famous paintings and take a detailed look at Egyptian art, as those are of special interest to me.

Egyptian art at the Metropolitan museum

A relatively small initial collection of Egyptian collections in MET museum was represented by seals and scarabs acquired in 1874 by its first director – Luigi Palma di Cesnola. Later, in 1884 the Egyptian art collection extended when the museum bought important items directly from the Egyptian Government. By 1905 there were 4400 objects in the Egyptian art collection at the Metropolitan museum. It’s important to note that the Egyptian department was one of the earliest in MET.

The modern-day collection consists of 26000 items dating from the Paleolithic to the Roman period. And most parts of it were acquired through the museum’s thirty-five-year archeological work in Egypt that started in 1906 and was interrupted in 1936 by the problems that resulted from the Depression. It took fifty years for MET to reinitiate its archeological explorations in Egypt.

MET costume exhibit - In America: An Anthology of Fashion

Do you remember that feeling when you visit a beautiful and alluring place for the first time? For me visiting the MET Museum was one such experience. And I didn’t have time to get ready: to map out what I wanted to see and where it was located within the museum’s building, what are the temporary exhibitions (like Joseph Stella “Visionary Nature” in Atlanta), or how much time I needed to allocate for every collection. I just went there and was exploring it step by step, hall by hall, feeling like an art traveler lost in the space of a magnifying charm. And at some point, I entered a gallery with a temporary exhibition – In America an Anthology of Fashion. It was a must-see for me, now that I am interested in and passionate about personal style. I am not a fashionista and don’t spend days looking through fashion magazines. However, allocating a certain time of my life to dress nice has become an importantly-nourishing habit after a divorce. It helps me to generate more enthusiasm for life. So, I was happy to look at distinctive dresses and other clothes for thirty minutes. Let me share with you my favorites.

14 most famous paintings at the MET

While writing this article, I realized that you probably need a week to see just the paintings in the MET museum. With every new room you step into, the number of paintings seems to double. And that’s so tempting and confusing at the same time. I remember thinking: “I want to see them all, but I also want to see other pieces of art.” So, again it’s all about balance and allocating an equal amount of time to see some of the paintings at MET.

Washington Crossing Delaware, Emanuel Leutze 1851

The Death of Socrates – Jacques-Louis David. This Neoclassical work is one of the most famous paintings at The Met. It portrays the moments just before the death of the great philosopher Socrates, based on his student Plato’s record of the event.
Gertrude Stein – Pablo Picasso 1905-06
The Dancing Class – Edgar Degas
Autumn Rhythm – Jackson Pollock 1950
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints – Raphael
Olive Trees at Collioure – Henri Matisse 1906
Two Young Girls at the Piano – Auguste Renoir 1892
The Musicians – Caravaggio 1595
Venus and the Lute Player – Titian – 1565
Vincent Van Gogh | 1887 – Self-portrait with a straw hat.
Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies – Claude Monet 1899
No. 13 (White, Red on Yellow) – Mark Rothko 1958
View of Toledo, El Greco 1596-1600

Following are some of my favorite paintings in the MET:

Metropolitan Museum of Art tickets

Multiple webs offer online tickets to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Usually, they appear on the right side of a Google search and might offer a discount. However, I prefer to buy tickets directly, so I booked my visit to MET online while waiting in line next to the main entrance. Follow this link to get your Metropolitan Museum of Art ticket.

Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 10 AM – 5 PM

Wednesday – Day off

Friday- Sunday 10 AM -9 PM

It is closed on Thanksgiving Day, December 25, January 1, and the first Monday in May.

Address: 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street

New York, NY 10028

At the end of my first visit to MET, I clearly felt that going to a museum can revive my creative spirit like nothing else.

No matter how many speculations are going around the founders and finances of the museum, I was there to look at art, inhale the tangible past, and exhale enthusiasm for the future. And I would love to go there again. I love going to museums as a random visitor and admirer of art and all things beautifully creative. It’s a visual food for my spirit and allows me to grow and explore all the kaleidoscopic angles of life.

And besides that, you can’t travel to New York and not visit the Metropolitan Art Museum; it’s like going on a beach vacation and never touching the sea. It would be confusing, do you agree?!

The power of art can’t be overestimated. It inspires you to dream and fantasize beyond the ordinary. And a museum is a place that unites and attracts those of us who need that magical touch of the muse.

After visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I started brimming with a renewed passion for exploring art. And I confirmed my thought that the beach, the Caribbean Sea, the palm trees, theaters, and museums are nice in moderation. All that has to be in life. And merged together, like pieces of a puzzle, create a balance in life.

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Art – a spiritual food for your mind.

Elena Sullivan — Sun, 19 May 2024 23:40:34 +0000

Note from the author: the word spiritual in this article is nonreligious and mainly serves to explain and emphasize the internal character of art’s effect on the mind.

Imagine a new house you are about to move into, with no furniture, only the walls, the windows, and the doors. When you step into that space, you will start creating your own cozy masterpiece called home. It will take time, lots of effort, and probably some professional assistance decorating it. Leaving that space blank will keep it as a house, an adult-sized box with multiple holes in the walls that let the light inside. Practical, but not fun! Decorating it turns it into a home, a place to live, dream, and create.

Life without art is like a house, practical but not fun! The paintings, the architecture, sculptures, interior, and landscape design, calligraphy, literature, cinema, music, ballet, theatre, graphic and fashion design, photography, printmaking, and decorative art. All that adds coziness to life. The history of human civilization would not be so rich and complete without those art forms. As your body needs food to function well and stay healthy, so does your mind, though a different one – a spiritual – with art being part of it.

It’s known that we receive 80 percent of the information with eyes. After it enters our brains, it helps to form our belief system, thoughts, and emotional reactions that govern our life for a certain period. Comparing that to the fact that it takes several dozen milliseconds for information from the eyes to reach the brain, which many researchers have proved, we should pay more attention to the quality of that information.

Once the food is in your body, you can physically feel the results of a digesting process. With art, you experience a different outcome. After looking at art (painting, sculpture, architecture), there is no immediate physical response from a body but rather a delayed and emotional (or spiritual) one. If you stay open-minded and allow art to access your brains through the eyes (visually), it will provide your mind with spiritual food. And it’s a non-visible, internal process that is felt intuitively. And with time, it results in a better quality of thoughts and perception of life.

Art is a beautiful way of visual communication that can nourish a human mind. Looking at art makes us feel, reveals our emotions, and helps us see things beyond our daily routine. That makes art an essential ingredient of life that can positively impact your future.

How do you define classical art?

The classical art definition in Wikipedia sounds like this: “Art is a diverse range or a product of a human activity that involves creative and imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, and conceptual ideas.” On the other hand, Britannica offers the following definition: “Art – a visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill and imagination.”

The word “art” takes its origin from the Latin word “Ars,” which is translated as “skill” or “craft.” It was first noticed in 13th-century manuscripts but has been used in different other forms since the founding of Rome in 753 BC.

I see art as an illusion made real, a creative collaboration between an artist’s imagination, experience, and vision. Where experience represents the past, imagination and a vision foresee the future by staying in the present. Art is subjective; it’s a fantasy made real using specific objective instruments invented by humans.

Let me name just a few of the most prominent artists of all time:

Painters: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, JMW Turner, Frida Kahlo, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, Jackson Pollock, Claude Monet, Georges Seura, Tamara de Lempicka, Georgia O’Keeffe.

Famous architectures: Antoni Gaudí, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies Van der Rohe, Philip Johnson, Eero Saarinen, Richard Rogers, Frank Gehry, Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid, Oscar Niemeyer, Rem Koolhas, Jeanne Gang.

Sculptors: Michelangelo, Donatello, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Auguste Rodin, Constantin Brancusi, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore, Sol LeWitt, Louise Bourgeois.

Can you make classical art?

Yes, anyone can make art, and the absence of a professional artist’s status shouldn’t stop you from doing it. When you feel that you need to make art, either paint, sew a dress, make a pot, write a story or poem, or something else from a long list of art activities, just do it. Making art as a hobby or part of art therapy is available to everyone. You can start engaging in art by buying necessary supplies, watching videos for beginners, or joining art or photography classes. Trust yourself and your intrinsic calling to do it. Focus on the experience, and the result will show you the next step.

Can you make classical art? The answer depends on how you understand the meaning of classical art. If you use the word classical to refer to a period of history dating back to Ancient Greece and Rome, then the answer is no. But if you use the word “classical” to describe a harmonious and balanced style of a piece of art, then the answer is yes. Classical art or “classicism” refers to the imitation of the art of classical antiquity (1000 BC – 450 CE). So, you can make art in a classical style, but it will require years of learning classical technics and practicing because it’s a practice that makes the master.

Can art exist in solitude?

Art starts blooming when the artist shares it with the world. It’s important because art is spiritual food for a human’s mind, and by sharing it, an artist allows it to flow in the vast fields of human life. And as a beautiful flower that makes everyone stop for a moment to admire it, your art can make someone inhale beauty and exhale love. In other words, your art can enhance someone’s life and brighten their day.

Art is a gift from its creator to the world.

It can be created in solitude, but to continue existing needs to be shared.

An artist must be brave enough to create a piece of art first and then share it with the world, which is diverse and filled in with millions of paintings, books, sculptures, songs, and dresses. So, create for the mere fact of creating and sharing your vision with the world without expectations, and you will be surprised by the result

Who is your favorite artist? Share in a comment section; I would love to hear from you.

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Discover Inspiration and Creativity at the High Museum of Art Atlanta

Elena Sullivan — Sun, 19 May 2024 15:38:55 +0000

What was the first museum you have ever visited? I wish I knew, but it was a long time ago, so no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember. But I recall where I saw one of the most fascinating in its naturalism sculptures – “The Veiled Rebekah” (1864) by Italian sculptor Giovanni Maria Benzoni. Three weeks ago in the evening, during one of the High-Frequency Fridays held on the first Friday of the month in the High Museum of Art Atlanta, GA.

Somehow I missed seeing this masterpiece during my first visit to the museum. But now I know where it is, and the next time I will make sure to allocate some time to admire “The Veiled Rebekah” again.

This statue represents a scene from a Hebrew Bible when Rebecca first meets her future husband, Issac. There are four copies of “The Veiled Rebekah,” and the original is in Salar Jung Museum in India.

The first time this statue has to be viewed from far away (9-13 feet) to understand better the level of craftsmanship a sculptor applied to make a veil. When I saw it, I had an impression that the veil was real and almost moving around her face. It felt so realistic, almost invisible, that I wanted to stretch my hand and touch it to ensure my vision was not playing a trick on me. Standing near the statue, I was amazed even more because I could almost see the thin structure of the veil. Unbelievable! Superior level of work!

Did you know that the word museum is of Greek origin, “mouseion” and means “Seat of the Muses”? It was designated as a place of contemplation and a philosophical institution.

The High Museum of Art Atlanta. Who, what and when?

The High Museum of Art was established in 1905 as part of the Atlanta Arts Association. In 1926 Harriet “Hattie” Harwell Wilson High donated her family’s mansion on a Peachtree to house several exhibitions. Since then, some pieces of art were added to a permanent exhibition in what is now known as the High Museum of Art, which is named in her honor.

Her portrait (Oil on Canvas) is displayed in Stent Family Wing, Robinson Atrium.

The High Museum is a division of Woodruff Arts center and is one of the most prominent museums in the Southeast United States. Its permanent collection has more than 18000 objects of art made by nineteenth- and twentieth-century American artists, folk and self-taught artists, African and European artists, modern and contemporary artists, and photographers.

In 1983 a new building of the High Museum of Art was presented to the public, which soon became one of Atlanta’s landmarks. It was designed by famous abstract artist and architect Richard Meier, who won a Pritzker Prize for completing this building. That project was partly funded by former Coca-Cola president Robert W.Woodruff followed by $20 million raised by the museum.

In 2005 the museum went through another expansion. Italian architect Renzo Piano designed three new buildings that enhanced the overall view of the Woodruff Arts Center.

The High Museum of Art Collections include:

Photography
Decorative arts and design
African art
European art
American art
Modern and Contemporary Art
Folk and Self-taught art

Located in downtown Atlanta, the High Museum of Art strives to represent the diversity of its community. In addition, it helps in communicating the values and stories of artists, thus adding to the comprehension of the importance of art.

The museum offers various educational programs for kids, teens, and adults. Learn more by clicking this link.

Going to a city museum is a delicately personal experience. I go there to get inspired and become a step-more-forward open-minded. I often find the diversity of unexpected expressions and visual representations of something uniquely personal in museums.

My impression after visiting the High Museum of Art.

Going to a city museum (like the Getty Museum in Los Angeles) is a delicately personal experience. I go there to get inspired and become a step-more-forward open-minded. I often find the diversity of unexpected expressions and visual representations of something uniquely personal in museums.

Expectations don’t work there, at least for me, because I want to be surprised, stop, ask questions, wonder, and then come back again.

I can’t say that I was a perfect museum goer always, but I learned so much since my first student-must-do-visit. I now know the importance of patience and silencing my creative voice once I enter the museum because it’s a space for other artists to speak and present. In some ways, art teaches us to be less selfish and more compassionate. And going to a gallery or museum – be attentive to others’ points of view and vision of the future.

My first visit to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta was visually intense, and I promised to return. And since I bought a membership, I definitely will. In October there will be an exhibition of Rodin’s sculptures, will you be there?

What must you know before visiting the High Museum of Art Atlanta, GA?

The museum is open from 10 AM-5 PM Tuesday to Saturday and Sunday 12 – 5 PM.

Address: 1280 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

The general mission is 19 USD; children under 6 – Free.

The High Museum of Art offers several membership plans:

Individual – $83

Dual/Family – $125

Contributing – $182

Patron – $365

Donor Patron – $600

Sustaining patron – $1000

Free parking (subject to availability until 5 PM) is included in every Membership plan.

Don’t forget to subscribe to their newsletter for updates about new exhibitions and events.

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Experience the allure of P Fine Art Gallery in Suwanee

Elena Sullivan — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 01:54:21 +0000

Spring is in full bloom, promising more happy days and symbolizing rebirth. Birds start singing, buds are opening, the sky is bluer, and the sunlight feels exceptionally generous.
The second week of March, my friend artist Francoise Lama-Solet invited me to visit P Fine Art Gallery. There was an exhibition opening, where she presented several of her paintings. I gladly agreed, and on Friday evening, together with my husband, we drove to Suwanee, GA, where the art gallery is located.

I felt welcomed and comfortable when I stepped into the P Fine Art Gallery. There was something special about the interior design. The delicate color of the walls, the wooden floor, the small hallway that continues into a main room with a tall ceiling, the soft sounds of guests’ voices, and the art pieces harmoniously set around the space.

All that together was aesthetically pleasing and radiated the pure beauty of creators and appreciators of art. I felt peaceful and delighted walking around P Fine Art gallery, and that’s a necessary condition to appreciate art. The paintings, wooden sculptures, and pieces of applied art, such as pottery, complemented each other, creating a visually appealing flow for the visitor. It was easy to follow and enriching to view. All that is a result of the refined taste and efforts of the owner Young-sook Park who is also an artist. Her work is exhibited on the second floor of the gallery.

P Fine Art Gallery tours worldwide and presents its pieces in KIAF Art Seoul, Art Expo NYC, AAF NYC, Art Santa Fe, Red Dot Miami, and Art Dubai UAE.

Its collection represents artists from all over the world Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, and the US. And includes Simon Vargas, Won Sil Kim, Ralph Greene, Beanie Kaman, Marie Chloe Duval, and others.

P Fine Art Gallery contacts:

Address: 894 Scales Rd, Suwanee, GA 30024, USA

Official website – click here.

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Celebrate life in the Color Factory museum in New York

Elena Sullivan — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 20:32:52 +0000

It was evening and my fourth day of a solo female trip in New York City. After many hours of walking and exploring this buzzing megapolis, I returned to the West YMCA hostel near Central Park. I had a cup of warm camomile tea with an Italian pistachio Doughnut from Angelina Bakery. After my gustatory sense got fascinated with the delicious aftertaste, I crawled into bed and took my iPhone. Then, it was time to enjoy some silence and research online what more New York has to offer. I’ve already been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and (Moma) Museum of Modern Art, so I wanted to visit someplace less formal and more fun. Thirty minutes of Googling gave me multiple options, including SUMMIT One Vanderbilt and the Color Factory Museum.

Choosing between two was easy because I love vibrant colors; I recently got my certificate in Color Therapy Foundations, and the reviews and photos of the Color Factory were outstanding. So, without further hesitation, I booked my tickets online, opted for the 10.30 AM entry timeline, and I was there the next day by this time. At the end of the article, you will find detailed information about booking tickets to the Color Factory Museum NYC.

The Color Factory Museum NYC

The Color Factory is an interactive art exhibition founded in 2017 by event planner Jordan Ferney, artist Leah Rosenberg, and designer Erin Jang. Its first exhibition was in San Francisco, and due to its immediate popularity, it was extended to the last eight months. In August 2018, it opened in the SoHo neighborhood of NYC and became one of New York’s most colorful attractions.

When visiting the Color Factory in New York, be ready to be amused and color-energized.

Behind every door, there is something that will raise your wow-excitement level. Everything in this museum plays with your five senses. In one room, you touch a bright button; in the other, eat a colorful candy, then follow the Q&A map painted on the floor; then walk through a room where colors are changing the imagery displayed on the walls, then play on a musical instrument, listen to music and dance. And finally, slide down to a pool filled with light blue balls.

There are several rooms in the Color Factory Museum, each designed in a distinct way and offering an enriching experience. If you asked me to choose my favorite, I wouldn’t be able to because I like all of them, and each has something creatively special.

There was one room where I needed a partner to have a full experience. The way it works is both partners enter the room using different doors and then sit down at the table separated by glass. You can see each other but can’t hear. Then you put on the headphones and follow the instructions. I won’t tell you details, not to spoil your experience, which is worth the money and time getting there.

I didn’t have a partner because I was traveling alone, but thanks to the friendly staff at Color Factory Museum, who helped me and assisted me in this room, I got the full experience.

Visiting the Color Factory museum in NYC was my Alice-in-Wonderland experience. It reaffirmed my belief in the positive power of colors and showed me a different type of museum experience.

I was used to visiting classic museums like the Getty Museum in LA, High Museum of Art and galleries like Vinings, so I was happy to spend an hour and a half wandering in the Museum of Color NYC. I plan to visit the one in Chicago.

I’ve never had so much fun in a museum, and I highly recommend you visit the Color Factory Museum in New York and celebrate life in colors.

Cameras are all around the museum, and you can scan your ticket to have them take photos of you in the best spots. Then, the next day, they will email you the pictures you used when purchasing a ticket.

Color factory NYC tickets

Book your tickets online using Color Factory Museum’s official website The price is $37- $45, depending on the date.

The museum is located at 251 Spring St, New York, NY 10013

It’s opened Monday-Sunday 9 AM – 7 PM

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Get ready to be inspired as I discuss how staying curious, being creative, and saying “YES!” to adventures that involve exploring what’s behind the comfort zone helps develop courage, embrace one’s true self, and navigate life’s challenges. Join me in uncovering the power of these transformative experiences and discover how they can ignite your own journey toward confidence and fulfillment.

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The Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Elena Sullivan — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 16:28:58 +0000

A museum is always on my “must-see places” list when I travel. So, during my summer trip to Los Angeles, one of the museums I visited was The Getty Museum, which is a part of the Getty Center. Initially, the Getty Museum started in J. Paul Getty’s house and extended into a center including Conservation and Research Institute, Foundation, and the Museum. In 1984, Richard Meier was chosen to be the architect, and the Center ultimately opened to the public on December 16, 1997. Nowadays, The Getty Museum in Los Angeles has over 1.8 million visitors annually, which makes it one of the most visited museums in the United States.

When I travel, I feel excited about everything, even a short ride on the tram that took me from the parking lot to the main entrance at the Getty Center. It took around five minutes, during which I could enjoy beautiful views of Los Angeles and enhance my expectations of my upcoming museum tour.

The Getty Museum in Los Angeles

The first thing I noticed arriving at the Center and walking around was the quality and color of the material used in the buildings. The architect Richard Meier featured travertine stone in his design due to its historical association with public architecture, color, and consistency. Travertine is a type of limestone found near cold and hot springs. It’s formed when limestone is dissolved in rainwater.

The travertine at the Getty Center is an estimated 8,000 to 80,000 years old and comes from a quarry in Bagni di Tivoli, Italy. For 2,000 years, this quarry supplied travertine used in Roman structures, including the Colosseum, and other buildings, such as Lincoln Center in New York. This connection to ancient Rome linked the Getty Center and the Roman-style Getty Villa.

After exploring the surrounding area of the Getty Museum, I entered the main building, where it felt very fresh.

Thanks to the invention of air conditioning, it makes summertime much more pleasing.

As a photographer, I followed my professional instincts and, first of all, visited a photography hall where at that moment, there was an exhibition called “Teen photographers respond.”

Every time I visit a museum, I wish to have more time to explore all the art pieces and read every annotation because that adds an enriching element to a museum experience – details about the “Who? Why? and When?”

I spend only four hours there, which is enough to get the general picture of the Getty Museum but not enough for a Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Getty’s museum collection contains more than 120,000 separate objects and is distributed in different sections. It includes paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculptures, and decorative arts.

The Paintings collection has over 400 European paintings created before the 19th century. Among the best–known works are paintings by Pontormo, Rembrandt, Turner, Monet, and Van Gogh.

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The Department of Sculpture and Decorative Arts in the Getty Museum has over 1700 objects dating from the 12th -20 th century.

The permanent collection in the Getty Museum is displayed throughout the four pavilions chronologically: the north houses the oldest art while the west houses the newest.

Gardens at the Getty Center in Los Angeles.

The open spaces in the Getty Museum are something admirable. For me, art is an expression of creative freedom, and at the Getty Center, architecture and landscaping are perfectly aligned to express that feeling of freedom.

The fountains add refreshing vibes to every space, and Getty Center is no exception. The inner courtyard of the Getty Museum features a Central fountain.

There are four gardens in the Getty Center —one at street level, the rest at the top of the hill—and an outdoor sculpture terrace.

The Cactus Garden shows a variety of cacti, succulents, and other plants from a desert terrain.

Located in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, The Getty Center’s 86 acres of landscaped gardens and terraces include the Central Garden, designed by California artist Robert Irwin. Since the Getty Center opened in 1997, the Central Garden has evolved as its plants have grown.

Central Garden is a piece of art; I would gladly spend a couple of hours sitting somewhere in a shade of a tree and reading a novel while occasionally admiring flowers. It might sound a little romantic, but it feels like a beautiful place to relax and enjoy a slow pace of life.

I have a tradition of buying little something in every museum I visit. This time it was a book by Linda Nochlin, “Why have there been no great women artists?” and earrings in the form of a rose, which became one of my favorites. Being enthusiastic about personal style, I knew this earring would work with many of my outfits. By the way, have you seen my article “Five benefits of finding personal style?” I discuss how dressing nice elevates confidence, self-image, and mood. For me, every museum experience becomes more interesting when I dress accordingly – nice and in compliance with my style.

The Getty Museum tickets:

Admission is free but requires an online reservation. If you go to the Getty Museum in a car, you must pay a parking fee.

Operating hours:

Tuesday-Friday 10AM – 5.30 PM

Saturday 10AM- 8PM

Sunday 10AM- 5.30PM

Monday – closed

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Fall in love with Vinings Gallery Roswell GA

Elena Sullivan — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:01:56 +0000

Every time I visit a gallery, I feel aesthetically energized. The visual sensation evoked from experiencing the novelty of artistic expression enriches my imagination. And sometimes, it becomes easier to be creative and fearlessly inventive in my job.

After a long break from galleries, the first one I visited was Galeries Bartoux in New York City, just three miles away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Then I moved to the Atlanta area and began exploring the art variety there. And Vinings gallery in Roswell was one of the first galleries I visited.

One day I was walking in a historic Roswell, admiring marvelous buildings, and mailboxes in cat shapes, inhaling the scent of myriads of vibrant flowers in flower pots while trying to imagine how it was to live here in the 19th century.

Embracing as much scenery as I could at some moment, I noticed a woman in a window. She was dancing freely, surrounded by waves of a wide, flowy red dress that created a feeling like she was flying. I came closer to her and started openly viewing her from right to left to the bottom. I felt her charming elegance and serine but dynamic movements. She didn’t mind me watching; in fact, she didn’t even know I was looking at her.

She was into her dance and allowed me to be a silent viewer. I don’t know what language she speaks, and it didn’t matter. Her dance and the red dress spoke louder than words. “Who is she?” – I wondered and wished I could ask an artist who created her with soft and deliberate brush strokes. That young woman was a heroine in a gorgeous painting by Anna Razumovskaya, displayed in a window of Vinings gallery.

Vinings Gallery in Roswell, GA.

I followed my curiosity aroused by the woman in a red dress and opened the door. Stepping inside, I discovered a magnificent collection of paintings in Vinings gallery.

Their collection vibrates with elegant, dynamic, enchanting paintings by Steven Quartly, Maya Eventov, Inam, Mary Johnston, Anna Razumovskaya, Chad Awalt, Alexei Butirskiy, Emilia Pasaqic, Nicoletta Beletti, and many other talented artists.

A great gallery invites us to have a visual dialogue and a mutually pleasing exchange of appreciation and admiration. It silences your judgments and allows your senses to be taken over by colors, textures, forms, and other representational mediums. You can experience that at Vinings gallery Roswell, Georgia. Once per month, they have three days of shows (Friday-Sunday) dedicated to one artist whose work is represented in their permanent collection.

I visited one of these shows for the artist Inam, famous for his vibrant paintings of nature, forests, trees, and rivers. He was born in South Asia, where he learned the essential elements of painting. Later he studied art in London, Istanbul, and Atlanta, where he lives and works. The way he mixes colors and creates highly defined textures is striking and creates an in-depth feeling of magical ambiance. I was happy to have a chance to meet him and have a short conversation about his art.

Art symbolizes human goodness, a result of creative potential followed by deliberate and skillful execution. Museums and galleries open a way to know art, learn to distinguish the complexity level of artwork, and understand your own artistic taste, thus elevating the aesthetic appreciation of life.

There are hundreds of galleries around the globe; each is unique in the way it conveys the feeling of the contemporary moment, respect for the past, and vision of the future. All that is transmitted through the collections of art pieces deliberately organized in a flow that enhances visual pleasure and makes you feel beautiful. Some galleries will have art that resonates with you, and some don’t; the reason may vary, but when you find a special one, you won’t need a reason to come back. Sometimes a reason to admire beautiful art is enough. Vinings Gallery resonated with me and is one of my favorites.

Visit Vinings Galleries in Roswell and Kennesaw:

- 10 Elizabeth Way Roswell, GA 30075

- 938 Canton Street Roswell, GA 30075

875 Gettysburg Trail, Suite 530 Kennesaw, GA 30144

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Fall in love with Vinings Gallery Roswell GA

Vinings Gallery in Roswell, GA.