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To live and enjoy every day to its fullest, use my gifts to help others, I travel to wherever passion finds me.

What Will She Paint?

So many friends I met here...!

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

THE ART OF IRON


With buildings it adds to the aesthetics with the use of iron (in my opinion).
This gate opens up to a shopping center in Old Town San Diego.
Wish I was here - shopping of course -
or blogging more frequent(!)
instead of unpacking boxes at my new house.



Behind the benches around the waterlilly pond,
leading up to the botanical building in Bablboa Park,
there is this cheerful pattern in this iron fence.


This is a detail, taken side ways.


These trees are at the edge, positioned in a half circle,
surrounding the open air theater in Balboa Park.
The round iron lace pattern at the foot of the tree
is a work of art.



This gate opens and closes the patio of the youth hostel
we were staying, when visiting Beijing.
Although the youth hostel was modern according to
Western standards (a big breakfast was buffet style,
and they had even Italian pasta dishes and
western sandwiches for lunch),
the street where it was on,
was unpaved
and local people who lived in tiny houses around,
I saw in their pyamas at night going
to brush their teeth in the community bath house,
while each room in the the youth hostel
had its own bath room.
Life is not fair, is it?

34 comments:

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Just beautiful ! My husband's father owned an ornamental ironworks shop, he created some of the most beautiful displays of artwork, in fences and gates I have ever seen.
Thanks for sharing this beauty.

Jeannette StG said...

Thank you, and glad to see your face on my blog:) Wow, that is an art that I would really like to learn, but my quess is that you need to be strong physically to do that form of art?

Susan at Stony River said...

I looove decorative iron! I always wanted one of those big New Orleans style houses in the South... or at least a house that looked like them!

Jeannette StG said...

Susan,
wow, you look different in this profile pic (younger?). I wanted one of our gates to the yard to be iron, but hubby being the practical person he is, responded with "Iron rusts"...sigh, since he takes care of the property, you can guess who won.

DeniseinVA said...

Hi Jeannette, sorry I haven't been around for a while but I have been trying to play catch up. Beautiful series of photos. There are some very beautiful wrought iron decorative touches around. Your photos show them well.

Jeannette StG said...

Denise,
Thank you, and you're forgiven, Denise! You are going through a period of transition, like I (mine is the downsizing move), so I understand! That we both may skate through it unharmed, LOL.

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

What beautiful craftmanship Jeannette. They definitely do not make these any more. Years ago people took pride in their work, now they are greedy and put out any old thing as quick as they can in order to make money.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

OK, you have to catch us up when the dust settles and you have a few minutes. :)

Irene said...

It takes an artist to show you the pretty details in life that I would just walk past without acknowledging. I take such things for granted, isn't that awful? I miss out on so much in life by not paying close attention. I take in the larger picture and the general feeling, but I miss out on the little things. I will make it a point to pay better attention from now on.

Unknown said...

I just LOVE ornamental wrought iron. Being from Savannah, I saw tons while growing up; just wish I could afford it!

DawnTreader said...

I love wrought iron, too. Beautiful pictures.

Shaista said...

Hello! I've been wondering how you were, and was so happy to see you again. Are you settling in to your new home? I am sure it will be filled with all your beautiful light filled paintings..

Reader Wil said...

I've just returned from a short holiday. Beautiful wrought iron gates and fences! Thanks for the visits. The castle is near Arnhem and Rheden.

Reader Wil said...

I forgot to say:"Good luck with moving house!"

Jeannette StG said...

Joan,
i have tremendous respect for people who are head and shoulders above the crowd in their craftsmanship - in my opinion they are artists as well!

Jeannette StG said...

Gary,
I'm afraid the dust won't settle for some months LOL, but I always have "a few minutes" to catch up with my bloggie friends")

Jeannette StG said...

Irene,
It's for a great deal noticing those "little" things that makes every day worth while, even though "nothing" is happening!!

Jeannette StG said...

Jane,
Thanks for enlightening me - I didn't know that Savannah was an area where they had a lot of wrought iron...were there many blacksmiths? Or is there another reason(s) for it?
Yes, I can imagine that that is not cheap!

Jeannette StG said...

Dawn Treader,
Forgot to tell you when I was visiting your blog - a belated congrats with your 7-months anniversary at this blog. My beginnings were worse than yours - I had no clue how to get "followers" so I escaped to Myspace for a year or so! until one of my friends there told me how to get around here LOL so you can be proud of yourself!

Jeannette StG said...

Shaista,
Thank you, nic to know that you missed me!
There's no settling yet:) this is the most difficult move of the 20 moves I've made - I'll spare you the details (they have more to do with difficult people than anything:) )
You've been on my mind - is the idea of having your hair cut off getting easier on you? Some of my friends who had cancer and were hairless for some time, took that opportunity to buy wigs and hats - I think your face would look good with some funky hats (take a pic and show us, if you do!)

Jeannette StG said...

Wow Wil,you have a busy life (I don't know many Dutchmen who travel as much and often as you do:) )
Since I've lived in Lunteren, I was thinking that I may have seen this one. It's interesting how these things become so much more important when one lives outside one's own country:)
Your interesting blog is always a pleasure to visit!

DawnTreader said...

Jeannette, thanks for visiting my blog in return. Blog communication is indeed an art of its own. However, the saying "What goes around comes around" seems to apply - i.e. if I go around, other people also come around... :)

Antoin Doyle said...

Finally I get to your page Jeanette - fantastic and much more expressive and visual than myspace!

Antóin.

Jeannette StG said...

Antoin,
Good to see you here! Thank you for visiting:) Now you know why I like it here - I'm a visual person. Am going to see if you put up a page at Blogger, and otherwise I'll get back to you at Myspace - thanks my friend!

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

The iron pattern in the second photo would make such a lovely quilt, don't you think??

Jeannette StG said...

Pamela,
Yes, it would:) I don't quilt myself, but one of my friends does, and I think she told me that that one looks like the wedding design (taken from the wedding ring.

Jeannette StG said...

Bla Filmes,
Sorry no accents on my keyboard:)
Thank you for visiting and glad you like this post! Welcome anytime.

I visited your blog, and is very informative as well!

antigoni said...

What beautiful pieces of art!
I love them all. I hope you're happy and excited with your new home.
It's been a difficult summer for me, too, with my sister's illness. Still is. As you can see, i've lost many posts but always think of my blog friends and that makes me strong.

Jeannette StG said...

Antigoni,
Thank you! This move is happy and hard at the same time. Am still adjusting to a different lifestyle This new neighborhood is not a family neighborhood, like my old one. It's full with single -type people, and ones without kids.

Sorry about your sister's illness (I missed a lot too because of the move). Often we wonder why and wish certain things were not,but they are-and we have to accept them - but it still takes a lot of strength - that's what I am wishing you!

Reader Wil said...

Hi Jeannette! Thanks for your kind comments both here and on my blog. I think the Frisians are very reliable and where I was they were very kind and helpful. Actually they look a lot like Scandinavians.

Jeannette StG said...

Reader Wil,
Yes, the ones I know are very reliable, and extremely had workers too. The rest of my comment I wrote on your blog:) Have a great week!

Unknown said...

I have always liked wrought iron.

Jeannette StG said...

Matthew,
Wrought iron fits with you (the way I think you are) - it has an enduring, rustic quality! But on ships of course it's subject to rusting!

http://artofiron.blogspot.com/ said...

Hi,
I do iron art work that is different from most.http://artofiron.blogspot.com/