A Moment in Time

Dear readers, this concludes my series on Seattle.  It's safe to say that I fell in love with the beautiful city of Seattle.  Seattle has great energy, great people, great food, lots of art.  I am so fortunate that I got to see so much, and there are still many things to see!  I can't wait to return.  I'll let Johnnie Gray and A Moment in Time take us out.  Thanks for reading!  xxoo

Seattle - Buskers

Pike Place Market was the highlight of my visit to Seattle.  Part of what makes Pike Place Market so charming is the buskers.  Busker was a new word for me - it's a person who entertains in public.  And these are no slouches.  These are bona fide, talented musicians sharing their gifts with the public.  The public donates in appreciation.  It's all about love.

 

 

This last band is called A Moment in Time.  They are the best a cappella group I've ever seen.  The lead singer's name is Johnnie Gray and you can see the Holy Spirit in him.  He's truly blessed and full of love.  I'd like to write an article about him, if anyone reading this blog knows how to get in contact with him, please let me know.

All images by Peggy

Seattle - Pike Place Market

I'm almost done with my little tour of Seattle, and I thought I'd save the best for last.  Pike Place Market!  It's a wonderful place, full of great food, flowers, music, interesting people, wonderful energy.

I've seen this sign in so many places.  On flickr, in the movies.  I couldn't wait to photograph it.  It was surreal standing there in front of it.  It had been a dream of mine to go to Seattle for many years.  Unfortunately, since I am vertically-challenged and since it was crowded, I never did get a clear shot of it.  But that's okay.

The flowers in Seattle are absolutely stunning.  These beautiful bouquets were only $10.00 each!  If I lived there, I would have fresh flowers every week.

 Here's a view from the pier.

We went to the original Starbucks.  It seemed only fitting since my sister-in-law and I had our first chai tea together.  We didn't even know what it was at the time!  Now we are both hooked!  I couldn't get many pictures of the Starbucks since it was so crowded and the lighting was bad inside the store.  I did get this picture of the original logo.  When the logo first came out, it was controversial because the mermaid is topless.  What I want to know is why is her tail split in two?  Did she have a combination of tail and legs?

This sign is at the other end of the market.  I was happy to get a clear shot of it.

All images by Peggy

Seattle - Downtown

When observing the architecture of Seattle's downtown, at first it doesn't surprise or impress.  In fact, I think I was expecting a much more modern city.  But on second glance, it's much more interesting than that.  I think it is the mix of old and new that make it so beautiful.

Here's a post-industrial building with faded signage that looks like it could be in Cleveland.

 Here's another building which reminds me of the buildings in Cleveland that wrap around corners.

This particular building reminds me of a building I photographed in Toledo.  They must be of the same time period.  70s maybe?  Unfortunately, I'm not very well versed in architectural time periods.  (If interested in seeing the Toledo building, click here.)

And this little church looks like it could be in Toledo.  Or Columbus.  I do love a little church holding its own next to a skyscraper, though.

There are modern buildings.

I found these round buildings very interesting.

A lot of buildings have trellises built on them because Seattle is so green.

It's easy to see why it's nicknamed Emerald City.

There's lots of public transport.

I was excited to see the hybrid buses!  There are buses, still on wheels but powered by electricity, so there is a vast network of wires.  Can you believe it?  The buses in downtown Seattle are free!  In Cleveland one bus ride is $2.25!  It was only a couple of years ago that the bus only cost 75 cents.

It's not really the architecture that makes Seattle great.  It's the people, the pace and the attitude.  It's the commitment to the arts and sustainability that makes this one of the best cities I've ever visited.  Like it's architecture, Seattle has just the right mix.

All images by Peggy

Seattle - Space Needle

The Space Needle is the must see landmark in Seattle.  It was built for the 1962 world's fair and is a marvel of history and architecture.  We took the monorail to the needle.  A fun ride, but over too quickly.

There are views of the needle all over town, but it was really cool to get a couple ground level shots of it.

Here's a view of Seattle's Rock and Roll History Museum which I took while waiting in line at the elevator.  Here's a tidbit I didn't know - Jimi Hendrix is from Seattle.  That explains why he was so cool.

This is a view of the Pacific Science Center from the top of the observation deck.  If you're going to be in Seattle, the 45th Annual Festival of the Fountains will be held at the Pacific Science Center on Friday, July 22, 2011.  Sounds like fun!  For more information, click here.

Here's a view of downtown from the observation deck.  Just click on the picture to see it larger.

All images by Peggy

Seattle - Lake Union

We had done so many cultural things, and our feet ached, so we thought we'd do a very touristy thing and take a Duck Tour.  You can't miss these funny looking amphibian vehicles when you are downtown.  The drivers are raucous, it's a good time.  First the vehicle travels by land and then goes into the water - my favorite part of the tour!  Since it's constantly moving, it's hard to take pictures, but here are a few pictures of Lake Union.  The captain of the vessel taught us the difference between house boats and floating houses.  A distinction I was unaware of.  No matter, I found myself fantasizing about living here.

 

Here's a resourceful way a couple of girls were getting back forth on the lake.  Using an oar, on a surf board.  Cool!  I imagine that takes great balance.

All images by Peggy

Seattle - Galleries

I've said it before - Seattle is a treat for artists and art lovers.  There are galleries everywhere!  We saw a fascinating gallery on Bainbridge Island.  It is the Henry Dietrich Gallery, a Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Project.

I was stunned when I saw these paintings!  Simple, smooth and oh so groovy.  The influence of Picasso and Matisse was evident right away.

In Matisse's later years, he could no longer paint and began to make beautiful cut out art.  In this painting, Dietrich pays tribute to Matisse, who is pictured in his wheel chair with his scissors.

The colors are absolutely stunning.  I apologize for the poor quality of these images.  You know how it is, trying to take photos on the down low in a gallery.

I think any of these works would fit in a modern loft beautifully.

I was particularly stunned by this work.  Have you ever tried to paint with the freedom and abandonment of a child?  It's not easy.  Unfortunately, sometimes education pounds that innocence out of a child.  This one makes me want to experiment with honoring my inner child on canvas.  Seattle really spoke to my artist's soul.  Everywhere I looked there was inspiration.

Seattle - Storefronts

One of the many things I adore about downtown Seattle is its storefronts.  Interesting window displays were frequent, providing a glimpse into an artist's work that made me want to see more.  One such compelling window was in Chinatown.  This window caused me to stop and ponder.

Organic, yet soft and romantic.  Found art.  Not easy.  I've experimented with found art, but the look I achieve is always rather rustic.  I love the ethereal nature of this work.  Putting the artist's name in big letters is a great way to honor an artist, and make it easy for photojournalists like myself.  I wanted to know more about Kristin Tollefson, so consulted the trusty oracle at Google.  I learned that the name of this work is Pollinatrix and is part of the Seattle Storefronts program.  The program seeks to infuse empty spaces with art, and provides exposure to artists.  It's a win-win. Again, I am mystified at the lack of programs for the arts in Cleveland.  Perhaps I should run for mayor.  Sorry, I digress.

Kristen is an amazing artist, a metalsmith and a teacher.  She is active in the Seattle public art program and I'm glad I got to learn about her work, I'm a fan and will be following her blog.

All images by Peggy

Seattle - Public Art

Seattle is a treat for artists and art lovers.  There's art everywhere.   I've written about my love of public art on this blog many times (see previous posts here).  It is my belief that art elevates the consciousness of a city.  The vigor of Seattle is a testament to this belief.  Here are but a few of the examples of public art we saw.

It becomes evident quickly that Seattle is committed to public art. You're greeted by an installation of suitcases at the Seattle airport.

 This is hammering man at the Seattle Museum of Art.  He's huge and hardworking, he never stops dropping and lifting that hammer.  Designed by Jonathan Borofsky.

 These are two of the Colossal Heads designed by Claudia Fitch.  (We saw these at Quest Stadium on Friday.  On Monday the Quest logo had come down and the CenturyLink Logos were going up.)  They are mounted high so they are looking down on you and they are huge.  I'm not sure why, but I dig 'em.

Also by the stadium is Peter Shelton's Rock Shadow.  Before I learned the name of the piece, I thought maybe this was a big thumb print, or maybe a peanut shell.  No matter, I love a giant object totally taken out of context.

Amazing and ambitious mosaic garden seen on one of our walks.  The scope of this installation boggles my mind.

Even the bus stops boasted art.

As did the construction walls.  They're a necessary evil.  Might as well hang art on them.

I love this idea for decorating windows.  Behind the glass is cut paper, and the front of the glass is painted.

We actually had the privilege of seeing a piece installed!

These sculptures are near the news building.  I took this shot from the Space Needle.

This is a shot taken from a Duck Tour of Gas Works Park.

Of course Starbucks is on nearly every corner.  Here's a very fine mural at one of the locations downtown.  I've barely scratched the surface here.  I already have public art sites lined  up that I want to see on my next trip to Seattle!

 All images by Peggy