Chihuly'ed Out Yet?

Not me! Sorry if this isn't your cup o' tea, but it is pretty cool to me, so please bear with it...I only take a few moments to sneak peaks at these works, so one was night and now I came back before sunset. If you do like them, go ahead and click on the picture for a closeup view (no links).

This one I missed before:

This one too:

I haven't even seen all the pieces, yet, so beware - more to come!

More Chihuly

OK, that's a good showing of the glass sculptures for now...If I get back there and get some really good shots, then I will post some more. There are a few I didn't feel came out so great. There were also a few I missed. Anyhow, you have to admit this is quite the show, even if glass isn't your idea of art.

The entry sculpture (for the third time!)

Almost other-worldly effect on this...

and this

and this

The agave sculpture (also previously shown) all lit up.

Ships & Glass

I finally went to the Gardens in the evening and got some pictures of the Chihuly glass sculptures lit up. I think this is quite clever. Boats full of glass - in the desert. I don't know if these were done just for this exhibit or a part of the travelling exhibit.

Looks like a boat full of marbles. Some of these glass spheres are huge and must have been incredibly heavy to lift and blow.

Close up look at the 'marbles.' One looks like a bowl but is just clear glass on top.

I thought this one to be pretty cool. Partly from the color of the glass, partly from the shapes with the agave beside it.

Chihuly Bowls

OK, I thought I knew a thing or two about color, but I was pretty amazed when I saw this. The same bowl is shown without flash first, then with. If there weren't the other bowls and the exact same shape you might think they were two totally different bowls! Two more:

There was a video showing how they make these bowls and some of the odd shapes and textures. I am almost positive I had seen a cable special on this once a few years ago, as some techniques I am certain I had seen before. Never worked in glass before, but as cool as all this is, I think I would like it.

Chihuly Glass Art

Well, the Desert Botanical Gardens has opened its exhibit on the glass art of Dale Chihuly, and I managed to look at a few pieces today. I still have to go back and see the other works, and also check them out all lit up at night. These first two pieces were ones I took the other week, but they didn't turn out that well (I posted them anyhow).

A close up of this one called 'The Sun'

And this one (I don't know the names of others):

Cool shapes and textures make for a lot of variety. This one has a gourd look to it. Really cool all bunched up and hanging all the way to the ground...

Some very interesting shapes and colors!

Chihuly at Desert Botanical Gardens

Dale Chihuly is a glass artist who has some extraordinary pieces he brings to exhibit in places around the world. Some of his work will be at the Desert Botanical Gardens through March of '09. Each piece is individually packaged and boxed, then shipped to the site and handled only by his people. That is, each twirly piece of even the largest works. They are assembled on site. Some are lit from within at night and some are lit from spotlights. Some pieces even have a concrete foundation - even though this is a temporary exhibit. You can imagine the costs to bring this all together! DBG is figuring on record attendance, and from the little preview I've seen, they will probably get it.

Near the entrance to the gardens:

Hanging in the Succulent House:

Hanging like an upside-down Christmas tree:
Lit up and reflected on the metal screen overhead:
Close up of the 'upside-down tree' Remember each twisty piece is individually wrapped and boxed! Amazing how nothing gets broken (actually I believe I heard that one had broken, but I don't know if it was in transport, in removing from the box or in set up (dropped?)

I hope to get some decent shots of the complete exhibit this week....

I also hope to get some good Zoolights pictures this week....

I also hope to post a nice family shot from Thanksgiving.