by
~~Cindy Morawski~~
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| Taliesin's Muse~~ A Cat for All Seasons in Frank Lloyd Wright's, Spring Green, Wisconsin |
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| Late Afternoon on the Farm~~ Southern Wisconsin, Dairy Barn and Sheds in Summer Shadow and Light I don't know about the rest of you, but at this time of year in San Antonio, I, for one, feel ready to jump ship. August in Summer! I've pretty much had it with this heat, the drought, and the color dead and brown. I keep fantasizing about moving to cooler and greener pastures. I keep thinking about Wisconsin, the Badger State. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paul and I traveled to Wisconsin this past June. We'd been there before in both summer and fall seasons visiting family and sightseeing. While earlier experiencing a near-out-of-body moment of cool temps, green fields, red barns, and idyllic countryside, I felt a sudden knock, a ping, and a flutter in my heart. Is it possible to fall in love with a practical Midwestern state? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the first places we traveled to in June was Taliesin, near Spring Green, and the country estate of the American architect and design genius, Frank Lloyd Wright. Just to let you know . . . I have been a huge fan of Wright for a long time. I previously paid homage to his Taliesin West winter home, school, and estate in Scottsdale, Arizona, twice. I had also read everything I could get my hands on about my favorite architect. I was really looking forward to taking it all in while touring the one and only original~~Taliesin Wisconsin. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Although, while touring the public buildings and listening intently to our tour guide describe the life and passions of this fascinating architect, our group discovered a sizable, fluffy, and handsome cat with a unique and colorful face that resembled a mardi gras mask. It was sound asleep on the mantle above a massive fireplace in Wright's well-designed living room. Our group pointed and oohed and aahed over the clever cat. The lion-like male slowly opened its yellow-orange eyes, then stretched and yawned, looking quite bored by all the attention it was getting. It also seemed annoyed that the tour group had woken it from its summer slumber. As if rehearsed, next, the cat lept gracefully down from the mantle and then headed outside onto the award-winning patio. Mesmerized, the tour group ignored our bewildered tour guide and loyally followed the feline outdoors. While we were all madly snapping photos of the cat, our confident star posed and stared into the camera lenses like a Hollywood celebrity. I guess it was used to the daily paparazzi. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Later when I returned home, I looked at my photos of Taliesin. I needed inspiration for a painting! Darn. One cat photo after another. Where were those stunning shrines to the genius of Wright? I decided quickly. I would have to admit it. The Taliesin cat was my muse. I'm certain it also had that effect on others too. I couldn't help but notice how my tour group and guide snapped to attention when the cat strutted its stuff like a runway model. I also imagined the estate's staff and hard-working student architects taking time out of their busy schedules to pet and fawn over that huge fur-ball. Sometimes one must notice greatness. And if an individual can believe, for a moment, in reincarnation, I'm certain that Frank Lloyd Wright has returned as a cat. Purrr-fect! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Indoor Art Show and Free Wine Tasting this Weekend! You're invited to the 1st Annual Old Town Helotes Fine Art Show 2011 Saturday, August 20th, 10 to 8 Sunday, August 21st, Noon to 5 Gardens at Old Town Helotes 15060 Antonio Drive Helotes, Texas Free Wine Tasting & Hors D'oeuvres Saturday, August 20th, 4 to 8 Tasting by Bending Branch Winery I'm one of 32 featured and juried artists. Stay cool~~it's indoors and there's plenty of parking!! See you this weekend! ~~Cindy |
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