Bernardino Fungai’s The Beloved of Enalus Sacrificed to Poseidon and Spared Recently I visited the museum of Fine Arts in Houston, a museum so large that it inhabits two multi-storied structures– to take it all in would require at least a full day of dedicated time. The museum is a magical place for me because it was the first art museum I ever visited as a child, and it houses works of art that have made a deep impression on my development as an artist and as an art enthusiast. Near the end of a long afternoon perusing the museum’s numerous galleries, I wandered into the European Art e ..read more

A honey bee gathering pollen. Honeybees are some of nature’s most efficient and effective architects. Due to their ability to process pollen or nectar into honey and wax, not only do they provide a majority of their own resources but their methodology allows for hundreds or thousands of bees to construct their hive simultaneously. In what we perceive as chaos, the honeybees are able to conduct the hive’s construction while also raising their larva and providing storage for honey. A honey bee storing honey within the hive’s hexagonal cells. Known for its iconic hexagonal shape the honey com ..read more

Edinburgh New Town seen from above* When poet Robert Burns moved from his countryside town to Edinburgh in 1786 he found himself in a thriving, bustling city. Nearing the end of the 18th century, Edinburgh was at the center of the Scottish Enlightenment, and a hub of intellectual and artistic culture. However, 40 years earlier, it was a much different city. Robert Burns, 1759 – 1796. Poet. Oil painting by Alexander Nasmyth. 1828. The old medieval town was crumbling and could not withstand the growing linen industry within its walls. Built for defense rather than growth, the Old Town was ge ..read more

February 17, 2020 Dear Ms. Frederick & Mr. Ivy, The American Institute of Architects recently released its response to the President’s intention to issue an executive order instructing, “In the Capital region and for all Federal courthouses, the classical style shall be the preferred and default style…” There is now an outcry; opponents argue that architectural style should not be mandated. The loudest among those voices is the AIA. Just to be clear, I am in agreement—even as a classicist. Neither the government nor a professional organization should dictate a single architectural style. H ..read more

Psyche revived by Cupid’s kiss. What is Love? It cannot be summed into one response. Love is a multitude of moments, of emotions, of dreams. Love can be found in every aspect of your life from the first moment your parents hold you, to the first moment you found your passion, and to that precious moment when you look into your loved one’s eyes. Psyche revived by Cupid’s kiss. Love is simply not just one of those moments. It’s a feeling that is indescribable, it’s a feeling that is the sum of all emotions into one, Love. This is for me to say. So here I find myself on Valentines’ day, the q ..read more

  Palace of Fine Arts by Bernard Maybeck On a recent visit to San Francisco to visit the Fall Antique Fair, a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition caught my eye, and one of the most enduring images of the fair still exists as an iconic image of the City and the era – the Palace of Fine Arts by Bernard Maybeck.  A true architectural original, his outlook would be a leading force in shaping the spirit of northern California design and he would mentor and inspire generations that followed.  His work spanning a period that blended inspiration for a ..read more

Electrical Building for the 1893 Columbian Exposition or the Chicago worlds fair It is 1888 and the engaging book, The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore opens with a vision of a workman installing electric lights on Broadway in New York, catching on fire and dying by electrocution. So begins this historical fiction that covers the war between Edison and Westinghouse over D/C and A/C currents and who would ultimately control the future of electricity. Soon to be a movie, this fascinating story accumulates with two closing events, the Chicago world’s fair when people really experienced the po ..read more

Palisades of the Mississippi (c. 1909) by Frederick Oakes Sylvester Sitting on a bucolic limestone bluff in Elsa, Illinois, overlooking the Mississippi River is an odd little building built some 80 years ago. This rather famous discombobulated little structure, a structure lovingly belabored over by Bernard Maybeck, has long come to be known as the Mistake House. Mistake House, Bernard Maybeck Architects today rarely have the opportunity to make mistakes. Given their client’s expectations, the cost of construction and professional liability, architects are expected to build with precision ..read more

Potsdam Landscape “At Potsdam, there is the wherewithal to make us happy.” Fredrick the Great from the memoirs of his reader, Henri de Catt – 1758-1760 “Sans Souci” – without care  The enchanting landscape of lakes and forests surrounding Potsdam had captured the imagination of the Prussian Empire’s royal family, dating back to the 16th century. These hunting grounds inspired Fredrick the Great to create his own retreat there – Sans-Souci.  Drawn out of his love of the place and a longing to the escape from the life of the court, the name itself reflects the ideal dreamscape he had in mind ..read more

This time of year brings to mind traveling to see family to share the holidays and the festive meals that come with the celebrations. One of my favorite treats to make during this season came out of a trip to Kentucky a few years back, and it has fast become a tradition in our holiday baking- Bourbon Balls. The oldest rick house at Maker’s Mark Driving through the rolling hills of Marion County, this picturesque landscape of peaceful farms contained by their stacked stone walls, interrupted by wooded thickets and the tracery of clear, cold running streams. Along these roads lie the Kentucky ..read more