Filling the Well

Before I get to the point of this post, here’s a quick peek at what I’ve been working on lately. I have a way to go with the stitching in the tree, but I’m getting there. Gaining a bit of distance by being out of the studio has helped to resolve a couple of lingering questions while simultaneously stirring up some new ideas.

In Process

©Elizabeth Fram, in process

With that in mind, how do I encapsulate all the rich visual inspiration gleaned from a week in Lisbon? As I revisit my photos and sketch journal, it’s hard to miss the synchronicity between the many varied elements that caught my eye.

Here’s a small taste of what I saw.

Light

Targus Looking East

 

Color

Pink Street

 

Light & Color

Sunset

 

Patterns

Mosaic Path

Black and White

 

Passageways

Red Wall

 

Tiles…
a
ncient

Azulejos

Azulejos with textile motives, Cuerda Seca technique  c.1500-1525

and contemporary

Signs of Lisbon ©1988 Cecília de Sousa, Modeled clay with matt and gloss glazes

 

Textures

Burel Factory

The Burel Factory is “a Portuguese brand, born in Serra da Estrela, dedicated to the preservation and regeneration of the industrial heritage, the deep knowledge of the wool industry that crosses generations, and the unique culture and traditions, its people and its history, that punctuate that same place”. It is a space where history, design and innovation come together, sustainably creating wool fabrics, garments, wall art and items for house & home. Words can’t express the beauty to be found there.

 

Murals

Fado

Spray Can

 

History

Distaff, Needles & Scissors

A distaff, needles and a pair of scissors on display in the museum of the Castelo de São Jorge. These archeological items were unearthed in the area surrounding the castle, a sign of the women who lived there.

Sculpture

Homage to Pessoa

Homage to Pessoa ©2001 Jean-Michel Folon

And so many
Details

Keyhole

 

Finally, Innovation

The Dancing Lesson

The Dancing Lesson ©1707 Willem van der Kloet (1666-1747)

Ceramic Mock-up

I have never seen such an innovative way of making art accessible to the sight-impaired. This and the following photos interpret the above tile painting, “The Dancing Lesson”.

Textures

Textures interpreting the figures within 3-D space

Dress

And describing the dancers’ elaborate costumes

It never fails, being immersed in a new environment tends to shake out of the brain. Given time and distance, the creative well always refills.

 

6 thoughts on “Filling the Well

  1. Adrianna

    Ahhh, a visual bath in the beauty of nature AND of humans (the latter sometimes harder to see/feel in our frenetic and anxious age of technology). This walk through both made me want to dive in and inhale deeply. Now, if it was only scratch AND sniff OR touch! Thank you for always lifting my soul and spirit.

    deslumbrante e lindo! (thank you online translator)

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