Alebrijes. Creatures of a Dream World Thursday, Jun 23 2022 

Art and Culture and Everyday Life and History , , , , , , Mary K. Doyle 2:12 pm

Question: What has clawed feet, fins, a tale made of fish, and fangs?

Answer: Alebrijes.

Think mythical creatures in brightly colored, seemingly random patterns. Alebrijes have characteristics of a mix of land, water, and air animals adorned in every color of the rainbow. And you can see examples of these playful sculptures at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois now through October of this year.

The exhibit features 48 unique sculptures. Wander through the park and you’ll find the alebrijes scattered through the lush gardens. The kids will enjoy spotting the creatures and checking them off on a photo sheet they can pick up in the information center.

The folk-art sculptures originated in 1943 when Mexican artist Pedro Linares fell seriously ill. He dreamed of a forest of unusual animals-a donkey with butterfly wings, rooster with bull horns, and lion with an eagle head. The animals repeatedly shouted Alebrijes! Alebrijes Alebrijes!

When Linares recovered from his illness, he began creating the creatures he saw in his dream with strips of paper and glue made from wheat flour and water. The sculptures became popular when artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo were drawn to their creativity and vivid beauty.

Some of Linares’ designs were later carved from a local wood called copal, which is thought to be magical. The name “alebrijes” now applies to sculptures of this type made from both paper-mâché and wood. Unfortunately, demand for the wood carvings have resulted in a depletion of the copal trees.

The Cantigny Park alabrijes creations begin with a design on paper by one of 6 artists from Mexico City. If accepted, the creature is made in miniature. Then it is painstakingly replicated in full.

Parallels have been made between alabrijes and historically recognized supernatural creatures from Mexico’s indigenous and European past such as dragons, gargoyles, and judas-red cardboard demons burned in Mexico during Holy Week as a purification ritual. Monster alebrijes are believed to protect homes by scaring away evil spirits.

The art exhibit, “Alebrijes: Creatures of a Dream World,” is presented in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Center of Dupage, City of West Chicago, and DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau. See the Cantigny Park website for more information.

** When you are your loved one’s full-time caregiver, don’t feel guilty for stepping away. If you don’t care for yourself, you won’t be able to care for them. Inspired Caregiving. Weekly Morale Builders

 

The Lizzardo Museum of Lapidary Art Monday, Apr 11 2022 

Art and Culture and Midwest and Nature , , , , , Mary K. Doyle 11:39 am

The Chicago area is known for its outstanding museums. But my boyfriend, Paul, and I actually went to one I’d never heard of, and I’ve lived here my whole, l-o-n-g life. We recently discovered The Lizzardo Museum of Lapidary Art in Oak Brook, Illinois. Lapidary relates to stone and gems and the craft involved in engraving, cutting and polishing.

The Lizzardo Museum displays more than 200 pieces of extraordinary jade and other hard stone carvings from around the world in addition to uncarved rocks that are naturally impressive. We spent the afternoon gazing at each piece, thoroughly intrigued with the mastery required to create such magnificent items and the stunning beauty of the large, uncut stones.

I loved the traditional jade green pieces but was surprised to learn jade can be found in other colors. Here is a carving of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, in Jadeite Jade (early 20th century). Notice the lovely lilac, blue, and even gold shadings.

Here are others with such variations.

At the museum, you can find sculptures in other substances and stones, as well. Here are a couple of the ivory pieces on display. Some of these pieces have the delicacy of lace.

This figure is made from rich, green malachite.

And this exquisite box consists of numerous elements including Malachite, Rhodochrosite, Gold in Quartz, Sugilite, Turquoise, Jade, Copper Ore, Lake Superior Agate, Datolite, and Opalized Palm Wood

The most massive carving at Lazzardo is the Altar of the Green Jade Pagoda, (Jade/Jadeite on Teakwood with Cloisonné, 1933, Designed by Chang Wen Ti, China). Carved from a nine-ton boulder from Myanmar, the altar consists of over 1,000 pieces of jade and took 150 skilled jade carvers more than ten years to complete. The masterpiece was donated to the Lizzardo Museum in 2018.

Other amazing works include the Florentine and Roman stone mosaics. No matter how closely I looked at these intricate pieces, I could not see the tiny stones. To me, it was if the scenes were painted.

Castle Lizzardo, an 18 K gold sculpture with diamond windows, is magical. The detail is extraordinary. The added stones appear as if the castle sets right into them.

Other pieces include this one titled, Mountain, which is carved from Lapis Lazuli (China),

The striation in the following vase comes from a stone called Blue John Fluorite. The vase sits on an Ashford Marble Base (late 20th century, England).

This lovely Madonna is carved from Rutilated Smokey Quartz (Germany) and leans with the flow of the stone.

And this Italian pitcher and German bird carving are made from Rock Crystal Quartz. I can’t imagine using such a spectacular and fragile pitcher.

I love the graceful movement of the Dancing Angel by Glenn Lehrer which is made from Drusy Agate with Silver on an Obsidian base (U.S.A.).

The museum also has dozens of cameos.

This one is part of a temporary exhibit of cameos based on the legendary tale of Faust.

And don’t miss the back of the museum where the unsculptured rock formations can be found.

Here is large piece of Fossilized Conifer Wood. The changes in the nature of the bark offers much to ponder.

The bright, lively Rhodochrosite is certainly eye-catching.

And check out these beauties – Rubies in Zoisite

Scolecite

Angel Wing Calcite

Ocean Jasper

and Mesolite.

In addition, the museum features a wall of dioramas the children will enjoy. The miniatures in these scenes were carved from gemstones in Idar-Oberstein, Germany.

Mining is showing destruction of the rainforest and other natural habitats, so I believe it’s important to appreciate the carvings we have rather than gathering any more of precious stones. The Lizzardo Museum offers much to enjoy.

The Lizzardo Museum is located at 1220 Kensington Road, Oak Brook, Illinois, 60523. You can reach them at 630-833-1616 and find their website here.

Admission is reasonable and varies by age-adults $10; seniors $8; students, teens, and children aged 7-12 $5; and children 6 and under are free. Members of the Lizzadro Museum and active members of the Armed Forces are admitted free of charge on any day the Museum is open to the public.

***Want a special gift for a caregiving friend? Check out the gift book, Inspired Caregiving. Weekly Morale Builders. I wrote it with that special friend in mind.

 

“Sew,” What’s Your Hobby? Thursday, Apr 12 2018 

Culture and Everyday Life and Family and Gardening and Health , Mary K. Doyle 2:17 pm

Stamp collecting, flower arranging, gardening, playing a musical instrument, woodworking, gourmet cooking, bead working, antiquing, knitting, reading, painting, jewelry making, singing, writing, athletics, magic, playing chess or bridge, learning a new language.

If I had my way, I’d engage in one hobby after another. Currently, I’m hand quilting a massive bedspread for my bed. It’s the first quilt I’ve worked on in several years. Although the sewing leaves my hands in tremendous pain due to fibromyalgia and arthritis, I’m loving every minute of it.

The word, hobby, relates to an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation. Strangely, the word evolved from hobby-horse. The reasoning behind the shift is that the activity is like a favorite pastime, such as riding a hobby-horse, that doesn’t go anywhere. In fact, this is not so at all. Studies show numerous benefits from participating in a hobby.

Our hobbies often are what some people do professionally. We aren’t at that level or don’t have the time to pursue it to that extent, but the activity brings us pleasure and distraction from the tough stuff in our lives. Hobbies are our “time out” from obligations and promote a sense of calm and purpose. The activities help us structure our time. They offer an incentive to get our work done. We’re more efficient overall. And engaging in hobbies is more constructive than staring blankly at the TV.

In addition, hobbies create opportunities to make new social connections with like-minded individuals. And those social connections are an important key to happiness and longevity.

Here are a few more benefits of delving into hobbies.

Hobbies

  • Help us cope with stress, which is very important to our health
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Relax the mind
  • Stimulate the brain with new challenges
  • Help us to build self-confidence
  • Offer us a sense of purpose
  • Ward off depression by bringing joy to our spirit
  • Promote a sense of the present as we focus on what we are doing at that moment
  • Can reduce mindless eating as our hands are preoccupied
  • Assist us in discovering talents we didn’t know we had
  • Promote productivity in other areas of our life because we are happier and more focused
  • Can provide additional income
    Help us transition to retirement
  • Prevent boredom and filling time with bad habits
  • Improve brain health and memory
  • Increase good stress known as eustress
  • Assist us with improved sleep
  • Offer opportunities to mentor and share our gifts produced from these hobbies
  • Make us more patient

If you are seeking a new hobby, look at local junior college and park district listings of classes and inquire what your friends enjoy. If you do have a hobby, please tell us! We’d love to hear from you.

(Do you follow my posts on Mary K Doyle Books?)

 

 

 

An Eye for Art Thursday, Aug 2 2012 

Everyday Life and Recreation , , , , Mary K. Doyle 2:54 pm

The weather was perfect last weekend to stroll the 2012 fine art fair in Geneva, Illinois. More than 150 artists from around the country participated. Exhibits included photography, pottery, fiber, printmaking, glass, mixed media, watercolor, oil/acrylic, wood, sculpture, and jewelry.

A local favorite, award-winning watercolorist Fatima Figueiredo (www.figtreestudio.com), displayed her romantic pieces. Fatima has a degree in Industrial Design and decades of experience. Her stunning paintings add class and sophistication to any room.

Selecting an original work of art for your home is an investment in the unique creativity of an artist. Countless hours of thought and skill go into each piece that stirs us emotionally. A work of art can make us happy, offer a sense of peace, or even agitate us. Choose artwork that achieves the emotional goal you seek.

For a listing of fairs near you contact your town’s chamber of commerce or go online to http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/central-us-art-fairs.html.

©2012, Mary K. Doyle

 

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