Industrial Counterpoint

Thousands of people travel to Southeast Alaska every year to experience the grandeur and wildness of its natural wonders. But getting to those wild places is itself a business of industrial scale — an industrial counterpoint to the experience of nature that is the goal of so much travel. There is tension between the experience of nature and the means to achieve it. It…

Glacier Bay, Alaska

These images are from Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Southeast Alaska. Although accessible only by air and sea, a chance to visit the 3.3 million acre preserve should not be missed. [See more in the Glacier Bay gallery.] The day these were taken began with heavy fog and mist that lifted, shifted and settled back in again several times during the day….

Things Seen Along the Bayfront

A recent proposal to bring a second war-themed statue to Sarasota’s Bayfront stimulated heated discussion about public art and the types of sculptures that are desirable and appropriate there. But throughout the discussion no one mentioned one of the biggest sculptures of them all — the tall blue glass monument to finance and commerce located just across the street. Whether or not you believe…

Signs of Summer

The summer heat is here, and many other signs of summer are appearing now as the days lengthen and the rain brings explosive greening growth and brighter colors. Enjoy these signs of the riches nature offers each year.    

Sometimes the Light Is Everything

I’ll admit it, the doorway to the old Sarasota High School doesn’t always look like this. But maybe it did just for moment as the afternoon light glanced off the stones — even though the doors are locked, the students elsewhere and the old building sits empty awaiting its destiny. That flash of light invites the question of how it looked to the generations…

A Map of the World

We’ve applied geology, engineering, chemistry, physics, biology and other sciences to the study of our earth. But there is so much more to this ball of rock and water we live on. This map of the world gives a sense of interconnectedness and beauty, while the image below suggests the intensity of processes that take place within. While science and engineering have taught us…

Sometimes the Little Things

People often do not have any larger message in mind when they do some of the “little things” we see each day — just as nature is not trying to make a point as the sun sets over the ocean. Yet most of us claim a right to attach meaning to the setting sun. So should it be different for the simple actions by…

Staying in Touch Left and Right

Having been away for a while doing some left brain work with words and schedules, I travel back to the right from time to time to stay in touch with the truths that only the right brain knows. One lesson learned is that in any pursuit, some contribution from each can be key. While the left brain can keep us on schedule and govern…

With Head or with Heart?

It is said that some people think with their heads and others with their hearts. But it’s really so much more complicated than that, isn’t it? In making a decision, or just trying to understand the world, one can be logical, emotional and intuitive in different measures all at once. There is also creative thinking, analysis, synthesis, critical thinking, science-based thinking, thinking that relies…

Illumination

There are many ways of seeing, sometimes with just the eyes, sometimes with the mind, and sometimes even more deeply. And what we see with our eyes may be different from what we see with our mind or our heart. As with life, art is about finding meaning among the fleeting visions.