Washington DC | Beautiful Flower Pictures Blog

A Visit to Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington DC

by hankinslawrenceimages | Feb 5, 2018 | Cemeteries, Washington DC

I’m back to editing and sharing photos from some of the incredible cemeteries I have visited. Today’s photos are from Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington DC. Originally founded in 1719, the cemetery became Washington DC’s public cemetery in 1840. Shortly afterwards, it was expanded in the style of the rural cemetery movement. The cemetery is full of fascinating monuments and memorials to photograph.

Clover Adams Grave in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington DC © 2018 Patty Hankins

Grave in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington DC © 2018 Patty Hankins

Thomas Trueman-Gaff Grave in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington DC © 2018 Patty Hankins

William Rutherford Grave in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington DC © 2018 Patty Hankins

Anna Broom Grave in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington DC © 2018 Patty Hankins

A Visit to the Renwick Gallery

by hankinslawrenceimages | Oct 13, 2017 | Washington DC

Last week I spent a wonderful morning exploring the Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC. Dedicated to the celebration of contemporary craft, the Renwick Gallery is part of the Smithsonian Institution and is located just across the street from the Old Executive Office Building and up the street from the White House.

One of the things I love about the Renwick Gallery is that they encourage visitors to take photographs in the galleries, and to share them. As I explored the museum, I found myself photographing details of pieces rather than the entire creations. I found myself looking for little details of patterns, texture and colors like I’ve been photographing recently in flowers in my studio.

One of the exhibits I saw (and photographed) was Freeland Buck’s Parallax Gap. This wonderful site-specific installation is suspended from the ceiling of the Grand Salon, Just as painter’s use trompe l’oeil effects in their paintings, Buch used them to recreate nine historic ceilings that appear three-dimensional if you are standing in just the right places in the room.

Here are a few of my photos of details from Parallax Gap

Detail of Freeland Buck’s Parallax Gap at the Renwick Gallery in Washington DC

Connections, the second exhibit I saw, features items from the Renwick’s Permanent Collection. Here are a few of my photos of details of items in the Connections exhibit.

Detail of Judith Schaecter’s The Birth of Eve

Detail of Judith Schaecter’s The Birth of Eve at the Renwick Gallery in Washington DC

Detail of Billie Ruth Suddoth’s Fibonacci 5

Detail of Billie Ruth Suddoth’s Fibonacci 5 at the Renwick Gallery in Washington DC

Detail of Lino Taliapeitra’s Mandara

Detail of Lino Taliapeitra’s Mandara at the Renwick Gallery in Washington DC

Detail of Sabrinia Gschwandtner’s Fibers & Civilization

Detail of Sabrinia Gschwandtner’s Fibers & Civilization at the Renwick Gallery in Washington DC

Details, patterns and textures are some of the things I look at when I look at the world. Leave a note in the comment section and let me know what sorts of things you see when you look at the world.

Colors of Peru – 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Part 2

by hankinslawrenceimages | Jul 24, 2015 | Photo Locations, Washington DC

I thought I’d share more of my photos from the 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival featuring the cultures of Peru.

In addition to the colorful painted metalwork I shared in my last post, I saw several other examples of very colorful crafts created at the festival.

There were several beautifully painted wooded boxes

Painted Wood Box, 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

Some intricate needlework

Needlwork, 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

Spectacular sequinned costumes

Sequins, 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

Paintings by Peruvian artist Angel L. Callanaupa Alvarez

The Birth of Mother Earth

Painting, 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

And finally some colorful scarves for sale in the Folklife Festival Market – I’m not sure if these are from Peru – since I didn’t see anything like them in the demonstration area and there were items in the market from places other than Peru.

Scarves, 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the Colors of Peru that caught my eye at the 2015 Smithsonin Folklife Festival. I’m already looking forward to next year’s Festival which will be held during the last week of June and the first week of July. If you are in the DC area at that time – be sure to visit next year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Colors of Peru – 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Part 1

by hankinslawrenceimages | Jul 15, 2015 | Photo Locations, Washington DC

One of the highlights of living in the DC area is all the wonderful events that take place in our nation’s capitol – including the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Held annually around the Fourth of July, the Folklife Festival is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage. The 2015 Festival featured the cultures of Peru.

Peru Banner, 2015 Smithonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

A major part of the Folklife Festival is having the opportunity to see traditional handmade crafts from around the world – often with demonstrations of how they are created. Several types of weaving were being demonstrated the morning I visited the festival.

Weaving Demonstration, 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

As you can see from the clothes the women are wearing, and the fabrics they are weaving, bright colors are featured in the Peruvian cultures being shared. Many of the craft items being created on site and for sale in the Folklife Festival Market featured incredibly bright colors.

One of the crafts being demonstrated was painted metalwork. Craftsmen would cut/shape the sheets of metal into flowers, birds and other fanciful shapes and then attach them to candlestick, candelabras, and other decorative items.

Painted Metalwork, 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

These are just a few of the photos I took at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival – I’ll be sharing a few more photos in a post next week.

Wreaths Across America – Arlington National Cemetery – December 2013

by hankinslawrenceimages | Dec 19, 2013 | Washington DC

Each year, Wreaths Across America honors America’s veterans with wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and other veterans’ cemeteries around the country. The first wreaths were donated by Morrill Worcester of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine in 1992. Since then, the program has grown to include a “Veteran’s Honor Parade” from Maine to Arlington, Virginia and ceremonies honoring veterans across the nation.

The mission of Wreaths Across America is “To Remember, Honor, & Teach about the service and sacrifices of our veterans, active military, and their families. We will Never Forget.”

This year’s wreath-laying ceremony took place at Arlington National Cemetery on December 14.

Here are some of the photos I took at Arlington Cemetery this morning.

Graves in Section 32 with Arlington House in the distance.

Wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery with Arlington House in the Distance © 2013 Patty Hankins

The remaining photos were taken in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery where several hundred casualties of the Iraq and Afghan wars are buried.

Wreaths in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery © 2013 Patty Hankins

Lotus Blossoms at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

by hankinslawrenceimages | Jul 19, 2011 | Flowers, Nelumbonaceae Family, Photo Locations, Washington DC

In addition to the sunflowers at McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area – my other favorite place to photograph flowers in the summer is Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC. This park is one of the undiscovered gems of the National Park System. It always amazes me how many people in the greater Washington DC area have never heard of Kenilworth Gardens – much less have ever visited.

There are always lots of photographic subjects at Kenilworth to choose from – at this time – the lotus blossoms are the stars of the park. There are literally sunken pond after sunken pond full of lotus blossoms in all stages of blooming. They will likely be blooming for at least another month.

When in bloom, the lotus blossoms are beautiful shades of pink with a yellow center. The large green leaves provide an amazing counterpoint to the beautiful pink blossoms.

Here are some of my favorite lotus photos from this year at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my lotus photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. If you decide to head into Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to see the lotuses for yourself – I recommend going early in the day and using lots of bug spray and sunscreen. Also don’t forget to bring some bottled water with you.

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