Matthias and I have returned from our mini getaway. I'm sure by now you have guessed - we went to Vegas. Vegas, baby, Vegas. Matthias had to get his Aprilia (this is a motorcycle, for those of you who don't know that) worked on. There isn't much in the way of Aprilia dealers here in the desert, so he found a place in Vegas that had a good reputation. We used it as an excuse to take a little break. Las Vegas is about 3 1/2 hours by car from Joshua Tree. So really, it is a pretty easy drive.
Now, I know what you are thinking. "Is Karine really into gambling or something?" No, in fact, we hardly gambled at all. I think we may have put two dollars into a poker machine. If that. We have found a hotel in the south part of the city that is inexpensive and has a huge king size bed. And a pool! Believe it or not, you can find things to do in this city that have nothing to do with gambling or prostitutes. Seriously! The whole casino thing is a bit like a car crash for me. It's repulsive and yet you can't turn away. The people watching is fascinating. If you are into people watching, which I am.
Then, there is the Bellagio. As much as I love nature, and find infinite inspiration there, I also have a great appreciation for the creations of human beings. This is something that was reinforced for me by a collector friend of mine in Hawaii. The marvels we are capable of!!! Take, for instance, the Chihuly sculpture in the lobby of the Bellagio. If you have never seen Chihuly's work in person, I highly recommend it. It is possible that I have never seen anything so tantalizing for my eyes than Chihuly's glass. This ceiling piece (is it considered a chandelier? I'm not sure) was magnificent. You see me standing in front of it, but here are a few more shots. Wonderful. The way the light delicately passes through the colors of the glass is intoxicating.
There was also this chocolate shop in the Bellagio, with the world's largest chocolate fountain. A chocolate fountain!!!! It is behind glass, in a carefully controlled environment, of course, but still. I found that I had a strong desire to break the glass and immerse myself in the cascading chocolate. And I have stopped eating chocolate. (or at least, I have cut way back.) Incredible stuff. I guess decadence comes in many forms, and we each pick our own poison.
I have more to show you from the Las Vegas trip, but I will save it for another day. This will pale in comparison to the other wonders in this blog, but here in a monotype of mine, from last week. This one is called "Altar", and measures 10 x 8 inches.
6 comments:
hi karine!
what a wonderful post! it is just overflowing with fun! fun trips, photos, colors, art and food!
i love your monotype and sharing in all of your fun!
thank you!
xo
melissa
Oooof! the chocolate fountain is to die for.
i saw an exhib of Chihuly's work at Kew Gardens in London. Mind blowing! His drawings on his website are super too.
i visited Las Vegas on my only trip to America when i was 15.
i remember something called Circus Circus where i got a stuffed toy for every game i won. i still have those.
your monotype is a piece of minimal sanity after the las vegas pictures.
what a great excuse for a weekend away, when our bike has any work done on it I get as far as Lincoln (UK) to wander round the shops. Not quite the same as Vegas :-)
Love those photos.... and your print is great. I am in the process of setting up my printing studio. You are inspiring me to get it going.
Chihuly's work is amazing. I adore the ceilings. We visited the Glass Museum in Tacoma, Washington, walked over the Bridge of Glass and visited the Hot Shop. Fascinating.
Glad you had fun!
Wow WOW woW! Chihuly's ceiling sculpture is outrageous. a reason to stop in vegas! and that chocolate fountain is amazing... i so want to swim thru it. so Willy Wonka ish.
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