Spilling on... the H.O. Botanical Gardens

Take a minute to absorb...

Nature. So peaceful, so beautiful... But why do we feel so separated from it? In our current day and age of technology, trees go days without hugs. They must be feeling lonely.

On Monday, I took my first trip to the H.O. Botanical Gardens located at the Arboretum. I have to admit, I probably would have never stepped foot inside if I wasn't required too. I'm certain that many students are ignorant of its very existence.

Let me first start off and say that the Botanical Gardens are absolutely gorgeous! The brightly colored flowers, the nicely decorated ponds, and the lushes green gave off a peaceful air that could calm almost any person's mood upon entrance. The place is visually entrancing and is quite hard to look away or not appreciate it. I applaud the the hard work done by the caretakers every day to keep the gardens looking effortlessly beautiful.

My favorite place was the large leafy arch that stood before the sunflower fields with a wooden bench below. This reminded me of an iconic scene from a movie in which one would expect a lover's embrace or just a cute pose. I was tempted to have someone photograph me right there, but I felt too awkward.

I have not been to many places like the Botanical Gardens. From my previous experience, only a few trips to landscaping shops could even slightly resemble the gardens. They lacked the tranquility and appreciation of the gardens as they were constantly packed with obnoxious new home owners.

This is the kind of place I would not take a group of friends. Personally, I think the gardens are meant for self reflection, meaning, it's a journey that I recommended taking alone. Other people will distract you from attaining peace and you will always feel self conscious about how you or another person reacts to the scenery.

Even if you aren't a huge nature freak, I would still recommend going. We could all use a break from the hussle and bussle from everyday life and the urge to take out our smartphones. You don't even need to stay there for hours. Take a good 10 minutes to walk around and absorb everything. In no time it'll turn that frown upside down!

Spilling on... Art

"San Gennaro" by Louis Finson

Made from 1610-12
Painting type: Oil on canvas

DESCRIPTION
The painting, of Flemish origins, depicts what looks like a bishop, dressed in traditional clothing, gesturing to a dead human head laying on the table in front of him. The bishopis wearing white robes, a brown cape, and a gold mitre (the bishop hat). The human head has a dark, strange, and spiky looking object sticking out from its neck. It's identity is unknown. On the table are two bottles of unknown liquids.

TIME
The painting must have been made during the Renaissance (as the dates suggest). During this time, the Catholic Church still held a monopoly over society. However, new ideas were forming that challenged the Church's very principles as well as its power. This particular painting possibly shows the head of a man who dared to challenge the church and makes a religious and political statement: Nobody messes with the Catholic Church.

FEELINGS
This painting caught my eye upon first glance. It's shocking depiction of a human head could only make me wonder "why?" I was quite taken aback that the head was lying on the table nonchalantly. In addition, the smug look on the preacher's face disturbed me because he seemed to have no regard for the dead person's head. I felt like his expression dehumanized the person and gestured, hands open, towards the head as if it was a pitiful. In addition, I felt that the bishop was presenting the head as an example of "what could happen to you if you don't..." The bishop's tilted head and cold, condescending expression reveal that the he is in no which way sorry for the dead man and his family and is asserting the wavering power that the Catholic Church has over society.

THE ARTIST
The artist, Louis Finson, has been known for religious-themed paintings which were on high demand for the wealthy. His actual views on religion are unknown given there is not a lot of information available on his life. His most well known painting is the Allegory of the Elements (1611) which depicts four naked people, male and female, tangled and struggling.

POSSIBLE MEANING
Whether or not Louis Finson sided with the church is unknown based on his skimpy biographies. However, the painting works as a warning to those who do not align with the church. Finson could speak on the Church's side and claim that the institution is ultimate and nobody should dare challenge it's power or else this (the dead human head) could happen to you too.

On the other hand, Finson may protest the Church's authority by showing the bishop's callous regard for those who fail to accept the institution. It could be a sign to those not in favor of the Church's rule to rebel, seeing what has happened to the dead man.

MY VISIT TO THE MUSEUM
The Palmer museum was quite a relaxing place to be because the walls were painted with nice, cool, colors which let the artwork speak for itself. Personally, I am not a huge fan of paintings. It's not that I don't like, but I haven't come to understand the true meanings behind many pieces of art. I tend to visit museums with artifacts from the past. I wasn't particularly inspired by the artwork at Palmer, so, I probably won't go back. Most of the works were nice to look at, but I couldn't take away much in the end. I guess
I'm kind of biased since I lived right outside of Washington, D.C. for 6 years, so, I got to experience the many wonderful museums that city had to offer. The Newseum was my favorite by far. If you get the chance to visit DC, I totally recommend going there! It's a true experience.

 CHECK IT OUT - Newseum website

Spilling on... The Blog

TEMPLATE

As soon as I heard about the blog project, I jumped for joy! I have used blogger in the past, but didn't go anywhere. It is incredibly fun and addicting! For this class, like Sheila, I wanted to create a blog that is easy to navigate and read. I made sure there were short paragraphs with many pictures to stimulate the eyes. I chose the Ethereal template because of it's smooth and relaxing color scheme.

The jellybeans were added as a colorful and engaging background pick that would draw one's eyes to the page. Also, I added two widgets: a picture of Stitch (a stuffed animal I own and took to college) and the funny quotes. Both add a friendly and engaging atmosphere to the blog.

TITLE

I decided to be a goofball and play off the jelly beans background with SPILL THE BEANS! Funny, right? Notice the beans in the background looking somewhat spilled. There's even a hint in the title caption! However, I am actually spilling the beans... on English.

COLOR

I decided to make a engaging, fun, and quirky blog that anyone could enjoy reading. I wanted a variety of colors without being to flashy. The jelly beans enhance the beautiful Ethereal template.

FONT

For the title, I chose a large in-your-face font that would automatically draw in a reader's eyes. It didn't take long to decide on Impact since I've used it for this very reason multiple times. I put it in all caps to create excitement about what one could possibly read on my blog, that is, what I have to spill the beans on.

PAGES

I have only set up two pages, "About Me" and "Just One More Thing." I wanted to keep the navigation bar simple so that it would be easy to find certain information. I used the "About Me" to provide easy to follow, honest information about myself. Included are many "favorites" in order to get to know m better.

I wanted colorful visuals to complement the information to provide a more engaging look into what I have to say. Hopefully, you'll feel welcome into that space!

The additional "Just One More Thing" page, a quote taken from the ever loveable, Columbo, will serve as a page for any quick and snarky comments that either you or I will want to make. I will make additional pages in the future for when I have the need.

Comments are welcome!

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