Surprising Discoveries Down The Rabbit Hole

THIS COLOURFUL painter's palette by the side of the road caught my eye when I was running errands in Ocean Park one Saturday afternoon.

Although I didn't plan to take in an art show, something compelled me to step inside the community hall where creative members from A Breath Of Fresh Art happened to be showing their work.

The first person I noticed was a local artist and friend. I hadn't chatted with Carolynn Doan for quite some time so it was a nice surprise to see her there and to catch up on the news. Turns out she's not only a terrific artist but a prolific thought-provoking writer. I learned about her blog The Tao In Art and looked forward to visiting it soon.

After exploring the work of others and snapping a final picture of a basket filled with Carolynn's bird drawings, I set off for my next destination.

I did not expect to see another bird later that day when I took a spontaneous walk through the forest at Kwomais Point Park.

I have heard this owl hoot for many months if not years without ever actually seeing it. What a pleasure it was to find it perched in the branches. The thick greenery of the forest surrounding the bird gave it an emerald glow.

Soon after, I stumbled onto another sign. I followed its trail to discover a wedding underway at the bluff area of the park. I learned the theme of the wedding was "down the rabbit hole" from the Alice In Wonderland stories by Lewis Carroll. Although I did not know them personally, it was clear to me that the couple about to get married were imaginative and playful.

The white rows of chairs carefully positioned in the open air would soon be filled with people anticipating the arrival of the bride and groom.

I kept a respectful distance but was able to spot the Mad Hatter who (in keeping with the Alice theme) stood out significantly while sitting in his chair.

The wedding unfolded beautifully like the composition of a well conceived painting. The bride entered the scene in traditional white. There was no breeze to flutter her veil or cloud to keep the sun from her face.

The attendants looked lovely in their finery. Splashes of brilliant red sashes or shawls made the dresses of the bridesmaids come alive.

Casual strollers in the neighborhood, and even their pets, seemed enthralled by the unforeseen yet joyful event unfolding in their midst.

Penelope Puddle Meets A Rabbit

Although my day got off its intended path and I did not accomplish all I had planned, the impromptu moments of the afternoon lifted my spirits. As creator of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories A.A. Milne once said: “One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries.”

To view more sights from around the globe visit Our World.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

BCers In Italy, Switzerland & France; Pt 12: Through The Looking Glass At Versailles

IN MY WORLD I've been thinking about the Lewis Carroll books and how our visit to the beautiful Palace of Versailles last October reminded me of a distorted version of the Alice stories.

It is an unexpected afterthought on my part. In truth, the opulence enjoyed by the royal family resulted in the tragic "off with her head" consquences for Marie Antoinette in 1793. Her husband Louis XVI had been executed months earlier during the French Revolution.

The clipped symmetrical trees ...

meticulous vast courtyards and ponds ...

reminded me of scenes surrounding the Queen of Hearts character.

Rows of figures looked like giant chess pieces reminiscent of the Red Queen.

Blooms past their seasonal prime were dug up. The last few (pictured above) might have objected if they could speak like the flowers did in Carroll's tale.

We saw traditional statuesque apparitions mostly of gods and goddesses.

But (as in Carroll books) unforeseen characters also appeared at the palace.

We had the rare opportunity to view historical art in juxtaposition to modern works. Japanese artist Takashi Murakami created a contemporary Oval Buddha. Although I have seen many concepts of buddha, this some 18 foot statue made of bronze and gold leaf is truly unique.

Nearby was an even more unique golden fence and gateway to the royals.

People were constantly in front of the ornate structure taking pictures so I captured only a portion of the entrance way not open to the public.

I took a peek before entering from another location near the gate.

There it was ... the chateau of Versailles that began as a hunting lodge and evolved into a residence and retreat from the main palace in Paris for generations of French kings.

This was the ideal setting from which royalty could overlook their impoverished countrymen and soak in the breathtaking countryside filled with game and ponds stocked with fish.

Although it wasn't quite like going down the "rabbit hole", there was the appearance of a Mad Hatter through the palace doors.

There was much controversy about having Murakami’s creations displayed temporarily at Versailles. Many locals considered the work insulting.

Nonetheless, the artist wanted to bridge historical art with popular culture.

Many were not convinced and felt much the way Alice did in the Wonderland book when she said, "I don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it."

There was unquestionable significance to the artistic expression (pictured above) that I believe is of Louis XVI. The misguided king went from a lavish lifestyle where aides chosen to monitor his bowel movements apparently felt honored to being despised and killed at the guillotine.

Such a horrific ending was likely not dreamed of when the royals slept in their luxurious beds.

What comforts elaborate fireplaces must have brought to hush their worried minds within cold palace walls.

It WAS like stepping Through The Looking Glass when entering the enormous passageway known as The Hall of Mirrors. The stunning construct within the palace began in 1678. It was built to magnify the power of the monarchy to other regions that might have been a threat.

Glass was extremely rare then. To showcase such a luxury item, Versailles sought the famous glass makers of Venice. Hopefully, the legend isn't true that the workmen who built the mirrored walls were killed to keep the art a secret. Despite the paradoxical lifestyles where the wealthy were seemingly blind to cruelty and poverty, Versailles stands alone as an incredible work of art. The glassy glitter of mirror and marble, the chandeliers and gilded statues all reflect a love of beauty so profound it is impossible NOT to carry a torch for the wonderland of Versailles.

Explorers can find more sites from around the globe at My World.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view BC scenes.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Toy Story 3 Takes Lid Off Make Believe

UNDER THE PILLOW, in a cupboard, or stuck on a treetop trying to escape … where has my lost imagination gone? Now that I’m grown it tends to disappear on a regular basis. Sometimes I find it in strange places. At other times, it’s a movie like Toy Story 3 that brings back the ability to pretend.

Imagining when I was a child was natural and key to my existence. The forest fairies I would visit and the house builder I pretended to be with my alphabet blocks enriched my world. Boxes were trains and ribbons were roads I traveled on with my tiny toy cars and dress up dolls.

Creativity can get snuffed out early when school begins and we learn to colour inside the lines. By the time college rolls around, the stumbling blocks of reality and adult pursuits put a lid on the toy box as well as the imagination. Boundaries are set and mental dives into impossible realms rarely occur.

That’s why adults and kids alike will relate on so many different levels to the characters in Toy Story 3 and its brilliantly conveyed plot about a boy whose toys must be given away before he leaves home for college.

It took a thriving imagination to write such works as Toy Story, Alice In Wonderland and Harry Potter. It also took creative thinking to discover the world wasn’t flat, develop a safety pin, make the first fire and turn the first wheel. There is incredible value in quantum leaps of the mind. This is what cracks boundary walls, allowing the light of new ideas to seep through.

After seeing Toy Story 3, the stuffed toys and inanimate objects (pictured above) I have hung onto for years took on new meaning. It is not that I think they are secretly alive. But I did give them a much needed dusting and wished them a very good night before drifting off to sleep.

You can read the children's story I wrote several years ago about inanimate objects coming to life called Couch & Company HERE.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Roadways, Bloggers & Doors, Oh My!

FROM THE YELLOW BRICK road to Alice’s slide down the rabbit hole, there are millions of pathways and entrances leading to enchantment. The curious feeling of unique potential and magic dwells around every corner. As children we found mystery and wonder in storybooks, movies as well as in our own imaginations. I recall a fairyland I discovered in an empty lot near Langley, B.C. where I spent hours of my childhood. The fairies eluded me but I was the giant who created their carpets of moss and constructed their tiny tables and chairs from twigs I found on the forest floor.

I think many bloggers, now grown, strive to capture their own enchantment of life whether through exploring the minute details of their neighborhoods or the enormity of distant shores. The stories they tell through prose and photos show a love of the moment and for the environment that with technology can so easily be shared. As I develop my own blog and open doors to other sites, I enter a world of awe-inspired journeys.