Monday, April 16, 2012

Ah, Providence!

I am gearing up for the vicarious thrill of my artistic life.... my youngest daughter will be a freshman next year at the Rhode Island School of Design. We drove to Providence on Friday to attend an open house for accepted students, and I am smitten.
textured with two layers of Kim Klassen's "grunged up" (multiply @ 47% and color burn @ 71%)
As a current student wrote recently on the class of 2016 facebook page, RISD is the Hogwarts of art schools. This school is more than just an art school; it is a dynamic community of creative thinkers who happen to express their ideas visually.

Now I know that if you really want to become better at taking pictures, you must bring your camera everywhere. But this weekend was for my daughter -- and while she is usually fairly tolerant of my photographic vanities, she was horrified that I would embarrass her in this setting.... so I left the DSLR at home and used my iphone instead. In the end, though, I couldn't capture any of it because they asked that we not take photos of the students at work. It was OK to photograph inside the nature lab:
textured with Kim Klassen's "Little things" (overlay @56%)
Imagine a huge hall, filled with cabinet after cabinet of natural curiosities, from stuffed animals to specimens of all kinds of plants. It felt like a magnificent Victorian museum glorifying the great explorers of that era.
textured with three layers of Kim Klassen's "Happy heart" (soft light @100%, multiply @100%, and color burn @100% 
Providence has so many historic buildings and architectural gems, and I am looking forward to getting better acquainted with the city over the next four years. One such treasure was the Providence Athenaeum, the fourth oldest public library in America. Established in 1753, the present building dates back to 1838. I loved the fact that visitors are welcome to come in and browse, and I especially loved the mixture of old and new books on the shelves, which makes it a living neighborhood resource with the stately feel of another era. I can see myself heading there next time I'm in town, just to read the newspaper in the armchairs next to the portrait of George Washington.
textured with Kim Klassen's "little things" (overlay @56%)
textured with Kim Klassen's "little things" (soft light @50%)
And of course, no visit is ever complete without good food. I love the internet -- I found Nick's on Broadway by trolling the foodie forums for Providence. We had a spectacular brunch there, all based on  the best locally-sourced ingredients. I had feathery-light poached eggs on a polenta base that was more a lemony-herbal souffle than any polenta I've ever eaten before.... delicious!
no textures here.... pure food, served to you in a straightforward manner!
And here is the neighborhood cat -- I had to take this picture because it reminds me of long ago (way before kids). Back then, I had three cats who knew exactly when to jump up into the window and wait for me to come home from work: 
textured with Kim Klassen's "little things" (multiply @100%)
Linking with Texture Tuesday

10 comments:

Jenni said...

Oh how lovely to go to art school...and as you say you can enjoy the journey, too. Love those natural collections and the library is stunning. Thanks for showing us your trip.
Jenni

just jen said...

Oh how exciting!
New beginnings!
Maybe once your DD has settled in she'll be more amenable to your photography bent. Your eggs bennie shot is making me drool!

The Artful Diva said...

That little kitty looks so sweet sitting in the window.

johanna said...

your daughter will have a great time there, i´m sure!
seems you had a good trip... museums of nature and libraries are always close to my heart. and this food picture is mouthwatering!!

Kia said...

Such an exquisite post full of lovely images! :)
How exciting for your daughter! :)
Thanks for the sweet memories, hubby and I have been to Providence a couple of times while he was working in Woods Hole (Mass.), such a charming place.
BTW, how was your trip to Italy? :D
xo

Susan said...

Wow...great pictures!!

Pat said...

Great shots! I love the cat in the window.

geetlee said...

Lovely pictures, loved the last shot.
Congratulations to your daughter :)

MRivas said...

I live 10 minutes away from Downtown, Providence. Ive never been to RISD but I've been to the RISD museum. So glad your daughter was accepted!!

Kim said...

Hi Kathleen! Thank you so much for the visit! I'm sorry it took so long to come visit you. I love all your photos and stories behind them. I will be back to visit for sure. Happy Mother's Day to you!