We had the opportunity to take a trip to the museum. No, not a Night at the Museum... Accordingly we headed into the city and arrived around 12:30. We found a likely parking spot and donned appropriate museum footwear. Here am I and Scooterchick lacing up.
My beloved takes good care of her kicks, and they return the favor. Better to have comfort and support where walking is required.
I place the size 12's on each foot and ensure that they are tight and double knotted. I rarely wear shoes with laces, but when I do I defy them to come undone unbidden!
Here's Miss Helen's petite paw. as you can see it's scarcely larger than my phone.
Here are the intrepid chicks, having wandered off to look at some flowers growing nearby. We don't plan on spending too much time out of doors. It is a balmy 96F.
This was our first destination, the OKCMOA (Oklahoma City Museum of Art.) There is a Chihuly exhibit on at present. We have been fortunate enough to visit his "hot shop" at the Glass Museum in Tacoma WA., and see this art being created straight out of the kiln.
The atrium has an installation 4 stories tall. It must have taken a fair amount of time to install this tower of glass. There are surely several hundred pieces in this display.
The exhibit contains a lot of different styles of the glassblowers art. This is one such display consisting of several..........things mounted on the wall, I like them even though I don't understand them. The whole thing looks somehow.....happy!
A closeup look at the happiness reveals that it looks like a sea creature of some sort. I am sure Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss) would approve of these whatchamacallits.
There are some multicolored bowls, cleverly displayed and lit. There's something intriguing about art glass. You can easily see how this would appeal.
These plates are blown then spun. They look like leaves from the movie Avatar.
Are these things sprouting or melting, I don't know and I don't care. They stand on their own merit or stalks or something.
When one turns a corner one enters a hallway that is plain, but the ceiling is covered in glass above which an amazing variety of colors and shapes lie in repose. They cast colorful and varied patterns on the floor and lift the eye up to gaze in wonder.
A series of tubular vases are on display with large blocks of glass attached and even embedded. It's an interesting juxtaposition of order and chaos.......or something.....
Another view of the chunky vases, or the tubular chunk supports....I'm not sure which.
These bowls are resplendent in orange. They simply glow with their orangeness, if that's even a word?
As we near the end of the exhibit there's a pedestal with 2 boats, one a lapstrake dinghy of about 15 feet the other a double ender of about 18 feet filled with an amazing assortment of glass. The dinghy is fulled with balls of varying size and color. Every last one of them is vibrantly appealing.
The double ender is packed with things that look like they were pulled from the deeps, and which had voracious appetites prior to reaching the surface.
A quick return to the tunnel to check on the girls found Miss Helen acting like Sister Bertrille. I guess she is indulging her inner Sally Field!
Here's another view of the double ender. This is a lot closer up than the other pictures and shows the bewildering assortment of pieces, or are they creatures?
This is a final shot of the installation. I tried to capture the reflection in the glass pedestal upon which it rests. The result is very satisfactory.
Towards the end of the exhibit is a series of what are called Butti with Birds. The following series of pictures displays these Butti, and their avian residents.
What the cherubs have to do with the birds I cannot fathom, but there you are....and there you go.
The final picture is some azure bowls that are artistically lit. They seem somehow ethereal, as though they might melt, or turn into vapor or some other form of discorporation.
One of the more whimsical displays was a kinetic sculpture gallery with a western theme. There were a bucking bronco with attached cowboy, an extremely tall horse with tiny cowboy, a bucking bull with an evil temper and a cowboy twirling his lasso, while mounted on a fairly docile horse. These were very whimsical and fun to play with.
The next floor had a gallery of American Painters and sculptors. This particularly lovely pair were carved by a woman whose father was a zookeeper in New York, who encouraged his daughter's interest in sculpting. Having models near at hand no doubt helped.
A section was entirely given over to sculptures of various bird species. I won't name them all chiefly because I have forgotten, but there was a nameplate with the species, and habitat displayed.
The detail is astounding. The time it must have taken and the attention to detail fabulous.
Leaving the bird gallery there was a small display of modern art. This Red Delicious was modeled in fiberglass and coated with many layers of automotive enamel, finished with clearcoat.
Just prior to leaving we took a picture of a chandelier in the lobby of the event center. This is also a piece by Dale Chihuly..............nice.
Exiting the OKCMOA we came across a manhole cover cast with a map of downtown. Ever the utilities are artistically inclined.....hahaha.
Our next stop was the much smaller Gaylord-Pickens museum of Oklahoma History where we had a pleasant surprise. It was art Saturday and entry was only $1.00.........bonus!
There was an interesting hanging staircase, lightweight and well lit.
The museum is housed in the old Mid-Continental Life building. Here is Scooterchick seated at the desk of the president at the time the building was first opened in 1946.
The portrait of the president is just outside the office. What he would have thought of commoners like ourselves sitting at his desk is anybody's guess.
On the fourth floor, in the Grand Salon I found this mirror, sheathed in Marble, Gilt and filigree. Quite the piece. Apparently the life insurance business was profitable.
Even the ceiling detail was awe inspiring, coffered, columned and capitaled. WOW!
After all that art, we had worked up an appetite. We inquired with the attendants at the Gaylord-Pickens and they recommended a nearby restaurant, A couple blocks drive we found it.
If you are in the mood for good food, you should visit Breanna at Cafe Antigua 1903 Classen Blvd.
We had a look at the menu to see what they had to fill up or growling tummies.
The decor was large posters of Guatemala, and the food arrived quickly.
The appetizer was a house special Guacamole.........tasty.
Scooterchick ordered a Tilapia as her entree. It was a large plate which she scarcely finished.
I went for Flautas. I never met a Flauta I didn't like. By the way that small container of green sauce is actually "tongue naplam"...niff said.
Miss Helen ordered the Enchilada Supreme. It was supremely colorful, and very tasty from what I heard. I didn't try it as she said that the cabbage was quite sour.
We ate to repletion and bid a Muchas Gracias and Hasta Manana to Brianna and Cafe Antigua.
After driving back to Lawton and went to see a new summer blockbuster...White House Down.
While I was expecting another version of Olympus Has Fallen, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this film was more vivid and riveting in every detail. It turned out to be the type of movie which draws unexpected vocal utterances from the viewer....well at least this viewer!
Another blog post comes to an end. Good night all.
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