A Time of Reflection

We get up, go to work, go to lunch, go home, have dinner, relax if there is any time left, hit the sack for a couple hours and then do it all over again. Every day starts looking the same after a while and it’s always good to stop and smell the orchids. Ponder life for a minute. 

We here in the Pittsburgh area are fortunate to have a great deal of cultural wonders right in our back yard. There is a plethora of historical sites and markers along the road. Stop and read one every now and then. How about taking in a concert or play, there are three theatres in the downtown area alone. Heinz Hall, The Benedum and the Byham. Other impressive places to visit include The Carnegie Museum of Natural History, The Heinz History Center, The Carnegie Science Center and Phipps Conservatory. All are just a short drive away. The Scaife Gallery, Warhol Museum and a vast array of small galleries also dot the Greater Pittsburgh area.

I recently took a day off and went for a time of reflection at the Phipps Conservatory. Their current exhibit is the Orchid and Bonsai show. So in keeping with the art theme here at Hendersonworks, they also had several pieces on permanent display from Dale Chuhuly’s blown glass collection. The pieces are displayed amid the beautiful foliage, plants and flowers which we'll get to soon.

The very first area in Phipps, past the gift shop and lobby, is the original entrance, the Palm Court. I spent a good amount of time just sitting in the Palm Court staring at this….

There was a bird in the next room singing so beautifully I thought it was a recording. 

Two large urns were continuously overflowing with water leaving a melodic trickling in the background. 

The setting was positively serene. 

Moving through to the Sunken Garden room and into the East Room found me once again sitting on a bench gazing at this…

The simplicity and beauty of the natural world are a wonder. Life used to be run here and do this, run there and do that, never pausing long enough to notice the things around us. I'm making it a point to stop and take a look with those I love and love to be with.

Well how about the beauty of artwork. 

Dale Chihuly had an exhibit at Phipps in 2007 called "Glass in the Garden". His work is included in more than 200 hundred museum collections worldwide. The depth of the glass is amazing and beyond description. Pictures do not do it justice. You need to see them for yourself.


Joshua was able to get some creative shots of these pieces…

And in keeping with the art theme, here are a few close-up photographic expressions of the botanical environment to behold at the Phipps Conservatory.