Ice Magic in Brugges

Dwarf from Lord of the Rings

Ent

Dwarf with beer

Results of Dwarf Drinking beer: Female Dwarf + Beer= ....

Today I ventured to Brugges for a peek at the annual ice-shaping festival (as recommended by my Belgian friend). The theme was "Magic"- according to the brochure sculpture were inspired by both 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Harry Potter'. While there were plenty of Tolkein's creatures I found it difficult to discern any Potter people. Although the final picture may be either of a Ringwraith or a Dementor- given the striking similarity between the two, it's hard to tell! Regardless, it was a very pleasent way to spend an afternoon... just be sure to wrap up warm since the show area is maintained at an icy -6DegC. Brrrr..

A bientot,
Niamh

Waterloo

Butte de Lion

View of vast battlefield

Panorama painting of battle

Napolean's death mask

Wellington pub!

Visit to Acchen Germany

Christmas Market

Doughnuts

Tower with adorable shutters

Friend enjoying too much Gluhwein

Ceiling of Cathedral

Ceiling

Model store

Windmill miniature scene

Music Boxes

Acchen Town Hall
 

Colour Analysis Workshop

This Sunday I attended a Colour Analysis Workshop in the Sleepy Flemish village of La Hulpe. The Workshop teaches attendees which colour combinations will be most successful and also how to diagnose their own "season"/the colours which suit them best. We used the colour wheel for this purpose. I decided to create my own version using Inkscape to use in the future for my clothes and in my paintings.

Colour Wheel

Colour Equations

Colour Triads are three colours which will match well in an outfit. Analogous colours are those located two segments clockwise or anticlockwise which may be combined.

Colour Triads

A bientot,
Niamh

Natural History Museum

Dinosaur exhibition

Triceratops, T-Rex, stones to aid dinosaur digestion and dinosaur egg

Stegosaurus with unique cooling system

Diplodocus shows law of the lever applies

Animal Exhibtion

A shell of a time

Process for taxidermy

Musee d'art et d'histoire

Vases from different cultures

And finally...

Second-hand bookshop with English books in Bourse area

Paul Delvaux Museum

This weekend I visited the Paul Delvaux museum in St Idesbald. Paul Delvaux was one of the 20th century's Belgian surrealists (though Delvaux did not consider himself to be of this ilk). The subject matter of most of his paintings tends to be repetitive: Nude or almost nude statuesque females in suspended animation, classical architecture, skeletons and trains. Like Magritte’s regular inclusion of Montgolfiers in his painting, Delvaux’s most repeated figures are relics from his childhood, for example  Professor Otto Lindenbrock from “Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne. As a scientist the Professor is seen studying a geological specimen with his microscope. He always feels removed, even transposed, from the scene around (often infused with sexual nude portraits). The scientists is seeminlgy demasculated, his separation from the romantic centre of events evident literally from his position in the corner of each painting and his precocupation with his study instead of the material world.

The museum is curated by close personal friends of Delvaux and as such boasts an array of initimate artifacts of the man’s life and work. My personal favourites were the doll in a lace dress and skeletons which Delvaux used as models for his paintings.

An homage to Jules Verne with Otto Lindenbeck in corner

Scientists distinctly separate from the sexual scene in the right hand panel

From Delvau's series on the life of Christ- the emotion apparent on each skeletons face is breathtaking

Painting showing Delvaux's use of the skelton not neccessarily to portrait death but a more raw and stripped(of flesh) version of reality

The museum is in the leafy suburbs of St Idesbald and can easily be overlooked if not equipped with proper directions. For myself there was added difficulty due to maintenance on the train service that day. I would definitely recommend visiting the museum… if you can find it, that is.

Entrance to Museum

Beautiful statue in garden

Museum

Marching band who obstructed my bus home from Diksmuide

A bientot x

Photos from my life in Brussels

The Rob Supermarket

Sushi in London

Bicycles in Ghent

Aptly themed postbox

Bench in Bruges

Bruges

Lego Female Scientist

Miguel/Manuel from South America relocated to Belgium

Antwerp Station

Children's Exhibit in Antwerp

Shopping Centre in Antwerp

An impressive package in Antwerp

Famous French Intellectuals on the Eiffel Tower

Music Musueum Brussels

Cool Cycle in Oostende

A bientot,
Niamh