Amelia's photos

Today's Challenge is: What or who are you thankful for in your life. I'll write more about this photo later. Reasons to be thankful: 1. I am so thankful that we live in a village and within 5 minutes walk we are in fields and woodland, and within short drives to canals. So even during full lock-down we were able to get out and about. 2 And I am thankful for Adrian who walks with me almost every day, and opens gates using his stick when necessary. He does get a bit impatient when I take photos for Ipernity though - as you can probably see. ;-)))

Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) American Author. www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/L004824 The PiP shows the same fence on September 4th of this year.

HFF everyone.

Today's Sunday Challenge is: Curved edge or edges en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirk_Aqueduct

In the background is the V&A art gallery Dundee, and the Tay Road bridge over to the Kingdom of Fife. Over to the right is the recently opened Urban Beach which is a glorified sandpit in my opinion. There were a couple of children playing in it, but most were playing in the fountains behind the 'beach'. www.dundee.com/news/urban-beach-opens

The Gateshead Angel of the North is Britain's largest sculpture, designed by Antony Gormley for Gateshead Council. It weighs 200 tons, is 20m high and has a 54m wing span, which the equivalent of 4 stacked double decker buses, and it's wingspan matches that of a jumbo jet. The rich red/brown colour comes from the weathering steel which can withstand winds of more than 100 miles per hour. It one of the most popular pieces of public art in England. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_the_North

The Aston Locks Nature Reserve project is ongoing and we visit it almost weekly. It is adding to a global need for wetlands to support wildlife across the Globe • Globally wildlife is under huge threat from climate change and habitat loss. Fresh water ponds like these are essential habitats. • Water supports a huge variety of plants and animals. • These man-made ponds have been made to work like natural ponds. Different parts of these ponds provide the right conditions for different plants and animals to live. These are called habitats. • Many different plants and animals live in each habitat, their role or job in that habitat is called their niche. • All these habitats and niches combine to create a wetland that is rich in wildlife. This is the first grey wagtail we have seen here. As you can see it is perched on a new bit of fencework. The environment is perfect here, at the side of the canal with canal runoffs providing moving water, and lots of wild life now coming into the area. The project is running behind because of Covid, but it is ongoing. ahi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Aston-Lock-Nature-Reserve-Hide-Brief-FINAL.pdf

Master of the Universe is based on a famous drawing by William Blake, which shows the scientist Isaac Newton. Paolozzi used the same pose as in the Blake drawing, but has mechanised the figure. The sculpture was made by cutting up and reassembling a plaster model, as the artist frequently does in his later work. A similar but much larger sculpture can be seen in the courtyard of the British Library in London. However while the figure in this sculpture is blind, the London version was given the same eyes as Michelangelo's David.

Master of the Universe is based on a famous drawing by William Blake, which shows the scientist Isaac Newton. Paolozzi used the same pose as in the Blake drawing, but has mechanised the figure. The sculpture was made by cutting up and reassembling a plaster model, as the artist frequently does in his later work. A similar but much larger sculpture can be seen in the courtyard of the British Library in London. However while the figure in this sculpture is blind, the London version was given the same eyes as Michelangelo's David. Artist: Eduardo PaolozziScottish (1924 - 2005) Title: Master of the Universe Date created: 1989 Materials: Bronze The final PiP is 'Reclining Figure' by the iconic Henry Moore

Today's Sunday Challenge: WILDLIFE This little fellow was quite bold. Usually squirrels scamper up the nearest tree if humans are noticed. There were two of them foraging for sweet chestnuts. The other was at ground level.

Landform creates a visual link between the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art's Modern One building and Modern Two, which is situated directly across the road. The work is a combination of sculpture, garden and land art: a striking backdrop to events at the Gallery and a platform for viewing the gallery's outdoor sculpture collection. The shapes of Landform are inspired by nature, where they can be seen in waves, clouds and geological formations. The work also has a social function, as visitors can walk and sit on the terraced paths. Landform won the Gulbenkian Prize for Museum of the Year, 2004. Artist: Charles Jencks (American) Title: Landform Date created: 2001 Object type: Sculpture Commissioned 2001 I loved this living sculpture, and would have stayed and explored a lot longer, but I had two other people and a dog to consider. Must visit again in better weather and not on a weekend when there were lots of families with children enjoying the area.