THE POP UP HOUSE

The Namib Desert. A four wheel drive, long dusty roads and our mobile home for the following fifteen days.

The Duwisib Castle is a historical monument situated in the heart of our 6,000-hectare farmland built in 1909, by Baron Captain Heinrich Von Wolf. With scenic views and camel thorn trees, it is no wonder the Baron decided to build his fortress at this special location.

Much of the raw materials used in the construction of the fort were imported from Germany. After landing at Lüderitz, the materials were transported by ox-wagon for over 600 mms through the Namib Desert. The castle consisting in 22 rooms.

A frugal breakfast, early in the morning. Me and my husband were heading off on a self-drive camping adventure. We drove 4500 kilometers in two weeks. Our pop-up tent and the small camping table with the cotton checkered tablecloth, camp stove, plastic plates and cups. The caveat: just make sure you always stop and fill up whenever you can for fuel and drinking water because, once you leave the city, you leave the tarmac and you end up in the middle of a beautiful nowhere.

Sossusvlei, Namibia’s famous highlight in the heart of the Namib Desert, is a huge clay pan, enclosed by giant sand dunes. Some of the most spectacular hills of sand are, at a height of 300 m, the highest and largest sand dunes in the world.

Wind continuously reshapes the patterns of the huge dunes of the Namib Desert. It timelessly forces the grains of sand on the flat windward slope upwards to the crest of the dune. Here they fall down in the wind shade. The leeward slope is therefore always considerably steeper than the windward side.  Below: it is me on the top of the “Dune 45” like a tightrope walker 300 meters high.

Below: at the top of the “Dune 45”, like a tightrope walker 300 meters high.

Below: Sossusvlei Lodge. We just spent a night here. A real bed has been our reward after so much effort.

Below: Welwitschia Mirabilis. Welwitschia was discovered by the Austrian botanist, explorer and medical doctor, Friedrich Welwitsch, in 1859 in the Namib Desert of southern Angola. This species is called “mirabilis”, which means marvellous in Latin. This plant can live up to 2,000 years.

Below: a local market.

After driving for three hours in the cocent sun, a short break was necessary with a good cold beer. A Tafel Beer of course. It is a fine quality, smooth tasting natural lager with a wholesome flavor and aroma, which makes it perfect for any occasion. This beer has its origins at Hansa Brewery in Swakopmund. Cheers then!!!!!

In the vast arid space of Northern Namibia lies one of Southern Africa’s best loved wildlife sanctuaries: “Etosha National Park”. It is a unique place in Africa.

Zebras and springboks are scattered across the endless horizon, while the few waterholes attract endangered black rhinoceros, lions, elephants, giraffes and a large number of antelopes.

Etosha, meaning “place of dry water”, is enclosing a huge, flat calcrete depression (or pan) of about 5 000 km². The pan itself contains water only after very good rains and sometimes for only a few days each year, but it is enough to stimulate the growth of a blue-green algae which lures thousands of flamingos.

A hippie family from Netherland we met in Etosha Park. They told us that they had gone through the whole African continent on this battered Peugeot. They had two small children with them. Crazy people!

Below: my African kitchen. I’m preparing lunch with avocados and a fruit salad. Light and juicy, and simply fantastic. We had lots of boxes full of food. The ice box made up for my cutting table.

Like two temporary nomads we celebrated the same ceremony every night:  we pop up our military tent. We used an iron ladder to reach the jeep’s roof. Our tent was like a tiny dot in the luxuriant nature. The green mosquito net was not enough to protect us from African biting insects. The bed inside was made of a thin mattress with two pillows and a light duvet. The floor was hard on my back and the space was quite small for two adults, but sleeping under a star canopy was making you forget all discomforts.

On the way to Damaraland to find Namibia’s wildlife.

Damaraland is the old apartheid name given to the region south of Kaokoland and north of the main road to Swakopmund.

Above: Twyfelfontein Lodge.

In front of a roaring fire with our local friend and guide, Silvio, who is now running a very cozy restaurant at the lighthouse in Swakopmund with his wife Esbi.

Above: on our way to Skeleton Coast we had to cross a dry river bed. My husband had to lower the tyres’ pressure in order to float over the deep sand. Our reliable Toyota never let us down.

The Sunday picnic with Silvio and Esbi on the coast.

The Skeleton Coast is named after the beached whales and seal bones which covered the shore area when the whaling industry was still active. It generates its fair share of “human bones” too…

Skeletal shipwrecks caused by rocks offshore in the fog. More than a thousand vessels can be found along the coast!

Good morning Africa! Sand’s everywhere and, under the scorching sun, water becomes the most precious element. It seems you have never enough. Are we too spoiled by our so called civilization?

KOLMANSKOP I

In April 1908, August Stauch (here above), the railway station master at Grasplatz registered a 6 month prospecting claim of 10 km wide along a 24 km stretch of the Lüderitzbucht-Keetmanshoop railway line.

In May 1908, Zacharia Lewala, who had formerly worked as a coachman in Cape Town and/or on the Kimberley mines picked up a diamond on a stretch of the railway line on which he was working.  He reported it to his supervisor and the news was conveyed to Stauch –  (Here below Zacharia Lewala).

In September 1908 the German Colonial Government proclaimed the “Sperrgebiet” making a large territory along the coastline from the Oranje River all the way to 26 S and 1oo km from the coastline “Forbidden Land”.

Rough diamonds.

A diamond rush followed. In 1909 Stauch found the Idatal (named after Stauchs wife Ida), a valley where the desert winds made the diamonds visible. In the moonlight men were on their knees and hands picking diamonds from the surface. (Above local miners).

In 1909 mining also started at Kolmannskuppe. The place was named after a British transport driver, called Colman.

During a desert storm he managed to survive but had to abandon his ox wagon. His wagon, standing on a hill (kuppe) became a landmark, named Colmans Hill (Kolmannskuppe) and when a town was built next to the mine the old name was kept although it is actually built on another hill opposite the original Colmans Hill.

Kolmanskop was built in this gem-rich land, in German colonial style, complete with all modern facilities, including a hospital, ballroom, casino, ice factory and sports center. Its tram and x-ray machine were the first in Africa, funded by the diamond wealth.

The Kasino. It was built in 1927 as the last building in the centre of Kolmanskop. It was used for many things. It was a big restaurant, it was a church, a theatre, a sports hall and many other activities took place hear.

The main hall was a sports hall and a theatre among other activities.

“The theatre sponsored visits of shows and operettas from overseas and a 8 – piece orchestra that played for all the formal dances as well as tea dances on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. All the ladies turned up in the latest fashions. The club served tea, coffee, beer and spirits while the orchestra played sweet music. Some couples did the tango or one step. The brave ones tried the Charleston”.  (Marianne Coleman, daughter of Ou Kat Coleman foreman at Kolmanskop)

This was the residence of the mining engineer Leonhard Kolle who stayed here with his family until 1935 when they moved to Oranjemund. A beautiful house with a huge veranda along the whole building. On the right hand side you see trees. This was not common in a desert town.

Of course there had to be a hospital in a wealthy and organised town such as Kolmanskop. The picture above shows the first hospital in Kolmanskop.

Some of the equipment used is shown in a small room in the ”Old Shop”.

Later on the hospital was enlarged to what it is today.

There were some 40 children in Kolmanskop. Of those 25-30 attended a school in Kolmanskop with classes up to grade 4. The picture above is from 1926. The teacher was Mrs Hussmann. She lived in a nice little house between the architect and the quarter master.

The shopping street – ”Kolmanskuppe Ladenstrasse”.

The town declined after World War I when the diamond-field slowly exhausted and was ultimately abandoned in 1954. The geological forces of the desert mean that tourists now walk through houses knee-deep in sand. Kolmanskop is popular with photographers and filmmakers for its settings of the desert sands’ reclaiming this once-thriving town.

Dust Devil is a 1993 horror film written and directed by Richard Stanley. The film was described as being like “Tarkovsky on acid” by Steve Beard of The Face.

The King Is Alive (2000) is the fourth film to be done according to the Dogme95 rules. It is directed by Kristian Levring. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

Samsara is a 2011 non-narrative documentary film, directed by Ron Fricke and produced by Mark Magidson. Samsara was filmed over four years in 25 countries around the world. It was shot in 70 mm format and output to digital format. The film premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and received a limited release in August 2012.

http://on-the-rand.co.uk/Diamond%20Grounds/Sperrgebiet.htm

http://stories.namibiatourism.com.na/blog/bid/270034/Kolmanskop-Swallowed-by-the-Dunes#Comments

BLUE MAJORELLE

In 1919 the French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) took up residence in the Medina in Marrakech (then a French protectorate) with which he fell in love. Majorelle was the son of the Art Nouveau ébéniste of Nancy, Louis Majorelle. Though Majorelle’s gentlemanly orientalist watercolors are largely forgotten today (many are preserved in the villa’s collection), the gardens he created is his creative masterpiece.

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In 1922 he purchased a palm grove just outside Marrakech and in 1931 he commissioned architect Paul Sinoir to build him an Art-deco style workshop of astonishing modernity. He set out his primary living space on the first floor and made a vast artist’s studio on the ground floor to paint his huge decorative works.

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Fond of botany, he created a botanical garden around his villa structured around a long central pool, with a variety of over 1800 types of cacti, 400 species of palms and other rare varieties of the time. Different environments, planted with lush vegetation in which hundreds of birds nested.

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The garden is a living and evolving work of art made up of exotic plants and rare species that he brought back from his travels around the world: cactus, yuccas, water lilies, white water lilies, jasmines, bougainvilleas, palms, coconut trees, banana trees, bamboos…

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Embellished with fountains, ponds, water features, ceramic jars, avenues, and pergolas… This bold action revolutionized the way in which gardens were to be viewed.

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In 1937 the artist created an ultramarine blue that was both bright and intense: known as blue Majorelle, he used it to paint the walls of his workshop, and then the entire garden transforming it into a living tableau which he opened to the public in 1947.

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The power of the blue Majorelle is long lived and permeates the essence of what it means to live and see color in Marrakech.

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Following a car accident, Majorelle was repatriated to Paris where he died in 1962. The garden then fell into neglect. In 1980, Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent acquired the garden to save it from property developers and to bring it back to life.

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Following the death of Yves Saint Laurent in 2008, Pierre Bergé decided to donate the Jardin Majorelle to the Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent.

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The Garden welcomes over 600,000 visitors each year, tourists and locals alike.

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Mr. Frédéric Mitterrand, in the presence of Mr. Pierre Bergé, placed a plaque engraved, “Maison des Illustres” (‘House of Honor’), at the gate of the Villa Oasis, where Mr. Yves Saint Laurent came and worked throughout his life.

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Yves Saint Laurent said “A visit to Marrakech was a great shock to me. This city taught me color”.

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http://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2011/12/jacques-majorelle-1886-1962-france.html

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http://www.travel-exploration.com/

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http://gardentoursmorocco.wordpress.com/majestic-gardens-of-morocco-tour/

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THE LIGHT OF PROVENCE – Château de Moissac I

Built in a hill-top village, a refuge for lovers of ancient stones…In the early 17th century, the Château de Moissac-Bellevue was a residence dedicated to relaxation, owned by a noble family from Provence.

Sobre, patrimonial, remarkable, with its monumental entrance, vast drawing-rooms and dining-rooms opening out to the gardens, its imposing kitchen, its bedrooms and bathrooms extending upwards to the attics, the building was rewarded for its exemplary restoration in June 2008 by the “Prix des Vieilles Maisons Françaises” sponsored by Emile Garcin.

Terraces and ponds extended by soothing landscapes as far as the eye can see.

http://chateaudemoissac.fr/life_at_the_chateau.html

ISLAND HOME

This stone house, isolated on an island of Maine, belongs to Charles and Barbara. Its lord and master, is the sea.When the time of storms comes, it takes possession of the space. 

http://www.planete-deco.fr/

A RANCH IN COLORADO

Occupying some 16,000 acres beneath the snowcapped San Juan Mountains is the Double RL Ranch, the Colorado getaway of fashion designer Ralph Lauren and his wife, Ricky.

The ranch includes a main lodge, three guest tepees and several outbuildings.

The living room of the four bedroom primary structure. Pieces from the Ralph Lauren Home collection, such as the suede sofa and club chair, fill the compound’s interiors. A work by Fritz Scholder is above the fireplace. The cowboy hat on the table in the foreground once belonged to John Wayne.

In the master bedroom, concho belts and an Indian chief blanket with an American flag motif, both 1880s, hang on a ledge holding an Apache olla basket, at right. The 19th-century breastplate with mirror, at left, is believed to have come from the Blackfoot Indian tribe.

Art Nouveau-style lamps illuminate a living area that lies alongside a bar and dining area. On the mantel is a photogravure, left, by Edward S. Curtis, a chronicler of Native American culture. The canoe hanging above is a Canadian birchbark. Stickley wood chairs.

Leather armchairs provide comfortable seating when the couple and their guests watch movies. “Although the ranch is a work in progress, there’s a real feeling of heritage here,” says Ralph Lauren. “Everything is authentic to me—and pleasing to my eye.”

The couple often use the space to serve breakfast to family, including their three children, and the cowboys working at the ranch.

The terrace faces the tack house. “After 20 years here, I still notice new things, depending on the time of day,” says Ralph Lauren.

Little Brown Cabin

“The cabin is named after Billy Brown, who lived in it when he homesteaded part of the ranch in the 1880s,” says Ralph Lauren. “It was moved from its original site.”

Little Bear Cabin

The interior of the cabin, which is named after two curious bear cubs that frequented the area during construction, is lined with logs from an 1880s Montana barn. An Edward S. Curtis photogravure rests on the rock fireplace’s wood mantel.

The mudroom serves as a storage area for leather chaps, riatas, stirrups, early snowshoes from Taos and Native American-made fishing accessories.

Like most of the dwellings on the property, the space is equipped with accommodations for as many as eight visitors. Before the rock wall is a 19th-century painted stepback cupboard that was found in the South. On the table is a Santo Domingo dough bowl.

Little Blues Pony Cabin

Near a pasture where the horses often graze, the cabin is partly constructed from a dismantled barn from Montana. Blue accents, such as the small wood chair, are displayed throughout. The photograph is by Karl Moon. The bed was acquired in Pennsylvania.

Elkmeadow Cabin

A rebuilt clawfoot tub, a Shaker-style basket and a New Mexican Navajo rug are in the bath. Ralph Lauren Home multicolored towels; red Polo towels.

The pool, which reflects the faraway mountainscape, is located just off the main lodge and is accompanied by a gym.

The barn was built by the homesteading Vance family. “My family and I ride out to it on horseback for dinner,” says the designer.

A place setting includes Ralph Lauren Home placemats, napkins and flatware. The Double RL Ranch logo is on the plate.

Sun streams in through an American flag to the dining area, which is decorated for a Christmas meal. Sage and willow branches from the ranch grounds adorn the tree. The tablecloth is French lace.

Guesthouse

A pair of 1960s-style butterfly chairs flank the entrance to the 1960s silver Airstream trailer the couple offer to their guests. “The interiors are redesigned in an Army-surplus style,” the designer says. A canopy over the wood-plank platform protects visitors from the elements.

Tepee

A collection of Indian blankets warms the inside of one of three guest tepees, which measures 28 feet in diameter. Since they have no heating or cooling systems, the structures are used in the milder months.

The exterior was handpainted by Native American artists.

Tom Harrington on a cattle drive. “There’s such a sense of space at the ranch,” says Ralph Lauren. “Whether Ricky and I are riding horses or driving, we’re at ease, surrounded by the mountains. It’s completely restful and inspiring.”

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2002/ralph-lauren-colorado-ranch-slideshow

LUXURY HOUSEBOAT

It would be hard to find a more diverse country than Peru, anywhere in the world. Peru is a land of 28 million people, many speaking Spanish, many also speaking the native language of Quechua. Their mix of cultures has created cuisine, music, art, and folk traditions unlike any you will find anywhere else in the world. Their innate spirit of hospitality means that you will always find a warm welcome waiting for you when you arrive in Peru. Peru is a nation that encompasses a diverse treasure trove of rich history, indigenous cultures, wildlife, natural resources and overwhelming beauty. The best way to discover Peru’ s Amazon River is  traveling deep into the Amazon rainforest on a luxury cruise

www.aquaexpeditions.com & www.jordipuig.com.pe

ROMANEIRA

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Deep in northern Portugal’s Douro Valley on the banks of the Douro River, on 400 hectares of sprawling private vineyards is a place that only exists in one’s dreams. Drenched in lush green pastures, vineyards and continuous birdsong is Romaneira, or  Quinta dos Sonhos (Place of Dreams), and here, the dream has become a reality in an expression of peace, tranquility and utmost beauty. If you have not been to Portugal and it is on your bucket list, this quinta is a must.

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You will never forget this experience and you will relive it often in your real life, when the stress starts coming, the memory of Romaneira will lift you out of it and lighten your load, i promise. Only recently have the locals discovered that that their ancient local grape varieties can be used to make not only excellent Port wines, but increasingly outstanding unfortified wines that are finding their place among the great wines of the world.

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13 rooms and six apartments set across two houses, 2 pools, one indoor and one out,( which boasts the most spectacular view of the river and vineyards); a chapel, a restaurant with an incredible wine list (duh), a hammam (massage room) equipped with Moroccan robes and slippers and a library filled with design books. Owner Thierry Teyssier has done a great job with the interiors, handpicking antiques and objets d’art from around the world. The result is utmost serenity amongst a beautiful, chic and inspiring environment.

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http://www.quintadaromaneira.pt/en/

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MAGIC HAVANA

 

http://eastmanimages.com/

LE GROTTE DELLA CIVITA – SEXTANTIO HOTEL II

Sextantio Hotel “Le Grotte della Civita” in Matera, Basilicata (Southern Italy).

What an amazing view!

The Hotel Sextantio’s entrance.

The hotel is a throw-back to the Middle Ages, with craftwork made by locals. Also in this case, tradition and simplicity are interwoven with modern comfort.

Every piece of furniture is either an antique find or made by hand, using the antique methods and techniques.

The modern bath-tube matching the antique furniture. Just perfect.

http://www.sextantio.it/

Where others see decay, Daniele Kihlgren sees opportunity, creating hotels that breathe life and a future into the fading communities of Italy’s past. If you want ton read more about him visit the link here below:

http://www.madebyoriginals.com/originals/daniele-kihlgren

SEXTANTIO HOTELS

Sextantio “Diffuso Hotel” in Santo Stefano of Sessanio Village – L’Aquila

The restaurant at the hotel. For those who value the taste of a local meal.

Flickering candles on the tables and the fire burning in the fireplace. Romantic!

Let’s discover the rooms…

You will find beautiful locally woven bed linens, 17th century wooden ceilings and an ancient fireplace, all combined with modern technology.

Typical dishes.

Local workshops.

The tradition of ancient crafts, such as wool hand-weaving done by the villagers has been re-introduced in the village.

http://www.sextantio.it/

Where others see decay, Daniele Kihlgren sees opportunity, creating hotels that breathe life and a future into the fading communities of Italy’s past. If you want ton read more about him visit the link here below:

http://www.madebyoriginals.com/originals/daniele-kihlgren

 

 

A GARDEN ABOVE THE SEA

The Origin

As we sailed along the coast in 1995, we discovered this old ruin. The physiognomy of the construction was fascinating as it stood isolated amidst a wide-open space, slightly sloped towards the sea. The land around the ruin was unique for the area and flowed into a rocky coastline, which appeared to be less steep and rough than the land preceding or following it.

Retaining something of the original impression of the place became quite a challenge. At first, we envisioned it as being a holiday home, but once all the rooms had been laid out with their own bathrooms, we realized we could not keep the place all to ourselves. So we set out to make it accessible to our friends.

The Amalfi Cost

Garden

The opportunity to spend the entire day outside is one of the great advantages of life by the sea. The garden serves as an extension of the house. In this more than 5000 square meter space you can enjoy the great coastal panorama while wandering around sculpted hedges, greenery, fountains and stone benches. The sights and smells that you experience whilst walking around here have been thought out by the award-winning Belgian landscape architect Jacques Wirtz. It is yours to explore and see where your senses take you.

Herbs, spices, fruit and vegetables from our working estate are used in our recipes and remedies – cultivated on the day, every day, for ultimate freshness. Most of the ingredients our kitchen uses are the fruits of our good position and climate, grown organically in originally abundant gardens.

Private Seaside

From the house the sea is close enough to recognize every ripple and wave, yet it is as vast as a great plain. Passing ships are the actors on an extravagant set of islands and mountainsides.

Dream away to the sound of the Mediterranean sea kissing the rocks while being able to make a refreshing jump off the cliffs if you wish.

http://www.casaprivata.it

A GRAIN OF SAND

Single story house shack on a sand and shell beach. Once part of a small fishing community in Kent, rough and ready but basic amenities and basic interior.

Isolated, lonely, reached by an unmade farm track. One of a handful of similar yet different shacks. Sea and beach on one side and marshland and fields as far as the eye can see on the other.

The property consists of one large living room with a small kitchen area, a bedroom leading off the living room, and a smaller room also leading off the main room.

There is a wood burning stove for heating. French doors lead into a porch and then a small area of decking which extends halfway around the southern side of the property.

The shack is on a fenced plot about 60′ square. There is a WC. Located in Isle of Sheppey. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO WATER OR ELECTRICITY

 

http://www.jjlocations.com

W LA FRANCE!!!!!

A 17th and 18th Century chateau located in the heart of Lower Normandy, in the Orne Region. This vast family residence has been artfully restored and furnished by its British Fashion Designer Owner. All rooms are light filled with pale natural stone colours and have high ceilings and two or three large double windows opening out into the surrounding gardens, grounds and woods.

A spacious main hall with cream and peach cabochon stone flooring kitchen with original stone. Open fireplace, small adjoining preparation kitchen, dining room with large French double doors with access through to the main hall. Grounds and kitchen, salon, bureau, pannelled sitting with a  secret door leading to an adjoining small cd and video room. The four masterbedrooms have adjoined en-suite bathrooms with roll top baths and marble or wooden floors.

The front courtyard has an antique original cider press and is flanked with beautiful cream stone outbuilding and stable block. There are two post and rail paddocks adjoining and belonging to the chateau which are rich in wild flowers. Grounds also include a ruined 11th century chapel, walled vegetable garden, summer house with enclosed laurel hedge garden, woodlands and ancient elm avenue, jardin a la francais with fountain stream.

The summer house

 

 

http://www.jjlocations.com/locations

 

LIVING WITH HISTORY

The small hilltop village in Veneto’s countryside.

It is always exciting to step inside a historic house where, for instance, a composer or a writer once lived. Think of Rubens, Rembrandt or Ravel’s home.  Perhaps you might want to create a similar, rich atmosphere in your own place. There is nothing against that, quite the contrary. It can also be quite easy if you live in old premises, as is the case here, because this house certainly has old roots going back to the early 12th century.  Documents of the time say that the property in question was a Castle which belonged to the Bishop of Vicenza. The Castle was donated in 1001 by Ottone III German Emperor to Girolamo, Bishop of Vicenza. In 1130 the Castle went destroyed because of people quarrels about the Bishop’s administration. The ruins later turned into material for the construction of houses and stone walls to the benefit of various families. In 1378 Hungarians invaded and burned almost entirely the existing settlement. From 1400 to 1564 cadastral esteems have been lost. No more traces are available until 1649.  Here we come to know that on the Castle ground there was a manor house with porch, oven and stables for horses and sheep. In 1895 my husband’s relatives bought the property.

The old Map of the country (Tav. 1) – 22 March 1676

The Property (Tav.2) – 22 March 1676

The Map of the County in 1809

 The way we were

My husband’s ancestors

The castle in 1000 was very much similar to this fortified mast

Under the Sophora you can clearly see what actually remains of the old Castle’s walls

The wall

Aerial View – September 2012

” Entrance to the Restaurant” – Van Gogh (Paris, July 1887)

The Entrance to the House  (Veneto – August 2012)

Chamomile flowers

Palm seeds

FROM SUNSET TO BLUE HOUR

Dusk is my favorite time of day, especially in summer. As if by magic everything is tinged with red and gold. Sunsets have inspired poets, writers and painters for centuries. A soft pink, a gentle orange or a swathe of fiery red can radically change both the sky and the landscape below it. For an artist, this change of light can lend an emotional or symbolic context to the canvas. It takes a highly skilled painter, however, to capture the true essence of the setting sun. Looking at this picture taken some time ago reminds me of one of my most admired English painters,  J.M.W. Turner. He is known as “the painter of light” because of the brilliant colors of his landscapes and seascapes. A particular climate effect of the time may have made his sunsets even more impressive. The work of Turner had a profound impact on the group that later became known as the “Impressionists”.  The major works by Turner often eclipse the vast number of outdoor studies and “Colour Beginnings” that he produced late in his career; these works were a real eye opener for me. An artist can be considered a visionary if he is ten or twenty years ahead of his contemporaries. Many people would regard Turner as being about 200 years ahead of his time. Here below are two of Turner’s studies which has inspired me to take this photo.

“Sunset”

“The Fighting Temeraire”

The blue hour comes from the French expression L’heure bleue, which refers to that period of twilight before dawn where there is neither full daylight nor complete darkness. The time is considered special because of the quality of light at this time of day. Above all, artists are inspired by changes in light. Following the example of Turner, the French impressionists violated the rules of academic  painting. They found that “en plein air”, in close touch with nature, they could capture  the momentary and transient effects of sunlight, weather and movement. They were able to transfer a spontaneous effect to their paintings and the result was excellent. Arriving in Paris in 1886, the Dutch painter Van Gogh quickly adapted to Impressionist techniques and color to express his acutely felt emotions. He transformed Impressionism into curving, vibrant lines of color, exaggerated even beyond Impressionist brilliance. Van Gogh’s work formed a basis for several contemporary trends and for early 20th-century modernism. Thinking of the “blue hour” here below you can see two of his most remarkable paintings. Van Gogh remains one of my most beloved artist.

“The Cafe Terrace”

“Starry Night”