“It is good to have an end to journey toward;
but it is the journey that matters, in the end”
~Ursula K. LeGuin
original painting - private collection - Caracas, Venezuela - "Excursión"
watercolor, wax, rice paper, quilted • 36"H x 72"W • © Lisa Rivas
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“Success is not a place at which one arrives but rather the spirit with
which one undertakes and continues the journey.” ~Alex Noble
Every year, since 1993, Inakadate’s 8000 residents and farmers have worked together to create huge agricultural works of art in their rice paddy fields. Using green, purple and yellow-leafed rice, the “agri-artists” design and plant their rice, precisely plotting out the colours which bring the images to life. As the rice grows, the art becomes apparent from an elevated position, with the best viewing time in July. In 2007 the farmers chose to combine two very famous woodcuts of the artist:
Katsushika Hokusai - "The Great Wave of Kanagawa" and "Red Fuji"
The farmers first sketch out their designs on computers so that they know exactly where the rice needs to be planted. Hundreds of villagers and other volunteers then help plant the four different colored varieties of rice in the vast fields.
The creations emerge in the late summer months after the rice plants have had a chance to grow.
More than 15,000 visitors travel to see the creation. For more images go here: Rice Paddy Art
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As the farmer who won the lottery said when asked what he was going to do with his winnings:
"Keep farming until it's all gone"
I will be exhibiting 6 original "quilted" paintings in this exhibit at DANK HAUS in Chicago.
“Beauty in the Simple” is a fine art textile exhibition held in the Scharpenberg Gallery.
An exhibit featuring contemporary textile artists who use traditional quilting techniques in their artwork.
The exhibition will highlight craftsmanship and individuality of design.
You are cordially invited to the Opening Reception: I will be there!
Friday, January 09, 2009 • At 6:00 to 9:00 PM
ADDRESS: 4740 N. Western Ave. Chicago IL 60625 • PHONE: 773.561.9181
CONTACT: Susan Barton - 773.633.6009
Within "The Land" pavilion which is part of the EPCOT theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort at Lake Buena Vista, Florida is this amazingly huge “Tomato-Tree”.
It was achieved by using the "vertical growing technique" in which by providing a matrix of structural supports for the entire
plant this enabled it to grow much bigger than it ever would under
ordinary circumstances where gravity would be weighing it down.
This “Tomato-Tree” produces over 32,000 tomatoes in a 16-month period. It was recognized by Guiness World Records as both the largest and most productive tomato plant in the world.
EPCOT stands for “Experimental
Prototype Community of Tomorrow” and was originally intended to be a
futuristic model community based on utopian modernist ideas of communal
living, no cars and no private ownership.
Port of Guanta
Estado Anzoategui, VENEZUELA
I lived here for a few weeks a little more than a couple of decades ago.
It was wide open and amazing...
original painting - corporate collection - Memphis, TN - USA • "GUANTA"
• watercolor, wax, ricepaper, quilted • 72"H x 72"W • Lisa Rivas © 1984
The Port of Guanta is a well protected port with calm waters due to the configuration of the coast.
The lunar eclipse brought to mind another vesper / flying incident which was:
Viewing photos of my trip to Italy with my friend Carol I came across a pic that was extremely dark; almost black, the kind you usually delete. But there was something ephemeral... there. Upon checking it out a bit further with my friends encouragement:
Lo and behold there she was "beautiful" maybe "holding the evening with her wings."
I named her: "Vespertina"
• photo-composite - Lisa Rivas © 2007
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