3d painting

i just happened across this and thought it was really cool. Riusuke Fukahori uses resin and paints in layers, sort of like a 3d printer. there's a video of how he does it if you wanna check it out!

The Biltmore Estate

When I got home from school, it just so happened that my mom was already planning a trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The Biltmore Estate was built by Goerge Vanderbilt between 1889 and 1895, and the architect hired to design the house was Richard Morris Hunt. It is the largest privately owned residential home in the U.S. The house is 135,000 square feet and has 250 rooms. We were able to take a tour through the house and it was absolutely amazing to see. Every single room was full of intricate designs and details. Fire places where large enough to stand in and the arches on a bookshelf/mantel were at least three stories high. The house really belittles its viewers. The design was beautiful in so many different ways, but the tour was not nearly enough to enjoy all of the detail in the house. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the house, but here is a picture of the outside.

Epworth United Methodist Church

Epworth United Methodist Church Norfolk, VA

The other day my mom and I went walking in downtown Norfolk and came across this beautiful church across the street from the Freemason Abbey. This church was built with granite and sandstone in 1894. Then when you walk inside, the front of the church is lined with hundreds of organ pipes, there are angelic figures in each
of the four corners, the back and the sides are covered in intricate stained glass windows, and the high-arched circular ceiling allows for a large number of arching pews. It was so interesting to see this church and take in how much thought was put into every detail. What I thought was even more striking was that when you see architecture and design like this, you automatically assume (and usually correctly) that its an older building. You just do not see this kind of detail anymore. Yes, style has changed and a refined, streamline approach is more desirable in today's age but at the same time we cannot deny the beauty of this type of work.

Chihuly Exhibit

One of the many benefits of having a father who works at the VMFA virginia museum of fine arts, is that I get classified information about upcoming exhibits! This coming year, from October to March the VMFA will be exhibiting Chihuly.

Dale Chihuly is an american glass sculptor and entrepreneur.

I, for one, am extremely excited for this exhibit. I was able to do a little glass blowing over break and it is difficult!

Here are a few examples of his work:

Baskervill

On our way back from vacation, my family and I passed through Richmond. I saw a sign for a design firm called Baskervill, and while we did not get to stop and visit, I did a little research on the place. It turns out that it is a certified architectural, engineering and interior design firm that is licensed in 29 states participates in projects throughout the united states and the world. Their site is pretty interesting.
http://www.baskervill.com/Default.aspx

Wild and Wonderful

While on break, I have taken my cultural retreat in the mountains of West Virginia. Nature is a vital spring feeding our creativity; it's beauty surrounds us, everywhere. I have had time to reflect on our fall semester and am looking forward to a productive spring semester together. I hope that you are rested and rejuvenated for a fresh start. See you in Blacksburg soon.

Downtown Charlotte

So I had some time to spare when I was in downtown Charlotte and I decided to explore. I went to the building my dad works in, which is LEED certified. It has a green roof, and its exterior is almost completely glass. There trees growing inside and you can easily taste a difference in the air. Unfortunately you aren't allowed to take pictures so the security guard yelled at me but if you're ever in Charlotte you should check out this building- half of it is a hotel and you would probably have better luck with picture taking.

After that I walked to the Mint Museum and Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. The architecture of these both are quite interesting. The Bechtler's exterior is covered in ceramic tiles. Here are some pictures I took along the way:

This is the Bechtler Museum in the background