After Barbizon

This afternoon we went to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, where they are showing paintings from the Barbizon painters, predecessors to the full-blown impressionists. I loved it. Lots of landscapes, amazing light effects. Not being a painter, I am just amazed by what people can do with paint.

And then we went outside for our own view of the landscape and light. Today was a welcome sunny day, freezing cold, but with a very blue sky. The Dixon Gardens are one of my favorite places in Memphis. Maybe with my new work schedule, I'll be able to spend more time there, but until now it has mostly been on weekends.

These camelias were about the only thing surviving the cold. They always surprise me with their gentle beauty in the harshness of winter weather.


A view of the south side of the museum, which was originally a residence. I'm dying to come in warmer weather and sit on that porch and read a book.


I understand that some of the oldest trees in Memphis are in this area. Some of them are very, very tall!


Here is Drazen with Ceres in the background. He is pretty tall himself!



In warmer weather, these archways are covered in several varieties of clematis and remind me of gardens in Europe. As you see by the coats both of us are wearing, it really is cold here right now. By this time my ears were really feeling the cold.


But it was warm in the greenhouses, and fun to see little green things thriving there with their bamboo support system.


Now the day is over,
Night is drawing nigh,
Shadows of the evening
Steal across the sky....

If you're interested, you can see lovely things on the museum/garden website, www.dixon.org. I'm still not doing links, and I'll explain why in a later post, so you'll have to copy and paste that. Or be old-fashioned and just remember it and type it; it isn't long!