Barry A Parks
Painter, Retired Architect and later Design & Construction Project Manager for a large college system.
I love to travel, and often attempt to recapture favorite moments in my paintings. Also some of my travel photos.
- On a back road near Georgetown, Texas, I spotted this touching scene that reminds me that sometimes you just need a hug. #travel #tourism #trees #hug #texas
- San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, (founded 1720 and designed to convert and integrate Native Americans into Spanish society) is the largest colonial mission in San Antonio, TX. A bilingual Mariachi Mass is held here every Sunday. #travel #tourism #sanantonio #texas #spanishmission #sanjosemission
- This gnarled Utah Juniper Tree manages to thrive in Arizona's Monument Valley (a Navajo National Park). In a typical year, this area gets 8-9" of precipitation a year, but the tree's extensive root system compete for the resource. #travel #tourism #monumentvalley #photography #tree #arizona #juniper
- Within Rome's Borghese Gardens the 1688 Casino della Meridiana (Solar Clock) is a historic pavilion which made up the Villa Borghese complex. It originally housed and served as a gateway to a secret garden displaying collections of exotic flowers. #travel #tourism #rome #italy #borghesegarden
- Florence's Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge to survive WWII. The next bridge west (Ponte Santa Trinita) was originally built in the 16th C with 4 statues, and restored in 1958 utilizing dredged means & materials. #travel #history #florence #firenza #italy #bridge #pontesantatrinita #restoration
- San Antonio's Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia opened in 1941 in Market Square offering food, mariachi bands, kitsch decorative piñatas, streamers, strings of holiday lights, a long glass case filled with pan dulce, and until recently 24/7 service. #travel #photography #sanantonio #tx #restaurant #texmex
- Directly opposite the front facade of Siena's Duomo is the expansive Santa Maria della Scala - the former hospital lined with 1400's frescoes. Operated by town instead of Church, priests get little respect in the images of care. #travel #tourism #siena #italy #hospital #santamariadellascala #fresco
- An floor mosaic in Siena's Duomo shows the unusual story of King David's son Absalom who led a revolt against his dad, was chased by the king's army, and fled on muleback. The mule took him under a low limb where his hair got tangled. Result: Death. #travel #tourism #siena #italy #duomo #biblestory
- A horse and dove compose a street scene along a Sienese street. #phtography #travel #tourism #siena #italy #graffiti #tuscany #streetart
- Wooden stall marquetry crafted by monk Fra' Giovanni da Verona (1503) wraps Siena Duomo's choir. These were moved here from their original abbey site in 1813 - magnificent Renaissance craftsmanship in the Gothic masterpiece. #travel #siena #duomo #photography #italy #renaissance #craft #marquetry
- Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini (Later Pope Pius III) sponsored this library within Siena's Duomo to honor his uncle Pope Pius II. Artist Pinturicchio (and perhaps Raphael) created 10 frescoes with scenes from Pius' II's life (1502-8). #travel #tourism #photography #siena #italy #piccolomini #italy
- The north aisle of the Siena Cathedral is the Piccolomini Altarpiece (1481-5), commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini (later Pope Pius III). Four of the sculptures were carved by Michelangelo (1501-5). #travel #toursim #siena #cathedral #piccolomini #photography #italy #michelangelo #altar
- Siena's Duomo interior is ringed with 172 plaster busts of the first popes beginning with St. Peter. These were produced between 1497 and 1503. Some faces are duplicated. The rondels below illustrate 36 Roman and Byzantine emperors. #travel #tourism #siena #duomo #sculpture #history #photography #it
- Hopi House was the first of eight structures designed by architect Mary Colter for the Grand Canyon National Park. It was erected (1904) by Fred Harvey Company contractors to create a marketplace for tourists to acquire crafts by Native Americans. #travel #tourism #grandcanyon #arizona #architecture
- The floor of Siena Cathedral is arrayed with 56 incised stone mosaics crafted by about 40 artists between the 14th and 16th centuries. This medallion (She-Wolf of Siena) with badges for confederate cities dates from 1373. #travel #tourism #siena #italy #sienacathedral #mosaics #tuscany #photography
- A blazing sun caps the top of the front face of Florence's Santa Maria Novella. The 15th-C architect Alberti was handed the job of masking a Gothic #church, whose front elevation was already underway, with a #Renaissance nod to a classical temple. #travel #architecture #florence #italy #history #art
- The Grand Canyon's South Rim Trial is paved and essentially flat as it extends along the upper rim for about 13 miles. It offers continuous and spectacular views to the North Rim 10 miles away. The park draws approximately 5M visitors a year. #travel #tourism #photography #grandcanyon #nps #arizona
- The monumental painting, "Washington Crossing the Delaware" is one of three canvases painted in 1851 by Emanuel Leutze. This one dominates a gallery in NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The rendering suffers from numerous inaccuracies, but has become iconic. #travel #tourism #art #nyc #met #history
- The Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, IT is lined with 6th-C mosaics. Here the named wise men lead a line of 22 female martyrs. They are finely attired in Persian clothing (those breeches and caps) reminding that they came from the East. #travel #tourism #ravenna #italy #wisemen #history
- An earlier post showed one wall of the Medici Chapel (1459-61) in Florence. The rear wall continues the expansive parade of Magi - casting the Medici family and close friends - traveling to the Madonna and Child behind the altar on the opposite wall. #travel #tourism #florence #medici #chapel #magi
- A fresco in Florence's Basilica di Santa Croce (Taddeo Gaddi) illustrates a soon-abandoned theological concept - an idea that the biblical nativity involved TWO Jesus: a human and a spirit of light. In this case, Light baby is the guiding star. #travel #florence #italy #theology #christmas #wisemen
- Lucien Bonaparte Maxwell once owned more US territory than any other person. The Maxwell Land Grant once totaled 1,714,765 acres, including 1,000,000 purchased for $2,745 (1858). Billy the Kid was killed at his home after it had passed to his son. #travel #tourism #cemetery #history #fortsumner #nm
- Billy the Kid's Grave near Ft. Sumner, New Mexico is marked with a well-traveled tombstone. It was stolen in 1951 and recovered in 1976, only to disappear again for four days in Feb 1981. When recovered, it was reset with iron shackles in a steel cage. #billythekid #fortsumner #nm #travel #grave
- This female American Kestrel (North America's smallest falcon, about the size of a Blue Jay) was spotted perched on the highest branches of a tree in Albuquerque's Los Ranchos Agri-Nature Center (See previous posts). #travel #tourism #bird #kestrel #albuquerque #nm #raptor #losranchosarinaturecenter
- A major fall and winter attraction in Albuquerque are the migrating Greater Sandhill Cranes - up to 18,000 in the group - as they move to the Middle Rio Grande Valley between late Sept/Oct, before departing by mid-March. #travel #tourism #albuqueque #nm #nature #photography #sandhillcrane #birding
- To create the vast ground for Vaux-le-Vicomte in France, three villages were purchased and demolished. The displaced residents were then employed by landscape architect Le Notre to create the gardens for the 1661 opening of the estate. #travel #tourism #france #vauxlevicomte #history #architecture
- Los Ranchos Agri-Nature Center is a 25 acre nature and agricultural area in Albuquerque. It offers a community garden, nesting area for migrating birds, a medicinal plant garden, walking trails, and this equestrian sculpture ready for New Year's. #travel #tourism #albuqueque #nm #nature #photography
- In keeping with the season, here is a variation of the Christian Christmas story placing the Holy Family in a version of a car stable during the US Depression era. They are, of course, identified by a star and the arrival of shepherds and sheep. #christmasstory #painting #art #acrylic #christianart
- Here's one last (for now) photo from December in Vaux-le-Vicomte where a few years ago the decorations turned the interior dome room into an exterior forest filled with trees and forest creatures. Stunning! #tourism #travel #vauxlevicomte #france #chateau #christmas #decoration #photography
- Landscape architect Le Nôtre's vast formal gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte - the greatest 17th century example - were carved from 100 acres of woodlands and were laid out along a nearly two-mile axis to create a stunning setting for the château and outbuildings. #travel #tourism #vauxlevicomte #france
- Vaux-le-Vicomte is located 55 km outside of Paris. It is the predecessor of Versailles and the largest privately-owned chateau in France. An amazing transformation takes place each year with elaborate Christmas decorations. Fantastic! #travel #tourism #france #vauxlevicomte #christmas #architecture
- St. Mary's Church of the Assumption is located in Praha, Texas. In 1895 Swiss-born Gottfried Flury painted much of the interior using a combination of stenciling, infill painting, and freehand techniques to mimic stone vaults and Gothic tracery. #travel #tourism #church #architecture #Czech
- Yesterday I drove 500 miles in 8 1/2 hours. At the hotel this morning I confirmed that that was about half a waffle. #travel #tourism #travel #texas #food
- Since 1473, Perugia, Italy's Duomo has closely guarded (behind 14 locks!) the wedding ring Joseph gave Mary. The ring emerges twice a year to be placed in the reliquary for adoration. Many couples place their own wedding rings against the ring. #travel #tourism #perugia #italy #wedding #church #mary
- In Siena, Italy this marble faceplate fronts what was likely a public collection box for alms or donations. Two figures (probably angels) are above the slot. The words "LIMOS" and "OVCP" ("limosina" = alms) can be made out at the bottom. #travel #tourism #siena #italy #history #photography #charity
- Houston, TX mail carrier Jeff McKissack saw what Mr Disney was doing in Orlando and decided to create his own theme park focused on the "perfect food," the orange. Behold The Orange Show (1979). Sadly, it did not draw the same crowds as Disney. #travel #tourism #houston #texas #theorangeshow #orange
- Houston, TX was built by entrepreneurs and creative types. This is the Beer Can House. The house's owner John Milkovisch dedicated himself to consuming over 50,000 beers so that he could recycle the cans as a substitute aluminum siding. #photography #travel #tourism #beer #houston #dedication #texas
- Perugia's San Michele Arcangelo got converted into a small fort in 1479, a period of internal power struggles and ongoing conflict with the Papal States. The church underwent restoration in 1948, uncovering ancient frescoes. #travel #tourism #perugia #italy #photography #church #history #sanmichele
- The interior of Perugia's San Michele Arcangelo (5th C) reveals 16 Corinthian capitals. Some of these were likely taken from a Roman temple to Vulcan, signaling a move from pagan Rome to early Christianity. #travel #tourism #photography #perugia #italy #history #church #roman #architecture #history
- The Tempio di Sant Michele Arcangelo near the edge of Perugia, Italy was erected beginning in the 5th C, making it one of the oldest in Italy. It stands atop a hill beyond the original wall, separating it from the then pagan town. #travel #tourism #photography #perugia #italy #history #church
- Tomball, TX - a suburb community of Houston - has historic connections with Germany and is currently holding its German Christmas Market, drawing crowds. Food options reveal much: schnitzel, pretzels, sauerkraut, strudel, BBQ, tacos, burgers.... #tomball #texas #germanchristmasmarket #travel #food
- Beginning in the 9th C. BC, Oriveto served as the primary Etruscan town. Rome arrived in 264 BC. This Church-built gateway with Pope Boniface VII's statue (Porta Rocca, 13th century) supported a papal fortress established to control a rebellious populous. #travel #tourism #orvieto #italy #history
- In 2016, I discovered that an artist had attached the grime on the walls of Rome's Arno River embankment with a pressure washer, generating sketches with the dirt that was allowed to remain. #art #travel #tourism #rome #italy #arnoriver #photography #sketches #arno966
- The Porta San Paolo is a southern gate in the 3rd-century Roman walls. In 549, the Ostrogoths of Totila sieged then entered through this gate thanks to treason of the Isaurian garrison. In Sept 1943 the Nazis battled Italians here to occupy Rome. #travel #tourism #rome #italy #history #portasanpaolo
- The Padiglione dell'Uccelliera (Aviary) in Rome's Villa Borghese was part of the same building project as the Borghese Gallery (17th C) and featured exotic birds. The structure is decorated with Borghese's symbols like eagles and dragons. #photography #travel #tourism #rome #italy #borghese #aviary
- San Antonio, TX: The Alamo Live Oak (AKA Big Tree) was moved by a four mule cart into the Alamo's Convento Courtyard in 1912, already a 40 year old. It was then the largest successfully moved tree. It is 39' high and has an 88' canopy. #sanantonio #tx #travel #tourism #alamo #tree #oak #history
- Veronese painted this Last Supper scene (now at Venice's Gallerie dell'Accademia). The Venetian Inquisition had questions. Why was this holy moment filled with unsavory characters (even Germans!)? Changes required! So the artist renamed it "Banquet in the House of Levi." #travel #venice #italy #art
- Near one end of Venice's Rialto Bridge is this elevated sign. The gilded head marks the former location of the pharmacist's shop "Testa d'Oro". Of 90, this shop was one of 40 authorized to distribute poisons. One ingredient: snake viper! #photography #venice #italy #sign #travel #tourism #history
- A Venetian sign of the times to address all your late Grand Tour communication needs. #venice #italy #photography #signage
