bygone era

These posts are still from Thailand photos, ( less on this trip
but it's still 6,500 photos, so why not?) I am back in Byron Bay,
& other things are happening; also putting some together
for other pictures ~ this is what you may get for a while,
however. I enjoyed the old photos in various wats; was told that
the monk lower left, was instrumental in getting a road built to
Wat Doi Suthep. In some wats they are starting to use large
scale giclee prints, so there's this juxtaposition.

Leopold & Rudolf Blaschka made glass sea creatures,
the wide ranging interests of Nicole Dextras , & the mix of
quotes & images that evoke stories, on royalquietdeluxe

same/different

Am still going through 1000's of photos from my recent trip
to Thailand. There are similar elements in all the temples,
except they are all different, or at other times it looks so ~
the cleverly designed metal grilles cast a shadow,
for instance. There are corners holding things less often used,
always flowers & animals of one kind or another.
Am not interested in visiting churches, but am happy
to enjoy the aliveness of Thai temples.

don't you enjoy the sculpture of Alma Allen ?
A captivating idea: drawings by trees, Tim Knowles &
Catherine Morland, an exhibition at Rokeby

a work in progress

Most temples still in use are a work in progress ~ I always
loved the colonnades of gold buddhas in glass cases at
Wat Po, for the fantastic reflections. But in the past year,
there were new rooves, & ceilings, the glass had gone,
& the statues are being seated on jewelled platforms, while
artisans are still adding gold leaf on the eaves, & furniture
is stacked till there's space somewhere else.
I had both cameras, alternating when one got too hot.

Because of the process of metal casting
all the buddhas have small differences, apart from mudras etc,
there are some I feel particularly drawn to (maybe 50 or more!),
& if by another sculptor, the faces are as unique as the
understanding that informed them. (Tibetan thangka painters
have told me they must become the deity being painted)

Bo tree

Often there is a Bodhi tree in the grounds of Thai temples.
usually they are wrapped with light scarves or lengths
of coloured nets, as veneration for the symbol & it's age.
Some people leave painted sticks, which I was told have
something to do with the donor's wishes for a long life.
The leaves are their own fresh heart-shaped statement.

Long ago, in Bodh Gaya , I saw Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
seated beneath the Bo tree. I gazed for a long time;
& still really love his Dzogchen teachings.
Well worth a look: the sanskriti foundation

what we see

Interesting what we see, what we censor, don't you think?
I was interested in the statues, didn't notice the sign;
& because I had some dental work done while in Thailand,
I found the 2nd hand teeth bizarrely fascinating - how
would they work? At Wat Arun, the pieces of broken plates
make wonderful designs - what do you notice first?

Some great graphics etc, not sure if it's one or more people,
at okadada , remember seeing their marvellous flash clock?
It's somewhere in hybridgraphic

dragons

At every temple I think, these guardians, with differing
personalities & materials

..can't tell you what is the local understanding of the
symbol, my guess is its much the same as elsewhere, plus
another layer of myth & stories. Am sure you can find out
if you need to.

A short movie nature by numbers
& lots of animal pictures on animalarium
& dragon lake from nasa

certain times

At certain times everything conspires to get you to a certain
place just at the right time (in fact it happens all the time,
if you pause to notice!). This day it was sunset in Lamphun,
with a spectacular sky, the light just right to reflect on glass,
& then I stepped outside top right, & into the sky/pagoda.

Have to put my all times favourite voice to that afternoon.
If you don't already know his voice, do yourself a favour!