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суббота, 10 октября 2015 г.

The Wailing Wall… and a pleasant art bonus!

This time I’ll take you to the hot sands of Israeli, right to the foot of the Wailing Wall. A couple of months ago I visited Jerusalem and I was totally stunned by this beautiful city full of quiet dignity and Eastern mystery. But all impressions of the day faded when I saw the Wailing Wall. Let me tell you a bit more about this amazing sanctuary that can make you feel awed even if you are a non-believer.

Some history

The Wailing Wall is actually a fragment of the larger Western Wall constructed around the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Jewish religion. This is where Solomon allegedly built the Holy Temple in the 10th century BC. The Jews credit him for laying the foundation of the Wall and consider it to be the only remnant of the Temple brought down by the Babylonians during the ancient war. The history of the Wall scopes hundreds of years during which the Temple was destroyed, rebuilt and renovated a number of times. The retaining section of the Wall, made mainly of limestone, stretches for 57 meters and faces a large plaza to accommodate the pilgrims. For centuries, it has been a place of worship where people came to pray and mourn the demolition of the Temple (that’s why the Wall is called Wailing). There is even a tradition of placing notes with written prayers into the cracks of the Wall to ‘pass’ them directly to heavens. This is sure to be the most emotional moment of your voyage!

And for dessert…

Remember I told you that I’m a big fan of painting? While doing some googling, I stumbled across a very interesting name – Leonid Afremov. This is a modern Israeli painter creating incredible canvas wall art with a clear impressionistic tilt. Coincidentally, the first picture I opened was called ‘Wailing Wall.’ If you are fond of canvas wall art, contemporary or classic, you should definitely take a look at it! Mr. Afremov has a really unique style that makes his works come to life before your eyes:
·         He isn’t afraid of using bright colors. And he uses a lot of them! His paintings literally radiate color and light. Check out the incredible contrast of reflections on the wet plaza. It really animates the scene!
·         Note the arrangement of strokes. Rather than painstakingly working on every detail in pursuit of lifelikeness, he just slaps the paint casually here and there in thick dense strokes as if in a hurry to capture the fleeting moment until it’s gone… And he seems to be doing a great job!
·         Finally, I liked the fact that Afremov paints with a palette knife which is quite untypical for contemporary wall art on canvas. The choice of instrument contributes nicely to the amazing visual effects we see in his paintings.
So if you are in love with Impressionism or simply looking for large contemporary canvas wall art to decorate your apartment, I strongly suggest you visit Leonid’s gallery and pick something to your liking!


вторник, 6 октября 2015 г.

A short guide to Chichen Itza

As I already told you, I’m crazy about ethnic cultures. One that I adore most is the culture of the Ancient Maya. Everyone heard about it, but it’s quite another thing to witness the remnants of this magnificent civilization with your own eyes. On my trip to Mexico last year I visited Chichen Itza, one of the major Mayan cities on the Yucatan Peninsula that survived till modern days.


The city was built somewhere around 750 AD and flourished after 900 AD as the regional capital that controlled the entire northern coast. It was a center of trade, science, art and religion. Elaborate architecture, stunning temples and limestone sculptures are found all over the place.
The first thing you should see upon arriving in the city is El Castillo, the ancient Temple of Kukulkan, a feathered serpent deity from the Mayan pantheon. This 30 meter high step pyramid is sure to take your breath away! On Equinox, it casts seven triangular shadows that move on the ground like a wriggling snake. This amazing optical illusion symbolizes the arrival of Kukulkan on earth to bless his worshippers with good health and abundant crops.

Other must-visit sights include the Temple of the Warriors flanked by hundreds of warrior sculptures, the Sacred Cenote (a lake in the heart of the jungle where the Maya performed their rituals) and the Great Ball Court (did you know that the Maya loved baseball too? :) I can’t possibly tell you everything in one posting, but you can read more here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_Itza. If you ever happen to be in Mexico, definitely put Chicen Itza on your traveling route!

пятница, 2 октября 2015 г.

Something to start with

Hello, world! My name is Linda Wilson. I just got my degree in interior design and moved to LA where I was offered my first job! I’m a very open-minded person and I love to learn new things. One of my greatest passions is traveling. I’ve already been to five countries including Canada, Mexico, India, Israeli and China, but there are so many more to visit! I’m fascinated with ethnic cultures, mythology and art. On my trips I never miss a chance to drop by at a local museum and spend hours prowling souvenir shops in search of some lovely knickknacks for my collection. There are piles of those all over my place. After all, I’m an interior designer, remember? :) I’m very sociable, I love hanging out, meeting new people and talking just about anything. Hope to make some friends here too! So stay tuned and check up on my blog once in a while to see what’s new :)