During this time of year I like to reflect upon and appreciate all the blessings in my life (...also eat a lot of carbs and watch TV marathons). But lately I've been dwelling on how lucky we are to have so much amazing art created and inspired by the American landscape. I would have no problem filling hundreds--thousands!--of pages of landscape paintings from East Coast to West that remind me of "home" in the broadest sense.

I could start with landscape artist Frederic Edwin Church. He traveled throughout the Americas, creating works of art that make me want to stay outdoors forever. Twilight in the Wilderness is one of my favorite landscape paintings and captures the natural beauty of America without being a depiction of a specific place.

O'Keeffe's landscape art of New Mexico made such an impression on me when I first saw it that, in a way, it now defines that region for me more than the actual landscape does. The artist was inspired by nature and yet took that into a completely new place, visually speaking; making works that give a sense of the landscape but also bring to mind ideas about vastness, loneliness, and beauty.

Ruscha's roadside gas stations make me a little bit envious because they are of a time and place I never got to see--when taking to the road was an adventure and meant freedom and independence, not the rage-filled grind of today. I also love the graphic, slick, Pop qualities of Ruscha's work--how he can make a gas station feel like it is larger than life with a few diagonal lines, though he simultaneously shows the homage to be a bit absurd as well.

California through David Hockney's eyes is a composite of a lovely urban jungle. His swimming pool paintings give a sense of the West Coast that isn't all glamour and glitz, although he does show off those elements through the bright colors and modern architecture that fills his landscape paintings--and yet there is an introspective quality to the paintings that sometimes goes unsung.

P.S. What artist or painting that is quintessentially "American" comes to mind for you? Leave a comment and let me know!

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Art That Reminds Me of Home

General Press Releases Friday January 10, 2014 15:22

Bangkok--10 Jan--W Retreat Koh Samui

A luxurious four-bedroom residential pool villa is now ready to welcome holiday makers.

W Retreat Koh Samui has finally brought the newest WOW to the tropical island paradise, introducing the newest room category: a four-bedroom Seascape Escape Villa.

Splurge on the next level of ideal retreat in the Seascape Escape Villa- W Retreat Koh Samuis newly-launched four-bedroom retreat. Stretched along the lush landscape overlooking the Gulf of Thailand with an unparalleled breathtaking view is, whether you lounge in a daybed, laze in a bathtub or unwind in your own 15-meter infinity-edge swimming pool. Natural wood and white expanses are accented by warm hues to energize your vibrant experience. Enclosed in an expansive 2,058-square-meter space means you will have never-ending ways to play and unplug, from sharing fresh-cooked dishes and board-games to watching movies with the big screen LED and BOSE sound system and partying by the pool.

While the people are playing, enjoying the high-tech entertainment system in the living space, you can still have your own peaceful moment as all four bedrooms have their own private entrances to guarantee your utmost privacy. Feel the ocean breeze from the balcony then slip into W Signature Bed, feel the luxury of high-quality linens and gaze as the waves are rolling in, your perfect holiday escape certainly happens here.

W Retreat Koh Samui. Located between Maenam and Bo Phut, it has the finest and most pristine beach location in Thailand. The 74 all private pool retreats offer all the indulgence and luxury you could possibly wish for. Ultra chic and cutting edge design is awaiting you, just as the stunning sea views of the most pristine beach location to be found in Thailand.

For more information and reservations, please contact 0 (66) 77915999 or email to bf.wkohsamui@whotels.com

Explore whats New / Next at W Retreat Koh Samui http://www.wretreatkohsamui.com

Chinese New Year is the most important traditional holiday for Chinese around the world. The celebration is on the first day of the month based on the lunar calendar. Nowadays, Chinese New Year is celebrated in different ways in different parts of the...

Read more here:
W Retreat Koh Samui UNVEILS Its New Retreat Category Seascape Escape, Four-Bedroom Villa

Jan. 9, 2014, 7:48 a.m.

Beau Edwards and Marita Van Dermeys at Coledale rock pools. Photo: CHRISTOPHER CHAN

Source: Illawarra Mercury

When the tide is high, its easy to overlook the Coledale ocean pool. Carved deep into the rock between the pebbly shore and the wide ocean, it could be mistaken as part of the natural landscape.

That is until you walk a little closer, and notice swimming caps rhythmically bobbing up and down the length of the pool, and groups of young girls in mutilcoloured rash vests perched on the edge before practising their perfect dives.

Like all the Illawarras ocean pools, it is beloved by locals and visitors alike. When the Wollongong citizens panel recommended two or three pools be reduced or run to fail to cut costs for Wollongong City Council, the outcry was swift and strong.

No-one wanted the pools to close, with the council sent 360 responses in relation to the suggestion.

Built by volunteers in 1915, the Coledale rock pool has been the swimming spot of choice for many for almost a century.

Some visitors just want to cool off in the shallows, others are more serious about their strokes and continue to swim on frigid winter mornings, steadily tallying lap after lap.

Then there are those who choose not to jump in, preferring to simply sit on the bench and gaze out at the ocean.

Read the rest here:
Ocean jewel almost 100 and still going strong

Jim Neri grew up on the bluffs and beaches of La Jolla, gaining an appreciation for the design subtleties found in both natural and built landscapes. Schooled in horticulture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and armed with a masters degree in landscape architecture from Cal Poly Pomona, he sketched his way through Europe, and designed the great outdoors with a San Diego landscape architecture and planning firm before founding Neri Landscape Architecture in 1997.

Jim Neri

His work on civic projects and zoological gardens has garnered several Orchid Awards from the San Diego Architectural Foundation and earned Neri Landscape Architecture a reputation for design excellence. He is a past member of the San Diego Public Art Committee and Mayors Tree Advisory Board, and is currently working locally to improve the walkway at the Childrens Pool, re-vegetate the bluff at Goldfish Point, and finish improvements at WindanSea Beach. Neri is married and has two children.

My mother. She drove my two sisters and me here in 1965 from Las Vegas, keeping us busy by tossing handfuls of popcorn into the back seat. It was her choice to move us to either La Jolla or Albuquerque, and I thank her often for heading west.

If you could snap your fingers and have it done, what might you add, subtract or improve in the area?

Our shoreline parks and beaches are our most photographed and advertised resources, but they get short shrift when it comes to public funding. A civic-funded survey of our beach parks and public access easements and a living plan for their improvement and upkeep would be a first step to protecting these common treasures. The next step would be the long-term funding and snap!

Who or what inspires you?

That a group of dedicated people with divergent ideas can enter a room and come to consensus on a single subject is a constant source of inspiration to me. It proves that we have more in common than we think we do that, and nature.

If you hosted a dinner party for eight, whom (living or deceased) would you invite?

Invitation would go out to: (Roman consul) Sulla, Nelson Mandela, Benjamin Franklin, Joan of Arc, Neil Young, Thomas Jefferson, Jane Austen and Wendy Neri.

Read the original:
Landscape architect Jim Neri has designs on La Jolla’s scenery

Jan. 8, 2014, 9 p.m.

The Coledale ocean pool is well-used by locals and visitors in all seasons. Pictures: CHRISTOPHER CHAN

MERCURY SERIES - Saltwater sanctuaries

When the tide is high, its easy to overlook the Coledale ocean pool. Carved deep into the rock between the pebbly shore and the wide ocean, it could be mistaken as part of the natural landscape.

That is until you walk a little closer, and notice swimming caps rhythmically bobbing up and down the length of the pool, and groups of young girls in mutilcoloured rash vests perched on the edge before practising their perfect dives.

Like all the Illawarras ocean pools, it is beloved by locals and visitors alike. When the Wollongong citizens panel recommended two or three pools be reduced or run to fail to cut costs for Wollongong City Council, the outcry was swift and strong.

Beau Edwards and Marita Van Dermeys at Coledale rock pools.

No-one wanted the pools to close, with the council sent 360 responses in relation to the suggestion.

Built by volunteers in 1915, the Coledale rock pool has been the swimming spot of choice for many for almost a century.

Some visitors just want to cool off in the shallows, others are more serious about their strokes and continue to swim on frigid winter mornings, steadily tallying lap after lap.

Read more from the original source:
Seaside jewel almost 100 and still going strong

Jan. 8, 2014, 9 p.m.

The Coledale ocean pool is well-used by locals and visitors in all seasons. Pictures: CHRISTOPHER CHAN

MERCURY SERIES - Saltwater sanctuaries

When the tide is high, its easy to overlook the Coledale ocean pool. Carved deep into the rock between the pebbly shore and the wide ocean, it could be mistaken as part of the natural landscape.

That is until you walk a little closer, and notice swimming caps rhythmically bobbing up and down the length of the pool, and groups of young girls in mutilcoloured rash vests perched on the edge before practising their perfect dives.

Like all the Illawarras ocean pools, it is beloved by locals and visitors alike. When the Wollongong citizens panel recommended two or three pools be reduced or run to fail to cut costs for Wollongong City Council, the outcry was swift and strong.

Beau Edwards and Marita Van Dermeys at Coledale rock pools.

No-one wanted the pools to close, with the council sent 360 responses in relation to the suggestion.

Built by volunteers in 1915, the Coledale rock pool has been the swimming spot of choice for many for almost a century.

Some visitors just want to cool off in the shallows, others are more serious about their strokes and continue to swim on frigid winter mornings, steadily tallying lap after lap.

The rest is here:
Coledale jewel almost 100 and still going strong

This is the first in a series of articles with tips for maintaining your landscape, using 90 percent less time and effort compared with traditional methods. Each months column will lay out what you need to do, based on the weather patterns here in Waltham. In other words, we will follow the local plant phenology (the study of how seasonal light changes and weather influence plant life cycles) for a do-it-right-the-first-time approach that provides safety, value, convenience and beauty through horticultural expertise and sustainable design.

-Safety: Removing hazardous sticks and branches, blocked sight lines, slippery areas and poison ivy, while maintaining effective lighting, drainage and security.

-Value: Adding to your property value through aesthetics, better air quality, rainwater management, reduced noise and an improved balance of shade vs. sun.

-Convenience: Using the proper tools and correct timing for results that last longer, keep you and your neighbors more satisfied, and provide faster completion of seasonal chores at lower cost.

-Beauty: While effecting safety, value and convenience, also gaining proper proportion, balance, form and density as well as color. Making everything from drainage management to the development of utility space meet your aesthetic standards that consider key views, seen from both inside and outside you home.

No matter the size of your property, these principles are the same, and become only more important within the small spaces typical of many Waltham yards.

January: Systems Documentation

You may perceive our cold Waltham Januaries as a rest time for landscape management, but in fact this is when we do critical work that sets the course for the year.

Most property owners are at the mercy of their memories to keep track of what has been done in their landscapes and the locations of the underlying systems. This causes waste when the person with the institutional memory leaves, and someone new must start fresh, or when contractors do harm or need to take more time and charge more money because of unknown factors such as the depth of pipe, location of wire, or species of tree.

See more here:
Waltham Voices: A monthly guide to maintaining your landscape

Jan. 8, 2014, 9 p.m.

The Coledale ocean pool is well-used by locals and visitors in all seasons. Pictures: CHRISTOPHER CHAN

MERCURY SERIES - Saltwater sanctuaries

When the tide is high, its easy to overlook the Coledale ocean pool. Carved deep into the rock between the pebbly shore and the wide ocean, it could be mistaken as part of the natural landscape.

That is until you walk a little closer, and notice swimming caps rhythmically bobbing up and down the length of the pool, and groups of young girls in mutilcoloured rash vests perched on the edge before practising their perfect dives.

Like all the Illawarras ocean pools, it is beloved by locals and visitors alike. When the Wollongong citizens panel recommended two or three pools be reduced or run to fail to cut costs for Wollongong City Council, the outcry was swift and strong.

Beau Edwards and Marita Van Dermeys at Coledale rock pools.

No-one wanted the pools to close, with the council sent 360 responses in relation to the suggestion.

Built by volunteers in 1915, the Coledale rock pool has been the swimming spot of choice for many for almost a century.

Some visitors just want to cool off in the shallows, others are more serious about their strokes and continue to swim on frigid winter mornings, steadily tallying lap after lap.

Read more here:
Coledale jewel almost 100 and going strong

The landscape for Steilacoom High School boys swimming has shifted.

Thats because Ben and James Scott have rattled the foundation and turned the Sentinels from a 2A SPSL afterthought and a program with no swimming pool into a state powerhouse, even if they still lack that home pool (they swim at either Clover Park or Lakes High School).

Upon seeing the team increase participation from 15 to 35 swimmers, James declared boys swimming the best (sports) team at Steilacoom. Its been great to be a part of this teams rise.

Since their arrival, the Sentinels record book has been rewritten. Ben broke six individual records last year, and James set the new mark for the 100-yard breaststroke. Ben, James, Andrew Gonzalez and Andrew Lamb also own the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay records.

Last season, Ben won a state championship in the 100 freestyle

and the 100 backstroke while Steilacoom had its highest team finish (fourth place) in the 2A state meet behind winner Archbishop Murphy. James finished fourth in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke.

They had a solid first season together, to say the least.

This season, Ben (five), a senior, and James (three), a sophomore, have already qualified for state in eight combined individual events. Both also qualified in the 200 medley relay along with Gonzalez and Lamb.

Ben and James have swimming in their blood, Sentinels coach Kathy Casey said. Theyve been swimming all their lives in club swim with their older brother Sammy. It just comes naturally for them.

Sammy Scott, Jr., a 2011 Steilacoom graduate who competes for Arizona State University mens swimming team, has been a driving force for both his younger brothers all their lives.

See original here:
Steilacoom brothers have swimming in their blood

By Steve Jacobs

Although it can be hard to tell here in San Diego, with our blue skies and t-shirt weather, it is winter. Most of us associate winter with the holidays, family time, and curling up by the fire, not with spending time in our gardens. Thats what spring and summer are for, right? Well, not necessarily. There are definitely things to do in the garden this time of the year. One is to prepare your garden for the freezing temperatures that have been forecasted to occur in a few weeks time. Also, there are steps you can take in winter to maintain the overall health of your garden. Heres a great list to keep your landscape in top form throughout the year:

If youre not satisfied with the results of your current landscape maintenance company, January is a great time to consult with Nature Designs to discuss improvements in your landscape.

For more information on what we can do for you, log ontohttp://naturedesigns.net/ or call us at(760) 945-4321.

Related posts:

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See the original post here:
Winter Tips for Your Rancho Santa Fe Landscape