Barry A Parks

My 365th post circles back to my original topic - my latest painting: "San Antonio, TX: Mission San Jose Y San Maguel de Aguayo Mission" (Acrylic on 16" x 20" x 1.5" cribbed wood panel). #art #acrylic #painting #sanantonio #architecture #spanishmission #sanantoniomissionsnationalpark

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

An overweight monk finds a patient's failing health a matter of little interest.

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

One of my favorites, too, though I am hard-pressed to name my favorite.

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