brandywine delights

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. I just realized I did not update the blog in all of December. Woe is me. Thankfully today's adventures have inspired a new post - linked to the previous November post regarding the stunning Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, PA. I finally got over there to see their holiday display today and it was absolutely worth the wait. To the left is the entrance to the museum featuring a beautiful sculpture entitled "Boy with Hawk" by Charles Parks. Set in front of the massive natural evergreen wreath amidst some colorful winter landscaping, it's quite a breathtaking site. The museum was bustling, filled with families with young children delighting in the train and doll house displays. Apart from the Wyeth family's art work, I most enjoyed a painting by Horace Pippin entitled "Saying Prayers" as well as pieces by John Frederick Peto (this image isn't the one on display at Brandywine- photos weren't allowed in the galleries but gives a sense of his style which I love as it reminds me of some of Joseph Cornell's mixed media pieces...)
The most darling of the displays though were the handcrafted ornaments (made by the staff and volunteers) - all made from items found in the surrounding woods! (eco-friendly, sustainable adorableness!!) - that were hung from various trees and wreaths throughout the museum. Additionally a number of whimsical scenes such as the "There was an Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe..." story were turned into glass-encased dioramas that were tucked into various vestibules. Thankfully photography (non-flash, if you please!) was allowed in the non-gallery areas of the museum so I can share these sweet images with you. There was another diorama that had an amazing tea party scene with acorns as tea cups that I desperately wanted to photograph, unfortunately the glare from the sun against the glass made capturing that image impossible...(another reason for you to visit yourself!)
Here are the final pictures of the diorama. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy 2009!