Tag Archives: North Carolina

Almost Forgot: ‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ At Biltmore

‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

I was going back through my photos from Biltmore on this rainy afternoon, and realized that I had not written about and shared photos of our visit to the Italian Renaissance Alive exhibit at Biltmore.

Several years ago, Biltmore contracted with a company called Grande Experiences for a series of “immersive, multi-sensory experiences” in one of Biltmore’s conference centers. The company has been doing these shows nationwide. Charlotte recently had a Van Gogh Alive exhibit, and Biltmore had previously hosted (if memory serves) Monet & Friends and Leonardo Da Vinci Collection – which we attended in October – and this one titled Italian Renaissance Alive.

‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina
‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

The exhibitions are nicely done, with an introductory series of rooms showing physical reproductions of many of the works featured in the show. The Da Vinci exhibit included scale models of several of Da Vinci’s inventions as well as prints of many of his famous works. This introduction leads the viewer to a large room, where there are lots of screens, playing a continuous loop of images, accompanied by appropriately dramatic music.

‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina
‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

My biggest issue with the show was that there was a lot of animation, from the relatively tame “Ken Burns Effect” of panning on a portion of an image, to actual animation of some of the artworks themselves. Imagine “The Creation of Adam” from the Sistine Chapel, with the figures of Adam and God floating toward each other in space, or moving limbs or the eyes of one or more of the subjects blinking. That was a bit unsettling, coupled with the fact that very few of the paintings were shown in their entirety, or if they were, for only a few seconds. For me that made it more about the entertainment factor than the art, but I guess that is today’s world.

‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina
‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina
‘Italian Renaissance Alive’ exhibit at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

Both of the shows were interesting, and for many people probably the closest they will ever get to famous art so close to home. Not to boast, but for me it was a bit of a letdown compared to having seen many of the original works in person. Still, something interesting to do for a couple of hours!

Spring Splendor At Biltmore

Last week, Kathy & I ventured to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville to take in the spring flowers in the gardens, check out the Renaissance Alive art presentation, and of course to eat and to buy wine. 😉

Biltmore is an easy 2 hour drive from Charlotte, suitable for a day trip but also a nice way for an easy overnight. We had reward points that allowed us to stay for free at a motel in nearby Biltmore Village, so we had the better part of two days. As Annual Passholders we didn’t have to pay extra for the visits, which can otherwise be a little pricey.

Even without visiting Biltmore House itself, the grounds and gardens are such a nice place to spend a day or part of the day. The gardens are extensive, and the Conservatory itself is larger than most homes. We concentrated mostly on the outside gardens, although as we were getting ready to leave, the sounds of a hammered dulcimer drew us inside for a listen.

Chasing Shadows

Interior hallway of Biltmore House

Like most of us, I’m always on the lookout for interesting shadows. Here are a few from our recent visit to Biltmore.

Connected or disconnected? Biltmore House

One of the things that fascinates me about photography is that often the best photographs are the ones that require the least “work.” In terms of both effort and of processing.

Exterior lamp. Biltmore House
Lamp. Biltmore House
Grain cradle shadows on the wall of the Village Hotel at Biltmore
Ceiling light fixture in the hallway of the Village Hotel at Biltmore House and Gardens
Trails around Bass Lake on the Biltmore Estate.

Fall At Biltmore

Trails around Bass Lake on the Biltmore Estate.

My pictures may not prove it, but we were at Biltmore about a week early for peak fall color. I had to “help” the color a bit in processing to make them look as fallish as they do, but they still give a pretty good idea of what things looked like.

Trails around Bass Lake on the Biltmore Estate.
Trails around Bass Lake on the Biltmore Estate.

Last week’s blast of cold air and accompanying winds discouraged any thoughts I had of getting out early and took care of our bold plans for a picnic or two. But we still managed to find some nice color on a couple of days.

Fields of the Biltmore Estate
View from the verandah of Biltmore House

I’ve got more photos to share and will work on them over the next few days.

Farmyard in Antler Hill Village at Biltmore
Fields of the Biltmore Estate

Happy Forty Twos-Day!

Biltmore House from The Lagoon. Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina

Kathy & I are at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC celebrating our 42nd anniversary. I’ve been joking that this is quite an upgrade from our honeymoon in Gatlinburg, TN. 😉

We did an early morning guided house tour on Monday and have a few days of exploring planned, including taking in their Leonardo Davinci exhibit on Wednesday. I’ve taken a few photos so far, including this one of the Biltmore House from The Lagoon, a spot along the French Broad River.

Patchwork. The Gardens at Biltmore House and Gardens, Asheville, North Carolina
Stonework on the exterior of Biltmore House

A Few More Fuzzy Photos

Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Monte enjoyed my motion blur photo from a couple of days ago so I thought I would serve up a few more. Sometimes the camera moves, sometimes the subject moves.

Lots of motion blur here today as we await Ian’s arrival. It’s been rainy, breezy and chilly – a good day to work on photos and watch Formula 1 practice! Ian keeps angling further east of us, which is good for us but unfortunately not so good for someone else. Should be by us by morning, hopefully!

Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Another Morning On The Beach

Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina

I turned the alarm off this morning and went back to sleep, but woke up 15 minutes later and knew what I had to do. 😉

Once more it was worth the effort.

Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Feet In The Sand

Thirteen. Carolina Beach, North Carolina

I managed to get my tripod feet (and my own feet) into the sand this morning! 😉

Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Morning on the beach. Carolina Beach, North Carolina