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The Design Inspirationalist

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The Design Inspirationalist

Tag Archives: Alcatraz

For Art’s Sake Minted Challenge

21 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by melissaoconnor in Minted

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above the clouds, Alcatraz, antique birdhouse, architecture, art prints, avonlea, bayard, birch tree, blackbird, boats of summer, carnival, carnival collage, clouds, earthy roots, fire fly, fluffy wildflowers, for arts sake, gray star design, house by the water, in the shade, landscape, light house, light house on the water, Maine, minted, minted challenge, mystic, nature, nautical, nautical scale, new england, ocean, orchids, palm trees, palms, parallel universe, photography, red barn, rock wall, roof study, roots, sky, stairwell, The Calm Sea, the road home, trees, tropical, tropics, vintage carnival, vintage carousel, water penny, wildflowers

And the challenges never end. Minted’s For Art’s Sake challenge just wrapped up and voting is now open! I submitted some oldies and a lot of new entries to this one. You can view them all below and if you feel like voting, just click on each one to go to its entry page. There are tons of great art in this challenge so definitely check as much out as possible. Enjoy!

House by the Water - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

The Road Home - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Fire Fly - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Boats of Summer - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Vintage Carousel - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Vintage Carnival Collage - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Fuzzy Wildflowers - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Bayard Roof Study - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Alcatraz - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

New England Sky - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Above the Clouds - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Black Bird - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Dancing Palms - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Waves of Summer - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

In the Shade - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

The Calm Sea - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Parallel Universe - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Avonlea - Photo by Melissa O'Conno-Arena

Earthy Roots - Photo by Melissa O'Conno-Arena

Lighthouse on the Water - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Antique Birdhouse - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Birch - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Pink - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Red Barn in Autumn - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Rock Wall - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Nautical Scale - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Water Penny - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Inspiration Photo Friday: Hauntings

18 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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abandoned places, Alcatraz, asylum, california, darkness, fear, halloween, haunted, haunted places, haunting, jail, nightmarish movies, pennhurst asylum, Pennsylvania, scary stories, spring city, travel, unknown

So this weekend, my husband and I are taking a little trip to Spring City, Pennsylvania for a 2 day getaway. The whole reason we are going is to visit Pennhurst Asylum, an authentic haunted place that been transformed into a public attraction. We are both very excited to go and experience this historic hospital. Our love for abandoned places and haunted areas has brought us to a few good spots in the past so to add this one to our list is pretty awesome.

I am also looking forward to having a day to relax, something I rarely get to do. We are staying in a cottage on a historic farm and the surrounding area is really gorgeous. Exactly what we both need right now. Some peace and quiet and chill time. But of course, to start off the 2 day vaca, Pennhurst it is.

Because Halloween is this month, stuff like this helps keep that creepy vibe throughout the month. This takes me back to when my friend and I were in California and visited Alcatraz. Even though it was during the day, the whole place was dark inside. You were really able to get a feel of the environment and sense the history while you walked around. Of course, I was running around like a mad woman trying to get as many photos as I could, but I did stop here and there to take it all in. Definitely a memory I will never forget.

The photo below was one I took while we exploring the jail. There was something about how the light came in through the window and just lit up the decaying walls so perfectly, as if they were glowing. The worn tiles on the floor truly showed its years of use but had aged to a pretty metallic under the sunlight. The space was hauntingly beautiful.

When it comes to fear, we all wish we weren’t afraid of certain things. However, sometimes its this emotion that can awaken the soul and truly inspire. I have always loved nightmarish movies, scary stories, and haunted places. There is just something about being scared, the thrill of the unknown, that is invigorating. It’s been quite some time but I am truly ready.

Inspiration Photo Friday: Hauntings - © Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Inspiration Photo Friday: The Darkness

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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Tags

age, Alcatraz, california, darkness, historic, history, island, jail, light, photography, travel, vacation, worn

When my friend Meg and I took a trip to California I set up sites for us to see and things for us to do while we where. One of them was to take a tour of Alcatraz. How could we not! I was very happy we did and must say the tour was really cool. We mostly got to walk around ourselves and take photos which is what I was hoping for. I had two cameras with me and was ready to shoot.

I captured a lot that day. Alcatraz surely has an interesting and haunting vibe. There was so much character to the place, the stories were gleaming off the walls. I particularly loved the rooms inside. Each step down the hallway was intimidating because you didn’t know what you would see next. The age of the furniture left behind and the patina on the walls added such a nice effect to the structure.

The room below seemed like a small storage space. I was drawn to it because of the way the light was gleaming through the window. You could see the cracks on the walls brilliantly among the shadows and the desperation of the empty air was strangely refreshing. I also loved the texture of the tiled floor. I felt this shot expressed what I felt while being in that room. To be in darkness and watch it slowly get swallowed by light was a really cool experience. It reminds you that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Inspiration Photo Friday: The Darkness - © Melissa O'Connor-Arena

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