Golden Ruins

At one time, these brick-lined niches, part of the ruins of the Great Stone Church at the Mission of San Juan Capistrano, displayed statues of various saints. Modeled after Byzantine cathedrals, the mission suffered repeated setbacks from natural disasters, including a 7.0 earthquake in 1812 which killed 42 people who were buried under rubble when the church doors were pinned shut.

Typing vs. Writing

This image started with a photo I took of an old Royal typewriter keyboard. I then added a mask with scratches and a writing texture, focusing on the brown tones for an autumn palette.

Birds and Vines

This image is based on a photo I took recently at Whitful Nursery. In addition to a plant and flower nursery, they create some beautiful seasonal displays using antiques and shabby chic elements. I've added a page from an illuminated manuscript as texture.

Memento Mori

Getting excited about Halloween, one of my favorite holidays. This image was created from a blend of two photos - one of silk flowers taken at the local craft store, and a skull I bought which is actually a candle holder.

London Gold

Beginning with a photo I took of the Parliament buildings in London, I used various textures to create the scratched gold look of the buildings and another texture for the background sky.

Autumn Display

I stopped by Whitfil Nursery to see whether they had anything new for fall, and I wasn't disappointed, although the cottage was closed until October so that more autumn goodies could be installed. Even though the weather is still more reminiscent of summer here in Phoenix, I'm in the mood to think about seasonal colors.

Echoes of Time

More experimentation with layers, textures and masks. I started off with my photos of the column, a decorative accent at a local nursery. Then I added the woman's face, which was part of a freize I found hanging in a local antiques store. These seemed to lend themselves to a sort of classical Roman theme, so as a final touch, I added the Latin text.

A Walk in the Woods

Continuing to experiment with textures, masks and ephemera. The Greek statue was taken from a photo I took within Villa Kerylos in the South of France.

Zen for Bees

This is just an experiment which started with a photo of a Buddha statue at a local nursery. Several textures and a mask were next combined using Blending Modes. One of the texture was the title page of an old German book about nature.

Sailing Along

Saint Mary of the Rosary is an 18th century Dominican church in the Dorsoduro district of Venice.

Passing NEMO

Photo by Stephen Bohn

The large, oddly shaped building in the background is the wonderful NEMO Science Center of Amsterdam. The current building was designed by Renzo Piano in 1997. The hands-on museum is the fifth most visited museum in the Netherlands.

Dresden Trio

The beautiful architecture of Dresden, as seen from our hotel across the Elbe River. I've added a watercolor texture.

Golden Ladies

This image ties into another one - the photo in my post of June 5, 2012. This structure was located just outside the Cine Comedia in the Eixample area of Barcelona.

Ornate

The intricately beautiful details sgraffiti on the facade of  one of the three most important buildings in Barcelona's "Block of Discord." Casa Amatler was designed in the Modernisme style for the chocolate magnate Antoni Amatler and built around 1900.

Fisherman's House

A boat, nets, poles and other fishing gear outside a brightly painted house in Vernazza, Italy. One of the Cinque Terre towns, Vernazza is considered by many to be the most picturesque.

Bridges on the Arno

Photo by Stephen Bohn

A view of the famous Ponte Vecchio and several other Florentine bridges spanning the Arno, as seen from the Vasari Corridor of the Uffizi. This 1 kilometer long "secret passage" was commissioned by the Medici family to connect the Uffizi with the Pitti Palace.

Blue Row Boat

A row boat floats on the decorative lagoon inside the Conservatory and botanical gardens at Bellagio in Las Vegas. Along with real and artificial birds, sunflowers, kites and a lighthouse, the row boat is all part of a seasonal display celebrating summer.

Frauenkirche Dome, Dresden

Looking up from street level to the dome of the magnificent Frauenkirche in Dresden, Germany. Like much of Dresden, the beautiful 18th century church was destroyed in the bombing of WWII and rebuilt after the reunification of Germany. It was finally reopened to the public in 2005.

Law of the West

Old law books line the shelves at the former Cochise County Courthouse in Tombstone, Arizona. The  Victorian era building has been operated as a State Historic Park since 1959.

Faded Beauty

The weathered facade of a building near our hotel in Venice. At first glance it would seem to be an abandoned building, except for the flowers in pots on the old balcony.

The Riddler

Photo by Stephen Bohn

One of two Sphinx statues guarding the Elbe River entrance to the Pillnitz Castle and Park. In Greek mythology, the Sphinx was part woman, and guarded the entrance to the temple of Thebes by asking a riddle. Those who failed to answer correctly were strangled and devoured by the Sphinx. In late Greek history, the riddle became: Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed? Oedipus solved the riddle when he answered: Man, because he crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two feet as a adult and uses a cane in old age.

Red and White

Original photo by Stephen Bohn

This photo was taken from the castle in Heidelberg, Germany. I haven't been able to find out what this particular group of buildings is and whether they function as some part of the local fire or emergency services, but I liked the way that the red and white of the vehicle matched the shutters of all the buildings. I've added a mask and postcard textures.

Verona Palazzo

The baroque Palazzo Maffei on the northwest side of the Piazza delle Erbe in Verona, Italy. The palazzo dates from the 15th century. St. Mark' winged lion, a symbol of the Venetian Republic and indication that Verona was once under Venetian rule, sits atop a marble column in front of the palazzo.

Leaving Venice

Photo by Steve Bohn

 Cruising through the Grand Canal past the San Giorgio Maggiore church and belltower on our way out of Venice.

Victoria

Topping the Brandenburg Gate, one of Berlin's best known landmarks, is the Quadriga, a chariot pulled by four horses and driven by the Roman goddess of Victory. When it was originally erected back in the late 1700s, only the royal family was allowed to pass beneath the central archway of the gate.

Justice

Photo by Stephen Bohn

A statue of the goddess Justitia, faces the town hall and tops a fountain in the center of the Romerberg at Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. The statue was erected in 1543.

Excursion Boat on the Elbe

Photo by Stephen Bohn

An excursion boat from Dresden sails down the Elbe River in Germany on a beautiful day in May.

Domes of Sacre Coeur

Photo by Stephen Bohn

Another view of the Sacre Coeur basilica from a nearby street in Montmartre.

Paris Gargoyle

Photo by Stephen Bohn

An animal gargoyle perched Sacre Coeur basilica in Montmartre, Paris.

Sunflowers and Lace

A bucket of sunflowers amidst a sea of hydrangea, part of the floral display at Bellagio's Conservatory.

The Conservatory

The current display at the Conservatory at Bellagio in Las Vegas features kites, sunflowers, birds, real and constructed, and a large lighthouse.

Brussels Lion

Statue of a lion holding a shield representing the coat of arms of the city of Brussels. It depicts the city's patron saint - Archangel Michael - slaying a devil.

A Touch of Gold

The Palace of the Liberty in Bruges dates from the 1700s. Liberty was an area surrounding medieval Bruges. The gold-trimmed building later functioned as a courthouse and subsequently housed the city council's administration. It is situated on the main town square.

Tuileries Color

Colorful flowers planted in the Tuileries park in Paris, France. Created by Catherine de Medicis, the gardens and park were opened to the public after the French Revolution.

Morning on the Rhine

Photo by Stephen Bohn

The Teodor Heuss Bridge over the Rhine River connects portions of the town of Mainz, Germany.

Eiffel View

Photo by Stephen Bohn

View from the Eiffel Tower looking down over the Seine River shortly after twilight.

Castle Gate

Photo by Stephen Bohn

Rothenburg ob der Tauber's castle gate (Burgtor) was built in the 1300s after the castle was destroyed in an earthquake in 1356. This is the closest gate to the beautiful Tauber Valley.

Brussels Lacemaker

This animated mannikin in front of a Brussels art and lace store moved her hands forward and back to mimic the motions of lacemaking.

Dutch Parliament

View of the Binnenhof and the Dutch Parliament buildings on the Hofvijver lake.

A Lovely Town

A pleasant train journey from Amsterdam, Alkmaar is a lovely town to stroll through and a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam.

Flowers for Sale

Flowers for sale in front of one of the guild houses fronting the Grand Place of Brussels.

Stormy Skies Over Brussels

The gothic Town Hall of Brussels was built in the 1400s. The various statues on the facade represent nobles, saints and allegorical figures.

Pralines

Chocolates and pralines on display in a store window in Brussels, Belgium. They are every bit as delicious as they look!

The Quiet Before the Swarm

Excursion boats that will soon carry tourists though the canals of Bruges. This image was taken early in the morning while the streets were very quiet and the morning fog still filled the air.

Ghost Boat

A boat passes nearly unnoticed through the darkened canals of Venice in the quiet of evening.

Equestrian Statue

In the Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paulo in Venice, there is an equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni, who was a condotierro, or Captain-General of the Venetian Republic in the 1400s.

Boats Along the Canal

A grouping of boats and houseboats that we passed during our canal cruise in Amsterdam.

Sacre Coeur Facade

A view of several of the domes and the statue of Jesus on the facade of the basilica of Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, Paris.

Notre Dame, Across the Seine

Photo by Stephen Bohn

The cathedral of Notre Dame as seen from across the Seine and through the trees of the Left Bank.

Sailing Through Venice

Photo by Stephen Bohn

The view along the Grand Canal near St. Mark's.