Visiting an Artist

Sandra and I headed up Commerce for the lunch on High since the brewery was closed. We stopped a few times and I snapped some images. Taking a picture of a storefront row, we decided to stop in one of the galleries. Once a mining town, Mineral Point is now home to a blend of artists. In particular, the woman at the Chamber of Commerce mentioned Bruce Howdle, a ceramics scupltor, who is noted in the Midwest for having created a mural around a corner of horses racing at a Sportsman's Park in the Chicago area.



Gallery Front

As we walked across the street, Bruce Howdle was actually sweeping the sidewalk and welcomed us inside. Unlike many of the galleries in town on Monday in March, his gallery was open for business. He was working on some pieces downstairs, and his reasoning was that he was going to be in the shop working, the place might as well be open.

I was glad that his gallery was open. He spent over an hour conversing with us about the town. Having arrived in 1976, Bruce Howdle is a longtime resident of Mineral Point, so he knows quite a bit about the area. He also talked about his work space and his art. In some ways, this just might simply how Mineral Point is: that people need to get along and say hello. But Bruce did more; he devoted his time to us. First, he gave a short tour of the upper part of the gallery which displays pieces for sale and many sketches and images of his larger commisioned works. Also showcased were paintings by by his wife.

Without using flash, I took a quick take of his back gallery:



Many Forms

He then led us downstairs to his work space, where he showed us his easles for larger scale works. He apologized for the mess, because all over the place, there was pieces in various stages of development. Occupying a large part of the central area was a collection of mugs with dog faces which he was readying to glaze. This behind-the-scenes look at a working artist intrigued both Sandra and I, especially since he didn't have to do it.

Afterwards, he brought us back upstairs and showed us his work area for large scale projects. To put in perspective, the size of some of his art. He has actually completed a 52 foot relief mural which required 9+ tons of clay.

One of the most notable aspects of Bruce's work is how it occupies space, rising three-dimensionally from its form. This holds true from smaller works like his dog and pig faced mugs to his larger relief murals. If you click Jockeys and Horses, you'll see a good example of what I mean.

Bruce also led us ouside to on the back stairs and gave us a view of his back yard. A large kiln dominates and then several art pieces decorate the grassy areas. Some of these pieces were created by his students, whom he has taught throughout the years. I took a couple of images of works that were perched on the stairs.



Crow


Owl

If you want to know more about Bruce Howdle and his work, please visit his web site. Also if you're planning a trip to Mineral point, check if he'll be in town because sometimes commissions demand that he work on site away his studio.

Down to Commerce

We made our way to Commerce and headed south down the street. We took in the atmosphere of the town. Besides the typical wood-frame and brick buildings, there are a lot of structures made from stone, a legacy from the original Cornish settlers. Here's an interesting image:



Two Make One

It's actually two separate dwellings, which have been converted into one with part of the second having been demolished. Also notice the fine stone work of the buldings to the right.

Here's a view, seen from Commerce, of a more residential part of town:



Two Make One

We're planning to stop at the town brewery for lunch. Though, like many of the local shops, the brewery was closed during the week in the off-season. Still we caught a good view of the creek which runs nearby.



Sparkling Onward

By the brewery is also the local railroad museum. It's actually, the oldest depot in Wisoconsin still surviving, but on the Monday, very closed.



The Railroad Museum

The weather was the first warm break of the year and the flies knew this too. They were all over the place in the town. While Sandra rested for a moment, I took a couple of snapshots.



Looking at the Depot Stone


Hanging Out on the Stone

After a brief rest at the benches outside, we headed back towards High Street to eat lunch. But before the meal, we actually stumbled into art gallery which was open.

Coming soon...meeting Bruce Howdle...

Back to Wisconsin

On Monday, we headed west from New Glarus to Mineral Point, a town with a population of 2617, according to Wikipedia, in the 2000 census. While big city people might think 2000?, I have to say that's it is a town and has quite a bit of character. Barb and Steve, owners of Hoch Haus, where we stayed in August, highly recommended visiting the place, so we set aside the afternoon to explore a little.

The weather was gorgeous again, 50s and sunny, and travel took less than what I thought. In a little more than a half-hour, we were parked on High Street, which is one of the main roads in Mineral Point.



A Sidewalk Along High

Originally founded in 1827 by Cornish miners, Mineral Point attracted quite a bit of attention. It became county seat to Iowa County, home to 5,234 inhabitants in 1836; the number of residents might not seem like a lot, but that figure made it the most populous county in the Wisconsin Territory east of the Mississippi River. The town took a large hit, when gold was discovered in California in 1848. To miners, lead might make a living, but it doesn't have quite the luster of gold.

Later in the 1800s, zinc was discovered locally. This led to Mineral Point being a sustained center for commerce in the region. The surviving architecture bears testament to the town's prominence. One is these local attractions is The Pointer Canine, which has adorned the front of a building for over 130 years. The building originally housed the large department store of Gundry and Gray. The business founders were both from Cornwall and it was a British custom to help identify stores by using animal statutes.



Marking

For more information and to see a larger photo, check out The Pointer Canine Landmark page at MineralPoint.com
Much of the local architecture dates from the mid to late 1800s. Here's an image of one from 1892:


Yes, 1892

Built in 1914 (a young one compared to some of the others), the Opera House Building was dedicated as a "Theater for All the People" and is once again trying to live up to that motto. Nearing the end of a restoration project, the building will soon be home to various performances.



Opera and More

Sandra and I enjoyed the bright sunshine and the walk down High, which is appropriately named, to Commerce Street. Here's a good view, looking down towards Commerce (in the photo, where the stop sign is):



Guiding the Path

If you want to know more about Mineral Point, the Chamber of Commerce maintains an informative web site.

Many more photos are waiting...stay tuned...

Tutoring

I'm a tutor by profession and have just started a web site listing tutors who are available in the southwest Chicago metropolitan area (Chicago, Oak Lawn, Palos Hills, and neighboring communities).

The site is SWC Tutors.

The site currently is a work in progress, but all basic functionality is working.

Back to New Glarus

I love the color of light near sunset. That hint of gold casts everything magically in my mind. When we returned from Madison, I took several pictures of New Glarus to showcase the town and that lovely light:



Another Side of Chalet Landhaus


At the Bridge


In the Background


A Golden Maple Leaf


First Street


Swiss United Church of Christ

This Interruption Brought to You by the Weather (again)

Yes, yesterday was nice...60 degrees and sun.

Here are some photos...



Shaping Clouds


Neighborhood Near Sunset

And then the cold front came through last evening and this morning...



Neighborhood Flurries

Yes, March snow.

This Interruption Brought to You by the Weather

I had to interrupt the posts about Wisconsin to bring you this. It's Friday, March 19th. Sandra and I hit the outdoor tennis court for an hour and a half earlier today. Afterwards, I fired up the grill for the first time this year and cooked some brats bought in New Glarus. Yes, some tasty beer and onion brats! I'm not a huge fan of brats, but the one from Ruef's Meat Market in New Glarus are first-rate sausages.

A little grilling.
A little tennis.
Tomorrow might only be 40 degrees. Sometimes you just have to enjoy while it lasts.

Middleton and Madison With Lots of Mustard in Between

After a very satisfying Sunday breakfast buffet at the hotel, we stopped to fill the gas tank. The weather had changed dramatically from the day before. 50 degrees and sunshine--this really felt like the start of Spring. To capture the late morning freshness, I took a quick image of a coffeehouse in New Glarus.



A Start to a Day

Our first destination was Middleton, a suburb west of Madison, Wisconsin. According to the 2000 census, almost sixteen thousand people called Middleton home. Exiting the freeway at Parmenter, we arrived right in the heart of downtown Middleton. Lots of small shops and restaurants dot the area with plenty of parking. We found an available city lot on the block of our first stop.



Middleton's Hubbard Avenue

Both Sandra and I love mustard, so it seemed fitting to stop at the Mustard Museum. Formerly in the town of Mount Horeb, it is now situated in the middle of Middleton. The main floor is a gift and tasting shop, while the basement calls itself home to the museum.



Going to Court

The museum doesn't have a lot of information, but there were a few interesting stories like the above photo shows. Watching the video clips being shown was worthwhile. One showed mustard seed being harvested, while another told the tale of various condiments, including the tasty yellow and brown namesake. In addition, cases displayed several mustards jars, past and present, from around the world.



A Taste of France

A delightful collection of serving jars dotted the central part of the room. Here are a few images:



Fat Cat


Doggies

In the second image, check out the larger's tongue. It looks like it's also a serving spoon.

The main floor offers a wide selection from the United States, England, France, and even lesser known mustard hot spots like Poland. You can browse the aisles and pick out jars whose contents look tasty. You can go to the serving counter and actually get little tasting samples of each. Nine newly purchased mustards later, we left the museum to continue on our Sunday travels. If you want to find out more about the Mustard Museum, check out its web stie.

The next stop was Madison. We had stopped in the Wisconsin's capital back in August and I had written about the Saturday trip in a previous post. Though cooler on this visit, it was, once again, clear skies--simply perfect weather for March! Still when we stopped in James Madison Park on Lake Mendota, there were reminders of the previous season.



Ice on the Water

Like most American cities, Madison lost many of its architectural treasures in the period from World War 2 through the 1970s. However, a few remain. Some of them even were picked up and preserved at a new location, like the first Jewish synagogue in the city. During the 70s, it was moved. The synagogue now stands next to the James Madison Park and lets us connect to our past.



Gates of Heaven Synagogue

We ate lunch on the strip. For those who are not familar with Madison, the "strip" is State Street, a rather short road from the University of Wisconsin to the Capitol Building where car traffic is not allowed. State is home to an eclectic blend of shops, performance halls, and restaurants. On this particular Sunday, business appeared to boom as hundreds and hundreds of adults, children, and college students strolled the sidewalks.

After eating, we hit the road again, returning "home" for the night. Before leaving, here's one more image of Madison, which showcases the big Midwestern home, porch and all.



A Momentarily Quiet Madison Way

Heading North Again

Last Saturday, we were on the road. It was Spring Break and we decided to head back to New Glarus. It was a rather inauspicious start to the trip. Gloomy skies. Drizzle. Despite the mid-Saturday travel, traffic through Chicago crept along the expressway at a walker's, not a driver's, pace.

Though after hours on the road, the stop-and-go city snarl disappeared on the prairie of Northern Illinois, as the road opened and money flowed into the toll booths.

I had written about the drive to New Glarus in a post last year. This edition wasn't sunny, but arriving at the border, passing through Beloit, and finding the asphalt weave up and over and through the hills of Southwest Wisconsin changes the mood even if the clouds don't fade.

Yet sometimes the clouds thin out. Sandra and I discovered that when we reached our destination. This time we couldn't stay at Hoch Haus because the owners, Barb and Steve, were out of town, so the Chalet Landhaus was our stopping point for the night.

The decor of the inn fit the theme of the Swiss-founded town of New Glarus. Here's a good couple of images of the second floor corridor which connected the main building with the north building.



Looking Down the Hallway


At Sunset

The first night, we lounged a bit in the hot tub and pool located in the south part of the hotel, and then had a filling meal of traditional Swiss food at the restaurant on premise. Afterwards, we settled for the night. Lots of good travel was waiting.

Back in Town

Sandra and I spent time again in Wisconsin over the past several days. I had a very nice time. I'm not entirely sure I want to back in the city yet, but occassionally things need to be balanced.

I took a lot of photos, so I should have plenty of visual material to post over the next week (or two or three). Stay tuned...

Morning Moment

Several weeks ago, I woke up and stepped into the living room. The light of the newly risen sun streamed through the office window of the apartment and fell uopn one of Sandra's hats as it rested on the top of the loveseat. That early morning scene compelled me to capture this image:



Morning Gold

Spring?

Winter wasn't frigid or overwhelmingly snowy this past year, but it was solid. It was winter. No 50 degree reliefs broke the block of chill. Winter remained wintry.

Then at the end of last week, the weather seemed to realize it was March, and the chill lifted a bit. It feels like spring is coming. Even the early flowers are poking their heads through the top soil.

The sun has been setting later too. The tilt of the world no longer darkens 5 pm. Change is here.

Sunrise

On overnight trip to Illinois Beach, we decided to get up early to catch the sun rising over the lake. I set the alarm, or I thought I set the alarm, but no alarm went off. Still, my internal must have sounded, because when I woke up, I noticed the sky was lightening outside.

Just in time...
I woke Sandra, dressed, and found the camera. We stepped onto the little balcony.
Yes, just in time...



Reflecting off the Glass

Yes, cool, how the light struck the building, and just about perfect how a single tree stood in the courtyard and offered visual contrast to the rising sun.



Just Above the Horizon


And Rising


Shining a Road of Light


Road with a Different Frame


Risen

It was still, lovely. The colors of the morning were vibrant. I like photography, but the camera never quite captures entirely what the eye can see. Our eyes and brain can process a much wider range. So I adjusted the camera settings (let less light in) to better capture the color.



Sunrise Coloring Winter

And one last snapshot of the sun...



Morning by the Lake

Getaway

Last month, over the Valentine Day's weekend, Sandra and I traveled to Illinois Beach, a state park located on Lake Michigan near the Wisconsin border. There is a hotel and conference center in the park and we stayed for a one night holiday package.

The weather was still winter, but the mood was nice with rose petals, sparkling wine, and chocolate-covered strawberries. Plus a view of the lake...



Sandra Looks Out at the Lake

We arrived in the late afternoon, so after only spending a few minutes inside, we headed out to the beach front before the light faded.



Looking North and Lakeward

The park hugs a strip of land south of the state border. Being right on the water offers some dramatic views. Though this February, it was still cold!



A Wave Comes Rolling...


and Crashing

Forty miles or so north of downtown, I had to take a look to the south.



Somewhere Out There

You could easilty miss it. In fact, Sandra didn't quite notice it, but through the haze, I spotted it across the water.



Chicago's Skyline

We watched the sun fall beneath the treeline to the west, but before the sunset, I snapped a few more photos of the snowy beach front.



Focus Near


Focus Far

The next day offered its treasures.