ARCHITECTURAL WINE BOTTLES : A CERTAIN MONUMENTALITY @ Avon, Outer Banks, North Carolina, 1st Week Of August, 2009

Architectural nuances, monumentally, light, dazzle - bedazzle the show, the place, the time, the moment - the being caught up in it all - wow, what a thrill, what a ride, what an amazing confluence of forces, elements, people - and of course the ability to catch it and recognize what it is or at least might mean to you then and there, here and now. Cheers, and enjoy these photos ... TONY









Enjoy these photos, cheers ... TONY

JED STEELE Visits Avon, North Carolina , Avon, Outer Banks In Spirit Even Though He May Not Be There

I'm still working on this and yet I want to get something out now instead of much later. As a result I will continue adding to this as I do to a number of my blog entries.

The STEELE corkscrew and the cap were gifts from Jed to me over the years. We've known each other now a number of years and I am happy to say that at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. where I manage the wine department, sales@clevelandparkwine www.clevelandparkwine.com Tel: 202-363-4265 ) we have three wines from Jed now for sale : the WRITER'S BLOCK Zinfandel, the Shooting Star stainless-steel Sauvignon Blanc and the BLUE FRANC Washington State dry red made from the Blue Franc grape ( otherwise called the Blaufrankisch ). I would have also had the PACINI Old-Vines Zinfandel but it is currently out-of-stock at Republic distributors. We'll get it back soon.





I used Jed's corkscrew the entire week that my family and I were on vacation in Avon, Outer banks, North Carolina the first week of August, 2009. It saved us each and every time that we opened a bottle of wine.

My brunette niece saw it and used it and said how easy it was to use and wished that she had one just like it. I was tempted to give it to her but feared that it might be the last STEELE corkscrew that I owned. I feel bad for being selfish. I will check our home now and see if I have another. If I do I know that I will be sending it to her in Little Rock, Arkansas.






I'm an artist and so I see many things with an artist's eye and both the corkscrew and the cap are works of art to me.

The cap kept the sun off of my balding head and kept me from getting sun-burned there which would have been quite painful.

One morning I saw it upstairs in our living room space and decided that it was " now or never " to take some artsy pictures of it. I hope you like these : I took some artistic license here as I snapped away. Of course I wanted to show the form of the cap and the logo and different angles.




I still have more pictures to include here.

A also wanted to show the beach and where we were and give a larger sense of our place, mood and demeanor. As you can see from the pictures of me I am being playful and a bit mock-serious in my poses.

I'm especially proud of my " thumbs up " pictures as they hopefully convey my admiration for Jed the man, business man, winemaker, person, etcetera.




Jed it has been much too long since our last visit. You will definitely have to make a point to come see me at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits the next time that you come to Washington D.C. It will be great to see you again.




These blogs take on a life all their own. I have no concrete idea exactly where they will wind their way to or what they will carry or convey or show. That's the fun : I love this serendipitous nature to things where chance encounters can take you on a new and completely unexpected path.




I'm counting on exactly this to happen as I continue this blog. Join me and for the time-being please enjoy these pictures as such and the stories that they tell until I may add more.




Cheers and stay-tuned ...

Faces From Sand, Shells, Seaweed, & Pebbles @ Avon, Outer Banks, North Carolina 1st Week Of August, 2009

I loved this experience that I had with my family and I think these pictures paint some of that picture for you. I also included a couple of my watercolors/oli pastels for extra mood and depth and texture. Hope you like them.

Read on / look on ...
























Enjoy these photos, TONY

Sunset , Light's Haze, The Moon & A Glass Of White Wine ( What Could Be Better? ) In Avon, North Carolina 8/09

Everything is washed out in these photos! There is no clarity just lots of dots like a fine sandpaper's swipe or two of the view there for us In Avon, the Outer Banks of North Carolina this first week of August, 2009. I was on vacation with my family.





I was drawn to take these pictures : the scene with the moon out at sea and the setting sun behind us over the Sound made me have to record these pictures.

I saw what I saw as I frantically snapped away hoping for the best : the Canon camera saw what it saw and recorded the. Somewhere between is the truth I believe as neither my eyes or this eye of my Canon were 100% this early evening as the sun sunk below the Sound's horizon and the moon became clearer and clearer to one and to all ...

We were not in a race and yet I was frantic snapping quickly as things were changing so fast right there in front of my open and thirsty eyes and my starved palate. Good thing I had both my Canon camera as well as my glass of white wine. I had poured some for everyone there that wanted a glass and so I now had this brief moment to register through my senses and my eyes all that was quickly transpiring and changing all too fast for me to really properly absorb.




That's where a camera comes in handy : it helps capture these minute and sometimes stark changes.

I love all the grainy quality to these pictures : so very atmospheric really. They tell their story, too and here I am adding some words to help flesh-out this quick scene that I observed out at sea with the houses between me and the moon and my glass of white wine all but seeming to disappear into thin air - hazy, grained, roughed air right there before my very own eyes.




There's an image of the sun on my beach towel on the wooden rail that my glass of wine is sitting on ... it's faint in these pictures ...





I'm glad that I have the one picture at night here to share with you. The moon looks so much brighter and more golden in it.

I'm also glad that I have the wider view to share as well here : it's the last image included here as you scroll down. It gives a bit more perspective.




I'm also glad that I have a picture taken through the upper part of my wine glass : everything is slightly modified through the wine glass this way and I'm happy to have it.




I like all the subtle changes here in light and color and the even washed-out quality to everything as if it had been left ( these pictures in the sun ) to fade with the sun's intense light beating down and all around and over them ... so atmospheric, like Turner in Venice, right?




Just contemplate for awhile. Relax, let the tension evaporate and enjoy the tranquility and repose of these pictures.

I'm an artist so this was part of my art experience and artistic expression while I was in Avon, North Carolina this past month, August 2009 ...




Here are some of the pics, enjoy, TONY