Mesmerized By Chihuly

 I've never been one who

has wanted to run away to the circus.

But, if ever I was tempted to drop everything

and join a group of artisans

it would be 

Chihuly

 We were invited by our friends

The Hollands

for a delightful evening

at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix

to view the 

Chihuly Exhibit

 Mesmerized is the only word to explain my experience.

Winding paths of Desert Flora

that included 

bursts of color

in the most unexpected places.

Dale Chihuly 

known for his large scale glass sculptures

is credited with revolutionizing the

Studio Glass movement.

Original

Brilliant

I find his life to be as interesting as his creations.

 Chihuly's Exhibits 

can be quite massive in size.

A very prolific artist with

permanent collections through out the world.

 We arrived at the Botanical Gardens right before the sun went down

and were able to walk the desert paths

while still bathed in natural light.

 Citron and Yellow Fiori

Taking pictures of Chihuly's work is somewhat like

trying to capture the Grand Canyon.

The  camera just cannot embrace

the scale and scope of this experience.

 Absence of color

gives an eerie image of ghosts in the forest.

Some Chihuly creations

are taller than the tallest Saguaros

 While others are as simple

as Red Reeds

 You can even see interwoven sparks of color

surrounding the Garden Restaurants.

 The Desert Botanical Gardens

are impressive in and of themselves.

I learned that there are over 2,000 species of cacti

all of which are native to the America's.

 As the sun dropped closer to the horizon

the glass began to light

bringing crisper perception

to the hillsides and trails.

 Chihuly Reeds in the forefront.

Camelback Mountain in the distance.

 Glass gives images of fireballs

 Or underwater sea creatures

Chihuly In The Garden

runs through May 18th.

If you live in the area 

or will be nearby in the next few weeks

I highly recommend

placing this on your must do list.

You will never be the same.