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The cathedral is one of the greatest still-standing examples of Norman architecture; here’s a statue of King William II of Sicily offering a model of the cathedral to the Virgin Mary. The sand color of the statue and the texture of the stone will forever make me think about this as a sand sculpture (just one more example of how my brain works). The building was constructed between 1172 and 1185, which is an astonishingly fast pace for a building of its size and detailing. (Coincidently, that is faster than the time it took the City of Lubock and the Texas Department of Transportation to reconstruct approximately two miles of 19th Street.)
Duomo di Monreale
Monreale, Sicily
photographed 1.30.2025
necklace man
A tiny room off the nave and sanctuary had beautiful marble sculptures that held great meaning. Some people found great religious significance in them; I found photographic solace there.
Capella del Crocifisso – Duomo di Monreale
Monreale, Sicily
photographed 1.30.2025
the way the light hits
One year ago, I was in Sicily on a photography trip. I was with my friends and we had the best time enjoying the culture, the education, the food, the photography, and our time together. I still think about it almost every day. (Because I am comfortable living a year in the past, I guess?)
The late afternoon light at the cloisters beside the cathedral in Monreale was beautiful, bringing out the reds and oranges in the old stone. Look at the tops of those columns: every one is different.
Also, speaking of reds and oranges, I am at least 100% certain that when we returned to Palermo later that night, we had a few Aperol spritzes – each one served with a slice of an in-season Sicilian orange.
Chiostro dei Benedettini
Monreale, Sicily
photographed 1.30.2025
the string band got a cold gig
To save time, I’ve shortened the name of my new favorite book* to WNoCwaaaaaatrihutthAASpZBCMaMAtaesfwkitAVAMK. No need to thank me.
This is a lovely piece of public art, made by BC Gilbert, called the Friendly Cowboy Western String Band (or, if you want, TFCWSB.) The guy on the left is definitely Colour 76, Dutch Orange, which as you probably already know is “the orange yellow of Werner…gamboge yellow, with carmine.” It resembles, of course, the Seedpod of the Spindle-tree.
the snow day series
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 1.24.2026
*More commonly known as simply Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours, but it’s got one hell of a subtitle.
orange and blue and green
Now, then, about this book Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours…the full title has 44 words, which makes me realize how the title for my masters thesis fell far, far short of an impressive length.
I believe that the flower-painter* dude would agree that this shade is similar to Colour 78 – Orpiment Orange, described as “the characteristic color…about equal parts of gamboge yellow and arterial blood red.” That description raises a couple of questions:
- What is it characteristic OF?
- And gamboge yellow is what color?
- “Arterial blood red” – do what, now?
- And, the obvious question – what/who is an “orpiment”?
But I guess we can all agree that the book got it right when it says the color (“colour”) is similar to the “Belly of the Warty Newt.”
the snow day series
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 1.24.2026
*When my granddaughter Hannah was little, she aspired to be a flower-picker. She’s now in college studying international politics, which is practically the very same thing.
One Day | One Image 