A Symphony in Glass

We only had an hour -- or so said the sign at the Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids when we arrived to view the Chihuly exhibit that was spread throughout the gardens.

Didn't matter! We were eager to see the work of the amazing Dale Chilhuly -- astounding pieces of blown glass with a distinctively organic feel to it, nestled amongst the tropical plants and tulips.

We were a merry bunch, Rick, his brother Tim and Tim's wife, Kim, who suggested this field trip. It was a terrific suggestion!

There are so many images, you'd regret it if I shared them all! But here are a few of my favorites...

... Loved these, sitting in water gardens like enormous lily pads!

These fascinated me, with curved shapes that reminded me of birds.

These looked like flowers themselves, calla lilies, I think! Bright, blue and blooming!

This was an odd one -- looked like a sea creature coming out of the ground!

Up close, well -- I'll have to play with this one! Is it under the sea? A monster? Aliens?

Some were tall and thin, like narrow reeds or colorful blades of grass.

Others looked more like vessels.

This didn't photograph well -- it looked like an enormous tower of huge rose quartz pieces. But I think you can get the idea -- then imagine it about 25 feet tall!

These were in the butterfly gardens, which were pretty tropical in nature.

Dale Chihuly is a remarkable glass artist whose installations are world wide. I would suspect that this will travel to other gardens throughout the country. If it comes your way, check it out!

(Next time we'll look at some of the beautiful flowers and sights in Meijer Gardens!)