Colorblends House and Gardens

 

Colorblends is a Bridgeport-based wholesaler of daffodils, tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs.  

The lovely garden at their 1903 Colonial Revival house is worth a springtime visit. 

Chenlu Hou and Chiara No: "What the Hands Remember to Hear"

 

Hou and No draw upon their Chinese heritage to create ceramic works that bring to mind bells and sounds.  Both artists make objects that suggest sound's potential to invoke ceremony and shared histories across cultures and time.

I particularly liked No's bell-shaped creations.  Some were hung against the wall and I thought the shadows enhanced them. 

Hou's vivid sculptures reference Chinese folklore and ritual vessels, Buddhist and Taoist temples, and memories of home.

Jennie Jieun Lee: "Luteal Elements and Grooves"

 Jennie Jieun Lee works primarily with clay.  She was transplanted from Korea to the United States when she was three.  She writes that her art navigates themes of loss, ceremony, and invention, reflecting on her lost Korean heritage and her transnational experience in America.

In the walls of the gallery where some of her ceramic works are shown, 15 min hold, Slow cool, 2025, the artist's largest textile work to date, provides a fascinating background.  Lee describes it as a monumental translation on textile of a glazed test tile.

Would I buy it?  No.  Did I understand it?  No.  But, did I enjoy seeing it?  Absolutely.

In a smaller adjoining gallery, Lee recreated the tomb of a Black nineteenth century voodoo queen in New Orleans.  At its base, the tomb has the artist's vases and dried flowers from her gardens, along with encouragement for visitors to make a wish, leave a tip, and mark the tomb with an X.

Uman: "After all the things"

 Uman now lives in upstate New York but her work draws on childhood memories in Somalia and Kenya, before diasporic experiences in Europe and the United States.

Uman's colorful paintings were hung against rich red walls, a terrific curatorial decision.  

I am not the person to interpret contemporary non-representational paintings, especially those done by an artist with a very different background from mine.  But, I can say that they made a strong positive impact on me and on the others who were in the gallery at the same time.

Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art

 Ridgefield is fortunate to have a high quality art museum on Main Street.

It was a rainy Saturday, a perfect day to spend a couple of hours inside.  The administrative offices are in this older building on the front.  

The galleries are in a newer building below.

I looked out at the older building from the second floor of the newer one.

There were some very good exhibitions.  All were foreign-born artists who had wandered elsewhere before coming to the United States.  Photos from those exhibitions will be here in the coming days. 

Pink

 I am back in Connecticut two or three weeks earlier than in recent years, so I can see trees in bloom.

A handsome cherry tree is on the corner of the First Congregational Church's property at the intersection of Main Street and West Lane.  On the left is a fountain designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert, who lived nearby and donated the fountain to the town.

Funky Vehicles

 I come across interesting vehicles.

This is an odd one, but I am originally from the Boston area, so I liked the Celtics hat on the front.

Nice paint job.  And rattan seats!

Spare tires can be pretty boring, but this guy put it to good use.

This belongs to a friend in my community.  He has another car for bigger trips, but he is a non-golfer so he uses this Moke to get around the community the way many of us use golf carts.

If you think I am running out of things to post from Naples,  you're right.  Posts from Connecticut begin tomorrow.

Naples Grande

 Naples Grande is an ultra high end hotel on the Gulf of Mexico in Naples.  It is closed for upgrades and renovations through the rest of 2026.  

Out for a Ride

 

Lucky dog.  Or lazy dog.

Coastland Center

 Coastland Center Mall is an older mall in Naples.  It has been struggling for years.

Some restaurants have been built as outbuildings in recent years.  Uncle Julio's was a Mexican restaurant that did well for a few years.  (I love the mural wall.)  Sadly, it closed for good a month ago. 

Trail Boulevard

 Naples residents and visitors drive up and down US Route 41 -- the Tamiami Trail -- all the time.  

Drivers on 41 who look to the east as they pass Pelican Bay see some pretty attractive houses on s road that runs parallel to 41.  On a recent day, I pulled off the highway to take a closer look at those houses.

Some of those houses are quite big, expensive and attractive.

But, the constant road noise is unbearably loud.  With so many other attractive places in Naples, I really can't understand why anyone would make the choice to live there.

Naples UCC

 

Naples United Church of Christ is a big Protestant church on Seagate Drive in Naples.  It looks so much like the Protestant churches in New England.

HE's Afraid of ME?

 

I see and photograph alligators all the time.

I keep a respectful distance.  

Most of the time I am in my golf cart, staying a careful distance away.  The images make it look as if I was very close, but that is a result of a long lens and heavy cropping.  

If I creep too close, the alligators quickly dive into the water.  But, yesterday I was ready and had my camera up while the cart got closer and the alligator made its dash for the water.

Vanderbilt Beach Library

 

The Vanderbilt Beach Library is a small and rustic looking library that is just a mile east of the public beach access to the Gulf of Mexico.  It serves many Naples residents, but primarily residents in Naples Park to the north and Pelican Bay to the south.

Collier County Public Library

 

The headquarters of the Collier Public Library system in on Orange Blossom Drive.  There are nine other branch libraries.  Collier County is a new enough region that the library system dates back only to 1957.

License Plates

I like interesting license plates.  When I have a collection, it is time to show them in a post.

Pairing I M A G I N E with BEATLE5 is genius in my book.

The Florida Everglades are a minor league hockey team between Fort Myers and Naples.  

They have won the championship in their league the last two years.

Appropriate for an electric vehicle, don't you think?

A New Yorker loves Florida.

I M A G I N E PEACE 52.  I am in favor, but it is not likely with the madman in the White House.

And here is the Power Girl.

She's not much of a golfer, but at least she's honest.

Very clever.

A vote from Midwestern and often overcast Ohio in favor of Surf and Sun.