Friday, December 15, 2023

Festive Windows

My last post was on the tranquility of nature at this time of year. For Canadians, though, the time around the solstice is one of merriment and cheer. I'm drawn to look at the season through the eyes of shop-keepers and passers-by. These are a few scenes of windows from downtown Victoria.

This is about as colourful as a window can get! 

From the same store... festive without red and green

A jewelry store with all the sparkle of Christmas, again without the traditional red and green.

This jewelry store has chosen traditional colours in its display, but has built an attractive design based on the hexagon.

One last store jewelry store window, this one monochromatic and elegant .

Murchies has used some heritage toys... of course, with a teapot in the scene.
The teapot is the clue... another scene in Murchies' window.

I liked the emphasis on peace in this store.

Ornament on the Chrismas tree at my optometrist's.

An indigenous themed window

Part of the Rogers Chocolate display. I like the attention to detail in the custom printed ribbon on Rudolph.

Another part of the Rogers window display...an heirloom Santa.
I've featured window displays from the Tuscan Kitchen before. I enjoyed the restrained appeal of this one, with the bright reds and shiny stainless steel complementing the dark greens of the boughs.

The Bay calls this theme "stripes". Soon the original Bay blanket stripes might be forgotten as they become incorporated into many other products.

Hanging over the "stripes" collection is this mannequin in a canoe.

While not a window, the Bay Centre's magic has to be included. I have to think that a child would be captivated by this scene.

A closer view of the Bay Centre's Christmas tree

Wishing you all a festive season rooted in love and friendship.

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The Tranquil Season

It's the time of year when nature is resting. There's a calmness and hush to the earth. Here in Victoria skies are muted, and so are colours.

Part of the Christ Church Cathedral complex

Another scene of monochromatic colours, along Vancouver Street

Late November foliage adds some colour to this James Bay house

At this time of year, with the trees barren of leaves, it's easier to appreciate the architecture of trunk and branches, and the texture of bark.

The thicket of conifers at the top of Beacon Hill. The trail winds through the trees so the walker can enjoy the bark close up.

The delicate bark of a birch tree. Birch bark naturally peels off, exposing new bark underneath.

With its leaves gone, this multi-branched, large canopy tree at Beacon Hill Park becomes even more dramatic.

Another Beacon Hill Park tree, devoid of foliage and showing its mossy branches.

Muted colours of a Garry Oak meadow with lichen and moss covered rocks in the foreground. The mosses green up with the fall rains. These were brown in  August.

Burls on a tree in Beacon Hill Park encourage the passer-by to stop and examine the trunk. Burls seem to be associated with some sort of stress on the tree.
 
Bark of the Giant Sequoia has a reddish tone when illuminated by light
In November and December colours are muted in the intertidal zone, as well as inland.
Kelp at the end of its growing season, washed ashore in a late fall storm. This is part of nature's cycle; another season of growth will soon begin.
Amidst the tranquility of late fall's monochromatic colours, nature still gives us small hints of colour.
The bark of an arbutus shines with moisture after a rainfall. Arbutus trees naturally shed the outer layers of bark. Apparently this helps the tree rid itself of mosses, lichens and insects that might harm the tree.

Early morning sun casts an orange glow on this clump of trees along Dallas Road

It's a time of year to slow down, and find stillness in this season when the light is limited. I am ever grateful to be living in this place of quiet streets, abundant trees and kelpy sea.



Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Colour and More Colour

Readers of my posts may know that I love colour. Fall of course is definitely a time when colours are evocative and brilliant. I started putting this post together in mid October, but life got in the way and it turned out to be November before I published it.

I'm not usually a fan of heavily manicured landscapes, but I was drawn by the vibrant reds and greens of the Beaconsfield Inn.
A couple more scenes follow of complementary red and green.
Complementary red and green, in the "Duet", adjacent the James Bay Fire Hall. Checking online, the Duet is an apartment hotel.
And here is one more scene where red and green work together.
These two buildings along View Street provide my final example of red and green. In the foreground is the building which used to be the residence of the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese, adjacent to St. Stephen's Cathedral. Built in 1907, the former residence building is now used as offices of the Diocese. In the background is part of the St. Stephen's Square office development.
Victoria provides constant colour beyond its fall foliage, despite the grey skies of winter which will soon be prevalent.
I've regularly noticed this yellow house on Olympia Street, and the multi-coloured vehicle which is often parked on Dallas Road. This day I thought I'd see how they looked near each other in the same photo frame.
Here's a close-up of the artwork on the sidewalk side of the vehicle.
The references to Mile 0 (the beginning of the Trans-Canada Hghway), and Fonyo Beach, hint that the owner lives in the area.
Moving on to another favorite topic, that of window design, where colour is independent of the season. Here are three windows that caught my eye in recent weeks:
These are just a few of the colourful bottles on display in this store specializing in gourmet olive oils.

The bright yellow in this window display attracts the viewer's attention. 
And here is one final window display which used orange and purple for a Halloween theme.
This flower shop is at "Five Corners" in James Bay, and always does a fine job of its window displays.
I often walk by the Magnolia Hotel on Gordon Street, and appreciate the distinctive turquoise detail which subtly dresses up the building.
The Magnolia Hotel, and the intricate green design which extends vertically. I liked the contrast of gold fall foliage with the green details.
I'm a fan of banners, and I enjoyed the display by Christ Church Cathedral.
The Cathedral grounds, showing a distant view of some of the banners

A better view of the banners

These banners are along the Quadra Street side the of the Cathedral
And banners at Beacon Hill Park...
Are black and white colours? Here's a facade which caught my attention:
A well chosen design theme which fits with the business name. I liked the reflection of Broughton Street's mature trees in the windows which make the ambience less stark.
I can't leave this quick homage to colour without a nod to the amazing dahlias I see blazing forth from so many gardens. As well as their brilliant colours, I'm always in awe of the intricate designs of their petals. Here's one image from earlier in October:
A segue to a different kind of geometry in this beautiful dahlia
The images in this post were taken in October, but I'm inserting one taken from earlier in the summer, as a nod to the local pub.

When I lived in cities with suburbs, I used to dream of living in a city where I could walk to a local pub. Somehow that idea is the essence of a human-scale city. 

This attractive building is one of several local pubs, all within walking distance! The historic hotel is where the artist Emily Carr lived in her final years.
James Bay United Church. I like the tryptych feel of this image, with the church, the mural, and the November flowers at the end of their season.

The colour in this downtown scene, on Yates Street at Blanshard, is provided by the iron used in both the planters, and the ironwork sculpture. I'm intrigued by how much iron is used in Victoria's buildings, and how it somehow works to soften the hardness of concrete and glass.
Most of the images in this post have been of our built environment. I will close with two images from nature:
Rocks exposed by low tide are illuminated by the golden light of a late October setting sun 

October sunset -- complementary colours of orange and blue!
As the fall season draws to a close, may you find much colour in your life.