Wednesday, December 2, 2009

DE GRAZIA'S COURTYARD


Often, when I go to the gallery, I don't really go to the gallery.  By that, I mean I only pass through the gift shop area inside the gallery and go straight into the enclosed courtyard...and take pictures!  Or just sit and soak it all in.  Or both.

But of course, we still have to go through the gallery door, don't we?  Just like everything else, the door deserves a second or third...or fourth look.  First, the outer Gallery doors are built to look like the doors of the old Yuma  prison.




This is one of many times when a visitor really needs to look up...or miss something interesting. Actually, one needs to be constantly looking up and down and all around for there's a multitude of 'hidden' surprises all over the place!

As soon as you step through the 'prison gates' you could be in a mine shaft.  De Grazia's mining background shows up all over the place.




Here's the inner doors made of rusty iron and decorated with a desert motif and brightyly colored marbles.



When you've opened those, you find yourself in the gallery gift shop....We aren't going to stop there.  Not today!
We're just heading straight to the courtyard.

By the way, their prices are incredibly reasonable, unlike most 'tourist-y' places.

I think this is where Ted De Grazia, his wife Marion, and the people who are the caretakers since their deaths, all let their imaginations go totally wild.  Nothing...absolutely nothing....is safe from a little...or a lot...of embellishment!

Tacky?  You bet!  Cute and Kitschy?  That, too.  Mostly just a ton of fun.

The centerpiece of it all is, however, none of the above.  It's just beautiful.

This is Ted De Grazia's fountain sculpture of a Yaqui Deer Dancer.  Stunning!



Now, let's get to the other stuff.























I have hundreds of pictures of different plants, mostly cactus, I've taken here.  But I have to call a halt to this sometime.  Here's a couple more and then I'll call it a wrap for today.  But, yes, there's still more on the agenda for tomorrow.



I'm GRATEFUL you've taken this little walk with me today.
Thank you!




4 comments:

Donna said...

I absolutely love the plant life at this place.....what an oasis. I am thakful you shared this.

Sharon Kay said...

I'm hoping some day you get to come visit there with me. It's even better in person.

Free2bfree said...

What time of year would you suggest a visit for those of us who have an aversion to extreme heat? When does it hit the 80's and more importantly, the 90's or above? My guess that for someone like me it would be best to visit from October through March. ~wink~

Sharon Kay said...

One year, my son came in October. It got to 107 one day. LOL Or maybe I'm lying about that. ;) The point is, you can never tell, but usually late October and early April are the best months for visiting here. March can be pretty blustery and downright yucky.