Got Chihuly?

Glass sculptures in the desert. The Chicklet and I finally made our way to the Desert Botanical Garden to see the Chihuly sculptures. We decided to go today hoping that there wouldn't be as many people as on a weekend. Our reservation was from noon-4pm. We got there about 1:30. I have never seen the parking lot so packed.

We enjoyed looking at license plates from all over the country and Canada. Snow bird heaven! You could tell who they were-the ones dressed in shorts and sandals... Me? I was in jeans with a long sleeve blouse with a jacket. The jacket didn't stay on long. The weather was perfect.
199 pictures later..... Look! It's the moon!
Yes, there were a lot of people but it wasn't bad at all. The Chicklet was excited to see the green mercury sculpture. Wow!
A few of these were clear but the polka dot pattern in the glass created a texture.
These caught our eye. Sinewy green glass, pink bulbous shapes with finger-like petals. There were surprises at every turn.

In addition to getting some close-up shots, I tried to take pictures of the sculptures interacting with the desert landscape. What's the point of having the sculptures here if they're not connected to the landscape?
We spent a good 3 hours wandering around the garden. I took a fair amount of time taking photos. It turns out we missed a sculpture or two because we didn't go on the Native Trail or by the Patio Cafe. Turns out there was a sculpture in each of those spots. We'll see those next time.

We made our way to the gift shop and lastly to Dorrance Hall. A few more glass pieces and paintings were in there as well as a video of Chihuly and the glass blowing process. Glass blowing is a trip! We had a Glass department in art school and it was amazing to see the process in person. It was quite a contrast to the textile department that I was in.

By the time we got back to the car it was 4pm. There were plenty of empty spots in the lot and the sun was changing. Our next visits will be in the early morning and another in the late afternoon. Everything changes with the light.

Marissa