a pastiche of parisian patterns

When we visited the Grand Palais on Avenue Winston Churchill to see the 'ArtParis 07' fair, I was overwhelmed by the patterned ceiling – a geometrical orchestration of glass and metal in the art noveau style. I quickly brought out my latest acquisition, the 'I Love Paris' Be@rbrick of the 'A Round World' series from Colette Paris, and took a picture of it against the delicate-looking but magnificent ceiling (left).

The days that followed revealed more surprising patterns of inherent beauty: [Below, left to right] (1) an artful blur of a metropolis at the art fair; (2) tiers of light on a Bonaparte-era chandelier at the Louvre; (3) tree branches in front of the Dome Church at Invalides; (4) spring daisies sprouting on a dry moat;

(5) the I.M. Pei-designed pyramid cutting across the Louvre facade; (6) colorful displays of postcards on a Parisian sidewalk; (7) a modern art installation at the Pompidou Centre; and (8) tourists sunning themselves practically everywhere!

Postscript: That's me and my friend, Jun, (right) reflected on a 'mirror' painting of cherry blossom patterns, one of the artworks on sale at ArtParis 07.

After visiting numerous art museums, stunning churches, grand chateaus, and baroque buildings... and after walking through countless parks, historic squares, breathtaking gardens, and quaint streets, Jun sat down on a bench and said to me, "Can we rest for fifteen minutes? I think I'm having a 'beauty' overload."

And only a fifteen-minute break from beauty it was. :-)