Dear Polia...

Bayou Bend

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:26:43 PDT

Some weeks ago, on a beautiful April afternoon, I visited the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens with the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, Texas Chapter. I had visited this historic Houston house before but had spent most of my time admiring the collection of American furniture and art and had devoted little time to exploring the gardens; fortunately the purpose of this visit was to

Bayou City

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:07:55 PDT

A few weeks ago I met Carolina Osuna, a lovely Rice University student who is very passionate about the environment and about making a difference in our city. Carolina introduced me to a project of which she is a member, and asked if I would write about it in Dear Polia. Instead, I want to let Carolina and the team at the Houston Parks Board tell all of you about this wonderful plan, in

Sabor a mi

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:10:45 PDT

Early in their courtship my parents chose a song to be "theirs", its lyrics carried a promise of eternal love, of many years of togetherness, of souls that reach to one another... At 7:00 am on Wednesday March 6th of 1963, my parents were married in Chinandega, Nicaragua. 50 years they have been together, and together they have enjoyed happiness and prosperity; together they have

A portrait of Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:01:21 PDT

The Houston Museum of Fine Arts has outdone itself this spring by curating an exhibition of masterpieces from the Museo del Prado of Madrid, Spain. Though the Prado houses an incredible collection of art - full of the usual Italians, French, Dutch, and the best of the Spanish Masters - the Houston exhibition, aptly named "A Portrait of Spain" focuses on the greatest Spanish Masters, their

Machu Picchu

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:55:03 PST

Inca houses line a street in Ollantaytambo, Peru. We descended towards the "The Sacred Valley of the Incas", leaving behind the high planes of the city of Cuzco. Our journey through the valley took us to many towns and archeological sites along the way, most notably the city of Ollantaytambo, where the intact Inca urban fabric transported us 600 years back in time. Our final goal, however

Birds of a Feather Final Results

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:10:00 PST

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a beautiful holiday season and 2013 is off to a great and productive start. Speaking of productivity, I want to share with you the installation images of a mosaic project which was based on one of my drawings. If you all remember, last summer I was commissioned to design a bucolic scene of pheasants for the kitchen of a Colorado residence. The

Dear Santa...

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:17:35 PST

In the spirit of the Holiday Season I have decided to make a top 5 list of gifts for that special architect in your life: 5. For those of us who practice the dying art of hand drawing: A French Industrial Drafting desk and chair from Négrel Antiques in Austin, TX. 4. And while we are in the topic of hand drawing, how about a sketchbook? Leather-bound and filled with handmade "Carta di

Heights Living: Holiday in The Heights

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:01:25 PST

December is a really nice time to live in The Heights, the weather is perfect for walks along the oak shaded streets, the cottages and bungalows come alive with lights, and the entire neighborhood is ripe with holiday themed activities! I want to share the happenings in our neighborhood with all you readers, if you live in the Houston area, or planning to visit, take advantage of them:

The Navel of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:43:30 PST

Sunrise over Lake Titicaca, Peru. Inti, the sun decided to civilize the peoples of the region who, naked and sheltering in caves, lived like wild beasts. He sent his son Ayar Manco and his daughter Mama Ocllo to build his empire, and out of the waves of Lake Titicaca, the children of the sun rose carrying with them Inti's golden staff, which they must sink into the earth to find supple

Solitude

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:16:50 PDT

We now found ourselves on the lonely path to Puno and Lake Titicaca, having left behind the "White City" of Arequipa. John and I traveled accompanied by our skilled driver through dry and barren plains; the sun scorched the naked rocks that lined the road and the air became thinner as we ascended into the Andean "Altiplano". The Vicuña sanctuary in Pampa Cañahuas, Peru. Vicuña The

Birds of a Feather More Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:07:41 PDT

The mosaic that I designed for a residence in Telluride, Colorado is installed! Here is a picture of the work in progress. Residence in Telluride, Colorado. ***

The White City

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:57:12 PDT

The Misti Volcano watches over Arequipa We began our ascend into the Andes with a visit to the city of Arequipa (elevation 7,661 feet above sea level), which sits on a mountainous desert at the foot of the Misti volcano. My first thought upon arriving in Arequipa was that we had reached a different country, the thick fog of Lima was now replaced by the crisp mountain air and burning sun,

Suspiro Limeño

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:18:40 PDT

Museo Larco in Lima, Peru., Lima was founded on January 18th, 1535 by Francisco Pizarro-who called it "Ciudad de los Reyes" (City of the Kings)-and it became the capital of the viceroyalty of Perú, and an important port and communication route between the Old World and the New World. Lima today is a bustling capital city with a vibrant night life, a delicious gastronomic tradition, a rich

Piece by Piece

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:10:04 PDT

The children in the Houston Area Women's Center (HAWC) programs have experienced sexual abuse, exploitation, domestic violence, or have been witness to such crimes, and it is the mission of the "Back to School Project" to equip them not only with new, much needed school supplies, but also with excitement, confidence, joy, and perhaps even a return to innocence. This year's

Pages from my sketchbook

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:07:51 PDT

I recently visited the Museum of Fine Arts Houston in an event organized by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Texas chapter, of which I am a member. The members of the Institute are not only architects, but artists, designers, builders, and art lovers, and one thing many of us have in common is our ability to create art; with this thought in mind, we were invited to spend an evening

Heights Living: White Hot

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:21:29 PDT

White Linen Nights in The Heights, 2012. It was white hot indeed on August 4th 2012, when The Heights neighborhood of Houston (where I live) hosted their annual end of summer festival "White Linen Nights". Every shop, restaurant, and art gallery opened their doors and offered refreshments and entertainment to what seemed like the whole city! Each year, the White Linen Nights festival lets

Birds of a Feather Update No. 3

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:08:20 PDT

You may remember some months ago I was commissioned to create a drawing base for a mosaic in a residential project. Recently I received this image from the mosaic shop with a detail of one of the pheasants. I'll post more images as the work progresses. Pheasant detail. ***

La Giralda

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:50:47 PDT

La Giralda Tower seen from the Patio de los Naranjos of the Cathedral of Santa María in Sevilla, Spain. I am currently designing a residence in the Spanish Revival style, and as I move through the creative process I have drawn inspiration from my own experience living in a traditional courtyard house in Nicaragua, and more importantly, I keep going back to the source through my travels to

The Misplaced Cathedral

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 08:48:46 PDT

The Real e Insigne Basilica Catedral de la Asunción in León, Nicaragua is the 6th such cathedral to be built on this site after the exodus from "León Viejo". It seems that the inhabitants of León (Leoneses) having five times outgrown their main church and displeased with the capacity and ornament of said temple, demanded justice from their king in the form of a new cathedral that would finally

"Piece by Piece, Child by Child"

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 11:16:54 PDT

"Adam was the smallest boy in his 5th grade class. He got picked on and called names, like 'shrimp' and 'shorty', he had learned to ignore the taunts and walk away; but after he was molested by his stepfather and had to talk to the police, he was sure that everyone would know what had happened to him, the teasing for that would be unbearable. Adam had been hoping to start middle school with a

The Lion and the Knights

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:33:28 PDT

A lion stands guard in the Cathedral square in León, Nicaragua. "La muy Noble y Leal Ciudad de León Santiago de los Caballeros"(the Most Noble and Loyal City of Leon of the Knights of Saint James)" of Nicaragua was founded in 1524 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba in a plain next to Lake Xolotlan. León quickly became a bustling Spanish city, with prolific

Birds of a Feather update

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:28:19 PDT

UPDATE: I have reworked the birds and experimented with some colors. The media are ink pens, prismacolor markers, and prismacolor pencils on vellum. I think the male pheasant looks much better, what do you all think? *** I have been commissioned a very interesting project, one that appeals to my artist alter ego, and I wish to share it with you as it evolves. My clients have asked for

Birds of a feather

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:28:58 PDT

I have been commissioned a very interesting project, one that appeals to my artist alter ego, and I wish to share it with you as it evolves. My clients have asked for a painting which later will be transformed into a mosaic and installed at their house in Colorado. The clients want a bucolic scene, and they have four children whom they wish to include in the composition. Here's the

Heights Living: The Houston Heights Home Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 08:48:07 PDT

This past weekend residents of the Houston Heights opened their doors and welcomed neighbors and curious people alike into their beautiful homes. The tour included six houses, one new and five historic, all carefully maintained and lovingly decorated. Here are my favorite three. For more pictures of the houses visit Dear Polia on Facebook The exterior of the Mueller home. The

Spanish Day

noreply@blogger.com (Nadia Palacios Lauterbach) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:04:48 PDT

Cihtli Ocampo "La Gallardí" dances to Miguel "El Funi"'s cante. Ethan "Ezan Miguel" Margolis. I am so very excited to share this with all of you! The Flamenco Foundation of Houston is hosting the second annual Houston Flamenco Festival at the end of April and the visiting artist line up has just been announced. This year Houston will welcome Ethan Margolis and Cihtli Ocampo of