Dialogue

The picture above was taken of our 'Dialogue' sculpture this past summer. This sculpture (20 years old) will have a new sign this upcoming spring giving more information on this important garden feature designed and installed by O.V. Shaffer back in 1991. This blog is a photographic retrospective of this garden element. Thanks to Bill O. and Doug V. for scanning so many historic slides and photos of the gardens over the past two years. I'll do some more of these "before/after" blogs this winter and am developing a substantial historic presentation on the gardens this winter. The three photos directly below are after the patina formed on the bronze sculpture. Note the second photo down which shows the area under the sculpture as the primary entrance to the gardens from 1991 thru 1999. Look further down for some neat installation photos and the last two shots show the artist, O.V. Shaffer who is a well known independent artist and former art professor at Beloit College. We also have another Shaffer sculpture called 'Biota' at the Southeast corner of the gardens.

Not much action out in the gardens today. It was drizzling this morning with cloudy skies. I spent the morning snooping thru seed catalogs and saw Tom K. and Mary W. at the Horticulture Center. Marv and Marianne stopped by too. I'll work the Holiday Lights Show tonight and three nights next week as I alternate with Larry. I don't know the count from last night but the weather wasn't too bad and I heard (from Mary W.) that the traffic was steady. My blogging over the next week or so will be sporadic as a warning for those that can't do without it! :)