It’s not what you look at …

This work byVernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Watercolor – Industrial Court in Trinidad & Tobago

The Industrial Court of Trinidad & Tobago

Above is my drawing of the Industrial Court of Trinidad & Tobago; on the corner of Queen and St. Vincent Streets in Port of Spain.

“During the period 1960 to 1964, Trinidad and Tobago was plagued by a number of strikes by workers and lockouts by employers which affected the economy. The Government’s answer to the problem was the Industrial Stabilization Act 1965. This Act was “to provide for the compulsory recognition by employers of Trade Unions and Organizations representative of a majority or workers, for the establishment of an expeditious system for the settlement of Trade Disputes, for the regulation of prices of commodities, for the constitution of a Court to regulate matters relating to the foregoing an incedental thereto.”

Reference: http://industrialcourt.org.tt/Home.aspx

This work byVernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Where there’s a will….

Happy Friday!!!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Kresge Auditorium in Cambridge, MA by Eero Saarinen

View of Kresge Auditorium at MIT, Cambridge, MA

This is my painting of the Kresge Auditorium on MIT‘s Campus in Cambridge, MA, designed by Eero Saarinen. I did this sketch in September and only recently painted it. Cambridge officially snowed for the first time last night… so here is a nice memory of green grasses, leafy trees, and beautiful colors.

Click image for larger view.

The auditorium is defined by an elegant thin-shell structure of reinforced concrete, one-eighth of a sphere rising to a height of 50 feet, and sliced away by sheer glass curtain walls so that it comes to earth on only three points. Thin-shelled concrete technology was innovative for the times. The dome weighs only 1200 tons and is currently clad with copper. It was originally covered with smooth, bright, orastone was then replaced with lead sheeting attached with stainless steel wires. In 1980, cracks were found in the supporting structure and the auditorium was closed immediately for repairs. Copper replaced the lead at that time.

Sitting on a circular red brick platform, the dome contains a concert hall (with seating for 1226 people), plus a lower level that houses a small theater (seating 204), two rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, offices, bathrooms, and lounges. The main stage is paneled with warm-colored vertical wood elements that echo the vertical glass panels of the building’s facade. The concert hall also contains a Holtkamp acoustic pipe organ, whose pipes visually resonate as a sequence of vertical elements of varying heights. The opening ceremony in 1955 featured that organ, including a piece of music that was commissioned for the event, Aaron Copland’s Canticle of Freedom.

Every seat in the concert hall has an unobstructed view, since there are no interior supports for the overarching dome. Working with renowned acoustical architects Bolt, Beranek and Newman, architect Saarinen employed free-hanging acoustic “clouds” that absorb and direct sound, instead of a traditional plaster ceiling. These clouds also contain lights, loudspeakers, and ventilation.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org

Kresge Auditorium sits on the Kresge Oval, opposite the MIT Chapel, also by Saarinen.

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Family… very important

Some possible names for this cartoon:

• Family… very important
• Missing Grandpa
• Ice Ice Berg

If you have suggestions for what the name of this cartoon may be, you’re more than welcome to comment…

Happy Friday!!!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Sagrada Familia – Barcelona, Spain

This is my sketch from 2005 of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain by Antonio Gaudi. I have since then learned a lot about the Sagrada Familia… particularly after a visit and presentation by Mark Burry, the Executive Architect and Researcher working on the completion of the project. He has been involved since 1979, and is still working on it today.

The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is a work on a grand scale which was begun on 19 March 1882 from a project by the diocesan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar (1828-1901). At the end of 1883 Gaudí was commissioned to carry on the works, a task which he did not abandon until his death in 1926. Since then different architects have continued the work after his original idea.

The building is in the centre of Barcelona, and over the years it has become one of the most universal signs of identity of the city and the country. It is visited by millions of people every year and many more study its architectural and religious content.

Reference: http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/?lang=0

Abstract Architecture of the day:

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The Onion…

While I come up with a plan (time, temperature and locations) to do my Architecture & Urban Sketches, I hope my cartoons make your days a little bit brighter too. 😉

If you have any ideas for captions or what the name of this cartoon may be, I encourage you to comment…

Have a great day!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Dating…

I am still thinking of what to name this cartoon… I thought of:

• Intersandwich Dating
• Going against the multi-grain
• Hot Dawg!
• Gourmet
• Scampwiches

I would love some suggestions for a title… let me know what titles come to your mind… comments appreciated..

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

View across Charles River, Boston, MA.

Above is my sketch of the Charles River, Boston, MA. from the Cambridge side looking over to Boston. I drew this in September, but only got the chance to paint it this weekend… I am glad about that.

DCR’s Charles River Reservation is a linear park stretching from Boston Harbor up the river for 20 miles. The lower half of the reservation, from downtown Boston to the Watertown Dam, is the Charles River Basin, which includes the Esplanade on the Boston side. The basin abuts the campuses of MIT, Boston University and Harvard. The Upper Charles River section of the Reservation begins at Watertown Square and meanders to Riverdale Park in West Roxbury. The Reservation has many recreational opportunities for urban dwellers. Whether your interest is walking or birdwatching, canoeing or in-line skating, the Charles River is a wonderful resource.

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/charlesRiver/

This is also my 300th Post today… Woohoo!!!!

A special thanks to all of you who continue to subscribe, comment, and follow Thinking Insomniac! I look forward to many, many more from you…

Abstract Architecture of the day:

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Waiting for Spring…

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.