In Search of Sunrise

夸父与日逐走，入日；渴，欲得饮，饮于河、渭，河、渭不足，北饮大泽。未至，道渴而死。弃其杖，化为邓林。

An ancient Chinese legend has a giant tribal chief named Kua Fu (夸父) who believed that he would bring back truth and prosperity if he could catch the Sun. So, one day in the morning he started race to the Sun in full speed as soon as he saw the sunrise. At the end of the day, Kua Fu got too close to the Sun and became dehydrated. He was so thirsty that he drank up all the water from the Yellow River (黃河) and the Wei River (渭河) but it was still not enough. Tried but failed to reach the Big Lake in the north, Kua Fu died from the heat exhaustion before he could get there. Kua Fu dropped his cane as he fell down. And the cane had turned into a grove of peach trees, providing protection from the Sun for those who came through afterwards.

Usually a late night person or a night owl, I did a project In Search of Sunrise, filming the sunrise every day for three months last year. The experience was transforming. The card was made from one of the photos taken during the first day on September 30, 2015. It features an unassuming replica of the Statue of Liberty in a neighborhood shopping mall.

Prince Eric's Castle

Postcard US-4002447 to the United Kingdom shows Prince Eric's Castle from a 1989 Disney movie the Little Mermaid based on a Danish fairy tale. It tells the story of a beautiful mermaid princess who is dissatisfied with underwater life and dreams of becoming human. The film's success marked the beginning of the era known as the Disney Renaissance.

The card is part of the Art of Disney: the Renaissance and Beyond (1989-2014). The castle may have been inspired by Chillon Castle, a medieval fortress on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Attraction Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid opened on June 3, 2011 at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California, and on December 6, 2012 in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day, celebrated on June 8 every year, was originally proposed by Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. It was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008. The 2015 Theme is "Healthy oceans, healthy planet."

The United Nations Postal Administration issued three panes of 12 stamps on May 31, 2013 to raise awareness for World Oceans Day. The artwork by Yoshito Hirano on Postcard JP-240233 from Japan illustrates the important relationship between human settlements and the ocean.

Woman in a Fur Hat

Outgoing postcard US-3224039 to Belarus was sent on February 8,2015 and had expired since. The card shows an oil on canvas Woman in a Fur Hat, circa 1915, by Gretchen Woodman Rogers (1881 - 1967), an American painter associated with the Boston School.

The painting was said to be reminiscent of Girl with a Pearl Earring, circa 1665, by Johannes Vermeer. By referring to the Dutch artist’s most mesmerizing painting in her image of a contemporary woman, "Rogers links past and present, projecting an exquisite and timeless impression of strength and confidence."

The postcard was purchased at the gift shop of Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art during the annual Bellagio Museum Day in 2014, when the exhibition “Painting Women: Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” was on display.

Giant Shoe at Cosmopolitan

Outgoing postcard US-3372310 to India shows a giant shoe at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, one of the sculptures made by artist Roark Gourley of Santa Ana, California. At 9 feet or 2.7 meter tall and big enough for a person to climb into for a photo, the sculptures were originally designed as art and not playground equipment. After being roped off for a while and sent back to studio for repair and rejuvenation in 2012, they are back and welcome visitors to take pictures, on only by them, but also in and on them.

Fur Traders Descending the Missouri

Outgoing postcard US-3139095 to Russia shows one of the most famous paintings by George Caleb Bingham, a 19th century American artist. Depicting American life in the frontier lands along the Missouri River using the Luminist style, the painting was originally entitled French-Trader, Half-breed Son. It reflected the reality of fur traders' common marriages with Native American women. However, the name was changed to Fur Traders Descending the Missouri to avoid potentially controversial when it was first exhibited. Painted around 1845, this art piece is now owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The stamped card was one of the EXTRAordinary Art Card series issued by USPS at the Saint Louis Art Museum in St. Louis, Missouri on May 4, 1990. It has a 15-cent postage pre-printed with a reproduction of the 1845 painting and sells for 50 cents at the time.

The liberty cap or Phrygian cap worn by the older man was the symbol of freedom and liberty commonly used in the 19th century. The animal in the boat was actually a bear cub, not a cat.

Montmartre

Postcard FR-446497 from France shows Montmartre, a 130-meter-tall hill in the north of Paris, France. It is known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit. The ancient Romans had referred the site as Mount Mercury in the 8th century, and Mount Mars in the 9th century. Saint Denis, a Christian bishop, was decapitated on the hilltop in 250 AD for preaching the Christian faith. The hill was named Mountain of the Martyr to commemorate the martyrdom of Saint Denis.

Many artists had set up studios or shops in or around Montmartre, including Salvador Dalí, Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro and Vincent van Gogh.

Now Montmartre is also know as a nightclub district with vibrant nightlife.

Culture Day in Japan

Culture Day (文化の日) is a national holiday celebrated annually in Japan on November 3. There are many festivities where art exhibitions, parades, and recognition ceremonies for distinguished artists and scholars are held to promote art and culture. 

Postcard JP-597442 shows an illustration of Momijidani Park (紅葉谷公園), one of the most famous maple leaves valley parks located at the foot of Mt. Misen, along Momijidani River, in Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima. In the middle of November, fall foliage will be in full bloom in the park. 

400,000 March for Attetion to Global Warming in New York City

Earlier in the Sunday morning, People’s Climate March started with people lining up along 27 blocks on Central Park West, from 59th Street to 86th Street, in New York City. It was part of coordinated efforts, around the world from Hollywood, to London, Berlin, and Rio de Janeiro, that demand the governments and world leaders to take action on climate change.

It coincides with the United Nations Climate Summit that starts on Tuesday September 23, 2014. More than 120 world leaders will congregate in New York City to prepare a binding global climate treaty for the climate talks in Paris in December, 2014. The treaty aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing use of renewable energy. A similar effort failed in Copenhagen in 2009. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was among the marchers in New York. President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at the Climate Summit.

The featured postcard shows an illustration of the Cumulonimbus Hot Tower by Graeme Stephens in 2003. Cumulonimbus clouds are the kings of all clouds, rising from low altitude up to more than 12,000 meters or 40,000 feet. Tehy grow due to rising and falling currents, with their top flattening out into an anvil shape. Cumulonimbus clouds are a sure sign of severe weather, with heavy rain and possible hail. NASA has deployed Cloudsat, a mission using advanced radar technology to study clouds. It is part of NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder program. Along with other programs in NASA's Earth Observing System, it helps further understanding of the climate change issues.

Minsk Magical Time

Postcard BY-1353861 from Belarus shows an illustration of historical Minsk under the starry night sky, designed by Catherine Hancharyk. You can see more of her art works here. It has expanded my Minsk collection.

It's the Journey that Counts

Postcard US-2692599 to Japan shows a 16-foot or 4.9-meter horse, centerpiece of the "Year of the Horse" art installation at The Palazzo's Waterfall Atrium and Gardens, commemorating Chinese New Year that begins on January 31, 2014. Having since concluded on February 16, 2014, there were eight hand-sculpted and hand-painted horses throughout the display. The photo was taken on January 20, 2014.

However, after I sent the card in for the first-day-of-issue postmark, it was returned to me on April 11, 2014 without cancellation. I had addressed the card to Japan with adequate international postage and asked it to be released for mailing.

I added an apology on the card for not being able to secure a first-day-of-issue postmark and re-posted it on the same day on April 11, 2014. A message came on September 1, 2014: "The postcard US-2692599 you sent to marie1112 in Japan was registered by Postcrossing. The account of the receiver was closed and for this reason the postcard was automatically registered."

I am not sure why this card did not get the first-day-of-issue postmark, and I don't know if the card reached the receiver before she closed her account. But, I tried.

Piazza dei Miracoli

Postcard IT-278165 from Italy shows the Piazza dei Miracoli, which means "Square of Miracles", a wide walled area located in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. It is recognized for it's important role in European medieval art and architecture. Owned by the Catholic Church, the square is dominated by the Pisa Cathedral, the Pisa Baptistry, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Camposanto Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery). It also hosts the New Hospital of the Holy Spirit that houses the Sinopias Museum and the Cathedral Museum. The Piazza dei Miracoli became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

San Francisco Celebrates Harvey Milk Stamp

Following the First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony for the Harvey Milk Stamp at the White House in Washington, D.C. on May 22, 2014, City of San Francisco hosted a ceremony to celebrate the forever stamp at the City Hall on May 28, 2014.

The San Francisco event features a pictorial postmark with an outline of the state of California and the text “San Francisco, City Hall.” To obtain this pictorial postmark, send requests within 30 days of the event to the following address:

• HARVEY MILK, SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL Station, Box 7838, San Francisco, CA 94120-7838

The Palace of Fine Arts postcard, one of those postcards that I am going to send out for this special cancellation, shows the remaining structures left from the Panama Pacific Exposition in 1915. It is now the home of the Exploratorium. In addition to hosting art exhibitions, it is a popular tourist attraction as well as a favorite weddings photograph location. Photo by Andrew Mckinney.

Fruit Sculpture

Postcard US-2242693 to Seattle shows a fruit sculpture presentation made out of a melon during the Chinese New Year Celebration at the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas. The art of fruit carving can be traced to Japan, Thailand and China in ancient times.

If you would like to learn how to carve vegetables and fruits, I found a Youtube video from Mutita offering very simple and easy step by step lessons for making a cantaloupe flower.

Middagsvila

Postcard FI-1840516 from Finland shows a water color painting titled "Mid-day Rest" by Kaya Hansson,born in Finland but currently living and working in Sweden. She is known for her farm and garden painting art. You can see her other postcards on PostCrossing and on eBay.

Sweden postcard to UK in 2000

Water Lilies by Monet

Outgoing postcard US-2776488 to CT, USA shows an impressionism painting titled "Water Lilies" by Claude Monet (1840-1926) in 1906. He was a founder of the French impressionist painting movement. Most of his paintings were of "en plein air" (in the open air) style impressionism landscapes.

This painting was one of many variations of water lily paintings that Monet painted in his flower garden in Giverny, France. The postcard was purchased at Zazzle.com. Another rendition of "Water Lilies" in 1907 was just sold for over $27 million at an auction on May 6, 2014.

Michelangelo's David

Achilles was killed out of his heel. Now, David is at risk of collapsing due to his weak ankles. According to a recent report published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage from the National Research Council in Italy, micro-fractures have been found in the ankle and leg areas at Michelangelo's famous statue.

The "David" statue dates from the early 16th century. Initially for more than three centuries, "David" stood outside at the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, exposing to the elements. It was moved inside to the Galleria dell'Accademia in 1873, with a copy placed in the piazza. Research shows that its left leg and the tree stump, where much of its 5.5-ton weight rests, has been weaken over the years due to vibrations caused by the tourists and passing automobile traffic. The quality of the marble used by Michelangelo was also a contributing factor.

Recommendations have been made to minimize the risk by retrofitting an earthquake-proof room or moving the statue to a more stable area outside the city.

For people in Las Vegas, there is not worry as we have an exact replica of Michelangelo's David as shown on postcard US-1655839 to Germany. It is located at the Appian Way Shops inside Caesars Palace Casino in Las Vegas, made from Carrara marble. He stands 5.17-meter or 17-feet tall and weighs more than nine tons.

A Man's World

Postcard NL-2458110 from the Netherlands, sent on April 22, 2014, has arrived within 3 days. It shows a 2006 oil painting on panel "A Man's World" (Mannenhuishouding) by Dutch artist Marius van Dokkum. Born in 1957 in Andijk, he studied at the Christian Academy for Expressive Art in Kampen, majoring in Illustration. He moved to Apeldoorn after the academy, working as art painter, illustrator and designer.

To see more examples of his work, visit his web site or follow him on Pinterest. 

"My House, New York, 1997"

Postcard SE-65371 from Sweden shows David LaChapelle's photograph "My House, New York, 1997". David Lachapelle is an American photographer, best known for his photography that often references art history and sometimes conveys social messages. Among the many awards he won, he was presented with GLAAD's Vito Russo Award for his outstanding contributions toward eliminating homophobia.

His selected works were on exhibition at Fotografiska Museet in Stockholm, Sweden in 2013. National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. is currently featuring his collection "American Cool" from February 7 to September 7, 2014.

Terra-Cotta Army

Postcard US-2663925 to Germany shows a warrior replica of the Terra-Cotta Army embedded on the wall at the Beijing Friendship Hotel where I stayed in 2007. The "Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of life-size clay sculptures of the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, in a form of funerary art buried along with the emperor in 210–209 BC for the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife.

During her second leg of the multi-day tour in China, Michelle Obama got to see the authentic Terra-Cotta Army up close and personal in the ancient city Xi'an on Monday, March 24, 2014. Few of the museum’s five million annual visitors got to look direct into their steely faces, as the first lady did when she was invited down to the pits where as many as 6,000 warriors lined up in battle formations.