the unexpected

Yesterday I sat as a member of a dissertation committee, reviewing a student's oral defense of her doctoral tome. This took me to the campus of Pacifica Graduate Institute, nestled in the hills just south of Montecito and Santa Barbara. As I made my way to the room where the defense was scheduled to take place, I was treated to some unexpected art.

Imagine my glee when I rounded a wooded corner and spied the rock sculpture pictured above! It had no marking, no clue to its maker or name. A few steps then to the left, this metal egg sculpture sat:

And it turned out that this sculpture was next to the room where the defense was to take place, aptly named "the studio." Here it is from the outside:

I was taken by the beauty of not only the mountainous setting, but also the way the architecture sat so quietly in its midst. The art installations were an unexpected addition to this magical scene. Fortunately, art is everywhere.

I promise, tomorrow I will post photos of Cathie's piece on a wall!