A Favorite Childhood Toy

As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life. ~ John Lubbock 

It's a cool winter's day outside and a long workweek lies ahead.  I'm finding myself thinking back to another lovely day a few months ago where it was just heavenly being out in the fall Florida sunshine.  If you ever find yourself in Orlando in mid-November, you simply must check out Disney's Festival of the Masters event in Downtown Disney.  The 35th annual festival was the most recent one we took in, and it was the 4th year in a row we've been.  It's become a fond tradition for us to go wander about the hundreds of artisan exhibits strewn about the complex on what always seems to turn into a perfect autumn day.

2011 Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney in Orlando, FL

Since the first year we visited the Festival, I've had my eye on this artist's incredible kaleidoscope creations.  Not only are they exquisite pieces of art, they're simply breathtaking.  I could easily pass hours and hours staring at all the color combinations these scopes create.  My sweet husband gave me one as a gift on this last visit and I've been enjoying it immensely.

Here I am pictured with the artist from Kaleidovisions
who created my single scope creation from curly maple wood.

What's so special about a tube of mirrors and a handful of small trinkets?  Wikipedia has a great account of how kaleidoscopes were developed.  Like so many things in life, it came about not as a result of direct intention, but as a happy coincidence of work on something else.  I love what the word "kaleidoscope" means in the Ancient Greek... "observer of beautiful forms."  They always make me think back to one of my favorite childhood toys... a simple kaleidoscope made of a cardboard tube and pieces of colored plastic in the scope.  It was a basic model for sure, but still brought me hours of enjoyment.

As I've been playing with my new toy, I've tried combining my interest in photography to capture some of these amazingly beautiful images.  Here are a few I hope you'll enjoy.

And lastly, just for fun... try out this online Kaleidoscope Painter for yourself.  It's great fun and stress relief to take a few moments to focus on those "beautiful forms."

On this cool winter's day when a bit of winter gloom hangs in the air, thoughts of these colorful images bring a bit more warmth to my mind.

Tell me about one of your most favorite childhood toys that brought you great joy.

A multitude of small delights constitute happiness. ~ Charles Baudelaire