Plant Iron

Metal ornamentation of a leaves.

Damascus Carving

Another motif from a headstone at a small cemetery near Damascus, Oregon.

Marble Fleur

Decorative marble at a small, country cemetery near Damascus, Oregon.

Sad Girl

Pensive pose of a girl in statue. From the Children's Museum in Salem, Oregon.

Humming Carved

Carved humming bird -- detail from a bench at Leach Botanical Garden in southeast Portland.

I stumbled upon the botanical garden while out for a drive, looking for a place to shoot. It's a quaint place to take a peaceful stroll -- and free to the public.

Ode to the Goat

Part of a mural at Lents Park in Portland. The singing guy, I get. But the goat?

Blazing Lion

Lion head carving near the capitol building in Salem, Oregon.

Commerce

Art piece outside the Lloyd Center mall in Portland. Features a partial Ionian column stacked with oversized coins, each carved with a quote related to shopping or money. A commentary on our materialistic society?

Cross on a Dark Sky

From the top of a church around the corner.

Ribsy

Water spray and sunset almost make Ribsy seem alive. This statue at Grant Park in Portland pays honor to the beloved pet of fictional Henry Huggins in Beverly Cleary's children's book by the same name.

Pillar Face

An aguished faced carved in stone. Japanese American Historical Plaza on the Willamette River in Waterfront Park, Portland.

Reedwood Cross

A cross from the Reedwood Friends Chapel in Portland (Oregon, not Maine--for all you who've been wondering). Happened to be at the Friends church for a meeting last weekend.

Elephant Eye

Figurine in a store. Just seemed like an interesting thing to shoot.

Happy Red Buddha

A jovial statue on display in a local store full of international wares.

Pies of Color

An art display in the lobby of a business tower in northeast Portland.

Solar Luminary

Looking up at the massive chandelier in a lobby of the Central Library in downtown Portland where we enjoyed a free concert of American music--even had some by Aaron Copland, who ranks as one my favorite composers of all time. What a great afternoon!

Dry Statues

It seems only appropriate that Portland yard statues would have umbrellas.

Actually, it hasn't rained here nearly as much as I was led to believe. A good drizzle now and then, but hardly ever enough for an umbrella. In fact, you can usually tell the tourists by their umbrellas. Real Portlanders just pull their hood up.

Easter Cross

Happy Easter!

6:36 PM

An interior display at some chic store in downtown Portland. The clock was about four feet high.

Ankeny Profile

Why don't statues of women ever have cute little noses? (Taken at Ankeny Square near the Burnside Bridge and Skidmore Fountain in Portland.)

Dragon Teapot

A lovely teapot from a tea shop in Guangzhou, China. Though we didn't buy that particular model, we did pick up a simple and elegant set to use a family on special occasions.

Grrrrrr!

Another fearsome beast at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

Incense

A display from the Folk Art Museum in Guangzhou, China.

Smokin' Froofy Lipstick Guy

What? This had to be the strangest piece of public art I saw in our China journey. A statue that smokes? With lipstick on? And a froofy head thingy? Wow.

Sorrow in Bronze

A moment's anguish captured in statue at the Folk Art Museum in Guangzhou, China.

Street Poem

Water and sponge form fleeting words of poetry. (By the way, Happy 200th Post Birthday to the Crossmark Photo Blog!)

Fearsome Beast

A menacing beast guards the Summer Palace in Beijing.

"Where Was I?" Contest #1 - Candlelit Pattern

And the winner is. . . Oh, I'm such a softie. I can't bear to disappoint such vigilant contest participants, so I'm giving FREE 5x7 prints to all three people who guessed correctly the single location where all of this week's photos were taken.

The correct answer? Target! I didn't plan to take photos there, but I make sure I always have my camera with me. Sure enough their World Market section was an irresistable place to shoot around for a few minutes. Just goes to show ya that photo opportunities are everywhere if you take the time to look--and have your camera with you.

So congrats to Tina, Julie, and Mary. Pick out any photo from the Crossmark archives and e-mail me (nathan-at-crossmarkdesign-dot-com) the title along with your preference of glossy or matte finish. Thanks for playing!

"Where Was I?" Contest #1 - Leaves on Green

Almost to the finish line in the "Where Was I?" Contest! Bravo to all of you who've submitted guesses throughout the week. I can't reveal whether anyone has guessed correctly until tomorrow. You have until 8:00 PM PST on Saturday to submit your final guesses. After that time, I'll post the final picture along with the correct answer. All correct guesses will be entered into a drawing for a FREE 5x7 of your choice from the Crossmark archives.

And stay tuned next week for a free giveaway--no guessing required! More details to come.

"Where Was I?" Contest #1 - Circles in Soft Light

You're certainly on the right track! Congrats to those who are throwing in some guesses in the "Where Was I?" Contest. Being the generous guy that I am, I'll answer both questions that were submitted today.

Is it a museum? Nope.
Is it a home decor store? Yes. And no. There's a lot of places where you could buy something to decorate your home, but this place isn't necessarily dedicated entirely to that purpose.

Any more questions?

I predict that we're going to have a winner by the end of the week! Don't miss your chance for a FREE 5x7!

"Where Was I?" Contest #1 - In Black and Yellow

Had some really good guesses thrown in yesterday for the "Where Was I?" contest going on this week. Figure out the one location where all seven photos were taken and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a FREE 5x7 photo of your choice from the Crossmark archives.

Yesterday's hint seems to have put many of you on the right track. Today, I'll say only that the location is probably surprising to most people. In preparation for tomorrow's hint, let's play 20 questions. Ask a "yes" or "no" question along with your guess today and I'll pick one to answer--maybe. =)

"Where Was I?" Contest #1 - Bronze Lady

No correct guesses in the "Where Was I?" contest so far. All the artsy photos this week were taken in the same place. Guess the place and you'll win a FREE 5x7 photo of your choice from the Crossmark archives.

To add to yesterday's hint, not only is this place pretty well known by its name, but there's probably one near you. There's at least one in 47 of the 50 states. Toss a guess in the pile, then stay tuned for more hints!

"Where Was I?" Contest #1 - Fiery Globe

Second day of this week-long contest to see if you can guess where I was when this series of photos was taken. Too hard so far? Hint: You don't have to be from Portland to know of this place. In fact, if you live in the U.S., you're sure to have heard of it--it's that well known.

Leave a guess in the comments! Or, if you're stumped, hold out for tomorrow's hint.

"Where Was I?" Contest #1 - Flower Carving

Where was I when I took this picture? This entire week will feature artsy photos all taken at the same location. Tell me where I was and you'll have a chance to win a FREE 5x7 print of any Crossmark photo in the archives. Guess as many times as you like. All correct guesses will be entered into a drawing to select the winner. Ya gotta leave your guesses in the comments though--no e-mail entries.

I'll give hints along the way, but first ya gotta start guessing!

Stone Flower

Rocky mosaic on the ground.

Heavy Fountain

A bronze woman heaves the weight of Skidmore Fountain near downtown Portland.

Put on a Happy Face

Odd bit of decor on Pioneer Square in the heart of downtown Portland. Seems like there is always something happening down on the square whether it's a publicity stunt, a protest, a concert, or some social event. Today when I rode by on the train, they were trimming a huge tree for the Christmas season.

Big Indian

Okay, so I grew up in a small town. It has only two or three traffic lights a few small stores, banks, and such--but it's well known for the two-story tall Indian standing in the middle of town. I've met people who aren't very familiar with Indiana, but when I mention this guy they stick their hand in the air and say, "Oh, yeah! I know that place!" What I can't figure is where they got him. Did someone commission him to be made or did they just find an irresistable sale at a flea market one day? I'm thinkin' that this would make for a memorable ebay sale.

What's your hometown famous for?

Lion's Head Fountain

Fountain at the Lakeside Park and Rose Garden. (Fort Wayne, Indiana)