DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun

We always enjoy visiting the grounds and gallery of Ted DeGrazia.

It is always an inspiration to spend time looking around and taking pictures here.  To see the entrance to the Gallery in the Sun check out Shirley's blog header.

DeGrazia built this little chapel on his property... all made from adobe.

Interesting random holes in the wall provide some light and ventilation.

Small buttresses provide interesting detail.

A simple cross has a bell with a flag attached to the ringer cord, so when the wind blows it rings the bell.

Behind the chapel was this cross attached to a fence post.

Not far from the chapel is the original home where Ted DeGrasia lived.  

The kitchen was very basic... no upper cabinets.  Small wood stove.

On the threshold for the back door Ted put some horse shoes into the concrete... pretty cool, eh?

On a wall of the back patio was a little niche for this sculpture.  You can see over and over again in Ted's work he does not "over work" his art.  Ted is a minimalist. He does a little as possible to convey the feeling of his subject and lets the viewer fill in the missing parts.

In a documentary we viewed again in the gallery Ted said, "My work is completed, but never finished."  He leaves the finishing to be done by the viewer.

When Ted DeGrazia died in 1982 he was buried next to the chapel. Here is a link to his biography.

 I believe Ted built this monument next to where he would be laid to rest.

 People have left pennies on the stones.

 The top of the monument has three women watching over this site.

Both Shirley and I enjoyed taking many photos of the plants on these grounds.

This gorgeous agave plant is growing out of an old stump.

Did you know that there are about 16 different varieties of Agave plants?

There are also many different varieties of prickly pear cactus.

These have a nice purple mixed in... we have seen some of these colourful cactus in paintings at several different galleries.  I wish we could be here when they are in bloom.

Just as we were about to leave I captured this photo of three saguaro cactus and some palms from the parking lot.  We just love the saguaros... and wish we could have one by our house here.

Last spring when we were looking at real estate here we went thru a home "For Sale by Owner" and he had put a huge saguaro in his back yard.  He was quick to tell us that it cost him $20,000 to have that cactus tree moved to his property.

Quality is never an accident.  It is always the result of intelligent effort. -John Ruskin