Harvey Travel Arts

This, my friends, is the recently opened Native American Museum in Washington DC. This museum has been beautifully done. We spent a couple of hours in there, and only got to see part of it. The exhibits were in cozy alcoves, a maze that reveals each new tribe or season as you turn through the darkened paths. The sounds that surround you tell the stories of those who were here long before we were. These Native American cultures have an interesting history. One of the things that I found fascinating was their culture's search for a creator, and search to know their creator. Of course, as a Christian, I know my Creator is God in Heaven. These tribes had legends of the people living in sickness and dying off because they had stopped listing to their creator. A man from their tribe took a journey and learned from the animals and plants how to take care of himself, came back, and retaught the people. It makes me wonder how God revealed Himself to these people. They were obviously searchi...

This is the amazingly long--for a resort--beach that Brian and I had access to while in the Dominican Republic. Beyond the trees was another trail that went for a ways, followed by a rocky cliff that we crossed about halfway before it got to difficult. We had talked of going back out there but instead discovered other hidden beaches at the resort. Looks like every other beach, doesn't it? That's what we thought. Anyway, looking at this picture reminded me of our wedding and honeymoon, exactly six years ago today...in Jamaica. I have a lot of pictures of us in Jamaica since that time, but our actual honeymoon pictures burned up in a fire in December 2003. Fortuneately for us, my mom, in her wisdom, had requested a copy of all of our pictures from our wedding on. Today I have a discs and some prints from all of those trips. Someday, my hope is to get those on here and share them with you, my reader. Until then, enjoy the sands!

This was our backyard in Fort Worth until a couple of months ago. The neighborhood we lived in was adjacent to some parks. Brian and I have always enjoyed the various kinds of wildlife that we come across in our yard wherever we live: gheckos, lizards, squirrels, birds, dragonflies...all kinds of creatures. We often reminisce about our life in New Braunfels when we would even have deer in our yards. I would say the only experience that I didn't particularly enjoy was the bees that we got in Heidelberg because we had to leave the screenless windows open during warm weather. However, this was the only occassion that we were able to photograph any of the creatures. We watched a pair of ducks in our yard for several weeks. I told Brian that one day we were going to have a whole family there, and he would sigh. The day arrived one afternoon when I came home from work. I spotted them learning how to navigate the water with momma in the lead. I ran inside to Brian where he came out with h...

Here I am, wandering through Your halls, Here I am, wandering through Your courtyards, Beautiful imagery surrounds me. A glance through time, Ancient windows surround me, What would they say, If I asked them today, What they know, What they saw, Who You are? You tell of the rocks crying out to You, Surely the manmade stone can cry out too. After all, You made Man. You made stone. You created everything. The beauty of what Man creates, Does not compare To what awaits Past Your Heavenly gates.

These two pictures were taken in Reims, France. We found the architecture there to be stunning! Take a look at the detailing of the cathedral doors. There was restoration work going on at the time, but the intricate carving still takes center stage! It amazes me that those who completed these structures did so without any of the computer technology that is almost a necessity in today's society. I love the clean lines of modern architecture, but the thought, planning and talent that went into ancient designs reminds me of just how intelligent and special humans are. Just how intricately designed human minds are -- thanks God!

When Brian and I recently made our move to Maryland, we began exploring the area right away. Soon after getting settled, we found our way to some caverns in nearby Virginia. The pictures here show the reflecting pool inside Luray Caverns. I think these reflections are incredible. At first glance, the water appears to be several feet deep, but in reality, it is only a few inches. We are created to be reflections of God's image. Genesis 1:26-27 KJV "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." We as humans fall short of that image every day. What God wants from us is for us to be made new in Christ, so that we can be like the water in this reflecting pool and ac...

These ruins were photographed several years ago while on a cruise. I often wonder, when traipsing through remnants of ancient cultures, what the place must have looked like 1,000 or even 2,000 years ago. What they're lives were like. We do know that some of the ancient cultures had very strange and even violent rituals. How did the people get across from one side of the earth, where I believe civilization began (Mesopotamia) to the other (the Americas)? Was there one large continent (Pangea), like some believe, that broke away, perhaps after the flood or some other event? Were there migrations over a footbridge in present day Alaska? What was the climate like? I believe that God created the earth and that He has no limits. The vastness of the ocean reminds me of a miracle that Jesus Christ performed. Matthew 22:14-36 tells of when Jesus walked on water. Only an all powerful God could have a Son who performed such miracles. Faith was required of Peter, and it is required of us as we...

These pictures were taken at a friend's wedding at a North Carolina winery about a year ago. I thought the colors were stunning! God's paintbrush whips through the sky creating combinations that even the best human artists can not capture. Just now, when I was looking through photos, trying to decide what to post, I came across the one below. For some reason, the following scripture came to mind when I noticed the pond: Psalm 42:1 KJV "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." No, that isn't a typo. Hart is an old/middle English word for adult male deer. In more modern versions, the word deer is used. However, I think the poetic beauty of the words stands out better with the older version. No matter what version of the Bible you prefer, make sure that this verse rings true. Make sure that your soul yearns for God.

My husband and I spent some time living in New Jersey when we first got married. During this time, we were able to see parts of the country that we had never seen before. The best part about it all was sharing these places with our friends and family. The above photo of the Statue of Liberty was taken when we were fortuneate engough to have my mom, an aunt and a friend of mine (she was a fellow Texan living in New York at the time) with us. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for some who were on the journey. The Liberty Bell photo was taken when Brian and I were on one of our many long weekend trips while living in New Jersey. I posted both the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell together because of their common theme: Liberty for all and Liberty for these United States. But I want to talk about a different kind of Liberty, one that supersedes any of the liberties that man could possibly grant. I want to share the Liberty you can have in Christ. There is freedom in Christ! On...

Niagra Falls from the Canadian side is supposed to be a much more scenic view than from the US side. I've never viewed it from the US, so all I can say is that the view from Canada is breathtaking. If you go, plan to take at least a day, maybe even a weekend. There is much to do and see in Niagra and the surrounding area. Granted, the area immediately surrounding Niagra Falls has been built up with a lot of family friendly tourist attractions, so as to make it more of a destination. However, when we were there we took a trip off the beaten path and found this: There were a couple of stops along the drive where you could get out and walk down paths to find more photo opportunites. I wish we had more time to stay and enjoy the pastoral beauty of it all. The butterfly conservatory at Niagra was definitely worth the wait to get inside! Walking into the conservatory to countless brightly colored beauties fluttering about is a breathtaking experience! I love butterflies and think that...

Casa Loma is an incredible estate home/castle in Toronto, originally built for Sir Henry Pellatt. Upon stepping inside, I was amazed at the grandeur of the place. Of all the places that Brian and I visited last year while in Toronto, this was my favorite. There is so much to see here! The conservatory was such a bright change from the dark interior of the rest of Casa Loma. I imagined myself reclining on a sofa with a cup of tea in one hand and a great book in the other, basking in the sunshine. I also imagined how much trouble cats would get into if they were allowed inside! The photo doesn't do justice to this room. The conservatory wasn't the only place to find lush flora. The gardens provided us with many great photo opportunities. Again, my runaway imagination got ahold of me in the gardens with all of its benches and winding paths. I thought what a wonderful time one could have, inviting guests over for a gardenside brunch in the spring.

I had dreamed of making a pilgrimage to Dryburgh Abbey in Scotland for about a decade before I finally got to see it. For those of you reading this who are family, you will understand why when you see the below photograph. This Abbey, majestic even today, is where an ancestor of ours is buried. No, not Sir Walter Scott, although there is a family connection there. I'm talking about John Haliburton. An almost identical photo to the one above is in a book that my grandmother owns on the Haliburton / Burton family line. For some reason, this family lineage has been well documented over time. The following photo is taken of some documentation at the Abbey that explains some of the history of Sir Walter Scott and John Haliburton. Below you will find one more example of the beautiful architecture that is Dryburgh Abbey. Can you imagine what it must have once looked like?

Jamaica is where Brian and I got married. Since our wedding nearly six years ago, we have returned to Jamaica on various occasions. This photo stood out to me more than any of the others that Brian has taken. I sometimes wonder about the life of the islander that works at the resort. He is a symbol of the friendly Jamaicans that we have encountered--friendly despite the vast difference between the lush resorts and the local environment that often surrounds them. This serene beauty is a perfect example of God's creation. It thrives on the islands amid the heat. There is a verse that stands out in my mind right now. Proverbs 3:19-20 KJV states "The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew." Who else but a wise God could form such delicate flowers that grow despite the tropical heat?

The hardest thing about writing is getting started. I have a multitude of story ideas rumbling around in my head all the time, but many of them never make it to paper. Even the ones that do manage to make it to paper never seem to make the finish line. I'm hoping that this procrastination streak changes. Why the name Harvey Arts? Art in its many forms is what my husband Brian and I both enjoy. We have a passion for architecture, painting, writing, theater, music, photography... We also enjoy traveling, which allows us to further explore the art world. We are also both amateur artists--Brian the photographer, and I the writer and painter. This is Schloss Braunfels. One of our many moves took us from New Braunfels, TX to Heidelberg, Germany. While there, we took advantage of the many opportunities to travel. One of our adventures took us to the Braunfels Castle, where we couldn't help but celebrate the role that Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels played with the founding of New Braun...