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Charles Bridge East Tower

$175.00

Prague, Czech Republic

I had high hopes of getting up extra early one day in Prague and walking the Charles Bridge at sunrise.  I wanted to capture one of those dreamy shots you see on travel sites of the bridge in the half dawn light, with the lampposts still lit and the tendrils of fog reaching up from the water.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am so not a morning person.  So, it will come as no surprise that this pre-dawn excursion never happened!  I still feel like I experienced most of what Prague had to offer, and that extra hour or two of sleep each day is what gave me the energy to climb the hill to the castle!

Fun Facts:

  • Like most of Old Town Prague, the bridge is paved in cobble stones.  While they transport you back in time, walking on the stones is tough on the knees and hips!
  • One of the best places to see Prague Castle is from the middle of the Charles Bridge.  You are close enough that you can see some details, but still far enough away to be able to take it all in
  • During the day, there are artists and souvenir vendors set up along the bridge.  We had a fun time looking at jewelry and ended up buying a hand colored block print.  It was fun being able to talk to the artist!
  • You can climb both the East and West Towers of the bridge, and look out over the Vltava River

Process And Size Guidelines

I handcraft each piece in my home studio, located just outside of Kansas City, MO.

Most of the photos I use were taken by me on my travels near and far.    I review each photo, looking for striking colors and strong structural elements.    If you think of the entire design as a pie, I am looking for a perfect “slice” of pie within the picture.  Once I find it, the slice is mirrored and repeated in a circular fashion to create the whole pie, i.e. the kaleidoscopic design.

 

The design then is printed multiple times onto photo paper and I hand cut different elements from each copy of the design with scissors (yes, scissors!). After the cutting is done, I reassemble the pieces into tiered layers separated by foam core, creating the unique three-dimensional kaleidoscopic effect.  Finally, I mount the piece onto mat board and frame it in a shadow box, adding a small copy of the original photo to the piece.

 

 

Each design is available in multiple sizes.  The larger the piece, the more layers the design will have, which gives you even greater depth and dimension.  The larger size also allows for more intricate cutting, providing more texture and more "wow"!

 

 Size
Outside Dimensions Inside Dimensions Frame Color
10x10
9.75" x 9.75" x 2" 9" x 9" x 1.5" Black
13x13
13.5" x 13.5" x 2.75" 12" x 12" x 2.25" Black
16x16
18.5" x 18.5" x 4" 16" x 16" x 3" Custom made reclaimed cedar with museum quality plexiglass front