Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

Visitng another culture broadens and enriches my view of the world as I try to understand how we are all connected.   I am fascinated by how we are the same and yet so different.   I take lots of pictures of the details, patterns and textures when I travel and bring them home to sort through and absorb.   I let my imagination go to see what I can create that reminds me of my experiences. I am sharing some of my photos and impressions with you.                                                                                               At the base of this kopje, there are petroglyphs - ancient paintings from the Masai people.   Animals, maps, and other information left to assist or tell a story to the next passerby.   This rock formation is tall and wide.  The drawings on the rock are about 5 ft. high. This is a great example of being inspired by nature!  The beautiful crowned crane was the basis for this airplane's tail.        The columns of wood are carved by artists to t

I found a surprise on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater.   Jewelry!   Beautiful beaded jewelry for sale made by the Maasai tribe in that area.   Somewhere around the 1900’s the Maasai and the Europeans met and began trading goods.   The Europeans had beads – glass beads- colorful beads.   So the Maasai became makers and sellers of their jewelry. The Maasai tribe in Africa numbers about half a million people.   Men herd the cattle and women make the jewelry to survive.   The traditional beads were seeds, copper, bone, wood and gourds. Today they use mostly glass. The women sit together watching the children and cooking.   They milk cows and build their homes and cattle pens.   They also bead their jewelry giving great attention to creating beauty with contrast and balance.   Not so different than jewelry makers everywhere. As in most cultures, the intricate pattern and colorful designs are indications of social standing. The more intricate and the more colorful the higher you are

   African Animal Babies There is nothing like a baby and that goes for animal babies too.   Moms and Dads take care of the youngsters in the wild by feeding and teaching.   I thought I would share some baby pictures with you. We were able to see a lion cub encircled by new growth of trees that reminded me of a playpen that gave some protection against predators. A baby Masai giraffe paraded across the dirt road in front of us.   Not a care in the world.   He or she was not very old since the umbilical cord was still attached and swinging.   The fluffy pom poms on her head will soon become horns like moms.   We wondered where mom was. Young zebras stayed close to the adults.   They all needed to be ready to run in case of danger.   When the whole herd runs the stripes make an optical illusion and the predators have a harder time singling one animal out for a kill.