Library of Congress from the view of my camera phone.

As an artist, I draw most of my inspiration from Mother Earth, but visiting national museums and historic buildings in Washington DC can be equally as inspiring. When you live right smack in the middle of the monuments and famous buildings, you tend to forget to explore them. 

Not too long ago, Casey and I headed downtown to explore the Library of Congress. Did you know it’s the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books? I didn’t. I also didn’t know that it is the oldest federal cultural institute in the U.S.

But it wasn’t the books that blew me away. It was the art and architecture. Wow. So much thought was put into decorating the interior of the building and the structure brings in so much light and has amazing lines. I was so mesmerized I almost forgot to look at the Gutenberg Bible that is on display!

Here are some of the wonderful photos Casey took (I need to remember to bring my camera next time. Thank you for letting me use them honey!). You can view more of his photos at www.CollingsPhoto.com.

Photos by Casey Collings (www.Collingsphoto.com).