More Sea Serpent Mosaic

I thought you might want to see a close-up of one of the designs on the dragon that "swims" in Fannie Mae Dees Park. And, given the fact that it's still hot. . .very, very hot. . .and sunny in Nashville, I thought this particular design appropriate!

To note: I'm told that the tiles Silva used were from artwork made by children in neighboring schools. In addition, the diameter of the sun (from the edge of one ray to the edge of one opposite it) is more or less two feet.

By the Sea Serpent

Spread throughout the Nashville area are a number of wonderful parks and greenways. When school is not in session, you can usually find children climbing all over the playgrounds throughout the city. One of the most popular playgrounds in Nashville is the "Dragon Park," or Fannie Mae Dees Park as it is officially known.

In the late 70s, Chilean artist Pedro Silva designed and built the mosaic serpent using chipped, painted tiles. Silva used the tiles to make hundreds of different designs, fairy tales and portraits on the serpent. Included are portraits of Fannie Mae Dees (for whom the park is named), Minnie Pearl, Dolly Parton, and others.

In the photo, the serpent's head is in the foreground. The curled tail is on the right toward the back. And, there are no children around because it's still too hot in Nashville!