holarubia - i heart travel and art

Swinging at Smokilious

2010-05-07T10:08:00.001-07:00

This originated on my baby blog, but I thought it would fit here too. I know I've mentioned a few times how much I love Smokilicious, one of the many trailer eateries on South Congress. Tony and Lisa are so friendly, and they make surprisingly yummy food - BBQ chicken, pulled port, breakfast tacos, you name it - in their tiny little trailer. They even catered my birthday party. And to top it off, they installed a baby swing from the amazing tree that shades their little spot. So now Chloe is their number one fan - just wait until she can try the BBQ! They're located just north of Perla's, behind the Austin Pets Alive station. Track it down, especially if you're looking for a mellow place to eat with a baby!

Marla Camp's Radio Program "Tap Roots"

2010-04-20T14:24:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty sure that my dear old friend Marla Camp is the busiest person I've ever met - and she's not faux-busy, as in "Wow I barely had time to get a manicure last week" -type busy. She really has a LOT on her plate, but fortunately for her it's all really cool and fun.

In addition to her incredibly-time-consuming work as Publisher of Edible Austin (a position that has reaped so many benefits for us, since she's the most well-connected foodie person in this city!), she also hosts a monthly radio program called "Tap Roots" through the Heritage Radio Network. Every month she interviews different movers and shakers in the foodie world, particularly people involved in the locavore and sustainable food movement. You can listen to all the previous programs on the web site.

The last program aired April 5, and featured Marla's in-studio (meaning - from NYC!) interviews with Anna Lappe (author of "Diet for a Hot Planet") and Louisa Shafia of Lucid Food. They discussed ways to improve our food system and how eating responsibly can change the world.

"Tap Roots" is a great program for anyone interested in seasonal, local foods - and just check out the show's cute little turnip art (courtesy of cartoonist Sam Hurt)!

Arte Y Chocolate in Austin

2010-03-29T18:19:00.001-07:00

Ah, this poor blog. First it was the baby blog sabotaging my time here, then it was mommy-hood sabotaging my time, then it was the move to Austin sabotaging my time. Now the dust is finally settling and we're getting into a bit of a rhythm, so I'm looking forward to posting here again!

This story is a great re-entry into blogging. This evening, Eric, Chloe, Eric's mother (who's visiting from Cambridge) and I were sitting on our fantastic porch, which faces a street corner that is very popular with walkers making their way to the park. We could see Georgia, one of the little girls who lives across the street, sitting there at a little table, selling something. So I ventured over, with $2 in hand, curious what she was offering.

To my delight, it was chocolate - beautiful little shards of dark choclate, decorated in gorgeous swirls and designs! Turns out her mother Lila is, indeed, a chocolate maker. What an awesome neighbor to have! So this was our introduction to Arte y Chocolate. I purchased $2 worth of chocolate, went back a few minutes later for $2 more, and then Georgia suddenly walked over to our porch to show us even more options. So, $10 later, we suddenly had a nice stock pile of delightful, artisanal, locally-made (across the street!) chocolates. Lucky for all of you, they sell at several local stores and farmers markets, and they have a great web site, just click here to read more. Just when I thought our new home couldn't get any better, the chocolate gods smile down favorably on us...

Sale at Melissa Moss's Etsy Store

2010-01-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

Here's your chance to get a little slice of the beautiful world of Melissa Moss at a discount - to ring in the new year she's offering 20% off everything in her Etsy shop, including calendars, mini paintings, original drawings, prints and even shipping! I just love her work and hope one day to get a huge original painting from her! For now the prints and minis will have to suffice; fortunately she is very prolific and there's always some new delightful creation on her site, like this one above, "Too Happy." Click here to check out her store.

Getty Villa

2009-12-31T16:51:00.000-08:00

It feels like it has been forever since I've been to the Museum - a baby's arrival tends to put a damper on such things! But yesterday I had a terrific outing with my girlfriends to the Getty Villa up in Malibu. I mentioned to Gina that it has been on my to-do list for years, and it looked like I wouldn't make it happen before moving away.
Well she waved her magic wand and got me there, along with Emily and Margie. What a fun way to spend some time with my brunette beauties! It was an unusual day for Southern California - cool, gray and rainy. But the dreary weather made the Villa even more luscious.

Per usual with these girls, it was kind of hard for us to concentrate on anything since we had so much chatting to do, but we had such fun walking the grounds with the Getty umbrellas, and just generally goofing around. Oh, and the Greek and Roman antiquities were stunning too!

This was the longest I've ever been away from Chloe - a whole six and a half hours! She and daddy did great, although apparently she refused to eat, but didn't seem bothered by it. But by the time I walked in she was noshing on some avocado, so all was well.

The Pop Up Shop is back!

2009-12-15T14:00:00.001-08:00

The LB Pop Up shop gang are at it again, this year presenting their very cool wares at Portfolio on 4th Street this coming weekend. I can't believe it has been a year since we first launched the Pop Up. I'm so glad they're doing it again, it's a great way to shop local, and buy some really cool stuff! Click here for more info.

Rest in Peace, Andrea Burden

2009-12-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

I received some really terrible news today - a friend from Austin named Andrea Burden died suddenly of meningitis last Saturday. This is such a loss, both for the art world and for all of us. I didn't know Andrea well, but we kind of ran around in the same crowd when I lived in Austin, and I was always glad to run into her. The last time I saw her was two years ago at the Maker's Faire in Austin. She had her new baby girl with her, and her daughter Bella, who was nine or ten. Andrea was, as usual, just glowing. She always had a huge smile and an aura of happiness radiating about her.

Andrea was an amazing painter. Her work always reminded me a bit of Spanish Surrealist Remedios Varo. You could just get lost in Andrea's world as depicted on canvas - a dreamy, mysterious and beautiful world, much more magical and serene than the one in which we actually live.

This self portrait perfectly captures her spirit. Click here to see more of Andrea's work. I can only begin to imagine the impact of her death among her loved ones in Austin. I know she was adored by all who knew her, and my heart goes out to her family, particularly her darling girls.

Patchwork Festival in LB this Sunday

2009-11-25T12:36:00.001-08:00

So there's a nifty indie arts and crafts festival this Sunday in our neck of the woods. We're so so lucky to have Patchwork right around the corner, at Marine Stadium. It's an offshoot of the popular semi-annual Patchwork Festival in Santa Ana, which I've always wanted to check out and just never can make it. Can't wait to check out all the locally-made goodies!

Gingersnaps with a cause!

2009-11-20T20:42:00.000-08:00

This post is way overdue, inspired by a birthday gift that Eric's mother gave him last July. The gift was a lovely tin continer filled with yummy ginger snap cookies, sent by a non-profit organization called Gingersnaps, which is an agency of the United Way that benefits mentally handicapped people with its sales of yummy cookies and other treats. The treats come in nifty containers, with handmade paper ornaments, made in San Felipe, Texas at Willow River Farm, an organic farm and artisan community.

Gingersnaps is volunteer-driven, and all proceeds benefit 700 children and adults served daily by The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation in Houston, TX. So keep Gingersnaps in mind this coming holiday, if you're in the market for gingersnaps, cheese snaps, chocolate nuggets or fruitcakes! I love finding things like this - nifty, creative gifts that serve a greater purpose!

Soylar Candles

2009-10-04T12:35:00.001-07:00

Our friend Julie told us about a nifty new home-based business here in Long Beach, Soylar Candles, run by a stay-at-home mom named Irene. She came up with the ingenious idea of using all her kids' old baby food jars and other old jars as candle holders, and she now creates and sells the candles online.

Not only are the jars recycled, she uses solar energy to produce the candles, which are are all custom made with phthalate-free soy with lead-free cotton wicks. They are adorable and make a great gift, plus they leave only a tiny footprint! If you're in the LB area, there is free pick up, so you can even avoid shipping costs. She also offers lots of other green goodies, like organic beanies for kids and reusable shopping bags. Good luck, Irene!

Rebecca Mann on Etsy

2009-08-27T15:57:00.001-07:00

An old friend of mine named Rebecca is ridiculously talented - photographer, ceramicist, foodie, artist. She's now taking Etsy by storm with a new shop. I'm sure these amazing mobiles are going to be a big hit. Click here to visit her Etsy shop, and click here to check out her cool blog (feauturing her beautiful boy Calder!).

LB Organic T-shirts at Merry's

2009-08-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Long Beach Organic recently held a Summer Solstice party at our community garden - alas, we didn't make it, as it was just a week after Chloe was born! But I hear it was a great event, and they made these nifty t-shirts to commemorate it. The T’s are made ethically of organic cotton and printed in good ol’ Long Beach. Local artist and gardener James de Boer did the design, and they're available+ in men’s and women’s cuts.

To get your T-Shirt stop by Merry’s Fashion with Passion, Tuesday – Sunday 11ish to 6ish. Bring a check to Long Beach Organic or $15 cash. For each purchase made at Merry’s shop, $1 will be donated to the charity Pennies for Peace, which builds schools to educate children, particularly girls, in Afghanistan. Merry's is a great shop, offering all kinds of goodies made in developing nations, with money going straight back to the artisans behind the good.

LB Depot for Creative Reuse

2009-08-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

For the past year and a half, I've somewhat obsessively saved things like egg cartons, twist ties, wine corks, the green plastic baskets that berries come in, and gift bags (and we've had a lot of those!). Once upon a time all those things would have gone in the trash, but now we can put all that random stuff to use by donating it to the Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse! The brain child of the incredibly sweet Lisa Hernandez, the Depot is one of those win-win propositions - people like me can put a serious dent in their waste and re-purpose all kinds of stuff, and artists, teachers and other creative sorts can put all that stuff to use! Shopping there is such a blast, and gets your creative juices flowing. I always leave there trying to think of ways I could use some broken ceramic tiles, wooden nickels and beer caps, among other things. There is a section of free stuff for teachers to use in classroom projects. How cool is this??

This "magical shop" is now an official non-profit, and they have a list of ways we can all suppor their mission to "Promote, Inspire and Encourage creative reuse of all those items that don't make it to the thrift stores but too good to put in the trash!"

1. Sign up online for eScrip and follow the instructions to register your grocery and credit/debit cards. Everytime you shop at Vons, etc, or use your cards, the merchant partners contribute to us at no cost to you! We are under "The Long Beach Depot for Creative ReUse".

2. Please tell all of your Artists friends, Teachers, Students, etc. about "The Depot"."

3. Write, Call or Email anyone who's connected with the Media (newspapers, magazines, t.v., etc.) including stars like Ed Begley, Jr., Oprah, Ellen Degeneres, Tyra Banks, Justin Timberlake, Al Gore and yes, even President Obama on the importance of small "green" businesses like "The Depot" that help boost the economy and is good for the environment! Let them know that "The Depot" would be a great model for others to emulate across the country! Imagine Creative Reuse shops in every community!

There is also a link on their web site for those of you who may want to contribute via Paypal.
You can also follow them on Twitter: twitter.com/creativereuse

"Choose to ReUse...Art is Education!"

Fab Etsy Stuff for Babies

2009-08-04T14:07:00.001-07:00

We were given so many amazing baby gifts from sundry Etsy sellers, I really have to give a shout out to these terrific artists and crafters.

Devilish Grin
Margie gave Chloe this incredibly adorable kimono (with matching booties!) from Devilish Grin. I'm so in love with the fabric - wish I could get a mommy-sized dress in that fabric.

Organic Quilt
We received two quilts from Organic Quilt, plus some great burp cloths. Again, the fabrics are so gorgeous. Chloe hasn't used these quilts, I'm waiting until she gets through the massive spit up stage!

Tiddly Winks
I was the shopper here...just had to get Lily the Lion for Chloe, plus a little Elephant for wee Lola.

Backwoods Babies
Karin gave us this nifty portable changing pad (the one on the far left), which we actually use as her main changing pad in the living. This thing has probably gotten more use than anything else we received!

Bundled
Sophie gave us a now-indespensable diaper organizer thingy from Bundled. It's perfect, compact and so cute (again in fabric that I want to turn into a dress!).

I'd like to include here some small, non-chain shops that have great things for kids. We love Etsy, but we also want to support locally-owned businesses!

No Sugar Added in Claremont, CA

Sol Baby in Hermosa Beach, CA

Ashley (and Anne!) at Pacific Art League

2009-07-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

Our friend Ashley Smith created this gorgeous painting of his wife Anne - it's uncanny, how perfectly he captured her (with kitty and pregnant belly!). I love how realistic it is, yet so dreamy and sublime. I know Ashley more for his theater work, and I always forget what an amazing 2D artist he is. Fortunately the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto, CA took notice, and accepted this piece for their upcoming exhibition"Figures and Faces." It opens Friday, August 7. Oh how I wish we could travel north for the opening! The painting is titled is ANNE, oil on board, measuring 14.5" x 33.5. Congrats Ashley!

Fantastic Plastic in Johnson City, TX

2009-07-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

I discovered Rebecca Tolk's lovely Holga photography at Yard Dog Gallery in Marfa, TX last year. Not only are her moody, mysterious shots so appealing, she mounts them on little wooden boxes made from reclaimed barn wood. How cool is that? I learned from her newsletter about the show above, the Fantastic Plastic show in Johnson City, TX, my old stomping grounds! I love this concept, a show of works all created by the cool old vanguard of cameras - Dianas, Holgas, pinholes, etc. The show opens tomorrow and runs through Sept. 19. Click here for details.

I hope they do this again next year when we'll be living nearby again! Who knows, maybe I'll dust off my Diana camera and try to enter one of my shots. This image, "Oatgrass," is Rebecca's work in the show.

Henry Levine on Etsy

2009-07-15T15:26:00.001-07:00

I'm finally coming out of my baby haze to do a little art blogging! Eric's old friend Henry Levine is an amazing craftsman, specializing in custom wood furniture. Someday hopefully we can commission him to design and build some furniture for us. Fortunately, he also offers some starter items, like these beautiful votive holders, made from re-purposed solid chunks of American black walnut and now available at his new Etsy shop. I love it when such talented artists join Etsy!

Flora Bowley's online sale

2009-06-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

I blogged a while back about Flora Bowley, whose lovely work we discovered on a trip to Seattle. She's having a nifty online sale of her "mini" paintings, little 8 x 8" gems painted on bamboo. And she's offering them on a sliding scale! So you can have a little original Bowley for between $95 and $165. Click here to check it out.

Junebug Art by Lisa Dawson

2009-05-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

I have to give a plug to the artist behind this gorgeous piece of art, given to Junebug by my friends, sisters Kelly and Jackie. They commissioned it from a Long Beach artist named Lisa Dawson. I love it so much, and can't wait to watch JB grow up with her in her life. Lisa doesn't have a web site yet, but I will post when she does!

Lisa is hosting a "Make Your Own Art" workshop at The Kids are Alright in Long Beach on Wednesday, June 3rd. Click here for details!

Rest in Peace, Grandma Vada

2009-05-26T11:45:00.001-07:00

My last grandparent passed away last Thursday, and the world lost a mighty force of nature. My paternal Grandmother, Vada Edith Marshall, just turned 96 years old and was, until the very end, one of the strongest people I could ever hope to meet. While her health was not great in recent years, her mind was as sharp as ever and she was fully lucid until her final moments. Eric and I raced to Dallas for a quick visit a few weeks ago, so she was able to feel the baby belly and knew she had another great-grandchild on the way (actually, two on the way, as Cousin Gretchen is also expecting!). We're all sad to see her go - but BRAVO! What a life! She made us all proud and I'm so happy knowing our little Junebug has a little piece of Vada inside her.

So, as I did when dear Grandma Norma passed two years ago, I've come up with a Grandma Vada Top Ten list. Here, in no particular order, are some great memories I have of Vada:

10. Her appearance at our wedding. I'll never forget when, the day before our wedding, my dad pulled into Austin from Dallas with Grandma in the car, and she had a hospital bracelet on her wrist. "Um - was Grandma in the hospital?" I asked Pop. "Oh yeah, Grandma had a heart attack a few days ago." WHAT?? Then Grandma said "Yes but I told the doctor that he had to let me go today so that I could go to my granddaughter's wedding in Austin." I think they literally drove directly from the hospital to our wedding site, three hours away. That perfectly illustrates Vada's resilience. Here we are just after the ceremony.

9. Videos of a younger Grandma - a hilarious memory I have of Grandma happened way before I was born. In a video my Grandpa shot while they were out somewhere in the country, near a river, Grandma is walking along a shady dirt path. There was camping gear and tents. But per Grandma's usual clothing preference, she was wearing a dress and pumps - I think she even had hose on. My mom told me even when Grandma would come to pool parties, she'd dip her feet in the pool with her hose on. Impeccably dressed, that Vada!

8. Her stories of childhood - I loved her stories of growing up in a small Kansas town. Since she was the oldest of the siblings, she got to ride her own pony to school, where her two younger sisters had to share one.

7. Going through her jewelry with her - as most Grandmas do, Vada had an endless array of jewelry she had collected over the years. In the last few years, as she was trying to get the grandchildren to "claim" some of her things, I told her I'd like to see her jewelry. So a couple of my visits were dominated by sifting through several boxes and suitcases of amazing old costume jewelry, and listening to her stories of their origin.

6. Sitting on her back patio - she was very proud of the fact that she never fenced in her back yard, and her back patio was such a fabulous, open spot for our frequent family gatherings. There she is on her patio in the top photo. This is a typical gathering with the cousins, for Grandma's 95th birthday last year.

5. Traveling to Florida with her when I was a teenager - she and I went to visit my Dad in, I think, 1985 in Vero Beach, Florida. I just remember having a great time with Grandma, although I was a little afraid of her driving. But walking on the beach with her was great.

4. Her flowers and fruit - Grandma had quite the green thump (which my Dad seems to have inherited, but appears to have skipped me). She always had the most amazing roses and other flowers and some veggies. She had great fruit trees too, and made some amazing jams with the fresh plums and other offerings from the trees. Dad has done a great job of keeping her little urban garden alive.

3. Her and Grandpa's 50th Anniversary - I so clearly remember Grandma and Grandpa's 50th anniversary party in 1984 (I think). I was so amazed at all of their friends and all of their amazing gifts. And I got to wear my first strapless dress - I felt very grown up and proud of having such a long marriage in the family. And Grandma looked so happy and pretty.

2. Grandma squabbling with my Dad - since my Dad lived with and took care of Grandma for the last 12 years or so, invariably The Dueling Marshalls would clash a bit, but it was usually just pretty hilarious to watch. Like when kittens pretend to swat at each other.

1. My last visit - Grandma's health took a rapid turn for the worse last month. The catheter for her dialysis was not working, and after surgery attempting to prepare it she had a couple of strokes. She was still lucid, but unable to walk, feed herself, or say more than a few words. So we made a quick trip, fearing this would be our last chance to see her. It was difficult to see her that way, but on my last visit of the weekend, I distinctly heard her say "How's Miss Cari?" when I walked in the room. I'm so happy that I could tell her that I was well, and that Junebug was on her way soon. It was a very intense reminder of the cycle of life - Grandma on her deathbed, while Junebug was squirming inside me.

Summer Solstice Party at the Garden

2009-05-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

Who knows if we'll be able to attend this (since it's nine days after my due date), but our community garden is hosting what looks like a super fun Summer Solstice Party on Sunday, June 21 (also Father's Day!).

Artists, artisans and crafters, if you'd like to be a part of the Artisan Market (focusing on homegrown and handmade items), post a message and I'll let you know how. Hopefully we'll be in attendance with the Junebug (on the outside)!!

The Path Less Pedaled

2009-05-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

Our friends Russ and Laura are preparing for a really incredible adventure: a pedal-powered project (aka: a really long bike tour) that will (hopefully) take them around the world over the next few years. WOW!

They're calling their project The Path Less Pedaled. Their web site is full of great information about the project, but right now they're trying to get rid of stuff and line up potential sponsors. Down the road (so to speak) they'll be looking for hosts/connections in sundry cities around the country and world, so my friends out there, be on the lookout, you know I'm passing along your information!

I love this concept so much! I'm so inspired by people who dream BIG - and then actually strive to make that dream happen! Even just reading about their process of getting rid of their stuff is so interesting. Russ is an awesome photographer, so this journey is going to be amazingly documented, I'm sure. Be on the lookout for this courageous duo!

"Grief Becomes Me" at the Art Theatre

2009-05-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the premier of a very special film, "Grief Becomes Me." It's a bit hard to describe, but over the course of the last five years, filmmaker Christine Fugate has chronicled the life of our dear friend Donna Hilbert. Donna has had a rich and at times tragic life, and it all comes through so beautifully in her poetry. Christine uses Donna's poetry to tell her story, focusing on life, death and heaven. It is so beautiful, and after watching the project grow over the so many years, I am so happy for them that it is complete - and really wonderful!! They've submitted it to HBO and, I believe, sundry film festivals, so perhaps one day it will play near you. For now you can click here to read more about it.

The premier was here in Long Beach at the newly-restored Art Theatre. The city owes a huge amount of gratitude to Helen and Mark Vidor and their partners for lovingly restoring this old theater, and supporting small, independent ventures such as this. Here are Donna and Christine, with their film on the marquee!

Stoked Sessions LA this weekend

2009-04-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

This just in from some friends in LA. Looks like a fun arty event and fundraiser. I'm sorry we can't make it! Click here to read more about Stoked Mentoring, looks like a really cool organization!

Korakia in Palm Springs

2009-04-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

I SO love staying at the Korakia in Palm Springs. It's incredibly peaceful. We first went for our honeymoon and try to make it back once a year. It's amazing that it's only a two hour drive from LA. It was nice to be back for our fifth anniversary - our last without a little one in tow!

I always turn into even more of a shutterbug than usual when we're there. Between the architecture and that unusual desert light, it's very inspiring for photography. Thought I'd share a few photos I snapped around the hotel...

Daniel Wheeler's "Gulp" in the LA Times

2009-04-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

It was so great to actually see arts coverage in the front section of the LA Times yesterday (part of the California section, now that it has been folded into the front). There was a piece about Daniel Wheeler's "Gulp" series of photographs. I love Daniel's work - he's on the board of the University Art Museum at CSULB and donated a "Gulp" photo to an auction I curated there. He shoots the photos from under water in various swimming pools around Los Angeles (sometimes surreptitiously, chasing a good photo wearing a wetsuit!). What he captures are ghostly and, sometimes, eery visions of canopies of trees, clouds, smoke...whatever may be in the sky that day. Click here to view the LA Times piece (which includes a nifty slide show of images), and click here to view Daniel's site, where you can view more "Gulp" images plus his wide range of other types of artwork.

Happy Five-Twelve to Us!

2009-04-09T11:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary to us! Hard to believe it has been five years since that amazing day in Austin. We actually call this our "five-twelve" - five years married, but 12 years together. The best 5/12 of my life! We're off to celebrate this weekend in Palm Springs - our honeymoon spot.

Shop Whole Foods to Support KCRW!

2009-04-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

A heads up that all Whole Foods stores in LA and Orange Counties will donate 5% of Wednesday's (tomorrow) proceeds to the world's greatest (IMHO) radio station, KCRW. So hit Whole Foods tomorrow and support all of their great public programming! Click here for more info.

April 4 - a date I'll always remember

2009-04-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

As my friends know, I have this weird calendar brain - if you tell me your birthdate, I can tell you what day of the week your next birthday will fall on. Completely useless and pointless, but a good party trick. I also remember key dates in my life, and I'll always remember today's date - April 4 - for two events.

Five years ago on April 4, 2004, I departed with about a dozen girlfriends for the Dabbs Railroad Hotel in Llano, a couple hours from Austin, for the best bachelorette party/bridal shower ever. We had the whole place to ourselves for 24 hours, and we had such a blast. I had friends there from Austin, Houston, New York, Amsterdam and Long Beach, and I'll never forget what a special time it was. I can't believe we didn't get a pic of the full group, but here are several of us with Gary, the greatest host ever (on the left, sharing my feather boa). That's Bubba in back. No seriously, his name really is Bubba. And yes, I'm wearing pajama bottoms, a red slip and a blue feather boa. It's funny to think that four ladies here are either currently pregnant or just had a baby. There must have been something in that cowgirl coffee that Gary prepared!

Thank you again to Christine and Tammy for such a great outing! Here they are in their honorary bridesmaid hats.

And five years before that, on April 4, 1999, I departed Austin on an Amtrak train bound for New York City. It really doesn't seem possible that it has been ten years since I left Austin. It remains probably the saddest day of my life, because I left Eric on the station platform, and I was a sobbing mess. But it was an amazing two-day journey, and disembarking in Penn Station in NYC was one of the most thrilling events I've ever experienced. Fortunately, Eric joined me full time in NYC within six months, and the rest, as they say, is history. I don't have any shots from the big departure, but I did find the invite to my going away party.

Closing day and final flurry of visitors

2009-04-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already a "wrap," but I'm so happy with the exhibition, and it was such fun working on it simultaneous with being pregnant with Junebug. I started working on the show the same month I found out I was pregnant, so it has been a really interesting experience, expecting a girl while immersing myself in the feminist issues explored here. Thanks for all your inspiration, Junebug!

The final visitorship was 1,570 - a pretty remarkable number considering it was only open three weeks, and for only 18 hours per week. I'm happy!

During the last two days of the exhibition, six more friends (plus one wee baby) came to visit! I have to say I think I have the most amazing group of girlfriends, who found time in their busy week to trek to Cypress. Thank you so much, ladies! And now, for the final "gallery" of visitors with their faves:

Brenda with Moira Hahn's "Staycation." I think this piece helped trigger a little spring fever in everyone.

...and Brenda with DJ Hall's "Giggle." She was about to take off for a reunion with her college girlfriends, and found this piece inspiring.

Jen with Selina Trieff's "The Travelers." I was happy to see people connect with Selina's work - her figures are so mysterious that I think some folks find them unsettling, but three visitors today really gravitated to them. Which bring us to...

Sophie with Selina's "Two Women in Red." I love how the figure on the right is seemlingly staring at Sophie.

Kristen (with wee Isla) and Moira's "Staycation." I'm so glad Kristen was able to make it. She's a terrific artist and can capture the human figure so beautifully - I should have included her work! Funny that the last two baby visitors were named Isla (the Scottish pronunciation!).

Myriam with DJ Hall's "Giggle." She said the ladies made her feel "uneasy." I heard that a lot with DJ's figures. They are kind of unsettling, looking both estactic and melancholy at the same time. The blond is totally checking out Myriam.

And, last but certainly not least, Kelly with Selina's "Two Women in Red." Poor Kelly had to navigate around the crew, who were holding off on deinstallation until after her visit. Sorry for the rush, Kelly!

Thanks again everyone!

LBMA peeps visit "Femme on Femme"

2009-04-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Margie, accompanied by a bunch of her colleagues from Long Beach Museum of Art (my professional alma mater), visited the exhibition yesterday. I asked her to take a pic of each gal with her favorite painting - it looks like they had a lot of fun! Here we go...

Margie with Moira Hahn's "Staycation" (one of my personal faves)...

Bianca with DJ Hall's "I've Gotta Secret"...

Candice also loved the secret...

Haley with Regina Allen's "Eye of God"...

Elissa with Moira Hahn's "Logic"...

Sandy with DJ Hall's "Twinkle"...

Megan with Taravat Talepasand's "The Order of the Sun and Lion"...

...and Megan in the Regina Allen gallery. Everyone's entitled to more than one favorite! Thanks so much for visiting, ladies!

Emily's fave at "Femme on Femme"

2009-03-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

Emily was my latest date to visit "Femme on Femme," and guess which painting was her favorite - yep, it was Regina Allen's "Eye of God." I'm seeing a trend here!

I can't believe it's almost time for the show to close already. After working on it for about seven months (around the same time I got pregnant!), it's hard to believe it is almost over. It closes this Thursday; I have a couple more groups of friends visiting this weekend, so it should be a good final push, then we'll get the total number of visitors.

Freebie Friday at Melissa Moss's Etsy Shop

2009-03-27T13:32:00.001-07:00

What lucky ducks are we? Today is Freebie Friday at Melissa Moss's Etsy shop - you can get two of her prints (not original drawings or paintings, or the limited editions) for 2-for-1! I love her work so much, this is very dangerous for my art shopping addiction...

I just got these two - one for Junebug, one as a baby gift for a friend who is due soon (hope she's not reading my blog!). Click here to start your shopping!

Gallery Visit with Erin and Isla

2009-03-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

This morning was so lovely. My friend Erin and her darling daughter Isla accompanied me to visit "Femme on Femme." Here they are in front of one of their favorite works, "Eye of God" by Regina Allen. This is such a popular piece - some lucky duck is going to snatch it up for their collection, I'm sure.

What a nice way to start the week!

Farewell, Day to Day

2009-03-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Working at home alone, I'm very dependent on outside voices to keep me company - which means I listen to NPR pretty much all day long. For six years now, the 9-10am hour meant listening to "Day to Day," a rather encyclopedic news program that covered stories around the world - from right here in the LA area.

But today I'm feeling a little sad (and a little mad at NPR!); the last broadcast of "Day to Day" just aired, and it's a real loss to the airwaves. As if watching the LA Times shrink daily wasn't heartbreaking enough, now I must lose the familiar voices of Madeleine Brand and Alex Cohen, who were so engaging in their coverage of national and world affairs.

Fortunately, they're not completely gone. Here are links to follow them online, along with D2D's producer, Steve Proffitt. Day to Day, you will be missed!

Madeleine Brand
www.madeleinebrand.com

Alex Cohen
www.alexcoheninla.blogspot.com/

Steve Proffitt
www.nicejobmedia.blogspot.com

"Femme on Femme" Brochure

2009-03-18T04:52:00.000-07:00

Thought I should share the nifty exhibition brochure that Paul created for the exhibition. It includes one work by each artist, my curator's statement, and an exhibition checklist. Click on each image for a larger version. Enjoy!

"Femme on Femme" opening reception

2009-03-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

At last, the show is open! It was great to see so many friendly faces at the opening on Wednesday. I hope everyone discovered a gem of an artwork that left a lingering yummy taste on their arty tastebuds!

Thank you to Eric (aka: the sweetest husband EVER) for being on photo duty (and printing duty, and shlepping duty, and curator-calming duty), and to Gallery Director Paul Paiement and his crew (especially Ron!) for the beautiful installation. And of course, thank you to the artists for creating pieces that so beautifully transport us to different worlds. FYI, the show is open until April 2; hours are Mon-Thurs 10am-2pm. I believe it is also open on Tuesday evenings.

I've pasted some photos from the evening below - click here if you want to see all of them.

With Tim Sailor in front of DJ Hall's "Twinkle."

With Regina Allen in front of her works "American Girl" and "Playdate."

With Gallery Director Paul Paiement in front of Regina Allen's "Eye of God."

With Donna Hilbert and Helen Lorenzini in front of Selina Trieff's "Two Women in Red," "The Travelers," and "Two Women in Shawls."

With Gina Caywood and Georgia Case in front of Taravat Talepasand's "The Order of the Sun and Lion" and "Order of the Sun I."

With Monica Malin in front of Selina Trieff's "Woman with Red Flower."

"Femme on Femme" Curator Statement

2009-03-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

Since I managed to eek this out of my brain, I may as well share it - my curator's statement for "Femme on Femme":

When visitors walk into an art museum showcasing an encyclopedic selection of artwork from across the centuries and around the world, what are they likely to see? Viewing the works chronologically, they may see reliefs of Nefertiti with her children, numerous works depicting the Madonna, and perhaps such seminal pieces as Johannes Vermeer’s “The Kitchen Maid,” 1660, or Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ “The Valpinçon Bather,” 1808. These are all exquisite artworks of female subjects – depicted by male artists.

Finally, toward the end of the 19th Century, viewers might stumble on work by female artists, perhaps “Tea” by Mary Cassatt, 1880 (although work by Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet and Pierre August Renoir would likely be in greater abundance). Even well into the 20th Century, with a few notable exceptions such as Georgia O’Keefe and Frida Kahlo, female artists are exceedingly under-represented in the history of art.

As the New York-based artist collective Guerrilla Girls asked in 1989: Do women have to be naked to get into the Metropolitan Museum?

In modern society, the exploration of the meaning of “feminism” and “equality” is often boiled down either to clichés (lipstick on a pig, anyone?), or numbers (pay disparities between men and women). Yet in the art world, it is often women themselves digging into this topic, in nuanced and often subtle ways that would be hard to find in mainstream commentary.

“Femme on Femme” provides a snapshot of how seven contemporary Southern California female artists explore, through their work, the female form – for millennia, the purview of male artists – and feminist issues, which is still in relative infancy. Using vastly disparate techniques, these artists provide their personal perspective on the modern woman – often, the examination is of themselves and their own lives, and the supposed roles they fill in this contemporary culture, whether as wife, mother, or single gal.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Cypress College Art Gallery and its Director, Paul Paiement, for the opportunity to examine this topic. My thanks also go to the artists and galleries for being so generous in loaning their outstanding and intriguing work, and to my husband Eric for perpetually supporting my art habit.

Cari Marshall
Curator, “Femme on Femme”

Femme on Femme installation, part deux

2009-03-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

Just returned from checking on the installation, which is humming along. The placement of works that Paul and I discussed the other day worked out really well, so let the hanging begin! Here's Taravat's work going up.

Here are Selina's works, about to be hung. I'm so happy they're in a spot that gets loads of natural light, all their shimmery-ness will really come out!

This is where Mary Woronov's work will go. I was so sad to have to leave one piece behind at her studio - it was too big for both the van AND the gallery!

And here is where the lovely work by Regina Allen will be. It's her piece that's on the invite and banner. They look terrific, all hanging together!

The last two artists whose work weren't staged enough to photograph are Cynthia Evans and Moira Hahn (two Long Beach artists!). I hope to get those shot on Monday.

Here's yours truly with that awesome banner! I have been working on this show since before I got pregnant, so it has been quite a journey. It has been really interesting, being pregnant with a little girl while working on a show that explores feminist issues. I feel like the little Junebug has been along for the ride and inspiring me along the way!

Installing "Femme on Femme"

2009-03-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

At last we started installing "Femme on Femme" yesterday (after an epic day of art pickups in LA on Saturday). There were several Cypress College art students on hand to help - they were great and very conscientous. That's one of DJ Hall's amazing works in the background...

We're still figuring out placement, but it's fun to experiment. Here are three of Selina Treiff's works adjacent to DJ's in the entryway gallery, which has plenty of breathing room and really lovely natural light.

Here's Paul, next to a gorgeous work by Bay Area-artist Taravat Talepasand, which looks beautiful bathed in sunlight...

Click on any of these photos to view larger versions.

Oh goody, a banner! Paul designed the banner, and it looks terrific. Here are the intrepid students installing it...

I'm so happy to know I can have the banner when the show is over. It might have to go into Junebug's room (when she has a room, one day!).

Here's a long shot of the banner outside the gallery...I think it's quite eye-catching! Hopefully enough to bring strolling peeps inside...

My show - Femme on Femme at Cypress College Art Gallery

2009-02-24T17:32:00.001-08:00

I'm going to send the next few posts writing about "Femme on Femme," an exhibition that I'm curating for the Cypress College Art Gallery. The show features work by nine female artists either depicting the female form or exploring feminist issues. It's a concept that has been floating around in my head for a long time, so it has been really wonderful to actually make it a reality!

I love the piece featured in the invite, "Eye of God" by Regina Allen. I'll be writing more about her and her gorgeous work later...

Flora Bowley at ArtForte Gallery in Seattle

2009-02-20T14:19:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot about one more post from our trip. In Seattle we spent a little time checking out some galleries in Pioneer Square, one of downtown's oldest neighborhoods. A big gorgeous painting in the window of Art Forte Gallery caught our eye - a work by Flora Bowley. This is her piece above. I heart it! It's no surprise that I connected with it, it fits perfectly into that category of work that I always fall for - abstract, vibrant colors, full of life - although she definitely has her own unique style. She infuses her work with fun splashes of nature in a lovely way, without being maudlin or over the top about it.

I hoped she was a new artist whose work could be had for a bargain. No such luck. She has been around for a while and her prices are definitely out of our wee budget. Although, I do see she offers giclee prints of her work at very reasonable prices. Click here for info. Hmm, might have to add one to the baby registry!

Click here to visit Flora's terrific web site.

2009-02-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

And, finally, our trip ended in gorgeous Seattle, which neither of us had visited in more than 15 years. We also have old friends who live there, so on this trip we were really blessed by the host and hostest fairies! Our friend Nikki works at the Seattle Art Museum, which made it easy to both see her and check out a terrific museum. I was so thrilled to learn of the current exhibition, Edward Hopper's Women, inspired by an incredible gift - Hopper's "Chop Suey" will one day be in SAM's collection. I (like most people, I suppose) love Hopper's work so much (click here to read my post about an amazing retrospective of his work at the Boston MFA - featuring none other than "Chop Suey"). The SAM show is small-ish, focusing on Hopper's paintings of women, mostly in urban settings. It's a wonderful, intimate exhibition, and I'm so delighted I was able to see "Chop Suey" in person again, and to know that it will belong to a public institution.

At the Hopper link above, be sure to go to "CLICK IT" to view a nifty interactive component, where you can learn more about "Chop Suey."

The next day our friends took us to the Asian Art Museum, technically a part of SAM but in another location (SAM's original location), a lovely hilltop site in Volunteer Park (here we are in front of the Museum - you can barely see the Space Needle in the background). The current exhibition is stunning; Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur, featuring gorgeous paintings from the royal Indian courts of Rajasthan from the 17th to the 19th century. Produced for the Rajasthan nobles, these paintings have never been published; most have been seen by just a few scholars since their creation. The museum was smart and offered visitors magnifying glasses, all the better to view the incredible little details of the works. The piece above is Bakhat Singh in the Moonlight, ca. 1735. The educational components were great - little saris for the kids to try on, treasure hunts to help them find fun little details in the works. It was fun to be there with a five-year-old...

And this is just a general shout out to the fabulous coffee of Seattle. I can't even remember the name of the coffee shop where I shot this (there are so many!) but they were such beautiful lattes and a perfect scone, I had to catch it. The yummy coffees helped me forget that I'm a temporary decaf drinker!

Thank you again to all our hosts for a really memorable trip - another testament to travel in the US. There's an embarrassment of riches within a 2 or 3 hour flight of all of us!

Swantown Inn B&B in Olympia, WA

2009-02-05T19:46:00.000-08:00

I love staying in random cities I've never really considered visiting. When we decided to Amtrak from Portland to Seattle we thought we'd make a pit stop along the way at a new destination. With its location on the southern tip of Puget Sound, and being the Washington State Capital, we figured Olympia, WA would be a lovely place to check out. Its preponderance of B&Bs was a good sign (must have lots of B&B-type visitors!).

We decided on the Swantown Inn for two main reasons - it was walking distance to Olympia's wee downtown, and it offered on-site massages (including prenatal!) in The Attic Spa. So a couple hours after we left Portland we disembarked in Olympia (actually, in a neighboring town), saw a public bus that said "Olympia," and climbed aboard. The ride was only $1 (versus $30 for a taxi) so it was a real score.

The driver was so nice and helped us figure out where to get off - smack in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It was one of those "hope we're in the right place!" moments as we carried our luggage through the light drizzle and past cute little bungalows. We turned a corner and voila - a huge, gorgeous 19th century Victorian house, our new home for the next two nights!

And it did not disappoint. The owners, Nathan and Casey (and adorable five-month-old daughter Lauren) were terrific hosts, and their breakfasts were the best. I still crave their cranberry scones and decadent french toast! The Attic Spa is a total score - a brilliant way to use the attic space, and a real delight. (I wish there were some photos from their site I could include here). We had a 30 minute foot soak while sipping hot tea and nibbling chocolate truffles. Delightful! Then we each had a great massage and then, I think, took a nap (because our room, the Percival, was so incredibly comfy). Now that's a vacation.

Between the B&B being so nice and the weather being so cold, we didn't explore the town a whole lot, although we did visit the lovely state capital. I'm sure Olympia and its environs have much to offer, but all I can really attest to is the lovely Swantown Inn. Here's Eric at the bus stop as we await our ride back to the Amtrak station. Onward to Seattle!

Amtrak from Portland to Olympia

2009-02-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

I have no idea if any of you are interested in watching another video clip of another train ride (click here to view my last train adventure), but I just love having this! It totally takes me back to the feeling and sounds of train travel - my absolute favorite way to wander. This was on a very snowy day, riding from Portland, OR to Olympia, WA. We were so glad not to be flying!

Podnah's Pit BBQ and Sahagun Chocolates in Portland, OR

2009-02-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a lovely trip to the Pacific Northwest, starting in one of my favorite cities, Portland, Oregon. We are lucky enough to have good friends who live there who happen to be total foodies - and each own a business that should be on the "must see" list of any true foodie out there!

Rodney's restaurant is Podnah's Pit BBQ, and being a true-blooded Texas girl, I was so delighted to feast on some truly Texan deliciousness. We actually spent practically a whole day at Podnah's, first for Sunday brunch, where Rodney prepared a special taster menu for us that included breakfast tacos (the best salsa I've had in a looonng time - perhaps ever?), his famous homemade biscuits (click here for the Oregonian's rave review), and an unbelievably tasty trout hash - fresh smoked trout mixed with potatoes, and topped with a perfectly poached egg. YUM. It's a rough time to not be drinking coffee or alcohol - it would have been great to have some cowgirl coffee and a mimosa with this meal!

Since brunch required a nap, we went home and slept it off, then returned to Podnah's for dinner. I'm not sure I've ever been to one restaurant on the same day. And of course it was pure deliciousness again. Rodney himself arrives at Podnah's at 5am every day to get the meat on the smoker (that's him at left!), so he offers up some of the most amazing brisket and pulled pork (and chicken, and trout...). I ordered the brisket, which was an insanely large pile of melt-in-your-mouth meat, but I must say, after tasting Elizabeth's pulled-pork sandwich, I'd have to order that next time. But my brisket wrapped in a tortilla and smothered in his homemade sauce was devine. I'm very thankful there are some yummy non-alocholic beers out there, since this meal demanded a beer!

The following day, it was Elizabeth's turn to wow us. It's so unfair that a couple should have TWO amazing food minds! Her specialty is chocolates, and she has the most darling little chocolate shop called Sahagun. I remember back in NY when Elizabeth started experimenting with making chocolate, and she has certainly mastered it. Her chocolates ruined us on all other chocolates long ago, and we're so delighted to learn that she now ships! She experiments with the most delightful flavors (cardamom truffle anyone?) and takes great pride in using the best, fresh ingredients.

Oh and she offers the most knee-buckling hot chocolate you'll ever have. It's totally bliss in a mug. This is me about to venture in hot chocolate euphoria. It's a good thing chocolate is not on the pregnancy no-no list; I would have started to sob if I couldn't partake!

Cunning Little Vixen at Long Beach Opera

2009-01-20T15:12:00.001-08:00

For the first time ever, we purchased season tickets to a performing arts group! Long Beach Opera convinced us to sign on with their ingenious and clever productions. Even for people like us who know pretty much nothing about opera, we always enjoy such fresh performances. Plus, for a brief time they offered 50% off season tickets, so we signed up.

This past Saturday's was LBO's first (of only three) productions this year. All we knew going into the performance was the title: "The Cunning Little Vixen." We had no idea what is was about, thinking it would be fun to just be surprised. When the first performers appeared in animal costumes - a dragonfly, an owl, a mosquito - my initial thought was "An animal opera? Really?" But we were quickly swept away into the story of a charming, Chaplin-esque "vixen" (apparently a female fox) and her adventures in both the forest and the land of humans. It was so lovely and clever. The costumes were just amazing; the costume designer brought together what looked like a thrift store full of discarded clothes and somehow turned them with great effect into chickens, foxes, birds and other critters. Written in 1924 by Czech composer Leoš Janácek, "Cunning Little Vixen" is charming and colorful.

You're in luck, there's one more show, this coming Sunday, January 25. Click here for information. There was a great review of the show in the LA Times on Monday - I love how they drew a metaphor as LBO being the cunning little fox in these tough economic times. Click here to read the review.

Even in these tough times, LBO is finding a way to give back - $10 from every LBO ticket purchase for The Cunning Little Vixen will provide 5 meals for the hungry at the Long Beach Rescue Mission.

The Day is Finally Here

2009-01-20T08:16:00.001-08:00

It's such an unusual feeling - excitement, anticipation and pride about our President! I still have to pinch myself. I'm so thankful to be alive during such an important historical moment. GOBAMA!!

I have friends from Texas who are on the National Mall today - I'm so jealous! I got a text from Kate yesterday, saying she saw Malia in a motorcade. :)

You can order a commemorative edition of this fabulous New Yorker cover, just click here. It's free!

Project Have Hope

2009-01-14T11:25:00.001-08:00

When I was in Cambridge, my sister-in-law took me to a really great holiday boutique in a lovely old home. There were six or seven vendors there, each selling things they had hand crafted - except for one gal, who was selling gorgeous beaded jewelry on behalf of Project Have Hope.

I had never heard of this before, and now I love the concept! The beads are actually paper, and are created by a group of 100 women in the Acholi Quarter of Uganda (one of whom is our model here - aren't the beads so lovely?). Proceeds from the sales help these women feed their families, send their children to school, and to establish business opportunities to promote economic stability and sustainability.

So, you can purchase this fabulous jewelry (it became Christmas gifts for many of my girlfriends), AND help women who are working to better their lives! Their web site is terrific. You can read about hosting your own bead party, or you can purchase jewelry, photos and music directly. I love how they photograph their jewelry wrapped around fresh vegetables - like this lovely bejeweled corn!

Where's a bailout for the arts?

2009-01-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

I recently read a commentary by Michael Kaiser, president of the JFK Cener for the Performing Arts, that perfectly summed up my feelings about what's happening financially in the art world (and what has been happening for years). This country has a terrible track record when it comes to public support for cultural aspects of our lives, and we're starting to pay the price.

Click here to read Kaiser's insightful piece. I do hope Obama's administration is able to put even a tiny bit more focus on the arts, which are as invaluable - if not more so - than all these other sectors we keep hearing about teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

Bow Street Gallery in Cambridge

2008-12-29T17:47:00.000-08:00

Back to Cambridge we go! The weather warmed up for me to take a lengthy stroll one afternoon, and I explored areas outside the square I hadn't discovered before. I stumbled on a lovely little contemporary art gallery called the Bow Street Gallery. It's in the kind of space that I dream of owning for a gallery one day - funky old building, flooded with tons of natural light from tall windows, and high ceilings. It also happens to show the kind of art that I love - contemporary work by artists I've never heard of before (although I'm sure they're better known in the region - my knowledge is pretty limited to Southern California).

The gallery was in mid-installation when i visited, so I didn't get a good gander at the works, but I love the photo on their site of the current installation, Lumos by Stacy Parks (who is perhaps the owner of the gallery?). I could just move into that beautiful room! One day I'll have my own little funky space to fill with the art that I love!

Nasher in Dallas and ICA in Boston

2008-12-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

Falling behind again, so here's a double entry. We did our holiday travels early, first to Dallas to visit my family then to Cambridge to visit Eric's. We had the great fortune of hitting two stellar art museums on our journeys.

In Dallas, our friends Anne and Ashley escorted us to the Nasher Sculpture Center. I first tried to visit the Nasher when it opened five years ago, but the line was so incredibly long I went to my ol' stomping grounds, the Dallas Museum of Art, instead. Anyway, this time was a success, and I'm now embarassed that it took me so long. I won't go into the history of the Nasher, you can read that here, but I do remember when Ray Nasher announced that, rather than giving his amazing collection of modern sculpture to one of the dozens of institutions worldwide that courted him for years, he would build a site dedicated to showcasing it in Dallas. What a coup for Dallas!

Back in college when I was an intern at the DMA, I would have LOVED to be able to stroll next door to the Nasher - it is so tranquil, and the sculpture is really, really stunning. Picassos and Modiglianis, Moores and Miros. I was in Modern Art Heaven. I'm always happy when I can see a Calder sculpture (above, framing Eric in the background), and although Anne is not quite as pregnant as Picasso's muse here, I'm certain she's just as inspiring!

The following weekend, Eric's brother Jack, his wife Linda and their son Nick took us to the Institute for Contemporary Art, another relatively new building that is a true gem for Boston. Located right on the Charles River, the ICA is, like the Nasher, basked in natural light and clean, simple lines. The current exhibition of works by Tara Donovan is amazing. Donovan uses common, everyday objects to create sculpture and installations that are amazingly organic looking. The ceiling installation above is made from styrofoam cups! Her other creations with plastic straws, windshield glass, paper plates and other humdrum items are equally stunning.

This shot is Jack, Linda and Nick in the ICA's Poss Family Mediatheque, a digital media center in a vertically stepped-out space suspended from the underside of the building's cantilever. You can barely see the snow drifting down on the water outside. What a week of art! Thank you to our tour guides!

Virtual Rembrandt in SoCal

2008-12-11T18:28:00.001-08:00

Thank you to the LA Times for highlighting a really terrific resource for us Rembrandt junkies - a virtual exhibition of works by Rembrandt in the collections of Southern California museums. You might be surprised to know that outside NY and DC, Southern California has the largest number of Rembrandts in the US.

So this virtual exhibition of 14 Rembrandts from the vaults of the Getty, Hammer, LACMA, Norton Simon, and the Timken (in San Diego) is really exciting! The site offers an online exhibition guide, a printable exhibition guide, and an audio tour by Getty Curator Scott Schaefer.

Reading about this made me think of when we visited Amsterdam and went to Rembrandt's house! It's so amazing to me that, almost 400 years later, you can view where the master slept, painted, ate, fought (and now, you can have a wedding there!?). I'm excited to now check out the web site of the Rembrandt House Museum! I don't think I've ever looked at it before now. It has some amazing virtual tours, so you can check out this historic space on your own. Again, kudos to the internet for making these cultural treasures available to people around the world!r

Save Pharmaka

2008-11-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

I've written here before about one of my favorite LA galleries, Pharmaka (click here to read my last Pharmaka entry). Not only does Pharmaka show some challenging and quality contemporary art, it is actually a non-profit institution with a mission very different from the typical commercial gallery: to "actively pursue an intellectual and verbal dialogue with painting and its place in history and today's society."

One of Pharmaka's founders, Shane Guffogg, has been very helpful to me in the past, helping me find terrific artwork for an art auction (at which we purchased this gorgeous piece - his work is amazing).

And now, this terrible economy has struck Pharmaka. Their funding has been cut by 70%, and they are in need of all our support. The good news is - it's a relatively small institution, and even a few thousand dollars will make a big difference. I know, we're all pinching pennies, but I bet you have a spare ten bucks to help keep a quality arts organization around, especially now that you're done donating to Democratic causes (for now)! Click here to help. Thank you!

"The Green Season" by Donna Hilbert

2008-11-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend Donna Hilbert is an amazing poet - her work is insightful yet mirthful, defiant yet vulnerable. She has published a new collection of her work, The Green Season, which also some short fiction.

It's fun to hear Donna read her poetry. Her reading voice sounds like a ten-year-old Donna, mischievous and innocent.

Click here for information about this and all of Donna's books. This is one of my favorite poems from The Green Season, a touching and hilarious take on the crazy things we do for love. I can hear her little voice....

LIZARD BRAIN

Sorting laundry
I come across
my black sweater
still thick after two days
with the smell of you.
Though the morning
is much too hot
I put it on.
At Trader Joe’s
I talk on my cell phone
telling every juicy bit
to my best friend
while I buy your
favorite Chardonnay
and shape of pasta.
I stop at Barnes & Noble
and a buy a book
that you might like to read
while I cook for you.
We watch American Idol
because you want to
and I pretend
to care who wins.
I do this happily.
I am a girl again.
All that I once knew
of love and men has shed
like an old skin.
I operate on instinct now
my lizard brain in charge.

Blue Texas

2008-11-10T09:20:00.001-08:00

For posterity I had to post this image of a Blue Texas on election night, when returns first started trickling in. I know one day it will be a deep sapphire blue! Thanks to DogFoodSugar for this.

Free Obama sticker

2008-11-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Leave it to MoveOn.org to come up with a clever and cheap way to commemorative this week's amazing Obama victory - free stickers! These commemorative stickers mark Barack Obama's historic victory and were designed by groundbreaking artist Shepard Fairey—the same artist who designed the world-famous, iconic "Hope" poster for Obama.

You can get one sticker for free, or five stickers for a $3 donation, or 50 for $20. What a deal!! Click here to get yours.

OUR NEW FIRST FAMILY

2008-11-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

They're so beautiful, I can't stand it! I could eat those little girls up with a spoon. I must say, I didn't give this country enough credit. I truly didn't think a country that voted for Dubya twice would elect a black man with a funny name who's half Kenyan. I've never been so happy to be so wrong! I am sending every positive vibe in my body to Barack - I hope dearly that this is the beginning of real change that we have needed for so long. Thank you to Barack and Michelle for the sacrifices they're making to make this country a better place!

Jack Long on Tiny Showcase

2008-10-22T12:33:00.001-07:00

I just had to share our most recent Tiny Showcase acquisition, a lovely little fantasyland by Jack Long, entitled "The Two Intertwined." $250 of the sale of this print benefited Center for The Working Poor. I think this one sold out in record time - 100 prints in under 25 minutes. Gina and I both secured one, lucky ducks that we are!

Terry Andrews

2008-10-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

Back to Austin we go...we visited our friends Greg and Angie one day, and their living room walls were covered in the most gorgeous paintings. Rich and delicate, with lustrous insects in luminescent colors. I was floored when I learned they were by Angie's father! I didn't know her dad was an artist, must less such an accomplished one.

Turns out he lives in Houston as is the Preparator at the MFA. He's also represented at McMurtrey Gallery there. It was funny to discover that he's shown at Froelick Gallery in Portland - Eric and I met Charles Froelick (the gallery's owner) years ago on our honeymoon in Palm Springs, and visited him on a trip to Portland. The world continues to get smaller....

Although the images on the gallery's web site are more figurative than those at Angie's house, they're just as lovely and hypnotic, like this oil and graphite on panel piece shown above, titled "Broken" from 2007. I love discovering new work just when it's least expected!

Debbie Cook VS Asteroids

2008-10-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

I can't help it, I must give some of the blog over to politics in these last few weeks of the campaign. I've been really involved in the campaign to elect Debbie Cook in my Congressional district. Not only is she my dream candidate, our incumbent is pretty much my worst nightmare. To wit:

More thoughts on Ike from Kate

2008-10-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little dated with this post-Hurricane Ike coverage, but you can read some really great first-hand account from my Houston friend Kate. She has such an eye for a photo and a story. This lovely shot is of some blue tape they tore off their windows (okay, they taped the windows for Hurricane Rita and are just now tearing it off, but it's still Hurricane-related!). Check out her awesome blog at dogfoodsugar.blogspot.com.

Coastal Dreams B&B: Hurricane Ike Survivor

2008-10-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

Last Thanksgiving, we spent a couple of nights with my mom at a really fabulous B&B in Galveston called Coastal Dreams (click here to read my entry about it). During Hurricane Ike, I was so worried about that beautiful old house and its gracious hostess, Lana Lander, and her trusty sidekick Mz. Pokey, but hoped that since it survived the big 1900 hurricane, it survived Ike, as well.

Good news - the house is still standing, thanks to its location at 20 feet above sea level. But for a time Lana suddenly had oceanfront property, and is still struggling to help her devastated community repair itself (coverage of this has been completely drowned out by the election and economic meltdown, but the Galveston area has indeed been completely devastated). Lana's accounting of the storm and aftermath are so poignant and harrowing (they waited out the storm in the house!), I had to share her Sept. 28th email (cut down just a bit):

"Hello All,
I am sorry for the delay in responding to everyone's emails; electricity just came back on a couple days ago and things are still real hectic around here. My mother, my sister's three dogs, Mz. Pokie and I all stayed here at Coastal Dreams for Hurricane Ike. As crazy as the decision may have been, we all had flashbacks of the 2005 Rita evacuation (the dogs included) and decided to take our chances with this one. For the Rita evacuation, there were 2 million people evacuating the Houston area in 100+ degree heat and it took us 32 hours to make it to Waco (about 200 miles away). There also was not a lot of warning with Ike; it was only two days prior to the storm that the projected path was for Galveston.

This was a Category 2 storm in terms of wind (110 MPH), but a Cat 4 storm surge. I went outside during the eye of the storm (which lasted about two hours - really weird!) and the water was one step from my porch (my house is about 20 feet above sea level). My street is about four feet above the seawall (which is 17 feet high), and the house is three feet above that. This area of the island does not even require flood insurance, although I do have it, thank goodness. It was such a surreal scene, having oceanfront property. It was also very scary. I gathered up my Mom (snoring), the dogs (also all snoring) and we moved everything upstairs. I was sure that the second half of the storm would bring more water. The winds seemed to be much worse in the second half, but the water receded and never reached the first floor.

The adventure began the next day when there was no electricity, no gas, no water, no sewer, and a typical hot humid Gulf Coast day. We had plenty of food to grill (I ate better the first week than I have in a year!). Everything you do takes so much more thought, and three steps more than it would if you had all those amenities. Having four dogs around took a lot of work also, making sure they didn't fall in the pool (nasty, nasty!), or start chewing on things that had washed up into the yard. FEMA was here within 48 hours, handing out water, food, and ice. We also had the Salvation Army and Red Cross giving out hot meals.

We drove around the day after the storm with our mouths hanging open. Houses, trees, power lines, boats, cemeteries, fishing piers, streets.....just torn up and ripped apart. There was a boat at 43rd and Broadway, which is a good 2 miles from any marina. Driving down the Seawall, the debris from the Balinese Room, the souvenir shop, and Hooters took up all five lanes and was spread from 25th to the Hotel Galvez and probably 12 feet high. It was so strange to look down there and see nothing. Nothing is on the beach side of the Seawall anymore. The 61st street pier is gone, the big one across from the miniature golf place is all torn up and barely standing. Driving down Broadway, there were downed live oaks every block. Tombstones are knocked down or floated away. We have beautiful cemeteries here and it was heartbreaking to see this.

More heartbreaking of course, are the homes. I've watched things like this on TV many many times and of course, felt sympathy for what they were going through. But this is so... overwhelmingly heart wrenching. Personal belongings piled as high as their house, making trip after trip to the curb with soaking wet clothes and furniture and anything that was within 3-5 feet of the floor. Mold set in at my sister's house (which received 3 feet of water) within 5 days, and that was with carpet ripped out as soon as we could get over there. A lot of these people weren't allowed back on the island for 12 days after the storm.

Galveston is a wonderful city, with beautiful people, and we need our tourists to come back. Please don't think there will be nothing here for you to visit for. They didn't give up after the 1900 Storm and we won't give up either. This is just another page for the history books and something to talk about over the breakfast table at Coastal Dreams!

God Bless You,
Lana Lander"
www.coastaldreamsbnb.com

First Thursdays on SoCo

2008-10-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Austin my world kind of orbited around South Congress, home of funky shops and cheap Tex Mex! While the area is certainly more snazzy now (I remember when the San Jose was overrun with prostitutes, and now it's the hippest boutique hotel in the region), it's still totally eclectic. Wandering around South Congress, doing nothing in particular, guarantees some excellent people-watching and, most likely, some excellent music-listening.

And now on First Thursdays it's even crazier down there, with musicians, artists, food vendors and other local denizens filling the sidewalks. It's like a six-block-long party. This video isn't the best representation, but at least I know when I need a quick fix of a Austin on a balmy night, with a lit-up live oak, rambling music and a piece of pizza from Home Slice in my immediate future, I can return to this scene from this month's First Thursday.

Flip Happy and Sweet Leaf in Austin

2008-10-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love most about Austin is how locally-owned businesses seem to thrive. Our old friend Andrea opened Flip Happy Crepes, a creperie in an airstream trailer - you read that right - and now that are overflowing with business! I hear they even made it to the Food Network.

We went to their new location (how easy is it to move your business when you're locate in an Airstream?) on a recent Friday lunch hour, and they were totally slammed. It's definitely not for the in-a-rush diner, but if you have a little time and want an amazing, homemade crepe under a beautiful canopy of trees, this is your place. I had a crepe stuffed with chicken, taragon mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes, and it was so fabulous.

Here is Andrea. She makes all of the savory crepes with her own little hands (there are a few sweet crepes, but the menu is mostly full of savories). I caught her with her eyes closed, so thank you Piki Pimp for helping me with the blingy shades!

Crepes under a tree canopy - ain't life grand? I love all the random card tables and chairs.

Here's me, modeling another Austin business, Sweet Leaf Tea, which is very proud of its organic family recipe (real cane sugar, no hi fructose corn syrup), and their tea is so yummy.

Can I vote for Austin for President?

Austin City Limits

2008-10-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

I think it's safe to say that I'm officially too old and crotchety to attend big music festivals, particularly ones that are really packed, on a really really hot day, in a really really really dusty field. I still love the Austin City Limits Music Festival, but unless someone gifts me a VIP pass, I doubt I'll attend again! Look at us, all happy to be there, and unaware of the dust-stormy pressure cooker that awaits us.

At any rate, the five hours that I spent there (yes, five hours and I was done!), was fun, although between fighting the crowds and texting my friends, the only band I was able to tune into was Erykah Badu, who never disappoints. But I can share highlights....

Our friend Eric from NYC discovers the thrill of riding a giant Jackalope, which runs wild throughout Austin and the Texas Hill Country. He's an honorary Austinite now for doing this. Yee Haw!

Those poor souls, clinging to the "Mister Station" like their lives depended on it (probably did). These "Mister Stations" and the water taps to refill your reusable water bottles were some very smart additions to the festival. Now if they could make some shade-providing old growth trees magically appear...

Pouring water into your hat was a brilliant idea (wearing water-soaked bandanna around your face was another).

More to come on the Austin trip...

Art for Obama, Thursday, Sept. 23

2008-09-22T13:29:00.001-07:00

Art for Obama
Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 6 - 9pm
Bert Green Fine Art and LA Center for Digital Art.

Nice blend of visual art and presidential politics here. In Downtown LA, these two art galleries at 5th and Main Streets are doing some clever fundraising for Barack Obama. For one night they will host a $20 per person fundraiser, with 10% of all art sales going to the Obama campaign. This is in association with Art for Obama, a national series of fund raising events founded by Bruce McBarnette to benefit the Obama campaign.

"Last Train" by Bas Waijers

2008-09-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

My friend Bas Waijers (pronounced "Boss Wires") is a really incredible artist and designer. He speaks fondly of his love of Disney characters as a child in Holland, and now creates his own, fantastic characters. He a freelancer and always looking for awesome clients!

He recently sent me this new, gorgeously spooky illustration. In his words, this is the description of this piece:
"The other day I was thinking about war and global warming, and I got the ominous feeling that we're all heading into the wrong direction. It inspired me to make this piece 'Last Train.' Luckily, it seems that a lot of people are waking up to this problem, I hope we can turn this around!"

He and his wife live in NYC and are expecting a baby, making this work even more poignant.

Click here to view Bas's blog.
Click here to check out his awesome characters.

BCAM & Lazarof at LACMA

2008-09-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

Gina and I played hooky on Friday and kicked around LACMA for a couple of hours. Actually, we were mostly at the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (which has a spectacular elevator, check it out!), which is kinda sorta part of LACMA but not totally. It's complicated. BCAM is full of contemporary masterpieces, but I'd say my faves are Robert Rauschenberg's. I so love his "combines." It's always a treat to see Jeff Koons's monumental, mirthful works, like Balloon Dog (Blue) and Cracked Egg (Red), shown at left. You can view a pretty nifty slide show of each floor of works at BCAM, just click here.

But being a Modern Art junkie, I really LOVE the new Janice and Henri Lazarof Collection, an incredible treasure trove of modern masterpieces that the Lazarofs donated to LACMA late last year. How lucky we are to have this collection in a public space!! With dozens of works by Brancusi, Degas, Giacometti, Kandinsky (like this one at left), Klee, Picasso, Pissarro, this fractional and promised gift of 130 is truly a gift to the public. Hats off to the Lazarovs for the generosity.

Massive Art Heist in LA

2008-09-10T15:18:00.001-07:00

Wow, this would be impressive if weren't really heartbreaking. An art thief walked right into the unlocked door of an elderly couple's home - while the couple was in another room and the maid had stepped out for a moment - and stole more than a dozen works of art valued at many millions of dollars. Click here to read the whole story in the LA Times.

The stolen artworks include Emil Nolde's "Figur mit Hund" (Figure With Dog), 1912; Lyonel Feininger's "Fin de Séance," 1910; Chaim Soutine's "La Vieille Dame au Chien" (Old Woman with Dog), 1919; Soutine's "La Femme en Rouge" (Woman in Red), 1926; Kees van Dongen's "Alicia Alanova," 1933; and Hans Hofmann's Untitled (Blue Bottle), 1947, authorities said.

What's really interesting to me is the unusual nature of the collection, worth millions of dollars but including several lesser-known artists instead of the usual mid/early 20th Century art superstars. The couple, who has not been named, clearly had really refined and particular tastes. I do hope that if/when these works are recovered, the couple will commit to eventually leave them in the safe hands of a museum so they can be enjoyed by the public. One can only hope that while the works are missing they will be well cared for - the thief must be some sort of art lover, right?

Paul Paiement at Peter Blake Gallery

2008-09-08T09:59:00.001-07:00

Boy, politics sure can be distracting for the art lover. It has been far too long since I've stepped foot in a museum or gallery - but I did walk a precinct for the first time yesterday, espousing the fabulous-ness that is our Congressional candidate, Debbie Cook!

But I digress. This blog is supposed to be my escape from maddening things such as politics. So, if I were to have gone to an art-related event in the last few days, it would have been to an opening at Peter Blake Gallery in Laguna Beach, to see the beautiful works by Paul Paiement. I love Paul's work so much - Eric and I were lucky enough to have acquired one of his watercolor's last year at the UAM auction that I coordinated. He continues to fuse nature and technology in his "hybrid" series, as you can see in this piece CALCOLEPIDUS SATELLITERADIUS. Click here to read more about the hybrids and check out the cool catalog of hybrid pieces.

Only 60 more days until I can have my art life back...

My Grandpa Ray Marshall

2008-08-18T22:29:00.001-07:00

My paternal grandfather Ray Marshall was an incredibly calm, sweet man. In all my memories of him, he's calmly doing something for me - spreading icing on a toaster pastry for me, fixing my bike tire - always with utter mellow-ness, and always, always with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. I actually liked the smoky smell that always permeated him - the only person whom I can say that about!

Grandpa was a total salt-of-the-earth guy, grew up on a Kansas farm and knew how to work hard. He went on to work for decades at Braniff Airlines, and Braniff was the total center of the universe for him and Grandma. At 95, Grandma still talks about all the gardening clubs and card games that were formed with her fellow Braniff brides. Working for an airline allowed Grandma and Grandpa to travel more than the average couple during the 1950s and '60s. I loved hearing their stories about South America, Hawaii and beyond.

This photo from 1951 shows Ray with some Braniff colleagues...that must be an important document! Even though this was taken 20 years before I was born, this is exactly how I remember Grandpa - wearing a shirt and tie, totally patient and unflappable, and probably plotting his next smoke. He's been gone for almost 20 years now, but I can still smell his sweet smoky-ness.

Thanks to the internet, Braniff is able to honor its former employees. Click here to read the bio that my Grandma Vada wrote about Grandpa.

It's a great place to check out the airline's history too - this is one of the airplanes painted in a design by Alexander Calder. Groovy!

Todd Brainard, take me away!

2008-08-06T12:13:00.001-07:00

Well, Todd Brainard's painting, that is. I'm so frustrated by so many things right now - my small-thinking city trying to close the Main Library, my inept congressman working his good-ol-boys machine against his incredibly worthy opponent, and another 116 days with this buffoon of a president - but I can always count on artwork to take my mind to a happy place. I haven't seen this painting in person yet, but even the digital version is so gorgeous I can't take my eyes off of it. The painter is none other than Long Beach denizen Todd Brainard, whose work has always reminded me of a 21st Century Edward Hopper. The incredible detail, acidic colors and mysterious viewpoints are truly hypnotic. Thank you, Todd, for reminding me of the beauty in the world!

This painting is part of a group show right now at Gallery 33 in Long Beach.

My mother the daredevil

2008-07-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

My mom has always been open to trying out new things, but she's not exactly a daredevil. But she's always up for a challenge, and when my cousin Jason announced he was putting together a family sky-diving trip, my pint-sized mother signed up!

So off to Iowa she went, and strapped her 95-pound body onto a burly tandem jumper. Surely he thought she was the easiest tandem jump ever, she's so little! Here she is landing; look at her little legs! She said it was the most thrilling sensation ever. The family group included my 19-year-old cousin and my 76-year-old great aunt! Jason was the only fella in the group, so apparently it's the ladies of the family who got the risk-taking genes. I hope to make it to next year's jump - I'm convinced the vast expanse of Iowa's cornfields are the perfect spot to float above.

Steven Kwon in the LA Times - and Afghanistan

2008-07-24T09:33:00.001-07:00

Apparently Eric and I are of a dying breed of people who actually read the newspaper with our morning coffee. I guess I got the habit from my parents - the newspaper has been a part of my morning routine since I was a teenager, and I still cherish that part of my day. Since I went on to get a degree in Journalism I truly appreciate the work that goes into pulling off the task of a daily paper, and the Los Angeles Times, despite all its struggles, still impresses me.

So, even though print newspapers are fighting for their lives, I still glean valuable information from them every day. A couple days ago the LA Times ran a great story by William Lobdell about Steven Kwon, a Pasadena man who has single-handedly introduced introduced soy bean crops into Afghanistan. It's a great story, and Kwon is clearly a courageous and brilliant man. In 2005 Kwon's non-profit organization Nutrition and Education International, provided 2 tons of soy seeds to Afghan farmers, and in the last two years 4,400 farmers in 15 provinces planted 80 tons of seed, resulting in a harvest of 2,000 tons. Kwon's group provides the seeds, fertilizer and training - and it also guarantees to buy the harvest.

Not only does this simple plan provide farmers with an alternative to growing poppy, it addresses the wrenching malnutrition problem in this poor and war-ravaged country. I'm so thankful for people like Kwon, who sees a problem and tries to solve it, and to publications like the LA Times, which continues to provide readers with nuanced coverage of the pressing matters of our time.

William Lobdell, who wrote this piece, is part of the recent wave of layoffs at the Times. Such a loss. I hope the continues to be published there as a freelancer. It has made me seek out his web site: williamlobdell.com. He's a very interesting guy who has reported extensively on religion in the U.S., transforming from an evangelical Christian to an atheist.

Amtrak from San Jose to Berkeley

2008-07-17T11:23:00.002-07:00

I recently took a quick trip to Northern California, spent a night with friends in San Jose then took Amtrak to visit family in Berkeley. The train ride was only about 1.5 hours long, but it was such a great mini adventure. It's amazing how much the landscape changes in such a short trip. Here are a few little videos from the ride, in progression heading north. From beautiful landscapes to rusty railyards, it felt more like a cross-country trip! All this for only $14! I have no idea if this is of interest, but I know I love the sounds and view from a train, so for you train voyeurs...

San Jose to Berkeley 2

2008-07-17T11:23:00.001-07:00

San Jose to Berkeley 3

2008-07-17T11:21:00.003-07:00

San Jose to Berkeley 4

2008-07-17T11:21:00.001-07:00

San Jose to Berkeley 5

2008-07-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

Help Save Self Help Graphics & Art

2008-07-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

I first heard of Self Help Graphics & Art more than ten years ago, when I was an arts writer in Austin. Artists and gallery owners frequently referred to the stellar work being done at the LA-based Self Help Graphics; it was widely known as a hotbed for contemporary artmaking, particularly by emerging Chicano and Hispanic artists.

In the eight years since I've lived in the LA area, the reputation of Self Help is even more reverential, continually providing an outlet for new and emerging artists, who use the center's facilities to create stellar contemporary prints.

To make it more interesting, SHG was founded by Franciscan nun Sister Karen Boccalero more than 35 years ago. Sister Karen is gone, but the building is still owned by the local Archdiocese. Alas, it appears that the massive property sell-off by the Catholic Church, to pay off their enormous legal bills of late, has put SHG on the chopping block. The Archdiocese shocked the art community last week by announcing they were selling the building to a local developer without telling SHG.

The Archdiocese' actions are completely outrageous, as it is unthinkable that the Board, community leaders and members were not given fair notification or the the chance to place a bid for the building. Given SHG's years of service to the community and carrying on the legacy of beloved founder Sister Karen, it is only just that whatever agreement has already been signed off-on, be revisited and renegotiated with all invested parties having a place at the table.

For more information on this situation, and to see how you can help, click here. Please help!

Sage Brush Retreat in Palm Springs

2008-06-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

June seems to be slipping by at an extra-fast clip, and I've yet to post! I must give a shout out to this vacation rental in Palm Springs, CA. It's a fabulous 3B/3BR house with a really spectacular pool - and look at that view of those glorious desert mountains.

Our friends purchased and remodeled this house last year and are ready to rent it out! I stayed there with five girlfriends (our annual Palm Springs outing!) and had such a great time, grilling, cocktailing and girling it up. The hosts have thought of everything - from the iPod hookup to the wide variety of suntan lotions to the fully stocked kitchen. With all the gay marriages going on in California - particularly Palm Springs - this house should be booked non-stop right now!

For more info, visit sagebrushps.com.

Diary of Anne Frank by Long Beach Opera

2008-05-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

As I've written before, I love the Long Beach Opera. Their unique productions really resonate with me - not typically an opera lover. I'm so proud we have this creative little company in our city.

Their next production is "The Diary of Anne Frank," and it's being presented in, of all venues - parking garages! Having visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, I think the garage is a brilliant metaphor for the dank surroundings that Anne and her family lived in for so long. And apparently the acoustics are quite stunning.

The opera is offering discounted tickets: 10% off single tix (code AFEB1) and 20% off groups of ten or more (code group20). In addition to the June 8 performance in Long Beach, there are two shows in LA at the Sinai Temple in West LA. Please help spread the word! Tickets available at www.longbeachopera.org.

Ah, Austin....

2008-05-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'll preface this by saying that I used to live in Austin and often fantasize about moving back there. I sing its praises so often that my best friends are sick of hearing about it and the Austin CVB should be sending me a paycheck. So if this entry is overly-effusive, forgive me. I left my heart in Austin (fortunately I took my husband with me).

My mother also loves Austin, so we planned this little journey and thought we'd stay at her favorite hotel, the iconic Austin Motel. Alas they were booked, so a quick search led me to the Park Lane Guest House, and it's now one of my all-time favorite B&Bs! Tucked away under some meandering oak trees in my old neighborhood Travis Heights, this lovely little getaway is an absolutely perfect place to stay if you want some true hippiefied Austin flavor, with Tibetan prayer flags strewn across the yard and an overall blissful zen vibe, and it's walking distance to everything I love to do. We stayed in the Garden Cottage, which has a separate bedroom and a full little kitchen. But if I return I'll opt for the uber-cool Carriage House, which is like a grown up version of a tree house and was recently built and installed by a neat little outfit called Tiny Texas Houses. They build customized little cottages and sheds out of reused, found material. It was so lovely!

For two days we basically shopped and ate our way up and down South Congress, including the obligatory stops at Guero's (see mom and me with mariachis!) and Jo's Coffee. Since we were staying in such a great little home, we were able to invite my Austin amigos over for poolside wine, which we bought at a great little grocer called Farm to Market.

A shout out here to my friend Marla, who's the publisher of a must-have magazine for you foodies out there (whether or not you live in Austin). It's called Edible Austin, and it's a terrific resource for learning about seasonal and sustainable foods. Check it out! There also might be a version that caters to your area (Edible Portland, Edible East Bay, etc.).

I did discover some new additions to Austin. The restaurant Mars (pictured here), which for years lived over near UT, is now located on South Congress and has a really fantastic patio, again shaded by those amazing old oak trees. They have a terrific happy hour and the setting and people-watching can't be beat. That was where we celebrated my anti-birthday (you grow younger in Austin), then set off for a downtown bar I'd never heard of called Lambert's. It's actually a restaurant serving fancy-fied comfort food, but all I can attest to is their quality martinis, and their choice in artwork and music. A band called Pink Nasty played that night, and I just loved them! They reminded us a bit of Cowboy Junkies, but they really made me think of Madder Rose. Thoughtful, melodic, rockin', and a slightly twangy female vocalist. I bought two CD's!

On the walls of Lambert's were gorgeous paintings by a local artist named Gerardo Arellano. This one, System Trap, is from 2006. His work was so vibrant and full of energy, it even captivated me in the dark bar.

In was the quintessential Austin evening - yummy inexpensive food on a shady balcony, followed by stumbling on a terrific band and local artist. Austin, you don't make it easy on me, do you!?

Dallas and Austin, my old stomping grounds

2008-05-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

Again I'm relying on memory in writing this entry...if any of you daily bloggers have recommendations on how to actually write on a daily basis, please share! I keep letting time pass but I obsess on spreading the word about these great places and things, so I guess it's better late than never.

My grandmother's 95th birthday took me to Dallas last month (she's doing pretty well, thanks for asking!), so I was delighted to be able to see my ol' peeps and visit some new spots, including Fireside Pies, which had terrific pizza and is clearly a hot spot. It's in my old hood near I-75 and Henderson. Back when I lived there many moons ago it was not exactly the hippest neighborhood (okay, we regularly heard gunshots) but now it's like total Hipsterville. Too funny. My cousin Diane and I made our way to Turtle Creek one day and explored a bit of the Katy Trail , a 3.5-mile pedestrian and bicycle path, traces the greenbelt along which the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT or "Katy") Railroad. Oh how I would have loved that little trail back in the day!

After a few days in Big D my mom and I hit the road for Austin but made some delightful stops along the way, including darling little Waxahachie. I don't even want to know the price on the amazingly huge and gorgeous Victorian homes lining those old streets, it'll make me want to pack up and become a Waxahachie housewife. The old town square is so cute! We stopped for a milkshake at Trinity Pharmacy, which was built in 1913, smells like your grandmother's attic, is lined with dusty apothecary bottles and offers Campbell's Soup on the menu! Look how cute mom is at the soda fountain!

We made our way down the back roads to Forreston in search of one of my all-time favorite shops, Bon Ton. It's been almost ten years since I found my way to that dusty old place, and we did at last find it, but alas it's closed on Tuesdays! But for all you vintage-loving shoppers, put this on your to-do list one day. It's am amazing huge old place and the owners are delightful and always have fantastic old jazz music playing. And oh my I just realized they have online shopping now! That's very dangerous.

Next up - Austin yee haw!

Beatriz Milhazes in my dreams

2008-04-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

In a recent home design magazine (I can't remember which one, I was under the throes of my hair dresser), I saw a home with several paintings by this artist, Beatriz Milhazes. I said to my hair dresser "Look over there it's a bright shiny object!" and when she glanced away I ripped out all the pages with Milhazes' work. And I think I've been dreaming about them ever since. The colors and energy...well, if you've ever read my blog before you know that super-energized work paintings of vibrant bursts of acidic colors are right up my alley!

Wouldn't you know it, she's not a starving student selling her work on the cheap. A quick Googleing showed me that she's clearly an established an accomplished artist and is represented at James Cohan Gallery in NYC. Beatriz, if you ever happen to read this and really want to make a fan's dream come true - call me!!

48 hours in Denver

2008-04-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Two days is definitely not long enough to explore a major city, but we did our best. We hunkered down in Downtown Denver and explored by foot, trying to get the flavor of the mile-high city.

Lodging
We stayed at the Curtis Hotel, a cool modern place where the motto is "Stay Happy!" We kind of missed the intimacy (and the breakfast!) of the Boulder B&B, and it was kind of party central (in a loud, drunk voices in the hallway sort of way), but it was cool and walking distance to all points downtown. They also have a lovely martini happy hour every day.

Dining
On a very cold morning, we set off to find breakfast, heading in the general direction of the Denver Art Museum. It was a Sunday and downtown was really dead. And it was really cold. We circled the Museum and just as we were about to give up and walk back toward the hotel, we saw a breakfast beacon called Dozens. It smelled of crispy bacon and dark roasted coffee. It also had a long line. They told us we could wait for a table across the street (more on that below). When we finally did have breakfast it was so worth the wait - I believe I had some sort of eggs benedict dish and a small pot of French press coffee. Bliss!

The place where waited for our table is Pint's Pub, an awesome smelly old English pub that claims to have the largest collection of single-malt scotches outside of Scotland. Easy to believe from seeing the selection. It was a great place to wait on a cold Sunday morning, with terrific bloody marys and steaming coffee. The restaurant called when our table was ready - and we actually put them off to hang out at the bar longer. We even returned later in the day for some microbrew and potato chips. Good stuff.

Nice microbrews and a lovely old dartboard can be found at Breckenridge Brewery.

Out on the town
There has been much to-do about the new Libeskind-designed Denver Art Museum. I can't say I think its unusual architecture provides the best way to view art - with odd angles going to and fro - but from the exterior it's certainly a beacon. And the Museum's exhibitions and collection were small but impressive; of course we went straight to the modern and contemporary galleries, where a stunning Anish Kapoor piece greeted us. The Museum also offers unique and clever ways to engage visitors; just walking down a hall from one gallery to the next is fun, with opportunities to sketch or write poems about your experience. They also have a pretty terrific web site, with lots of interactivity.

You can find all more than you thought you'd ever know about the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" at the Molly Brown House Museum, the grand old home where Molly raised her kids before becoming a jet-setting feminist (or, rather, ship-setting?). And then there is the lovely Colorado state capitol, with a top painted in 24k gold (it's true - this is mining country, and the gold rush is legendary!).

48 hours in Boulder

2008-04-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we spent four fun days in Colorado - two in Boulder, two in Denver. This was our "Random City Rendez Vous" with Kim and Eric, who live in NYC. We convinced them that Colorado was halfway between them and us - okay, so it's much closer to California, but we still had a blast exploring two cities none of us had ever visited.

Since (per my usual sloth-ness) I've let so much time go by, I'm just posting some highlights here. Caveat: there was no time for skiing, as my Texas-raised-now-beach-living self has never done it, so these are very eating/drinking/art-hopping type things.

BOULDER

Lodging: I highly recommend The Bradley Boulder Inn. It's a fabulous B&B, and while it's a little larger than your average B&B, it's just as cozy and homey as you'd hope for when staying at the base of the Rockies. The rooms are large and quiet, the breakfast is really spectacular (the homemade granola and apple brie quiche were to die for!), and the entire staff of young ladies were all so remarkably lovely and sweet, we started to wonder if they were a new kind of specially-designed robotic hotel personnel (I mean that in a totally complimentary way). It's also just a block from the Pearl Street Mall and all kinds of hikes, so thumbs up on location.

Out on the town:
DO NOT go to Boulder without embarking on Banjo Billy's Bus Tour. I'm sorry to say I don't remember the name of the guy otherwise known as Banjo Billy, but he was a hoot, and his 90-minute tour of Boulder in the school bus/log cabin hybrid was a blast. And, it was BYOB! You'll get some some mediocre but lovingly told ghost stories along the way.

Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (It looks like their site is having problems). A funky and cool little museum with no collection, it seems to host some interesting and challenging exhibitions. We saw work by Yumi Janairo Roth, Wang Jing, Susan Lee-Chun, and, our favorite, really engrossing photographs from North Korea by Hiroshi Watanabe. The photos from his series "Ideology of Paradise" are so gorgeous, like the one above, Li Min Gyong, Pyongyang Schoolchildren's Palace, North Korea. The colors and flavor of these North Korean residents were so rich and vibrant - but it was all tainted by the knowledge that they live in such a repressive society. I'm so happy to discover his work!

Dushanbe Teahouse
A real Tajik teahouse, built by artisans direct from Tajikistan (Boulder's sister city); this place is so gorgeous and, apparently, really popular - it was packed! It's right next door to the MoCA. It's worth a peek inside even if you're not sticking around for tea.

Dining:
We hit so many restaurants and I did a crummy job of keeping track of what we ate where, but I can attest these places:
Mountain Sun Pub: this was our first eatery, and one of the best. I still remember the flavor of the blue cheese burger and micro brew ale - sooo good. Their motto says it all: Beer, Food, Music, Love: What Else Do You Need? Indeed!

The Kitchen Cafe
We only had drinks and appetizers here, but the food was fabulous, and they pride themselves on seasonal, organic produce. It's a very "green" restaurant; they use wind-power generated electricity, and all of their paper products and straws are biodegradable. They give the remaining uncooked food and open bottles of wine to our staff at the end of each shift and all of our food scraps are made into compost. I love that!

Lastly but certainly not leastly, the Mork and Mindy House! Proof that we're children of the '70s, we sought out the house where the TV show took place (at least the exterior). Here's Kim and Eric doing the special shake. Makes me think of those goofy suspenders I used to wear...I think I even said "Nanoo Nanoo" instead of hello for a good long while. Thanks to Watts for making this happen.

Still to come...48 hours in Denver.

House Artist Deduction Bill

2008-04-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

Whenever I work on an art auction, I'm always amazed that artists can only deduct the cost of the materials in the artwork that they donate - not the actual fair market value of the artwork. It's a real rip off for artists, and makes it that much more difficult for arts organizations to secure quality donations for their fundraisers.

It also affects museum collections - most museums, libraries, educational institutions and archives lack funds to acquire works of art, relying instead on donations. Without incentive to give their works to nonprofit institutions, creators often keep their works or sell them to private collectors, and the public loses.

Now, in the U.S. House there is a pending bill to allow artists to deduct the full market value amount of their artwork when donating to museums and non-profits. This bipartisan legislation would simply allow artists to take a fair-market value deduction for works given to and retained by nonprofit institutions. From what I can tell it has been stuck in sub-committee for some time, so please contact your Congressman/woman and support this bill by clicking here: capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/bills/?bill=9680576

Day 4 - leaving Marfa

2008-03-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning, our last chance for a delightful Marfa meal. On our way out of town we hit Austin Street Cafe, and it's WONDERFUL! I forgot to take notes, but we had something called Green Eggs, and it was a crust-less spinach omelet-like dish, and fresh blueberry French toast, and some really wonderful coffee. It was a bright, chipper place in an old house with really friendly staff, and a lovely garden out back.

Alas, we must hit the road. On our way out of town we stop for a moment at the crazy Prada Marfa, an art installation that looks just like a Prada boutique - replete with shelves of shoes from the 2005 collection - and sits plum in the middle of nowhere near Marfa and Valentine. There's a great entry in ArtForum about Prada Marfa (and Marfa in general), just click here.

Also, a little slice of West Texas here...nothing like an open road and roaring wail of a train to make one homesick for Texas! Pardon the windy noise. And thanks for reading!

Day 3 in Marfa

2008-03-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

The next morning, everyone looks a little green as we rally back at the Brown Recluse, whose homegrown organic coffee is just what the doctor ordered. They were packed (thanks to us) and the huevos took a while, so we perused their selection of cool old books and bought some t-shirts. Everyone but us is leaving today, so people clear out quickly, and the newlyweds pack off to Alpine to catch the overnight Sunset Limited train to Houston.

Eric and I wander the town, it's still down season so it's pretty quiet, but we do find some galleries open, including Inde Jacobs, where we talk to one of the owners, Vilis Inde. He describes how much he loves living in Marfa, after time in New York in Santa Fe. It's a terrific little contemporary gallery. We stroll on and stumble on Yard Dog Gallery, the West Texas outpost of one of my favorite little Austin galleries. Chat with the gal behind the counter, a very cool chic who moved here from San Francisco to work at YD and pursue her video art. She, too, raves about living there. It's so interesting to think about the culture shock these artists went through, moving here from such huge cosmopolitan areas, and loving it so much!

Anyway, at Yard Dog I buy a couple of tiny nature photos mounted on 100% recycled barn wood by Rebecca Tolk, who shot them with a Holga. They're lovely, and only $20! You can buy them on her Etsy page at rebeccatolk.etsy.com.

Then, as we tend to do when we travel, we discover a great pizza place called Pizza Foundation. The pizza is so yummy, thin crispy crust, tangy sauce and tasty pepperoni. The frozen limeade rocks, too.

As we make our way back to the hotel, we mosey into the Presidio County Museum, a blissfully old-school and non-technological look at the history of the area, from fossils of the area to the lives of the Native Americans to the different sorts of barbed wire by ranchers. Good stuff.

After some chilling at the hotel, we decide to go for a drive. There are scenic drives all around Marfa, so we pack up a bottle of wine and hit the road, hoping to find a good sunset spot. Instead, we find ourselves meandering through Fort Davis, magnetically drawn to the McDonald Observatory (well-known for the home base of the NPR segment "Star Date"). It's about 40 miles from Marfa, and SO WORTH THE DRIVE! We're lucky enough to be there on the night of a Star Party - sign us up! We gather with a group of about 100 (apparently during the busy season it can be 1,000) at an outdoor amphitheater, watching the sun go down, the sky go dark, and the stars light up. It's close to a new moon, so the stars are really shining. I'm so happy to see the Milky Way again. There's classical music playing, and life is good! Here's a little clip.

After it gets pretty dark, and now that our eyes are adjusted a bit, a guy takes the microphone and starts telling us about what we're seeing in the sky. He has a really spectacular green laser pen, one so powerful that he can point out a constellation like it was a Power Point presentation. He shows us the Pleades (seen below, thanks NASA!), also known as the 7 Sisters, Cassiopeia, and so many others. It was so spectacular. He also pointed out something we'd never heard of before: the Zodiacal Light. Gorgeous! Everyone leaves the amphitheater and gets in line at one of five telescopes, each showing a different thing of beauty in the sky. The most amazing was Saturn - and its rings! It was crystal clear, it just felt like you could reach out and grab it.

What a great show that was! Drive back to Marfa (listening to Moby), stop for a drink at Maiya's, head back to the hotel and rent "Giant," (when in Marfa!) and stay away for about half of the movie. Life is good!

Next up: the journey back....

Day 2 in Marfa

2008-03-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

Day Two, Feb. 29
WEDDING DAY and LEAP DAY!
Waken to a blazing bright morning, and join the night-before couples at Conchita’s for ridiculously yummy and cheap breakfast burritos. I decide I’m eating bacon at least once daily on this trip. Kate and Willy are amazingly calm for their wedding day – the notion that all their family members are ambling their way to this tiny town doesn’t stress them out one bit. That’s why we lurvel them.

A walk back to the hotel, a little washing up, a little marveling at how clean the air smells. Kate and Willy go for a stroll with Pat and Claire (how many couples go for random strolls on their wedding day? Again, lurvel!). Then Kate and I make our way back to Alpine to pick up her wedding flowers at Flowers @ 6th Street. The owner (Sherri, think?) is lovely and delighted to meet Kate, after all their phone conversations. The flowers are real purdy. Then Kate and I pop into like five nail salons to see if we can score a mani/pedi, to no avail. But it was fun looking, even just so I could announce to a bunch of strangers that Kate was getting married that day! Pulling back into Marfa we stop at the Brown Recluse for an iced latte, and speak to the nice owner, who moved to Marfa from South Africa (would love to know more of that story!). Kate tells me when returning here for breakfast tomorrow. She finally seems to be getting a little nervous.

Back to the hotel. I score cheap nail polish at the dollar store and do a really crappy pedicure on myself by the pool (with a Shiner, of course!). Family members start to arrive, most having flown to Midland and then driving three hours from there, and staying at the Hotel Paisano. Kate’s transformation from cutie pie to Amazing Hot Stuff Pinup Girl begins. She has the most amazing green dress with big hoopy thing, and ‘40s style hair and makeup. For a while we’re not sure of the whereabouts of the groom, but my husband is also missing so we assume they’re doing…something. They finally arrive, and it turns out they were wandering the county trying to find the wedding cake, which was baked by “Josie, a lady who works at the bank” who happens to live even further out in the middle of nowhere. But they did have time for falafel and hummus at the Food Shark.

We drive the lovely bride to meet her court at the Hotel Paisano, and much camera-snapping by the outdoor fountain ensues. It's also a reunion of sorts. I've known the bride and her family since I was six years old (!!!) and haven't seen any of them in far too long...I love that we are seeing each other again at such a special event in such a faraway place! So after the shutters stopped clicking, we walk around the corner to the Presidio County Courthouse and ascended its many steps to the cupola. What a great setting!

You can see the edge of Marfa in all directions, then the vast expanse beyond. The Justice of the Peace arrives, and what is her name? JUDGE CINDERELA of course!! She is Judge Cinderela Rice Guevara, and she's the loveliest little judge you ever did see. The vows that she read were so perfect for our dynamic couple, and brought us all to tears. It was so fantastic!

Back down the stairs we go, much more camera-clicking ensues all the way down the stairs, out the door and down the street to dinner. We forced the newlyweds to stand in the middle of the street to get some lovely shots of them in front of the courthouse. Then we make our way into Maiya's Restaurant and partake in margaritas (I like to call them Marfa-ritas) and another fantastic meal. Life is good (there's Eric and me, enjoying our 'ritas)! And here are my kooky friends, Scott, Sarah, Kate-the-bride, and Patti, the one who brought us all together back in the beginning!

After dinner, we're back at the Hotel Paisano, and stumble on an art opening at one of the hotel's galleries, the Greasewood Gallery. Lovely huge landscape photographs of the region by Richard Finker, and the artist and gallery manager so nice and completely cool about a whole wedding party filling their room and drinking their champagne. The Hotel Paisano takes great pride in its role in the classic film "Giant," and there are photos of Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson and the ever-gorgeous James Dean proudly hung. The whole town is quite proud of the setting of this and many other films, including the recent "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men."

So, back to the hotel for some outfit-changing (ready for sweaters and boots!), back to the T-lounge for another drink, then off we go again to the Marfa Lights Viewing Station, where the weird green and red lights entertained us while sipped Sofia Coppola champagne and devoured the yummy pecan/chocolate cake made by the nice lady who works at the bank and lives out in the boonies. I'd say it was one spectacular wedding day!

Three Days in Marfa - Day 1

2008-03-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

It has already been two weeks since our journey to Marfa, TX, so before more time passes here's our Marfa experience, somewhat stream of conscience...

Day 1, Feb. 28
Fly into El Paso, rent a car, head East. Ten minutes from town is when the wide open space begins, along with the higher speed limit - 80mpg, which means we go 85. We're promptly pulled over by a highway patrolman with a striking resemblance to Tommy Lee Jones. He was real nice and gave us a warning, and I almost asked for his autograph.

The countryside is fantastic, especially once you pull off I-10 and onto Highway 90. To your right is the mountains that spread out to Big Bend, and on your left is grasslands and rumbling cargo trains. Decompression begins set in. Our driving CDs: Dave Brubeck, White Stripes.

Three hours after leaving El Paso, we're in Marfa, Texas, a town long on our to-visit list. Our friends Kate and Willy, who live in Houston, are so cool that they decided to get married in this quirky, funky, artsy, dusty outpost. It's pretty much just past the middle of nowhere in West Texas, but has transformed into a contemporary art mecca in the last couple of decades. To read more about the town's original artsy cheerleader Donald Judd and the Chinati Foundation, click here.

So we pulled into the Thunderbird Hotel, a stylish little modern hipster-type place opened by the folks who brought us the lovely San Jose in Austin. Kate, the bride, greets us in the parking lot, jumping up and down and clapping and looking as blissfully happy as a bride ought to look. Hugs, kisses, checking in. Lovely room, WiFi and ethernet, iPod docking, quirky gifties, etc. Made the mistake of not transferring to a room NOT below someone else (lots of noisy footsteps overhead), but real nice, nonetheless. Kate/Willy's romance package includes a great CD of funky love-related tunes, bottle of champagne, and pink christmas lights strewn on the floor. Very cute.

Kate and I enjoy a Shiner Bock by the pool (ahhh), then rally at the T-bird Lounge with the other early-arrivers Claire and Pat, another fun Houston couple. I have a Snake Bite, which here means Apple Cider and Plum Wine - YUM!

We shoot some sunset photos, then head 20 minutes east to the town of Alpine for dinner at the Reata Restaurant, which makes fine "Cowboy Cuisine," including amazing jalapeno cheddar grits and bacon-wrapped asparagus! We feel so special, having such an intimate night with the blushing couple.

On our way back to Marfa, we pull over to the Marfa Lights Viewing Platform. Much has been written about the Marfa Lights, so I won’t go into detail. But they are indeed very strange and cool and should definitely be on your “One Day…” list. It’s very chilly and windy, and the sky is so HUGE and clear. The Milky Way does indeed still exist! Melancholy over living in a place with only one or two visible stars sets in – as does fatigue from the long day. One more drink at the T-bird Lounge (music: Pixies’ Debaser), one more round of hugs, and off to bed. TK: Days 2 and 3...

Amy Ruppel at TS - I couldn't help myself!

2008-02-26T11:39:00.000-08:00

So just because our kitchen is all tore up and we're spending all extra pennies to make it real purdy and we don't have any wall space left for art and I swore I'd try to kick my Tiny Showcase addiction doesn't mean I don't slip off the art wagon now and then!! I am only human after all, and this print was just too fabulous. I was actually very lucky to land this one, as all 200 prints sold out in 30 minutes. I owe this one to Gina, who alerted me of its presence moments before it sold out. She scored one too, so Long Beach will be graced by at least two of them.

This lovely 4x6" print by Amy Ruppel is called "Mensa Masters," so I think buying it was rather genius, so to speak. Plus it comes with two enamel pins! And by golly we will find wall space for it! Plus $250 of the proceeds benefits Direct Relief International, a non-profit humanitarian medical relief organization. Because that's just how cool the Tiny Showcase people are.

The coolest opera - Long Beach Opera

2008-02-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

We were fortunate enough to attend last night's premier of Long Beach Opera's "Orpheus and Euridice," a classic tale of love and loss told in a totally unique format. The company used Long Beach's Olympic Swimming Pool to fill in for a river at the gates of hell, and they used lighting, boats, cloaks and smoke to stunning visual effect. It was so refreshing and unique, and made a me a sudden, ardent opera fan! Elizabeth Futral's voice alongside Todd Palmer's clarinet were haunting, beautiful, and totally engrossing. Check out this cool time lapse video of the whole production (including set-up and tear-down).

SUPER TUESDAY: GO BARAK!

2008-02-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

I feel almost as excited as Obama's cutie pie 86-year-old grandmother, Sarah Hussein Obama. I love this shot of her holding a picture of her grandson as she awaits the results of today's primary in Kogelo, Kenya.

Shane Guffogg at Leslie Sacks

2008-02-01T17:17:00.001-08:00

If I could somehow work a drive to Brentwood into these hectic days, I'd head straight to Leslie Sacks Fine Art to view the new works by Shane Guffogg, whose work I adore and whom I'd drive much further than Brentwood to see, if I didn't have to do random, time-consuming things like work.

As you can see from this gorgeous image, Secrets of the Golden Flower from 2007, Guffogg is highly skilled at creating layered, hypnotic abstracts. Could this painting possibly have a more apt title? I see secrets! I see gold! I see flowers! Through the gorgeous haze is a beautifully symmetrical play of color, evoking an almost Victorian pattern with a '60s-esque dazed feel.

Some of his work is darker and even more mysterious, like this one on the left, Intimations of Daybreak from 2007. Eric and I were the lucky "winners" of one of Guffogg's work at an art auction last year. I had to rub my eyes and pinch myself when I realized the work would be ours, I love it so much! This one on the right is our own little Shane Guffogg: Book of Secrets from 2006. What secrets do you have, pretty little painting? Do tell!!

Eric and Cari, in wetsuits

2008-01-29T14:51:00.000-08:00

I don't know why it has taken me so long to post about this portrait of Eric and me in wetsuits. Perhaps it's because I kind of hate how I look in this photo (where oh where did my eyebrows go??), but it's certainly not because of the portrait itself, which I LOVE!

The artist is Peter Zokosky, he's up there on the left. He's long been one of my favorite painters, and we've become friends over the years. I fell in love with his figurative work years ago, particularly his "flayed" figures (like the one here, Trapezius from 2002). He's really a master and painting the human form. No big surprise that he teaches "Biology for Artists" at Cal State Long Beach. Imagine how honored I was when he told me he had a vision of me and Eric wearing wetsuits, and he just had to paint it! I'd never worn a wetsuit in my life before we posed for this painting, so I can't really say where the vision came from. I know he likes how wetsuits kind of minimizes people's figures, making them at once adrogynous and quasi-amphibious. He said he thought I had a "very feminine face" and Eric had a "very male face," features he wanted to see in the portrait. So there you have it.

This painting is currently on exhibit at the Long Beach Museum of Art (yep, my former home-away-from-home for many years) as part of About Face: Portraiture Now, on display through March 23. Peter himself curated the exhibition, and it's a great look at contemporary portraiture by 35 regional artists.

RIP Ettore Sottsass Jr.

2008-01-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

2007 ended with the death of an icon in the art and design community, Ettore Sottsass, who died of heart failure at age 90. I'm one of those people who anthropomorphizes inanimate objects, expecting a little personality in the design of just about everything, whether my mouse pad or my coffee cup. This is why I love the work of Ettore Sottsass!

Sottsass had a long and unique life, punctuated by very dark days (time spent in a concentration camp during WWII), and greatness (some of the world's highest design awards). He is perhaps best known for imbuing normally hum-drum items, such as typewriters and other office tools, with colorful personalities, suggesting a change should be made in the way we view the inanimate objects we surround ourselves with on a daily basis. Click here to view a Sottsass bio.

In 2006, LACMA hosted the first Sottsass retrospective in the US - it was a terrific show, beautifully capturing both Sottsass's quirky aesthetic and and desire to give life and character to so-called everyday objects. Click here to read a brief interview with the curator of that exhibition, Ronald T. Labaco, LACMA’s assistant curator of decorative arts.

Napoleon at MFA and Cool at OCMA

2007-12-31T10:46:00.000-08:00

The thing I love about the holidays is the loosey-goosey schedule that allows for some catching up on exhibitions. We were in Boston a couple of weeks ago, and in between blizzards I managed to sneak (thanks to my sister-in-law) to the MFA to view Symbols of Power: Napoleon and the Art of the Empire Style, 1800-1815. Although I would have loved to see more 2D work from the period, the furniture, dinner settings and - most of all - the Empire dresses were spectacular. Per usual, the MFA's web site offers a really terrific interactive component. Click here to view.

And then last Thursday, three girlfriends and I played hooky and ventured down to Orange County to check out Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury at the Orange County Museum of Art. This show has received quite a bit of buzz, partly because of the dedicated love of mid-century design in this part of the world, and partly because it takes a different approach to museum installation - it incorporates music! Imagine that! Art and music together! I often wish museum installations would have a musical component, because so often music is of great influence to an artist's work, and music also helps convey the feeling and vibe of a period of time.

So this show did just that, starting with the title: Birth of the Cool is, of course, a Miles Davis album from the 1950s, and its funky, groovy sounds greet visitors entering the exhibition. Throughout the show, there are listening and viewing stations where you can check out "cool" albums and TV shows from the same period. The whole experience really made me want to visit the Playboy Mansion and sip a martini.

My favorite part of the show was the gallery of paintings. I've long been a fan of Helen Lundeberg and Karl Benjamin, and this is such a great opportunity to see several of their dynamic works all together. I'm so happy to finally see Benjamin get his props - his work is so dynamic and is so relevant to what was going on in design and art in Southern California in the 1950s. He's quite elderly now but totally lucid, and I'm sure he's enjoying this much-deserved attention. This piece, Benjamin's Black Pillars from 1957, became the most iconographic image of the show, and rightly so, since it's geometric forms and unusual color combination are hallmarks of the designs explored here.

Happy New Year to you! Thanks for reading, and check back soon for more explorations!