AND THE BEAT GOES ON....

Friday, April 24, 2015

AND THE BEAT GOES ON....

At the Ahmanson….these two were sooooo cute with their Cinderella and Prince Charming crowns……..

…..so Tomiko & I decided we needed crowns too! Not so sure about the feather boa…..

Great fun when the fairy Godmother flew about. You really had to pay attention and not blink or you’d miss the more than quick changes into Princess and Godmother gowns...

Intermission and time for tea and cookies in the Founders Room…..

Let’s hear it for the Prince…..

Everyone loves a happy ending…...

Fun with one of the vendors…..

Time to walk about the Music Center…..

We almost played in the fountains and then thought better of it and decided to be grownups!

Tomiko went with me to see the damage at mom’s condo and then, hungry, we stopped at Recess Eatery on Brand.

We were bad…...

The next day Devir from Remodeling R Us came by…..so many decisions….

Inspector General at mom’s! It’s a hot mess!!!

Good thing Gourmet 88 delivers….no time to cook….

Kita got a bath…...

Mom has settled into her new digs at the Embassy Suites. Of course she has new fans…..Otto and Veronica.

If you have dinner during the happy hour you can fill up on lots of very fresh fruit and veggies…...

But save room for the lamb chops as they’re good!

Lunch and great fun with Judy in the studio…...

Hubby Randy is to the left and his brother Jeff to the right. These are two of the nicest fellows on the planet and we laughed so much I wanted them to stay over!

What I’m reading now. Love Donald Brooks, columnist for the New York Times. In his latest book he says we should concentrate more on being the type of person we want to be spoken of at our eulogy and less on our resume.

I think I’ll just start blogging about Kita. She’s a source of endless joy and fascination! Here she is, ready to go on patrol...

Saturday when Nikka and I were out & about in Toluca Lake we ran into firemen raising money for MuscularDystrophy. I told them the police always hate it when I say we love the firemen! (They loved that!)

Time for a business lunch at Fig and Olive in Toluca Lake and yes, we actually got some work done!

Who wants to know?

The sun is shinning….make some hay!Hope you get to play this weekend!

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Introduction

There is no avoiding the pull of the internet, the blogs, the YouTube imaginings. It's as if we're all 'On the Road' with Jack Kerouac each in our own world of meanderings. When we tell someone to 'get a life' it might be a bit difficult when you're dragged into other people's 24/7.

I've come to realize two foundational principals, there are no accidents and everyone has a purpose. More and more I'm desiring everyone to come into a full realization of their purpose as we all find our way on this little jewel of a planet.

For me, as a professional 'Western style artist', I stumbled into Chinese Brush Painting after a trip in 1980 to Monet's home/garden. Seeing all of his collection of Japanese woodblock prints was an ahh haa moment for me and when I returned to the States I started painting in the Chinese manner and never looked back. The first year was extremely painful for me as I felt that I should be able to master the technique since I was a 'trained' artist. Not a chance ... that just gets in your way.

Now, after teaching close to 3,000 students and having my book 'The Ch'i of the Brush' published by Watson Guptill, I can say that every one of my students does better their first day than I did my first year! Why? Because I insist that they leave their critical parent outside and just enjoy the journey, respecting the work that they do. I never let anyone throw anything away because that just ingrains frustration and defeat.

We really only begin to learn when we stop and figure out how to 'save' a painting. It works every time.I am so proud of my students, their receptivity and eagerness to express themselves is a continuing blessing for me.So, back to finding your purpose. Perhaps it starts with realizing 'it's not about me'. It so easy to want our needs met and to filter everything thru this attitude. When we realize that we're here to be of benefit to every life that we touch the universe really provides the ways and means.

The best part is that it's really exciting to not have yourself on your mind all the time!I'm re-reading a wonderful book about authenticity and in my next meandering I'll tell you about it. In the meantime I'd love to hear about your journey and am here to answer any and all questions about Chinese Brush Painting.