Sunday, May 10, 2015

LOVING MAY!

…..’cause it’s party time beginning with beautiful Tina Marie at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica.

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I’m always surprised by the thrill I get upon seeing the ocean………..

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Tina Marie showing me how to do something amazing on my iPhone!  Hope I can remember…….

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It was impossible to get a good photo without sun filling the space….

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Note to self:  See the ocean more often….just not on a weekend.  Traffic is impossible!

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How cute is this!!!!  Bye bye Tina Marie!

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Amy was a huge help with picking out the wall color, Caesarstone & tile at mom’s…..(Note the brown cabinets) Thank you Amy!

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We’re flying……..IMG 8297

Then off to Cheesecake to meet mom & Nikka.  I was able to snap this before Nikka put the menu in front of herself. She truly hates to have her picture taken!

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More decisions.  Dvir with Caesarstone samples.  Originally I was going with something on the black side but decided to go with the light one in the upper left to make the kitchen look larger thanks to Amy. 

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Time to play with Laurie Pie.  I wanted to get a gift for Emma’s graduation and where better than Tiffany.

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Looking for pants at Anthropologie…..(Found some at Nordstrom’s)

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On the way we fell in love with this Bernese Mountain Dog….he’s only four months old and look at those paws!

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Finally….Time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with blended Margaritas and taco’s at Bar Verde.  The place is just not the same without Lauren and Hiro….

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Have to be a little bad…..

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Amy & I saw a double header at Laemmle’s in Pasadena. This documentary about Raf Simons, the new top designer at Dior, is fascinating.  Wait until you see the room filled floor to ceiling with real flowers  for his first fashion show!IMG 8367

 There’s no explaining Iris Apfel, fashion icon and force of nature!  This movie is a true must see!

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 Time to ruminate about what we’d seen.  Roy’s was the perfect place and Lobster Bisque the perfect beginning!

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 I’ve had their appetizer platter before & it was wonderful but this time….not so good.  The ribs were still sensational!

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 Time to be bad with an old fashioned Pineapple-Upside/Down Cake!

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 Remembering the great day when Lisa See was honored at Vroman’s Bookstore!

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Remember the brown cabinets????

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Time to report in to mom at the Embassy Suites.  Happy Hour had a Chinese motif…...IMG 8396

I’m making an attempt to be good so this was dinner with a side of broiled chicken…...

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But then mom always wants ice cream and doesn’t like to eat alone! The caramel is delicious!

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Off to Pirch….my new favorite place….They will make you the most perfect cappuccino eveIMG 8402

Besides appliances they have great gifts here…….

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If I were to get a tub….this would be it. " A tub so beautiful, even the shower wants to take a bath!'

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Next day it was off to the Montage Hotel with Amy and Lisa for Lissi Kaplans Trunk Show & book signing…..A perfect day that deserves a blog of it’s own!

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What I’m reading:

This wonderful book Miss Judith and Eileen thoughtfully brought back from NYC for me…..The Japan Society had a wonderful exhibit on cats in Japanese art.IMG 8383

Did I need one more cookbook?  Nigella Lawson loves this one.  I heard Diana Henry on PBS describe one of the chicken recipes so …..Is there an Amazon Anon????

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If you liked ‘Eats, Shoots & Leaves’ you’ll love this by Mary Norris, long time New York Times copy editor totally in love with language.…...

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Wishing you a week filled with beauty!

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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.