Wednesday, July 22, 2015

'BALLET NOW' REVISITED.....

…..began last week. If you go to the Dorothy Chandler for lunch in the Founder’s Room before an afternoon performance there’s scarcely a soul there and you can stand under the circle and make echoes.  Fun stuff like splashing in the rain. Oh please, grow up!  Noooooooo!!!

 

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With Tina Marie in the Founders Room having lunch before the afternoon performance.

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This was really good….

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We had the best seats thanks to Tina Marie….

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Back to the Founder’s Room for intermission.  I am addicted to the cookies and nuts!

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Roberto Bolle is arguably the best male dancer in the world today!  It really is like watching perfection!

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I had to get this book of exquisite photos after the performance.  Don’t judge me!

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On the way home I stopped at mom’s as it was Sunday.  Just in time...Otto and Vicki were off to the Black Angus Steak House with mom & guess what….I wasn’t invited.

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Vicki messaged me this photo later.  Come on mom….behave yourself!

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Moving on….Vanity Fair is now delivering the magazine by hand along with the New York Times.  Interesting….Is this because subscribers can’t even wait an extra moment to receive it???


IMG 1603Time to catch up with Kathy…..

IMG 1612….and Isabel….

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At  Kiwami in Studio city.  Everything was wonderful!

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Just time to dash home to go to the movies with Sweet Amy!  We saw a double header….

IMG 1662Inside Out…..(Don’t miss it!)

IMG 1623And Minions…..

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Afterwards I got the CD at Barnes and Noble…. it’s great driving in the car music…sort of  what I think taking speed would be like only in sound….

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We had dinner at Amici Trattoria.  Great Italian food at Americana and their Tomato soup is wonderful!….Amy & Nikka are the worst….they absolutely refuse to let me take their photo!

IMG 1653See what I mean,,,,,,,,,,,

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The sole is also perfect and these tomatoes with basil are soooooo good!

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The sky was unusually beautiful that night….

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O.K. Kita….lets see if we can get rid of some of that undercoat….

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A lot of people make pillows out of their dogs undercoat or even sweaters but I think that’s kinda creepy….

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Vicki does it again.  We’re loving the Green Chef.  Three meals delivered on Wednesday and everything is organic and very fresh.

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Class at the Huntington was so much fun! The time just flew by….

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Afterwards Ralph and I stopped in the new courtyard for a gelato & talked about the November trip to Japan.  We’re excited!!!  Pam & Wilbur stopped by & joined in for an ice cream party!

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Oh boy, this cod was delicious and look how beautifully Vicki plated it! The Green Chef again...

IMG 1713This is what the contents of each package looks like.

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Ahhhhh Thursday and time to say goodbye to the California King bed…….

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It was really like new as I only slept on a little bit of one side…..

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Bloomies rolled out the Red Carpet…..

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Not only did they adjust the bed frame but they cleaned up under the bed.  Embarrassing!

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Look how much room I have now.  I can open the shutters to go out to the patio and I’ve taken all the piles of ’stuff' off the little chair and love sitting in it now.

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Meanwhile Francisco and Jimmy are trying to figure out why the fountain still leaks...

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I left to retrieve my passport from the bank and discovered….no bell.  Where’s the bell???  Turns out people were ‘abusing the bell’.  Is that as funny to you as it is to me?

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Continuing with the rash of domesticity new plants and trees arrived for the planters in front of the house.

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But I was off to meet Lizzie Girl in NoHo for my birthday lunch.  (Correct.  And yes, I know it’s July.) We were both accosted walking to Daphne’s Greek restaurant on Lankershim and wondered if we should pick another area to meet.

IMG 1779So yummy…..

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Thank you Lizzie for this wonderful book….I love it!

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I didn’t tell Lizzie I had seen Inside Out as I knew she’d want to see something else & I didn’t want her to miss it.  Besides…..I caught even more seeing it again.

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You really understand the place of sadness watching this…especially at the end.

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I think Kim has a shoes fettish.  From what I’ve been told these are collectors items ….they all have special names and are very hard to get plus being expensive.

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Saturday’s class in the studio was great!  New student Farley rode up on her Vespa and I knew we’d have more fun….

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Everyone was tortured with the Mum leaf and then it was on to Koi/Carp and a moon...

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Meanwhile….the fountain was returned after being worked on in the shop and guess what…..They forgot to bring back the Rainjet element that makes it spray out.  Still waiting.

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I consoled myself by eating Lizzie’s chocolate…...

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….and enjoying the new plants….

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Kita approves too!

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The Rosemary that was in the large white pot got delegated to a smaller patio...

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Wishing you a perfect week and  beautiful blue skies!IMG 1790

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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.