OH JOY...MUSIC BEGAN THE WEEK.....

Monday, October 12, 2015

OH JOY...MUSIC BEGAN THE WEEK.....

…..and that’s certainly an occasion for joy! Master Don Baird presented ‘Clarinet On Town’ to highlight his compositions. Lovely wife Maria accompanied ‘Darkening Sky’ and Following the Moon’ by reading two of Don’s poems. 12122497 1060307147327444 3693567574340119182 n That’s more like it Maria….

Cutie Diana ‘Bones’ Jeong….

Robert Barnhart and Robert Zelickman performed ‘Barnhart Clarinet Duet’.

A final bow for John Hester, Double Bass (It’s all about the bass, ‘bot the bass!) Paloma Cisneros-Gamez who performed Tai Ch’i to ‘In a Dream’,
Elaina Marshall on piano and the two Roberts.

Thank you one and all. bye, bye!

The Huntington’s Heritage Society had a special event so off Amy & I went….

Bartender, make that a double….

Thank you Jim Folsom, Director of the Gardens for asking me to teach there oh so many years ago! The Botanical Staff was then in trailers and the class was held in what was referred to as The Garage' which is now the Boone Gallery.

If there’s someone nicer or cuter than Cris Lutz I haven’t found them! She & Amy are a perfect pair!

These little lamb chops were so fabulous I kept begging for more….

Pressing the flesh, Laura Skandera Trombley is the eight and newest president of The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.

Nan Rae collectors Erika & Ken Riley introduced me to Toshie and we had a grand time talking about Japan!!! Toshie, along with being a great supporter of the Huntington was also influential in bringing the Raku exhibit to LACMA.

Awwwww….nice John Perry who lives right next door to The Old Mill where the California Art Club holds many of it’s exhibitions.

While waiting for the kind young man with the golf cart to return us to our pumpkin Amy delighted in sitting down.

Can you blame her wearing these shoes? Louboutin heels are gorgeous but oh my…..

Of course we were hungry. After all it had been almost an hour since food was spotted. Recess Eatery always hits it out of the park. This fish was excellent.

The pasta dish was sublime!

You’ve probably figured out by now that Lizzie and I meet at Bloomie’s for their yummy Strawberry Smoothies….

I was almost late because on the way….look what I spied at Brand Park….

At the Nespresso Bar this woman was talking to her wrist….Make that the new Apple iPhone watch. The funny thing is she finally gave up and had to talk to her husband on her iPhone.

There was a mixology class later for the Nespresso machines and I got a foamy one for the road…..Too bad they just have the classes once a month.

Next stop Joann's…Sandie Girl and Melissa’s happy place….

Whenever I’m there I get a roll of Necco’s and get sick as can be on the way home eating my way thru to the chocolate ones….

The weeks shipment from the Green Chef arrived and I had to sort it all out…..

Vicki and Otto were off to San Francisco and Vegas and so Kim did a pretty good job of following the recipes. The Chef was definitely in the kitchen!

O.K., I’m just going to have to do a separate blog about the Fashion and Jewelry Event benefiting The League for Children that was held at Valerie Foster Hoffman’s. You know by now that anything at Valerie’s is going to be major, major!

Thanks to an invite from Jean T. Amy & I went to a screening of 'The Power of the Heart'. You can watch a trailer of it on YouTube. I loved it so much I got the video, book and CD’s!

Of course we were ‘starving’ afterwards. I mean it was already 9:00 P.M. and who knows how long since we even saw food! Amy suggested 'Flavors of India' on San Fernando in Burbank and it was sooooo delicious I can’t wait to go back. We staggered out of there at midnight or should I say rolled….

Wishing you a week filled with joyful cuteness!

No comments:

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.