TEAS, BOTANY and FUN STUFF.....

Thursday, November 17, 2016

TEAS, BOTANY and FUN STUFF.....

Amy & I met Silvet at ‘The ’T’ Room’ for……….

……..yes friends, it’s teatime once again!

Oh dear……This is getting out of control!

No problem….We’ll just go and hug a tree!

And dream of beautiful things……..

Now it’s time to learn something. Did you know that Dr. Jim Folsom conducts a class on botany (in ‘Botany Bay’) at the Huntington Botanical Gardens the last Thursday of each month? Neither did I.

So glad dear Maggie told me, I’m going to try and go with her each month.

This was all about seeds…..

….amazing seeds!

I’m glad there wasn’t a test after!

We decided to treat ourselves to an amazing four course dinner at Maison Akira, French cuisine with a Japanese flair. After the Lobster Bisque and Duck Foie Gras I have no memory. The following could have been our desserts.

Back to some sense of reality with a Saturday Brush Painting class in the studio. I’m in awe of Amy and her precious children. Grace and Faith are simply adorable and Bradford is sooooo talented. (They all are!)

A perfect day!

Kita had to have her time with Grace and Faith!

O.K., so we’re back to tea time are we? This one in The Living Room at The Peninsula in Beverly Hills to celebrate Laurie Pie’s birthday! (She LOVES pie!)

Lulu and Elizabeth were new to Tom’s Calligraphy class, held in the studio on the first Saturday of each month, and LOVED it!

Diana is a certified ‘Search and Rescue’ with years of training. So cute!

Here’s her dog Pepper with new booties for that rough terrain. Not too happy!

They have to learn how to get into helicopters and all sorts of rescue activities.

Amy closed out the birthday celebrating for yours truly at Bouchon Bistro. We always have to have the Goose Pate! Thank you Amy!

Beautiful Valerie treated for a luncheon at Celestino’s celebrating dear Adriana, from the NASA team in from D.C. working on a new project at JPL.

Carol, Adriana, someone and Valerie…..

We all got NASA team member pins. WOW!

And my favorite, Panna Cotta for desert!

With Thanksgiving approaching I know we’re all filled with gratitude and love.

May blessings abound for you and all those you hold dear!

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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.