Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Los Angeles OPERA INSIGHT EVENTS

are always great fun along with learning a lot. Listening to composer Matthew Aucoin, Genius Grant recipient along with a MacArthur Fellowship, and  composer of 'Eurydice', his opera to be premiered in LA Opera's 2019/20 season was no exception.

Making the evening even more memorable was spotting this double rainbow during the light reception before Aucoins talk.

This was followed by seeing the 'super moon' leaving the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Because of that I had quite a lot to talk about when Chris Johnsten from the LA Opera came to visit the studio.  I was especially delighted when he said he could look at this scroll I painted all day.  Imagine! Thank you Chris.

I've posted about friend Farnaz's Noruz events welcoming in the Persian New Year but must say this year she really outdid herself and  everyone had such a wonderful evening. Here's her amazing Haft sin table.

Barbara to the left will be visiting the studio this week. Also seen are Sweet Maryam and Awesome Parvin!

I'm still laughing over this!

Special thanks to Sweet Nicola for the delightful lunch at The Athenaeum and for filling me in on the upcoming Caltech Associates events!

Class in the studio was super fun and delightful seeing Marilyn on the far left who drove in from Palm Springs.  Marilyn was in the workshop I did at Sunnylands and fell in love with brush painting.

If you ever wonder how a lesson comes together it usually starts with someone making a request.  This month it was Sweet Lynne Sims who wanted to paint Freesia's.  I pull the artwork, write all the 'how to' text and then Nikka imports it all into the computer.  It's a bit more complicated than that but you get the idea.

As promised, Artist Barbara, visited the Nan Rae Studio!

Always great fun getting together for our dinners with neighbors Dave and Alexis, Izabela and Wayne and Maryam and Kert.

Of course The Hanson's fur babies wanted in on the partying!

I wish you all sweet Puppy Love!




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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.