Art Mimics Life Mimics Art

Last night we went to Create:Fixate, an organization dedicated to elevating the importance and accessibility of art and music through education and to providing opportunities for emerging artists to create, perform, and sell their work through mixed medium exhibitions. Ok, so - cool! In this cage (photo), several artists had painted cement blocks and were stacking and unstacking them into different configurations. Very relevent right now, of course, was the art exhibit for Michael Jackson. We'll miss him.

So Starting the Night...
After another wonderful dinner with yummy wine at The Must, a WAY eclectic wine bar in downtown LA, we decided we'd walk the 10 or so blocks to the exhibition. Hey, guess what? We found Skid Row! I knew it existed in LA, just wasn't sure...where. Well, we found it! I was actually surprised at how organized they were with their tents lined up, the accessibility to missions and restrooms, and many of them paid us no attention. Those who did said, "hi". However, after around 8 blocks and stiletto heels, my feet decided otherwise. We U-turned and headed back to the car. Once in, we realized that we were just 1 block shy of the art show, but no matter - at least we didn't have to walk far to get BACK to our car.

Finally, to the Show
Once in the show, this was one of the most eclectic groups of people I've seen in quite a while. With two kids, I don't get out that much anymore - or at least, lately. But I'm working to change that. Art was everywhere, in every form, with every type of person admiring, questioning and adoring it. It was a great feeling place. And yes, I did meet up with Leif, my old Monster House compadre. He had one of the more viewed exhibitions, which made me feel good for him.

But after a long night of what was probably too much libation (oops!), we got back in the car and my responsible husband drove us home. I am SOOO looking forward to the next LA Art Walk - heck, we may even do San Pedro's art walk with the kids. I'm so glad to be rediscovering the art scene! I'm feeling alive.

Create:Fixate in Los Angeles - Art for Artists

Back in the day, like four years ago, I was the carpenter on the build team of Monster House. You remember Discovery's series where they transformed people's homes into mysterious mayhem?! Yup, that's the one! Well, one of the guys on my build team who did set design for the movies and is a self-described, "maker of things" is exhibiting some of his works here. I'm really looking forward to it to see upcoming artists, functional art (my favorite) and video productions. I'll post more tomorrow, good wine, good food, good art - just the way I like it!
(This photo is of the Motocross House build we did - click on the headline for more photos).

Who says staircases have to be boring? Look up!

Ok, obviously the run-of-the-mill idea for staircases is to put photos on the walls, and that's cool. But don't stop there - don't limit yourself to such plain-dom. Get creative. Do you have a window? Call it out with some art. In this window, I created a custom window-burst out of 1/4" Oak plywood using my Dremel, some paint and featuring a sidewalk art piece I got in Barcelona. Then, since I have the high ceiling over the stairs with a skylight - I hung a mobile to float around and catch the light from the sun to create a bit of glitz overhead. Now when you come and go, you won't just be toning your back-side, but your creativity will get a work out as well.

Finding Art in Nature

This past weekend, my family and I went on a trip to the Sequoia National Forest. I felt like I was in the middle of the Lord of the Rings set. Sometimes life is so real it feels fake. No wonder they used this area (I think) as the backdrop to their fantasy movie. As my shutterbug husband was busy snapping photos, he took some and played around with the angle and the exposure. What a perfect way to not only document your trip, but to add beautiful art to your home? I've been using a site called UpDone.com to print some photos on canvas and it really adds that final dimension to personalized art. Another step you may want to take with your own is to use some of the filters in PhotoShop (if you know how to use it), you can add fantastic stylized design to your already personalized art.

Making Kids' Art Fine Art

I love turning my kids' artwork into fine artwork and using it to decorate my home. And it's so easy (and free!). They come home from school with SOOOO much stuff each and every day. You have to 'weed' through most of it, but you get so many treasures. And when I picked a few of my favorites and put them in frames and arranged them together on the wall, it made them feel that much more special. And damn if my wall doesn't look pretty special too!

Toro, Toro - Spanish Tapas

You gotta love the passion of the Spaniards! Glitzy tight pants, a too short jacket, a bright red cape (no Yiannis, not talking about you!). Well that same passion went into the food at Toro. A very unique blend of tapas ranging from fish to veggie to meat, meat - oh, and some meat! Great atmosphere with wine crawling up the wall (always makes for a great atmosphere). And so far, one of the livelier spots we've been since we've been in Boston. I think this is definitely a locals fav hot spot.

Lovely Lucca in Little Italy - Boston

So, we got into Boston late last night and being 10:15pm on a Sunday night, almost nothing was open. However, we were lucky enough to be adjacent to Little Italy and talked the waitstaff at Lucca into letting us in for dinner. Mmmmmmm, food is art - especially when it's Italian food. The presentation, fantastic. The taste, delicious. The ambiance, outstanding. Can't wait for dinner tonight and where we may end up!

"Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara" at the Geffen

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when some friends invited us to this play in Westwood. We walked in (a few minutes late albeit) and sat three rows back smack-dab in the center. We were instantly in the heart of a Vegas night club. The music was amazing, the actors - one crazy, the other cool - made for a fun and memorable night. The Village has some great live art to offer - I've seen several productions at the Geffen, and this one in the side theater was intimate and in-your-face, just the way it should be.

Hangover - Are You Kidding Me? Work of Art!

Ok, I know this is weird. But movies can be art too. And yes, I'm classifying a total 'guy' movie as art - weird, I know. But the way they reveal the story and take you along for the ride is fantastic. I can't tell you how long it's been since I laughed-out-loud at a theater. (Ya, quite a while...) This will become an instant classic insomuchas an Old School type of film. If you haven't yet, see it - but DO NOT take the kids. Seriously.

LA Art Walk - What a Trip!

And this is why I love art! Look at the craziness and wackiness of it all! I've seen this artist (Reza Kassai) many times at Venice Beach and have always loved his stuff. Well last night I just had to get a piece. This one reminds me of my boys - they love each other so much (note one has a "Love" necklace and the other a "Peace" necklace), yet they're still crazy and a bit out of control, but can't stay away from each other. He captured brotherhood so perfectly and his sense of humor is fantastic!

What a Transformation, What an Idea!

I'm always on the lookout for interesting and unique ideas. BH&G's DIY magazine featured this great before/after of a dresser conversion using - of all things - a POSTER! Love it!