ATM: Art, Tiles, Mosaics... an adventure in creativity

An uplifting weekend with artist friends, part two

2012-02-12T19:54:00.000-08:00

Today was so exciting as my good friend Maria Kurtz hosted the reception for her first ever solo art exhibit at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica.

Several members of the Culver City Art Group attended, along with her friends.

The church displays art throughout the year of local artists. Lori Escalara and Allison Foster, both members of the Culver City Art Group, have had solo art exhibits at this venue.

Maria's specialty is oil paintings of landscapes, seascapes and still lifes.

It was lovely to sit and talk to people... a very relaxing afternoon.

Maria's exhibit will be up through the month of February so hop on over there.

The Unitarian church is at 18th and Arizona in Santa Monica.

(photos copyright roslyn m wilkins - artwork copyright maria molica kurtz)

An uplifting weekend with artist friends, part one

2012-02-12T19:05:00.000-08:00

I am very blessed to have friends and colleagues in the artist community. This weekend proved how we all come together to support each other.

On Saturday, five members of the Culver City Art Group attended a memorial for our friend Violette Czukor who passed away unexpectedly on January 8, 2012. She was a photographer who specialized in floral images.

Her cousins organized a luncheon for her family and artist friends. Several of us spoke about her as a person and as a wonderful photographer. She was a very private person and I learned a lot about her at this get-together. I was very happy to be there to honor her life.

She could be difficult at times, but she was always sweet to me on a personal basis, and I liked her.

I won't go into all the details here as I have told the story to many people. But the lesson I learned from my last time with Violette is that it is important to be kind and patient with everybody you deal with, no matter what the circumstances may be.

You have no idea what they may be going through at that point in time. And you certainly don't know, whether they may be a friend, an acquaintance, a colleague, or a business associate, if that will be the last time you ever see them. So in that context, fifteen or twenty minutes out of your life is not such a big deal.

So I am glad, despite other things I thought I needed to be doing, I did take the time to talk to her about some projects she was thinking about. It was a beautiful day, and that conversation will be part of it forever.

My next blog will be about supporting a fellow artist at her first ever solo art exhibit.

(photos copyright Violette Czukor)

Moving through mutations of the Galactic Landscape

2012-02-12T10:56:00.000-08:00

I was in a "sixties" kind of mood when I laid this design out on paper (well, actually in Adobe Illustrator).

Original Adobe Illustrator sketch

Galactic Landscape after firing with first layers of glaze

But I wasn't happy with the way it looked after the first firing... it was too blah.

Galactic Landscape after firing with third and fourth layers of glaze
(Three 6x6-inch tiles - 8 inches x 20 inches framed)

So I covered it with a reddish glaze, let it dry and then applied the top layer of Black Cobblestone. Now I am thinking I should have reversed that order.

But I'm not unhappy with it and don't want to mess with it again. I am done and on to other ideas.

(designs and photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Meeting an old friend, discovering a new friend at Santa Monica Museum of Art

2012-02-10T18:43:00.000-08:00

What a day! I was waiting to take some more tiles out of my kiln and, as usual, the suspense was killing me. As I had been promising myself I would visit the Beatrice Wood exhibit at the Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMoA), I decided this was as good a time as any. Full steam ahead and all my other deadlines be damned!

As an art lover and artist, I consider myself to be so fortunate that at any given moment I can drive my car, take the bus, or even walk to a plethora of art galleries and museums.

I don't know why I love art so much but I was born this way and there is nothing I can do about it. This is NOT a lifestyle choice!

I enjoy visual art in all its forms be it fine art, contemporary or classical, arts & crafts, architecture, archaeological artifacts, illustration, 2D or 3D... you get the picture (oh, my brain makes these awful puns and I have no control over it).

As I have stated in previous blogs, I even love the art I hate. The only art I don't bother with is stuff that leaves no emotional aftertaste. What is the point? As long as an artist is passionate about his/her work, has given their life over to it, or is making some kind of statement, I'm up for it.

Today was one of those days I could live over and over again. I love Beatrice Wood as a person. I never met her but I have seen several documentaries about her. My opinion of her was that she was a tough old broad who had an incredible sense of who she was. She was working as a ceramic artist pretty much up until her death at 105.

I remember in one film I saw about her, she stated that the greatest excitement in her life was waiting to open the kiln in the morning. I sure relate to that! That may be the only connection we have, but it is enough. Oh, yeah, she had a cat, so that counts too...

Today at SMMoA I watched two videos about her. My admiration only deepened. Which she would hate. One thing she said resonated with me—that you have to endure the terrible events in your life in order to appreciate the good times. I have always felt this way to the point of embracing the painful circumstances, knowing that this will enhance the beauty in my life.

You can look up the salient points of her biography on the internet, so I won't go into all the details. Let's just say she led a more than interesting life which is worth researching.

So who is my new friend? Georgi Tushev: Strange Attractor is in an adjacent gallery to the Beatrice Wood exhibit. To put it mildly, I was totally blown away. I love texture in artwork. And his pieces have it in mega-spades.

From the website: [Tushev] presents paintings... that investigate the effects of oil paint when exposed to extreme magnetic fields. He uses pigments that contain high concentrations of iron that, when exposed to magnets, create textured, three-dimensional surfaces, where paint seemingly explodes off the picture plane.

The paint doesn't "seemingly" explode. It does explode! I have never seen anything like this. You have to go see it.

By the time I arrived home my kiln was at 250F degrees. Cool enough to open it a tad and speed up the cooling process. To cap the day off I was reasonably happy with the tiles I took out of the kiln once they cooled off completely.

Change of heart for ceramic tiles

2012-02-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

I painted a set of four ceramic tiles but when they came out of the kiln I wasn't very happy with the outcome.

Once again, jumping into the unknown, I decided to take a chance on destroying hours of work to create something more satisfactory.

I covered the fired tiles with two coats of Mayco Royal Fantasy Jungle Gems glaze and hoped for the best.

So, was the experiment successful?

As I have noted before, it is just about impossible to show ceramic glazes on a computer monitor. The glazing on the tile is a lot more complex than can be shown this way.

But without me reaching through your computer screen, scaring the daylights out of you, and handing you the physical tile, this will have to suffice.

Below is the result.

I am pretty happy with them. I call the series Ghost Hearts 1-4. The tiles have an eerie, ethereal quality. The more I look at them, the more I like them.

4.25 inch ceramic tiles, 6.25 inches framed.
(Designs and photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

A visit to Autry National Center

2012-02-06T09:59:00.000-08:00

A lovely day at the Autry National Center. Read all about it on my blog post, Cowboys and buffalo meet fine art at the Autry National Center.

(photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

96-year-old mosaic artist still going strong

2012-02-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

I love reading stories about how the love of art has impacted an individual's life.

This 96-year-old has enjoyed his hobby as a mosaic artist for 52 years and is now having his first art exhibit.

http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20120205/NEWS01/202050301/96-year-old-mosaic-artist-readies-first-art-show

Hearts of Stone

2012-02-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

Heart of Stone One
4.25" ceramic tile, 6.25" rosewood frame

I was painting these tiles while watching Dickens of London, a 13-part 1976 Masterpiece Theatre mini-series about the life of the author (played by Gene Foad as a young man, morphing into Roy Dotrice as he aged). Not only does it provide details about Charles Dickens that I didn't know before, but it is also an interesting reflection of life in the Victorian age. (Dickens was apparently obsessed with the young queen.)

I was so absorbed in the drama that I did not pay enough attention to my painting. Halfway through the tiles I realized I had painted each one with the same colors in the same order, so after firing they would all look alike.

Heart of Stone Two
4.25" ceramic tile, 6".25 rosewood frame

Usually, before I start painting, I label each color on the tile like a paint-by-numbers canvas so I don't get confused. Many of the glazes look alike before they are fired, and of course, none of them look the same pre-firing.

Especially as some of the glazes move around in the kiln and some are stable, I need to be careful which glazes I put next to each other to get the effect I want.

Heart of Stone Three
4.25" ceramic tile, 6".25 rosewood frame

When I realized what I had done (oh horror!) I had to figure out a way to give each one a different look. Even though I had spent a considerable amount of time up to this point, I decided, what the heck, I will experiment by painting a layer of different colored glaze over the glazes already painted on each tile. They will either turn into a muddy mess or something interesting will happen.

Heart of Stone Four
4.25" ceramic tile, 6.25" rosewood frame

I finished laying down the first two coats of glaze, waited until they were somewhat dry and then covered the tiles with the extra layer of glaze.

So although each tile started out looking pretty much the same as the next one, they each took on a different personality after firing.

(Photos and designs copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Channeling Kandinsky

2012-01-31T11:41:00.000-08:00

I think it was my friend and fellow artist Susanne Heimbuch who commented on one of my previous pieces of ceramic artwork that I was under the influence of Wassily Kandinsky.

I happened to come across the above image of one of Kandinsky's paintings. WOW!

A circle within a square isn't exactly a new concept and I am sure other artists have and will continue to develop that theme.

Nevertheless, I like to think Kandinsky was looking down (or sidewise, as the case may be) and nodding in approval as I was painting my ceramic tiles entitled Eclipses of the Moons.

Maybe he actually likes the direction I am taking and is giving me a nudge!

Okay, I am getting a little carried away with myself. But on the other hand, I can't think of another artist I would rather be channeling!

Twinkle twinkle, black star, white star

2012-01-30T10:01:00.000-08:00

Black Star One - 4/14" ceramic tile - 6-1/4" framed

Black Star Two - 4/14" ceramic tile - 6-1/4" framed

I am not sure if I am finished with this idea yet.

I painted two tiles entitled Black Star and two entitled White Star.

As I was painting them I thought they would go together as a four-tile set. But I think they are too different.

White Star One - 4/14" ceramic tile - 6-1/4" framed

White Star Two - 4/14" ceramic tile - 6-1/4" framed

The pencil drawings (which is how I start out on any of my tile paintings) were intended as one piece of artwork. And when I laid down the first two layers of glaze that was still my intention.

But the black overglaze on two and the white overglaze on the other two completely changed the story.

I am deciding if I should paint two more black and two more white tiles or leave these as two and two and create another "star" series from scratch.

In any case, I think before I paint anymore tiles I need to update my website.

(Designs and photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Making green mosaics with recycled materials

2012-01-30T09:18:00.000-08:00

I ran across this article on Jessica Kortz, a mosaic artist using recycled materials, and I identified with the story.

In the article she states that "My New Year's resolution was to do more art every day."

That was, and is, one of my New Year expectations also. So far I think I am doing pretty well with that and I am extremely happy.

Click here to read the story.

I'll take inspiration wherever I can find it

2012-01-29T11:18:00.000-08:00

Eclipses of the Moons, 2012

Four 4-1/4" ceramic tiles. 10-1/2" framed.

For the past ten years I have woken up with these little jewelry chests staring back at me from the dresser across the room.

Do you think they might have been my inspiration for these tiles I took out of the kiln this morning?

(Photos and designs copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Painting one tile a day for 365 days

2012-01-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

I was just rambling around the internet and came across this You Tube video. This Florida artist painted a tile a day for one year.

What is so cool is the amazing variety of the artwork. The blog for this is at

http://365tileaday.wordpress.com/

but I have not been able to discover the artist's name!

Maybe I didn't look closely enough.

Ceramic tiles that bend in the road

2012-01-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

It's been almost three weeks since I was able to put any tiles in the kiln. Leading tours, being out of town on a business conference, and other duties have kept me separated from my paintbrush.

I have to say that these days, glazing tiles is my favorite thing to do and I actually resent anything that stands in my way, no matter how enjoyable it may be.

These four tiles came out of the kiln around January 5. They are truly a labor of love with many coats of glaze and four firings in the kiln in an attempt to get something I halfway liked. Out of desperation I finally decided to apply two coats of Cobblestone glaze, black on two and white on two. Back in the kiln one last time and voila! It worked.

These were originally painted to fit together in a four-tile frame, but I prefer them each in their individual frames.

I am calling the series Bends in the Road. 4.125" tiles. 6.125" framed.

(Photos and designs copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Different news from Syria - mosaic crafts on edge of extinction

2012-01-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't it be nice if some billionaire came along to get this industry back on its feet?
DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Since the 19th century, the Damascene people have known the craft of mosaic through a wide range of its wooden products inlaid with silver, shell and bone to make home and office furniture. Read more here:
http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2012/01/25/396514.htm

Digital Darkroom at The Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City

2012-01-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

After guiding my tour buses through Hollywood and BeverlyHills, my favorite route to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) is throughCentury City which was the former 20th Century Fox Studios lot (a smaller lot and corporate headquarters are stillon the site). On the east side of the Avenue of the Stars, where themuch-lamented Shubert Theatre used to sit, is now an office building housingthe Annenberg Space for Photography which I always point out to my tour-goers.

Today members of the Culver City Art Group met at the museumfor our January outing. It was my first time in the building. I thought itwould be pretty interesting as I have always loved photography as an art formfrom my early days when I had a darkroom set up in the bathroom (much to thechagrin of my boyfriend at the time who had to make an appointment to use the facilities!).

The current exhibit, DIGITAL DARKROOM, runs through May 28 and featuresthe work of 17 artists from around the world who are exploring the marriage ofart with digital technology: Josef Astor, Pierre Beteille, Joel Grimes, TedGrudowski, Claudia Kunin, Chris Levine, Bonny Pierce Lhotka, Khuong Nguyen,Mike Pucher, Jean-François Rauzier, Martine Roch, Christopher Schneberger,Brooke Shaden, Stanley Smith, Maggie Taylor, Jerry Uelsmann and Jean-MarieVives.

Whatever you might imagine can be done in the realm of art photography(digital or otherwise) has been produced by these artists. Their creativity isnothing less than amazing. If you are any kind of artist or photographer youneed to see this exhibit.

As a somewhat creative person, I take inspiration wherever I can findit. It could be a walk around the neighborhood, a movie, a sunset, a good book,music, a gallery of Renaissance or contemporary art, landscapes or sculptures,or in this case, imaginative photographic manipulation.

Jerry Uelsmann was my heroin the seventies when I was creating my own black and white darkroom "masterpieces" in thebathtub. It was wonderful to see some of his older and contemporary work at theexhibit. He still works in the darkroom while his wife has her digital studioacross the street.

If you have any interest in art or photography, do not missDIGITAL DARKROOM. Admission is free and at the weekends parking beneath thebuilding is a mere one dollar. After viewing the exhibit you can walk acrossthe street to the Westfield Century City shopping mall for a meal.

No photography is allowed inside.

(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Hypsography. You'll have to look it up.

2012-01-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

I am calling these Hypsography White and Hypsography Black. I can't decide which one I like better. Well, I like them both equally in their own way. These are 4.125-inch ceramic tiles. Now I want to do something bigger in a similar style.

(Designs and photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Back to the sixties

2012-01-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

I am experimenting with my new glazes. I like these colors and textures. I am calling this series Back to the Sixties as the colors remind me of that era. Of course, I don't remember that era personally... okay I do. But so do the Rolling Stones so it can't all be bad!

Ooooooh, I like these!!!!
(Photos and designs copyright roslyn m wilkins)

First tiles fired in 2012

2012-01-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

Quartet of the New Year 010212
10.5 inches framed

After leading a whole bunch of tours around Hollywood and Beverly Hills over the holidays, I was anxious to get back to painting some tiles.

As there are so many things I am interested in, my brain goes around in circles like a train in a loop stopping off at the various stations along the line. I have to take advantage of whatever station I am at while I am there. For right now that seems to be painting tiles.

I am having a lot of fun coming up with ideas for what I am calling "Abstract" designs for lack of a better name. I am sure at some point I will want to paint tiles in my cats series or places series.

And who knows when I will want to move on to something else entirely different in my bag of tricks. I never know!

I painted these tiles in a different order but when they came out of the kiln they were screaming to be rearranged. Like a jigsaw puzzle, there is only one way the pieces fit in a satisfying way.

I really like painting quartets of tiles and just bought a pile of new frames!!
(Photo and design copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Another quartet of tiles show their colors

2011-12-23T10:32:00.000-08:00

This set of four ceramic tiles were painted before the quartet shown in my previous blog, for those of you who are keeping track of those things...

The image above is how the bisque tiles looked before they were cooked in the kiln. As you can see, there is no indication of what the colors will look like or what shapes and textures the glazes will form. The fired tiles are below.

I can only look at color samples online which really means nothing other than giving me a basic idea of which glazes to put next to each other... or not. So when I am envisioning the end result I have only a very rudimentary idea in my head.

Again, it would be great if there was some way of showing the luminosity and textures of these glazes on this blog. I guess that will have to wait until I can make a holograph.

As I am becoming a little more familiar with how these glazes will behave that end result is somewhat easier to control.... up to a point. As you can imagine, I had plenty of disasters when I first started using these glazes.

I haven't quite decided how to frame these yet. My first set of four tiles I framed together and afterwards wished I had framed them separately (too late, they were cemented in place). I am going to play around with the framing of these.

I have to say I am pretty much pleased with this set of tiles. There is something about designing in fours that is very satisfying to me. I am tentatively calling these Squares within Squares 1-4. But maybe Universes within Universes is a more poetic title. You can decide.

(4.25" tiles in 6" frames)

(All designs and photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

A tile quartet I like more than I thought I would

2011-12-22T21:40:00.000-08:00

I admit I had a little too much wine when I painted these tiles (or can there ever be too much wine?). I shoved them in the kiln at midnight knowing I had wasted bisque tiles, glaze, electricity AND my precious time by being so sloppy.

I had my Christmas lights blinking away, a log in the fireplace and Pink Floyd in the DVD player. With all that, could I really ask for satisfactory artwork too?

I wasn't that excited about taking the tiles out of the kiln. In fact it was about 6:00pm the next day that I even thought about opening the kiln. I took out the first tile. Hmmm, not too bad. The second one, oh, kinda nice. The third, this is promising. The fourth, I think I like this.

I put them all together as a quartet. Not too shabby. Yes, this maybe okay after all.

There is no way I can represent the real colors here or the shimmering effects. This image is a poor representative of the real thing. But you will have to make do with this. I'll let you know when I am showing it at a gallery so you can see it in person. The computer can't do it justice.

I am having fun painting with my Mayco Elements and Cystalite glazes.

They are totally unpredictable so you just have to use your imagination to "see" what the outcome will be when you take them out of the kiln. Of course, the more you paint with them the more you have a handle on them.

But they are pretty much like my cats. Just when you think you have figured them out they do something completely off the wall. I guess that's why I love 'em.

(Photos and designs copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Visit the Culver City Art Group on Facebook

2011-12-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

The Culver City Art Group Facebook page is open to anybody interested in art. You do not have to be a CCAG member.

Click here to visit our Facebook page.

However, if you would like to become a member of the Culver City Art Group please go to our website at www.ccartgroup.org and click on the How to Join button.

We are an organization of local amateur and professional artists in the Culver City and Los Angeles area. We embrace all visual arts from traditional to computer-generated, two-dimensional and three-dimensional.

For our members we have activities and special events such as painting/sketching afternoons, museum and gallery visits, group exhibits and artist demos. Although you must be a member to participate in our activities, anyone interested is invited to join us at our general meetings.

Looking forward to seeing you on Facebook and/or at a CCAG meeting!

Out of the fire, into the frame

2011-12-11T19:48:00.001-08:00

I fired this set of tiles Friday night. I was able to open the kiln around 1:00pm when the kiln temp was down to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit (about 93 Celsius). The tiles were still too hot to touch so I had to place them in the frame with oven mitts. I was attending the Culver City Art Group holiday potluck in the evening and needed the pieces for the mini show.

Whenever we have a meeting (as opposed to an activity such as a gallery visit) the members can bring some artwork for the other attendees to vote on. Then once a year we add up the points and declare a winner.

As well as cats and scenes from my travels, I enjoy painting mandalas and abstracts. I am classifying this set of tiles as abstract. I used four different glazes of two coats each (Mayco Crystalite and Elements).

As I have mentioned before, ceramic tile painting has its frustrations. For me, the biggest one is not being able to see the colors before they are fired or how the glazes will behave in the firing process. This is also the delightful part. There are always surprises, both good and bad.

Although I like the idea of a quartet of tiles in one frame, once they came out of the oven I realized they would probably have been better in separate frames arranged next to each other, as each tile is like an individual painting. However, too late, as I did not have the required frames on hand.

Today I tried to pry the tiles out of the frame with a chisel and hammer but only succeeded in chipping the glaze and the frame. Fortunately, I was able to repair the damage. So I will have to leave these in the frame and paint a new set to be framed individually.

(Design and photo copyright roslyn m wilkins.)

Cats with coats of spring colors

2011-12-10T07:48:00.001-08:00

With all the things I have going in my life I need to clone myself about a dozen times. For my blogs and websites I need at least two or three copies of myself. This isn't about delegating. This is about me needing to be in a dozen places at the same time. That is my excuse for not updating my blogs and websites on a regular basis. Okay, enough said!

In the recent Culver City Art Group Holiday Show I was tickled to win second place in the Members' Theme which this year was Colors of Spring. My piece, a tile tryptich, was a last-minute entry. I painted the tiles on Wednesday and Thursday, put the tiles in the kiln at midnight on Thursday and took them out at noon on Friday. They were still warm as I was gluing and grouting them into the frame. Whew, that was close! Had I not made the effort I would have missed out on a ribbon.

I really racked my brain thinking up an original idea for this theme. I certainly didn't want to end up with anything you would normally associate with the spring season but I did want to work with spring-like colors, because, after all, that was the title of the theme. I had already painted four cat tiles for the show in shades of black, white and grey so I decided on more cats. What could be more obvious?

I was pleased with the way the tiles came out and how they worked together as a tryptich. Of course artists are always their own worst critics. At least I am, always seeing the mistakes in 45-foot-high neon signs glaring out at me. A good thing nobody else is that nit-picky. I will be aware of that issue next time and not make the same mistake twice, or at least, not three times.

So I present to you my hand-painted ceramic tile tryptich, Cats with coats of spring colors. Reproductions of these three tiles are now available at www.RMWdesigns.com under the Cats! Cats! Cats! section.

Also, I have updated my ceramics website at www.RMWceramics.com although there still remain a lot of images to post.

(Photos and designs copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Culver City Art Group's 16th Annual Holiday Show rated a smashing success!

2011-11-14T08:21:00.001-08:00

The Culver City Art Group held our 16th Annual Holiday Art Show at The CenterPointe Club, Playa Vista on Saturday, November 12th. It's hard to imagine the show getting any better than this. Our new venue allowed an inviting ambience that was lacking at our previous space. With luxurious carpeting, soft lighting and comfy armchairs the space was more like a living room than an exhibit hall.

Although I am always impressed with the variety and professionalism of the work created by members of the group, the artwork presented in this show certainly matched the quality of the surroundings. As one of our members noted, we moved our group up at least a level or two with this show.

Despite the rain we enjoyed a good turnout. If you missed the show, you missed a treat.

I woke up the next morning already excited about the 2012 Holiday Art Show! And, personally, I hope CenterPointe will invite us back...

Click here for some memories of a great day.

(All photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Culver City Art Group 16th Annual Holiday Art Show, November 12

2011-11-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am happy to invite you to the Culver City Art Group 16th Annual Holiday Art Show, November 12, 2011 from 1:00pm to 7:00pm.
We have a beautiful new venue at Centerpointe, Playa Vista, CA. Just west of Culver City and across the street from the Marina del Rey Home Depot.
I will be exhibiting my new hand-painted ceramic tiles in the following series including Cats! Cats! Cats!, Alphabet, Places, Abstract and Mandalas. I am very excited to be painting again and my hope is that I can keep it up from now on.
I would be thrilled if you could join me at the show. The Artists' Reception is from 3:30pm to 7:00pm. I will be scooting out just a little early to attend another event.
The other members of our group are much more talented than I am, so come and enjoy their work in oils, acrylics, pastels, pencil, digital and photography. We are a multi-talented group of artists!!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Playa Vista CenterPointe Club
6200 Playa Vista Drive
Playa Vista, CA 90094
For more information or to download printable flyers, visit our website at http://www.ccartgroup.org/

Another trip to LACMA to see the Magna Carta

2011-05-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous blog, when I visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art last week I totally blanked out on one of my main objectives which was to see a version of the Magna Carta. This has been a pretty hectic week and although yesterday, May 5, was the last day it was on view, I really had a fight with myself to get out the door and on the bus. Of course, as I knew I would, once I arrived at the museum I was happy I had made the effort.

The Magna Carta sat by itself in a darkened gallery. If you gave your imagination a chance you could almost visualize yourself back in the year 1217 when this manuscript was signed in the name of King Henry III (who was ten years old at the time). The original Magna Carta, which basically took away a king’s ability to arbitrarily declare “off with your head” (well, nothing is ever that simple), was signed in 1215. Although many changes have been made over the centuries, it has been the basis for law among English-speaking people ever since.

It was written in the Latin script of the Medieval Ages so, unless you are a scholar of such things, it is unfortunately not possible to read it. But just knowing what this 800-year-old piece of paper meant to the feudal barons of the time, and what it now means to us as common citizens, was quite overwhelming.

Coincidentally, or maybe not, a movie about this very subject just opened. Ironclad, starring James Purefoy as a Knight Templar and Paul Giamatti as King John is described by Netflix as an “action-packed period piece set at the height of the Middle Ages.” Needless to say, it is now on my saved list.

Mourner with Head Uncovered, Wiping His Tears on His Cloak with His Right Hand, no. 55
Jean de la Herta & Antoine Le Moiturier, 1443–1456/57, Alabaster, 16 1/16 x 7 1/16 x 5 15/16 in.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon
Image: Photo @ FRAME (French Regional and American Museum Exchange) by Jared Bendis and François Jay

In the gallery next door is an exhibit so brand spanking new it is not even officially open yet. (May 8–July 31, 2011.) The Mourners: Tomb Sculptures from the Court of Burgundy consists of about 37 alabaster figures in the form of monks and clerics which normally surround the tomb of John the Fearless, the second duke of Burgundy. As the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon, where they are housed, is being renovated, this was an opportunity to loan out the exquisite sculptures. In an adjoining room is a short video demonstrating how the pieces were sculpted with various tools and smoothed with sandpaper.

To finish my visit I stopped off at the Hammer Building and wandered through the Art of the Ancient Near East galleries. I noticed a stunning fragment of a wall relief from Southern Iran, Persepolis Relief: A Gift Bearer. There is a computer-generated simulation of what the palace may have looked like where this piece came from.

I also managed to drop in on the last half of a docent tour as she was expounding on the significance of the different gods depicted on an Egyptian sarcophagus. As Egyptian archaeology is second only to my love of Roman archaeology, I was happy to hear her explanation.

Another afternoon well-spent at LACMA.

(Just a note: not that I would expect in a million years anyone from LACMA would be reading my lowly blog, but I have made five or more requests regarding my account for downloading photos from the image library which is suddenly not working.... in the meantime I am doing the best I can to credit the above photos appropriately.)

A day on Wilshire Boulevard: The Ackermans, Anarchy and Fry Bread

2011-05-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright Craft and Folk Art Museum

For months now an article in the Los Angeles Times about an exhibit at the Craft and Folk Art Museum has been popping up in my email. And for months I have been promising myself I would schedule the time to see it. So a mere week before the ending date I took the bus up to Wilshire Boulevard to view A Marriage of Craft and Design: The Work of Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman. It’s been too long since I have visited this museum. I often see announcements for interesting exhibits but I let so much time go by I usually miss the dates. So I could not let that happen this time.

CAFAM is a small art museum on three floors with galleries on the second and third floors. On the second floor is a whimsical exhibit entitled Crossing the Line: A Space by Tanya Aguiñiga composed of criss-crossed yarn with floating woven pieces. Strands of multi-colored yarn stretch from floor to ceiling giving the impression of walking through a fiber forest.

The main exhibit is on the third floor. Married in 1948, Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman have been collaborative artistic partners ever since. Starting out with no money they built a life and a business totally dedicated to art and design, proving my theory that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible.

Photo copyright Craft and Folk Art Museum

Little known to the general public, but well-respected in the design community, they have lived and worked in Culver City for over 50 years. I have to admit, the fact that they are Culver City artists is what first attracted me to them. Then when I discovered that they worked in ceramics, mosaics and tile (among other materials) I was smitten. The work displayed in the exhibit includes whimsical woven wall hangings, carved wood panels used for synagogue doors, modernist bowls and vases, hardware for furniture, mosaic table tops, and other items displaying their wide range.
There is a touching video filmed at the museum where the husband and wife heap praises on each other, ending with the song, “Mutual Admiration Society.”

The Los Angeles Times provides a photo gallery of the Ackerman's home with eclectic designs and décor.

The first floor of CAFAM is dedicated to the museum shop, always my favorite place in any museum. I was attracted to this scarf made in India, so for $12 how could I pass it up?

Around noon my tummy was telling me it was lunchtime. On the way from the bus stop on Fairfax I had passed no less than fifteen food trucks. Auntie’s Fry Bread looked interesting so I ordered The Veggie, a medley of squash, corn and potatoes slow cooked in savory cream chowder and topped with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and onions. Of course I realized it was naughty but as I had done 20 minutes of Richard Simmons before I left the house and had walked quite a bit I decided it was okay.

I walked across the street to the La Brea Tar Pits and found a shady spot under a tree. You have to be careful where you sit as the ground can erupt with tar seeping up through the grass. I had a good view of the Page Museum where about 15 children were enjoying themselves rolling down the berm and running up again. That brought back some good childhood memories. I slurped my diet Sarsaparilla and dug into the beans and corn (very delicious). I was grateful for a perfect day.

But not over yet!

As I strolled over to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art I was entertained by a dance troupe. I think the idea was that they had to move while keeping their poles connected, no easy feat.

Although the Resnick Pavilion has been open since October, 2010, I had not yet been inside. This 45,000-square-foot space, designed by Enzo Piano, is constructed with natural light entering through vertical planes of glass inserted into the zig-zagging roofline, which is ingenious as the daylight does not fall directly on the art beneath.

Currently there is a restrospective of the works of David Smith (1906-65), Cubes and Anarchy. Although he is billed as the most important sculptor of the 20th Century, I had never heard of him (which doesn’t mean much). First of all, I am not a great fan of three-dimensional art commonly known as sculpture. This is a personal bias I freely admit to which stretches from ancient to contemporary with a few exceptions along the way. It’s merely the way my brain is wired and I feel no desire to re-wire it.

I was, however, impressed by Brenda Levin’s installation. She used translucent scrims made of coarsely woven fabric, allowing the viewer to see the sculptures in layers, one behind the other throughout the gallery.

I tagged along for the docent tour which, as usual, turned out to be very informative and I came away with a greater appreciation of the artwork. David Smith was killed in a car crash at the height of his career at the age of 59.

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit LACMA was to see a version of the Magna Carta. I can’t believe I left without seeing it, and now I have make a trip back to the museum before May 5th!

(All photos copyright roslyn m wilkins unless otherwise noted)

My two-day vacation at the Getty Villa

2011-04-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

I’ve been to the Getty Villa a gazillion times but I’ve always been there for a specific exhibit or a lecture or a class. I’ve never taken any of the regular tours before so I decided to remedy that. My excuse came when I discovered that Lillian Sizemore, a mosaic artist and teacher, was scheduled to give a talk and a demonstration at the Villa. So I decided to make a reservation two days in a row and do and see all the things I have never done and seen before plus view a couple of current exhibits.

On Thursday at 11:30am I started out with Point of View: Lillian Sizemore on Mosaics. As everybody knows, I have a love affair with ancient Greek and Roman mosaics. Although I certainly appreciate mosaics as an art form, my personal “point of view” comes from a historical, sociological and architectural (not to mention archaeological) perspective. I enjoy looking at an ancient mosaic and imagining how and where it would have been used, and by whom. So, although I have seen the few mosaics in the Getty collection a multitude of times, it was a treat for me to gain an artful insight into this delightful medium.

First up was the Mosaic Floor with Medusa (about 115 - 150 A.D.). Lillian pointed out the concentric circles, creating alternating black and white spirals. She mentioned that the perception might be that the ancient artists weren’t that clever but her view is that they were very intelligent, knowing exactly what they were doing. I agree. They may not have had the benefit of computers or technology, but given the tools they had to work with, their work is amazing. Personally, I have always been fascinated with geometric designs created with such implements as a compass and triangle.

Next we looked at a fountain, a copy of that in the garden of the House of the Great Fountain at Pompeii. This is my second favorite mosaic piece at the Getty Villa (oh, but it’s so hard to choose!).

My favorite mosaic in the Villa collection is Floor Mosaic with a Lion Attacking an Onager (Roman about 150). I once gave a half-hour presentation on this one mosaic. I made a full-scale print and laid it on the floor under the mosaic (which is installed horizontally on the wall) so my audience could look at it from its intended viewing point. Because of the lack of space, and museum convention, we have the unhappy situation of looking at floor mosaics from the wrong perspective as if they are wall paintings. Even when they are presented horizontally they are usually shown on a raised bed so most people never have the joy of viewing a floor mosaic from the correct position. Hence my interest in preserving mosaics in situ wherever and whenever possible (but that is a whole other blog—or book.)

When I talk about mosaics I am always amazed at the interest from my audience, be it friends or classmates or artists, maybe because mosaics have always been brushed aside as not being very important—at least the ancient kind—and therefore there is not much ongoing conversation about them compared to painting or sculpture. Or maybe people are merely being polite!

Separating the figurative image from the background in some mosaics is a single or double row of tesserae set in a curving line in the field color. I always thought of this as the lazy mosaicist’s way of defining the outline of the figure (animal, plant, human) instead of attempting to cut all the pieces so that they butt up to the colored pieces evenly, but I never realized this was actually a technique used as a rule. Aesthetically I still don’t like it, although now I know it was a purposeful technique I have more respect for it.

We moved on to Mosaic Floor with a Boxing Scene (about A.D. 175). When I tour the Getty with friends I am often asked why this is not my favorite mosaic in the collection as it is in as perfect condition as any in the museum. It is truly wonderful and I love the fact that the corners of the frame were not planned well, which says to me that the center emblamata piece was designed at the workshop and delivered to the site where the perimeter geometric mosaics were installed in place. I was happy that Lillian pointed out the corner misalignments as I think most people do not notice this. So why isn’t it my favorite? It does have an interesting story, but just not my cup of tea.

My next event was the Architecture Tour. Although I know the Getty Villa pretty well I enjoyed the perspective of the guide. He actually apologized for his interest in the mathematical proportions but I found that the most interesting part of the tour. And, in case you are wondering how the Romans figured anything out in the system of V, VII and X, they did not use that for their calculations. They had an abacus to do their calculations. One of the Chinese tourists in our group stated that, of course, the abacus had come from China. Our tour guide was not so sure, pointing out that because of trade between the two civilizations at the time, nobody knows who thought of it first.

I then joined the Culinary Garden Tour. I own a couple of cookbooks with recipes of food prepared during the Roman Empire (yes, I am sure I lived during that period as I feel so at home with everything that occurred during that time). The docent described the plants, herbs and fruits growing in the Getty gardens that were used for culinary purposes.

My last tour of the day was Life in a Roman Villa but it was not what I expected and in any case, by then I was tired and my ADHD was kicking in big time, so it was time to leave for the day.

Once again I was in awe of the majestic views of the Pacific Ocean as I drove along Pacific Coast Highway towards Santa Monica and the entrance to the freeway.

Day two of my vacation at the Getty Villa I attended Lillian Sizemore’s Artist-at-Work Demonstration: Mosaics. Lillian is an amazing artist in this very difficult medium. I have tried to put together a few small mosaics myself and it is no easy task, which is why I have such great respect for the ancient mosaicists. Lillian showed us how to cut the stones into pieces of tesserae with the hammer and hardie. As I have managed to cut myself with knives and scissors over the years I am not sure this would be a suitable profession for me!

She had several examples of different kinds of mosaics on display. I was most intrigued by the sample of opus sectile (translated as cut work) which had the effect of looking paper thin.

I wanted to stay longer but I was off to explore the outdoors with the Garden Tour. The Villa has four gardens. One of the most ubiquitous plants in the gardens is the acanthus which inspired the Roman (originally Greek) Corinthian columns. In the herb garden there is a lovely example of an Italian Stone Pine tree.

As I have been to the Getty Villa so many times, on this trip I decided to take some photos of the flooring and walls, so along with a few shots of Lillian’s tour and some photos of the gardens, that is what you will see in the slide show.

I had intended to return to Lillian’s workshop in the afternoon and take some more photos of her working on a mosaic but I made the mistake of answering my phone and duty called. Every time I visit the Villa I think I don’t need to go back for a while as I have seen everything. But there is something magical about that museum that keeps calling me back and I know I will be returning soon.

Click here for photo gallery.

(All photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

The art of Lucknow and a tuna melt

2011-01-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

I don't even remember when was the last time I visited LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). It may have been as long as a year ago, but certainly too long to be away from one of my favorite places in LA.

There is something very satisfying about standing in front of a piece of art (whether it is a painting, a sculpture, a textile or...). Of course, there is a considerable amount of "art" I don't want to be standing in front of... but usually in any exhibit or gallery I can find one piece that resonates with me and makes the whole experience worthwhile.

On this very rainy past Sunday, my good friend BG and I decided to spend the afternoon at LACMA. Neither of us had checked the website so we really didn't know what exhibits were available. That can be fun, just wandering around seeing what there is to see.

Rain in LA is like a blizzard in other parts of the country: nobody wants to venture outside. So the museum was lightly attended, which was fine with me!

The first exhibit we noticed was India's Fabled City: The Art of Courtly Lucknow, so we decided to give it a shot, not knowing what to expect.

From the LACMA website: "Lucknow was an extraordinarily elegant and sophisticated Indo-Islamic kingdom that flourished in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This is the first exhibition devoted to the opulent art and culture of the city, which boasted the wealthiest court and most ostentatious cityscape in northern India."

Need I say more? Well, this is my blog, so I will anyway!

First of all, I was amazed at the size (approximately 200 pieces) and depth (paintings, costumes, jewelry, weapons, decorative arts, glassware, and more) of the exhibit. Very impressive. Walking from gallery to gallery it just kept on going.

Although I enjoyed all facets, I was most taken by the intricate paintings executed in water color and gold leaf... exquisite renditions of the architecture, people and life in general of that era. We commented that the work must have been done under very powerful magnifying glasses by artists with extraordinary eyesight and tiny hands. You have to see it in person to appreciate the delicacy.

Equally impressive were the portraits by Tilly Kettle, especially in his rendition of the rich fabrics worn by his subjects. (I looked him up on Wikipedia as I had never heard of this artist who died in his early 50s. Out of money, he returned to India in the hope of replenishing his bank account but traveling overland through Asia he was never heard from again.)

One nice touch in the exhibit was a room devoted entirely to a panoramic photograph of Lucknow mounted on the wall as a mural. Walking into the room was like walking into the city, surrounded on all sides by the view.

If you think you know everything there is to know about Indian art, or you think you don't care, either way I highly recommend seeing this wonderful exhibit. If nothing else, it is an interesting insight into an episode of India's history.

Having been blown away by the art of Lucknow we traversed the plaza to the new Korean galleries. The space is very nice but after the previous experience the art on display was rather bland. We checked out a few other favorites in the main building but at that point our brains had sucked up about as much art and information as we could manage... so as our hearts and minds were full it was time to feed our stomachs.

Marie Callender's Bakery and Cafe is just a few footsteps down Wilshire Boulevard so it is always a convenient restaurant for a post-museum discussion and meal. BG and I, along with other friends, have spent many an interesting couple of hours there in the afterglow of LACMA. We always order a salad, and usually the same favorite that we each have. We laugh about this as every time we peruse the menu as if we are going to try a new item, but it rarely happens.

I was cold down to my bone marrow all day and walking in the torrential rain to the restaurant did not help matters. The thought of my usual salad did not appeal to me. But the tuna melt sure did. We both ordered it, BG with french fries and for me the cole slaw (I had to get my green veggies in somewhere).

As a connoisseur of tuna melts I have to tell you this was one of the best I have ever eaten. Perhaps THE best. I don't normally eat four-legged animals but I decided to make an exception this time as the sandwich came with two strips of deliciously crispy bacon (yes, I could have ordered it without but I didn't want to). That first bite was heaven. The cole slaw was yummy too with peanuts and raisins sprinkled in with the colorful cabbage slices. I may have found my new Marie Callender's "usual." (I don't believe this Marie Callender's is associated with the chain around town so don't try to order this at the one on your corner.)

A very pleasant rainy Sunday afternoon that covered all the senses.

Vickie Myers Wows Again for the Culver City Art Group

2010-09-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

The members of the Culver City Art Group who attended the Annual Membership Drive at Graphaids today were once again treated to the innovative art of Vickie Myers as she entertained us with some imaginative ways to use water colors.

From collages made of our paintings we don't like so much to the ever-popular carrot people to using tools and brushes creatively, even the seasoned painters in our group learned a lot.

This was the third time Vickie has shared her talents with our group. Never a one-trick pony, she always has new and different methods and effects to demonstrate. Ask her anything and she will answer in detail with great patience.

Vickie has been teaching at the Joslyn Center in El Segundo since 1993. You can contact her via her website at http://www.vmyersart.com/.

And thanks to Graphaids Culver City who very generously allows us to hold our membership drive in their store every year.

(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

“Rivers of the World” Community Mural Fundraiser and Live Street Art Event

2010-09-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

A fundraiser and live street art event is scheduled for Sunday, September 12 from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm at Zakheim Conservation Studio, 3633 Eastham Drive, Culver City, CA. The goal is to raise awareness for the protection, restoration, and preservation of all Culver City murals.

Enjoy an afternoon of arts and entertainment. Meet renowned artists and celebrities including mural artist Art Mortimer and artist/actor Thom Bierdz of The Young & the Restless.

There will be a panel discussion with Shakuntala Zakheim, art conservation specialist; William Brutacao, famed attorney in the Kent Twitchell million-dollar Visual Artists Rights Act case; Lucy Blake-Elahi, public artist; and Ricardo Guerrero, Graffiti Lab Director. RAWartists.org, a non-profit national artist and environmental group, will be documenting the afternoon, making the stop on their national tour.

Community participation is important to show support for the future of public art and murals in Culver City.

“When I see public art in Culver City, I feel good about being part of a city that values art and thinks it should be available to everyone,” says Corinne Lightweaver, local artist and member of the Culver City Art Group. “I never noticed the Postcards from Ballona mural (on the bike path behind the Julian Dixon Library) when it was covered in graffiti. Now that I have had a role in restoring it, I visit it often and take action if I see graffiti or weeds blocking it.”

The Postcards from Ballona mural was successfully restored last year thanks to the efforts of the city contracting one of the original mural artists, Lori Escalera, and approximately 90 local volunteers. This spring Day to Night mural in Syd Kronenthal Park was also restored, lead by Escalera and the help of community volunteers. The Rivers of the World mural, also located on the bike path at Duquesne Avenue, is the latest in a series of community murals to be renovated. Since its completion in 2000, the mural has deteriorated due to wear, vandalism and graffiti. Its restoration is scheduled for November 12-14, 2010.

At the fundraiser you will also see live spray art by Timoi De Leon, Lesley Perdomo, and Jony "Broak" Tolentino. Renowned street chalk artists Lorelle Miller, Juliana Martinez, Lucas De La Torre, and Gustavo Lozano will demonstrate their skills. Live music will be provided by established performers Craig Small and the exotic Anna Homler.

Suggested donation is $25 per person or $75 for a family of four. Make your payment by September 1 and receive $25 credit on art auction items starting at $50. You can make your donation through Paypal at www.ballonacreek.org or send a check (payable to Ballona Creek Renaissance) to: BCR, PO Box 843, Culver City, CA 90232.

Questions or want to get involved? Email Lori Escalera: design.etc@cox.net

Sponsored in part by Ballona Creek Renaissance 501-c3, RAWartists.org, Laird Plastics, Sorrento Italian Market, Culver City Trader Joe's, Artesa Winery, and your neighborhood Sprouts Market.

To receive updates or RSVP on Facebook, search: "Save the Rivers of the World Community Mural"

Photos are available at: http://picasaweb.google.com/loriescalera/RiversOfTheWorldMural

Culver City Art Group Art Salon

2010-08-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

Musée d'Orsay, miniature paintings, the Pastel Society of Southern California, Francis Bacon, Roman mosaics—these are just a sampling of the topics bandied around at the Culver City Art Group Art Salon held at my home on July 31. The snacks were just as eclectic ranging from homemade guacamole to organic grapes to cheese and crackers. Ten members of the art group attended which was the perfect number for good conversation.

I am looking forward to our next session!

For a photo gallery please click here.

Young Summers at POST in 3D

2010-07-09T23:36:00.000-07:00

Young Summers introduced her first three-dimensional artwork at POST Gallery (1904 E 7TH Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021) tonight. Young, a member of the Culver City Art Group, is the creator of some prize-winning collages. She invited members of CCAG to attend her exhibit.

I always like to see new and different art. The exhibit was a lot of fun, and that is what art should be in my opinion—fun.

Yes, it can be about serious subjects but to get the point across it needs to invite the viewer in and that can only be done by creating an enjoyable environment.

Personally, I always prefer innovative, creative, adventurous art… even if I don’t particularly care for it… to dreadfully boring, serious stuff. Art should be an adventure, not a known quantity.

Fortunately, no worries, as I always enjoy Young's art work.

(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Lessons Learned: Reflecting on the Theory and Practice of Mosaic Conservation

2010-06-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

I have to admit when I read that the articles in this book were in English and French I thought that meant this would be like an English/French dictionary with translations into the respective languages. Not so, as some of the articles are in English and some are in French, period. If you can’t read French you are on your own which I find somewhat disappointing. Would it have been so hard to translate the French into English and vice versa? However, for someone like myself who only reads English and can just about order a cup of coffee in French, there is still enough of interest to justify ordering this informative collection of reports on the proceedings of the 2005 meeting of the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics.

I happen to love mosaics and am unashamedly passionate about the conservation of ancient mosaics, especially in the Hellenistic Greek and Roman Empire periods. From this book I learned a great deal about the different approaches to preservation and the problems inherent in those methods, the effects of tourism pro and con, the efforts to encourage appreciation for cultural heritage, the methods of scientific investigation—just to mention a few topics.

So if, like me, you salivate when you hear the word mosaics and want to learn more about the conservation and preservation of this wonderful art form from a professional point of view, I can highly recommend purchasing this record of the conference.
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Art in the Afternoon: Venice Art Forum

2010-06-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

On Sunday a friend and I attended the exhibit “Studio Visions” with works by The Venice Art Forum Group at The Center for Art and Spirit in Venice, California. We were invited by our mutual friend, Barbara Golbin, who was showing four of her paintings.

Other artists in the exhibit included Ciya, Debra Gangale, Carole Garland, Linda Jacobson, Regine Legler, Melissa Reischman, and Jean Wolff. I know several of the artists and it is always interesting to see their new creations.

Linda, who created the group and was the host, converted the garage of her house into a well-thought-out art studio/gallery with natural light, work areas, and plenty of wall space to accommodate exhibits.

After viewing the paintings we enjoyed sitting out in the garden chatting with friends and admiring the bougainvillea.

Linda provided a nice spread of grapes, cheese, crackers, and wine. At 3:30 there was a drumming session with maracas for those of us who wanted to join in the noise-making.

This was a very pleasant, informal afternoon of art and socializing.

(photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Los Angeles Union Station - photo gallery

2010-03-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are more photos of my trip to Los Angeles Union Station in downtown. This is a wonderful building to wander around soaking in all the different architectural and design elements indoors and outdoors.

Click here for a web gallery. This may transport you away from the blog, so you'll need to backspace to get back!

(photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Los Angeles Union Station

2010-03-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

“The Last of the Great Railway Stations” was built in 1939, just in time to witness the demise of the train and the rise in popularity of air travel.

I first experienced the wonder of Union Station in the 1960s. As a child I wasn’t much interested in architecture or history—I was merely happy to be back in Los Angeles after spending a miserably cold winter in London. All I remember is walking out into the courtyard to be greeted by those oh-so-wonderful southern California palm trees.

As the decades rolled by I had the opportunity to visit Union Station for various reasons. In the seventies the place was a ghost town. I walked through the vacant spaces listening to my footsteps echoing in the emptiness. Hearing another human voice was startling.

In the eighties things took a slight turn for the better. I rode the train for the journey, not the destination, and apparently other travelers were doing the same thing. Union Station once more had the stirrings of life.

By the nineties Catellus had bought the property and was busy restoring the long-neglected buildings to their original glory. As the station had little use for many years, not much had been remodeled or destroyed. Today, all spruced up, visitors see the buildings pretty much as they were in the 1940s. The architecture incorporates many influences including Spanish Revival, Mission style, Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, Moorish—I like to call it Southern California eclectic!

The best part is that currently, with its role as the transportation hub of the area with the MetroLink and Red Line trains, MTA buses, and Amtrak all converging on the station, it is once again host to the hustle and bustle of humanity.

For sixteen years during the 1990s and into the new century I volunteered as an architectural docent with the Los Angeles Conservancy. One of my favorite tours was of Union Station, both the old station and the new transit center which opened in the early nineties. To me, the whole area is an art museum.

As an admitted decorative tile addict, I salivate over the Gladding, McBean & Co. tiles in the public areas such as the ticketing hall, entry area, and waiting rooms. I am also a marble lover so I am equally enamored of the gorgeous marble and travertine used all over the station. The painted ceilings are fabulous as well.

The Los Angeles Conservancy has two informative brochures on Union Station. These are supposedly written for children but I think they are equally useful for adults, as we are all kids at heart anyway.

http://www.laconservancy.org/kids/union_kids_outside.pdf

http://www.laconservancy.org/kids/union_kids_inside.pdf

If you live in LA or have the opportunity to visit, don’t miss out on discovering the Los Angeles Union Station.

(Stay tuned... more photos coming soon, just needed to get this posted!)
(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Antique and Modern Ceramic Decorative Tiles

2010-02-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

I just created a group on Facebook called Antique and Modern Ceramic Decorative Tiles for people who collect tiles, create and paint tiles, or just love tiles. Please join at:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=317312542954&ref=mf

Or paste Antique and Modern Ceramic Decorative Tiles into the Facebook search engine

Thanks for your support!

To My Dear Followers

2010-02-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

You are near and dear to me and I am sorry to report that when I changed URLs for this blog I was not able to transfer my follower list. So, my apologies, but if you wish to receive updates (and I hope you do) on this blog you will have to resubscribe.
This change was necessary on so many levels and I'm happy that I finally did it after much thought... again, my apologies but I do hope you will resubscribe!
Cheers from Art, Tiles, and Mosaics!

Fear No Art

2010-02-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

Like they say, one man's trash is another woman's treasure. My friend KJ found this button in the trash and gave it to me. I love it and wear it proudly!

We Have Moved!

2010-02-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

Pack your bags and move on over to our new blog address!

Don't forget to bookmark our new blog address.

You can still find us at http://www.arttilesmosaics.com/ (note there are two "T"s back to back)

But Our NEW blogger URL for Art, Tiles, and Mosaics IS:
http://arttilesmosaics.blogspot.com/ (note there are two "T"s back to back)

Our OLD blogger URL address for Art, Tiles, and Mosaics was:
http://fitzandfoothill.blogspot.com/

We apologize for the inconvenience but now it will be easier for people to find us!

Cheers from all of us at ATM: Art, Tiles, and Mosaics!

2010-01-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

The Sun King Tile, Maybe...

The 11th Annual Los Angeles Pottery Show has now been and gone at the Convention Center in Pasadena, California. Two friends and I drove out from our respective parts of town on Saturday, January 23 and met up at the show. As it had been raining all week the views of the snow on the mountains on the drive out to Pasadena were breathtaking. I don’t recall seeing so much snow on such an extended area in all the time I have been living here. But then my memory for that kind of thing is admittedly short. Nevertheless, it was a sight to behold.

And the Pottery Show was a sight to behold too, in its own unique way. Over one hundred dealers were represented selling diverse items such as sixties dinnerware to figurines made in occupied Japan to vintage Batchelder tiles to contemporary ceramic art. It was an interesting mix. Porcelain poodles and ash trays in the shape of eye glasses that I normally would not give a second glance seemed fascinating in that venue.

Most of the pieces were California-made, or at least of US origin. Of course, I was hoping for a collection of Minton tiles to jump out at me, but that didn’t happen. I believe there was one Minton tile although the name “Stoke” stamped on the reverse was barely visible. However, not a tile I would have purchased anyway.

One tile did attract my attention. (Image above.) I walked away and came back to it several times. I was fascinated by the design. When I saw it at the show I thought it was a Neptune motif surrounded by stylized dolphins. The vendor told me it was probably from the early 1800s but I doubt that. I would attribute it to the Victorian period. But I have no idea who the maker is. Nevertheless while we were eating lunch I decided if I didn’t purchase the tile I would regret that decision more than the decision to buy it.

So now it is in my possession. After studying it a little more closely I realize the design has nothing to do with Neptune. I believe (but am not positive) it is symbolic of one of the Dauphins of France (mostly from the 1400s to the 1700s). Kings Louis XI through Louis XVI were given the title of Dauphin while they were in line to receive the crown. The disembodied head in the center of the tile may represent Louis XIV, as he was known as the Sun King, and that title would explain the rays emanating from his head. I am not sure of the significance of the wings, the basket of fruit, or the dragons. I’ll have to do some more research on those symbols. The dolphins, fleur-de-lis, and stylized shells are fairly obvious.

The more I study the tile the more confident I feel that it does indeed depict King Louis XIV. I wish I knew who made the tile and why it was made. There are no maker symbols on the reverse, just the grid pattern, presumably to hold the tile in place on a wall. Yet there are holes drilled into the back as if the tile was used as a trivet (although they would surely be more evenly distributed if that was the case), or perhaps to hold the tile on a wall where it could not be glued properly—ah, who knows?

As you can imagine, I am intrigued by this tile and cannot just walk away from its mystery. I will be keeping an eye open for more information as time goes by, but for now I must move on to other things. If anybody out there can help me read the symbols I would be grateful.

(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2010-01-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

A Feast of ArtSaturday night the Culver City Art Group gathered at my place for our annual Holiday Potluck. We usually do this in December but last month it seemed all the members (including me) had other things going on so we rescheduled for January. I kept all my Christmas lights and decorations up a little longer to accommodate the party. This turned out to be a super idea as around twenty five people showed up including guests of members.
The great food included spicy jambalaya to turkey meatballs to chicken wings to tasty salads to bread straight out of the oven to cheese and crackers to homemade and homegrown guacamole to cup cakes to cookies to chocolatey things—well, you get the idea! Along with the goodies we asked members to bring a piece of their own artwork or something that someone else had created to briefly comment on. This turned out really well as personally I enjoyed all of the short talks. At our regular meetings we have mini-shows where each artist brings a piece to be voted on but we don’t get to hear the story behind it.

My cat Friday did his usual job of greeting everybody at the door. At one point he escaped outside and was welcoming all the guests out on the sidewalk. That cat loves people and he goes to great lengths to make sure they love him back!

In attendance were some new members which is a great way to make their acquaintance and for them to meet the regular gang on a more personal level.
Some of us were discussing that as creative types we sometimes have uneasiness about dealing with large groups of people and are more comfortable with one-on-one situations. I have to put my hand up there! I find all the vibes from parties such as this one almost overwhelming but I have learned to take each person on an individual basis—and the people who are attracted to our group are exceptionally comfortable to be around. So, if you are an artistic anthropophobic you will be very welcome!
One of the most rewarding facets of my life is being a member of the Culver City Art Group. We have activities such as gallery and museum visits, general meetings with mini-shows, art demonstrations, an annual art exhibit, and our famous Holiday Potluck. I have made some wonderful friends of members past and present. If you are already a member, tell all your friends. If not, why not join us now?

(all photos are copyright roslyn m wilkins and all artwork copyright the respective artists)

2010-01-13T17:06:00.000-08:00

TAG: You’re It!
TAG stands for The Artists’ Gallery which recently moved from Santa Monica Boulevard to Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, California. Bergamot Station dates from 1875 when the Red Line trolley stopped there on its route from downtown Los Angeles to the Santa Monica Pier. Now it is an eight-acre site housing art galleries and The Santa Monica Museum of Art.

Saturday, January 9, TAG held a reception showing the work of all their member artists. A friend and I were invited by our mutual friend Katherine Kean. I was really looking forward to seeing the new gallery and Katherine’s new piece entitled Clouds Swirling Over the Great Marsh. But it was not meant to be. As soon as we turned off Olympic Boulevard we saw cars stuck in the intersection at Cloverfield and Michigan, the street leading to Bergamot Station. We thought, wow, this TAG show must be really popular. I found out later that THIRTEEN galleries at Bergamot had scheduled opening receptions for that same evening! Guys, you need somebody to coordinate your parties… and guess what, I am available!!!

It took us several lights to turn off Cloverfield on to Michigan. Then we inched along Michigan to the parking lot. Once in the lot we couldn’t move. We just sat there. Eventually we were able to work our way around the other cars but many people had made their own parking spaces and we drove through a forest of cars with only inches to spare. People were backing up without looking and turning around when they should have kept moving forward… It was one of those parking situations I only see in my nightmares. I felt lucky to escape the parking lot alive. But not wanting to disappoint anybody, least of all ourselves, we attempted to find a parking space on the street but we had no luck there either, and as we drove further and further into neighborhoods we were not familiar with, we made the choice to abandon the attempt and drove back to the safety of Culver City and one of our favorite Thai restaurants where we could deflate on brown rice and jasmine tea.

A few days later, on Tuesday to be exact, I had a canceled appointment and decided on the spur of the moment to drive over to TAG when there would be some peace and quiet. As I was getting ready I thought wouldn’t it be wild if Katherine was sitting at the front desk. I had no idea what her schedule was (TAG is a cooperative where the artists take turns working at various tasks, gallery-sitting being one of them). As I walked in the door I only saw another lady who turned out to be the current president. Then Katherine came into view—and I can’t really say I was surprised. She said I must have felt her vibe, and probably I did!

The new space is really lovely with plenty of room to move around. They are busy remodeling an upper level so that all the artists can be represented even when there is a show dedicated to one or two of the members.

The current exhibit showcases one work from each member. As always with that group, I was very impressed with the quality of work. But, of course, my heart will go where my heart will go, and I was pulled towards two pieces in particular by Sue Keane and Joe Pinkelman. Keane’s Untitled (ugh, I’ve commented before on artists calling their work “untitled”… perleeze, give me a break…) is comprised of four undulating glazed ceramic tiles on wood. Pinkelman’s Head Teapot is listed as stoneware, decals, and enamel. You gotta see them in person—I didn’t want to stop looking at either of them and could easily find a spot in my living room for both.

Of course, Katherine Kean’s paintings are always inspiring and I never have to ask which ones are hers. Her style is very distinctive and I always love the subject matter she chooses.
Another of my favorite TAG artists is Anne M. Bray. Her entry in the show is entitled Twilight in pastel on paper (at least I think so as I stupidly wrote my notes in ink on a shiny business card and a day later the ink has smudged and I can barely read anything!). I saw a solo exhibit of hers a while ago and fell in love with her landscapes. Art is an emotional experience for me, sometimes good and sometimes bad, and if I connect with a work of art it doesn’t have to be in any particular medium.

Another familiar name for me at the show was Carole Garland. I was actually surprised by her piece Palming it Off—not what I expected from her. Experimentation is important for an artist and doing the same thing over and over and over again just because you can is not my idea of creativity... so I enjoyed the fact that this was something a little different.

There were many other artists I could comment on. Most of the work was really outstanding and it was a treat to see so much great artwork all in one place. This comprehensive show is on until the end of January, so don’t miss it, you hear?

TAG Gallery
2525 Michigan Avenue, D-3
(Bergamot Station)
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Tel: (310) 829-9556

2010-01-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

Last Day at LACMA

Although I had a whole laundry list of things I should have done (including laundry) I decided to spend the last day of 2009 doing something enjoyable and meaningful. I took the bus up to LACMA (the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and spent several hours looking at art—about the most enjoyable and meaningful activity I can think of!

When I first heard about the exhibit Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life way back in September, I did what I often do when there is an art exhibit I especially want to see: I procrastinated. So once again I managed to squeak in under the wire with only three days to spare (better than some exhibits I’ve seen on the very last day!). So, I am sad to say, this review is after the fact as Señor Meléndez left LACMA on January 3.

I have to admit I am not a big fan of the still life genre, but when I saw a reproduction of Melendez’ work in the LACMA newsletter, I knew I had to see it in person. I was not disappointed. I arrived a half or so earlier than the official docent tour of the exhibit was scheduled so I could get a sense of the paintings on my own without any outside influence.

Luis Meléndez lived from 1716–1780 and, according to the LACMA website, “was the greatest still life painter of eighteenth-century Spain and ranks as one of the greatest painters of the genre in all Europe.” If you ever have the chance to see his paintings, you will realize this is not hyperbole.

Obviously, before the advent of the camera, it was necessary to turn to “realistic” painters to capture likenesses of people, places, and objects. It is indeed tempting to throw Meléndez into this category. However, my impression of his paintings is that they are so much more than merely a mirror of how things really looked. His paintings have a life of their own.

His work has been described as photographic, but no camera ever captured a cauliflower, grape, or loaf of bread as he painted them. The tomatoes look like they could sprout legs and walk off at any moment. The aubergines have a jewel-like quality and I could imagine them in a showcase at Tiffany’s. Especially delightful are the landscapes—where you might expect to see a patron on his horse, instead Meléndez has made the fruits and vegetables the center of attention.

This exhibition was well attended and by the time the docent arrived quite a crowd had gathered. In fact, I was surprised to see so many people all over the museum on the last day of the year.
Serendipitously (if that wasn’t a word before, it is now), shortly after the Meléndez tour, a docent tour of the ceramics in the Pavilion for Japanese Art was scheduled (with a very enthusiastic docent obviously in love with the subject). I don’t know how often this particular tour specifically highlighting the ceramics is offered but I have not seen it on the calendar before or since. Those of us lucky enough to be in attendance were treated to a history of Japanese ceramic art from the coil-built Neolithic period through the contemporary work of current artists. I was especially intrigued by the early eighteenth century Plates of the Twelve Lunar Months. Although these are plates with rims, they do look like tiles, don’t they… could that be why I’m so attracted to them?

Before leaving the museum I stopped by the Art of the Pacific exhibit. It was interesting but I was little irritated with the lack of title cards for each piece. Instead the visitor is expected to carry an information card around. No biggie, I just prefer having each item labeled in place.

As I was standing at the bus stop I realized I had missed A Tale of Two Persian Rugs. Oh well, back to LACMA before January 18th!

(Luis Meléndez, Still Life with Artichokes and Tomatoes in a Landscape, circa 1771–74, oil on canvas, 24 1/2 x 32 1/2 in., Mrs. Lila Shickman, image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art.)

(Plates of the Twelve Lunar Months, Ogata Kenzan (Japan, Kyoto, 1663 - 1743) early 18th century. Copyright Los Angeles County Museum of Art.)

2009-11-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

Travelin' Tiles

During the past dozen years I have visited a few places from watching the leaves change color in New England to enjoying a gondola ride along the Venice Canals to hiking down the Grand Canyon in the hot hot hot sun to marveling at the clear view of Denali (Mount McKinley) in Alaska (that not many visitors get to see behind the constant cloud cover). The past couple of years I've had to curtail my trips far from home. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Fortunately, I took plenty of photos of my travels and now my favorite pasttime is to paint my memories on to ceramic tiles. As I look through my photos for suitable subjects I realize I could spend the rest of my life painting a new tile every day and still not get through everything. One idea sparks another which sparks another...

Sometimes one photo by itself provides the basis for a tile design, sometimes I make a collage of several photos, cutting and pasting here and there. Always I have to make some major design decisions stuffing a 5" x 7" view into a 6" x 6" tile, but after some pushing and shoving it always works out.

About a million years ago I posted the beginnings of a ceramic tile-painting tutorial on this blog. One of these days (!) I will get back to it. But in the meantime, I will say that I start all my tile designs in Photoshop. That's where all the pushing and shoving takes place. You could go through a similar process by cutting up printouts of your photos and moving them around on a 6 x 6 template. But Photoshop or (Photoshop Elements where I assume you could do the same thing) makes life so much easier.

As I go through the process of looking for photos and designing my tiles, all the memories of my trips come flooding back. It's a great way to relive the experiences all over again. And as I no longer sell my original tiles but display them in my house, I am constantly reminded of places and people from over the years. (When a plumber came to do some work, he saw my tiles and asked if my cats went with me on my trips!) I really don't even need to travel anywhere ever again... But I will, I will!

Shown here are my latest Andalucian (southern Spain) tiles of Cazorla (looking from the Plaza), Sevilla (El Real Alcazar), and Ronda (a gateway) in that order. Reproductions are now available on my Cafepress store, RMWdesigns in the European Travels section.

(Photos and designs are copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-11-18T08:02:00.000-08:00

The Amoebas (or Amoebae if you want to get technical) are Among Us!It was two days away from the Culver City Art Group Holiday Art Show, I was about to do my second firing of a few tiles that needed tweaking. But running my little electric kiln is very expensive so I prefer to have a full kiln as much as possible. As it takes about a week to paint one of my detailed tiles (from concept in Photoshop to drawing on the tile to painting, outlining, and final glazing before firing) I decided to have some fun. Not that creating all my tiles isn't fun—just intense and time-consuming.

I have nine "weird" glazes that I have never really used for anything so I decided it was time for them to see the light of day. So I did some doodles with my Wacom tablet in Photoshop and traced the outline on two tiles so they would be identical. Then I painted both the tiles with the same nine glazes but in different sequences, then outlined the shapes with black paint (as I do for most of my tiles).

The next morning I expected to retrieve nothing but a mess from the kiln. But I was pleasantly surprised and during the day as I was framing and grouting my other tiles for the show, the "Amoeba" tiles started to grow on me. When framed they looked even better. Now I love them and want to experiment more with these particular glazes.

(Photos and design copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-11-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

Thank Goodness It's Friday!

It's Monday morning and another Culver City Art Group Holiday Art Show has come and gone. It was a lot of fun (as usual) and I am very grateful for the people who took time out of their busy schedules to stop by and visit. This year was so hectic with all kinds of projects I didn't even have time to send out my own invitations! I must be better organized next year (yeah, right).

Anyway, the show went really well, as always we had some fabulous entries that deservedly won prizes. As our show isn't big enough to have categories (less than twenty five artists participated this year) it is a difficult job for the judge to select nine winners. However, in my eyes, just being willing to put artwork out there for the scrutiny of fellow members and the general public, makes everybody a winner.

Maybe that sounds trite but I remember when I first started doing artwork (in the form of collages) in the early 90s, I hung the artwork all around my house and invited friends over to view it. When nobody laughed, and in fact, most people praised it (I know, they were my friends!!!), it gave me the courage to display it publicly and I had a one-woman show for several months at a restaurant. It was a huge deal for me as those collages were so personal. They were the expression of all the pent-up creativity of a quarter century of doing no artwork at all.

Of course, I've moved on since then and now I have no problem displaying my art. I make art for myself and nobody else, but if somebody else out there likes it, so much the better!

Now my number one form of creativity takes the form of hand-painted ceramic tiles. The collages I did back then were full of energy exploding on to the paper. I need to do some more. My ceramic tiles now are very controlled with a lot of detail. They are on subjects that are important to me. I especially like my "Places" series based on photos I've taken of my travels. Well, I like all my series!

Near and dear to my heart is the tile I painted last year of my tuxedo cat Friday. Like all roommates, he has his problems, but basically he is a sweetie. Just before I painted his portrait I had visited the Getty Center to view their fairly recent Gauguin acquisition (Arii Matamoe or The Royal End) which I fell in love with. (Click here for that blog entry.) I used my impression of the rug in the painting for the background of the tile. The photo I had taken of Friday looking up at the camera and the Gauguin rug all came together perfectly.

I was very happy that this tile won an award at the show. And Friday is very proud too!

(Photo and design copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-11-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, What is the Fairest Bird of All?

I can't really answer that as I love all the birds (and animals, insects, and plants) of the Ballona Wetlands. My Wetlands tile paintings aren't strictly about the Ballona Wetlands and the creatures and plants I draw and paint would not hold up in any scientific textbook. My paintbrush does its best to translate what is being transmitted from my brain, and that's all I can say about it. But I enjoy painting what I call "My Ballona Wetlands Series."

This mirror has been gestating for probably three years. I could see it in my head but I couldn't get it on to paper, let alone tile. I did complete one design in Photoshop—could have been a couple of years ago—but I didn't like it. In the meantime I took a mosaic class at UCLA and decided I wanted to use the frame for that. So I ordered another frame and after a few months took another stab at a different design. I still didn't like it so another few months went by.

Then I decided to draw the design on the ten tiles just to see what it would look like. Hmmm... not really sure so I packed everything up and put it away. Another few months went by.

I thought, well, maybe I should paint one or two of the colors and then decide as I could always wash off the tiles and start over. So I did, lost all motivation after painting two or three colors, and packed everything up again.

With the mirror kicking around in my head and feeling guilty about not working on it, I was unable to work on any other tile projects. So a few weeks ago I realized, come hell or high water, regardless of whether or not I liked the design, I HAD to finish painting the tiles or I would never be able to work on another tile project for the rest of my life!

So with the Culver City Holiday Art Show coming up on Saturday I forced myself to finish the painting. As it moved along I began to halfway like it. Of course, with ceramic glaze you can't see the real colors until after firing. So I held my breath until the morning I removed the tiles from the kiln.

Then I started breathing again. They looked okay. And when I placed the tiles in the mirror frame, the whole thing sprang to life and I am rather pleased with the end result. If I had to do it over again would I do things differently? Absolutely yes. I see all kinds of stupid mistakes and glitches. But I know they are there and maybe nobody else will notice.

Anyway, the main point is the mirror is finished and now I can move on with my life!
(Mirror is approximately 20" wide x 26" high.)

(Photo and design copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-10-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Help Preserve Archaeology in Italy, Nov. 2nd Deadline

Below is the text of the email I received from the Archaeological Institute of America regarding an important agreement between Italy and the U.S. that needs your support. I already faxed off my letter to the Cultural Heritage Center.

October 29, 2009
Hello,
On Nov. 13 the Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) will review the Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Italy that governs the trade in antiquities between the two countries. The committee has asked for public comments, with a deadline of Nov. 2nd.
Specifically, CPAC will consider Italy's actions under Article II of the Memorandum. You can read the agreement at exchanges.state.gov/heritage/culprop/itfact.html. Article II calls for Italy to loan material to US museums, allow Americans to excavate, and otherwise promote the protection of archaeological sites.
If you have visited American museums that have objects on loan from Italy, if you have excavated in Italy, if you have done research there, then you should write a letter to CPAC describing your work. Letters from the public are extremely important in CPAC's assessment of the impact of the agreement.
Letters can be fairly brief, one page is fine. Make it clear you're writing about the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and the Republic of Italy as amended in 2006. Identify yourself. Give specific examples of museums you've visited or places in Italy you've worked, and end with a request that further co-operation between the US and Italy be encouraged (or something similarly positive). Your letter will make a difference in protecting archaeological resources for future generations.
If you can write, please do. Letters are due by Monday, Nov. 2nd and can be faxed to (202) 632-6300 or sent by mail to:
Cultural Heritage Center, SA-5, Fifth Floor, Department of StateWashington, DC 20522-0505
Thank you, Sebastian Heath, Vice-President for Professional Responsibilities Archaeological Institute of America
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the AIA at Sitepreservation@aia.bu.edu

2009-10-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

I Lived to see Herculaneum

I had the good fortune to snag a ticket for the lecture yesterday at the Getty Villa on Herculaneum: Conserving and Interpreting the Roman Past with architect Gionata Rizzi. Although I've been looking forward to this for weeks I had a relapse of the "fluey thing" and after retreating to my bed for two hours wondered if the trek over there would kill me. But I decided dying doing something I enjoy was better than passing away in bed... how boring. So I got dressed, put gas in the car, and jumped into the worst traffic I have seen in a long time. Fortunately I was meeting a friend who arrived early enough to save two good seats for this sold out event.

The Getty Conservation Institute is a collaborator on the Herculaneum Project for which Gionata Rizzi has worked since 2002 as the architect responsible for developing pilot projects and model designs. He talked about the difficulties involved in preserving and conserving such a large project while maintaining its ambience.

Of course, we all know that Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, and until the 1700s the town of Herculaneum lay protected under tons of volcanic material some 50 feet high. After a couple of centuries of excavation at least one third of Herculaneum now lies exposed to the elements. Structures, paintings, and mosaics that had survived pretty much intact are now being destroyed by the sun and rain and oxidation.

Over the years various contraptions were devised to build covers and roofs to protect the excavation, some of which were very ugly and detracted from the sense of place. The photo above shows one of Rizzi's solutions to provide a roof while maintaining some idea of what the original may have looked like.

Evidently this was Rizzi's first visit to the Getty Villa. He got some laughs (at least from me) by talking about what it was like to leave the ancient Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum and walk into the working replica, which is what the Getty Villa is. He said it was difficult to walk on the marble floor which is an exact copy of the ancient version, which, of course, cannot be walked on. I have been to the Getty Villa so many times (since it first opened in the 1970s) that I definitely take it for granted and no longer even think about what it represents. I should pay more intention to the building itself.

You will be happy to know (I hope) that I didn't die from attending the lecture. And I am certainly glad that I made the effort. Pompeii gets the lion's share of attention but Herculaneum is equally important in our understanding of life in the Roman Empire during that period, and I look forward to learning more about it.

After the lecture we stopped by to see the ongoing exhibit Molten Color: Glassmaking in Antiquity which is a wonderful display of over 180 ancient glass objects from the collection of Erwin Oppenländer and the Getty. About two years ago I took a twelve-week class at the Villa through UCLA Extension. One of my presentations for the class was on ancient glass, specifically Flask in the Shape of a Head (oh, note to the Getty webmaster, this has been bugging me for over a year now, the word is FLASK with a "K," not FLASH with an "H.") I was happy to see my flask is part of the exhibit. Sometimes research for a class can be useful and ever since putting together that presentation I have been fascinated by ancient glass. It's a nice adjunct to my obsession with mosaics!

(Photo: View of the multi-story House of the Telephus Relief with a timber roofing solution. Photo copyright The J. Paul Getty Trust)

2009-10-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

See You at the 14th Annual Culver City Art Group Holiday ExhibitYou are invited to our annual art exhibit on November 14, 2009 from noon to 6:00pm. Work includes oils, water colors, acrylics, ceramics, photography, collages... and more! The show is judged with awards and prizes. Come at 3:30 to meet the artists and enjoy our snack buffet.

If you are an artist, registration forms and invitations/flyers are now uploaded to the Culver City Art Group website. Tell your friends there's still time to become a member to partipate, however all artists must work a show-related job and be present for installation and the artists' reception, so no fly bys allowed!

The Culver City Art Group is an organization of local amateur and professional artists meeting at different venues in the Culver City area. We embrace all visual arts from traditional to computer-generated, two-dimensional and three-dimensional.

For our members we have activities and special events such as painting/sketching afternoons, museum and gallery visits, group exhibits and artist demos. Just this year we already visited Descanso Gardens, Laguna Beach, the Huntington Library, and did a walking tour of the Culver City Art Galleries.

Although you must be a member to participate in our activities, anyone interested is invited to join us at our general meetings.

Members receive 30% and 40% discounts at Graphaids, worth the membership price in itself.
Contact Barbara Golbin at 310.837.2600 or mailto:b.golbin@sbcglobal.net for additional information.

Individual membership is $25 a year and is open to anybody interested in the arts, of any age.

(Flyer design copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-10-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Mosaics in Context

Exciting news in the October Getty Conservation Institute Bulletin which I subscribe to: "The GCI, the Getty Foundation, ICCROM (the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), and ICCM (the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics) have launched a new collaborative initiative, MOSAIKON, to improve regional capacity for conservation, maintenance, and preservation of mosaics in museums and in situ."

According to the Getty website "The objectives of MOSAIKON are:
to strengthen the ICCM and the network of professionals concerned with the conservation, restoration, maintenance, and management of the mosaics heritage;
to provide training to a variety of individuals involved in mosaics conservation and, more generally, with the management of archaeological sites and museums with mosaics;
to work with national and international bodies to provide a more favorable legislative, regulatory, and economic environment for the conservation of mosaics in the Mediterranean; and to promote the dissemination and exchange of information."

Mosaics were for a longtime the stepchild of archaeologists and art historians. Often the "interesting" sections such as allegorical figures, animals, or flowers, were removed from the site and placed in the "safety" of museums, losing all context of the rest of the mosaic they belonged to, or to the architectural surroundings they were intended for. Unlike paintings or sculptures, floor mosaics were for the most part installed in particular areas of buildings for a purpose. Removing them from their natural habitat destroys the essence of the mosaic.

I personally have enjoyed seeing many a mosaic improperly hanging on the wall of a museum. I doubt at the time that I even considered it should be viewed any other way. And if I had to travel to see every mosaic in situ I certainly would not have been able to view as many as I have. However, that is hardly the point.

Currently, the thinking among conservationists is to maintain mosaics on site. Obviously, this is not doable in all cases, but wherever possible I embrace the idea of keeping them intact in their original location. Although I have not had the privilege of seeing as many mosaics in situ as I have in museums, there is certainly nothing more exciting than running across a mosaic floor in a ruined villa or temple. On the other hand I don't advocate attempting to return mosaics to their place of origin, even if that was feasible—what's done is done. But it is comforting to know that the consensus of opinion among the guardians of such treasures is to preserve them in their intended locations.

Unfortunately I don't have the qualifications to attend the MOSAIKON conference in Lebanon in May, 2010, but in the meantime I am grateful to the Getty Conservation Institute for being involved in the preservation and conservation of my favorite art form.

(Photo: Overhead view of technicians performing stabilization treatment on mosaics. Photo: Aurora Ortega de Torre. From Getty.edu website.)

2009-10-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Lillian Sizemore's Mosaics Newsletter

I am a big fan of Lillian Sizemore. She is a mosaic artist who began working in tile and glass mosaics in 1995.

I first stumbled upon her a couple of years ago when I attended a seminar at the Getty Villa on the history of mosaics. She showed some samples of her public work around the San Francisco area (and that of other artists too). Later I took a one-day mosaic-making class with her, again at the Getty Villa.

This summer she taught a two-weekend workshop in Long Beach I would love to have attended but it wasn't the right time. I hope she will schedule another workshop soon, preferably in West Los Angeles!

The reason for this post is that I just received the first issue of her e-newsletter which you can read and subscribe to by clicking here.

And you can read more about her at her website.
(Photo copyright Lillian Sizemore)

2009-09-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

A New Day and a New Blog

Sometimes my ATM blog wanders away from its primary focus which isn't a good idea when people come here to read about Art, Tiles, and Mosaics.

But I am in writing mode these days and there are other subjects I want to explore.

So I decided to start another blog I am calling One Good Life. And ATM can concentrate on its original purpose. So, when you have nothing better to do, click on over to my new blog.

And, don't forget Friday's blog at Friday's Amazing Adventures!

2009-09-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

A Feast for the Eyes, if not for the Palate

If you have traveled to Greece and can't wait to go back—like myself—in the interim you can enjoy the LA Greek Fest on the grounds of Saint Sophia's Greek Orthodox Cathedral (just a couple of miles west of downtown Los Angeles). Every year in September the tents go up and the dancers and musicians come out to celebrate all things Greek. There is no real Greek community in Los Angeles so Saint Sophia's is the next best thing, located in Koreatown and surrounded by hispanic neighborhoods.

My friends and I arrived at 4:00pm on Saturday, September 12, just in time to see one of the cooking demos. Although the vultures lined up for samples after the demonstrations, as the dishes were mostly made of wheat or meat, or a combination of both, I only had a small taste.

So we went in search of dinner. I had my taste buds primed for grilled octopus, remembering the delicious meals I had enjoyed in Athens. As I arrived at the line, I was disappointed to see octopus being scratched off the menu. So my only option was to order the calamari at another booth. Huge mistake. I've eaten a lot of calamari over the years in various forms but this was unequivocally the worst I have ever eaten. I would rather have chewed on my shoes as I am sure they would have been tastier and more tender.

The highlight of the day for me was the cathedral itself. I have lived in Los Angeles all my adult life and consider myself to be reasonably knowledgable about the city and fairly adventurous in discovering her nooks and crannies. But I don't recall ever seeing Saint Sophia's before, not even in passing. Or maybe, not being sure what the building was, it just wasn't on my radar.

The exterior is elegant in a southern California eclectic, art deco-ish way with both Mission and Greek influences. With its three domes I imagine this is what Union Station would have looked like if it had been built on an island in the Aegean. As stunning as the exterior is, it in no way prepared me for the lavish interior. I have had the good fortune to visit cathedrals and churches in various parts of the world and found many of them to be awe-inspiring. But I don't recall ever seeing so much gold leaf work in any one place before. Amazingly, the interior is not garish in any way—it is gorgeous.

After visiting so many European cathedrals I decided if I ever felt the need to follow a structured religion I would convert to Roman Catholicism, or at least the Church of England, just so I could be attached to a beautiful cathedral. But after visiting Saint Sophia, I'm thinking Greek Orthodox might be the way to go! Now, of course, I am being facetious and probably already offended somebody, although that is not my intent. As a non-religious person I always have the sense of being close to heaven (or at least the Christian perception of heaven) when I am in a cathedral—and certainly no less so in this particular place.
Although the beauty of the main part of the cathedral is overwhelming, my favorite spot is in a side chapel. In the dome is a mosaic of Jesus (not painted as it seems to be on the dome of the cathedral) and the altar and walls are of exquisite marbles in varying shades of greys, tans, and beige. Stained glass panels of Jesus, Mary, and saints hover over the altar.

Saint Sophia's story has an interesting connection to Hollywood and 20th Century Fox which I won't go into as it is ably described at this website.

The cathedral is worth a visit if you are in the area, but you should check their website listed below for the cathedral visiting hours.

Saint Sophia Cathedral

1324 S. Normandie Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90006

www.stsophia.org/

323.737.2424

You can view a gallery of my photos by clicking here.

(photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-09-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

Postcards from Ballona Mural Updated

Lori Escalera recently updated the video of the original Postcards from Ballona Mural project (1995-1997) to add the recent (2009) renovation. So now you can see the entire history of the Postcards mural in one place at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zWOL9FYUi8

Just as a reference, you can still check out the blog, Culver City Murals Restorations, which documents the May, 2009 restoration.

2009-09-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

Illuminating Art

On very short notice my friend BG announced she wanted to see Illumination: The Paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe, Agnes Pelton, Agnes Martin, and Florence Miller Pierce at the Orange County Museum of Art. As the exhibit is closing September 13 we hustled on down to Newport Beach last Saturday, the 6th.

These four women artists were paired up, one famous, one relatively unknown: Georgia O’Keeffe with Agnes Pelton, Agnes Martin with Florence Miller. I have to admit the only one I am familiar with is Georgia O’Keeffe, who happens to be one of my favorite artists—no surprise there. What was a revelation were the works of Agnes Pelton. I immediately fell in love with and established a connection with several of her paintings.

While I enjoyed the O’Keeffe paintings on display, a couple of which were new to me, I was totally enraptured with the discovery of Agnes Pelton (who lived from 1881 to 1961). I love abstract art because to me it has a spiritual quality that realism can never achieve. It comes from the deepest corners of the imagination and leaves the interpretation to the viewer. But like any kind of art, there is good and there is rubbish. Fortunately, Pelton’s art belongs in the first category.

She was also a poet, and as a sometime artist, sometime poet myself, I appreciate this combination. In fact, I am not a big fan of reading poetry by itself, but combined with visual art, it takes on a different dimension.

I am really surprised that Agnes Pelton is not more of a household name. And while not belittling Georgia O’Keeffe in the least, perhaps, like a splendid little wine from a small winery, she is better served to a small audience who can truly appreciate her. I am grateful that I discovered this wine and intend to keep my eyes open for more of it.

As there doesn’t seem to be much available in print on Agnes Pelton, your best bet may be to acquire the catalog for this exhibit which sells on Amazon for forty bucks ($15 less than at the OCMA bookstore—although I am sure OCMA would appreciate your dollars more than Amazon).

I haven’t said anything about Agnes Martin or Florence Miller. While their work was interesting, it didn’t blow me away like the paintings of Pelton—or O’Keeffe. If you want to see for yourself, hurry on down.

2009-09-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

Smokin’ at the Huntington Several intrepid Culver City Art Group members braved the heat and smoke on Sunday, August 29 to meet at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in Pasadena. The last time our group descended on the Huntington five years ago it was a stinking hot day around 105 degrees. So, being gluttons for punishment, we ended up picking a similar day. Added to the heat was the smoke from the adjacent Station fire that ate up 150,000 acres of the Los Angeles area.

But soaking in the beauty of the gardens, we hardly noticed what was going on just next door. As an artist, or any kind of creative person, if you can't find inspiration in this place, you just aren't going to find it anywhere!

First we roamed around the gardens with the intention of hitting the galleries later on as the heat intensified. The Botanical Gardens contain more than 14,000 different kinds of plants in more than a dozen themed garden areas. We spent a good amount of time in the Desert Garden and Conservatory reveling in the gorgeous cactus and succulent varieties. Many years ago when I had a house my pride and joy was my cactus/succulent garden. As the sun and heat devastates any kind of flowering plant on my front balcony, perhaps it’s time to grow a mini succulent garden in pots—worth a try! I will report back. We visited the peaceful lily ponds and the stunning Japanese Garden where I enjoyed a welcome cooling Silver Jasmine iced tea. By now the plume cloud of smoke hanging over the next ridge of mountains was unavoidable. Magnificent in its own way, of course it was bringing heartbreak and destruction on its wings.

It‘s impossible to do justice to the Huntington in one afternoon, but on this trip we visited areas we had not seen on our last excursion. And there is still more to see. We ended the afternoon in the new (to me anyway) Scott Galleries of American Art from the Colonial Period through mid 20th century—not quite my cup of tea. Then the refurbished (since our last visit) main Huntington Gallery (which was the residence) housing Gainsborough’s Blue Boy. The heat by then had penetrated our bones, and we were ready to leave.

On the way out I had to stop for a quick sprint around the exhibit on Samuel Johnson in Library Hall. As one of my favorite historical English characters I’m always interested to learn a little more about him. Some wonderful books, manuscripts, and paintings tell his story—I was happy I didn’t miss that.

As there are so many places to go and so many places to see in our Southern California playground, perhaps it will be another five years before we delight in the Huntington again. If it is, so be it, but I hope not!

(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-09-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Your Bright Future Quickie

August 23 I had the good fortune to return to LACMA for a second look at the Pompeii and the Roman Villa Exhibit. This time I remembered my camera and was able to take a couple of shots of the outdoor pieces for the Your Bright Future exhibit which I wrote about on my Busing to Art blog. As you can see these are fun to walk around if you are a kid or a kid at heart. The exhibit closes September 20.

(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-08-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Tea is Tea is Tea...

Or is it?

On Friday I had to make another trek up to the UCLA Med Center. Senility is definitely setting in. I sorted out a bus leaving at 10:09... wait a minute, if my appointment is at 10:00am, how can I leave at 10:09? At that point I had ten minutes to get ready and run like the wind to the bus stop.... only to see the back of my bus as it disappeared down the street. Not a good start to the day, but things definitely picked up after that.

August 16 Steeped in History, the Art of Tea opened at the Fowler Museum on the UCLA campus. As the museum opens at noon, I had some time to fill after the doctor's appointment before heading on over there. One of my favorite areas is the Murphy Sculpture Garden on the north campus. It's a pleasant mixture of a variety of trees, grassy berms, meandering paths, concrete seating areas that blend into the landscape, and yes, sculptures. I am no expert on sculpture, nor is sculpture my favorite art medium, but in this setting, what's not to like?

I sat for an hour at one side of the garden shaded by some trees so I could see it in its entirety. I watched people walking along the paths. Nobody ever seems to actually stop and look at the individual sculptures, but I do know from personal experience, as you spend time in the garden, even walking from one side to the other on a regular basis, you can't help but be aware of them. They seem to be growing out of the ground as much as the trees and plants. They have become not individual pieces of art but part of the whole. I think this is why this garden works so well. Everything belongs together.

As I was sitting there, time seemed to slow down. When I was younger and immortal I was always in a hurry to get to the next thing, whatever that might be. Now that my mortality is catching up with me, I am perfectly happy to stay in the present. I have had to train myself to sit still, physically and mentally, but it has paid off. I am more content observing quietly than jumping up and being the one observed. It would be more logical the other way around: to sit still when there is all the time in the universe ahead, and to be on the move, doing all there is to do, when there is less time left. Maybe because I've done so many things, I can happily sit and reflect on them, and doing more now seems less important—oh, I can see we are going to get convoluted here! Let's just say that now I am better at sitting still and letting the world come to me, rather than the other way around.

Time for Tea. I like the Fowler Museum as it is small and manageable. The exhibits are well presented and informative. Upon leaving this exhibit I felt as though I had earned my PhD in Tea! There are hundreds (probably an understatement) of kinds of teas in the world, albeit all from the same basic plant, and over two dozen are displayed in their various forms at the entrance to the exhibit, from loose leaf to compressed cakes, with exotic names like Yunnan Black Needle and Dragonwell Superior. From there on it is a veritable Disneyland of Tea.

As you would guess, I enjoyed the many examples of ceramic tea pots and tea cups, from modern to whimsical to traditional. One of these days I WILL unpack one of those bisque teapots in my garage and paint and fire it, for sure...

Other highlights of the presentation included paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, historic documents, accoutrements and furniture—everything you need to understand the centuries of culture, politics, art, suffering, beauty, philosophy, pleasure, and conflict involved in the extraordinary history of tea. I spent close to an hour and a half taking in the exhibit.

Interestingly, I learned that Samuel Johnson (whose Dictionary of the English Language was published in 1755) and his biographer and friend James Boswell, both suffered from severe depression. Johnson "cured" himself by drinking tea, while Boswell only deepened his depression by drinking alcohol.

Over the past few months I have made a conscious effort to drink more tea. My favorite is Salada Earl Green, green tea flavored with oil of Bergamot. I sometimes mix this with other tea such as ginger, black, or herbal tea, sometimes with a lemon slice, sometimes iced, sometimes hot. I find the Salada Earl Green to be particularly uplifting: it seems to the combination of the green tea and the Bergamot. When I am tired, lacking motivation, upset, or down, drinking this tea does wonders for my spirits—I consider it my miracle brew. When I find it at the market I buy several boxes to ensure I don't run out.

Moral of this story: when you visit the Fowler Museum, make a little effort to hang out in the Sculpture Garden, and vice versa. Or, if you have to make an appointment at the Medical Center, improve the day by spending some time with nature and art. Then go home and make yourself a "cuppa."

2009-08-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

A River of Art For hundreds of years before the arrival of the Spanish, the Los Angeles River provided water and food for the Gabrielino Indians. In 1769, the members of the Gaspar de Portolà expedition settled on the banks of the river and named it El Río de Nuestra Señora La Reina de Los Ángeles de Porciúncula: The River of Our Lady Queen of the Angels of Porciuncula. It was known as the Porciuncula River.

Today, after a change of course or two, the Los Angeles River runs 51 miles from the west end of the San Fernando Valley to its mouth in Long Beach, mostly encased in concrete because of the river's tendency to flood. In recent years there has been a movement to safely remove the concrete and to restore the vegetation, and hence the wildlife, to a more natural environment.

Saturday evening BG and I attended the opening reception for Carole Garland's exhibit at TAG (The Artists' Gallery 2903 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404) with the Los Angeles River as her theme.

As a member of the Culver City Art Group, I have watched the development of Carole's art for some time. She just keeps on getting better and better, and I feel like now she has really hit her stride. I believe the point at which somebody crosses over from being merely a painter to an artist in their own right is when a distinguishable style emerges—and that point has definitely been reached by Carole. I like her soft, impressionistic style immensely.

The painting above (although not strictly the LA River, as its subject is the Wetlands) is a beautiful example of her style. The colors and layout are perfectly harmonious.

The exhibit runs through August 15. Swim on over there.
(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins.)

2009-07-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Artful CheckupThis image is from the Icons of the Desert website. See website for further copyright information. Photo: Tony De Camillo for the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University

Time for my annual checkup so, in my new public transportation mode, I took the Big Blue Bus (Santa Monica Bus Line) from Culver City up to Westwood and the UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) Medical Center. With the 40-minute ride (this route encompasses almost the entire universe) and a combined 20-minute walk, this little adventure lasts one whole hour as opposed to half that time by car. So once again, it's a matter of weighing the value of one's time against the operating costs and mileage on the family car plus the $11 parking fee. Right now my preference is for the bus over fighting traffic and looking for a parking space.

I was able to plan the day so that I had doctors appointments in the morning and late afternoon. This gave me the time slot I needed to walk over to the Fowler Museum on campus. For over two months now I have been staring at the brochure announcing the Icons of the Desert exhibit, a collection of Australian Aboriginal paintings from the early 1970s with the extended exhibit of Innovations in Western Desert Painting, 1972-1999. I was so excited about seeing these abstract images I was almost afraid I would be disappointed when viewing them in person. But not to worry. I was totally immersed in the wonder of these paintings, composed of lines and dots in earthy tones. The best part is that each painting tells a story according to Aboriginal lore. The viewer cannot understand the story without a written description, but this does not diminish the power of these works. I felt a direct spiritual connection to these designs. One can argue that all art is spiritual. However, I sensed these pieces had a life of their own, beyond the two-dimensional representations that I was looking at on the walls of the museum.

Sunday, August 2 at 2:00pm there are two lectures on this exhibit, free with no reservations required. I am tempted to attend.

Unfortunately, this exhibit ends August 3, but you can still catch it at New York University through December.

Intersections: World Arts, Local Lives, is a display of 250 artifacts from the Fowler Collection exploring the impact of art on people's lives in various cultures worldwide. There are several pieces displayed that I want to research further on the internet, such as the papier mache art of the Linares family and the ceramics of Jorge Wilmot. This is ongoing.

Reflecting Culture: The Francis E. Fowler, Jr. Collection of Silver is a permanent installation with some stunning examples of silver artifacts such as teapots and goblets.

2009-07-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

Busing to Art

Being forced to live in a state of "less is more" I have now discovered public transportation. In a previous blog I reported on my adventures busing and training to downtown LA with my friend GZ. Since then I have become even more adventurous.
Last Saturday I had a ticket for the lecture on The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani at the Getty Villa and invited GZ. Knowing she had no fear of public transportation I thought it would be fun if we could both find our individual ways there, she from West Hollywood, me from Culver City. She assured me she had a straight shot on the number 2. I took line 33 to Fairfax, then line 584, which dropped me off across the street from the Villa (after a rather convoluted trip that took almost two hours, partly my fault but partly because the West LA Transportation Center is several miles east of me from where I can take a bus to anywhere in the known universe, even if I want to go west).
It turned out her bus had changed the route and she had to walk a mile on Pacific Coast Highway with no sidewalks and traffic coming up behind her at 60 plus miles an hour. Going home we both took the #584 to Fairfax then went our separate ways.
The "Golden Graves" date from around 450-250BC and since the 1930s, archaeologists have uncovered 28 burials. Vani is in the area of today's Georgia, Russia. A highly developed civilization has been discovered that had its own religious and artistic practices, while embracing influences from neighboring cultures.
The kingdom of Colchis gained fame as the destination of Jason and the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece, and indeed, the region has proved to be rich in gold.
The gold jewelry and other objects found in the graves are exquisite and sophisticated. Granulated gold (extremely small gold beads the size of termite castings) were intricately imposed on some of the pieces.
There are also non-burial items in the exhibit such as the elephant lamps and some figurines, all equally interesting in the discussion of this artistic culture.
This exhibit goes through October 5, 2009. As parking at both Gettys is now $15, unless you have a car full of people, I would suggest looking at that bus schedule.

So, for something completely different I decided to bus up to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) on Friday. This was a one-hour trip, door to door, and as Fairfax was a mess on a Friday afternoon, I thought that was pretty good time. I was interested to see Your Bright Future: 12 Contemporary Artists From Korea at the BCAM (Broad Contemporary Art Museum, a part of LACMA), otherwise known as the Broad (pronounced "Brode").
It's no secret that I'm not a fan of a lot of contemporary art but I kinda liked this exhibit. I enjoyed walking through HappyHappy at the entrance comprised of strings of brightly colored plastic containers and the chain link fences at the Sixth Street side where you can add your own plastic items. I also liked looking out of the Ahmanson Building to see the swaths of colored fabric criss-crossing the windows.
One of my favorite indoor pieces was the room where there were six movies playing, each one set in different parts of the world. The artist stood still and silent while people passed her by. The passersby became part of the piece too, some ignoring her, some puzzled by her, some smiling or laughing at her presence.
The other was the person-sized stuffed animals. The signage said illegal aliens were inside the costumes as a "performance." One was a rabbit, the other a family of different animals. I found it interesting how my perception changed when for a second I believed there really were people inside, then that they were illegally in this country earning $5 a day for their performance, then the realization that there couldn't be anybody inside.
After that I wandered around the permanent collections, not stopping at anything in particular, just breathing in all the art as a whole, ingesting the peace and serenity.
I walked around outside in the park, viewing the full scale models of the woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers caught in the tar pits tens of thousands of years ago. Climbing the berm to the top of the Page Museum, I saw couples, singles, families, tourists, Angelenos, all enjoying themselves on this wondrous, sun-filled day in southern California... all my problems, dilemmas, unmade decisions, and other troubles of the past months, weeks, and days were nowhere to be found. I was in the moment.

2009-07-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

Century Plaza Needs Your Help

Below is information I copied from the Los Angeles Conservancy website:

CENTURY PLAZA HOTEL: One of 11 Most Endangered Historic Sites in U.S.
How You Can Help

To Learn More

Century Plaza Hotel in the News

Did You Know?

Moments In History
Photo courtesy Yamasaki Associates
On April 28, 2009, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Century Plaza Hotel (Minoru Yamasaki, 1966) in Century City to its 2009 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This annual list highlights historic places throughout the U.S. that face destruction or irreparable damage.

The owners of the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City announced plans to raze the building and replace it with two 600-foot towers in December 2008. The new project would include a boutique hotel, condominiums, and mixed-use space, plus two acres of open space. The venerable hotel received a $36 million facelift less than a year ago. HOW YOU CAN HELP
The Los Angeles Conservancy is leading the charge to save the Century Plaza from demolition. Here's how you can help:
1. Pledge your support for preserving the Century Plaza. Join our growing network of people throughout L.A. and the world in voicing your support for the hotel's preservation. We won't share your information with anyone, and we'll use it only to gauge the level of support for the Century Plaza and update you on breaking news on this specific issue.

Ronald Reagan at the CenturyPlaza Hotel with Mary Lou Rettonand the 1984 Olympic team. Photo courtesy Ronald Reagan Library.
2. If you're part of an organization, consider joining the Conservancy's growing coalition of groups who support preservation of the Century Plaza. For more information, contact Flora Chou at fchou@laconservancy.org or (213) 430-4211.
3. Become a part of the conversation on Facebook and engage in the Conservancy's Century Plaza discussion board. Voice your opinion and find out what others are thinking. Visit our Facebook page and become a fan to get the most up to date information on this issue.
4. If you're not already a member, join the Conservancy to give us greater strength in numbers.
5. If you'd like to make a donation, consider a gift to the Conservancy's Preservation Advocacy Fund to help with expenses for support materials, outreach, and other costs related to protecting the hotel from demolition.

2009-07-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Who Gets To Call it Art, John Constable or Charlton Heston?

I've been watching a lot of 50s and 60s Hollywood movies lately like The Fall of the Roman Empire, Ben-Hur, Spartacus, etc. I never saw those movies when they first came out so I thought it was time to catch up. And, of course, I'll read, watch, hear, or smell anything that has the remotest connection to the Roman Empire, my favorite period of history. So, in that vein, although a millenia away from that time period, I Netflixed The Agony and the Ecstasy starring Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison, two icons of the silver screen. Of course, we are all familiar with Michelangelo's obsession and anguish with painting the Sistine Chapel (the snippet of Irvine Stone's book that this film covers). Nevertheless, it is interesting to see the relationship between Michelangelo and his patron/protagonist Pope Julius II fleshed out. Nothing in the dialogue sounded phony—the words coming out of their mouths were believable as the actual conversations that took place.
I also enjoyed watching the progression of the painting, from the drawings on paper to the transfer of the outlines to the ceiling, to the application of paint. Watching Charlton Heston painstakingly make those brush strokes while sitting and lying in those awkward positions, it is inconceivable that Michelangelo was able to complete the entire ceiling. Although he had assistants to mix the paint and clean up, he made the decision to paint the whole thing himself.
A few years ago I had the good fortune to stand and stare at the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Our tour guide whisked us through at breakneck speed, apparently so she could maximize the time we spent in the Vatican souvenir store, and hence, her commissions on our purchases. So my friend and I decided to return on our own at the end of the two-week tour through Italy. Whereas the first time through we had been more concerned with keeping up with our guide's red flag than soaking anything in, this time we were able to find a place to sit and contemplate the ceiling in all its glory. I wish now I had seen the movie before viewing the ceiling, as it would have been fun to imagine Charlton Heston way up there on the scaffolding, and even more amazing to contemplate Michelangelo's vision. But obviously, that is my 20th century mindset—and perhaps it was, after all, better to see it for its own beauty and not through the eyes of a Hollywood film.
Aside from the painting of the ceiling and the relationship between the painter and the pope, I was struck by the fact that Julius II acted more like a military general than a religious leader. Apparently at that time, the Catholic church was into empire building, spreading Christianity much like the British Empire spreading "civilization" and the US spreading "democracy," by military might. History turns out to be nothing more than a change of clothes and vocabulary after all.
If you enjoy art, or history, or both, The Agony and the Ecstasy is not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Two other films I rented recently, both documentaries, are Who Gets to Call it Art? and The English Masters: Constable. The first was the biography of an art critic I never heard of before (not that I am familiar with many art critics), Henry Geldzahler, the very first curator of contemporary art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Oh, so now I know who to blame! Just kidding, folks. Geldzahler was born independently wealthy—how unfair is that? But it seems he was also born knowing what he wanted to do with his life, and rather than sitting around being rich all day, he went out and did it. He was unusual as an art critic in that he mingled with the artists of the day, had intimate platonic and sexual relationships with some, and both treated and was treated by the artists as an equal. His friends were Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns and others of their ilk. Artistic luminaries such as David Hockney and Frank Stella, also his pals and two of my favorites, contributed interviews to the film along with others.

Geldzahler was one of the first people to consider "pop" art as fine art. While I don't always share his enthusiasm, I understand the contributions this genre has made to the world of art, and I admire him for being true to his convictions, as he genuinely believed in these artists and their work. Geldzahler died of cancer at the age of sixty. The organizer to the end, Hockney relates that Henry was carried downstairs from his sickbed so he could re-arrange a few objets d'art in his living room—he loved and understood the relationships between things. He was then carried back upstairs and died shortly thereafter.

The second documentary about John Constable, the English landscape artist, has a more personal meaning to me. On a trip to England a few years ago, some friends took me to Constable Country in Suffolk (see photo above). I have to admit, I wasn't that interested in Constable's art at the time. But after seeing his paintings and being able to relate them to the part of the country that he mostly painted, I became a fan. Landscape art was not very popular at the time (the early 1800s) as the money was in portraits. But as time went by, his landscapes were recognized as great works of art, leading to his acceptance, rather late, by the Royal Academy. His beloved wife died shortly after delivering their seventh child and Constable spent the rest of his life (he died at 60) dressed in black, painting, and raising his children. He rejected the popular notion that artists should use their imaginations, and instead painted what he saw in nature, and was probably the first plein air painter in oils. His sketches, expressions of what he saw at the moment, had a great influence on the later impressionists. As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the area that was his inspiration. The temperature was in the mid-eighties on that trip, with humidity and insects to match. As there is a lot of water in the area, I wondered if Constable had to deal with mosquitoes as he sat out in the fields sketching!

(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-06-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Tile Trek

This weekend is the annual warehouse sale at Classic Tile & Mosaic. You don't have to be in the market for a new bathroom in order to enjoy a visit. On Saturday my friend KL brought with her two decorative tiles she had bought previously and was looking for ideas to incorporate them into her back step risers. I was just looking.

As CTM is not normally open to the public this is always an opportunity to see what's happenin' in the world of tile.

I salivated over the many types, materials, designs, and colors of tile. I was imagining various scenarios in which I could use the different kinds of tile on display. I particularly liked this square foot of marbley-travertiney-looking tiles above. They would look great on a wall, maybe in my dining area. They would go well with all the wood in my place.

In the showroom the Malibu Tile collection was showcased. If I had a couple thousand bucks to spare I would have loaded up my car as I thought the sale prices were pretty good. I fell in love with one tile approximately 12" x 8", a scene of Catalina, but then I remembered I had a piece of bisque about that size and maybe I should save my money and paint it myself in my own style.

I ended up buying a 6" x 6" Malibu-style tile of a flying fish. The designer was in the store, Juan Aguirre (hope I spelled his name correctly). He works out the design on the computer, then the design is silk-screened on to the bisque tile, then the tile is hand-painted in the "corda seca" style with the colors separated by raised black lines (I believe a mixture of manganese and linseed). When I visited Sevilla, Spain, some years ago I remember watching an artist painting in this style with some kind of syringe like decorating a birthday cake.
Many things in life I can pass up. But a beautiful tile I cannot resist!
(photos copyright roslyn m wilkins and tile designs copyright respective artists)

2009-06-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

Ladies of the Night
Normally I'm an early riser. There is nothing more wonderful than being up and around before dawn when all is quiet and you know most people are still snug in their beds. Standing out on my deck, cup of coffee in hand, watching the sun rise before the sound of traffic arrives out in the street, is an experience not to be missed. So when I tell you that my natural inclination is to be a night crawler, you might go huuuuhhhhh?
All those years working in construction, when I had to be on the job site before dawn, stuck with me. And then having a corporate job for ten years where I had to be on the freeway in the wee hours for the shortest commute. Which has led to the strange lifestyle of still being a night person some of the time and a morning person most of the time. Night time is when I seem to be the most creative, but the early morning is when I am able to get the most work done.
Yesterday I reverted to my night personna and ended up standing on the corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga Blvds, prime "ladies of the night territory," at midnight...
My friend GZ graciously invited me to the Los Angeles Conservancy's "Last Remaining Seats" to see "A Streetcar Named Desire" at the Los Angeles Theatre as my birthday treat.
The evening was quite an adventure. I drove to GZ's home in West Hollywood. From there we walked the few blocks to the bus stop and rode the bus to Hollywood and Highland. From there we took the Red Line train which runs underground all the way to downtown Los Angeles. I don't ride the train very often, but when I do I can't help notice how clean and bright the stations are compared to any of the other cities in the US and the world that I have visited. It's probably an unfair comparison considering our system is so new, but nevertheless, I can't help but feel good about it. It was also nice to see the train was so well used—standing room only.
People reading this from other cities and parts of the world may find it strange that I'm making such a big deal about riding the bus and train. But my friends in LA will understand—LA is the city where we drive everywhere. We don't walk (except for myself and two other people), we don't take taxis (even if we could find one), we don't take buses (aren't those for deranged people who don't have a driver's license?)... and we certainly do not take trains (those things where you have to drive to the station and find a place to park, good luck, so you might as well have driven to your destination in the first place).
Did you lose track of my story already? We arrived in downtown LA and walked along Broadway (a whole other universe I may write about some day) to Clifton's Brookdale, favorite of Huell Howser (who will be featuring the cafeteria again on his KCET broadcast June 27) and the only place to eat when you are in downtown LA, if only because the decor is so unbelievably unbelievable. My friend was concerned about this being my birthday dinner, but with this ambiance, how can you go wrong?
After getting my fill of trout and tapioca, we lined up outside the Los Angeles. From their website: "the last and most extravagant of the ornate movie palaces built on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles between 1911 and 1931. Designed by S. Charles Lee with a French Baroque-inspired décor, its majestic six-story main lobby and 2,000 seat auditorium of carved plaster ornamentation, mirrors, and cove-lit murals recall the glamorous days of 1930s Hollywood."
I led architectural tours for the Conservancy for sixteen years. When I was leading the Broadway Theaters tours, this was probably my favorite. Non-Los Angelenos, and even native Los Angelenos, don't think we have a history. I didn't think so either until I was a Conservancy docent, but Los Angeles has a fascinating background—the downtown theatres being an important part of it.
We found good seats. The proscenium curtain was as stunning as I remembered it. I was somewhat dismayed by the obvious cracks in the plaster around the theatre interior, not there on my last visit many years ago. But it is Magnificent (definitely deserving of the capital "M").
Before the movie, we listened to a talk by Leith Adams, Corporate Archivist at Warner Bros. He showed us how the film was affected by censorship as the producers discovered that the Catholic Church was going to boycott the movie due to the "erotic" nature of the film. We saw one scene as it was originally released in 1951 and as it was restored in the 90s. The 50s audience was not allowed to see Kim Hunter's sultry walk down the stairs towards Marlon Brando. As the chemistry of their relationship was the center of the story, it seems odd that this was omitted. And it certainly was tame by today's standards.
The opening titles of "A Streetcar" came on the screen. The man who had struck up a conversation with me earlier, plopping down in the empty seat next to mine, told me he was only here to hear Leith Adams speak, then he was leaving due to other commitments. Apparently mesmerized by the film, he stayed until almost the end. I understood, as the movie is that spell-binding. I first saw it many, many years ago, one of those films that stays in your brain. I didn't remember all the details, and certainly not the ending, but I did have the relationship between Stella and Stanley in my head in stunning black and white. It would be hard to imagine seeing this film in color.
When you think about it, black and white is a strange phenomenon. All colors mixed together and no colors at all. Why did we start out only being able to take photographs and make films in black and white while our world and our eyesight (for most people) is in full color? Think about it. Okay, another blog.
In the meantime, the acting and photography and sets in "Streetcar" are pretty amazing. It's a very powerful production, even today, almost sixty years later.
I understand why Marlon Brando was the acting icon that he was. I wasn't that familiar with Kim Hunter who did a tremendous job playing Stella. Probably the reason is that, according to IMDb, "Kim was blacklisted in films and TV even though she was never a Communist or even held pro-Communist views. But as a strong believer in civil rights she signed a lot of petitions and was a sponsor of a 1949 World Peace Conference in New York." Terrible, terrible days.
And so, the sojourn home began. The Red Line (packed again at 11:30pm) took us to Hollywood Blvd. And so, there we were, two ladies of the night, standing on the corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga, waiting for the bus close to the bewitching hour... and waiting... and waiting. A taxi pulled up and GZ was ready to hop in but for some reason I felt we needed to wait. Seconds later, like a camel in the desert, our 217 appeared. In my car, driving home with little traffic around, I decided this was the time to be up and awake and on the streets in LA.
Except this morning I missed the sunrise.

2009-06-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

Feel the Love with Tile Love
I've really neglected my TileLove website. When I started it several years ago I had all kinds of ambitions for it but other projects got in the way.

So I decided to give it a new look and I created a new section called Serendipity Tiles from my Travels. These are a handful of tiles I happened to find on my trips around the world and around town. I am disappointed in myself that I haven't made more of an effort to collect souvenir tiles. From now on, wherever I go, along with a magnet, I will buy a tile.

My love of all things tile, mosaic, and marble has not diminished. But there is only so much time and effort that I can expend... however, I promise to do better in future, especially taking photos around Culver City and Los Angeles.

2009-05-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Jumping the Gun on Artwalk Culver City
I am happy to see that the City of Culver City will be presenting the fourth annual Artwalk Culver City on Saturday, May 30th. I hope this event continues on into perpetuity. If you have never done it, I recommend participating... at least once. However, I won't be going on the walk.
Last Saturday, May 16, I joined some other members of the Culver City Art Group to jump the gun and do our own version of the walk... sans all the crowds and inherent noise.
We visited about a dozen galleries on La Cienega and Washington Blvds. (For map of the galleries, click here.) There were four of us, which was the perfect number to move relatively quickly but also enjoy a smattering of differing opinions.
As always with art, some of it did not appeal to me at all (this is art?), some crept up on me after looking at it for a while, some I fell in love with immediately, some I felt the need to figure out or investigate, some I was disgusted with, some was sweet and whimsical... so many diverse emotions and reactions.
After approximately three hours of looking, feeling, and walking, I think we were all drained both psychically and physically. Over the week since, I have been hit by images and sensations relating to the artwork at odd times. Some pieces I would like to inspect again, some I wonder why those particular pieces bother me so much. It would be interesting, as an exercise, to retrace my footsteps and discover whether or not I have the same feelings the second time. But the galleries have moved on with new exhibits and I wouldn't make the time anyway.
Viewing art is always so much more pleasant when there are few other people around. Although I like to support friends and be up on what is new, I am beginning to dislike artist receptions and gallery openings. In fact, I don't enjoy anything anymore where there are crowds of people.
For example, viewing the Pompeii exhibit at LACMA on a members' only day saw an acceptable number of people in attendance. I wonder what it will be like the next time I go. I remember having to push and shove my way through the Tut exhibit several years ago. I was able to see it three times, and each time it was worse. Once there was even a screaming baby following us from room to room!
So, while I hope the Artwalk Culver City will be as well-attended as ever, that Culver City will make lots of money from it, and that thousands of people will enjoy it, I'm glad I won't have to be there jostling for position in front of a painting for a few seconds before somebody's elbow intrudes on my view. Or, probably, I am missing the point, and actually viewing the art isn't the purpose at all!

2009-05-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

A Craving for Fish Tacos

To help celebrate its tenth anniversary, I visited the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach on Tuesday. Yes, it has taken me that long. While I have visited the Monterey Aquarium twice, I never got around to visiting the one in my own back yard. And that was only because KL mentioned she was going and I decided to tag along.

If you have never been, all I can say is "GO!" I have painted quite a few fish/ocean/undersea ceramic tiles, most of which were sea creatures from my imagination. But who needs imagination when you are faced with the real thing? The fish are beautiful and unbelievable beyond any attempt to paint something fanciful.

Taking photos was not easy: through glass, underwater, changing light, and those sea creatures will not sit still for a portrait—not even the sea anemones. But halfway though our day my memory card filled up as I realized I had taken 200 photos! Yes, I could have zapped some previous images but my practice is to fill up a one gig card, dump the whole thing on to a CD and start over. Maybe it was just as well, as sometimes the camera can get in the way of the immediate experience when you are seeing everything through the camera lens and not your own eyeballs. None of the photos I took are spectacular, but they are an impression of a moment.

Although all the different kinds of fish were enjoyable, I loved the coral reefs and ocean plants just as much. The myriad shapes, colors and forms were amazing. I felt as though I was in a moving art gallery. Why do we mere mortals attempt to create art when Alice, Goddess of Nature, will always win the prizes?

I was impressed with the aquarium overall—a good mix of inside and outside exhibits. I enjoyed discovering diverse regions of the oceans such as Southern California and Baja, the North Pacific, and the coral reefs of the Pacific. Outside it was fun to see the seals at mealtime and to touch the silky, velvet stingrays as they swam past.

Almost immediately I developed a craving for a fish sandwich! At lunchtime we walked over to restaurant row where I devoured two wonderful fish tacos at Islands. As we walked back to the aquarium we decided on an impulse to take the 45-minute harbor cruise. Out on the water with salt spray and wind in my face all my cares and worries drifted away.

We finished up the afternoon back at the aquarium. It was much quieter as the bus loads of school kids had left. Of course, I am glad that young students are able to visit a facility that teaches about the importance of the oceans. Hopefully there are some budding marine biologists among them.

On the way out we revisited the Lorikeet Forest. Over 100 of these noisy but vividly-colored birds live there. One of them took a fancy to my straw sun visor and when I attempted to put him back on his branch he became very upset and took a good bite out of two of my fingers!

As we drove home on the freeway I felt as if I had taken a vacation to another country. I have images of the beautiful sea creatures swimming around in my head and some ideas for more tiles.

Now I feel like having a tuna sandwich for lunch...

(photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-05-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Mobile Art, BabyCountry Squire station wagon, my favorite of the show.

You want mobile art, baby? Alexander Calder can't hold a spark plug to the Sixth Annual Cruisin' Back to Culver City Car Show held on May 9th, 2009. This show is located just two blocks from my house but until last year I always had plans out of town on that day. Last year I had just enough time to run through like a whirlwind. So this year I planned ahead. As it was my birthday (okay, you missed it again but I don't hold grudges—for more than a few years) I decided to go, on my own, if necessary. But KJ to the rescue!

It was a typical balmy Culver City day, the same kind of day, I'm sure when Harry Culver met up with Thomas Ince filming his western on the shores of Ballona Creek and thereby started the whole film industry in Culver City—but I digress.

1932 Roadster, pure vintage

We walked up to the car show about eleven. By then there was no parking on my street and hordes of people were walking from every direction. Now, I am NOT a car person by any definition of that word. To me a car is merely transportation (with the exception of my beloved Subaru who I think of as more of a chariot than an automobile) but there is something about the love people have for their vintage vehicles that I can appreciate.

Elvira was supposed to be the Mistress of Ceremonies but by the time we left in the afternoon she still had not shown her face—well, daylight is tough on vampires so I can't be too hard on her.

The show consisted of over 400 cars. It was fun to see the old Keystone-cops style Culver City police car and the new SUV I assume the CCPD had painted on non-city time (or as KJ noted, that's where my tax dollars are going!).

This was the first time I had been inside the Culver City Fire Station—and if you've heard rumours about the CCFD they are all true—the hunkiest crew anywhere! KJ wanted to know if they had a calendar for sale—now there's a way to make up the $6 million city deficit pretty darn fast...

Rear end of the Watidiz, wildest of the show.

My favorite car of the show was the red Country Squire station wagon at the top of the blog. It looks a lot like my Outback and I could see myself driving around town in that car. The wildest car hands down, inside and out, was the Watidiz.

But if I was a vintage purist I suppose I would have to pick the 1932 Roadster as best of show. Well, not really. I loved them all, for a non-car person, that is.

So now I've really "done" the Culver City Car Show and next year I don't have to feel so guilty about having other plans. But I may just find myself sauntering up there anyway...

And another kind of art—food presentation—was to be found at Akasha where AB took me for my birthday dinner that evening. Although the food tasted divine (we ate tapas style) we decided the artful presentation was part of the pleasure of eating there. Ya know, art is everywhere if you only stay on the alert for it—which I definitely enjoy doing.

(photos are copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-05-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

The Last Days of Pompeii

A friend who could not take the time off work gave me her member tickets to see Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples at LACMA (Los Angeles County Art Museum). I invited TL to go with me on April 30.
When I visited Italy in 2005 (was it really that long ago?) one of the reasons I picked that particular Globus tour was because I wanted to see Pompeii. Our tour guide turned out to be mediocre on his good days and one of the many disappointments was that several people on the tour asked to get to Sorrento earlier than scheduled (to which he acquiesced). This meant a hurried trip to Pompeii.
(However, I do want to say that despite our guide, I had a great time visiting Italy and would take that same tour again in a second.)
Even worse was that the local guide spent 45 minutes of our time standing in one spot giving us a history of Pompeii when we could have been walking around seeing the place for ourselves. I wandered off, missing most of the information. So one day before leaving the planet for good, I have to go back on my own.
But happily, the exhibit at LACMA gave me the opportunity to make up for what I missed on that tour—and much more.
On my last day in Rome by myself, and after my travel companion left, I was able to visit the National Museum. Among other magnificent treasures, I saw room after room of frescoes rescued from Roman villas. And many magnificent floor mosaics laid out as they were meant to be seen, horizontally. I'll never forget that experience.
The LACMA exhibit is eclectic in its selection of art objects from sculptures to frescoes. Approximately one hundred and twenty items make up the exhibit, giving an impressive example of the art enjoyed by the wealthy Romans of that era. As far as archaeology goes, the Roman Empire happens to be my favorite period. If we have multiple lives, I must have lived in that time as I always feel so much at home when surrounded by the art and artifacts of that era.
After returning from my trip to Greece, I took a class in the UCLA Archaeology Program in 2008 entitled Art at the Getty Villa, one of the most enjoyable classes in the program. It was taught by Kenneth Lapatin, Associate Curator of Antiquities at The J. Paul Getty Museum, who happens to be the guest curator for this exhibit at LACMA. I had the opportunity in that class to talk about one of the mosaics at the Getty Villa as well as researching the production of ancient glass.
I was a little disappointed that only one mosaic was represented at the LACMA exhibit, as that art form was such an important part of Roman life (but at least it was displayed horizontally!). However, there was a nice representation of glassware from the Getty collection.
As a LACMA member myself I am fortunate that I will have a second opportunity to view the Pompeii exhibit again before it closes. In the meantime I am reading the catalog that I just had to buy. By the time I return in August I hope I will have been able to read it from cover to cover—I am well on my way.
If you have any interest in the Roman Empire at all (and I find it hard to believe that would eliminate anybody!) you must make the effort to see the Pompeii exhibit.
After seeing the exhibit I rented the 1935 movie The Last Days of Pompeii. It was pretty hokey by today's standards but it offered some groundbreaking special effects and gave some insight into how tough life was for the average citizen during that time. And who knew Preston Foster was such a hunk? {:>)
Out of their ashes we have learned so much...
(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-05-10T16:53:00.000-07:00

Kaypro, oh dearest Kaypro

I missed my Kaypro for twenty five years.

Laid off from my corporate job as construction manager when the independent oil industry went belly up, I spent one glorious summer in 1985 as a housewife growing, bottling, freezing, and cooking my own vegetables for an unappreciative husband (no matter how accomplished I became it was NOT his mommy's cooking)—and writing short stories. On my Kaypro. Mostly science fiction. That was my escape from the life in which I found myself trapped.

Back in those days I had no sense of self-worth or self-esteem so every rejection slip became the death knell for that particular story. Quite a few piled up. So, of course, I gave up. What was I supposed to do? I retreated to corporate life, my CPM Kaypro became an IBM AT and a Microsystems XT and a 286 and a 386 and so on... My divorce was finalized and life drudged on.

But that Kaypro will always be a part of me. It lives under my desk as a foot rest. I have all the original manuals and floppy disks. I've tried to get rid of it but it won't go away. And most of you (with the exception of one person, I know) are going "What the H is a Kaypro?"

Kaypro was one of the very first personal computers. It ran on an operating system called CPM. It very nearly became the OS you would be using today, except somebody else had more tenacity than the guy who owned that system, and while he became dust because he didn't show up for a meeting, the guy with a whole lot more hutzpah, Bill Gates, made it into the winning circle. Sometimes life is determined by tiny decisions.

Anyway, my Kaypro had a 5-inch screen and a keyboard that clipped to the front of the computer so I could carry it around like a suitcase. There was no hard drive but two slots for floppy disks. One drove the program, the other was the working disk.

So I spent that summer writing my short stories and poems in my room (we had a three-bedroom house so we could each have our own office) or in the kitchen or outside on the deck. Despite other problems, it was probably the best summer of my life. I was out of corporate life and being my own creative self. I guess in some way, I have been trying to get back there ever since.

So, warp speed, Scotty, to 2009 (yes, I AM going to see the new Star Trek movie this week) and here I am, sitting out on my deck on a May evening surrounded by my geraniums, writing this post on the re-incarnation of my Kaypro: my HP laptop. I bought it last year because my ancient desktop computer is showing its age and I could not afford to be computer-less. But it has now become such an important part of my life I couldn't imagine living without it.

(The neighborhood flock of parrots just flew squawking overhead—I would have missed that if I was writing this indoors!)

So, what does this have to do with art, exactly? Well, I was going to write about the Pompeii exhibit I saw recently at LACMA but I got slightly side-tracked, didn't I? Please stay tuned for that report!

2009-05-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hand-Painted Ceramic Tiles 101

Several people have asked me for a tutorial on painting tiles to install in their bathrooms or kitchens or to make trivets to give as gifts. So here goes with Installment One.

To start, a little background: I first began painting tiles when a potter friend (okay, a boyfriend) had some nice, shiny tiles lying around, some old glaze and one huge kiln (and several smaller ones) in his garage. It seemed like a fun thing to do, so why not?

I think I was hooked from the first brush stroke on that tile. His tiles were already glazed (like the ones you buy at Home Depot) so I didn't need any clear glaze to create a hard coating.

Doing it this way the colors are not at their brightest, but that was okay with me. So after we broke up, not knowing any better, I continued to paint on previously glazed tiles.

Other interests came and went in my life and it was several years later that I decided to get back into painting tiles again as I found I missed that kind of art. I took a couple of classes at Culver City Adult School, and with my (now) friend Lori Escalera with the Parks and Recreation Department, as I didn't have my own kiln at the time. By then I was painting on bisque (once fired) tiles, not twice-fired, glazed tiles.

One thing I learned from Lori was to make a sample palette. So that is where we will start in Installment Two, and I'll share the rest of my tile-painting adventures with you then.

I usually work on 6-inch square bisque tiles. I buy all my tiles and supplies from Aftosa but there are local suppliers who I am told are cheaper—you'll have to check this out for yourself—and certainly a ton of stores on the internet.

I use only Mayco Stroke & Coat Wonderglaze because that's what I'm used to, and I know what to expect from that brand. There are many other brands to choose from; again, that's up to you to check out. Some fun, trippy glazes for weird and wondrous results are Mayco Chunkies, Elements and Crystalites, but that's a whole other story that maybe I'll tell after the tutorials (gives you something to look forward to, eh?).

As for brushes, my favorites are found at Aftosa, Red Pointer Brushes. Again, you can probably find these locally at an art supply store. For more detailed work I use whatever watercolor or acrylic brushes I find necessary. I'll talk about some of those later on.

After all the decorative painting is done, I use two coats of a Duncan clear glaze. But we'll get into that later. I'll post a complete list of supplies somewhere along the line so you will be all set to get started on your own project.

In the meantime, you may want to think about what your subject will be (this is, hands down, the hardest part!). My favorites are cats, my travels, wetlands (birds, trees and plants) and the ocean (as in fish).

See you next time!

(photo and design copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-05-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Castle Howard Visited

Brideshead Revisited (made in 1981) is one of those made-for-British-TV masterpieces that will never be equaled, in my opinion. While I enjoyed the 2008 movie version, I was not as captivated emotionally by the characters as I was in the TV version. Having never read the book, I have no idea which version was truer to the author's intention, but I know what I like!

However, the one "character" that still stood up over the span of 27 years was the building that "played" Brideshead in both versions—Castle Howard. Castle Howard is located a few miles north of the city of York (where my Dad was born) in Northern England. It is not a castle in the strict sense of the word—it is not a fortress and there are no turrets to shoot bows and arrows. Built for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle around the turn of the 18th Century, it is one of England's famous stately homes.

On April 25th I attended the lecture at the Getty Villa, Bringing It All Back Home: Grand Tour Collections at Castle Howard in the 18th Century, with the curator of the art collections, Christopher Ridgway.

I was all set for a rather boring, informational lecture, but as I had previously seen the three Roman portrait busts on display at the Villa (which I wrote about previously), I was interested to learn about the rest of the collection.

When the lecture ended more than an hour later I was disappointed—I wanted it to continue for another hour. I was delighted, captivated and intrigued! As well as discussing the fine art collection and the travels of the Howard family (and Rover, the dog) we were treated to an exploration of other facets of maintaining a stately home such as remodeling the toilets and managing the beef herd (and managing those unruly herds of tourists, too!).

As I was leaving the Getty I was ready to drive straight to the airport and hop on a plane to Yorkshire. Castle Howard is now definitely on my short list of places to see in the near future.

In the days subsequent to the lecture I have planned the trip in my head. I am going to stay in that small hotel near Paddington Station (where KJ and I spent a couple of nights on our way to Greece two years ago) and "do" as many museums and galleries in London as I can manage in a week: The V&A, British Museum, National Gallery, the Tates. Then I will travel to Sussex to visit Fishbourne Palace where some wonderful Roman mosaics have been uncovered. Then travel north (all this by train, of course) to visit Castle Howard.

When I still had my corporate job I was planning on Egypt as my next overseas stop, but now I have developed this need to be in England. So Egypt may have to wait, especially as I have no idea how I will raise the funds for any kind of travel at this point. But I know if I focus on this it WILL happen!

2009-04-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

A Big Oops... and a Big Sigh of Relief to Match

I reported the demise of a Culver City house in my post of April 18. Apparently I was walking down the wrong street when I saw the construction of a new condo. Today, on my way to take photos of the Postcards from Ballona mural restoration, I saw the house still standing. Not only that, the proposal for demolition and new construction sign has disappeared. Is this a dream come true?

Another construction sign just a few blocks away, posted alongside three small cottages, also has been removed. I'm hoping this is a good sign. Or a good non-sign!

2009-04-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

A Walk on the Dark Side

This cute Spanish-style house is gone, gone, gone in order to make way for more condominium living.

Today I was thinking about what I like to write about. I think the title of Thursday's blog says it all: Beauty.

One of my favorite things to do in life is to walk around (a neighborhood, an art gallery, a park...), look at beauty, think about what it means or how it makes me feel, and to write about it. Wow, if I could make a living doing that, would I be the happiest person in the universe? Quite possibly.

Of course, the other side of Beauty is Ugliness, without the one there could not be the other. And sadly, it's the Dark Side I must write about today.

My favorite form of exercise is walking. I have always made a point of living in places where most of the things I need to do are within an easy (say 45 minute) walk from my house. That way I can get some exercise while taking care of necessities like shopping at Trader Joe's or stopping in at the post office. But sometimes walking is just for the sake of walking, and maybe clearing my head in order to solve a problem.

I love walking around the streets of Culver City which are lined with trees and pretty much free of traffic (except for parents with strollers, neighbors walking their dogs, and bicycle riders). I enjoy looking at the single family homes in the styles of California bungalow, Mediterranean or neo-Spanish... maybe not very exciting, but for the most part well-kept up with nicely landscaped yards.

But Progress has arrived in our little town. "With a capital ‘P' that rhymes with ‘C' and that stands for ‘Construction!!!!!!!'" (With huge apologies to the Music Man.) Since the advent of the new downtown area, the arrival of avant garde art galleries, and upscale "food nouveau" restaurants, change seems to be afoot in the adjacent residential neighborhoods too. And not for the better, in my humble opinion.

To be blunt, what used to be a beautiful neighborhood is becoming uglified with massive multi-story condos towering over cute one-story cottages. Now, I live in a small condo complex, so I have nothing against condo living; it's necessary if you can't afford or don't want to live in a house. My building was constructed in the 70s and is on a street that you could not possibly describe as quietly residential, so it doesn't really count.

What I am concerned about is the potential loss of the single-family home neighborhoods that make life worth living for so many people. I would be afraid to buy a home on a street where I didn't know from one day to the next if the house next door was going to be pulled down and replaced by an eight-unit condo. Similarly, I'm not sure I would want to put a lot of money into remodeling my home (with the thought of living there for the rest of my life) if I knew tomorrow I could wake up to find my house surrounded on all sides by condos.

Unfortunately, what may be making a quick profit for a few developers now has the potential for a disastrous effect on the quality of life in those neighborhoods, and the reason people moved there (whether into a house or one of those very condos) in the first place.

And while I'm on this subject, I can't let homeowners off the hook either. Some people, when remodeling their homes, don't seem to give a hoot about the ambience of their own street. Or understand anything about the history of the area they live in. A Tudor-style house belongs in England, not in Southern California. And, unless you are Frank Gehry, please think twice about erecting something that looks like it just arrived from outer space next to your neighbor's Spanish bungalow!

So, getting back to Beauty... on my next walk around the neighborhood, I would like to merely look forward to a visual delight I didn't notice yesterday—perhaps a blossoming wysteria or a new planting of pansies. I don't want to be holding my breath in fear of yet another installment of the Uglies—and the horrifying surprise that one of my favorite little houses bit the dust overnight.

(photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-04-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

Beauty
I've been busy working on the PR for the "Postcards from Ballona" mural restoration. But the worst is over now so I was anxious to get back to this blog.
For a long time now I have wanted to clear everything out of my house and start over. I mean everything. But right now I'm not in a position to replace all my worldly possessions. So I'm doing the mini version.
Yesterday I cleared all my cookbooks off the shelves... I have well over one hundred... and I never look at them. They are not living up to their potential... they belong in a kitchen where they will be used. Now the cookbooks are gone, I can dispose of the bookshelf that is really in the way.
I've now started on the living room... the VCR and all my old VHS tapes (all my Richard Simmons tapes have been replaced with DVDs anyway)... books that I've never read... knick knacks, bric-a-brac, all those "dust-catchers" I've harbored over the years... all relocated to the garage. I'm getting to the upstairs tomorrow.
The only decision left is yard sale or thrift store? I've checked out selling some stuff on e-bay but is it really worth the effort?
Throwing note cards in the recycling pile I came across this quotation:
"Beauty, which is what is meant by art, using the word in its widest sense, is, I contend, no mere accident to human life, which people can take or leave as they choose, but a positive necessity of life, if we are to live as nature meant us to; that is, unless we are content to be less than men."
~William Morris, 19 February 1880
Don't you wish we still wrote in that kind of language?

2009-03-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

Three Unexpected Visitors

For about two years now I've had a vision of painting ten Ballona Wetlands tiles to surround a mirror. I've had many starts and stops. One stop was when I used the mirror frame to make my "Mosaic of Memories" a year ago.

So I bought another frame and it has sat propped up against the back of the sofa for the past year. I see it every day, and every day I say, I MUST work on that! I don't know how many times I've started the layout in Photoshop. Several months ago I decided I had actually figured out the design and I could get started with the painting. Four months later... nothing.

Monday I jumped out of bed knowing I couldn't let it go any longer. I finished up the composition in Photoshop and printed out the ten templates, one for each 6" x 6" tile. Today I dragged the tiles out of the garage and laid them out on the table. It was so gorgeous outside I decided to eat my lunch up on the roof deck. I saw a fleck of white out of the corner of my eye. When I looked up I thought I was hallucinating.

Three huge white birds were standing on top of the tallest tree in the neighborhood. I ran for my binoculars and realized I was looking at three fully grown Great (White) Egrets! Wowee! I grabbed my camera and was able to get a few photos but not much detail, as you can see. I picked this photo so you can see the rooftops and judge how high the tree is.

It was too much of a coincidence that this was the day I was finally drawing the outlines of the Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons on the tiles. I took it as a sign from Alice, Artist, Goddess of Nature, that this was how I was supposed to be spending my time this week, despite all the other pressing (and depressing) things I should be doing.

These birds can stand over three feet high with wing spans of four and a half feet. They are distinguished from the smaller Snowy Egrets by their yellow bills.

As I was watching, one of the birds flew gracefully over to a lower tree. They stood preening themselves with the breeze ruffling their feathers for at least half an hour. I was reluctant to leave but I had to come indoors to continue drawing the egrets on the tiles.

This was a once in a lifetime experience that I won't forget.

(photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-03-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

Two Different WorldsNot really fitting in anywhere, has, paradoxically, allowed me to fit in everywhere. As a child and teenager I moved around from place to place so much that I had no sense of real belonging. As an adult I have had so many jobs and careers that when people ask me "what do you do?" (meaning what does it say on your business card...) I am always scrambling for an answer. Usually it's whatever I am currently getting a paycheck for. But as that is not happening at this moment in time, I'm having difficulty coming up with something. Maybe "Observer of Human Endeavour" would be a good title, as most of the things I am interested in (good or bad) have to do with what humans have produced. This pretty much covers art history, architecture, archaeology... and attending art gallery openings!

Last night was a satisfying example of the latter.

BG and I first attended the opening reception of "ZEROheroz! An exhibition by 8 women" at the Helms Building Washington Corridor. For me, the exhibit exuded fun and lightheartedness... maybe that was just the mood I was in. From the press release: the artists utilized "found objects and imagery to explore, expand and reinvent the elusive nature of creation and identity."

The gallery, as the name suggests, is a corridor between two streets, albeit a very wide one, with entrances to several businesses. Turning it into an exhibition hall is a wonderful use of an otherwise useless space. Although the show was well attended, there was plenty of room to move around and view the artwork.

We were at the exhibit by invitation of Cynthia Rogers, one of the "8 women" and a member of our Culver City Art Group. Her 3D collages are intriguing and you can make up your own stories about each piece.

Our second stop of the night was at Chris Anthony's "Venice" opening at the Corey Helford Gallery's special exhibition space on Comey Avenue. I am on the CHG mailing list and I have to admit, not every exhibit calls me to run on over and see it! But the moment I saw the invitation to this one, I knew I could not miss it.

This Venice is the Los Angeles, California version, not Venezia. I have a strong affinity with this erratic seaside town. Quite a few years ago I lived in an apartment right on the boardwalk. Probably one of the best times of my life in many ways, and one of the worst in others. But an indelible part of my life nevertheless.

This show evoked some of those long-ago memories. One of my favorite things was to jog on the beach at the edge of the water in the early morning fog. It was an eerie experience. Some days vision was down to a few inches. I could hear the surf getting ready to swallow me up, but I couldn't see it. Voices with no bodies wafted around me. The squelch of my footsteps in the sand was so loud I imagined myself running on a soggy drum. I thought about how easy it would be to be murdered right there and nobody would witness it... but the thought was almost beautiful, not scary at all...

You probably will not take this same experience with you when looking at the photos! But the images are so powerful they cannot be viewed without some emotional reaction. The relationship of the sky, the water and (in most cases) the lone human, creates a moment of perfect balance and harmony, while in that same moment there is the unease that the tide could suddenly suck that person down and wash them away. (When I originally saw the images online I assumed the human element was Photoshopped in, but not so, the subjects actually get wet.)

As I looked around at the people in attendance at the gallery it struck me how different this crowd was from the one we had just left. The first was kinda funky. This was hip and sophisticated. BG and I joked that we were special in that we could blend in with both worlds (or, who are we kidding, maybe we stick out like sore thumbs in both arenas!). But I would speculate that few people other than the two of us would have the interest to attend both venues that evening.

My suggestion: see 'em both!

(photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-03-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Curled up on the Sofa with a Good CSS Book

I've been reluctant to post anything new to any of my websites because they were all designed before my encounters with CSS. In 2006/2007 I started to play around with Cascading Style Sheets, but I really didn't understand what they were all about. There was a brief moment when I thought I grasped the concept, but like they say, the more you know, the more you know you don't know. So then I became overwhelmed by the whole idea, decided I was too stupid to figure it out, and gave up.

Having to create an online portfolio in order to look for a job forced me into getting serious. I knew I had to work through my fears and banish tables and inline markup from my life forever!

I was an Adobe GoLive user from the first day that software came out. When Adobe abandoned it in favor of Dreamweaver I was devastated. I kept hoping they would announce "April Fool!" and my beloved GL would be back... but no such luck. So, I plonked down my money, installed DW and converted all my sites. The conversion went well. But when I opened up a page for the first time, I realized I was in a different universe. My dependence on a program writing all the code for me was over.

I HATED coding, I told myself. But as I couldn't get DW to work like GL I found the only way I could get anything to happen was by wading into the code and getting my hands dirty in the muck and mire of HTML.

A strange thing happened. I felt like a non-believer at a revival meeting, I was drawn to the front of the church to be redeemed. I saw the light... and it was coding!!!! Could CSS be far behind?

I enrolled in the Beginning CSS/XHTML online class through Santa Monica College. I loved it. I took the Intermediate class and loved it even more. I was off and running. I converted all my websites from table layouts to CSS. But I was still using tables to contain galleries of images. I searched the internet and found forums discussing this issue. I also discovered that for as many people using CSS there are as many different variations on a theme. Everybody has his or her own bag of tricks. I took the ideas and managed to get some of them to work, but not in all situations.

So I scoured Amazon and read the reviews on about ten CSS manuals. "Stylin' with CSS" by Charles Wyke-Smith seemed to have the most positive reviews so I went with it. I have to admit, the first quarter of the book was hard going for me. I was questioning my sanity in pursuing a venture I was so obviously unsuited for. Why wasn't I spending my time painting a tile, reading an art book... or sending out resumes???? But like a venus fly trap to an unsuspecting winged insect, the book kept calling me back... Bali Hiiiiii... oh, sorry.

I am now halfway through the book and at some point last week there was a flood of light in my brain. I can't say there was anything in particular that hit me. It was the accumulation of a lot of little light bulbs turning on... a thousand points of light... and in a moment, I could see how this all could work. It all seemed SO simple. How could I not have seen it before?

Now, I am not suggesting for a nano-second that I thoroughly understand all the wondrous and strange behaviors of CSS, but at least now with a 2% understanding of the basics, I do see a path ahead. I know that by plodding along little by little, accepting failures as learning experiences instead of stumbling blocks, recognizing that nothing happens overnight, I can get to the point where I feel comfortable with this.

I look at websites all the time now, viewing the HTML to borrow ideas and to learn from better coders and designers than myself. Since I have become a CSSer, I find myself scoffing at sites that are still laid out with tables. And some of these are corporate websites with famous brand names.

But on the other hand, I smile smugly when I see tables alive and well in the hearts and minds of some web designers... because I know their little secrets. Like a beautifully-crafted chest-of-drawers with inlaid pearl on the outside, I have looked inside the drawers and seen the disarray of their mis-matched socks and other unmentionables!

So, as today is a Winnie the Pooh blustery day with a dark sky and a smattering of rain drops, it seems like the perfect situation to curl up on the sofa with a blanket and a cat and a good CSS book...

2009-03-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

A Muddy Green Mess

I haven't attempted any artwork in months. My kiln has been living out of sight under the dining room table since mid-December, but I quit working on anything long before that. I have wedged myself between the proverbial rock and a hard place. When I'm at home, if I do anything other than work on my resumes, I feel guilty. But by not doing anything creative... other than the "creativity" of my resumes {:>)... I feel like I have locked myself up in a prison with an indefinite sentence.
Last weekend I was invited to an art salon. These artists meet on a regular basis at each others' studios to critique their work. They opened up the group on this occasion in order to involve guests. I felt very honored to be part of this.
I took my "Mosaic of Memories" and talked about how I got started in tile painting.
As we went around the group, each artist talking about his or her piece, I was impressed with the diversity of the work and once again reminded of the ingenuity of the human spirit.
That humans are capable of taking mundane elements such as scraps of paper, fabric remnants, little blobs of paint, or formless blocks of stone or metal, and turning them into something worth looking at is truly mind boggling.
I came away from that meeting inspired to let my creative juices out of the bottle.
It didn't matter what, I had to do something... So the next day I got everything set up: dragged the kiln out from under the table, took out my glazes (couldn't even remember where I had hidden them!), found some old tiles already glazed, and painted over them. I knew that doing this would create a muddy mess, but I didn't want to ruin perfectly good pristine bisque tiles and I wasn't ready for my next project. Besides, I realized the point of this exercise was actually the process, not the outcome.
As I brushed the glazes on the tiles I was in the moment. There was no struggle. No question. No hesitation. I was four years old again, drawing on the wall of the shared bathroom in the boarding house where I lived with my parents. (Of course, when questioned, with the crayon stains still on my hands, I denied the act.)
When I was done with the glazing I felt a tremendous release. You know when you are craving a certain type of food (for me that would be bread) but you can't allow yourself to have it, and then one day you can no longer stand it so you buy two whole wheat bagels, eat them both in one sitting even though you may regret it the next day, and then realize the craving is gone... Okay, so you found me out... That's how I felt painting the tiles.
Then, placing the tiles in the kiln rack there was a sense of excitement, even though I could already see the result in my mind. (For those of you unfamiliar with ceramics, you may not know that, unlike painting on canvas, you cannot see the colors until they have been fired.) I let the kiln fire overnight. As my kiln is indoors I have to make sure there is plenty of ventilation which can make for a chilly night in the winter... fortunately, I don't live in Wisconsin. Also, I would like to note that it's important to be alert for anything unusual... like an explosion, for instance... just kidding. But you would never leave a kiln unattended, any more than you would leave your clothes dryer running while you went shopping... would you?
Around noon the next day the tiles were cool enough to remove. That's the best part. No matter how many years of experience you may have, there is always the surprise element. Some things look better than you expected, some worse, and some about the same. In this case I pretty much predicted the outcome so I wasn't disappointed. In fact, looking at them over the past few days, they are starting to grow on me. However, I will probably break them up and use them in my next mosaic.
So, what is the moral of this story that compelled me to write about it? Number one lesson is that I must fit at least half an hour of artwork into my daily schedule, regardless of how many resumes I have or have not sent out that day. Number two is that for me the satisfaction is more in the process than the end result. Therefore, I should free myself of needing to have all my ducks in a row before I start out, because the outcome isn't that important anyway. Number three is that the weight of that horrible lie about the bathroom wall is now off my shoulders after all these years!
(photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-03-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Postcards from Ballona

In 1995 a group of artists (Lori Escalera, Lucy Blake-Elahi and Francois Bardol) came together with the idea of beautifying an ugly little section of the Ballona Creek bike path at Overland Avenue in Culver City (next to the library). Their vision encompassed involving local students to paint "postcards" to tell the history of the creek. Over the years this lovely mural has suffered the ravages of neglect, vandalism and graffiti (as you can see in the photo above).

On Sunday, April 19th, 2009, all the damage will begin to be reversed. And you can be part of this important project.

On Sunday you can assist with the drawing and prepping. Monday (20th) through Wednesday (22nd) you can help out with the actual painting.

Everyone is welcome to participate. You don't have to be an artist... just enthusiastic and willing. Bring your children, bring your grandparents!
For more information about the event and the story of the original mural, Lori has put together a great little movie and slide show. All can be found at http://www.thestreetpainter.com/CommunityArt/UPCOMING%21.html.

See you there!

(photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-03-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

Reading in the Rain
In the middle of emailing resumes and filling out online applications in order to find a job so I can pay my mortgage for the forseeable future, I decided to leave all of that behind and head for the Getty Center, my home away from home! My main purpose was to do some research related to the archaeology project I am currently working on and possibly the subject of my final paper. But somehow I got sidetracked in the periodicals room and never made it down to the stacks.
Perhaps a little-known fact is that the Getty Research Library has a ton of current art-related magazines available to the general public. As with all the material in the library, you can't check it out and take it home, but there are chairs and tables where you can make yourself comfy, spread out if need be, and read read read. The magazines come in all languages and it's fun to pick your way through an article written in Spanish, French or Italian... not so much in German! The rain was splashing against the windows... what a great day to sit and read.
Although financially it has been (and still is) extremely scary, my time away from corporate life has been very valuable to me in terms of figuring out who I am deep down inside. As I was sitting in the library gobbling up the articles on fine art, antiques, ceramics and crafts, the overwhelming thought came to me that I have been so busy all my life working to make enough money to support myself, I've never had the time to be me! This is where I am the happiest, in an environment where the sole purpose is art. This is what I am about! It would have been nice to have this certainty a few decades ago, but I am grateful that I at least can acknowledge it now...
I was getting a little hungry so I made my way over to the cafeteria. Even though it was a grey, wet day, the Getty was still packed with people and all of them seemed to be eating lunch at the same time. I found the one empty table and within a minute a gentleman came over and asked to sit with me. He told me he was a tour bus driver, here for the day with some students. Of course, this was deja vu from this same time last year when I got talking to a tour guide and I ended up in tour leader school (yes, I am now a certified Tour Director). My lunch companion asked me what I was doing there and I explained that I came to the Getty as often as possible as there is nowhere else I would rather be. He said I was fortunate to be able to do that and I certainly agree!!!!
In the afternoon I sauntered around some of the exhibits. I enjoyed being on my own and able to wander where I pleased. I especially enjoyed La Roldana's Saint Gines: The Making of a Polychrome Sculpture (ongoing). The Getty always does a splendid job with their informative interactive displays. If you go to the Saint Gines page there is a link to the video I saw, but of course, it doesn't replace seeing the statue in person.
My next stop was Tales in Sprinkled Gold: Japanese Lacquer for European Collectors. Again, nothing replaces seeing this magnificent piece in person... it is truly spectacular. I had a ticket for the lecture with Julia Hutt of the V&A in London. I learned about the scenes of the Omi Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi / Lake Biwa). You'll just have to look that up for yourself!
If I told you about all the other things I saw and did on my day at the Getty, it would take a whole day to write about and I'm sure you have better things to do! All I can say is that paying the price of parking your car is more than worth it for a magical day, and I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

2009-02-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

An Old Friend Revisited

How long has it been since I visited Descanso Gardens in La Canada? I don't even remember. My friend KJ was taking her elderly friend (89) on an outing and I decided to go along. (Just FYI, they have wheelchairs available if you get there early enough).

I figured it would be a nice walk in the park looking at the flowers. But not so, it was much more. The gardens are lovely. The camellias are in bloom. The old, craggly trees are magnificent.

I didn't expect to find an art exhibit... in the carriage house... displaying the work of three artists. Some of the paintings by Rut Eneberg and Karen Sill were very good. But I loved the ceramics by Miriam Balcazar. A treat indeed. I believe this exhibit runs through March 5.

The next surprise was being able to enter the Boddy House, built by the publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News in the 1930s. It was refurbished in 2007 as a Pasadena Showcase House. The beautifully remodeled kitchen is about as big as my condo!

The icing on the cake was when we came back to KJ's house there was a yard sale down the street. I acquired a brightly painted metal gecko which now adorns my bathroom wall... oh joy! (Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-02-16T16:10:00.000-08:00

Robbing the Heart Sunday night BG, MK and I visited the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica to attend the art reception for our mutual friend Lucy Blake-Elahi. She was exhibiting works from three different series:
Come Here…Go Away!, hand-colored Drypoint and monotype prints whose subject matter is “relationships”, The Burden of Unused Wings, small prints lamenting opportunities missed and Robbing the Heart, a few of the smaller pieces from a larger body of work referencing the looting of the Iraq Museum.

When I do attend church (about once a year on the Day of the Dead) this is where I go. And the previous minister, the Reverend Ernie Pipes, presided over my long-ago and long-gone wedding. Ah, memories!

Forbes Hall is a nice little space for an art show. And good advertising for the church, too. I like to support local artists (and my artist friends) as much as possible. Although this show was in Santa Monica there were quite a few people I knew from Culver City in attendance. How great is that when you walk into a space where art is the focus and there are many people you know!

I especially enjoyed Lucy's discussion of her art and the history behind it. You can tell she loves to teach.

And I met an interesting lady who engages Nepalese artists to paint pet portraits on metal.

Another great art day!

(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-02-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

What is it About Ceramics?
I love all kinds of art. I even love really bad "contemporary" art that I can't make head or tail of, just because it IS art (well, maybe in some strange, perverse kind of way). Maybe I should say I love all attempts at art! But what really turns on my appreciative juices is anything to do with ceramics (and that can include mosaics, of course). Well, the name of this blog is not Art, Photography and Tapestries (although I have nothing against P or T).
Saturday, BG and I visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), obstensibly to see the BMW art cars painted by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg on view in the BP Grand Entrance. I've seen "painted" cars before (although not BMWs) and was not impressed then as I am not impressed now. I happen to admire all four artists but seriously folks, if some 15-year-old kid did this to a car on the street they would be doing time in juvie for YEARS! If I was going to make art out of a car I would at least take into consideration the style and design of the vehicle itself. These are beautiful cars on their own, don't mess 'em up!!
(Yes, I'm getting to ceramics.)
Next up we visited the Francis Alÿs: Fabiola exhibit. The original painting of Saint Fabiola is now lost and these are 300 depictions of her by different artists. LACMA describes them as a "collection of nearly identical paintings." All I could see was the differences. Different noses, different chins, different eyes, different painting techniques... there is no way of knowing what she really looked like from this exhibit. To me, it's the differences, not the similarities, that make it interesting...
(Yes, I'm getting to ceramics!)
Sometimes it's just relaxing to meander around the permanent collections. Two of my all-time favorite paintings are on the third floor of the Art of the Americas Building. David Hockney's "Mulholland Drive, the Road to the Studio" and Lee Mullican's "Space", just around the corner from each other.
(Now we're at ceramics...)
On that same third floor the contemporary ceramics are displayed. I love them all but if I HAVE to pick a favorite for the moment I'll go with Ralph Bacerra's "Untitled Cloud Vessel"... so isn't that a title? Love the piece, hate the untitle...
BG then suggested we visit the Japanese Pavilion. I have not been in there in several years. Perhaps because I figured I've been there, done that too many times already. But I was wrong. The building itself is extraordinary. If you've never been in there, promise yourself you will on your next visit to LACMA. Even without the artwork it houses, it is a work of art in itself.
On the top floor (which is where you start your visit) are the ceramics, both modern and ancient... and in between. All the pieces are wonderful. (I was just browsing the online Japanese ceramics collection and it is magnificent... I am drooling over it!)
What can I say? I am in love with ceramics. I am in love with art. I'm in love with loving art!!!!
(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

2009-02-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

Join UCLA Extension on March 7 for ArtsDayLA!
Explore your passion for the arts at ArtsDayLA, an informative day-long event held on the UCLA campus, Saturday, March 7. Find out how you can go from novice to professional in these exciting areas:
Creative Writing
Design Communication Arts
Entertainment Studies (Film, Television, Music)
Interior Design
Landscape Architecture
Screenwriting
At ArtsDayLA you can:• Attend any or all of four immersive learning sessions offered in each field throughout the day• Meet program advisors, instructors, and graduates sharing their experience and success stories• Find out more about courses, programs, and career paths• Get a 10% discount on select spring courses when you enroll during ArtsDayLA
Sound like fun? Then make plans to join us Saturday, March 7, from 10am-4pm, at the Young Hall Courtyard on the UCLA campus!
Get more information at www.artsdayla.org, email artsdayla@uclaextension, or call (310) 267-4888.

2009-02-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

The Private Life of a Masterpiece
I just finished viewing this DVD, "The Private Life of a Masterpiece, Masterpieces 1851 to 1900," disc four of a series. The three paintings on this DVD are Edouard Manet's "Le Dejeuner sur L'Herbe," James Whistler's "Portrait of the Artist's Mother" and Edvard Munch's "The Scream."
All three of these works of art have become somewhat cliches in our culture but now that I understand their stories I will never encounter these paintings the same way again.
This series reminds me in some ways of Simon Schama's "Power of Art" (a series I really must see again) in that the tale of the artist and the time period is told by the specific painting.
I played this DVD twice to make sure I didn't miss anything... now I can't wait to see the other discs in this series. I will say no more. Rent it!

http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/privatelifemasterpiece.php
The above link seems to give a pretty good in-depth review of the series (including a rebuttal)should you be interested, although I did not read the whole thing!

2009-02-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

Three for a Friday

Conservator Jeff Maish restores the painted decoration on a fragmentary mixing vessel. (See below for photo copyright information.)

This past Friday was one of those days that I could repeat over and over again and never get tired of it. In the morning I did my volunteer gig at the Fowler Museum lab in Westwood, bought some groceries at Whole Foods (skinless sausages made from humanely raised chickens and rainforest coffee), then drove along Sunset Blvd. as it winds its way through upscale neighborhoods and past Will Rogers State Park to Pacific Coast Highway and the Getty Villa.
I visited three exhibitions at the Villa: Reconstructing Identity: A Statue of a God from Dresden, The Getty Commodus: Roman Portraits and Modern Copies, Fragment to Vase: Approaches to Ceramic Restoration. One of my interests in art and archaeology is conservation and preservation. Over the centuries the term "conservation" has had various interpretations. In earlier times, statues that had lost arms or legs, or even heads, were given body parts from unrelated statues in order to make them whole. Today, museums are more likely to display statues with the missing parts, or at least indicate where the original statue leaves off and the restoration begins. Personally, if there is a drawing or photograph of how a statue looked in its original state, I don't mind seeing it restored as it was originally intended to be seen, as long as the restoration parts are clearly identified in documentation displayed nearby.
A Statue of a God from Dresden is a wonderful lesson in conservation history all by itself. You could say it has survived the restoration wars! Everything imaginable happened to the statue since its discovery in the 1600s, and the Getty has done a splendid job in telling its story.
The Getty Commodus is another story, literally. The exhibition explains the difficulties in determining the date of origin of a sculpture. This piece was at first thought to be the work of an Italian sculptor from the late 16th century as it was fashionable at that time (and through the next few centuries) to make copies of ancient works of art. However, after weighing all the clues, it is now thought to be an original ancient sculpture from an archaeological dig.
As interesting as the first two exhibits are, my favorite is Fragment to Vase. In the past, the approach to restoring a fragmented vase was to do everything possible to make it look like an unbroken piece by gluing, painting, cementing... some of this was for purely practical purposes, but it was also done to make it saleable to unsuspecting collectors. In the 20th century it was usually the policy to show plainly the difference between the restored part and the original, sometimes resulting in a not very intelligible piece. The Getty's approach today is to balance aesthetics with preservation, making the patching less obtrusive but distinguishable. I like that idea.
My policy, if possible, is to time my visit to an exhibit so I can go through at my own pace, then if there is a guided tour to participate in that either before or after (after is my preference as then I am already familiar with the subject) which is what I did on Friday.
The drive home along Pacific Coast Highway in the late afternoon was splendid. Usually I am enamored of the sun sparkling on the calm blue of the Pacific. But this drive was in a storm and the ocean was heaving up murky, dangerous-looking waves as my windshield wipers were having a hard time keeping up with the deluge of wet stuff falling from the sky. Fortunately, the traffic was relatively light for that time of day on a Friday, maybe because everybody left work early for the safety of their homes.
As usual, I am glad I made the effort to see the exhibit. I have wasted countless hours of my life watching detective shows on TV and putting together jigsaw puzzles... which is perhaps why the art of conservation and preservation is so fascinating to me!

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© J. Paul Getty Trust
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