making art

a journey from inspiration to expression

The Rock Stops

March 8, 2012

After the high of seeing The Rock on Wednesday, I decided to give it one more try. Unfortunately, it hit a big snafu in its route! A sneaky bridge settled just enough to deny the clearance it needed. So when I went to the pre-determined intersection- No Rock! I drove around thinking, ‘you can’t really hide that thing anywhere…’ but after I called my MPS (Mark Positioning System) he looked up The Rock’s Blog (yes The Rock has a blog) and confirmed that the route had been changed. The Rock was now in Carson!

I drove through some unfamiliar neighborhoods and found it sitting, on a non-descript street, with very little fanfare- and very few fans! ??? The Celebrity Policeman and his thought balloon were still waving to passerby along with some confused-looking older people probably wondering WTF? So after taking a few shots I headed back to the car and noticed that The Rock was sitting right in front of a church named….wait for it….The Rock of Salvation. You just can't make this stuff up.

The Detour of Divine Intervention?

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Rock Reading:

Yesterday’s party in Long Beach from the Front Page of the LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0309-lacma-rock-20120309,0,7477852.story

LACMA’s description of the sculpture: http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/levitated-mass

News Photos: http://framework.latimes.com/2012/02/29/lacma-rock/#/17

Engagement Story: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Big-Rock-Leads-to-Big-Proposal-LACMA-141138083.html

More: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/LACMA-Rock-Levitated-Mass-Route-Map-141076983.html

 

Rockin' Around

March 7, 2012

Even though I had already seen The Rock I was not prepared for the party that surrounded it at Bixby Knolls. When we arrived in this hamlet of Long Beach, a flashing construction sign read, ‘Big Rock Ahead’. Gotta love the fact that someone has a sense of humor around here- there was also a policeman holding a cartoon blub that said, ‘that’s a big rock’. He became an instant Internet celebrity. There were DJ’s spinning appropriately-themed songs such as ‘We Will Rock You’, rock bands setting up and restaurants with tents selling burritos. On the other side of the street were guys silk screening t-shirts to order, graffiti artists capturing the mise en scene en plein air, kids painting rocks, Rock Guessing and Occupy Levitated Mass protestors. Last, but not least, were the Food Trucks! Ah, thank God. Now THAT’S what I’m talkin’ about!

Oh, and don't forget the media, of course.

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The Rock Rolls

March 1, 2012

I’ve been waiting for The Rock. A 340-ton piece of granite, blasted from a cliff in Riverside, for over a year. It’s part of a monumental sculpture being installed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (LACMA) Titled, ‘Levitated Mass’ it was conceived over 10 years ago by ­­artist Michael Heizer and will allow viewers to descend into a channel and walk under the boulder. Simple, right?

The one thing they don’t tell you in Art School is that your life will be filled with Schlepping. Getting Stuff from Here to There. ‘Levitated Mass’ is this on a massive scale. (get it?) Transporting the granite boulder from the quarry in Riverside 60 miles to Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles has probably been a logistics nightmare, but here it comes.

Affectionately known as ‘The Rock’, the granite boulder has its’ own special Semi Tractor Trailer, travels only at night and has an entourage to remove signs and traffic lights before it passes by. It moves at 5 mph and required many different permits from the hodgepodge of cities we call L.A. Naturally as the dates for the move changed, the permits expired and had to be re-done, etc. Fun!

I didn’t know it was finally coming but as soon as I opened the paper and saw it on the Front Page, I jumped in the car and sped off toward Chino. I found The Rock on a non-descript dirt lot across from the Ontario Airport. The scene was so LA: art hipsters, city officials in hard hats, media (of course), curious locals, supposed gang members, engineers. I did an interview with a documentary filmmaker and saw a wedding proposal. Channel 4 News interviewed the betrothed couple as the documentary filmmaker filmed them afterward. A small red headed boy played with his truck in the dirt while a pair of Japanese businessmen gazed in their tailored suits. A grandfather walked around with his grandson and a Golden Retriever patiently waited for his owner.

The only thing missing was the Food Trucks!

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Laguna Art Museum Auction 2012

Last Saturday night we raised a record amount at the auction to benefit the Laguna Art Musuem! The theme was 'Lounge' and I dressed accordingly. My cousin from Germany was in town and enjoyed seeing my work there as well as the excitement and the crowds. After the auction, dancing ensued and a good time was had by all. I mean, what could possibly go wrong in a Silver Lame Pantsuit?

See you next year!

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Laguna Art Museum Installation: The Event (Part IV)

Good thing I live close to the museum! Worked on lighting Thursday, hung paintings Friday and brought in flowers Saturday. It was a wonderful event with lovely wines from the Staglin Family Vineyard and delicious food by Craig Strong from the Montage. I was happy with the way the installation turned out....many thanks to the staff at the museum for all their help!

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Laguna Art Museum Installation: The Details (Part III)

I decided to utilize the space overhead rather than create a giant centerpiece. I hate sitting behind a giant bouquet of flowers and not being able to enjoy a group conversation! I found some cool hanging lamps that echo the floral inspiration for my work. The museums’ talented installation expert has even agreed to hang them from the 25’ ceilings, yay Tim.

Flowers: one of my favorite flower arrangement concepts is the Lei. What a marvelous idea- to wear beautiful flowers around your neck! Each guest will be presented with a Hawaiian Lei in lieu of chargers at their place setting. (say THAT 3 times fast) Ideally my orchid cactus will still be blooming so I can add a few flowers from my garden: a nice tribute to complete the circle of inspiration. As they say, “art is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Genau.

Of course I wouldn’t be me if I said I hadn’t considered what to wear…

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Laguna Art Museum Installation: The Table (Pt. II)

Wow. Now I know why there is a job called, ‘Event Designer.’ There is a huge amount of planning, attention to detail, and creativity involved. There is also a baffling array of choices with decisions to be made each step of the way. Make one change and, Bam! A domino effect sends you back to ‘Go.’

The Table: after toying around with different shapes and heights, I decided we are bounded by the shape we’re in- our bodies dictate what is comfortable for us. Like gravity, we cannot break the laws of dining without a great deal of discomfort! So I ended up with the 8’ x 4’ banquet table- not creative but a really good shape for dinner.

The Linens: as usual, I was seduced by color. When I visited the showroom there were soooo many gorgeous fabrics and colors! I have experience with fashion design and textiles so it was hard to resist the fuchsia Dupioni silk or the orange Damask with the textured swirl. And the sheers! Sexy transparent drapes with contrasting warp and weft which change color as one passes! Yum. Delicious.

The Chairs: since we enjoy entertaining and do it a lot, I wanted them to be comfortable. At home, we have a comfy bench with pillows. I really wanted couches on one side since I’m the one that always goes for the banquette at a restaurant, but sadly the budget did not allow. I did however find some comfy fuchsia chairs that (hopefully) will not look like the Prom! Or maybe it will look like the Prom but with better food.

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Laguna Art Museum Installation: The Paintings (Pt. I)

The Laguna Beach Art Museum holds a fundraiser every year called ‘Palette to Palate’ that features a 5-course meal served by the chef of the Montage Resort in the Main Gallery of the museum. Ten invited artists each create a space to enjoy this memorable dining experience. It can be anything you dream up- as long as it will enhance, not hinder, your guests’ dining experience. This year I was invited to create a space; it has been a fun, exciting, and very educational endeavor for me.

Where to start? The installation includes work by each artist so it seemed obvious to begin with the paintings! I have continued my abstract landscape series with a ‘macro’ view as inspired by the organic shapes in my garden this spring. I enjoy distilling things down to their basic forms and using color to juxtapose areas of contrast against areas of harmony.

So much in life is editing; carving out beauty amid the chaos. The ‘Pacific Rim Landscape’ series imposes order on a chaotic surface the same way our exterior personalities impose order on our often turbulent or conflicted feelings. I am particularly interested in the space between the two (the edge) and am thrilled that the visual language in these pieces reflects this ideal with an exciting symbiotic energy.

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Hortense Miller Garden

Right up behind my house is a lovely botanic garden which was donated to the city by the owner Hortense Miller. She and her husband moved to Laguna Beach about 35 years ago; sadly soon after the home was built her husband passed away. But Hortense spent the next 30+ years creating a beautiful hillside sanctuary which included many native species. The home is an amazing Mid-Century Modern tucked away within the garden- a hip Bohemian paradise. There is even an orchid house which the Newport Beach Orchid Society generously filled for the Open House event. I love the clean lines and indoor/outdoor living- I could move in tomorrow!

I am always inspired by plants and organic shapes; I have started a body of work based on them for my upcoming museum installation.

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