Bits of my weekend: Vol. 31

5 06 2011

We’re starting to see our garden produce vegetables which is exciting.

I've never grown broccoli before and didn't really realize how many stalks could grow on one plant.

everyone had to take look.

We also went to the Culver City Art Walk.  This year’s experience was a little different.  We didn’t wander around like last time.

several people were interested in Al's fish sculptures

I really love how the single fish turned out. Al's brother did a great job.

Rhonda Voo had some "delicious displays"

do you think the members of KISS would like these?

Jeff used found objects to create this. The vaccum cleaner was rescued from a dumpster.

the end.

 


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Categories : Art, Family, weekend

Bits of my weekend: vol. 30

18 05 2011

This post was a bit delayed due to our lack of internet connection. It felt so strange to be without internet service for 4 days.

a really fun exhibit - a feast for the eyes: MOCA's Street Art

The exhibit actually started outside.

space invader

ouch

I particularly liked this pimped up “candy truck”

glittery and shiny

this reminded me of the "Union 76" balls from Dodger Park professing it's love for LA

he loves mom too

luckily our daughter is too young to recognize candy. or else she would have swiped some of the art

the artist

another crazy car

the interior

the inspiration for Shepard Ferry's "obey"

banksy

all the art was inspiring our own artist to be creative.


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Categories : Art, weekend

Underwater family

17 10 2010

 

"The Q Family," Original Painting by Joey Chou

 

As a surprise for Al’s birthday, I commissioned a painting from talented artist Joey Chou.  He does really great stuff.  I love his great “boy with his dog” series. He’s able to capture the love between the dog and the boy and their sense of adventure.  Al loves his under the sea series. Joey did a great painting with two lovers kissing in the ocean.  So I originally requested something similar.

Then suddenly, in late September we were matched with a little girl from China.  We are now officially pre-approved to adopt our daughter, Quinn!  So I quickly asked Joey if she could be incorporated into the painting.

Yes!  And she looks adorable in the painting.  We’re so excited that after 3.5 years of waiting, we have a daughter.  Someone who doesn’t know about us, but hopefully can feel our love from a distance.  We hope to visit China in the next 3-4 months and bring her home.  We love the painting and know it’ll be a special piece in our family’s history.


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Categories : Adoption, Art, Quinn

Bits of My Weekend: Vol 9

18 07 2010

Weekend= Art + Food

This weekend we went to two art events, hung out with artist friends and ate great food.

We started at the opening of Hugh Brown’s Allegedly exhibit.  It’s at the Robert Berman Gallery in Santa Monica.

Art featuring chainsaws

Hugh creates art in the style of the original artist, but inserts a chainsaw into the art.  It’s really clever.

Hugh Brown, "Henri Matisse"

Hugh Brown, "Keith Haring"

My favorite was a wire sculpture à la Alexander Calder.  It was hard to get a good photo.

Hugh Brown, "Alexander Calder"

Outside in the parking lot, there was a catering truck:  World Fare.  It’s the first I’ve seen where you can eat on top of the truck.  These trucks are all the rage.

"Eat-on" catering truck

Al wasn’t paying attention to what I ordered.  But boy did I catch his attention after he bit into this little morsel of flavor!

Truffle mac'n cheese ball

The only thing disappointing about this was that they only gave you three in an order.  Yummy!

The next stop was a slide show and lecture by artist, David Ligare. Not only was David’s art amazing,  he provided some great art history that gave so much more depth to his art.  I wish I had a good photo of the night – as the lecture was in the backyard, lit only with paper lanterns and Christmas lights.

David Ligare, Naxos (Thrown Drapery). 60"x 78"

We rounded out the weekend with dinner in Eagle Rock with our friends Masaki & Kristina.  On our way to a great vegetarian restaurant called Fatty’s (oxymoron) – we spotted something on top of the roof of a neighboring business.

Spidercow. Yes, his body was blue.

We continued the truffle theme with some bread and truffle oil.

A trio of tasty food.

It was a packed weekend, filled with art and food.  Check out Michelle’s and other fun weekends at her blog, Six in the City.


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Categories : Art, food, weekend

An artsy part-ay

15 07 2010

roof-top art at Art Center

I experienced my first alumni event at Art Center and it didn’t disappoint.  The event was billed as roof and garden event – a kick off an illustration conference being held at Art Center in Pasadena.  It really was more a “roof event” as I’m not sure a few planters of succulents count, but there was some fun art on the walls.  And when you looked closely, you realized it was tape.  The whole roof was decorated as part of a student art project.  And had we stayed until the end, we could have taken some home.

I also found the food to be delectable.  No calorie counting here.  Besides the delicious food pictured to the left, there was seared Ahi tuna sliders, crab quesadillas and guacamole stuffed cherry tomatoes. Dessert was peach cobbler with ICE CREAM!

comfort food: deviled eggs, mac 'n cheese, sloppy joe sliders

Enough about the food.  We met some really amazing artists.  I love surrounding myself with creative people.  And wishing I was one!

the D.J. was hip too. Jackson 5 and Bee Gees.


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Categories : Art, Husband

Bits of my weekend: vol. 3

6 06 2010

I started my weekend out right, with a great home-cooked breakfast.

eggs with roasted veggies and sriracha sauce (for a lil' Asian flava)

I rewarded myself with an afternoon at the Culver City Artwalk.  After attempting to clear some of the garage out. Groan.  Al’s art was up and so was Jeff’s, his business partner.

Al's theme was the crisis in the Gulf

Corazón

Foil

I love Jeff’s twig people.  He takes great stuff from nature and gives them a new life.  And his pottery has a lot of character too.  We have more of his art in our house than Al’s.

Twigs become graceful figures

these guys make me smile

love the lighting which showed off the art

Another artist in the Helm’s Bakery Building is Rhonda Voo.  She illustrates childrens books.  She’s able to capture the joy that kids naturally have.  The one that I loved the most, reminded me of myself.

How can you not giggle went looking at this?

My mom and I stumbled upon with my friends Mona and Emma at the Hasten’s bed store.  This is considered the Rolls Royce of beds. Here’s Mona in a $70,000 bed.  Same price regardless of size.  Um, I guess I’d order the King?  For that kind of price, I would expect to look like a Victoria Secret Model after sleeping in it.

Mona - contemplating her purchase.

Sunday we finished off the weekend with a great concert at Trilogy Guitars. It’s a little guitar shop just 5 minutes from our house that books great acts (mostly guitar).  Tonight we had two hours of Bluegrass, Blues and Cajun music courtesy of Goin’ South.  We loved it.  It was well worth missing the Laker vs Celtics game.

As we parked our car in a residential area, we saw some friends

One of the musicians played a really rare and funny looking instrument.

A Strogh Violin from Translavania. It made a really cool sounds. Tin-ie but cool.

To experience other great weekends, visit Six in the City blog.


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Categories : Art, Concerts, friends, Husband, weekend

School of fish come home

7 09 2009
Al's Mid-Century Modern Fish

Al's Mid-Century Modern Fish

Laying the fish out

Laying the fish out

It’s been more than a year since we took down the fish for our remodel.  Finally we inserted stronger metal rods and repainted a few of the fish.  I often wonder if we would have gone further in the Apartment Therapy Competition – as many commented about the bare space above the fireplace.

Anyway, as I look at the photo, it appears that our mantle is bowed!  We don’t put anything heavy on it.  How strange.  Well it adds character as they say.


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Categories : Art, Husband

New Orleans: Day 5

30 12 2008
Houmas House - Plantation

Houmus House - Plantation

Original Manet

Original Mamet

We ended our trip with a plantation tour of the Houmus House.  The Houmus was an indian tribe located in Louisiana.  This house was amazing because the owner lives in it and allows everyone to touch the furniture. It was decorated to the hilt with Christmas decorations.  We had a really entertaining guide that made the tour really enjoyable. There were a Gaugin and a Mamet hanging on the walls for all to see.  I took the photo of the Mamet before I knew it was one. In total there was $6.5 million worth of antiquities and art in the 17,000 sq. foot house.

Another unique feature of the house is that the owner threw a lovely wedding for his dogs, Sam and Grace at the plantation.  They had 400 guests.  Sam & Grace even had a pre-nup – although from the looks of it, Grace gets to keep just about everything. Here’s the happy couple.


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Categories : Art, New Orleans

New Orleans: Day 4

29 12 2008
New Orleans street sign

New Orleans street sign

I struggled with which photo to post.  It was between featuring this street sign and a photo of chocolate, peanut butter pie from Franky & Johnny’s Po-Boys.  They are both “art.”

Obviously we like food, or we wouldn’t have started out with a catfish po-boy for breakfast at Johnny’s Po-Boy – where even his “failures are edible.”  Joy woke up with a migraine that prevented her from joining us.  We were shut out on Day 2 when we tried to eat at Johnny’s – so PR, Al and I were determined to get a po-boy this morning.  I’m pretty sure ours tasted better than the British couple’s hot dogs and chili po-boy.  But to each his own.

I started this trip out by commenting – okay almost complaining about the number of times we consumed food.  I thought it was too much.  But I came around and embraced it like pig to mud.  I was ready to roll in it – every damn spoonful was good.  And so were the rice and beans.

We ended the day with an amazing dinner of crab legs at Mike & Linda’s house.


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Categories : Art, food, New Orleans

Day 3: New Orleans

28 12 2008
Orange Crush Exhibit

Orange Crush Exhibit

We saw this really cool exhibit that spanned three stories of a Contemporary Art Center.  For some reason, I really liked these “Orange Crush” bottles.

We ended the evening at one of Vince’s artist friend’s home for a impromptu and AMAZING dinner.  The space was incredible (lots of exposed wood and candles), the food was superb and the company was lots of fun!  I can’t help myself, I must post the at least one photo of the baked brie with figs!


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Categories : Art, New Orleans

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