L is for Lennon.

L is also for Lost, Late and Loser. All things I have felt, or been, over the last 24 hours. L is also for let it go. And Love. Both better thoughts. Let's stick with L is for Lennon...

Three Weeks of Sunshine...

A summer tease in January... Everything basked in a warm glow while NYC was snow, snow, snow. Now back to the normal February flow...

Credits: Pennies tooled into jewels by Melanie. Lennon's exuberance on the "relaxed" swing. Lisa let me cut her scarf in half, thank you. Cross Processing in an Echo Park meadow. Wood's good in the same meadow. Skyscape Quilt on Etsy. Hannah pic by Eileen. Commune's Willie Nelson gets a Costa overhaul. More iphone cross processing...everything's gonna be A OK, and tea curls, the desert from Life Nature Library, Golden A-Frame by Chris Sardelis on Surfline, & Costa Cat!

Little Wings + Feist Duet - Look At What The Light Did Now

Ky Ky jam session...thanks for transporting me Scott. (Hannah, you knew I was going to post this, didn't you)

Tea Party Tomorrow

The Mind Dreamin' show with Nat Russell & Katsuo Design is just about to end. This Friday as closing of the show, we'd like to invite you to join us tea party here at the POPgallery. Those of you who missed opening night, here is the last chance to see great works. Also, all the artworks will be 20% off, on this day ONLY!

When:
Tomorrow / Feb. 28
4:00 - 6:00pm

Where:
The POPgallery
3505 Helmes Ave.
Culver City, CA 90232
T.310.558.2080

Topanga Beach Experience

At 16, Pacific Ocean Park Pier surfer Paul Lovas moved to a beach house on a Malibu pointbreak called Topanga and discovered "the surf hang-out, groovy place to be away from LA."

He and a buddy took over the house of Bear from Canned Heat. Their Venice High gym teacher lived next door and let them skip class to surf. The beach was protected by a surf gang called the Topanga Bombers. There was a preteen world-champion skateboarder, a rowdy surf-rock band, and a house full of "pirates."

These were the "Cosmic Children," as Hal Jepsen, another local, nicknamed a generation in his 1970 surf film.

Paul was drawn to the excitement of the beach lifestyle, where "everything was always changing," at a time when society was changing too. Keeping up was like riding its own wiggy wave, and for two decades Paul carved through the cocktails, Jacuzzis, Vietnam War, free love, and rock 'n' roll... finally wiping out when the Topanga Creek flooded in 1979 and carried his house away.

Today all the houses are gone, and Topanga is a State Beach, but the "wild life" is preserved in Paul's Topanga Beach Experience.

(c) Brass Tacks Press

Questions for Deepak Chopra

Regardless of whether or not the NY Times Magazine is any good, Hannah and I read Deborah Solomon's Q&A every week. I find them quite entertaining, if not insightful. I particularly liked the Q&A with Deepak Chopra a couple months back. Here's a small excerpt...

Deborah Solomon - Do you think God exists?
Deepak Chopra - Yes, but not as a dead white male.

DS - How would you define spirituality as opposed to religion?
DP - Self-awareness and awareness of other people’s needs.

DS - If someone asks what religion you are, what do you say?
DP - I say God gave humans the truth, and the Devil came and said, “Let’s organize it, we’ll call it religion.”

Authority Figures

Authority Figures is an exhibition of dioramas by British artist Neil M. Perry (Portland, OR) and craft artist Sarah Christoph (Los Angeles, California) showing through February at Pop Gallery (3505 Helms Ave. Culver City, Los Angeles)

Working in collaboration the pair produced scenes that depict different figures of authority and how they exert influence.

Sarah created needle-felt versions of six different creatures using Neil’s sketches as reference. These figurines were then placed in diorama boxes painted by Neil.

The work will be displayed as part of a mural that ties the individual pieces together into one larger story.

In addition to these unique items the show will feature new drawings and paintings by Neil as well as a number of screen-printed items.

Sarah is an East Coast transplant with a degree in fine arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She has lived and shown in the Los Angeles area since 2005.

Neil is originally from the North East of England. He is currently living and working as an artist in Portland, Oregon having re-located in early 2010. You can see examples of his previous work by visiting his official site: www.neilmperry.com

Opening Reception - Friday Fourth of February, 7pm-10pm.

30% of all sales from the show will be donated to 826LA, a Los Angeles based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills. www.826la.org

The Radiant Child

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (Opening Scene) from Ivan Drpić on Vimeo.

Life Nature Library

From Wikipedia,
The Life Nature Library was a popular series of hardbound books published by Time-Life between 1961 and 1965. Each of the 25 volumes explored a major topic of the natural world. They were intended for, and written at a level appropriate to, an educated lay readership.

On Ebay.

Two things that stoke me for 2011...

1. A quote in yesterday's NY times taken out of context has become my new Mantra for 2011..."See ordinary things in extraordinary ways"

2. And I just pushed purchase on a trip to Mexico with the Fam...Gonna make up for all of this rain with some much needed sunshine in March!

Morning of the Earth