Gustav Klimt at The Getty

Wednesday at The Getty Center was beautiful with an interesting evening program with Zocolo Public Square.

But first, I enjoyed the drawings by Gustav Klimt. He was born in Vienna in 1862 and is famous for "The Kiss" and beautiful paintings of women.  The exhibit is Gustav Klimt The Magic of Line and displays some of his hundreds which he practiced every day.  The notes state that four thousand of Klimt's drawings survive.  It was through drawing that he develped his themes of human suffering, longing for love and happiness and the cycle of life from birth to death. He died in 1918 a victim of the plague that sweaped through Europe after WWI.

After roaming though the Klimt exhibit, I re appreciated the beauty of The Getty

Deneve & Rachmaninoff

Tuesday night at the Bowl with Colleen, Toni and Denise was delightful with conductor Stephane Deneve.  Deneve is French with wild curly hair, like Dudamel's only redish.

The program was Russian with .Symphonic Synthesis of Boris Godunov and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, The real treat for me was L.A. Phil's Concert Master, Martin Chalifour, playing a violin concerto by Conus. 

Pasadena Pops at the Arboretum

Marvin Hamlisch and Michael Feinstein
A beautiful night with peacocks singing in the background to the Cole Porter song book.

Jazz at LACMA

Katisse on sax and flute with singer Judith Hill plus key board, electric bass and drums on a beautiful summer night.

The Spell of Still Life/Significant Objects

Colleen and I attended the opening receiption for "The Spell of Still Life" at the Norton Simon Museum on Friday.  After sipping, snacking and garden roaming, we went downstairs to visit the exhibit.  The exhibit had some suprises like the following:

"Val Vita Tomatoes with Puree" was commissioned by Marcia Simon Weisman and her husband Frederick Rand Weisman to Andy Warhol to create this birthday card to commemorate her bother, Norton Simon's 70th birthday.  The Val Vita company was acquired by Mr. Simon and later incorporated into Hunt Foods and Industries which he ran.

Happy Belated Birthday Norton Simon and

Thanks for the Museum with all the wonderful art.

Passion with a Purpose

L.A. Phil violinist Robert Gupta was interviewed by Gail Eichenthal, KUSC, at The Aloud forum at the L.A. main library Wednesday night.  The 24 year old musician was the youngest L.A. Phil member hired 5 years ago at the age of 19.  His shared his amazing story of growing up in an Indian household in America, his destiny was to be an M.D. like his father but his talents led him to the violin.  He graduated from high school at the age of 14 and college at 18 with a Masters degree in Music from Yale.  He also attended the Manhattan School of Music and the Julliard School.  He continued his studies in science but the violin won out.

Passion with a Purpose/The Healing Power of Music was the title of the program.  After he treated us with playing the violin, he began talking about his discovery of how he can help other through music.  He said that tingling feeling/goose bumps that we feel are endorphins being released in our brain.  These can lift moods and give people peace and hope. 

He founded a non profit organization called Street Symphony which is an ensemble of musicians committed to bring the tremendous therapeutic power of great music to the disenfranchised.  They play for the homeless, those in prison and others.

The inspiring evening ended with another violin concerto from Robert.

Norton Simon garden reception

Favorites by Henry Moore and others.

Henry Moore's "Family"

Jacques Lipchitz "Dance" 1936

Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973) was a Cubist sculptor from Lithuania.  He moved to Paris where he became friends of Juan Gris, Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani.  Modigliani painted a portrait of Jacques and his wife Bertha in 1916.  The painting hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago and a photo of the painting is in my Art Institute blog.

Aristide Maillol's "Mountain", 1937
Aristide Maillol lived from 1861 to 1944 and was a French Catalan sculptor, painter and printmaker

Aristide Maillol's "River, 1939-43

The subject of nearly all of Maillol's mature work is the female body.  His work is seen as a precursor to the work of Henry Moore.

Henry Moore

Henry Moore's "King and Queen"

Hollywood Bowl Museum

"War Horse" at The Ahmanson Theater

Great script based on the book about the horrors of WW1 and the spirit of a horse named Joey and a boy named Albert. I enjoyed the movie and the play with amazing puppetry.

LACMA Afternoon

I returned to appreciate the art on level 3 in the Art of Americas Bldg.

Mary Cassat's "Mother about to Wash Her Sleepy Child, 1880
Likely this is Mary Cassat's first painting of a mother and child, her most famous subjects.

Marshmallow Sofa, 1956, by George Nelson Associates in New York, made by Herman Miller Furniture Company.

Emil Bisttram's Projection No. # (Eye in the Sky), 1936.

Winslow Homer's " The Cotton Pickers", 1876

Winslow Homer visited 'Birginia after the Civil War and painted this picture after his trip.  Two former slave women pause for a moment in their labors...work that remained unchanged from the prewar years.  They are seen surrounded by a sea of cotton.  Homer is famous of his sea scape's...a different kind of sea here.

Frederick Hammersley"s "Around a round", 1959

Au Bon Climat sipping

Yes another wine club membership with a comfy tasting room in downtown Santa Barbara. Flat bread goodies are delivered to our tasting table. Carter was our gracious host.

Avila Beach & SLO

With Colleen, Ginny & Lars

Playing in Paso

Colleen, Ginny and Lars in Paso Robles and sipping with Lindsey and Mr T at Halter Ranch winery.