La Dolce Vita and The June Mix ...

This is the time.

This is the place.

This is the vastness.

Right here is paradise.

Always.

~Byron Katie

June has almost left us. Though it was only weeks ago that I took my Italian and Art History finals, it already feels like another lifetime. Summer is in full swing and so much has been going on ...

Trips to the farmers market ...

Celebrating with Italian class after finals ...

... and I finally made it to my pastel teacher Bert Collins' retrospective at the little Santa Paula Art Museum. She had artwork there from her childhood all the way through her current work.

This beautiful landscape is very "Bert."

Ventura River by Bert Collins

Oil on canvas 2010

She used to do a lot of work for galleries in L.A. years ago (before moving up to Ojai) and did a lot of still lifes. Some were rather large but I love this little gem. By the way, she was born in 1928 and is still very prolific and very inspiring.

Egg by Bert Collins

Acrylic on Canvas 1970

Then, I was so excited to find out through the Italian Institute of Culture in Los Angeles, that there was going to be a screening of La Dolce Vita at the old historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. The film had considerable restoration done by Cineteca di Bologna at L'Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory in association with The Film Foundation, Paramount Pictures and so on. (It was funded by Gucci apparently, so go ahead and get that bag you've been dying for! ;)

Anyway, it was a beautifully remastered and restored print. Of course, it was also as funny, sad, beautiful, poetic, strange and stylish as ever.

Oh, Marcello ... could you be more handsome? Hmm, probably not.

If you have never seen La Dolce Vita, you should!

Note: It is three hours long and there is no real plot (It is Fellini, after all) so sit back with your glass of wine, relax and enjoy the ride. It's wonderful!

I also had "Art Day" in Highland Park at my friend Rachel's. She coined the phrase for our little tradition, though on that day she was doing more laundry than art.

This (below) is the piece I was working on it that day and it still sits on my easel mocking me. It's not right and it's not finished but right now I am giving it a rest.

For my friend Shea's June birthday we headed LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) for a picnic and free latin jazz on the lawn on an early Saturday evening ...

LACMA - The Broad Building

And it's that time of year again for ... Summer Art Camp at The Wizard of Art!!!

Below is a photo of some of the kids from week 2. Eight more weeks to go!

Still life in Pastel by Lola

Lola - Pastel Artist

(On her seventh birthday!)

For more adorable, amazing kids click here.

It's been a very busy June! Is it already nearly July?? Well, I hope your June was wonderful but if it left something to be desired, let's have a spectacular July, shall we?

Oh, and I want to share this quote with you ...

It is a great art to have an abundance of knowledge and experience-

to know the richness of life, the beauty of existence,

the struggles, the miseries, the laughter, the tears-

and yet keep your mind very simple;

and you can have a simple mind

only when you know how to love.

~Jiddu Krishnamurti

Blessings and light!