Wednesday, June 29, 2011

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.

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!

17 comments:

Laura said...

Oh wonderful!

jane said...

i want to hang out with you... seriously... is the house next to yours free? :)
p.s. thanks for that. :)

mermaid gallery said...

you have been busy!...it all looks like fun though....great quote....makes me feel like playing with some pastels and watching a Fellini movie....maybe next month!

Loree said...

You've had a busy wonderful June. Beautiful photos and paintings. My son is 5 and starting some art lessons next week. He loves to paint and I really hope he has fun with it.

Anonymous said...

Great post, the pics of the kids is adorable and I'll be sure to check he movie out with a glass of wine in hand of cours. By the way, thanks so much for stopping by to meet Patrick! He's a wonderful addition to our home:)

xo,

Abby

Unknown said...

You've been busy! Love the farmer's market, we go each weekend:-)

Unknown said...

A grand entrance, with beautiful, especially the children are adorable
A busy month of June and full of activities, or now have to enjoy the summer.
Greetings .-

Robin said...

These images are just wonderful..as is the featured artwork...I also love the quotes you chose..Have a great day..!

A Brush with Color said...

What amazing photos and art and film, all in one! Wow! Those kids are chock-full-of-talent, aren't they!!

Cobalt Violet said...

Laura- grazie!

Jane- I want hang out with you too! I will let you know if something opens up! ;)

Mermaid- yes definitely play with pastels and have a Fellini night!

Loree- yes very wonderfully busy! Hope your son loves his art class!

Abby- thanks and let me know what you think of Fellini! Patrick is adorable!

Punctuation Mark said...

i love that movie... it's such an all time classic... great pic of LACMA... have a nice weekend!

Cobalt Violet said...

Tamara- yes I have! Don't you love the farmers market?

Enrique- yes they are adorable- I will post more awesome kids soon!

Robin- thank you sO much!

Suzanne- thank you! And yes they are!

@Punctation- I love it too (the movie) and that LACMA building is a great photo op - especially at that time of day!

isabella kramer - veredit said...

What a gorgeous post!! I love it .. all!


have beautiful summmer time!

and many thanks for your wonderful comments on my blog ♥

warm hugs
isabella

Pepe Ventureira said...

Hello Cobalt .... old and new times ... flavors .. colors .. mixed in a harmonious way ... a pleasure for the senses.

An embrace

erin's art and gardens said...

hello dearest lucinda....it sounds like you had a month filled with many fine experiences and rich in art...i love your pastel and understand the need to walk away for a while...it will come to you, in your own time and it will be beautiful. i have never seen that movie but after viewing your clip, two things come to mind...a scene from "under the tuscan sun" now makes more sense..... and my own childhood memory of putting my cat on my head and him sliding down and his little claw catching the inside of my eyelid! ouch! i have not thought of that in years. i have been trying to locate the name of my curtain fabric for you, to no avail, but i will keep looking.

happy new month to you, sweets,
erin
xxoo

PK Studios said...

So if i had taken that fruit still life photo, you would say "Oh my God, you have to paint that!" But since I'm not painting these days, I'm telling you "Oh my God, you have to paint that!" : ) .... it looks like a still life from a Master painter! And LOVE the photo of little Lola and her fabulous masterpiece... so cute. Is it for sale? I wanna know...were the hearts there or did she add them??

Cobalt Violet said...

Isabella- you are very welcome and thank you too!!

Pepe- thank you for you kind words!

Erin- ouch! That had to hurt! Thank you for your sweet words, as always... And thank you for searching for the fabric name! I hope it isn't too much trouble!

Penny- you are cracking me up. I really should do it from life though huh? And yes, those hearts were all Lola! She was awesome.