Thursday, January 19, 2012

Colorful Chinatown and The Framing House



Three things I love about my framers at The Framing House

1. They are cheap.

2. They are very helpful and patient with me and all my questions (and how very long it takes me to make up my mind.)

3. They are in Chinatown.

I suppose the drawback is that I can't possibly go get anything framed without running across the street to the bakery for almond cookies. A little taste of buttery heaven!

I hadn't really thought about going to take pictures last week, I was more focused on the pastels I was framing, so these pictures were taken with crazy settings on my iPhone.


iPhone Chinatown
January 2012



mmmmm ...



Golden Dragon Gifts has fun and inexpensive trinkets ...


And this is where I got my 5.99 replacement slippers (in red of course!)





Love the red lanterns! They always remind me of the incredible cinematography in the film, Raise the Red Lantern, for obvious reasons. Every shot in that film was like a work of art!


This is a great little higher end shop called Realm that is in an old restaurant that opened in 1939. Wish I'd gotten a better shot of the ceiling but it was tough with the lights!




I think I need a neon Buddha. Just saying.



Raise the Red Lantern is an incredibly beautiful movie, visually, but subject-wise it's rough and quite haunting. Gong Li is amazing in it and it was worth seeing, for me, for the visual feast.




Each moment is a place
you've never been.

~Mark Strand


Hope this week, you are enjoying places you've never been.
Blessings and light to you!



11 comments:

Anonymous said...

thankyou so much for sharing, I have never been to China town in any city, I enjoyed this post so much!!!

Beatnheart said...

Hi Cobalt! Thanks for your visit and comment.
Wow Penny’s sister? how crazy is that? Of the zillions of people doing blogs...she and I are quite chummy actually. Would love to go up and visit her sometime.. Love your photos...just amazing for on a phone...take care, Cynthia

Loree said...

iPhone or not those photos are just amazing.

ruma said...

Hello, Cobalt Violet.

  Even more severe in winter, but.
  Your work is embraced in your gentleness.

  Thank you for the warmth of your heart.

  The prayer for all peace.   
Have a good weekend. From Japan ruma ❃

rjerdee said...

Oh, thanks for the trip through Chinatown!!! Truly a day brightener...
You like a lot of the same books I do...The Artist's Way is one I've had in my library for decades.

Kerry O'Gorman said...

Sigh...Chinatown is one of my favorite places to visit...like going to another country without getting on a plane. When I was a kid it was such a mysterious place.
"Raise the Red Lantern" is one of my all time favorite movies. Yes, so beautiful and haunting.
Those pictures aren't bad at all! Amazing what iphones can do hey?

Cobalt Violet said...

Hi Laurie! Next time you get to a town with a Chinatown, try to get there - it really feels like you have left the country!

Cynthia- crazy right? You should go visit her and have an Ojai day!

Loree-Thanks! Crazy to me that we can get anything with a phone! I am so 1900s! :)

Ruma- thank you for your beautiful words.

Becky- I still do some of the exercises for the Artists Way. So helpful for the inner artist!

Kerry- I think we were separated at birth. ;)

isabella kramer - veredit said...

Hi Cobalt Violet,

thanks for this very impressive and touching trip. I agree absolutely with you, "Raise the Red Latern" is really great art work with it's poetic pictures. But I also love yours. They are so positive and shows your joy at this gorgeous place.

cordially greetings
isabella

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous pictures. Thank you for taking me with you...have a nice week ahead..

Cobalt Violet said...

Isabella- You are welcome and thanks so much! :)

Inge- Thanks for visiting and hope you are having a nice weekend too! I am up at my parents on my mom's computer. :)

Cristina Deboni said...

in effetti è molto colorata e luminosa nella notte, deve essere affascinante camminare in mezzo a quelle vie. bellissime foto. ciao Cri : )