New Shoes, so beautiful and good things happened

This is a postcard that has been affixed to the side of my refrigerator with a magnet since last fall.  (Click to enlarge)  It was for an exhibition of paintings reflecting on the work of Flannery O'Connor at her home, Andalusia Farm, in my hometown of Milledgeville, Georgia (wish I had gone to see that).  I loved the image so much that I finally had it framed and will probably hang it with a grouping in my bedroom.  The image on the front of the postcard is from a painting by Jude Harzer, called "New Shoes" and was inspired by a line from the O'Connor short story, "Everything That Rises Must Converge."  "Even a child with normal feet was in love with the world after he had got a new pair of shoes." 

These flowers from the grocery store have been so beautiful that I finally snapped a photo of them.  (All photos taken with my iPhone these days.  Note - not sure why my dining room wall and ceiling, there in the background, looks pink, when they are painted white.)

How about that?  I exercised almost every day in June, except for Sundays, which I decided to take off.  I give myself a sticker on the calendar in my home office on the days I work out.  And that's a lovely quote by Franz Kafka on the calendar, which I hadn't really noticed until this morning, "Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old."

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

New life, morning light and if you can't beat 'em...

- The weekend weather in Atlanta was as lovely as predicted.  Sister, niece and I met cousins for lunch at Mary Mac's Tearoom for some southern food and then moved on to Ponce City Market for a look-around.  The large brick building there housed the Sears Roebuck & Company from 1926 until 1979 (retail store, warehouse and regional offices.)  My grandfather used to go there and pick up items for the family in the 1930s and '40s when he had business in Atlanta.  I like to think of that.  The city of Atlanta bought the building around 1980 and used it for police and fire department headquarters for about 20 years - it was called City Hall East.  It's so nice to see it reinvigorated as a mixed used development now - apartments, offices, shops, restaurants and a food hall.  I had not been there since its official opening last year, so it was fun to act like a tourist for a few hours.  And I can go there anytime!

- An unedited photo that I snapped last week at one of those pop up antique markets near my office.  I thought the coat rack might work in a coworker's new home.  I just love this photo for its lovely morning light.

- And I posted about this building near my office last February.  It has been plagued by graffiti art.  My post in February showed a lone painter painting over the graffiti with white paint.  Of course, the graffiti artists came back and covered the end next to the street with graffiti again.  So I love this window company for their "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude - they have hired mural artists to paint it.  Click to enlarge.  It's a train!  Can't wait to see what they have planned for the other wall.  :)

Favorite moment of the weekend.  My sister and I were standing in my parking lot, when the sprinkler came on.  A delighted robin hopped in and out of the water - reveling in the water drops.  My sister said, "I need to get a picture of that!"  But by the time she got it positioned, the bird had tired of the activity and flew away.  My sister is a kindred spirit, I think.

The Girl & Frida, hummingbird & moon, & the Hokey Pokey

How's that for a title?  In my last post, I had a photo of a birthday card that had owl magnets on the front.  (One of them is shown below.)  Joe commented, "I picture you as a fridge magnet type of person. Now you are going to tell me you aren't. Ha."  Well - so I am.  And so this is a good excuse to post about refrigerator magnets. Thanks Joey!

- Friend Leisa and I visited the High Museum of Art, here in Atlanta, for an exhibit "Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis" in 2013.  It featured the lovely painting, "The Girl with the Pearl Earring."  So of course I had to get a magnet at the gift shop at the end of the tour.  And the same museum had an exhibit of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, "Passion, Politics and Painting" in the same year - a banner year for the High, I think.  Friend Barbara and I went to that one together and both of us bought a Frida magnet. 

- I share my parents' love for hummingbirds and this magnet came from my late mom's fridge at the assisted living facility.  It's carved from wood - I bought it in the North Carolina mountains, I think.  I use it to hold up the nectar instructions.  And I've always loved the man in the moon - I've had that crescent moon magnet for years and years.

- And really, "What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about?"  I mean, really?

Happy Friday, y'all!

Painting rescue, 306th day of the year and peacock connection

I have rescued animals before - the late Cleo and Sophie.  Neither beloved cat had a home before they came home with me.  And a plant - a neighbor retrieved a scraggly Pothos from a pile of trash from a cleared out office at Emory University and asked if I'd like it.  It has thrived on my back porch in the summers and winters in my kitchen.

But this is the the first time I have rescued artwork:

- Last Friday morning, I stopped at the trash compactor at the condos to drop off a bag and discovered this painting lying face down on top of some flattened boxes beside it.  It was wet since it had rained during the night.  I was delighted with this jewel and decided it didn't deserve to be treated this way, so I put it in the trunk of my car and hurriedly drove off to work, since I was running late.

- Later - work friend Brenda and I went out to her car to unload something together and I showed her the painting in my trunk, relating how I had found it.  And then I realized what the inscription on the back said:

- And even more astounding - look at the date!  A November day in the future, the 306th day of 2014.  What do you think about that?  This makes me sad, concerned and astounded, all at once.  I haven't really asked around to see if anyone knows a child named Kayla.  I'm almost afraid to ask.  And there is no Katrina listed in the condominium complex directory.

I guess what makes this a good thing is that the painting has been rescued.  I love its whimsy, particularly because it is a peacock.  Some of you may remember that I grew up on neighboring property to the farm, Andalusia, where the late Flannery O'Connor wrote most of her celebrated work.  I met her on some sort of field trip when I was a little girl - we went to see her peacocks.  I remember a lady with glasses (but that could have been her mother, I'll admit.  I like to think it was Flannery.)  Make sure you click on the link to Flannery's name - there is a photo of her with two of her peacocks.  Click here for a post from May 2009 (the year my father passed away) for his memory of Flannery.

So there you have it - I have a peacock painting and nowhere to hang it.  I have nothing that color in my place, but am thinking it might fit in the unfinished family photo wall in my home office, where it will be home now.

Body double, comfort food and the sweet life

Click to enlarge

- This tapestry was part of the exhibit I visited at The High Museum of Art last weekend.  It depicts French monarchs smiling benignly at servants and pets in the month of October.  :)  Friend Barb thought the monarch on the upper right looked a little like the late comedian Redd Foxx and he kind of does!  Compare photo below.

- Having so many ingredients left over from the lasagna from the weekend that I decided to re-purpose some of them.  So Googling "recipes using half and half" yielded this recipe for Creamy Polenta.  I made it Wednesday night - it's good and made great comfort food in this cold weather.  I had never made polenta before, so it was a fun thing to make and it went well with the never ending sauteed kale.  :)

- Reading an obituary in the online version of the newspaper from my hometown of Milledgeville, Georgia.  I have taken over the role of reading obituaries from my dad, who perused them every day.  Since my sisters and I have little connection there anymore, I find this is the only way I have of knowing if any of my parents' friends have passed away.  There was one that caught my eye, simply because of the woman's maiden name, that I associate with a family owned shoe store there (long closed.)  I didn't know her, but she had a great obituary.  After she passed away, her family found a post-it note in her handwriting above her desk at home and included it in her obituary; a quote from Emily Dickinson that read, "That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet."

 Life is indeed sweet - a good thing to remember, I think.  I hope you have sweet things in store for you this weekend, my friends!

written in her elderly handwriting is a quote from Emily Dickenson, “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” - See more at: http://www.unionrecorder.com/obituaries/x1767985599/Emily-Annette-Trapnell-Manning#sthash.hpUas8AT.dpuf

written in her elderly handwriting is a quote from Emily Dickenson, “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” - See more at: http://www.unionrecorder.com/obituaries/x1767985599/Emily-Annette-Trapnell-Manning#sthash.hpUas8AT.dpuf

Beautiful gardens, kale and good lunch

 - Friend Barb and I put on our culture hats and attended The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden exhibit at The High Museum of Art on Saturday morning.  Most of the paintings and sculptures had never been out of France, so that was too good to pass up.  The painting at top shows the gardens, which I would LOVE to see in person.  The model shows the large area that encompasses.  Barb and I are trying to figure out how we could visit Paris for free.  :)

- Kale and Mushroom lasagna.  It all started because I had a lot of leftover kale.  $45 worth of ingredients and three hours of work yielded something pretty delicious.  Click on the recipe name to view it - it originated from Cooking Light magazine.  And I still have a lot of kale!

- Having something really good for lunch today to look forward to. 

Visiting the girl, larger than life and under the shade

- No, that is not Scarlett Johansson, it's the advertisement on the front of The High Museum of Atlanta for The Girl with a Pearl Earring exhibit.  Johannes Vermeer's masterwork is the focal point of an exhibit featuring "Dutch paintings from the Mauritshuis."  Friend Leisa and I visited the exhibit after work, on the night the High stays open late.  If you click on the High Museum link up there highlighted in red, the "girl" will wink at you.

- The large fruit installation on the porch outside the lobby of the museum.

- Leisa alerted me to the view from the other side, where there was a large knife just aching to cut that fruit up for a snack.

- This sculpture, The Shade, by Auguste Rodin, is under the shade of a very large Ginkgo tree on the grounds of the museum.  It was donated to the museum by the French government in memory of the 106 Atlanta arts patrons who died in a plane crash at Orly Airport in Paris, while on a museum sponsored trip, on June 3, 1962.

I also loved the dinner we had after the museum visit, sitting outside on a balmy evening.   And I'm off to a less balmy place today - the North Carolina mountains, where I plan to read books by the river.  I hope you have a great weekend, my friends. 

Distinction Bridge, a walk in the park and street art

Update on the "under the bridge" sanctioned graffiti art and artist that I posted about here.  His name is Peter Ferrari and when I posted that I spoke to him here, turns out he was finishing up.  Found on the internet:  "Leafy old Collier Hills is using a large wildlife mural to fight a scourge of graffiti under a Beltline bridge.  The artist, Peter Ferrari, hopes taggers respect his five-week project and won't deface it.  The cost was $8,000, paid for by City of Atlanta grants and donations from the Collier Hills Civic Association."

Photos taken with iPhone yesterday, in order:

I love how the artwork blends with the trees and rocks around it.  The walking path goes right under the bridge, so it makes for a delightful walking experience.

Ferrari named the project "Distinction Bridge" and says he saw all the animals depicted in the artwork within this park.  If you have time, click here and watch the two minute film in which he talks about the "street art" project.

Thanks for going on my walk with me today.  :)  I hope you have a lovely weekend.  Cheers, y'all!

Wildflowers, under-the-bridge art and unexpected affection

- These wild daisies seem to be all around lately - a true gift, especially when surrounded by clover.

- The under-the-bridge "sanctioned graffiti" artist I posted about here, has finished that side and is now working on the reverse side.  He glances my way when I stop to watch and gives a pleased smile when I tell him how delighted I am with the whole thing and that I've enjoyed watching.

- A friendly Golden Retriever veers my way on the walking path while its owner chats with a friend.  I give it a quick passing head rub and receive a lick on the finger in return.  A dog kiss - unexpected and sweet.

It's the weekend and I'm happy to see it coming.  I hope you enjoy yours!  And happy first day of summer!

Sanctioned graffiti, fun at work and walking the garden

- This man has been working on what I am thinking of as "sanctioned graffiti" under this bridge that runs through the Atlanta Beltline park I walk in after work.  Click to enlarge. He's there every afternoon.  It looks to be stylized water and a fish on the mural that he is painting.  Of course, I'll post the finished product when he is done.  I'm certain it's part of the "Art on the Beltline" project that you can read about here.

- A favorite client often says "you're the best!" to me at the end of a phone call.  "You're the best!" I always reply.  Yesterday we say it to each other at the same time and laugh.

- Reflecting that it is almost June and I haven't put anything in pots and planters at home yet.  So I skip my afternoon walk and do that instead.  Lots of potting and repotting - a three hour process, that included a run to the plant nursery.  Before I go to bed, I walk my "garden" with a cup of tea and savor my work.

Art, laughter and beautiful growing things.  Life is good.  I hope good things come your way this weekend, my friends.  Have a great one!

Coming alive, drive by and purpose in life

Click to enlarge

- It was friend Laura's idea for our book group to read "The Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver, since it features Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in the mid portion of it.  The artists come alive in the book (which I loved.)  And there she is, gracing the side of our High Museum of Atlanta.  Click here for a review of the exhibition, which features both of their works.  So vibrant!  I'll be visiting that exhibit in the next couple of weeks with said book group.

- Driving by a museum surrounded by school buses on a Wednesday morning, and bursting with children.  (The photo above was taken out of the car window, while stopped in traffic.)

- "The only thing I know...is that I paint because I need to."  - Frida Kahlo.

I hope you have a lovely weekend, my friends.  It's supposed to rain here (with possible snow flurries this morning.)  OK with me - more time to read.  

Astounding, priceless expression and blooming too soon

- From the museum visit last Saturday - this rather astounding piece called "Pink Panther."  It depicts the film star and sex symbol of the '50s and '60s, Jayne Mansfield, embracing the the cartoon character The Pink Panther.  Artist Jeff Koons was sued for copyright infringement for using the Pink Panther's image without permission, but eventually settled out of court.

- There's a lot of lofty description that can be read online about this porcelain sculpture, from a series unveiled in 1988 called "Banality."  I just loved the look on The Pink Panther's face.  :)

- We've had so much warmish weather in Atlanta, that the flowering trees are beginning to bloom; shown here at The Atlanta History Center's "Swan House."  I'm not sure that's a good thing exactly, but it sure was beautiful on a wet Tuesday.

Culture in the afternoon, favorite pieces and due diligence

- At the High Museum of Atlanta on Saturday afternoon for an exhibition called Fast Forward:  Modern Moments 1913 - 2013.  This one, "Street, Berlin" is from 1913 and depicts two prostitutes surrounded by "glancing men" by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.  The piece was included for its angled perspective and frenetic energy.  I would not have picked these women out of a crowd to be prostitutes, but times change, I guess.  And I was delighted to be able to use my phone to snap photos.

- These prints from the late 1940s are from a university in postwar Germany advertising its classes.

- The exhibit included Andy Warhol, of course, this one from 1961.

- And Roy Lichtenstein, always a favorite of mine, also from 1961.  The woman was on an advertisement from a hotel in the Pocono mountains, and Lichtenstein transformed her into a comic book "doll."

- This one was at the end and completed the exhibit with an installation from 2013.  I call it "stuff sitting on shelves" - I don't recall the artist's name or the actual title (my bad).  Friend Barbara G and I gave our due diligence in gazing at it though.

My favorite part of the day - the brunch beforehand, where there was polenta topped with two eggs and a black bean salsa.  Yum.  On Wednesday - an astounding piece (to me.)  This post was getting a bit photo heavy.  :)

Two Swimming Heads, nice of her and fresh start

- My Tuesday night volunteer work puts me in a building that houses pieces from the State of Georgia Art Collection.  These gals had been relegated to a back hallway for some reason.  Still startling when I walk that way.  (I've blogged about them before, but it's been a couple of years.) 

The first one is my photo and I like that angle, but this one found online displays them to better effect.  The artist is John Jensen, using Mixed Media Sculpture and it's called Two Swimming Heads.  Click to enlarge.

- Waiting for an appointment with a room full of other people.  A woman gets up from her chair to move to another section of the waiting room and a piece of paper flutters to the floor behind her.  A young lady chases after her with it, only to be told that the paper was probably trash and didn't belong to the woman after all.  When she comes back, we all tell the young lady how nice that was of her to do that.

- Finally getting my two "go to" calendars in place for the new year.  Flat one on the desk to write in and one that displays three months at a time on the wall.  It feels so clean and fresh.  A lovely feeling.

The wall, Bingo, the hawk and an alien

The following all happened in the space of five minutes:

- Arriving at friend and hairdresser Tim's home for a quick bangs trim, I decide that the mosaic wall they have created in their driveway might make a good blog photo.

- But lovely Bingo shows up and dances around me, remembering that I know where the treats are and am always allowed to give her one.  I was singing B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was her name, OH!  when...

- A voice at my elbow (which almost makes me throw my camera in the air from being startled) says, "There's a baby hawk in the back yard, come see."  It's Tim's ethereal wife Maxie.  Can you see the baby hawk?  It's in some tall trees which are being taken over by the crazy all-consuming vine Kudzu.

- And there was a new sculpture on the way inside - a sexy posing alien.  How 'bout that?  The truth is out there, y'all.  :)

I hope you have a rollicking five minutes in your weekend, my friends.  I hope it's wonderful no matter what. 

Poinsettias, abundance and snowman

 - These poinsettias displayed to dramatic effect in the swanky office building a client works in.  I've never been a fan of these plants, but they look beautiful here.

 - Mr C's got in the spirit of things on a rainy Thursday afternoon. 

- My coworker Joanne is a glass artist and actually blew the glass for this snowman ornament.  Love his orange carrot nose!  She made them for her clients, but I was lucky enough to be given one at the end of the day yesterday.  Probably because I kept admiring them so openly.  :)

I wish you an abundance of holiday cheer this weekend, my friends! 

Big 'ol squirrel, no lie and fortune cookie day

- Getting a kick out of the artwork in front of the art building at my old school - Georgia State University. This one is entitled, "6 ft Concrete Squirrel." The artist is Nimer Aleck II.

- And this one? It's called, "Table." Steve Comier created this in 1979.

- The admin at my mother's assisted living facility kindly mails an activities schedule to me. For September 13 it says "Happy National Fortune Cookie Day!" And they are having Fortune Cookies and lemonade at 3:00pm.

Warhol print, how he did it and upcoming tour

- It's Random Photo Thursday, which I kind of like, because it gives me an opportunity to scroll through so many photos - a little trip down memory lane. This photo of a screenprint collage of Mick Jagger by Andy Warhol was taken at the Warhol exhibition at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center when I was there for a work visit last year.

- In 1975, Warhol produced a portfolio of ten screenprints of Jagger. In conjunction with this, Warhol produced a series of drawings and collages based on photographic images. It is said that this work was almost certainly produced by projecting the original photograph on to a sheet of paper, then drawing around the outline in pencil. This version also included torn colored paper, creating shapes of color.

- I saw that the Stones are going to have a 50th anniversary concert tour in 2012 - probably their last one. Wish I could go to that! People seem to love them or hate them. I love them. :)

Graffiti, multi-tasking and early to work

Click to enlarge.

- The city of Atlanta now has a Graffiti Task Force, charged with covering up the work of local graffiti artists. The police chief said the city is trying to locate suitable spots for graffiti artists to "follow their muse with appropriate renderings." I think they missed this spot at the Atlanta Water Works park. :)

- A young man walking down the street, listening to his MP3 player and reading a hardback book. That's what I call multi-tasking.

- The train whistle at the Lawrenceville Highway crossing during the very early morning hours suggests that someone else is already at work.