Beach

A few pictures from a nice week with family down in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

How to visit an art museum

 

These are some of the things I liked and wanted to remember from our visit to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts last weekend.

Which brings me to something I wanted to discuss: How to visit an art museum.

These are my 6 tips:

1. Remember that you don't have the time or the attention span to look at everything. And frankly, you won't want to look at everything. For example, the boring stuff.

2. Spend time with the pieces that interest you or that you're drawn to. This way, you will get more of your visit. You'll take away more.

3. Take breaks. Your brain will get tired and your legs. Stop at the cafe and have a coffee or snack.

4. Take pictures in the galleries that will allow it. It's amazing within a big museum, how many areas there are. Some will allow photography and some won't. The quality of your photo may not be great (or often, better than you thought), but your memory of looking at the piece will fill in the blanks.

5. It doesn't matter what show you see. You will inevitably like all of it, none of it, some of it. Either way, time well spent. Because, it's all relative and subjective. And over time, you will get to know what you like and don't like (if you don't already). Also, you'll find your taste changes over time.

6. Don't forget your glasses if you need them to see up close. Ha... funny but true.

Japan.....treasures

I wanted to share with you one of my most delighted shopping moments. I was in a train station when I stumbled on to this store, Lunch. It was small and mostly clothing but they had these little patches set up in the very front. And you must know that I have had patches on the brain for a few years, anticipating their come back.

And if that wasn't enough, I was utterly slayed, when they packaged them up in the little white bag with the gold printing (And that amazing logo) and sealed it with a clear honeycomb piece of tape. The Japanese tape everything!

The question remains: Will I ever actually iron them on? Am I capable of committing them to shirt or bag? Pant or sock? Sigh. We shall see.

Japan...speechless

I'm about to attempt the impossible and that is, to summarize the trip to Japan. Clearly, we are going to have to do more overseas traveling in general, but really all I want to do is go back. How can that be when there's so many places I've never been? I don't know but it BE.

Japan exceeded 40 years worth of expectations - we had a great trip. On a basic level, everything was perfect; the weather (!!!), the logistics, the places we stayed, what I packed, etc. No one got sick and the long plane ride didn't kill us. Did I mention the sunny/cool weather? Traveling is a funny game of combining a lot of little things and you have to celebrate when you pull it off.... through good planning or luck.

Anyway, on to the details..... Well, first off, remember that moss garden temple that I wrote to and got a ticket for? Yeah, well I left that ticket right at home. Which I was ok with because as it turned out, there was moss everywhere. And also, that temple was about a 40 minute trip on the western edge of Kyoto and we ended up not making that trip after all. We were having too much fun just enjoying Kyoto and leaving for an excursion, just didn't seem necessary. Besides, good to save some stuff for next time.
 
Truly, the seven days we spend in Kyoto on our bikes was a luxury. Kyoto is enough of a big city but still easily navigated by bikes (which we did lots of). They have a big, tasty fish market (went there 3 times I think)  and plenty of shopping. And with the Kamo river running through it and the temples, you also get a big sense of nature here. It's an ideal combination of elements if you ask me and we had enough time to get a taste of it all.
 
I guess it's good to be back but a bit sad too. Riding bikes everyday, exploring a city and always turning a corner to something you've never seen before -- that's really living. I'll be posting more pictures soon as I savor the aftermath of an amazing experience -- food and things we bought are foremost in my mind.

Texas heaven

Better take time to document the best party I have been to in recent years and I'm talking about Live Fire which took place Thursday night at the Salt Lick Pavillion. With about 15 food vendors and 15 booze vendors, you can imagine the insanity of endless delicious bites and refreshing libations.

My favorite drink (ok, so I'm not a big drinker) was the skinny margaritas by Dulce Vida Tequila. The plate above was my first taste of Franklin BBQ, which I feel obligated to comment on but honestly no dish can live up to that much hype. My favorite bite (no, didn't try all of them) was by Josh Watkins of the Carillon whose offerings included a breaded, fried beef cheek bite and also, a beef rib served with white bean puree and pickled vegetables. The beef rib was insanely flavorful and I immediately texted my vote and was glad he won best dish for the night.

But, aside from that, the overall event itself was flawless. Pretty rare can I leave my front door and say such a thing. There were almost no lines (except Franklin's of course), good parking, bathrooms, plenty of seating, great music, fireflies, good flow of tents and set up, fire-dancers (!!!!), seemingly endless food and drink -- and wow what more could you ask for.
What a stunning night....

Little

These are just some things. At the top is a glitter project in the works. It's a frame, I think. I don't know how this one will turn out. It's for fun. In the middle, little cactus surprises coming. And, lastly, more diorama dreams.

3D

Excited to share with you my latest project - Going 3D with some shadow box dioramas! It's my paintings come to life in the third dimension. A new way of thinking and yet not, at the same time.

These are still works in progress as I haven't yet decided what the the border treatment and the background texture will be.

The central house element is made from balsa wood and the rest is paperclay. The color will stay varying shade of white, which is yet to come.

With great anticipation, I eagerly await seeing them finished up and hanging on the wall.