Adventures & disasters

I wake up and it's 2010

2010-03-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

I'm having a Rip Van Winkle moment here.

How did it become 2010 already? And March, no less?

whew! Well, for anyone out there reading this: life is good. Hope you're enjoying yourself too.

New interview

2008-09-09T11:39:00.001-07:00

An Tran did a great interview with me at LAist.com. I love how she describes my work and themes, she really nails it.

You can peep it here:

http://laist.com/2008/09/07/laist_interview_artist_lesley_reppe.php

Thx An!
Lesley

NEW giclees!

2008-09-09T11:21:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone!

I'm getting super excited for my solo show at Thinkspace this Friday. Been at the gallery painting a HUGE installation, very stoked on it. If you come, please come over for a chat! Should be pretty fun.

Also, I'm releasing 2 new prints at the show! They are limited editions of 25, signed and numbered on archival paper, o'course - so get 'em while they last!

"Embrace"(gal and buffalo) is a 16 X 16, retailing for $150, and "Devotion" (gal in hair with pomegranates) is a 10 X 20, retailing for $125. When they're gone, they're gone.

Contact Thinkspace for purchase & to be added to the waiting list.

(323) 913-3375
contact@sourharvest.com

TUMBLING preview

2008-08-06T22:41:00.000-07:00

hi folks! here's a tasty preview of my new solo show this Sept.12th at Thinkspace Gallery (www.thinkspacegallery.com) in LA. Get 'em while they last! hah. To be put on the waiting list contact the gallery: contact@sourharvest.com

See you Opening night!

PS... my lovely assistant is NOT for sale. :)

hittin' BERLIN!!!

2008-07-07T12:07:00.001-07:00

Very excited to be included in Strychnin Gallery's HONEYTRAP with some very talented ladies. It has made me miss Germany even more! If you're in Deutchland, check it out at:

STRYCHNIN gallery
opening: July 18th, 7pm

Boxhagenerstrasse 36
Berlin 10245
Germany

or view online at:

www.strychnin.com

The show features: Ver Mar , Lesley Reppeteaux, Diva, Mimi S, Heather Walls, Catalina Estrada, and Nicoletta Ceccoli!!!

Tumbling...

2008-07-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

gears are in motion...really happy with the work I've done thus far for TUMBLING my new solo show at Thinkspace gallery this September 12th in Los Angeles. When hung in order all the pieces work together to tell a narrative. Definitely my most personal work to date. And it feels REALLY GOOD to be working sequentially again. Themes of love, loss, and falling...falling into places you never thought you'd find yourself.

I'll be posting more images soon.

kiss.hug.
lesley

Is it June already?

2008-06-15T16:48:00.001-07:00

Holy moley, when time flys...it's been quite an eventful year so far, full of joy. i feel so very filled up with love from family and friends and this amazing city I live in now.

and being the complicated creature I am, i am also now feeling the undertow of stress, feeling overwhelmed, a desire to bury my head in the sand. it gets this way when i'm preparing for a show. soon i'll get excited for what i'm creating...but for now i am making my head ache.

MOONSTRUCK with WANDERLUST

2008-01-22T13:57:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone,

I've finally gotten around to posting all my work from my solo show at M Modern last month - and here they are in these next 5 posts! whew!

For a price list and sales please go to mmodern.com (look under "links" then, "lesley reppeteaux solo show")
or email Jay and Mishell at: nailor@earthlink.net

and to be put on my email list of upcoming events and projects: info@reppeteaux.com

This show will be hanging until the end of Feb.

goodness,
Lesley

"The Messenger's Migration" series of 7

2008-01-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

These beauties are on 8 X 8 wooden frames with rounded corners. Sold individually, they are a series of 7 that all fit together when hung side by side.

"Soothsayer's Song"

2008-01-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

click it to see a larger version

"Saline the Salt Water Queen"

2008-01-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

click her to see a larger version :)

SOLO show at MModern! SNEAK PEAK

2007-12-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

hey thar...

Here's a lil' sneaky peak of some pieces I'll have at my solo show at M Modern this month. Please contact the gallery for availability.

Thx everyone & happy holidays!
Lesley

**************************
“MOONSTRUCK with WANDERLUST”

Encompassing all the traveling and adventures I've had this year, and how it has effected the growth and themes in my work.

MModern Gallery
OPENING Sat. Dec. 15th, from 7PM – 10PM
2500 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(ph) 760.416.3611

Mmodern.com

**************************

OVERLOOK the UNDERGROWTH show pix!

2007-10-31T13:27:00.001-07:00

Hey ya'll art lovers, here's some pix of the show Chris Ryniak and I had this month at Thinkspace. Thx to everyone that came out!
xoxoxo,
Lesley

REPP hits the UK!

2007-10-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

Very stoked have 2 paintings included in Strychnin Gallery's London location grand opening tomorrow! For all youz Brits, here are the details for the goodness:

"KINGS AND QUEENS AND CHILDHOOD DREAMS"
OPENING, Friday, October 26th, 7 - 11PM
Strychnin Gallery
65 Hanbury Street (off Brick Lane)
LONDON
E1 5JP

www.strychnin.com

My new 2-person show!!! OCTOBER

2007-09-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

HEY EVERYONE!

Hope you can make it to my new 2-person show this October with Chris Ryniak - it's gonna' be killer!!!!

I have all new work and a new technique that I am "unveiling", also Chris and I are doing a sweeeeeet mural and installation. AND Andy Kehoe is having a solo show in the project room! I am so excited to meet him!

Okay, Here's the details:

OVERLOOK THE UNDERGROWTH
OPENING: Friday, October 12th, 2007, 7pm - 11pm
at THINKSPACE gallery
4210 Santa Monica Blvd.,
(near Sunset Junction)
Los Angeles, CA 90029
ph.323.913.3375 to be put on the waiting list for pieces

***********AND if you can't make it, check out***********

www.thinkspacegallery.com

soon for a preview of the show!

I will also have my pieces and works in progress posted soooooooooooooon.

Thx guys!
Lesley

www.reppeteaux.com

HI MOM!

2007-05-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hi mom! This post's fur ewe!

Hah! Sorry I am such a bad blogger, I'm workin' on some new posts.

Love you!
Robbie and Lesley

Ich bin ein Berliner!!!!

2007-04-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

Robbie and I are officially Berliners!

We've settled here in the amazing 'hood of Mitte, the old Jewish quarter and the artsy-farty area with lots of fun cafes and galleries. We've been brushing up on a ton of history from WWI to WW2 and up through the fall of the Berlin wall. All very fascinating and pretty heavy stuff.

Turns out that most German people speak English better than we do, so communicating is not a problem - BONUS!

Here's a lil' photo montage of spots around town. Berlin is a mix of old and new - that fact is very apparent. Check out the photo I included of a small old red building smooshed in the middle of two newer modern structures - that about sums up the feel. Berlin was so devastated by the air bombing raids of WW2 that much of the city lay in rubble. As a result, now there is a whole lotta' room for growth.

In the older buildings, you can still see bullet holes and huge chunks missing from shrapnel during the fighting (check out the pic of the column in the foreground with Alte National Gallery behind it.)

I also learned on a tour of the city, that the "hills" you see in parks and around grassy areas here are actually rubble mounds left over from the war. They simply pushed the rubble into a pile and left it there.

Okay, before I go here's an interesting tidbit on "Berliners":

US President Kennedy made a slightly embarrassing grammatical error in a speech once by saying "Ich bin ein Berliner."

What he thought he said was: "I am a Berliner."

But alas, he was wrong. Kennedy should have said "Ich bin Berliner" to mean: "I am a person from Berlin."

By adding the indefinite article ein, his statement implied he was a non-human Berliner, (a "Berliner" being a common pastry filled with jam) thus he declared to the people of Germany:

"I am a jelly doughnut!!"

Kiss Me Deadly

2007-02-26T16:18:00.000-08:00

Just finished my piece for the "No Comply" show. It's a triptych on 3 skateboards. It'll tour Australia for the show, so I had to kiss it good-bye today.

That's moi painting on the floor. Sometimez ya doooz whatcha gotta doooz, chooo know?

My back loves me...seriously.

No, not really.

CollaBRO show at Subject Matter Gallery

2007-02-26T15:30:00.000-08:00

So these pix are from the Collabro show that happened last year, but I was looking at them and thought I'd share.

Poor Al did an awesome job curating the show and Daryll and I got to collaborate for the first time on a wall mural for it.

Daryll "donkey punch" Peirce (just joking Daryll, heh heh) is my partner in crime when curating shows for 10-4gb.com, so it was nice to work together on some eye candy without stressing out about the behind-the-scenes details of a show.

Al did the sweet Subject Matter lettering, and Johnny Vampotna did some rad arting on the opposite wall - but sadly, I have no pix of Johnny's special wall sauce.

Notice the pic of me painting while talking on a cell phone. Embarassing or impressive? You decide.

back to bid-nazzz

2007-01-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

Hola amigos,

This baby is called "Going Stag" and it's a customized paint-by-numbers piece for:

CHARITY BY NUMBERS
Benefiting The Alliance for Childrens Rights

OPENING: Sat, February 10, 2007
Public Viewing: 10pm to midnight

Online Auction
Begins: February 10, 2007
Ends: February 17 at midnight

Link to Ebay Auction Site at:
coreyhelfordgallery.com
kids-alliance.org
Or go directly to Ebay’s homepage and click on
“Giving Works” under Categories

Corey Helford Gallery
8522 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232

Also, this piece: "Weighin In" is featured in Stirato Magazine's new Tarot card deck. She's the Justice card. You can see/purchase through Thinkspace Gallery (www.thinkspacegallery.com)

see, I totally get stuff done.

The Mediterranean

2007-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

is so clear and blue and beautiful. We are staying in Barceloneta, just a skippin' stone's throw from the water. Because it's so clear you can see all the lil' fishies, jellyfish, and mussles having a party down there.

Some history about the Mediterranean:

www.justjoking - its the ocean! It's been around forever, right? um..right?.com

but seriously folks, here's a lil' link to our neighborhood:
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/albums-en/beach-barceloneta/

Hola new pals!!

2007-01-21T15:24:00.000-08:00

Today our new pal Sergio gave us a nice tour of Barcelona, showing us some nice local fun spots and making us feel all welcome & stuff in our new city.

We also got to chow down on a delicacy in Barcelona: tapas. Now, I am not embarrassed to admit that although I knew people ate tapas in Spain, I had no idea what they were. Well, turns out that tapas are...drum roll please...appetizers! Appetizers that you eat with a nice cerveza or glass of wine.

Many tapas here have seafood in them (der..we are right off the Mediterranean) but there are a few veggie options like Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes served with salsa brava, a spicy tomato sauce), Pan con Tomate (sliced bread with tomato paste), or Tortilla de Patatas (a Spanish omlette with potatoes baked in) YUM!!!

While in Spain, you also have to try Cava. A traditional beverage, it's basically champagne made from white wine. Here's a little history and facts about Cava that I thought were interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cava

Thx for the great day Sergio! You can see his awesome artwork at:

www.sergiomora.com

La Pedrera

2007-01-20T15:10:00.000-08:00

Casa Mila was designed by the brilliant architect Antoni Gaudi and is located a little way up from the famous street 'La Rambla' on the corner of Carrer Provença. Built in 1905-1907, it's better known by it's nickname: "La Pedrera" ("The Quarry" in Catalan) I guess because it looks like it was carved out of rock.

The building doesn't have any straight lines and definitely has the feel of waves of lava or sand-dunes. It's a magnificent building to behold, for sure.

If you are a fan of architects that break free from our understanding of conventional architecture - a Guadi structure never disappoints!

If you go, make sure to check out the roof.

Casa Batllo

2007-01-19T15:05:00.000-08:00

If you have time to see just a few things while in Barcelona, I recommend the Casa Batlló for the top of the list!

Another Gaudi masterpiece, it will take your breath away. My inadequate photography skills definitely don't capture it's beauty - it's one of the coolest places I have ever been in!

Josep Batlló, a wealthy aristocrat, comissioned Gaudi to design an upmarket home where Señor Batlló could live in the lower two floors with his family and have the upper floors rented out as apartments. Built from 1905–1907, it's located near La Rambala at 43, Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona.

The local name for the building is "Casa dels Ossos" (house of bones) because of the "skull" balconies and "bone" pillars in the façade. Gaudi used colors and shapes found in marine life as inspiration for his creativity in this building, and his attention to detail throughout the home is amazing!

Here's the official website:

www.casabatllo.es

And a nice link explaining Modernisme:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernisme

Spotted some nice graffiti around town

2007-01-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

check c-check check check, check it out:

(the Sam Flores piece was found because someone's garage door was open - score!!)

La BOQUERIA!!!

2007-01-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

The Boqueria is pretty much the awesomest outdoor market. It is located right off La Rambla and has all the freshest produce, bread, meat, nuts, xocolate, you name it...

I recommend the freshly squeezed juices for only 1 euro. Strawberry/coconut combo all dah way.

letsa' play CARCASSONNE!!

2007-01-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

So Carcassonne isn't only a really fun board game, it's also a real fortress city entirely enclosed in a medieval wall!

The town is located 90 km (56 miles) south-east of Toulouse and stands in the gap between the Pyrenees and the Massif Central of France. Signs of neolithic settlements date from 3500 BC, and Pre-Roman habitation date from 5th century BC. Today it is still home to approx. 120 people, mostly shop owners and craftsmen.

Visiting Carcassonne is like stepping into the movie "Labyrinth", a truly bizarre and magical experience.

Of course, being the touristy tourists that we are, we had to check out both "La Maison Hantée" (a man-made haunted house) and the "Inquisition et Instruments de Torture" museum (documenting the arrival of the Crusaders and their bloodthirsty "investigations" of heretics and witches.)

Both were frightening in their own way.

So, go to Carcassonne if you have the chance, it is easily 'conquered' in a day (har har!) Here's a link to more history if you're interested:
www.carcassonne.org
www.mescladis.free.fr/ANGLAIS/pages%20html/history.htm

and a link to the awesome board game as well (it's really fun, i promoise):
http://www.boardgames.com/carassone.html

exploring giants, Carnac the great!

2007-01-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

Another magical day in search of awesomeness. Today we visited Carnac and it's more than 3,000 prehistoric megaliths that still stand row upon row.

What are megaliths, you ask? Well they are large standing stones that scientists theorize were constructed as monuments - many megaliths were thought to have a purpose in determining important astronomical events such as the solstice and equinox dates. The word megalith comes from the Ancient Greek "megas," meaning great, and " lithos" meaning stone. Think: Stonehenge.

The Carnac stones were erected during the Neolithic period which lasted from around 4500 BC until 2000 BC and are one of the most extensive Neolithic menhirs collections in the world! Woot woot!

We went on a little hike through the forest in search of more stones and found so many cool and interesting treasures - some pix here to check out.

If you are down with prehistory and find yourself in southern Fwancey-pants, go to this site to learn all about where and what you need to check out while you're here:

www.stonepages.com/megalinks/01_megalithic_sites/france/index.html

And for more about the wonders of Carnac: www.megalithia.com/brittany/carnac/

Mont St. Michel

2007-01-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

If you want to see some amazing shizz while in France, then a must is: Mont St. Michel!

Driving up to it, the fog will part and you'll start to see this magical looking mountain with a 'castle' built right on top. Surrounded by fields and sand - this beautiful Benedictine Abbey dedicated to St. Michael was strategically built on a small quasi-island that juts defiantly above the ocean.

At high tide, water rushes in and fills the land below the mountain. Described by Victor Hugo as "à la vitesse d'un cheval au galop" or "as swiftly as a galloping horse".

At low tide, it is separated from the mainland by a kilometer of sand. Before a bridge was built in 1879, the only approach to the Mont was by foot over this land bridge.

More often, peeps waited for the region's high and swift tides to recede and "safely" walked across the freshly exposed sands. This was never a casual stroll, however. Many miscalculated the tidal cycles and drowned. Some were swallowed by the area's perilous quicksand.

Popularly nicknamed "St. Michael in peril of the sea" by mediaeval pilgrims making their way across the tidal flats, the mount still poses dangers for visitors who avoid the causeway and attempt the hazardous walk across the sands from the neighboring coast. The danger of drowning due to coastal tides after getting caught in quicksand continues to claim lives. Apparently, Pilgrims needed alotta' faith to visit Mont St. Michel!

A medieval village is nestled at the bottom and we were lucky enough to stay in one of the small rooms for let right at the foot of the Abbey. You walk up its steep and narrow cobble-stoned street filled with fun cafes and shops to reach the monastic compound.

To read up on this lil' treasure, go to:

http://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/accueil_gb.htm

And if you wanna' see some more amazing photos of Mont st. Michel, just do a google image search - totally worth it.

On Rue Tatin

2007-01-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, so let me preface this post with saying that: I am not a stalker. I swearz.

But, when I happen to read an awesome autobiography about living in France, and then I happen to be traveling through the south of France, sometimes I might happen to find the author's neighborhood and take pictures of their house. Okay? Not usually, just sometimes.

So, of course we didn't knock on the door and invade Susan Loomis (the authors) privacy, but we did go into the church across the street, and the flower shop on the corner - both of which she talks about in the book. Cool and fun.

In "On Rue Tatin" she talks about the coldness of her neighbors, the flowershop owners. So, we had to roll in there and inspect them ourselves. Guess what? They totally did not disappoint! Hah! The girl working there could've put a "crabapple" sign around her neck and planted herself in the soil.

Fun times.

www.onruetatin.com

Gypsies keep a'travelin'

2007-01-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

So, we've been visiting many a'glorious church and cathedral on our pilgrimage, but one that stands out is: Chartres.

According to legend, since 876 the Chartres Cathedral has housed a tunic that has been said to have belonged to the Virgin Mary, called the "Sancta Camisia." It had supposedly been given to the Cathedral by Charlemagne who received it as a gift during a crusade in Jerusalem.

Because of the tunic, Chartres has been a very important pilgrimage center and today peeps still come from all over to honor the relic. The town would have fairs and the main attraction at these fairs was the cloak of the Virgin, so the life of the town was dependent upon it. A little bit of strategic boosting of tourism, perhaps?

In 1194 there was a fire and most of the older church burned down. The people were bummed because they believed that their sacred relic, the Sancta Camisia, had perished too. But three days later it was found unharmed in the treasury along with the priests who had taken it there for safety when the fire broke out and locked themselves in behind the iron trapdoors. The visiting Cardinal Melior of Pisa, told the people that the survival of the relic was a sign from Mary herself and that another, even more magnificent, cathedral should be built in Chartres.

So this is why, the current cathedral of Chartres is considered one of the finest examples in all France of the "Gothic" style of architecture, with St. Peter's Basilica in Rome being the only Catholic church that is larger.

Whoop whoooop!

back to fwance, back to baguettes

2007-01-06T13:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, here we are back in France again after a nice down home Christmas in the US of A.

It feels trés bon to be back where I can smell the warm croissants baking and see structures older than the founding of our country. We began our migration through the south of France and will keep a'ramblin' until we reach Barcelona, Spain. We'll be stopping along the way to see some neat-o stuff from our very experienced tour guides: G-ma and Gpa, it's gonna' be awesomeness.

Noel

2006-12-25T13:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas was good times.

Watch your back, Ralphie!

happy birthday chey beck!

2006-12-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

dinner with the KIMS

2006-12-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

I just wanna say : THANK YOU!!!! to Lana and Ely. I love you guys.

CIRCUS PUNKS show

2006-12-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots of the Circus Punks show at Mixi-bang! If you missed it, they should be up for the month of Dec.

mixi-bang!
36 W. Colorda Blvd. #5
Pasadena, CA 91105
626.507.8095

Also, a nymph I just did for MagPie Gallery's "TwinklePie" Dec. show.

LA LUZ de JESUS show

2006-12-01T13:17:00.000-08:00

Am very stoked to be included in the 6-Person December show at la Luz de Jesus this year - yeah! Feels good to be back in LA with all the homies, thx everyone who came out tonight!

The show looked fantastic with featured artists Paul Barnes, Scott Brooks, Lauren Gardiner, Jason Houchen, Sergio Mora, et moi.

Wish I had some pix of the opening, heh heh...whoops. I prefer to focus all of my energy on feeling nervous and awkward at openings instead of documenting the event with actual pictures.

Thx Rhoda and Billy!

home, sweet home

2006-11-29T12:59:00.000-08:00

ahhhhh...the comforts of home. We had a nice thxgiving, and fun time with all the homies. Thank you again John and Kim for letting us couch surf!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANI!

2006-11-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

take a BATH, why don't cha.

2006-11-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

Bath is a city in South West England most famous for the only naturally occurring hot springs in the United Kingdom.

During the 18th century, Bath was an extremely fashionable cultural hub, attracting the aristocracy from all over the country. It was a resort city for the wealthy to take advantage of it's healing baths and to "take on the cure."

But the history of Bath goes back much further than that! Just recently (In the last 100 years or so) they have begun archeological digs and have unearthed a huge a Roman monument.

Excavations have revealed that the human use of the hot mineral springs at Bath began at least 10,000 years ago! First frequented by Neolithic hunter-gatherer tribes, the springs were later used as sacred temples by Celtic peoples. The Celts, who arrived in England around 700 BC, erected what are believed to be the first shrine structures at the springs. They were dedicated to Sulis, a goddess of water, and the shrine was a religious center for much of southwestern England.

Next up was the arrival of the Romans in 43 AD. The Celtic shrine was taken over and the goddess Sulis was now identified with the Roman goddess Minerva as a healing deity.

The temple that you can go see today is that 2,000 year old sacred place where peeps would go to seek the assistance of the goddess Sulis-Minerva, as well as relax in a nice hot bath. Excavations in the bottom of the spring found a collection of sacred votive offerings thrown by worshippers into the waters. Many of these are messages scratched onto metal, known as "curse tablets." These curse tablets were written in Latin, and usually laid curses on other people, whom they felt had done them wrong.

Also found from the spring's bottom, over 12,000 coins - spanning the entire Roman period!!

This great healing shrine of Aquae Sulis was not to last. Following the departure of the Roman legions in the 5th century AD, the city, temples, and baths fell into a swift decline. Over time the baths were completely covered by the relentless silting of the spring and eventually the vaulted building collapsed into the Spring itself.

Then, at the end of the eighteenth century, this magnificent temple was "discovered" again!

When you go for a tour you can see the numerous Roman bathing pools that were fed with a constant flow of water delivered by lead pipes. These still function today, nearly two thousand years after it was first built!!

Scientific study of the waters show the presence of 43 different minerals including iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and radium. The main spring, bubbling out of the ground at a rate of a quarter of a million (one MIL-LI-ON) gallons per day and maintain a constant temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whew! That's hot.

www.cityofbath.co.uk

Stonehenge and Windsor Castle

2006-11-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

Today in jolly ol' England, we became the ultimate tourists and hopped on a tour bus for a daytrip to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath.

Wish I had more pix of Windsor Castle, it had came with the package "tour", and I wasn't even interested in seeing it, I was more into the idea of Stonehenge and Bath. Well, guess what? I was impressed. I would have some pix to show if they had let us take any; you'll have to settle for this link, if you are interested:

http://www.royal.gov.uk

When we pulled up to Stonehenge it was a beautiful day. There was a double rainbow over the pasture and the sun was shining. Then, about 2 minutes into being there, the fastest storm I have ever been in swept across the sky. In about 30 seconds a freezing cold raining hailstorm was battering down on us! How authentic, non? A nice weird experience to have at one of the world's wonders. 40 minutes later as the bus was pulling away, it was bright and sunny again. :)

Cool.

www.stonehenge.co.uke

Hyde Park

2006-11-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Another great day in London. We met our new pal Ravi who treated us to a yummy dinner at his fave London grubbin' spot Pizza Express and then we caught the musical "Blood Brothers." Good times.

Earlier in the day, we walked around Buckingham Palace, and saw the The Winston Churchill Museum. This is a seriously cool museum. It's the underground shelter where Churchill lived and made all his war time decisions in WWII during the Blitzkrieg of London. My grandma lived through the bombings in London, so it was fun for me to see a piece of that history.

The day the war was over, it's like everyone just stopped what they were doing and left the bunker. So practically everything is intact and in it's place. Even a funny cartoon someone drew of Hitler on one of the strategy maps on a wall. You also learn a lot about Churchill, who was a pretty clever and sassypants guy.

http://churchillmuseum.iwm.org.uk

We also walked through the gorgeous and HUGE Hyde Park. The squirrels there are used to getting feed by people and of course we obliged. The only problem is, those suckers are aggressive. At one point I was feeding a furry friend, feeling much like snow white - when I looked over and a squirrel had crawled all the way up Robbie's pants and onto his hip!! Man, I wish I had a picture of those shenanigans. I was too busy trying to stop laughing and maintain a dry pair of knickers.

Julie West and Jack the Ripper

2006-11-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

Today started in a good way. Well, first, we're in London, so it's not like I can complain...and secondly, I met a super talented Illustrator whose work I've admired for years! Julie West, her hubs Rob, and her darlin' James were sweet enough to drive 2 hours down to London to hang out with us for the day.

They were so nice and fun, and to top it off, great hosts. They took us for a walking tour of the city's West End and then we all took a ride on the famous "London Eye."

Thx for being so rad, guys! Yeah!

www.juliewest.com
www.ArseyRob.Com

At 6 we had a date with the " Jack the Ripper Terror Tour" (yes, I know, we are shameless tourists) so we said a sad goodbye to our new pals and hightailed it into the gruesome night ahead.

Our tour began with a nice boat ride down the River Thames, where we learned many an eerie tale, including the origin of the word "whopper." Our tour guide (of terror!) told us that it derives from Wapping Street where they used to hang criminals, smugglers, and pirates in cages bolted to the walls of the Thames. As the Thames would rise, the criminals would drown. Their bodies were left there for days or weeks (as a warning to other trouble makers) and would swell up and bloat. The locals nicknamed the bodies "Wappers." et...viola! But, don't take my word for this one, it could be a "whopper" itself.

Next up was a drive to the Old Bailey - the site of numerous public hangings, the Royal London Hospital where the Elephant Man lived, and the Wallace Plaque where Braveheart was tortured. We heard stories of gangland warfare, butcherous barbers, train robbers, and other creepy tales from the very bloody history of London. Very interesting stuff for the morose, like moi.

Then our guide took us for a jaunty into London's East End, Jack the Ripper territory. The walk was seriously fun and I learned quite a bit about the case & history of London. Good times. A highlight was, after the tour was over, Robbie and I went back to the Ten Bells pub for a night cap.

The Ten Bells pub is over a hundred years old and is the actually bar that most all of Jack's victims took their last drink before meeting their horrific ends. Some theorize that this is the place that ol' Jackie met or followed the women home from. Supposedly, the pub looks virtually as it did in 1888 and I believe it.

'allo Lon-dan, Eng-ga-land!!

2006-11-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

Well, we said "lates" to Paris, and hightailed it to London for a few days of British buggery - wow, I did not use that in the right context. Heh.

First on the list - fish n' chips! They were, as a matter o' fact, the best I have ever had. I'm confirming the rumors, the English do a bang up job on deep fried cod.

Also awesome: The British Museum!! The best part? It's FREE! Thx England!

That's extra good news because the Pound is now almost double the plummeting American Dollar. Thx Bush!!
(that's sarcasm, wanker.)

http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

A Bientot, Paris!

2006-11-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

Au revoir Paris, we will miss you.

Sniff sniff, sigh.

A quick trip to the Loire Valley

2006-11-15T12:14:00.000-08:00

This week we had the pleasure of visiting our favorite fellow ex-pats, zee Grandparents! They treated us to a nice trip to the Chateaux de Chambord in one of the loveliest areas of the Loire Valley. Thx guys! We love ya!

My fave feature was the double helix staircase - you can be ascending on one side, while someone else is descending on the other, and you will never cross each other. Maybe one side was used for the Queen and the other for the King's "favorites"? Hmmmm...

Francois the I's symbol is a fire blowing salamander and there are hand carved lil' buggers all over the door ways, the ceiling, ect... pretty kewl.

Joyeux Anniversaire Mere!

2006-11-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

A Night of Debauchery

2006-11-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

Today the lovely and multi-talented Tara McPherson was in Paris for the world tour of her beautiful new book : Lonely Hearts! Yeah! We had the pleasure of rocking out to her set at the awesomely rowdy bar Planete Mars.

Wish I could say I had some great pix of Tara and the bar... but I think you get the idea from these gems that picture taking was not at the top of my list of priorities tonight.

Thx Tara! Hope you had fun.

http://www.taramcpherson.com

Jardin de Luxenbourg don't grow poppies, y'all.

2006-11-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Remembrance Day, homies.

So, when I was a lil' beaver growing up in the wilds of Canada, we celebrated Remembrance Day. (We also celebrate Boxing day, but you'll have to wait until x-mas for that description, my American comrades)

Anywhooo...today was Remembrance Day. It's a day to commemorate the fallen veterans and civilians of Wars and is observed today because World War I ended on Nov.11th in 1918 - just like Veteran's Day. Except that we pin poppies on our chests and have a moment of silence at 11am (the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month - even the TV goes silent for one minute, impressive, non?)

So, the poppies are a symbol we use because of military physician John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields." Poppies had bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their red color a symbol for the bloodshed of trench warfare.

Okay okay...so ya see, I moved from the country of the Maple Leaf over to the "Red, White, and Blue" when I was around 13. Our cultures are pretty damn similar, so it throws me for a loop sometimes when my Bald Eagle-lovin' bros don't know what the hell I'm talking about when I say things like: " Kraft Dinner, shall I turn over?, or mmmmm...Coffee Krisp."
(translations: Mac & Cheese, should I change the channel?, and a delicious kit-kat-esque chocolate bar)

Alright, my point was - I tried convincing John and Robbie that they had INDEED worn poppies in honor of Remembrance day when they were kids, when in fact, they had no idea what the hell I was talking about. Ravi (our pal from the UK) added to the confusion when he agreed with me. Of course people wear poppies today, it's the 11th of November!

Turns out that NO, Americans do not celebrate Remembrance Day, but YES, Commonwealth countries do (United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, ect...)

Well, there ya go. Incredibly stimulating piece of information, I know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flanders_Fields

In other news today: pirate ships, Alphonse Mucha, fish with toofs.

Paris avec Ravi

2006-11-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Today we had a special guest from Lon-dan En-ga-land join the English speaking gang of yanks here in Paris. Bienvenue, Ravi!

We checked out the Eiffel Tower pretty late that night and got to see it all a-twinklin' and a-sparklin'. We also saw about 5 cars parked next to each other, all with people getting' down.

Robbie said he remembered seeing the freaky-deeky parking lot when we was a kid visiting lil' Eiffel - so next time you're feeling a little frisky while in France, you know where to go.

La Petite Palais

2006-11-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Today we went to La Petit Palais - one of my favorite museums in Paris. It was built for the Universal Exhibition in 1900 by architect Charles Girault, and houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris. If you are into Art Nouveau and Impressionism, then you gotz ta check it out. The building is also breathtaking...so, just go, whydon'tcha?

There happened to be a special exhibit of etchings from Rembrandt while we were there, and I was amazed at how many prints and etchings he did in his lifetime. In particular, I was impressed with the sense of humor in his work - one village scene showcases a dog poopin' in the foreground. Oh, Rembrandt...you crazy.

Nous allons a Pere Lachaise, encoure!!

2006-11-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Today we took Mister Palms to our favorite cafe for some petite dejeuner and then off to the necropolis better known as Pere Lachaise!

If you've read previous posts, you know that we've been there a few times and will keep comin' back because of it's awesomeness. Do ya'self a favor and check out: www.pere-lachaise.com for more info on this hauntingly beautiful cemetery.

Here's a fun tidbit: In 1914, a few years after Oscar Wilde's death, his famous tomb (the lipstick kisses-covered sculpture below) by Jacob Epstein was unveiled. Apparently the sculpture used to be quite well endowed, but as you can see - it's 'endowment' was either broken or chipped off sometime past. There are numerous stories about how, why, and by whom the poor bugger was broken off, and if you're in the mood for some laughs do a google search on it and see what you come up with.

On the back of the tomb there's a lovely fragment of his last major work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol:
"And alien tears will fill for him Pity's long broken urn For his mourners will be outcast men And outcasts always mourn."

Nosferatu hearts France

2006-11-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

Nosferatu, the Prince of Darkness, made an appearance in France tonight and we went to go see the oldest building in Paris. Turns out it was right around the corner from my flat! But the Marais and Beaubourg do have some of the oldest structures in Paris.

Bienvenue, John!

2006-11-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to zee Paris, Monsieur Palmer!

van Goghing Goghing Gone

2006-11-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice site on van Gogh ifn' yer interested:
www.vggallery.com

van Gogh's hood

2006-11-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

Auvers-sur-Oise is a lil' bitty town just out of Paris that has been made famous because it is where Monsieur Vincent van Gogh spent his last suicidal months and, consequently, is the final resting place of both himself and his lil' bro Theo.

My advice to those traveling from Paris to Auvers-sur-Oise : look up the train info online! And ask for help. Our blind faith our guide book instructions really screwed up our day trip. We lost a good 2 hours or more being lost and waiting for trains. Don't you feel bad for us now?

Anywhooo...it was still seriously cool getting to walk along the same streets as Vincent and see some of the famous imagery from his work. The Church Auvers-sur-Oise, the wheat fields...

In the two months before his death in Auvers-sur-Oise he painted over 70 pictures and the town has positioned some of these works on plaques next to the actual structures so you can compare them with how they look today. Pretty sweeeeeet.

If you go to the Ravoux Inn you can take a tour of both the inn and the immediate area of sites important to van Gogh's local history. On the upper floor of the inn you can view the bed where van Gogh lay after shooting himself in the stomach. He died there 2 days later, on July 27, 1890, with Theo at his side. His last words were said to be: "La tristesse durera toujours" (French for "the sadness will last forever"). He was 37.

Poor Theo by this point was in the final stages of syphilis and, days after Vincent's death, was himself admitted into a hospital. He died six months later on 25 January at Utrecht. In 1914 Theo's body was exhumed and re-buried beside Vincent.

The Opera, anyone?

2006-11-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

Anyone seen "The Phantom of the Opera?" Well, get ready to hear the story behind the famous Paris Opera House.

Napoleon III was arriving to the premiere at the old Opera House with his wife, when the royal procession was bombed by a group of dissenters. Over eighty people were killed, prompting Napoleon III to commission an new opera house with a covered side entrance where royalty could enter discreetly.

Work on this structure began in 1861 and ended fifteen years later. This beautiful building seats two thousand and has seventeen stories. There are chorus rooms, green rooms, ball rooms, set rooms, cellars for waste props, closets, dressing rooms, etc. Seven of these are below the ground, including the bottom floor with the famous lake (as well as many hidden passages) later depicted in Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera."

An unexpected accident occurred in 1896 - one of the counterweights of the chandelier fell from the ceiling killing one opera patron. This event sparked Leroux's imagination and inspired him to write the novel!

Viola!

If you're going to go see it, I recommend buying tickets to a show. This way you get to have a leisurely look-see in the lobby and front areas, and also get a great show in.

Le Pantheon

2006-11-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

In 1744 Louis XV vowed that if he recovered from an illness he would replace a ruined church with one glorifying the patron saint of Paris: St-Genèvieve (pronounced jen-a-vee-ev, not jen-a-vive.) Well, guess what? He recovered, thus began the construction of the Panthéon.

It was completed in 1789, but soon after the Revolution was underway and the new government changed its mission from "church" to that of a mausoleum for the remains of great Frenchmen. Among those buried in its necropolis are Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Marie and Pierre Curie, and Soufflot its architect.

In 1851 physicist Léon Foucault demonstrated the rotation of the Earth in his experiment conducted inside the Panthéon, by constructing a 67 meter pendulum beneath the central dome. It is still there if you'd like to see it today. Cool, non?

While we were there we had the pleasure of experiencing artist Ernesto Neto's "Leviathan Thot" installation. Nylon stockings filled with sand and styrofoam strung at various lengths all around the interior. Pix of it here.

Also someone's statue modification outside. :)

Picasso, eh?

2006-11-01T11:24:00.000-08:00

Today we checked out the Picasso museum, it was a pretty impressive collection, I must say. I especially like his sculptures, good stuff. The man certainly did a ton of work in his life: An estimated 13,500 paintings and 300 sculptures & ceramics, actually.

Did you know that he was considered a child prodigy and that his full name was: Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Crispín Crispiniano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso? But his friends called him "Skibbles."

Just joking about the Skibbles part.

Also today, the famous artist IRONclaw finsihed a kick-ass design on his backpack.

All Hallows Eve

2006-10-31T11:09:00.000-08:00

Well, the French really have not embraced Hall-o-ween, though they have apparently been trying in the last 5 years or so. I counted seeing about 3 people dressed up, none of them were children. A couple of bars were trying to get into the spirit (hardy har har) but it was a pretty poor showing, I must say.

If you think about Hall-o-ween though, if you hadn't grown up with it, it is a pretty weird celebration to explain. I'm just glad I did grow up with it, so I know first hand of its AWESOMENESS!

I talked with my landlady, who I go to to answer all of my francophile questions.

She explained that many people may think that Hall-o-ween conflicts with a very religious time in France: November 1st is "All Saints' Day", a national holiday honoring the dead.(much like Dia de los Muertos in Mexico) The next day, November 2nd is "All Souls Day" and a day to go to the local cemetery to adorn graves with flowers. The choice of flowers is usually chrysanthemums or marigolds. I asked her if you would ever bring chrysanthemums to give to someone, at a dinner party or something, and she laughed!! Non, she said, in France they are strictly for graveyards.

Hmmm...well, now you know.

More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Souls_Day

Le Grand Palace

2006-10-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

The Grand Palais ("Grand Palace") is a large glass exhibition hall that was built for the Paris Exhibition of 1900. The Petit Palais (across the street) and the Pont Alexandre III bridge (the famous ornamental bridge you see in all "bridge" postcards of Paris) were also built at this time.

The inside of the Grand Palais is enormous, and the Art Nouveau iron framework and glass ceiling blows minds!

We happened to go there on a day where the huge FIAC exhibition was happening, so we caught a glimpse of many amazing collections from galleries all around the world.

For more pix & info on FIAC:
www.fiacparis.com

More chowin' down

2006-10-29T19:18:00.000-08:00

What you are seeing, is the deliciousness of ice cream fondue!! Thx Haagendaz! Haagendaz is all over Paris, and some of them are more like bars than ice cream parlors.
Hmmmm.

Anywhoooo...the particular delicacy shown here is melted chocolate fondue in the center with different flavored ice cream balls, pieces of brownie, bananas, kiwi, chocolate chip cookie pieces, and crushed peanuts to dip in!!!

OMG!!!! Are you jealous?

Cocktails and Dreams

2006-10-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Versailles

2006-10-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Versailles was the unofficial capital city of the kingdom of France on and off again from May 1682 until October 1789 (and only then because of the French Revolution.)

During the entire period, Paris remained the official capital city of France, (the official royal palace was the Louvre) but government affairs were conducted from Versailles, and Versailles was regarded as the real capital city.

Versailles is an amazing visit, and I highly recommend hoppin' on a train from Paris to go for a day visit. Recently made popular by Sofia Coppola's film "Marie Antoinette" (which I also highly recommend, I am "highly recommending" all over the place!) it is filled with interesting history, amazing art and beautiful garden and grounds.

* Here are some interesting links for you to check out if you're unclear about The Revolution (aka the "Reign of Terror", do you hear the swoosh of the guillotine?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution

* the tragic end of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI and the fates of their children:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVI_of_France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Antoinette

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Th%C3%A9r%C3%A8se-Charlotte_of_France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVII_of_Francewww.chateauversailles.fr/en/

fresh Sushi en Paris!

2006-10-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

HOORAY!

More friends to share Paris with. This week Atsushi (aka Sushi) made his way to France via Tokyo. Ofcourse, we showed him our usually favorite spots and Montemartre was right at the top of the list. Here you can see some nice shots of the only vineyard left inside of Paris, the cool cobblestone streets, the famous "Lapin Agile", and robbie's performance art piece entitled "wings of hope."

Yes, on occasion I am productive

2006-10-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

So, in addition to being a professional tourist, I am also working while dans Paris, sad, but true. I don't really blog about working, because I am way too excited to blog about the awesome adventures I am having in my spare time, but alas, me and the hubs do put in about 10 hours a day of hard labor, unfortunately. We gotz ta have the euros to buy all those baguettes, you know? Okay, enough of my trying to make you feel sorrow for me...poor baby, I know, I know.

So lately I have been finishing up the last bits and bobbles on Issue #2 of my comic book Screwtooth (published by www.Slavelabor.com - shameless advertising, thaz how I roll.) Anywhoooo...here is a picture of me in deadline madness. This happens frequently, and luckily, is usually not documented.

Also, I finished up my skull for:

***************
Top of the Dome III
@ crewest gallery
OPENING: nov. 4th
110 Winston St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 627-8272 ph
***************

If ya'll in LA, please check it out, should be awesome.

Also in awesomeness, someone personalized the "ON STRIKE" bulletin posted to the Pompidou Centre this week. HAH! Right on, sister.

La Défense

2006-10-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

La Défense is a major business district for the city of Paris which saw most of it's growth in the 80's. The area has some cool sculptures, but all in all I felt kind of "blah" about the whole area.

The highlight of the day was when we were walking through a park and this bulldog came up to us (there are no leash laws in Paris, so dogs just follow their owners.) Anyway, when "Juggernaut" (as we soon named him) approached us, we crouched down to pet him. And then, one after an other, he jumped up and pushed us on the ground! We would get up, laughing, and he would push us back down again. Soon we were covered in kisses and slobber.

Looking up, his "parents" were looking over at us, horrified. HAH!

One note about Parisians: Robbie and I will pet a dog, or any other animal that comes into our personal space, as well as have a friendly conversation with their owner. In Paris, this FREAKS people out. Chilly is not a strong enough word for how people react. It's just cultural, I guess, but it's kind of a bummer when you're jonesing to give some good scratches away.

La Gourmande

2006-10-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

Oh how I vill miss you, zee French cuisine. Zomeday ve vill part, but you vill always be wihz me.

Mostly on my thighs.

Au revoir, mon cheries!

2006-10-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

Hope you guys had a bon time - we did! Love ya.

Montmarte et Notre Dame revisited

2006-10-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

Happened to go to Montmarte today while the annual wine festival was taking place. There was much merriment, food stands, a band, a parade, and a crowd. Everyone was celebrating and boozing it up, I even saw les enfants with wine in their plastic glasses! Um...it IS supposed to be good for the heart or something, right kids?

Here's us on the top of Notre Dame as well, with a nice view of the Seine.

Feeding the Birds and the Mind

2006-10-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

Having a good time with the fam.

Bird flu aside - feeding the lil' oiseau (birdies) in the park is magical.

and...you know everyone's had enough of the Louvre when climbing a stairway induces fits of crying and tantrums. Hey, the Louvre IS really tiring.

Back to gay Paris

2006-10-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

Aujourd'hui (today) we caught a train back to Paris and let the fun sight seeing begin. As hosts, we took the fam to some of our favorites: the catacombs, jardin de luxembourg, the louvre, montemarte. There is so much to see in Paris, it's hard to cram it all in. But we try, we try.

Chateaux, Reppeteaux, dontchaknow

2006-10-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

So, here is a little history about the Loire Valley and it's numerous chateaux (castles):

The châteaux, numbering more than three hundred, represent a nation of builders starting with the necessary castle fortifications in the 10th century to the splendor of those built a thousand years later. When the French kings began constructing their huge châteaux here, the nobility, not wanting or even daring to be far from the seat of power, followed suit. Their presence in the lush, fertile valley with its moderate climate, began attracting the very best landscape designers.

The French Revolution saw a number of the great French châteaux destroyed and many ransacked, their treasures stolen. The overnight impoverishment of many of the deposed nobility, usually after one of its members lost their head to the guillotine, saw many châteaux demolished.
(taken from wikipedia.org)

Amboise & Leo

2006-10-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Amboise is a chateaux with alot of interesting and quirky history.

In the late fifteenth century Charles VIII decided to turn the old castle of his childhood days into an extravagant and luxurious palace, adding the Flamboyant Gothic wing that overlooks the river. Unfortunately, not long after the work was completed, he managed to hit his head on the entryway door while riding his horse up the ramp. This tap on the noggin was fatal.

Also, Leonardo da Vinci spent the remaining years of his life in Amboise as a guest of King Francis I. He arrived in the autumn of 1516 and with him he carried the famous Mona Lisa painting. He is buried in the Chapel of St. Hubert on the grounds. Saint Huey is apparently the saint of hunting, and although I'm not down with the sport, the church is seriously cool with antler spires & animal inspired decorations. No one knows what happened to the mysterious Mona Lisa painting...just joking, it's at The Louvre.

Across the street, is the home where da Vinci actually lived, and is open to the public for tours. On the grounds is a nice park set up with lifesize models of some of his inventions. Did you know he sketched designs of the world's first known parachute, car, and helicopter? Now you do.

www.chateaux-france.com/closluce

Punkin's & Petunias

2006-10-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

Thoroughly enjoying the autumn here in the Loire Valley. I know it is going to be hard to try and explain this, but: the light is actually different here. The sunshine looks whiter and purer, and I'm not just being poetic.

In fact, I looked it up and learned that many Impressionist painters moved to southern France for this very reason. Weird and beautiful.

We stumbled upon a chateaux that was having a county fair celebrating Autumn on their lawns - yeah! One lady was selling little bread cakes. Robbie and I split a fig cake, damn good. Also there was a cool display showing and naming the most beautiful vegetables I have ever seen.

Then we stopped at a field of wild flowers and stocked up. An amazing day!

The fam!

2006-10-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Well, today was pretty awesome. Some of the family arrive dans Paris via Las Vegas and headed down to the Loire Valley where Grammy and Gramps have been living for the past 5 months (don't you wish you're are as cool as them when you're in your 70's? Travellin' the globe, going on adventures.)

We took a train from Paris (about an hours ride) and met them all down there. A fun filled family reunion right here in France. We plan to see as many chateaux's as we can fit into our week here. But first up, G-ma and G-pa took us to: Le Parc des Mini-chateaux!!! If you haven't guessed, it's a theme park that has miniature models of all the chateauxs in the Loire Valley. I'm not joking.

http://www.mini-chateaux.com/anglais/presentation.htm

(the "view of the town" pic shown here, is indeed, a miniature.)

l'Arc de Triomphe & stizz-uff

2006-09-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the top of l'Arc de Triomphe (The Arch of Victory!!!) and also drank a beer in a glass the size of my head.

The pictures of us with the sky in the background, are actually taken on the top of the Arc - but I didn't even have to say that, it is pretty obvious - right?? :) hah. right.

It was a good day in Paris.

Lil' history tidbit:

The Arc de Triomphe stands in the centre of the Place de l'Etoile at the western end of the posh shopping street Champs-Elysees.

That crazy ol' Napoleon wanted to construct a monument which would help people to remember not only him, but the conquests of his armies. He liked the idea of the Roman Triumphal arches that were constructed so that victorious Roman Emperors could hold parades through the arch with all their captives and spoils of war - so he commissioned the l'Arc de Triomphe to be built in that style.

Construction of the Arch began in 1806 - however, its construction was not completed until 1836, many years after Napoleon had already bitten the dust.

Easy like Sunday Morning (in Belgium)

2006-09-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well, our 3rd and last day in Brussles was just as fun as the rest. We did the tourist thing and hoped on the bus to see the city.

Logan and Robbie were adventurous and ate "Mussels in Brussels" and escargot. I watched.

Harlan took us to a wicked awesome flea market, I've included some of the highlights here. Doesn't get much awesomer than taxidermied squirrels playing poker on a log table, now does it?

Then, just to be an even better host, Harlan made us all an amazing dinner before sending us packin' back on the train.

Good-bye Brussels. We miss you already.

Brussels, cont...

2006-09-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the blurred pic. of Logan and Adeline pretty much sums up our nights in Brussles - sorry about the matress Logan - BLERRGH! hah!

Check out the half-way completed mural Logan, Lucy and Eva did on the door of a bookstore down the street from the gallery. I wish I hada shot of it completed, but, ah wellz.

Good times.

A weekend to remember!

2006-09-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well, After kicking some serious buns working the last few weeks - we were off to Belgium to see our friend Logan Hicks in his show "Blenderhead" curated by "No New Enemies" (www.nonewenemies.net) at Mr. Ego (mr-ego.be) in Brussels!! Yeah!

Taking the train was so easy and comfortable. So much better than flying. Fer realz. We just hoped on and an hour and a half later - viola! In the land of waffles, chocolate, and beer.

Logan was nice enough to meet us at the station where we walked by a bizarre statue - I've posted a rather blurry photo of it - but basically it was an 8 foot horse dressed in a zebra-colored business suit. It was sitting at a table, so if you wanted to sit down there, you'd have to sit with it. Genius!!

We walked to the town square, which is gorgeous and over the top with the gold embellishments.

Logan was in a three person show with the lovely and talented ladies: Ephameron (www.ephameron.com) and Miss Lucy Mclauchlan (www.beat13.co.uk)

Meeting everyone and getting to hang out - Logan, Lucy, Eva, Matt, Syvan (spelling?), Harlan, Adeline, and eveyone else- was truly awesome and inspiring. I wish I had more pictures! Ah well, I'm a lousy photgrapher.

You'll have to check in on Logan's blog: www.workhorsevisuals.com for more pix of all the action.

An ODE to French Breakfasts (in pictures)

2006-09-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

YUM.

La La La La La La Louvre

2006-09-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Haven't been bloggin' too much 'cause we've been busy meeting the ol' deadlines.

Jet lag has become more and more humorous because we are stuck somewhere in the middle. In order to stay up to talk with clients in the US (until about 7pm LA time) we have to stay up until 4am Paris time. This gets us rolling out of bed anytime between noon and two. Usually when the sun sets here, we know it's time for lunch! Yes!

Ah well, this gives us time to explore the city a bit before the work day starts (because when we wake up at noon, it's really only 3am LA time.) Kapeeesch??? Confusing??? oh yah.

Anywhooo... we are now "friends of the Louvre" so we can go any ol' time we want. Speaking of the Louvre - the former home of Louis and Marie Antoinette - Was great getting to see "Marie Antoinette" the new S. Coppola film here, with a French audience and French subtitles...but a movie about French history. Surreal & stuff.

mmmkay..I'm tired, so here's some bad photos i took of paintings I liked today. Can you guess which one is entitled "Super Jesus?" Yikes. I am going straight to hell for making fun of an other artists painting.

Up Up and Away!!!

2006-09-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

We have been seeing the handy work of the graf artist "ABOVE" all over Paris.

awesomeness.

Notre Dame

2006-09-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

A little bit o' history about Notre Dame de Paris:

The Notre Dame de Paris stands on the site of Paris' first Christian church, "Saint-Etiennen Basilica", which was built on the site of a Gallo-Roman temple to Jupiter.

In 1160, Saint-Etiennen Basilica became the "parish church of the kings of Europe" and Bishop Maurice de Sully deemed the current Parisian cathedral unworthy of its lofty role. He had it demolished shortly after he assumed the title of Bishop of Paris. According to legend, de Sully had a vision of a glorious new cathedral for Paris, and sketched it in the dirt outside of the original church.

Bishop de Sully went on to devote most of his life and wealth to the cathedral's construction.

On Dec. 2nd, 1804 Napoleon crowned himself Emperor here. There are claims that he seized the crown out of the hands of the Pope during the ceremony in order to avoid subjecting himself to the authority of the pontiff. (this moment is depicted in Jacques-Louis David's famous painting.)

During the early 19th century the cathedral was in a state of disrepair, and city planners began to contemplate tearing it down. French novelist Vicor Hugo, who loved the cathedral, wrote his novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in part to raise awareness of the cathedral's heritage. The book sparked renewed interest in the cathedral's fate and a campaign to collect funds to save the cathedral followed, culminating in its restoration in 1845.

Whew! Interesting, non? ...no?

JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIRE MON MARI

2006-09-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

Today was a lovely day. We spent our 8th Anniversary together, my sweet robbie packed a yummy lunch and wine and we hiked to the Seine to eat down by the water. Then, he took me to see Notre Dame for the first time.

Lucky gal, times to remember.

Is that a Serpent in your pocket?

2006-09-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

What a day, what a day: "Les Serpents dans l'Avion!!!"

So, seeing "Snakes on a Plane" is bizarre enough, but seeing it in France with French subtitles, and a French audience was something truly remarkable to behold.

Jokes that are played-out in America got big laughs here. i.e. "brother from another mother" almost brought the house down.

A special special experience. :)

The Catacombes!

2006-09-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

So, as I mentioned before a bit, Les Halles (the big ol' underground mall by our place) used to house a cemetery: "Les Cimetiere des Innocents" (A fountain, "Le Fountaine des Innocents" now stands near Les Halles to mark this place in history.)

In 1785 about 2 million skeletons were disinterred from here just before the Revolution and transferred by night in wagons to build The Catacombes. (Other graveyards followed throughout the years) The reason being - to solve the hygiene and aesthetic problems caused by Paris' overflowing cemeteries. It took 15 months to transport the rotting corpses across the city to their new resting place.

After exhuming the bones, they created ossuaries with the parts and formed purdy skele-walls down in some quarries (the mines were formed by earlier excavations) underneath the city.

It's known throughout history that Parisians occasionally throw wild parties down here (Charles X being one of them)

At the beginning of the Catacombes is a sign that reads: STOP! THIS IS THE EMPIRE OF DEATH!

And they check your bag for "borrowed" bones when you leave. YES!

It was pretty cool. heh. heh.

Pompidou Center, yo!!

2006-08-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

So, we have found the joy that is the Pompidou Center. Located about 2 minutes from our flat, it houses Frances National collection of Modern and Contemporary Arts.

It also has a free Wi-Fi connection, so me and the hubs can scoot down there and work when we need a breath of fresh air. SCORE! Of course, they only let you connect for an hour 1/2, but ah well, c'est la vie.

Outside there is a multitude of street performers and caricature artists - so if you ever wanted that wacky drawing of you with Brad Pitt done while you watch fire jugglers, you know where to go. Musicians, mimes, and performance artists abound!

There is a cool courtyard featuring a pond filled with the mechanical fountains from artists Jean Tinguely and Niki de StPhalle where you can just sit outside and chill.

Robbie et moi like to hit the café on the 2nd floor, get our espresso on, and get to work.

Also, they have a free Bibliotheque (Library) that is amazing, and their gift shop is awesome as well. Loads of great art books and bargain bin finds.

From the top of the Center is a great view of Paris.

Hooray for Pompidou!

Montmartre

2006-08-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Ah, Montmartre - a must see if you're the artsy-fartsy type like us.

So much to see in this great area, lemmie talk about the history a bit:

Set on a hill, the "village" led a more rural life from that of the city back in the day, and now it is famous for having the only remaining vineyard in Paris. (There is still a yearly wine tasting festival there.)

There are different stories of how the name "Montmartre" came about. Some think it to come from the roman words for hill and martyrs "mons martirium". The reason for this, a burial ground full of Christian martyrs' bones was found up there.

Then supposedly, around the year 250AD St. Denis brought Christianity to Paris and was thanked by being tortured and decapitated on this hill overlooking the city . The story says that the saint picked up his head and walked to the place now known as St. Denis. SKILLZ!!!

Until the 19th century, Montmartre hill was pretty rural and had a number of windmills on it. Some were there for agricultural use (grain mills) and others for crushing flint.

Anywho...By the end of the 19th century it was a mecca for artists, writers, poets, cabarets and revues. Some artists who lived and worked in the studios of Montmartre:

Picasso - Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is perhaps the most well known because of its meaning for cubism. It was painted while he lived here.

Toulouse Lautrec - painted the night life and cabaret. He painted many of the advertising posters for the Moulin Rouge, La Chat Noir, and Cabaret. OOOHH LA LA!!

Here is an amazing website about Montmartre and Lautrec:

>http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2005/toulouse/index.shtm

Amedeo Modigliani - came from Livorno in Italy and was pretty much ignored until recently. He developed his own style and is particularly well known for his geometric stylization.

Degas - Degas is thought of as "one of the founders of impressionism" and inspired and infuenced many artists of the time. He was also known for organizing exhibitions.

Van Gogh - He lived in number 25 Rue Victor Masse and Rue Lepic 54. Shackin' up with his brother Theo.

Whew! That's a lot of info. Anyhooo...Montmartre is absolutely amazing to walk around...too much to list here. But walking on the quaint cobblestone streets where so many amazing artists have lived and worked, seeing the Sacre-Coeur, the Moulin Rouge, the Lapin Agile (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapin_Agile), and the little market where they filmed "Amelie"(picture of red and green shop with "epicerie fine" written on the side) - hah! Was a magical day for me, indeed.

BLOODBATH!!!

2006-08-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

So, thought I'd share an interesting tidbit from todays adventures.

Robbie and I stopped in the Pharmacy in search of vitamins. For those reading that don't know (I didn't) - they have Pharmacies all over the place. You'll know them by the flashing green + sign. This is where you go to pick up just about any medicine - prescription or over-the-counter, instead of at, say, rite-aid. You talk with an actual Pharmacist.

Anywhoo...as we were waiting in line, I looked over and saw THIS!!!!!

Just hanging out.

Um..anyone care to clean up the vat of coagulated blood? Not sure what medical procedure was preformed here exactly, but damn. This was literally about 3 feet from where you stand in line to pay.

Cultural differences or horror show?

HAH! :)

Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise

2006-08-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today we hopped on the Metro and headed out to Pere Lachaise Cemetery for a nice little picnic with the dead folks. I am lucky to have Robbie as a tour guide (my first time in Paris - but his awesome Grandmere et Grandpere took him twice as a child) he takes me to all the coolest spots.

Pere Lachaise will definitely blow you away if you've never been - it's enormous and all the tombs, crypts, whathaveyou are exquisite! It is HUGE - goes on and on, and I think it would take at least a 2-day trip to fully appreciate it all.

Some history:

Pere Lachaise is Paris' most prestigious cemetery, set on a wooded hillside overlooking the city. It was once owned by Misetr Lachaise (Louis XIV's confessor) but in 1803 Napoleon ordered it laid out as a new cemetery. It became so popular with the bourgeoisie that it was expanded 6 times.

Some famous corpses takin' a dirt nap there:
Oscar Wilde
Jim Morrison
Sarah Bernhardt
Marcel Proust
Honore de Balzac
Frederic Chopin
Delacroix
Pissarro
Modigliani
And the tragic lovers Abelard and Heloise, for their story:
>http://historymedren.about.com/library/weekly/aa020500a.htm

Also went by the famous Opera House (ala Phantom of the Opera) C'est tre magnifique! (the first picture listed)

day trois, the adventure continues!

2006-08-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

LE MARAIS:

A little history about our 'hood: We're staying in the 3rd district in off of Rue Turbigo and Saint-Martin in zee coeur de Paris (the heart of Paris). It's called the Marais, which literally means "The Marsh" or "swamp." I guess it was all marsh land when first built upon - and that actually caused problems down the way, when the local cemetery (where Les Halles now stands) started gettin' nasty. Disease spread because of the damp graveyard. This is one of the reasons - as well as overcrowding - that the famous "catacombes" were built.

After the bodies were moved "Les Halles" became the main center of meat, vegetable and fruit market for all of paris (YUM!!). Then in the 60's the marketplace was forced to move (too much traffic to be in the middle of the city, with food shipments and deliveries) and it soon became a huge underground mall. You can tell you've made it there when you see a massive crowd of people and the pretty concrete and glass bubble structures poking out of the grass.

We hit the Musee d'Orsay again today, because we just didn't get to see enough of it yesterday. Then we did the touristy thang and hopped on the double decker bus for a tour.

I have already learned that the train is our friend. The metro is awesome, clean, cheap, fast, and easy to navigate. Most entrances still have the art noveau flourishes designed by Hector Guimard.

Also, I have to say, people have been so nice to us, despite our rampant butchering of their language. Most people speak perfect english, which is nice - but doesn't help if you are actually trying to learn french.

We've been watching our french dvd at night - hah! We'll see how much we learn.

Day number deux

2006-08-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

I am blown away with how beautiful paris is, now that I have seen her in the light of day.

Robbie and I walked down to the Seine today, towards the louvre and the musee d'orsay. I can't believe how close everything is - and that it is all jam-packed with beautiful architecture - so much to see and do i can't imagine anyone ever being bored here.

Right on the corner of our street is a little boulangerie (cafe/bakery) with the most decadent pastries. I can tell already this will be a favorite spot for us. We indulged in a goodie and a cafe espresso - dang - I know I sound wishy-washy but that coffee was SOME good. They sell fresh baguettes there as well, so we are set in the fresh bread department - yeah!!

We hit the Musee, but only got to stroll around for an hour because they were getting ready to close. Breathtaking. Here's some history:

In 1986 the Musee d'Orsay reopened as a museum, 47 years after it had closed as a mainline railroad station. (when inside, you can definitely envision what it must have looked like as a railway station. It has a HUGE ornamental clock that you can see from both the outside and inside of the structure. Beautiful.) It highlights the arts of the period from 1848 to 1914, pretty great collection if ya ask moi.

At night we headed to the Eiffel Tower and rode all the way to the top. Needles to say, it was HUGE! And jam packed with people. Tre touristie, non? The pic attached is us at the top (can't you tell?) :)

a lil' history:
Originally built to impress visitors to the Universal Exhibition of 1889, le tour Eiffel was meant to only be a temporary addition to the Paris skyline. Designed by Gustave Eiffel, it was the worlds tallest building until New Yorks Empire State Building was erected. Most Parisians hated the Eiffel Tower and called it "the metal asparagus." Almost torn down in 1909, it was spared because it was an ideal platform for the transmitting antennas needed for the newfangled science of radiotelegraphy.

Viola!

J'Adore Paris!

2006-08-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it. All that talk about it, and we're finally here!

We arrived at our flat in the afternoon yesterday by taxi from Charles de Gauelle - our taxi driver was a young guy and we listened to a hip-hop station the whole way. A little surreal to be in Paris, with an American soundtrack in the background. Our place is down a "passage" that is basically a door you would assume would lead into a store or something - but you would be wrong! The door actually leads to an open-air walkway filled with stores and entrances to apartments all tucked away from view of the main streets. So after a little hesitation, we finally went for the door, as the directions said, and found ourselves happily on the right path.

To check out what our place looks like and the passageway go to:
http://www.paristay.com/paris-apartment-rental/499

We met Eric, our landlady's husband who showed us our place and was so cool and helpful. Giving us tips about where to shop and showing us a map of the area. I was happy to see that our apartment was decorated with rad graffiti photography - nice shots of Os Gemeos and The Berlin Wall. Turns out - Eric is a Graph Photographer and those are his! hah! To check out his amazing work, go to:

www.urbanhearts.com

After Eric left we fell promptly asleep. We both woke up at around 2am and decided it was the perfect time for a stroll around the 'hood. Happy to say that it is easy to get a hot crepe here at 2 in the morning. I had a weird feeling of being completely safe roaming the streets at night. A feeling I can't say I get too often in the US. Maybe it's me being naive? I dunno. But everyone else seems to be kickin' it that late, and there is a good vibe all around.

We found a vendor and ordered some sandwiches - Robbie got through it okay, but with my mangled French I accidentally order a lamb sandwich - hah! (see attached pic.) Keep in mind that I am a vegetarian. Luckily Monsieur Robbie was nice enough to share. Well, our first night in Paris, and already a funny story of my kindergarden knowledge of the language.