Don't know, don't talk.

I enjoy going to museums and galleries because you don't have to know anything and you don't have to talk to anyone (my favorite combo as of late). You can just look and think and enjoy and make up whatever you want about it. Like this close up from a show at Blum & Poe in Culver City:

It's a close up from a series called faces, or something, and they all sort of looked like gorilla faces. Just saying.

Happy Spring!

Okay, I have ruminated on the 'where is home' question long enough and I still don't have an answer. So, instead, I will just post something sweet and lovely that pleases me.

Where is home?

Sports and pronto pups

Today Oscar and I went to the Annenberg Space for Photography to see the Sport exhibit. O thought it was alright and I loved it. I wouldn't call myself a sports fan, per se, but the photography, the subjects and the history really moved me. OK, it could have been the effect of all those Michael Jordan photographs making me woozy - I mean come on...

but I also think looking at the history of this country, especially through sport, can be really interesting. Here are some of my other favorites:

Afterwards, we jetted to the Santa Monica Pier for a quick pronto pup, a stroll on the pier and a some play time on the beach before heading to the airport to pick up his mama. My week of playing mom coming to an end. 

I want one

I am obsessed with the temporary tattoos shown in the Spring 2010 Chanel collection. I saw them on a danish fashion blog and thought they just belonged to some wacky, drunk dane but then I stared seeing them all over and I can't get them out of my head. I have never liked tattoos. I change my mind so much about what I like, I can't ever imagine having something that permanent on my body. This may be another story.

 

When all else is unclear, look at some art

Today Oscar and I went on a very quick trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Seriously, we had probably 20 minutes of actual viewing time but enough for us to see these little classic lovelies up close:

(Oscar translated this one for me and, helped me on my pronounciation.)

Happy, hopeful Valentine's day to you

"Think Of Me As Your Soldier" - Stevie Wonder (1971)

Think of me as your soldier
The man whose life is for you
And the sweet love
That's greater than time has known

Think of me as your soldier
Through worlds of hate I'm for you
Tho' the darkness hits me ever hard
I'll stand long

And we'll be lovers seeing love by heaven's light
Lovers dreaming dreams each blessed by night
I will find the promised paradise
With you there I'll spend my life

In our hearts there are no others
We are bound as two lovers
To give the great eternal love

And we'll be lovers seeing love by heaven's light
Lovers dreaming dreams each blessed by night
I will find the promised paradise
With you there I'll spend my life
I'll spend my life

Think of me, girl, as your soldier
Through worlds of pain I'm for you
To give an endless love
To give an endless love
To give an endless love
To you....

Go'morn Valentine

If anything embodies beautiful and smart it would be the artistic genius of Oscar. Here is my valentine. Please note, he always adds special information about me in his work. In this piece, he has included Clara Bow (my dog -since she is my one, true companion) and in the tree sits a snake with a line through it signifying my great fear and dislike of all things snake.

Back in LA

The view from my guest room chez Vivier. The LA skyline in the early morning always warms my heart.

Du er smuk og klog (you are beautiful and smart)

Today I have been thinking a lot about the beautiful, smart, creative, brave and delightful women in my life. The ones that I lean on when tough times like this come about. Take a look. They are all lovely.

I could walk for miles

Ten days into my Copenhagen sabbatical, I found out my dad was in the hospital and very sick. I knew immediately what I wanted to do. Come home and help him. 

This beach is at the end of my dad's block and although I don't get to go for long walks on it every day, we try and walk down to look at it at least once a day -- taking a few minutes to sit quietly. 

I have been coming here since I was a kid and of all the places I have been, it will always be a favorite. This beach has magical healing powers, I swear.

Candy for my eyes

Over the last 2 weeks, I have had the time and opportunity to go and see some pretty incredible art in some pretty incredible places. Having this free time to do what I want kind of makes me feel like a kid sneaking into a candy store and taking everything I want (i.e. guilty). I have been surprised how hungry I have been to look at things again and it feels a bit like an alarm clock has gone off and that little part of myself has woken up and remembered how much I love it.

There are a few artist and pieces I keep seeing over and over in my head:

Vilhelm Hammershøi, Dust Motes Dancing in the Sunbeams (1900)

Vilhelm Lundstrøm, Still life with White Jar, Orange and Book (1932-33)

Marlene Dumas, The Woman of Algiers (2001)

Ad Reinhardt, Abstract Painting, Blue (1952)

Doug Wheeler, RM 669 (1969)

Oscar inside RM 669

Blink

I stopped by the offices of Blink Production last week to meet with my new friend Tina about how to get CLAREVIVIER bags into the Copenhagen/Scandinavian/European market. While I was there, I poked around the offices (which were gorgeous and simple -- my favorite) and came upon this photo of my beloved Helena, taken by one of the studio photographers.

I fell in love with 3 other things while I was there: an amazing chandelier, a retro red refrigerator (partnered with a fantastic photo of the White Stripes by photographer Søren Solkær Starbird) and a beautiful fur jacket made by Copenhagen Fur (yes it was real, yes it was delightful and yes I want it). See how happy I look?

Danish design and soul dusting

My days are like walking into one of those bouncy houses that seem to be at every child's birthday party I go to in LA. I step into it, wobbly legged, silly and in between high jumps and laughter, I usually fall down and hit the corner of my head on something that isn't supposed to be there - and maybe pee my pants a little too.

Today, I went to the Danish Design Center and saw 3 exhibits. Above and below are photos of my favorite parts. I love seeing what beautiful stuff smart and creative people can make. I loved the installation by Vibskov & Emenius. It's description says: Project 10 is like a soul wash of sorts, a rite of passage-machine consisting of five majestically turbulent spruces brushing the dust of the world off of you.
Here is a video I made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QKn0rq1Dooo

Return to my Mother's Land

Ten days ago, I arrived in Copenhagen for a month-long visit. Arriving in the coldest and darkest month was intentional. I wanted to feel what it was really like to be here without the distractions of being a tourist in the beautiful summer light.

To say that this trip is organic and unfolding in it's own way, is more than an understatement. All that I came with in mind, and planned for, has fallen away. And, despite all that, I am experiencing a warm happiness and peace that I didn't know was inside of me and each day continues to bring completely unexpected interactions, emotions and adventures. So here I am, 5-something am, revamping SMUK & KLOG to try and find a way to track this journey I am currently on.

From Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies:
And he said -- gently -- that they [Tibetan Buddhists] believe when a lot of things start going wrong all at once, it is to protect something big and lovely that is trying to get itself born -- and that this something needs for you to be distracted so that is can be born as perfectly as possible.