Wednesday, January 28, 2015

A challenge to Identify some L.A. sights in Retta Scott's painting


On Robert Sommer's blog on Jan. 20th (http://www.blueheronblast.com/2015_01_01_archive.html )
he showed some paintings he had recently acquired by Retta Scott. She's a very interesting water color artist who had worked at Disney Studios in the 40's. She was one of the first women to work on animation instead of the more routine tasks like coloring backgrounds, etc. Robert asked if any Angelenos could identify the scene above.

Nancy and I spent a whole morning trying to figure it out. We were pretty sure it was somewhere along Wilshire Blvd. or in the vicinity.  The next morning I was at it again. I knew it had to be somewhere near a park with a lake. So that had to be Mac Arthur Park or Lafayette Park. The little bridge was also a clue.


I looked up "Mac Arthur Park bridge" and there it was in a Rolling Stones article (photo above)
about a Red Hot Chilli Peppers song which also made people wonder where the bridge in the song
was:
"But what bridge is Kiedis singing about? In a 1992 Rolling Stone interview with David Fricke, the singer refuses to divulge the location. "It's downtown ... but it's unimportant. I don't want people looking for it," he said, perhaps uneager to have a new pop-music landmark emerge from one of his life’s lowest moments. When contacted recently, the band's management refused to comment about the possible location of the bridge."

 We decided the building in the painting was the Park Plaza Hotel.



This is one of the other Retta Scott paintings:

I knew right away where this scene was. Retta attended Chouinard Art Institute and so did I.
This is the patio of the school. I met my ex-husband here. Oh yes, I knew it well.



Friday, January 23, 2015

Zentangle party at Marci's

 Mary Anne, Barbara Young, Barbara Sharou, Anne Ondraka, Betty Osborne

Anne,  Lita O'Day, Eileen, Betty, Marci Eisenstadt

 Paula Manning and all the girls.

Hard at work.

 Marci had made name tags. Mine said "Zentangle Guru"

 Such good students!

 Someone commented that they had never seen this group so quiet.

 Marci, Betty, and Eileen having fun.
 A lamp in Marci's house that is full of Zentangle designs.


Los Angeles with Megan

Somewhere around the end of December:
Nancy and I drove Megan to L.A. to visit her friends and to get some "before marriage" papers from the County Hall of Records.  This is also where we were going to say good-by before her move to France. We had a good time but we were sad.

In the Bradbury Building with Charlie Chaplin.



The Bradbury Building is one of my favorite places in L.A.

 An odd little boy in front of the Farmacia across from the Bradbury. Full of all kinds of magical cures for everything from impotence to death.

 Some things to help in the cures.

When you light the votive candle put out the "math" here.

Grand Central Market has changed a lot since I used to shop here. Now it's the "in" place to have breakfast, lunch or snacks. They still sell fruits and vegetables.

Some of the pillars in the Market were covered with crocheted doilies.

The Million Dollar Theater. They don't make 'em like they used to! No movie was showing on the marquee - just an ad for renting it for a film location.

 The Hall of Records

The parking lot outside of the Hall Of Records.

 Our final lunch with Megan at a Thai restaurant.

Saying good-by outside of her friend's house.






Monday, January 19, 2015

All the leaves are gone...

but the nest remains.
I can't tell if there are any eggs.

Friday, January 16, 2015

My entry in Diva's 200th Zentangle Challenge

The challenge was to use your favorite tangle (mine is Dex). And to fill the whole space.
Also to include the number "200".

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Christmas at Nancy's


 Megan dropped her phone and it shattered- still worked, tho.


 Sparklers, sent by Pat.

 Tootie and Bob watching the sparklers.

 Some of Nancy's stocking stuffer presents.


Christmas decorations- Coronado Hotel

Megan, Deb, Nancy and I went to the Coronado Hotel to see the decorations and have dinner- before Christmas.



Saturday, January 3, 2015

Sand castles of Del Mar

Earlier in the week Nancy and I watched a group of people looking like they were preparing to make sand castles...in a very serious way- large buckets and shovels.

 At the end of the week, Peg and Don Klinger and I were walking 
on the beach and came across the almost finished castles. They were spectacular!
Don took these photos.



I asked if it was for a contest they said it was just for fun.

Bubbles of Del Mar

A man was blowing the most beautiful bubbles in the park.
The kids and dogs were loving it, and so was I. 
After a week at Del Mar my camera battery was dead and I had forgotten the charger.
Thank heaven my friends, the Klingers were here to save the day. Don took these photos.