After the Getty re-opened in 2006 after a long renovation, I've been meaning to get my butt over there.
We went yesterday - a beautiful day near the ocean :)



( creepy/cool/overload )

But! I DID make it to see the Corpse Flower (Titan Arum) today. It started blooming last night (naturally, when no one can see it lol) so when I saw it, it was fading away......
here are some pics I took with my phone. I'm also adding photos of a few other fun plants that I saw during my brief visit to the Huntington Library.

I'm also trying to stop the laziness with my typing. Re: Capital letters! I got into the habit of just typing lower case...must...stop ....lol ;)



( a few more photos )

I just heard that the Corpse Flower is (hopefully) blooming this week!
I've seen it once before and it smells awful but it's such a beautiful flower!
It's at the Huntington Library http://www.huntington.org/thehuntington_full.aspx?id=4132&terms=titan+arum
I hope I can make it :)

I did a Ponting workshop again - 3rd year. It's a 3 day workshop and I'm not the only one returning lol. It was great catching up with everyone :)

This was what I did. Well, the entire class worked on the same still life lol:


Finally set up video chat so I can talk to my parents! I love it :)

It's been overcast lately but it's wonderful

I received an email that I had a spam message on one of my posts here.

I haven't been keeping this updated and it's funny how many people deleted me as a friend because I haven't updated lol! It's ok - I understand. :)

My Dad is in remission now - yay! It's been a long journey but things are looking super great :)
Thank you for your advice, support and prayers :)

As usual, been working a lot. Earlier this year I worked on D****y floats and it was absolutely the most awful experience lol! I'm glad it's over and I can continue my regularly scheduled life. I didn't take photos of the floats.
I hate them. Really. They weren't fun to paint.
Annnnd the entire job was so amazingly, horribly disorganized. It was completely un-fulfilling. I guess I should lock this post....but I won't hehe. If anyone that worked on them actually sees this post - they would agree anyway.


Found this on Youtube. Really cute!

i hope the ass that did this feels more "manly" now... #@#%#@#%$

This man, John Robert McGraham, died after being lit on fire.



http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-homeless13-2008oct13,0,5382004.story?track=rss

from an email.

Wall street bail-out $700 BILLION.

Spending Bill (to be voted on by House of Reps on Wednesday) $600 BILLION
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE48N08M20080924

Is anyone out there angry? irritated? The American people need help but the Auto industry?!
At least it's a "loan" (supposedly)

I understand having to bail out Wall Street but I hate that WE have to pay for it. Meanwhile CEO'S, etc. still get their bullshit money...for doing what?! Screwing everyone. Excellent.

And now off-shore drilling...well, it's ok now.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/23/AR2008092303094.html?hpid=moreheadlines

And the housing crisis. I believe that some people were mislead but I also believe that a lot of people took advantage and were greedy and now they're screwed and rightly so! I have NO sympathy.

This is a little bright light...the FBI is investigating Four Firms
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122221103979869021.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
not that anything will come of it and it'll probably take decades...

oh and lets not forget what the Iraq and Afganistan wars are costing...

I had soooooooooo much fun at the workshop this past weekend. It was at the same place as
last year, the San Clemente Art Supply http://www.scartsupply.com/
There isn't one art supply store in Los Angeles like this place. I love it!!
I worked on my painting the full 3 days - it was definitely a challenge :)
Here's my finished painting 9 x 12 (ish) (a little blurry *sigh*):



I learned a lot and re-learned some things lol. Dianna Ponting is a wonderful teacher
and so cool and personable :)

This is fascinating (to me): http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/science/15sahara.html?ref=world

Yay! i'm off to San Clemente, CA for a pastel workshop with Dianna Ponting http://www.ponting.com/
I went last year and learned a lot - this will be an excellent refresher since i haven't done squat since
the last workshop....sigh.

i'm also thrilled about just leaving - LOL! getting away from the day job...and being by myself.
i'm sure DH is happy too - it's good to have a little time to ourselves :)

man, i can't emphasize enough at how thrilled i am to be away from work! lmao! i wish it was longer! it would be nice to be missed hahahahaha. i'm never away long enough to be missed though....

It's about time. Now we just need all the states to join in

http://cbs2.com/local/ban.steroids.horses.2.775050.html

This is me and my cat Mina - LOL - i love her eyes - so cute :)

Photoshop disasters - wanna good laugh? I'm probably late to this game and everyone has seen this site already but if not, check it out...so funny!:

http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/

I have received emails regarding his work (most people probably received them too)...
well, he has an 11 minute talk on TED:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/279

This is about photographers posting on forums but it
also applies to any creative person visiting forums.

Enjoy: http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/2006/06/great-photographers-on-internet.html

*We went to see the Terra Cotta Warriors at the Bowers Museum :)
It wasn't a huge exhibit but it was incredible! I can't imagine how
people felt when they found these!

I was "smart" lol! i bought the tickets on-line and had them sent to my house.
It was definitely worth it! The line was huge and the wait was long. No problems
for us - zip - zip - walked in, showed our tickets and "voila" into the exhibit we
went :)

http://www.bowers.org/exhibits/TerraCotta_Warriors/index.jsp

here's wiki with photos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army

*I bought an iMac! 2.8 GHz 24" display. It's so beautiful! It makes me want to do
more on the computer as far as creative stuff :)

*Bought some new Terry Ludwig pastels (lights) - i love his pastels :) plus
they're cheaper on ebay - "spunkyfluff" is the seller's name (i think it's actually him)
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZspunkyfluff
eta 6/17/08: the person on ebay is his daughter and after a few days the price was the same on his website as on ebay....

*Work is slowing down - so i'll be able to do more pastels (if i can rip myself away
from this computer lol). well, it SEEMS to be slowing down. There's a possibilty of
an actors strike in July...so we'll see what happens. If there's a strike - ROAD TRIP!!

Hope everything is great with everyone :)

Why isn't this televised? The Oscars are televised and that show does NOTHING
for anyone.

I saw a documentary about TED on Showtime called "TED: The Future We Will Create"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1002695/

TED is INCREDIBLY INSPIRING! The only thing I can do is join
their website: http://www.ted.com/index.php/
and read and learn and learn and read and get inspired and learn and freak out - lol - and try to contribute to this world in a lot of ways.

i can't even imagine going to a conference - lmao - being surrounded by so many interesting,
intelligent, clever, inventive people - talk about being exhausted and overwhelmed yet energized
and inspired.

Majora Carter gave a particulary moving speech. One statement she made was:
"Don't waste me"........this was after "correcting" Al Gore
http://www.ted.com/index.php/profiles/view/id/50109

i'm not a huge fan of of some PETA practices but ...

NORFOLK, Va. (AP)—People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is seeking the suspension of Eight Belles’ jockey after the filly had to be euthanized following her second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

Gabriel Saez was riding Eight Belles when she broke both front ankles while galloping out a quarter of a mile past the wire. She was euthanized on the track.

PETA faxed a letter Sunday to Kentucky’s racing authority claiming the filly was “doubtlessly injured before the finish” and asked that Saez be suspended while Eight Belles’ death is investigated.

“What we really want to know, did he feel anything along the way?” PETA spokeswoman Kathy Guillermo said. “If he didn’t then we can probably blame the fact that they’re allowed to whip the horses mercilessly.”

Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones said the filly was clearly happy when she crossed the finish line.

“I don’t know how in the heck they can even come close to saying that,” Jones told The Associated Press on Sunday. “She has her ears up, clearly galloping out.”

Guillermo said if Saez is found at fault, the group wants the second-place prize of $400,000 won by Eight Belles to be revoked.

Saez, a 20-year-old Panama native, was riding in his first Kentucky Derby. He frequently rides for Jones.

A call to the jockeys’ room at Delaware Park, where Saez raced on Sunday, went unanswered.

Eight Belles, the first filly since 1999 to run in the Derby, appeared fine until collapsing while galloping out after the finish.

The letter to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority also sought a ban on whipping, limits on races and the age of racehorses, and a move to softer, artificial surfaces for all courses.

Another horse (Eight Belles) was injured during the triple crown (Kentucky Derby) and had to be put down - on the track - she broke her front ankles. Barbaro, was injured in 2006 (the Preakness race) and he was put down (after tremendous effort to heal him) months later.

i've heard of stories that one can't even buy horses at auction because they're so pumped with steroids...every state -except Iowa - allows steroid use for horses. Why?

I know trainers, owners, workers, care about horses...but it seems to me that they care more about the money, the profits, the "whatever" more than they care about racing a horse that possibly isn't fit to run a race. i think it's horrible, i think it's inhumane and i hope that this latest incident sheds MORE light on this....abuse, for lack of a better word.

an article from th NY Times in 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/sports/othersports/28horses.html

Talk of Eight Belles euthanized:
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3380226&categoryId=2488837&n8pe6c=1

Big Brown wins Kentucky Derby:
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3380156&categoryId=2488837&n8pe6c=3

I do not think Eight Belles should've been kept out of the race because she was a filly.
i just can't help but think that there is some manipulation to these beautiful creatures, pushing them to the point of hurting themselves...