Last night was the inaugural meeting of Mad Skills Craft Club. We decorated candles with images, glitter, sequins, toy parts, etc. Some people got inspired and made shadowboxes. It was a fun event, where we were able to get creative and make pretty things. You can see more images from the club here. I'm looking forward to next month already.
A blog post on The Wallflower (through the SF Chronicle) on customized Airstream trailers caught my fancy today http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/wallflower/detail?entry_id=49515
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/opinion/13atwood.html
This New York Times article by Roger Atwood, author of the excellent book Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers and the Looting of the Ancient World, explains the importance of involving local people to combat looting. Archaeologically rich areas, such as Peru and Iraq, are commonly impoverished. Unfortunately, poverty can lead to the exploitation of an area's cultural heritage for financial gain of residents. Education of local people and the development of responsible archaeological tourism are both excellent ways to combat looting. In Iraq, tourism cannot be developed like it has been in Peru. However, education and involvement of local people can instill pride in Iraq's heritage. Those who have pride in their cultural heritage are much less likely to loot archaeological sites.
The Pompeii exhibit displays magnificent pieces from the wealthy resort cities on the Bay of Naples, which were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Objects include sculpture, frescoes, and decorative arts. Naturally, photos were not permitted inside the exhibit, so I cannot show my favorite aspect of the exhibit; the hair. The sculptures all featured luscious curly heads of hair, kind of outrageous looking by today's standards, yet so very pretty!
An entire dining room of frescoes from the site of Moregine, to the south of Pompeii, is on display in the exhibit. Entering the room, I felt as if I was stepping back in time. The frescoes feature Apollo, patron of the arts, surrounded by the muses on either side.
Lamp post installation outside at LACMA. Amazing!
We had my birthday dinner at El Conquistador, a very festive colorful restaurant in Silverlake with great art on the walls and super friendly staff. We ate mole enchiladas and enchiladas with an avocado cream sauce. Yum.
Tar Puddle. Tar puddles pop up in various parts of the tar pit park. Visitors can poke a stick in the tar to feel the texture. Be careful though...my sister got tar on her leg from leaning onto the grass by the puddle and the tar wouldn't come off for 2 days!
Visitors even make tar graffitti with sticks dipped in the tar.
This sad mammoth (?) floated back and forth. He must be mounted on a barge. Fat gas bubbles come to the surface of this oily lagoon every few seconds. Slick!
