I'm here at the Farmer's Market at a blue-topped table having a hot chocolate with just the tiniest bit of whipped cream, thinking about the rock. By that I mean the 340 ton boulder that now resides at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). You may have heard about how it cost LACMA ten million or so dollars for the rock, the construction of the site at LACMA and cost to transport it from a Riverside, California rock quarry, all the way to Los Angeles, and how people got up in the middle of the night and lined the streets to track it's progress, kind of like the Olympic torch. And how it arrived at LACMA at 2:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning, with a crowdout to greet it. I wish I had been there, but I did the next best thing: I went to see it. Like other works of art, it's attracting a lot of people. Many of the rock viewers like to have their picture taken while standing under it with their hands in the air positioned as if they are holding it. I chose the alternate pose - standing next to it, pushing it into place. (The dolls are anxious to see it too, and I foresee a photo shoot in the offing!) While it's not the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, or Stonehenge, it is a giant rock and is at the center of a larger work by artist Michael Heizer entitled "Levitated Mass." What makes it an experience is that it is suspended above a little road that was made especially for it that dips down into a valley under it. LACMA also devoted a parking-lot sized lawn, covered in sand, to it. If you go on a Friday night, you can hear a free live jazz band starting at 6:00 p.m. On Saturdays at 5:00, it's live salsa, and on Sundays, classical in the Bing Auditorium.
We went last Saturday night and were drawn to it and to all the people who were also drawn to it. In the near distance, we heard the salsa band and later joined the revelers on the nearby museum lawn, where people were camped out with their kids, their camp chairs, coolers, strollers and picnics. We joined the dancers for the last few songs and then topped off the evening at the nearby Farmer's Market for more free music. So if you live in L.A. or anywhere nearby, go experience a levitated mass! See you next week. Sasha
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About a year ago, I rescued a Raggedy Andy that Sophie brought back from a thrift store in Costa Rica who was losing his stuffing. I took him apart and made him a new back. After that, I made a Raggedy Ann to go with him, as you may have seen in past posts. When she was finished, I brought her to show my friends at my favorite fabric store, International Silks and Woolens (ISW). One of them, S, fell in love with Annie, so I decided to make one for her. S suggested brown hair. Well, it took more than a year, but I finally finished Raggedy Angela, our little brunette Raggedy, complete with red and white polka dot bloomers and blue flower-sprigged dress. Raggedy Angela, like all the Raggedys, is very friendly and she managed to bring all of the Raggedys together. (The Raggdeys have a weakness for dogs, so you may see Sophie’s dog, Ruby, in some photos.) Raggedy Angela especially bonded with blond Annie, so I made them matching bloomers and aprons. Knowing that Angela was going to be leaving soon, we took lots of pictures of her with the other Raggedys, including the two Andys. As I was photographing one day, I noticed that Rafael (Nom de Plume alert!) was wearing a red and white checked shirt and blue shorts. All that was missing were the red and white striped socks! So I asked him to pose with his brother Raggedys and he kindly agreed. Finally, the day came for Raggedy Angela to go to S at ISW, where she was warmly received. Sophie and Malekai went with me to deliver her and we took some pictures outside. Angela fit perfectly into my pink and orange Lancombe gift-with-purchase tote and looked almost real! While I miss her, [Sasha, she is a DOLL!], I know she is happy in her new home and it is fun to think of all the adventures she must be having there. As we head into fall, there are lots of dolls in the making with plans for more, including some small dolls and Peter and Polly Patches, who are to be my version of the Raggedys! Also, Sallie plans to come over in a few weeks to make a Raggedy Ann as a pal for the Andy she made last fall and to start a twin for Andre Ethier. (Sallie just looooves Andre!) Summer has sped by. Soon Sophie and Malekai will be heading back to Costa Rica,
hopefully with lots of dolls in tow, and Sallie will be back in school. I’ve been making a point of setting up some outings at the Hollywood Bowl and taking advantage of free concerts at the Los Angeles County Art Museum and the Farmer’s Market.( If you live in L.A. and haven’t done either of those things yet this summer, it’s not too late. If nothing else, go see the giant rock!) Have a great week! And go hear some art! Sasha |
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