“Folk Art Everywhere”

“Folk Art Everywhere”

CAFAM, or the Craft and Folk Art Museum, in Los Angeles, has  marvelous public programs.

 Called “Folk Art Everywhere“, this unique program “… promotes the unique cultural and artistic landscape of Los Angeles by bringing art into unexpected spaces and celebrating all folk. Look for us in restaurants, markets, community centers, coffee shops, bookstores and other places where people naturally gather.”

All over the city, interested participants can learn to build their own percussion instruments, help to create a one-hour radio segment, or, as we did recently, observe and savor a Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony.

Held at the  Little Ethiopian Restaurant, located in no other than the  “Little Ethiopia” neighborhood of L.A., our adventure was kicked off by the owner sharing with us the concept and meaning of the traditional coffee-making ritual of his native Ethiopia.

We were a varied, enthusiastic, and fascinated group, asking many questions, such as what was the significance of the popcorn displayed in bowls on the long table. Answer as I understood it: the popcorn represents the harvest.  And, it is a fun and tasty little prelude to the freshly made coffee we were going to taste.

The raw coffee beans are roasted.  The popcorn is nibbled.

An electric burner substitutes for the traditional brazier, and modern coffee grinder for the more time-consuming mortar and pestle.

The Jebena,  the traditional container used to brew the coffee, is usually made of pottery. “Typically when the coffee boils up through the neck it is poured in and out of another container to cool it, and then is put back into the jebena until it happens again. To pour the coffee from the jebena a filter made from horsehair or other material is placed in the spout of the jebena to prevent the grounds from escaping.” —http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jebena

Our lovely and friendly guide!

The moment we have all been waiting for, (or I have, anyway!).  Encouraged by the tantalizing fragrance, we are at last able to “wake up and smell the coffee”…and taste it too!

I am here to tell you…it didn’t disappoint!  And neither did the delicious Ethiopian lunch we enjoyed afterwards.  We needed some sustenance to go with our coffee, of course.

Learning about cuisine and culture, enjoying gastronomic delights, chatting with like-minded individuals…what’s not to love?

Many thanks to Mr. Sonny Abegaze, Project Manager, Folk Art Everywhere, A Project of the Craft and Folk Art Museum.

Another example of L.A.’s moveable feast.  Don’t miss it.  Folk Art  IS Everywhere!

Pictogram III: Sky High in Santa Monica

Pictogram III: Sky High in Santa Monica

Worth a thousand words?  It would take a poet’s skill to capture these painting of nature  in words. So much we could say..but the “pictogram”  says it all.

Happy Sky-Gazing!

I See the Moon…

I See the Moon…

Does anyone  remember the children’s song, “I see the moon, and the moon sees me…the moon sees somebody I want to see…“- I think those are the words, er, lyrics, approximately…and they must have really made an impact, as I seem to recall them often upon moon-sighting, many decades later!

Recently, on our way to a screening, and driving from Santa Monica to West Hollywood, I was amazed to see a perfect Moon hanging magically over the horizontally organized Los Angeles landscape of buildings and freeways.  Despite their attempt to grab the spotlight, our companion the Moon effortlessly embodied center stage.

Hastening out my little camera, I was able to capture the pale golden globe floating over a row of streetlights, and looking for all the world like a larger version of one of them.  A natural showstopper, the Moon seems always to exceed performance expectations.

We hurtled forward like you do in L.A., on or off the freeways, and soon our glowing friend made another appearance, again reflecting the shape and luminosity of the street lights, yet claiming a role of its own.

Back in beautiful Santa Monica after a  lovely lit screening of Oscar contender “The Artist” (it will light you up!) , we saw the Moon again.  Flanked by nature, and perfectly positioned between building and trees, it was hard to believe this was the same celestial actor in the pantheon of our galaxy.

Yet, we knew rationally that it was.  How many miles away…yet still comforting, thrilling, reassuring, stimulating, and provoking sentiment through its manifest mystery.  Our Moon will take the award this year while lighting up our hearts, just because that is what it does.  Not a brand, a flavor, a value-added proposition….the Moon exalts us with the authenticity of its own nature, and continues, without a hiccup, to light our way through the night…if we are lucky enough to notice the nuances.

Good night Moon…and Thank you!

What celestial bodies have YOU seen lately, and how did they touch You?

If You feel so inclined, please share about it with us here.

We love to hear from You.

Remember, we are all lending light to the nocturnes of each other’s life, together.

Love and Light be with you!

Pictogram I: Sitting Pretty in Santa Monica

Pictogram I: Sitting Pretty in Santa Monica

Setting the scene for sensational seating….

To Be Continued….

Santa Monica’s Magical Style: Convex, Concave and Curvilinear

Santa Monica’s Magical Style: Convex, Concave and Curvilinear

By turns magical, moving, and magnificent, Santa Monica exemplifies the outsized and over the top sensibility Los Angeles is known for. However, this beach town also holds quiet gems often discovered by happenstance.  Join me for a magical, mufti-faceted look at the ebb and flow of this “home of the California beach lifestyle”.

Organic meets geometric, creating magic in concrete forms.

A magical curvilinear wall of stones stands in front of Santa Monica’s Yahoo Center.

An over-sized exterior sculpture bubbles out from the side of a building, adding a bit of magic to the urban landscape.

A flowing window grate creates artful protection, as well as magical  beauty.

The Zebra car plugs in…stay tuned for another post devoted to this magical car.

Madame Chou Chou  bistro and patisserie on Main Street, offers spiral magic with its cutlery, as if the delightful patisseries weren’t enough!

What magical convex, concave and curvilinear sights have You seen lately?

If You feel so inclined, please share them with us here.

We love to hear from You.

Remember, we are all in the ebb and flow of this magical thing called Life, together.

Wishing You a magical holiday filled with a heightened awareness of the extraordinary all around us.

Cheers!