Mercury in Retrograde

Whenever someone blames difficulties on cosmic events and planetary alignments I like to have a healthy skepticism.  However, the last few weeks have wreaked a special kind of havoc.  So, I decided to do a little background check on this Mercury dude to get the low-down on why he messes things up so much when he decides to go backwards.

Mercury goes retrograde 3 to 4 times a year.  The planet doesn't actually go backwards, it just slows down, creating the illusion in the night sky that it's moving in the opposite direction.

Mercury is the ancient Roman God of trade and profits, merchants and travelers.  In ancient Greek Mythology he was known as Hermes. (Painting: Mercury by Hendrick Goltzius).

Sorry.  Got distracted there for a minute.  Not Hermes, the French designer who creates beautiful scarves (future post).  Back to Mercury.

No.  Not Freddie Mercury.

I wonder if there's Mercury on Mercury.

Anyway.  The planet Mercury is believed to rule communication, commerce and transportation as well as intelligence education and truth.  All of which go haywire when in retrograde periods. (Painting by Giacomo Balla: Mercury Passing Before the Sun as Seen Through a Telescope 1914).

 

There are frequent communication gaps and misunderstandings.  Things get Lost in Translation.

Have you noticed any computer or electronic problems?  Glitches and breakdowns are common and weak links are revealed.

Basically, it's annoying.  The best thing to do is admit you're powerless and try not to take any major action until Mercury starts moving forward once again.  In other words, don't quit your job (at least till after this period is over and you make a calm decision).

And most importantly remember: to move forward sometimes you have to take a step back to get a better look at where you should be heading.

It goes direct September 12th but takes a few days to wake up and get moving.

Adult Beverage of the Month (A.B.O.M.): The Rose Martini

The end of the summer calls for a special dose of libations both to mourn the loss of summer (here in LA it will be known as The Summer That Stood Up LA), and to celebrate the upcoming TV season.  My husband created this unique and beautiful cocktail we call the Rose Martini.  It uses the unexpected ingredients of Rose Water and edible flowers.

Flowers:

Sugar

Water

Edible Flowers (these were from Whole Foods)

 

Mix just enough water with sugar in a saucepan to dissolve the sugar.  Boil hard for about 5 minutes.  Let cool a few minutes--it will start to harden.  Brush onto the edible flowers.

Martini:

Vodka

Rose Water (You can get this at Whole foods or Persian markets)

Ice

Fill shaker with ice.  Pour in enough vodka for 1 cocktail (depends on the size of your glass!).  Add 1/2 teaspoon of Rose Water.  Shake vigorously (I like ice crystals in my Martini).  Pour into chilled glass.  Garnish with 2 flowers.

Lovely!

Enjoy!

LA Stories: Rose Bowl Flea Market, the Collectors

So far I've shown pictures from the Rose Bowl Flea Market of the Bizarre Bazaar, and the Pretty Things.  This post is of the Collectors.  I don't mean rare, expensive items (sorry, I don't know enough about that kind of collecting).  I mean collecting a bunch of one item.  Even the most mundane objects, when grouped together can create a visual impact.  And some things are just creepy.  Happy Labor Day!

I can just imagine what a treasure chest inside a Spanish galleon looks like.

Nice choice of fabric color to enhance these beautiful turquoise rings and bracelets.  I like the random crucifix thrown in.

I don't even want to know what that circular thing is.  I used this photo to create a McQueen-esque print.

I'll keep it in my thought bubble. 

It's a tin farm.

I guess if you can't untangle it, you can buy the whole thing.

Random groups of objects.

For my golf friends.

Can't leave out the AV geeks.

Mmmm, beer.  I don't actually know if they were for sale, but not sure why people would buy empty beer cans.  It looks like a party, though.

Gives new meaning to "buying some time".  I need that like nobodies business.

There's a slightly sinister look to this.

There are a few other flea markets I need to check out here in LA.  One is really close to me on Fairfax and Melrose, the other is at Dodger Stadium (giving the Rose Bowl a run for it's money).  Any others I should go to?

BADD Baby

I created a line of baby shirts back around 2003 called BADD Baby (Babies Against Dirty Diapers).  This was before I knew anything about the production, sales, and licensing of designs.  Or let's just say long before I knew how to make any money from it.  I thought I could ride on my idealism and they would magically be sold without me having to get them out there and learn about the cold, hard world of sales.  In other words, I have an endless supply of great baby shower gifts!  They were picked up in a few boutiques in NYC and featured in New York magazine and the style section of the New York Post.  I had so much fun designing them and really learned about the process of having my own business.

 The "Logo" shirt.

The Lotus.  One of my best sellers.

Sista.  Always a conversation starter.

Brotha.

Baby Buddha.

Baby Buddha came in a variety of styles.

Peace-Out.  The Iraq war had recently started, so this was my way of sending some love out to the world.

Hamsa.  This is a Middle East symbol for protection.  In a mother/daughter version.

BADD.  I was inspired by the Juicy Couture "Juicy" sweatpants.  We all know babies are Bad-asses at heart.

  

This was a promotional postcard I sent out (Thanks Jim and Janet Duff--and of course Aiden for providing the right attitude!!).

So, I had to put together a little outfit for the boys: BADD Brotha tank, BADD sweats, DC skate shoes, fedora (naturally), and Skull Hoodie.

Not to be left out, an outfit for the girls: BADD Lotus tank layered with L/S tee, Juicy Couture jacket, shirred Bermuda shorts, Gremlin plush backpack, and, my favorite, baby Ugg's (or, as I like to refer to them: b'Uggs).

Cute!

 

McQueen's Inspiration: Prints

I will forever be inspired by Alexander McQueen, even though he is no longer with us.  Having spent years designing textile prints, I appreciate his innovation and daring.  With the advances in technology and emergence of digital printing, there are no limits now to creativity.  I was playing around in Photoshop creating a background for another project, when I started having too much fun cropping my existing photos and mirroring them horizontally and vertically.  Here's what I came up with.  Many of these photos I have already used in my posts.

 

Flowers

Feathers

Jewels

Tools

Fabric

Graffiti

Black and White Graffiti

Orchids

Jaguar

This one is probably the most McQueen-esque.

 

I plan on exploring this further in another post and getting more creative with the layouts.

Stylin': 1940's Noir

I was inspired by this beautiful vintage dress to put together a little 1940's Film Noir-esque outfit.  Add in some fog, an old car, Humphrey and Ingrid, and some crows, naturally, to get the mood right.

Vintage dress available at Gumbygirl.  Vintage coach bag, green felt hat, brooch, and earrings.  Shoes not vintage but are still in character, available at Modcloth.

Artist Series: Michael Logsdon, Historical Illustrations

I have known my friend Mike for a long time--I used to work on scarf designs with him at Echo Design Group (what seems like a decade ago--oh yeah, it was!).  In addition to being a talented artist, he is also a history buff and has an epic knowledge of trivia.  Which is probably one of the reasons we get along so well!  He has combined his love of history and stories with his artistic abilities to create some wonderful illustrations.  He has written a little bit about himself as well as descriptions of his paintings. (His words are all in Italics).

"I love history, both real and imagined. I’m a hopeless romantic, and there is nothing quite like being taken back to another time and place. As an illustrator I can idealize it, enhance the experience, or go in any direction I want. I have always had a special affinity for classic children’s fairy tales. I think my favorite image is the mythical medieval village where so many of these stories are set. Life was rarely as idyllic as it is made to look in these stories, but that’s the magic of illustration.
As much as I enjoy the imaginary past, I’d also like to do more straight history illustrations. I love the research, finding out tidbits about the period".

 Romeo and Juliet

"These two paintings are from a series of five. I met a couple at our local Medieval festival and they agreed to pose in costume.  I used Photoshop for the lighting effects in the Balcony scene, which was the first time I’d used it like that. I’ve used this technique a few times since, but I don’t like to lean too heavily on it. The death scene, for instance, was not enhanced, and it’s one of my favorites. This painting, like all the rest, was done in oil".

Jack and the Beanstalk

 "I’ve always wanted to illustrate Jack and the Beanstalk. It’s one of my favorite fairy tales, and I really had fun with it".

Hansel & Gretel

"This illustration presented quite a few challenges to me. I haven’t done many paintings with indoor atmospheric lighting. By the way, that’s my daughter in the white dress, and our cat Sugar on the floor".

Fairies

"I painted this piece for my daughter. She actually gave me a lot of pointers on the ins and outs of fairy life. Who knew"?

 

The Emperor's New Clothes

"I just finished this piece, and it was as fun to paint as it is to look at. I’m really getting that Medieval village thing down".

Escaped Slave

"This one has a more realistic theme than some of my other work. I really enjoyed painting the horse".

She's a Witch!

"This is my earliest painting in the group. It’s not quite as polished as some of the later pieces, but it’s still one of my favorites. It very clearly tells a story, which is always a goal of mine".

"I don’t currently have a website, but I soon will. Try Googling my name in a few months, or e-mail me at mike.log@verizon.net if you want to contact me. I hope you enjoy the work".

I love the details, compositions, and colors of Mike's paintings--but I also love the stories they tell.
  Thanks Mike!

Update:  Mike now has a website and blog.  Click here for the link.