View from Mount Waterman

View from the top of Mt. Waterman in the Angeles National Forest. What a fantastic day!

My Paintings at Home in Los Angeles

Late last year I was commissioned by Umesh Vaghjiani, uber-talented interior designer and owner of Inbox Designs in Los Angeles, to create two new paintings for his client's new bedroom. I was honored to produce the two works you see pictured above the bed in this photo.

I think the room is gorgeous!

It is so gratifying to know that my work is bringing joy to the homeowner each time he enters the sanctuary of his new bedroom.

Thank you, Umesh, for giving me the opportunity to collaborate with you on this project. It was such a pleasure to create these pieces for you and your client!

See the paintings up close here.

Nine Years Ago Today

Photo from the Angeles National Forest Lookout Association

Nine years ago today was my first hike with Matt: 12 miles round trip from Shortcut Saddle to Vetter Mountain Lookout in the Angeles National Forest. The lookout burned down in the Station Fire of 2009, but Matt and I are still going strong—I love that guy!! You can donate to help rebuild the Vetter Mountain Lookout here.

Maneki Neko in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles

When I was in Los Angeles last week, my friend Kim and I took a stroll around Little Tokyo. I saw this Maneki Neko in the window of a shop, and fell in love with it. Maneki Neko is a “beckoning cat” which is known as a welcoming cat, and is also thought to attract luck and fortune. I think I may get one for my next art show, and see if my sales improve! I want one that’s about 6 inches tall.

Downtown L.A. Fashion District Mannequins

On Friday morning I went down to the Fashion District in Downtown Los Angeles to get some visual stimulation, and to see what’s new at Michael Levine’s fabric store. Whenever I’m in L.A., I like to see what’s new.

These two displays of head-wear were right next to each other on the street. I like the juxtaposition of the rainbow-colored wigs next to the rainbow umbrella (top). And there was just something funny (and a little creepy) about all those stuffed animal hats, especially on the head with drawn-on eyes (bottom).

I bought two small blue feather boas for $2.50 each. I have an idea I want to try with one of my paintings. If it works out, you’ll probably see it in a future blog post.

Devastated about the Station Fire in the Angeles National Forest

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Originally uploaded by Scott Dukes

UPDATE 10/20/09: Today, 53 days after it began, the Station Fire has officially been declared “contained.” I’m looking forward to my next trip to L.A. so we can maybe get a look at the places we love to see how they’ve changed. I fully expect the wildflowers to be amazing each spring for the next few years.

Matt and I have spent more time in the Angeles National Forest high country than anywhere else. We know the trails like the back of our hands! Our first date consisted of a 12-mile hike on the Silver Moccasin Trail to Mt. Vetter & the Vetter Mountain Fire Lookout. Our second date was a hike up San Gabriel Peak to watch an amazing meteor shower.

Matt worked at the Chilao Visitor Center while he worked on his masters degree. There was a stuffed black bear in the visitor center that we named “Curtis”. There were special trees in the forest too. One I remember specifically, we called “Murphy”. I wish I had taken a picture of him.

Rumor is that the Chilao Visitor Center is gone, as is Newcomb’s Ranch. Most of our other favorite spots will be forever changed. But most of all I feel a deep sense of sadness for the Forest Service employees and other residents who have lost their homes, and the two fire fighters who died.

Matt took this photo of Chilao Visitor Center when he used to work there for the Forest Service. What a spectacular building. I hope it survived!

The area hasn't burned in about 50 years. The terrain is extremely steep and rocky. Lots of manzanita and other bushy chaparral cover the ground. These kinds of plants are loaded with oils that help them survive drought conditions, but can be explosive during a wildfire.

More Station Fire Images / Los Angeles Wildfires

This photo by @kjdrill shows the fires across the city from Mullholland Drive. Matt and I used to live about 2 minutes from Mullholland Drive in Studio City.

This image was taken by Kevin Tiqui from Sugarloaf (not sure where in LA that is).

Aerial Views of Los Angeles Basin

Glendale/Pasadena area... Look closely at in the bottom right quadrant and you can make out the Rose Bowl.

I’m in Los Angeles again on a business trip. I’m so appreciative that Matt was able to take two days off work to make the 12-hour drive from Colorado and spend the weekend with me in the city. He flew back to Grand Junction yesterday and took these amazing aerial shots from the plane.

Our old neighborhood stomping grounds ... Hollywood, the Cahuenga Pass, and Studio City.

Antelope Valley... I like this one because you can really make out the parallel roads and development all along the valley floors. There’s sprawl as far as the eye can see!

Check out Matt’s flickr page here.

Back in Los Angeles

Matt and I are back in LA for the next week so I can do some work with FIDM—I’m trying to finish up their college catalog design so I can send my files to the printer... sigh... This project is really beginning to draaag. I think it will be a great piece when it finally gets completed—If I survive that long!

Our trip: We drove through several hours of rain in Utah, which was unusual simply because it rarely rains in the desert, and when it does it’s usually just for a few minutes. By the time we arrived in Vegas it was sunny and a warm 100°. Then, as we came down the hill at Cajon Pass, we could see a blanket of brown resting over Southern California... *cough, cough*

We’re thinking about going to Ojai tomorrow (Oak Pit BBQ—A dive with the best bbq in California, and the best fries too!)... or maybe hiking Mount Williamson in the Angeles National Forest. . . I’m definitely going to Golden Bridge Yoga several times this week for a few kundalini classes... and I won’t leave the city without at least one meal at my favorite Thai restaurant.

Update: Um, we went back to Oak Pit BBQ, and apparently the ownership has changed. They completely remodeled the interior, so instead of having a quirky charm, it's totally generic. And the same thing happened to their food. Instead of delicious hand-cut fries, now it's the frozen kind. Blech. And the sandwiches just didn't have the same oomph in the new sterile atmostphere.

Matt’s Photos of Downtown L.A.

Downtown Los Angeles from the roof (14th floor) of the Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC).

Matt came with me last week when I had a business trip to Los Angeles. We stayed right in downtown at the L.A. Athletic Club. I always love having him accompany me on my work trips, because we get together with friends and we usually get to go hiking in the Angeles National Forest.

Looking southwest from the roof (14th floor) of the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
The purple light is coming from Staples Center and L.A. Live.

The L.A. Athletic Club has a rooftop area where people can go hang out (though from all appearances, it seemed like no one had been up there in a while). Matt got the great idea to go up there one foggy night and photograph the city. These images are beautiful!

Check out more of Matt McGrath’s photos here.

Los Angeles Architecture Tour

On Thursday, a few of my colleagues from FIDM and myself went on an architectural tour of Los Angeles. It was awe-inspiring!

The first building we visited was the new CalTrans building in downtown LA. I loved that the architect, Thom Mayne of Morphosis, chose to use mostly building materials that are associated with transportation infrastructure, and allowed these materials to become sculptural elements that are raised to the level of art... whereas these features are often simply functional and go unnoticed in their original environments on freeways and overpasses, etc. This building is located at the intersection of 100 Main Street and 100 First Street in downtown, so the huge (4-story) number really becomes a great landmark.

After the CalTrans building, we saw the 19th century Bradbury Building, also in downtown. The interior of the Bradbury building was like a very ornamental Escher drawing, with staircases floating through the interior. I also loved the elevator shafts that were out in the open, with amazing decorative iron work. My photos didn't really come out, because it was too dark in the space...

Later, we visited Richard Neutra’s home in Silverlake, which was in terrible disrepair. I was disappointed, actually... but then we were able to see Neutra’s masterpiece, the Lovell Health House (above), where the current owner/occupant showed us around. The funniest thing about it was when we walked in, many of us immediately recognized it as Pierce Pratchett’s house in the movie LA Confidential.

After lunch, we drove to Santa Monica, where we were able to snoop around the exterior of the house where Frank Gehry currently lives. Pictured is the area where the dining room is located. You could see the original Dutch Colonial home underneath all the geometric protrusions and additions that jut out from the original structure.

We also visited the Case Study House #8, the house built and lived-in by Charles and Ray Eames in Pacific Palisades. The house is left exactly as it was when Ray Eames passed away in the 1980s. They wouldn’t allow us to take photos of the interiors... but the contradiction of the interior space to the exterior is what I found most interesting. The boxy, clean modernist style of the construction was juxtaposed against a multitude of items and nic-nacks that cluttered the house.

Dusk in Los Angeles

I was in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago, and completely forgot to download some of my photos until now... Matt and I got lucky and scored a room on the top floor of the hotel, just across the street from the new L.A. Live complex and Staples Center. I opened the curtains at dusk to begin my yoga practice, but instead I was stunned by the beauty of the scene out the window.

I love the LA Kings!

I had to go to Los Angeles last week for some meetings and work at The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Luckily, Matt was able to get off work and make the trip with me.

Dustin Brown is one of my favorite players.

Matt introduced me to the NHL in 2004, and the LA Kings immediately became my favorite team... We got the chance to see three home games this week versus San Jose, Anaheim, and Carolina. The Anaheim game was really exciting with lots of physical play. And the Carolina game was a nail-biter, but we were able to pull off a win in OT.

I just ordered NHL Center Ice this morning, so we can see all the games on TV from Colorado. I’m looking forward to our next trip to LA so we can see another game in person. Hockey is definitely the best sport to see live.

Haiku from an L.A. Neighborhood

Walking down the street—

Astute observer yells out,

“You are a white girl!”