Random thoughts on art, technology, stuff, and occasionally Real Estate

NELAArt Second Saturday Gallery Night, March 14

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:53:28 -0600

Saturday, March 13, NELAart presents: SECOND SATURDAY GALLERY NIGHT

WHEN: The Second Saturday of Every Month 7:00-10:00p.m.
WHERE: Highland Park and surrounding neighborhoods.

NELAart Second Saturday Gallery Night is a free self-guided tour of the galleries, non-profits and artist run project spaces located in Northeast Los Angeles (NELA).

NELA has a tradition in the arts that dates back to the early 1900s.

The tradition continues with new spaces opening regularly. NELA is now one of L.A.'s most exciting destinations to view contemporary art.

Individual gallery hours may vary:

Avenue 50 Studios, 121 North Avenue 50

Cactus, 5434 Eagle Rock Boulevard

Cafe de Leche, 5000 York Boulevard

Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, 2225 Colorado Boulevard

Drkrm, 2121 San Fernando Road

Future Studio, 5558 North Figueroa Street

hi tree, 131 North Avenue 50 (behind Avenue 50 Studio)

Jose Vera Fine Art, 2012 Colorado Boulevard

Judson Studios, 200 South Avenue 66

Kristi Engle Gallery, 5002 York Boulevard

Land of Odd Gallery, 4690 Eagle Rock Boulevard

La tierra de la Cuebra, 240 South Avenue 57

MorYork Gallery, 4959 York Boulevard

New Stone Age Mosiacs, 4532 1/2 Eagle Rock Boulevard

Outpost for Contemporary Art, 1268 North Avenue 50

Sea and Space Explorations, 4755 York Boulevard

She Rides the Lion, 133 North Avenue 50

Toros Pottery, 4962 Eagle Rock Boulevard

2 Tracks Art Studio, 135 North Avenue 50 (Next to Avenue 50 Studio)

Verbre Studio and Gallery, 4540 Eagle Rock Boulevard

York Studios, 5029 York Boulevard

NELAart is based in Highland Park and consists of galleries and art organizations located in Northeast Los Angeles who are dedicated to increase the visibility of the thriving arts community in the area. Northeast Los Angeles has a long tradition in the arts. Many working artists now continue this tradition by making their homes and having their studios here. The neighborhood is also home to many galleries, alternative arts spaces and arts organizations. NELAart provides a resource to share information and ideas, and assist in promoting galleries and organizations. Please join us in celebrating the arts in Northeast Los Angeles.

Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society Public Meeting Tuesday March 9, 2010

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:01:23 -0600

Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society Public Meeting
Tuesday March 9, 2010
7:00pm

Lost Eagle Rock

Today Eagle Rock Plaza is "just part of the community". However, this was not always so. Former resident Paul Ohannesian will present an illustrated talk about growing up in the 50's and early 60's in the neighborhood replaced by the Plaza at 7:00 on Tuesday, March 9 at the Center for the Arts
Eagle Rock, 2225 Colorado Blvd. This public meeting of the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served.

Drawing on family photo albums and home movies, Paul will describe life as seen by him at 5135 El Verano Avenue. The talk will include photos of San Rafael Elementary School, which Paul and his brothers attended and which was demolished in 1960. Images of the 1927 Eagle Rock High School buildings as well as some fascinating panoramic photos of the San Rafael hills before and during the construction of the freeway will also be shown.

A graduate of Eagle Rock High School (1964), Paul studied architecture at the University of Southern California and has always had a strong interest in historic buildings and neighborhoods. Though he moved to Canada in 1970, in some ways Paul's heart will always be in Eagle Rock, of which he has many
fond memories.

For more information about the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society, click here

"The product of pure whimsy..."

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:21:49 -0600

Here in Northeast Los Angeles, we have amazing homes of every size, style and description; from small cottages built in the 1800s, to mid-century modern and newly built contemporary.

In my quest to properly name the styles of homes in my neighborhood, I have been buying and reading architectural textbooks.

One small volume I bought is titled "What Style Is It" and there are a couple sentences in the introduction that so perfectly describe the homes in Northeast Los Angeles, I just had to quote them here:

"Many buildings defy stylistic labels. They may represent transitional periods when one style was slowly blending into another; they may exhibit the conscious combination of unrelated stylistic elements for a certain effect; or they may be the product of pure whimsy or eccentricity."

Pure Whimsy and Joyful Eccentricity abound in Northeast Los Angeles. Enjoy!

Opening at Avenue 50 Studio March 13 “Cuentos de Hadas” (Fairy Tales)

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:22:58 -0600

Rapunzel - Esau Andrade

Mercedes Gertz and Esau Andrade reinterpret fairy tales

with photographs by Elizabeth Beristain

Opening Night Reception: Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 7-10 pm

The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present "Cuentos de Hadas" (Fairy Tales), an exhibition of works by two contemporary Mexican artists. Through a narrative language, Gertz and Andrade portray the female vs. male versions of fairy tales. The exhibit opens with an artists' reception on Saturday evening, March 13, 2010 from 7 to 10 p.m. and closes on Sunday, April 4, 2010.

Mercedes Gertz. Using humor and sensuality, Gertz's fairy tale series asks us to consider where women are in the 21st century. Her heroines are unapologetic symbols of female confidence. We sense in them a comfort with the body, with play and decoration. They confidently own the sensual, and relish in being a woman in charge.

These ... fairy or folk tales ... recur over and over through millennia in the guise of innocent stories telling us time and again that the docile, young body gets the prince, that the girl brave enough to venture into the woods-the space of men--meets her fate at the hands of the big bad wolf. Peter Pan lives forever as a boy, Wendy must grow up--it is her calling, her duty, her essential nature. -- Marlena Doktorczyk-Donohue, Art Critic, Essayist, Poet

Esau Andrade. Following in the footsteps of the Latin American surrealists, Esau Andrade twists reality, creating canvases bursting with color that are pop in nature. He instills a childlike exuberance into his delightful paintings. Andrade comes from a folk art background, as both his mother Guadalupe Valencia and brother Raymundo Andrade are also artists. He is mainly a self-taught painter, although attended La Escuela de Artes Plasticas de la Universidad de Guadalajara.

Unlike the candy colored confections of his more stylized folk art paintings, these other works by Andrade place him firmly in the surrealist tradition shared by many Latin masters. He retains a naiveté and originality with quirky images that are both charming and serious, and also remain indebted to his rich culture for visual symbols that are vivid and intense. -- Kathy Zimmerer, Artscene 11/2004

Elizabeth Beristain. Elizabeth was born in Mexico City. A graduate of the Escuela Activa de Fotografia and staff photographer for "El Reforma," one of the top national daily newspapers in Mexico, she moved to Los Angeles as a freelance photographer and later became Photography Editor for the cultural publication Latino Weekly Review. A product of her Mexican mother's artistic sensitivity and her Portuguese father's decidedly more adventurous side, this subtle mixture of Old and the New World influences are germinal elements of Elizabeth's artistry. Additionally, in devising the art direction of her own work, a wider range of crucial creative features shine through, from the world of opera, painting, music, and cinema, in a vision where a unique sense of artistry never intrudes with a boundless appreciation of our common humanity. Elizabeth has participated in various collective and solo shows, both in Mexico and Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband, cinematographer Gabriel Beristain ASC, BSC, and their two children Max and Victoria. She is currently at work on her new series, entitled Crowned Nuns.

March 13, 2010 through April 4, 2010

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
131 North Avenue 50
Los Angeles, CA 90042
323/258-1435
www.avenue50studio.com

Avenue 50 Studio: Closing Event for Here is My Heart: March 7

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:22:10 -0600

Artists and Friends: Sunday, March 7, from 1-3 pm, the Avenue 50 Studio will hold a special closing event for our exhibits Body Language and Here is My Heart. Our Heart fundraiser in the Annex Gallery has been very successful with many of the hearts already sold, but there are a few very special ones that still want to be adopted.

Please bring your friends to our closing event from 1 to 3 p.m. when the auction closes, take home a beautiful heart, and enjoy a last look at the art of our Body Language artists Judithe Hernandez, Jose Lozano, Louie Metz, Willie Middlebrook and Andres E. Montoya.

Light refreshments will be served

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
a 501(c)(3) non-profit art gallery
131 North Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA 90042

323-258-1435

http://www.avenue50studio.com

Sticky Pod Mini to mount a small camera on your dashboard

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:17:05 -0600

I am not a big fan of those real estate agent talking head videos featuring the agent rambling on about this or that topic while driving .....

But that said, I think this little device, the Sticky Pod Mini Dashboard/window Camera Mount, could have plenty of uses:

Watch the video here: http://www.stickypod.com/osc/product_info.php?products_id=55

I think I just might order the three pack in the next few days.

Save This Date: Spring Equinox Sound Bath Friday March 19

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:35:24 -0600

You are invited to resonate in a Spring Quinox Sound Bath, Friday, March 19, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock

2225 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041

Join Jamie Bechtold and Mary Frances Spencer as they welcome the Vernal Equinox with an energizing Spring Concert of Planetary Gongs and Crystal Singing Bowls. Sit back (or bring a blanket and lie down) in the Center's majestic main gallery and relax while being bathed the powerful vibrations of reverberating sound.

RSVP recommended 323-226-1617

$10.00 suggested donatation

For more informationL

www.centerartseaglerock.org

www.dancingspiral.com

www.hennatouch.net

We {HEART} Entrepreneurs

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:54:29 -0600

We {HEART} Entrepreneurs

Who's gonna pull us up out of the recession? My money's on our street corner entrepreneurs. God Bless this guy. I hope he sells all the flowers and all the balloons and ends up with enough money to take his family out to a nice dinner.

Gardening

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 12:24:53 -0600

Google Internet Service

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:56:50 -0600

You can nominate your local community for Google Internet Service here:

http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options

NELAArt Second Saturday Gallery Night, February 13

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:35:28 -0600

Saturday, February 13, NELAart presents: SECOND SATURDAY GALLERY NIGHT

WHEN: The Second Saturday of Every Month 7:00-10:00p.m.
WHERE: Highland Park and surrounding neighborhoods.

NELAart Second Saturday Gallery Night is a free self-guided tour of the galleries, non-profits and artist run project spaces located in Northeast Los Angeles (NELA).

NELA has a tradition in the arts that dates back to the early 1900s.

The tradition continues with new spaces opening regularly. NELA is now one of L.A.'s most exciting destinations to view contemporary art.

Individual gallery hours may vary:

Avenue 50 Studios, 121 North Avenue 50

Cactus, 5434 Eagle Rock Boulevard

Cafe de Leche, 5000 York Boulevard

Future Studio, 5558 North Figueroa Street

hi tree, 131 North Avenue 50 (behind Avenue 50 Studio)

Jose Vera Fine Art, 2012 Colorado Boulevard

Judson Studios, 200 South Avenue 66

Kristi Engle Gallery, 5002 York Boulevard

Land of Odd Gallery, 4690 Eagle Rock Boulevard

La tierra de la Cuebra, 240 South Avenue 57

MorYork Gallery, 4959 York Boulevard

New Puppy, Unit 1, 2808 Elm Street

New Stone Age Mosiacs, 4532 1/2 Eagle Rock Boulevard

Outpost for Contemporary Art, 1268 North Avenue 50

Sea and Space Explorations, 4755 York Boulevard

She Rides the Lion, 133 North Avenue 50

THIS, 5906 North Figueroa Street

Toros Pottery, 4962 Eagle Rock Boulevard

2 Tracks Art Studio, 135 North Avenue 50 (Next to Avenue 50 Studio)

WORKSPACE, 2601 Pasadena Avenue

York Studios, 5029 York Boulevard

Google Buzz

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:14:03 -0600

If you've heard about Google Buzz on the news (the announcement is even showing up on mainstream AM Radio news and network TV news around here) you might be eager to take a look at it.

If you use Gmail, a Buzz link will eventually show up in the left panel of the Gmail screen. It will show up when Google manages to get around to it. There's nothing you can do to install it there on your own. This screen shot is from TechCrunch ... here is the link to their Google Buzz story

HOWEVER, if you have an iPhone or an Android Phone, you can install Google Buzz right now and try it out.

In your phone's browser, go to buzz.google.com, click the little "Do you want to..." message balloon, and stand by. On my iPhone the installation took several minutes;

UPDATE: There is is... I have been BUZZED IN.... now I have Buzz on my Gmail desktop

FaceBook Changes

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:33:15 -0600

FaceBook made some changes to their interface yesterday.

NikNik posted 10 Very Useful Tips here for navigating the new FaceBook layout.

One of those changes is especially annoying for someone who uses FaceBook the way I use FaceBook.

It seems the ability to set a particular Friend List as my default newsfeed is gone.

The ability to create and edit lists is still there, look up in the upper right corner under Account -> Edit Friends.

And the ability to read the lists individually is still there, look in the left column, click on "Friends" and there are your Friend Lists, click on the one you want to read.

BUT I can't set any of those friend lists to display as my default newsfeed. Meaning whenever I log on to FaceBook, it is going to take two more clicks to get where I want to go, and read the people I want to read.

Why is this important to me? I have, for example, a friend list of local politicians. I read that list to know what is going on at L A City Hall.

BUT I don't want those people right up there in my face in my main newsfeed the first moment I log on to FaceBook. No offense intended, Mayor Antonio.

Some links from Mashable:

http://mashable.com/2010/02/04/facebook-redesign-4/

http://mashable.com/2010/02/05/facebook-birthday-video/

Oh, and for what it is worth, here is my old post on using Friend Lists back from when you could make a list your default newsfeed http://activerain.com/blogsview/1195274/organizing-your-facebook-friends-into-lists-will-save-your-sanity

Lots of Holidays on the Way this coming week

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:02:44 -0600

Lots of stuff to plan for this coming week!

Saturday, February 13 is NELAArt Second Saturday

Sunday, February 14 is Lunar New Year AND Valentine's Day

Monday, February 15 is President's Day

Tuesday, February 16 is Mardi Gras

WordPress Thesis Theme: A Little Sidebar Styling

Cheryl Johnson, Bob Taylor Properties, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:35:35 -0600

Want to style the sidebar of your WordPress Thesis Theme and learn a little CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) in the process?

Copy this little snippet of CSS code and paste it into the custom.css file of your Thesis themes installation (wp-content/themes/thesis_16/custom/custom.css)

.custom li.widget ul li{
background:#F0F0F0;
border: 0.1em solid #C7C7C7;
-moz-border-radius:4px;
padding:0.5em;
font-weight: bold;
margin:0.5em;
}

.sidebar h3 {font-weight: bold;}

This little snippet will make the sidebar links in the Thesis Theme look like this:

OK. Suppose you wanted the links to have a different background color... Change the color hex code in this line background:#F0F0F0;

For example, change that line to read background:#FF00FF;

That will give the sidebar links a hot pink background, like this

Lime green, anyone? Change that line to read: background:#ADFF2F;