Quick trip to LACMA

Crazy weather day. Dark clouds, then the wind would blow them away. Made a quick trip to LACMA with Judith to see the netsuke at the Japanese Pavilion. I'm doing a report for my Art of China/Japan class on netsuke and they have a large collection. Netsuke are carved "toggles" that Japanese men wore on their sashes to hold up their smoking pouches or stamps and ink pads (funny how stamps keep popping up). Netsuke are carved from ivory, wood, amber, porcelain and other materials and are very intricate and beautiful. Good photo weather between clouds. Saw a mural on La Brea Blvd. I've never noticed before -- Jackson Pollock -- whom I'm studying in another class. His paint spatters were even on the sidewalk under the mural (clever).

Fun trip to Albuquerque last week. Had an enjoyable time with Miss Jennifer from Auntie Amy's. Those girls are troopers! They are doing a show in Portland this weekend and Mary Kay and Linda from Stamp Camp and Lost Coast are on their third show in a row -- too much travel for me. Love the folks in Albuquerque and glad to see Rhonda, thought she had already left. Lots going on at the fairgrounds; a craft show (Paula Best was in both the craft and stamp show), Mexican wrestling on Saturday night, a flea market (couldn't get away to check it out) and more. We had a flurry of snow one night, in the 40's and 50's the next day and by the day we left it was in the 60's. Stopped by Mariposa Gallery to say hello to Liz and Jennifer but never made it back to shop. Also had an early dinner at the Flying Star Cafe; have to eat there at least once each trip to NM. I always get ideas for new stamps when I visit New Mexico and I bought a dozen photo cards from a vendor at the craft show -- beautiful photos of doors, ravens, landscapes, statues, may be stamps soon.

Mid-terms this week and work in progress on 2 papers and 2 projects. Spent yesterday reading 3 books on Gertrude Stein and am studying today for tomorrow night's exam. Searching the internet I stumbled upon a web site (check out the link) for Margaux Lange. We saw her Barbie jewelry in New York a couple of years ago so I recognized it right away. She's having a show in Seattle, it's almost over, so if you can, check it out, and if you can't, check out the web site. LOVE the Barbie hand earrings!

More later...