William Eggleston has been a huge part of my studies as a photographer. Before him, I learned about his predecessors, Walker Evans and Robert Frank. I love their photographs, but it was Eggleston who I was mad about. THOSECOLORS. That seriously complicated sounding dye transfer processing. He could make objects we see every single day look so otherworldly. I felt such a connection to the way he saw things, I just wanted to emulate the way he photographed. Of course I was always disappointed with feelings of self loathing because my images would never be as good. Never. If you haven't seen William Eggleston in the Real World, I highly recommend it. You get to observe his process of going out and finding things to photograph. It happens very organically, which is refreshing. No studio lighting, no gimmicks, just him, his camera and the sunlight.
In my last post, I mentioned both William Eggleston and David Lynch in the same sentence. I just found this gem going down the rabbit hole!The internet is wild.
This scanned image is from my latest issue of Lula Magazine #15 (thanks, Angie!). This photo spread was my absolute favorite and looks like it was shot in Barstow or Joshua Tree. I couldn't get the image above out of my head. See anything familiar? I wonder if it was a conscious influence for the photographers, or pure coincidence?
We had the pleasure of being invited to an art reception for Nancy Riegelman Picot, at the Chateau Marmont. This is a place I have always been intrigued about and wanted to visit. It has that gorgeous classic architecture and an old Hollywood mystique, so it felt like a natural place to take photos. The funny thing is that the staff didn't really let me take photos for privacy issues, being that it is swarming with the famous and infamous. However, I could take plenty of photos in the two bedroom suite, where the reception was being held. Fancy.
Stefani is Nancy's assistant and introduced me to her a few years ago. She came to support one of our group exhibitions with our art collective, From Here to There.I remember being in awe of how high her platform shoes were. Nancy has a great sense of style. She was even interviewed for Nylon TV.
Nancy designed these tongues, and had them made from glass. I love how they were placed on top of the bed, and how delicate they look under the lamp light.
Here I am admiring the pink tiles of this classic bathroom. I could see myself living here (in my fantasy life).
I believe these are watercolors by Nancy. The jewels look almost real from afar, and the frames themselves are a work of art with that subtle, golden sheen. My favorite piece was the pink ribbon necklace on that bedside table. I really enjoyed the context of the work, and it made me think about travel and what someone might bring to a hotel. Jewelry is something I try not to forget, underwear is another. The glass tongues touched on a sensual element of travel and leisure. I love the intimacy of seeing work in a hotel versus being in a stark gallery. It really worked for these pieces.
Speaking of underwear...these are paintings by Michael Perelman, who was also a part of the exhibit. I could not find enough information about him, but I really loved his realistic paintings and his use of light. I've never seen white undies look more beautiful.
This woman looked very elegant and told me she used men's dress shirts to create her full length gown. I loved that she made this herself. That wreath! I found out that she also has a blog. Click on it here.
All and all, it was an inspiring evening filled with art, friends, and fancy times.
This LA summer hasn't been that bad. I mean, it's been really, ridiculously hot, but that is good for beach days (I need one of those), and maybe evening picnics (in the shade), and the summer is great for sipping on cold beverages while hanging out on your porch (if you have a porch), or sitting on your front steps, or the grass, or in your air conditioned vehicle....
I love the summer and need to take more advantage of it while I house sit this week for my friend's Alex and Britt. I'll be documenting my stay and cannot wait to see what I come up with. Highland Park and Montecito Heights are rich with history, and I love to explore that area. I'll be snapping photos during that exploration and taking in the scenery. More on that very soon!
While we bask in the sunlight, here is something to look forward to in the Fall/Winter. I am dying over these J.Crew for Fall ensembles. So chic and classic with a colorful twist.
W A N T
I absolutely love this bright coral dress and that drop waist. This one is on my wish list! All you need is some pink lipstick and heels! So elegant.
I love how outfits are put together for this company. They come up with great combinations that I would never even think of. That skirt and sweater together is just gorgeous, with those red shoes and everything.....SO RAD! A stand out for the next New Years Eve bash!
Cable knit and sequence? Sign me up!
This whole outfit is a winner. Something Bianca Jagger would have worn at Studio 54. She puts my 30th birthday party to shame, btw.
Last Thursday morning, I did a terribly crazy thing and woke up at 4am. Why, you ask? Press play.
I made it to the Americana at Brand around 6 in the morning, wearing my favorite plaid trench and some comfortable oxfords. I was ready to dawn the long lines and hopefully snag that whimsical flower necklace (honestly, the only piece in the collection I was coveting).
When I reached Glendale, I anticipated lines around the building. As I drove past, no lines in front of the store. I parked and walked over. I perked up when I saw the window display. The shop girl was sprucing it up and glanced up at me with the most annoyed look on her face. Again, no lines. Odd and much too good to be true. I was going to walk around and do some window shopping, when at the corner of my eye, there it was....the line. Some people looked like they camped out, with sleeping bags, a mattress...a lot of people were still wearing pajamas. I walked passed and checked out my competition. I was glad to see that I wasn't that far behind (maybe 100 people in). I snapped some polaroids, C O M I N G S O O N, and made some friends.
Jennifer, and I didn't catch the other woman's name, but I do know that she works at the Atwater Village farmer's market and sells soap? ? As we got to the front of the line and could see people leaving with bags and bags full of stuff, we felt a little defeated. This lady came out wearing a leopard print coat and little dainty heels. Her man was with her, in sweats and a baseball cap, carrying all her goodies. The peanut gallery was in full effect at that moment, and my new friends made me laugh with the commentary. There was so much hype for this collection, as there should be, yet that just elevated everything to the worst level. When it was finally our time (around 9:30am), I was part of a group of 30 that was able to enter the store. They only gave us 15 minutes to shop, and I had forgotten what my game plan was. Well, frankly, I didn't really have a game plan. They also distract you with music, L O U D music. Then this guy on a megaphone tells people when their time is up.
"Only 5 seconds remaining ! ! !"
So much pressure.
My worst nightmares came true when I saw that there were no accessories in sight. Just one necklace, similar to the one I wanted, on display. The display area was off limits. What a tease.
When I finally got to enter the section, women started to push their way through, and by that point I felt so unmotivated to grab anything. It was a madhouse of cat fights, and grabby hands, and size 0s, and unlined parkas, with nothing left for me. I had a chance to grab one of the tee shirts, but when I saw it up close, I felt underwhelmed.
"meh" became my reaction for that morning. I don't know if any collection is worth this kind of agony. I know that I need to spend at least two hours in a store, and that excludes trying things on (add 20 minutes, maybe).
You can find photos of the collection and the extended commercial by Sofia Coppola here. Also on ebay, most likely.
This past Halloween, I decided to dress up like a stereotypical Frenchman. I already had a beret, a scarf, my snazzy blazer....
What I really needed was a striped tee-shirt, but I was low on cash and extra low on time, so I decided to take an old white tee and have my lovely boyfriend draw some beautiful stripes with a black sharpie.
I wore my costume proudly, complete with painted on mustache.
I showed it to Jeauxinstantly and for a moment we felt pretty ahead of the curb (although, I'm sure we aren't the only ones who have made DIY stripe tee-shirts). Anyway, theirs is pretty profesh looking. It gave me inspiration to start wearing mine out and about.
