Contemporary Tibetan art

June 23, 2015, 12:48 am

≫ Next: Elise Hill aka Lee Rogers, artist and homeless person

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Contemporary Tibetan art is exciting to me. The art works I've included below have a lot of exuberance, a sense of play and fun. They use the Tibetan traditional religious art techniques, then add all sorts of Western or modern South Asian pop images, a melding of old and new, East and West. I find the images a wonderful and philosophically stimulating culture clash.

There is a lot of use of collage, a lot of cartoon style, use of commercial, advertising images, a lot of play on the old, formal, staid icon images and contrasting, child-like explosiveness in color. I think it takes courage for these young artists to do the work they do because they've mastered the traditional art, then taken those images of the Buddha or symbols of the spiritual path, combined them with non-devotional images.

Ang Tsherin Sherpa, Knock knock..who's there 2013

Tenzing Rigdol, The Whispering Storm, 2014 Tenzing Rigdol, With Great Power Comes Great Entertainment

Buddha@hotmail-1 by Gonkar Gyatso, 2006

Tenzing Rigdol, Journey of my Teacher 2011

Gonkar Gyatso, Holy Moly II, 2015

Tenzing Rigdol, Buddha Market: Self Critique, 2009

Tenzing Rigdol, Buddha Personalized 1, 2011

Tenzing Rigdol, Buddha Personalized 2, 2011

Tenzing Rigdol, Buddha Personalized 3, 2011

Tenzing Rigdrol, Pin drop silence: Eleven-headed Avalokitesvara, 2013

Tenzing Rigdol, Mic-key, Nya-key and Mickey Mandala, 2008

Karma Phuntsok, Hat Man Tenzing Rigdol's performance art piece, called Scripture Noodle

Tenzing Rigdol, Aes Dhammo Sanantano (Change is the Eternal Law), 2006

Karma Phuntsok, Mona Lhasa

Tsherin Sherpa

Tsherin Sherpa

Pema Rinzin, Bubble of Wishful Gems

Rabkar Wangchuck, Four Harmonious Friends

Gonkar Gyatso's Shambala of the Modern Times, 2008 in exquisite detail

Tsherin Sherpa

Tashi Norbu, Tulips Buddha

Bin Bai, also known as Genqiu Gyatso, The Hunter and the Skeleton

Tsherin Sherpa

Tsherin Sherpa, All Things Considered

Tsherin Sherpa

Tsherin Sherpa

Tsherin Sherpa

Gade, The Hulk: Diamond Series, 2008

Losang Gyatso, mantras and jewels

Sodhon, Loving Kindness

Karma Phuntsok, Luminosity

Karma Phuntsok, Gold Buddha

Tsherin Sherpa, Untitled (Cause and Effect) 2012

Losang Gyatso, dancer in the empty sky

Tsherin Sherpa

Ang Sang, Faces of Buddha, 2011

Gonkar Gyatso: Buddha with Puzzle’s Clues

Tsherin Sherpa

Tsherin Sherpa, Lost Spirits, 2014

Tashi Norbu, The Union of Pure Appearance and Emptiness

Tsherin Sherpa

Tsherin Sherpa

Tsherin Sherpa

Sodhon, I Exist

Tsherin Sherpa, DOI (Death of Innocence)

Gade, Let’s Sing that Song

Pema Rinzin, Peace and Energy (Yellow) 2009

Rabkar Wangchuk, Spiritual Mind and Modern Technology, 2013

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Elise Hill aka Lee Rogers, artist and homeless person

June 24, 2015, 6:16 pm

≫ Next: Walter Spies and Balinese art

≪ Previous: Contemporary Tibetan art

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Photo credit: Julie Glassberg for The New York Times

Photo credit: Julie Glassberg for The New York Times

Photo credit: Karen Gehres Begging Naked, trailer for a documentary about Elise Hill,  artist and homeless person

The entire Begging Naked documentary is watchable online on the Snag Films website, 

                     click this link.

In the late 1980's and 1990's I used to street vend on West 53rd Street, near the Museum of Modern Art. I was one of the few female vendors, who worked there regularly. One of the other women vendors was an extraordinary person, named Elise Hill. I think she calls herself Lee Rogers now, mostly.

Elise was - and still is - exceptional in every way. She came to work in beautiful, hand embroidered clothes that she'd made herself. She had a really cool folding table, which served as her artist's easel, while she sold her artwork. In those days her work was almost exclusively paintings of cats, one of which I bought and gave to a friend. I wish I'd bought more. She also created small pins of landscapes and beautiful jewelry.

After a couple of years of seeing her regularly selling on West 53rd, one day I didn't see Elise for a long time. We met by chance on the street and she invited me to see where she lived, which really surprised me and felt like a compliment because Elise usually kept to herself. She took me to see her place, which seemed to be a dumbwaiter shaft at the top of the building. It was inconceivable that a human being could live in such a miniature place in New York City. But she had transformed this impossible place, which she said she was paying $600 a month for, into a home and artist's atelier.

She showed me some of the art she created that she did not sell on the street. They were incredibly beautiful drawings and paintings of fairy tale worlds, of nature, portraits and animals. Breathtakingly lovely. Now, looking at her images of the life she led as a stripper and prostitute I am amazed how not beautiful they are, how ugly really, which maybe expresses how she must have felt about that aspect of her life, although when she told me she worked as a stripper, she seemed matter of fact and okay about it as a way of making a living.

When I've seen Elise a couple of times at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park in the last couple of years, she has drawings she sells for about $100 or so dollars of birds. She has become renowned for her images of birds. They have the beauty of her old paintings. Elise regularly sits quietly and privately at a table in the cafeteria section of the boathouse and is known by many people, who visit her and buy her drawings there. I don't know how she's managed to survive living in Central Park during the last brutally cold winters but she has and looks well. She is a gifted artist, courageous too. I wish her every happiness and well being.

Photo credit: Karen Gehres

"After Audubon, an Artist of the Park
Character Study

By COREY KILGANNON

To survive on the street, Lee Rogers has developed a niche that is a far cry from the typical panhandling or bottle redemption.

She spends her days painting small, detailed watercolor studies of bird species she spots in the Ramble, Central Park’s wooded avian haven, where she also refills a network of feeders.
Ms. Rogers sells her paintings — like the one she was working on last week of a great horned owl — by word of mouth to the regular birders of the Ramble. She also takes commissions from nonbirders who spy her painting at her regular work spot in the Boathouse cafe at the Ramble’s eastern edge. She recently sold a local dog-walker a whimsical rendering of three tufted titmice gathered at a child’s feet with a park scene in the background.

Ms. Rogers picks nighttime sleeping spots near the park — usually the steps of churches like St. Jean Baptiste on East 76th Street or Madison Avenue Presbyterian at 73rd Street — but now with the colder weather, she said, she has migrated to a nearby women’s shelter.

This allows her to arrive early at the cafe, a less expensive part of the restaurant that is base camp for the regular birders, who can be recognized by their cameras, binoculars and bird books. Ms. Rogers’s only bird-watching equipment is a sketchbook that she takes into the Ramble to make pencil drawings of birds, and notes about their colors, to inform her small, neat paintings, nearly pointillist renderings.

Occasionally, she allowed, she may stop a birder for a quick photo consultation when stumped on a particular feature, as she did recently to more accurately depict the eyes of that great horned owl she saw in a tree on the point that juts into the lake across from Bethesda Terrace.

One Wednesday morning after a breakfast of coffee and oatmeal, she settled into her corner atelier: her small, square table in the corner of the cafe surrounded by large windows overlooking the Ramble and the lake, with a radiator at her feet.

“I just can’t sit in a Starbucks and paint this stuff,” she said. “I have to see trees. I have to be in the element and in the moment.”

She pulled out a modest watercolor set from her backpack and set it down, along with a brown paper package holding a dozen paintings and sketches in progress. There was a half-painted sketch of two downy woodpeckers fighting over a peanut, and one of a northern saw-whet owl — spotted in the Shakespeare Garden — being pestered by a group of jays.

She pulled the plastic lid off her coffee cup, to serve as a palette. Then she moistened her brush and began applying shades of brown to the feathers of an owl depicted against a stylized backdrop of oversize autumn leaves.

She asks about $100 apiece, “enough to tide me over for a week,” she said, adding that each painting takes about that long to complete, with all the painstaking layers of detailed colors.

“As soon as you start doing things faster, you lose the joy of it,” said Ms. Rogers, whose hearty mountain-woman look contrasts with that of the polished urbanites and tourists who tend to ask for directions and inquire about the latest bird sightings.

Her long braids spill out from her green birder’s hat, down over her wool sweater. Her long green shorts give the appearance of lederhosen over her long underwear. She wears thick leggings and heavy boots. Her crooked walking stick leans nearby.

Ms. Rogers, whose speech has a hard New York-accented shell that often gives way to a Southern twang, said she grew up in Virginia but would not give her age or many details about her life other than saying she has been homeless for many years but has avoided drugs and alcohol. Her face is smooth and her eyes are clear. Painting here is her escape from life on the streets, she said.

“This is my spot — I can exist here,” she said. “I stay in the park to avoid the urban sector, which is where I get anxious.”

The cafe allows her to paint there because she is neat and polite, she said. “Also, I paint the owner a Christmas card every year,” she said, giving a chuckle as she returned to her brushwork, filling in the fine filigree of the feathers from memory."


The Begging Naked documentary FaceBook page

BEGGING NAKED began when Elise Hill asked fellow artist Karen Gehres to record her life on videotape. With straightforward honesty, Elise recounts how at age 15 she left an abusive home and wound up on the streets of New York as a prostitute, stripper and drug addict. Her sense of humor and striking face just barely conceal her pain. Years later she entered rehab and started selling her art, but soon returned to stripping, recreating graphic images from the clubs she worked in.


An excellent blog page about the film, Begging Naked, with a couple of Elise's paintings.

Photo credit: Karen Gehres

Curtsies and Hand Grenades
Blowing shit up, looking cute, writing about movies.

The very moment Elise was evicted from the miniature space in which she lived for years, the moment Elise became homeless, standing outside what had been her home with whatever possessions she could salvage in a short time and attempt to take with her.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015
"Female Filmmaker Project: Begging Naked (Karen Gehres, 2007)


***note:This film was not part of the scheduled 52 movies for this project, but after viewing it I decided to review it for this project***

More than anything I think this film cements the importance of sex work as a viable job for some women. Legislators and lawmakers that are so protective towards these women do more harm than good, by cutting off their source of income as they find their way onto the streets without a job. That is the case for Begging Naked's Elise Hill whose life begins to unravel after Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani wiped out the sex shops and prostitution that used to make up the culture of 42nd Street in favour of the now disneyfication of the area. Elise Hill's life wasn't pretty when she was stripping for a living, but it was still a life worth living, and in putting her out on the streets she was cut off from a world she had much to give to.

Elise Hill was a runaway at age 15. Her household was physically abusive, and she ran off to New York to be an artist. She wanted more than anything to go to art school, and found her way into sex work once she arrived. She struggled for a very long time, and started using heroin to cope with her life, but she came to a realization during those difficult years, kicked those drugs and put her way through art school by selling paintings on the side. When the film begins it's seven year journey she goes back to stripping at the age of 30 to support herself, but continued to paint. She was an artist first and foremost and took great pride in the work she was creating, which at this time was portraits of the slimy men and beautiful women of these clubs. She had great compassion for her friends she was painting, and in 1997 seemed to have her life put together even if she was living a very small life. Regardless it was a happy one. Then the streets she grew up on were painted in a different kind of capitalism and she lost everything.

This eventual spiral is what makes up the majority of Begging Naked's narrative as the camera mostly just follows Elise around from place to place as she attempts to sell her art, as her life begins to come apart at the seems. It's a difficult narrative to take in, because all of this was preventable, but in trying to clean up the streets of New York City, Giuliani only crowded them with good people. 




Elise was one of those good people, and it's downright tragic to see her lose control of her mind towards the end of the picture. She struggles with feelings of paranoia mostly, and begins to think that the CIA are listening in on her, but she finds a kind of solace in that belief as she begins to jot down everything in a journal. She thinks they are listening and one day what she's writing will be available for everyone to read, because they will post it on the internet. In a way this film is that journal, and director Karen Gehres gave her that wish.

The most striking aspect of this film is it's depiction of homelessness not as something that happens to specific people, but a thing that can happen to anyone. Gehres' humanity towards her friend comes through as she doesn't paint Elise as a tragic figure, but one of perseverance. We see the moment she gets kicked out of her apartment, but it doesn't end with a cut to black and then her on the streets. We see Elise fight for her possessions that she holds dear and the cat that's been living with her, whom she loves. She takes her paintings as well, because this is her lifeblood and later on even when she is on the streets she is creating art. It's good art too, as her paintings symbolize a confidence in portrait as she painted a type of person who isn't shown as beautiful very often: the women of the capitalist sexual world who are doing jobs just to get by. She has a kinship with those women, because she is one of them, and Gehres respects that. The movie states that her art today resides in a stocking room warehouse collecting dust, and Elise is still living in Central Park.

Posted by Willow Maclay"


Roger Ebert's wonderful review of the film
BEGGING NAKED

By Roger Ebert
"A reader, Jim Leff of New York, sent me a DVD of "Begging Naked" and strongly suggested I look at it. I did, and found it an amazing documentary about an extraordinary person, made with complete access to its subject over a period of 20 years. I immediately contacted its director, Karen Gehres, inviting her and the film to this festival. She told me, to my amazement, that the film had found no distribution.
I find it fascinating both from a personal level, as the life of this woman, and on a social level, as observations about art, the sex industry and the road to homelessness. What makes it invaluable is that Elise Hill is an intelligent, articulate and perceptive observer-- and that she and Karen Gehres were talking together over so many years without this film even necessarily in mind.
Begging Naked Movie StillHere is what Gehres writes on the "Begging Naked" website (Click on "About" for info, and on the other links for Elise's Paintings):
I became friends with Elise Hill while working at a paint store in 1989. We were both artists and became best friends. It is that close friendship that made the filming of this difficult subject possible.

Elise had always wanted to write her autobiography. In 1996, I was given an internship at Film/Video Arts. Elise asked me to videotape her stories "for the record." I had full access to production equipment. It was during my time at F/VA that I began shooting "Begging Naked."

It began as a study of Elise's life. She wanted to tell her story of being a 15-year-old runaway to NYC, where a pimp quickly picked her up. She became a prostitute and heroin addict, all the while doing her artwork. Her dream was to go to art school. Eventually, when no whorehouse wanted her, as her "teeth were about to come out of her skull,” she entered a rehab. Out of rehab, she put herself thru art school while selling her artwork on the street.
She was a street vendor outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art and in front of the Art Students League. When she decided to go back into stripping at age 30, the story went on an unpredictable course. Over the next 7 years, Mayor Giuliani wiped out the sex businesses on 42nd Street leaving Elise unemployed. Elise began to spiral mentally out of control, stopped paying rent and was eventually evicted. She now lives in Central Park.

All of these events have been documented in "Begging Naked." The events in Elise's life have dictated the 9 years of production. We experience, in front of our eyes, the very moment Elise becomes homeless. I believe this is one of the most important parts of the film. It unflinchingly shows how a person can end up on the street. They don't just sprout there. Everyone out there has a story.
"Begging Naked" brings up many issues simply because Elise lives them. Elise is homelessness. She is the relationship between sexuality, human fulfillment and identity. She is the runaway, the abused, and the mentally ill. Most importantly, she is the Artist."



"Begging Naked": Nine Years in the Making

November 4, 2007 | By Leah Hochbaum Rosner

Evicted: Karen Gehres thought Elise Hall had a film-worthy past. When Elise lost her apartment, the story changed dramatically.

Evicted: Karen Gehres thought Elise Hall had a film-worthy past. When Elise lost her apartment, the story changed dramatically.

When artist and newbie filmmaker Karen Gehres turned her camera on her friend and fellow painter Elise Hill, she thought she’d capture a few cool stories about Hill’s past as a runaway, a heroin addict, a stripper, and a prostitute—all while learning how to use her shiny new film equipment. Then Hill lost her stripper job as part of the Times Square clean-up orchestrated by then-mayor Rudy Giuliani, started behaving in an erratic manner, got evicted and began living in Central Park. Very quickly, Gehres realized she’d be making a very different movie from the one she’d originally envisioned.

The resulting documentary, Begging Naked, which chronicles Hill’s nine-year descent into paranoia and homelessness, is currently making the festival rounds, having recently played the Hollywood Film Festival, the Chicago Underground Film Festival, the Woodstock Film Festival, the New Orleans Film Festival, and Manhattan’s E.vil City Film Fest, where it was named “Best of Fest.” The movie, which is still in search of a distributor, will soon make its way to the New Jersey International Film Festival as well, where it will have three showings beginning November 2nd. The Independent recently spoke with Gehres about the trials and tribulations of shooting her first film, the pain of watching her friend’s life spiral out of control and her hope that Begging Naked will somehow get Hill the help she so desperately needs.

Why did you decide to make Begging Naked?

I met Elise in 1989. We’re both painters and she walked into a paint store I worked at on 13th Street in New York. We hit it off immediately and became really good friends. Over time, I found out about her background as a runaway and a stripper and about her drug use. In 1996, I got an internship at Film/Video Arts, [a non-profit New York film school and media arts training program]. I had access to film equipment, which I was learning to use. Elise saw me fiddling with it and said I should practice on her. She said she knew she was never going to write her autobiography, but she wanted to tell her stories. I didn’t even have a tripod. It was the first time I had ever pressed record. I thought it was just going to be a few stories about a teen runaway and how things went badly for her—but it turned out to be so much more. I met her after a stint in rehab, after she’d cleaned herself up and was selling her artwork and jewelry on the streets. She was really burnt out from doing that, though, so she soon decided to go back to stripping. Shortly after that, Giuliani came in and started wiping out 42nd Street, and in the process, he wiped out a way of life for a lot of people, including Elise.
Is that when things started going downhill for Elise?

Yup, that’s when she really started losing it mentally. She said the CIA was coming to get her, the mob was after her. She stopped paying rent because the guy she was subletting from was in on the conspiracy too. She ended up getting evicted and that very day she put together a cart and went to a church and slept there. She lives in Central Park now. She’s still doing amazing artwork in the park, though.

What does she do with it?

I sell it for her and give her the cash. She doesn’t want to hear about having a bank account because then “they” will come get her. Prices range, but I sold one of her pieces for $1,000. She can really make money last. I’m scared every time I give her the cash. I’m afraid people will know she has money and kill her for it. She’s not a wallflower, though. She’s a big girl, five-foot-ten, knows martial arts. She had a boyfriend who was a Vietnam vet. He taught her a lot about survival.
Have you tried to get her some help?

Many times. But she’s got her routine down and it’s hard to get her to go anywhere. The minute she hears that a place might have rules or a curfew she won’t do it. She doesn’t want any restrictions. She wants her freedom. So she’d rather take her chances out on the street.

What was it like watching a close friend go through these things?

It was exhausting. In the beginning, it was fantastic because it’s so much fun spending time with Elise. She’s very funny. Never feels sorry for herself. And it was great for her because she was getting down all the stories she knew she’d never get to tell otherwise. But when things got bad, it was really hard to listen. I didn’t just show up for this job—I’d known her for years. It was frustrating because I couldn’t stop anything from happening.

The film took you nine years to complete. Why so long?

Easy. When we started, I never knew these things would happen. It was just supposed to be an exercise in learning how to shoot. Things unfolded quickly, though, after that. Every time I thought it was the end of the story, it wasn’t. I couldn’t foresee that she was going to get evicted, that she’d live on the streets. She was an artist who danced. It was never going to be a story about homelessness. And then it was.

How much footage did you have after shooting for nearly a decade?

Surprisingly, not a crazy amount—maybe 70 hours. It was manageable. And I got it down to 73 minutes. We didn’t shoot every day. I don’t like overdoing it. Plus, it was shot on whatever camera was available at Film/Video Arts each time we wanted to shoot. So some of it is shot on High 8. Some of it is on Super-VHS. But so far, audiences have been telling me they can’t tell the difference—that the story is the important thing.

You’ve been making the festival rounds these last few weeks. How many did you apply to before you landed your first one?

I can’t even tell you how many festivals we were rejected from. There was so much rejection, you can’t believe it. But I learned a lot. I learned to never apply to a festival before a film is done. I learned how hard it is for a first-time filmmaker with a first-time movie to apply. The Nantucket Film Festival was the first festival to say yes. Once they said the movie was okay, other festivals seemed to think it was okay too. Thank God for Nantucket. If not for them, I’d probably still be floating in space.

Do you anticipate getting theatrical distribution?

I certainly hope so. There have been a few offers, but I don’t want to jinx things until they’re finalized.

Has Elise seen the film?

No, I’ve asked her many times. She loved being in front of a camera. She saw it as a way of getting her conspiracy stories on tape. But I think she’s a little scared to see it because every time I ask her to watch it, she says: “I want to see it in a real theater in New York—none of this festival crap.”
When all is said and done, what do you hope Begging Naked will accomplish?
I’m hoping that something good comes out of this for Elise—something bigger than selling a couple of her paintings here and there. I want her to be somewhere safe, somewhere she can have her freedom.

Leah Hochbaum Rosner is a freelance writer living in New York City.

Her friend through thick and thin

When Karen Gehres started taping her pal Elise Hill for a video biography, 
she didn't expect a tragedy.

October 17, 2007|Robert W. Welkos | Times Staff Writer

Her name is Elise Hill. She is in her 40s and has been homeless since 2001. She spends her days in New York City's Central Park and her nights on the sidewalks.

A onetime heroin addict who worked as a stripper and prostitute, she is also an accomplished painter, sculptor and maker of costume jewelry who was evicted from the home she had known for two decades -- above an elevator shaft in a converted maids' quarters on the roof of an upscale building in Midtown Manhattan. The rooftop was her artist's loft.

Her poignant story is captured in a feature-length documentary titled "Begging Naked," by director and writer Karen Gehres, who spent nine years chronicling Elise's story, beginning with her friend's love of painting, to her work in a brothel catering to well-heeled clients, including members of the United Nations, to her gradual descent into paranoia and mental illness.

"It's been horrible; it's been horrendous," Gehres said in a recent phone call from New York, reflecting on the emotional toll a decade of filming Elise has taken on her.

Many times, Gehres said, she wanted to stop. But "I didn't know how it was going to end," she explained. "Every time I thought it was over, it wasn't over."

When she proposed finding a place for Elise to stay, she was met with resistance.

"She has all these conditions on everything, or paranoia about going anywhere," Gehres said. "If I had money to put her in a place where she didn't have to pay rent, I would love to do that. That's a goal. Just get her out of there." But Elise would claim "either the mob is after her, or the CIA is after her."

The documentary will be shown Sunday night at the ArcLight in Hollywood as part of the 11th annual Hollywood Film Festival. The festival opens today and ends with a gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Monday honoring actors Richard Gere, Marion Cotillard, John Travolta, Casey Affleck, Ellen Page, writer Diablo Cody, director Marc Forster and others.

Carlos de Abreu, the festival's founder and executive director, said "Begging Naked" is part of this year's festival theme of "giving voice to the voiceless."

Other films include Teddy Leifer's "We Are Together," a look at a 12-year-old and her friends in a South African orphanage who overcome tragedy through singing; Johnson McKelvy's "Kabul Girls Club," a film about women in Afghanistan's capital who form the first women's soccer league; Sara Bavar's "Generation Tehran," which focuses on young people living in Iran; and Aida Schlaepfer's "Gangs of Baghdad," shedding light on a little-reported side of life in Iraq's capital.

Gehres said that every place "Begging" screens, people ask if they can purchase Elise Hill's arresting artwork.

The director said she has put her friend's paintings into storage, selling only a few pieces to provide Elise with enough cash to live on. "She doesn't trust banks," said Gehres, adding that she is reluctant to sell many more paintings, believing that in time the art world will discover Elise's talent and the prices could soar, allowing her friend to get off the streets forever.

A freelance field producer, Gehres met Elise in 1989. Both were painters, and Gehres was working in an art supply shop.

"Elise walked into the store where I was working. We just started talking. We just clicked. She was bright and funny and talented. But she decided to go back to stripping, and I was really upset."

Gehres didn't start shooting her film until 1996. She was taking video arts classes at the time and had access to a camera. Elise told her, "Come on up and practice on me. I'll never write my autobiography, but we can at least get it on tape."

Elise was living a block from Carnegie Hall inside an apartment building. "Basically, she lived on the roof above the elevator shaft," Gehres said. "It was very long and narrow. It kind of felt like a boat. She carved out these little round windows herself because there were no windows. She lived there 20 years."

Elise came from an upper-middle-class family in New Jersey. Why she left home is a bit unclear, but Elise talks on film about a fight she had with her dad. "She landed in New York -- literally walked over the George Washington Bridge, walked downtown to Union Square Park, which had the nickname 'Needle Park' back then," Gehres said. "It was filled with pimps and heroin pushers. She was young, just a teenager. She met a guy and got hooked on heroin."

Gehres said Elise went into rehab and weaned herself off heroin, but she kept working the streets. Her descent into mental illness occurred gradually.

"She said the only time that she was ever medicated for anything was when she was in rehab," Gehres recalled. "That is when she was 17 or 18 years old. When the paranoia kicked in full force, she stopped paying rent. The guy she was renting that place from -- that little shaft -- had had enough."

One of the most painful scenes is the day of Elise's eviction, when she wraps herself with layers of clothing, puts her cat into a carrier and struggles with her belongings on the sidewalk.

Elise can be found most days at Central Park's boathouse.

Despite Elise's plight, Gehres is hopeful for her friend's future. "Knowing Elise, anything could happen."

robert.welkos@latimes.com


A few more links about the documentary, Begging Naked


http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2009/ebertfest-2009-begging-naked-2007/447/

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/movie/begging-naked/id892603574

https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Begging_Naked?id=_tKp4VCzptI

Photo credit: Karen Gehres

Walter Spies and Balinese art

June 25, 2015, 7:38 pm

≫ Next: Some Indian miniature paintings

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Bali is an island in Indonesia that attracted Walter Spies, a Russian born, German artist who settled in the colonial Dutch East Indies from 1923 on. Adored by the Balinese, Spies was the co-founder of the Pita Maha artists' cooperative, he shaped the development of contemporary Balinese art and established the West's image of Bali that still exists today.

As a young man, Walter Spies moved in high society; the avant garde culture of pre-war Moscow, then in Berlin and Dresden, Germany, to where he moved in 1918.

However, by 1923 he no longer felt at home with all the decadence of Europe. In his journal he wrote: ""I then decided to just go somewhere, anywhere, to a faraway land. And after going on a challenging and formidable journey as a sailor in a cargo vessel I arrived in Java, where I decided to jump ship!""

Arriving in Bali to live permanently in 1927 after a stint as court conductor for the Sultan of Yogyakarta's European orchestra, this Russian-born son of a German businessman-diplomat settled in Ubud as a painter, where with Tjokorda Agung Sukawati he eventually founded the Pita Maha Arts Society, the catalyst of modern art in Bali...

Spies's stay in Bali ended in 1939 when he was taken to court and jailed for homosexuality during a morality-driven witch hunt by the Dutch government. While imprisoned in Surabaya, he painted his best work, hailed as magical realism, depicting changes in feelings and subconscious attitudes: The Landscape and its Children. -  - Walter Spies: The legacy of a banished demon by Kadek Krishna Adidharma, Contributor, Ubud

Die Landschaft und ihre Kinder - The Landscape and its Children

One of my favorite artists, Walter Spies, lived in Bali. Here are two of his paintings in Paul Spies' house in Jakarta. The photograph below is in the Tropenmuseum collection. The Walter Spies painting is called In the Morning Light

In the Morning Light

Desa auf dem Dijengplateau (1924)

Balinese Landscape with Temple and Volcano (date unknown)

Sawas im Preangergebirge (1923)

Die Landschaft und ihre Kinder - The Landscape and its Children

Sumatranische Landschaft (1941)

Preangerlandschaft (1923)

Die Kleinen Nebel (1938)

Balinese Legend (1928)

Palmendurchblick (1938)

Iseh im Morgenlicht (1938)

BLICK VON DER HÖHE (A VIEW FROM THE HEIGHTS) 1934

Lanschaft mit Schattenkuh / Landscape with a Cow’s Shadow (1939)

Heiliger Wald Bei Sangsit (1930)

Recommending Geff Green's website of Walter Spies paintings and drawings

Walter Spies

The hands,1939

Prelude: Letter from the Surabaya Jail

This excerpt from the Prelude opens “Imagining Gay Paradise” with the gay artist Walter Spies in jail in the Dutch East Indies, victim of a Nazi-inspired “morals scandal” that had used fears of a “triple taboo” against homosexuality, inter-racial relations, and cross-generational male friendships to politically undermine the Dutch government. Spies  wondered about a world where all had to fit a single monumental template of nature dictated by tyrannical minds. He preferred to celebrate the magical realities of miniature queer patterns of life.

Scherzo für Blechinstrumente / Scherzo for Brass Instruments (1939) His Scherzo for Brass Instruments, reputedly painted in a half-trance state, contains many incarnations of the artist as he explores an inner landscape from various points of view. In a letter to Carl Gotsch, Spies describes the process of painting Scherzo as a spiritual and sacred purification of the soul akin to rebirth: ""The funny thing is, I really feel as if this is my very first painting. I really feel as if I am beginning a new life."" Dedicated to Leopold Stokowski, then the conductor of Chicago's Philharmonic Orchestra, Scherzo was shipped from Surabaya to America, but never reached its destination. Today's reproductions are from photographs taken by Spies in prison.  - Walter Spies: The legacy of a banished demon by Kadek Krishna Adidharma, Contributor, Ubud

Photo credit: Miguel y Rosa Covarrubias

Walter Spies - a life in art by John Stowell

When he died 70 years ago, the artist Walter Spies was known to only a few close friends. Now he is prized as one of the finest painters of the tropical landscape. This was one of many gifts that he made available to the people of Bali in the years between 1927, when he first settled there, and 1940 when he was interned as an enemy alien. In the turmoil of war and the turbulence of the post-war years, his fate remained for a time unknown and his life and deeds in Bali gradually took on mythic proportions. He was remembered almost as a founding figure, one who had taken the arts of Bali to unprecedented heights. There was some truth in this hyperbole; he had indeed made a massive contribution to the reputation of the island as a centre of special artistic excellence during the 1930s. He was not alone in this endeavour. Together with the Dutch painter Rudolf Bonnet & Cokorda Gede Agung Sukawati he gave the initial impetus to the flowering of the visual arts in Ubud and district. His films & recordings brought his friends the Mexican painter Miguel Covarrubias & the Canadian composer Colin McPhee to Bali. The Covarrubias cultural guidebook, The Island of Bali, has accompanied generations of tourist visitors for the past seventy years, while McPhee joined Spies in stimulating growth of musical culture in the Regency of Gianyar and furthered it in the West with his own compositions. The reputation of Ubud as a hub of cultural tourism continues to the present day. Its status is accepted by the Indonesian Government for its contribution to the island economy. This 344-page book, which at 24x32cm (portrait), present a fully-documented biography in an 80,000-word text. It places the works & related documents in chronological order & supplies a catalogue of all the known works and an analytical index. The biography traces the remarkable life of an exceptional individual whose career touched at many points the challenging issues of the first half of the 20th century.

                                                            

At the agung rai online gallery there are examples of paintings that were influenced by Walter Spies. One of my very favorite contemporary Balinese painting styles is called Pengosekan, from the village in Bali. the images are full of green leaves, birds, creatures, in a lush complexity. 

In Penestanan village there is a painting style known as Young Artist, initiated by Arie Smit, a Dutch artist who lives in Bali. Young Artist painters use unusual colors such as red for the sea, blue for human skin, yellow for the sky, etc.

There is the Batuan style, from the village of Batuan, which generally has intricately detail and a darker look.
Here are some examples of the Pengosekan style.

By Dewa Putu Sena

By Dewa Putu Sena

By Galuh, in the Walter Spies' style

By I Gusti Ngurah Kepakisan

Photo credit: Green Field Hotel, Ubud, Bali

Photo credit: Green Field Hotel, Ubud, Bali

Photo credit: Export Bali

Painting by I Gst. Kt. Selamet

Via Artisans of Bali on eBay

Via Artisans of Bali on eBay

Via Artisans of Bali on eBay

Via Artisans of Bali on eBay

Nyoman-sinom-120×62-rajapala at the Tari Gallery Here is an example of the Batuan painting style

I Wayan TAWENG. Crayon et acrylique sur papier. Signé.32 cm x 22,5 cm

Kris Dancy by Ida Bagus Sena

Wayan tino-Barong dance-70×90 from the Tari Gallery

Some Indian miniature paintings

June 27, 2015, 11:45 am

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I love Indian miniature paintings of all kinds. the more abstract ones have a marvelous sense of space and color. The romantic ones are charming, often depicting moods so well, I love the ones of the monsoon rainy season, which is considered a time of romance in India, the details and patterns of leafy trees and flowers and the paintings which include animals. 

Below are a few Indian miniature paintings found on the web. It's possible to buy Indian miniatures on eBay. There's a great selection. 

Kangra painting of the Cosmic Sun, 18th century

From a series of Vishnu Avataras: Yagya. Jaipur, circa 1860


Kalki Avatar
Punjab Hills, Guler, c. 1765

Two girls standing on a terrace, clasping hands and holding lotus flowers - Rajput Painting, early 19th century

From the Mary Binney Wheeler Image Collection


Divine Lovers in Moonlight, Kangra style, 1810, Chamba Museum, Himachal Pradesh, India

A miniature painting depicting two lovers watching birds in the sky, 1975-1982

Equestrian portrait of a princess, Guler style, 1790, Chamba Museum, Himachal Pradesh, India

Krishna releases the defeated Rukmi, Guler style, 1770, Chamba Museum, Himachal Pradesh, India


Radha and Krishna, Guler, 18th century, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India


Portrait of a woman, Mughal miniature painting

Indian miniature painting showing a woman with peacocks in a landscape, 1978


Miniature Painting, The Rainy Season, Kangra, 19th century, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India


Siva and Parvati, Kangra style, 1815, Chamba Museum, Himachal Pradesh, India

Krishna saving passengers from a shipwreck caused by a nefarious horse-headed deity, 1978-1982

Todi Ragini Ragni, Woman holding a vina, North India, Late Mughal circa 1720 - 185

'Divided from her darling,
most unhappy in love,
like a nun renouncing the world,
this Todi abides in the grove and
charms the hearts of the deers.'

(Pal, 1978, 128, quoting Coomaraswamy)

The lone lady, symbolic of love in separation or loss, is a leitmotif of ragamala paintings. Whether gathering flowers, wandering through the forest, or ruefully strumming a musical instrument, the lady yearns for her absent lover. One of the most easily recognisable and common images is that of the Todi ragini, where the lady holds a 'rudra vina' ('bin'), and is surrounded by deer. The physical attraction of bucks for human females has been used as a recurring sexual metaphor in Sanskrit poetry from antiquity. (Pal, 1978, 128) and significantly, in this image as most other Todi ragini, the lady faces the buck rather than the fawn. The musical raga is to be played in the first quarter of the day from sunrise; its expression tender and loving. It is believed that originally Todi was a song of village girls guarding the ripening fields against the deer who became so absorbed in listening, they would stop feeding (Ebeling, 1973, 60).

The delicate drawing of this image, the fineness of detail focussed on the central figure, and the minimal background, is typical of late Mughal styles. Different texts on Todi ragini allude to the lady's limbs being tinged and perfumed with saffron and camphor.

Goddess Durga fighting with Mahishasura (buffalo-demon) - Early 18th century Guler School painting

 Tansen and Swami Haridas in Vrindavan - Jaipur-Kishangarh mixed style, ca. 1750

 

Miniature Painting, Rukmini sending a message to Krishna, Guler style, 1790, Chamba Museum, Himachal Pradesh, India

Laila, Majnu, Kota, Rajasthan, c 1760, National Museum, Delhi

Saint Musicial Haridas,Akbar and Tansen, Kishangarh, Rajasthan, c 1760,National Museum, Delhi

Miniature from Gwalior, 1978

Bride and Groom, Agra, 1972

Ragini Todi Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, circa 1710 A.D., National Museum, New Delhi

Shri Vishnu Saving the Elephant Gajendra, Pahari region, Guler, circa 1760. from the excellent Indian Miniature Paintings blog

From the Navin Kumar website,
 Court Paintings of India from the 16th to the 19th Centuries

From the Victoria and Albert Museum website

Hindu hill kingdoms

Nainsukh, 'Mian Mukund Dev of Jasrota riding through a meadow', about 1754. Museum no. IS 7-1973. Opaque watercolour and gold on paper.

In the hills at the edge of the Panjab plains, isolated Hindu kingdoms nurtured strongly distinctive styles of painting. For some of the 17th century and throughout the 18th, Pahari artists - artists 'of the hills' - produced extraordinarily vibrant paintings for the rulers of states such as Basohli, Mankot, Nurpur, Chamba, Kangra, Guler and Mandi. They illustrated the ancient stories of Hinduism and depicted the lives of their patrons, the characteristics of these divine or earthly figures drawn from a large repertoire of conventions.

Their work is stylised, but full of vigour, their subjects often isolated against backgrounds of saturated colour - deep yellow or intense red, or gentler hues of sage green or ultramarine.

Little is known about these artists, but the family relationships of some Pahari masters has come to be established, providing the key to understanding stylistic influences between the different courts. Artists travelled from one to the other over the generations, creating their own individual styles yet working within a recognisable family tradition. One of the most significant families was that of Pandit Seu of Guler, who died in about 1740, and his sons, the remarkable Nainsukh and Manaku.

Pahari artists also worked for Sikh chiefs in the late 18th century and when Sikh rule united the Panjab and the Hindu kingdoms declined, the later generations of Pahari artists increasingly turned to the Sikh courts for patronage.

Attributed to the "Durga Master." Vishnu Reclining on Ananta. From Sage Markandeya's Ashram and the Milky Ocean, c. 1780-1790.

Via: translinguistic other

"Vishnu’s flotation device is Ananta-Shesha, the infinitely-headed serpent on which the god reposes during the endless, timeless period before/between the creation of the universe(s). In Hinduism—as in most mythological systems around the world—the serpent is a complex and multivalent symbol.  Cosmologically speaking, Ananta may well represent the Milky Way―he is said to wear the planets on his myriad hoods and he is instrumental in the churning of the cosmic “ocean of milk” described in the Samudra manthanepisode of the Puranas.  But he also represents the infinite potentiality of energy and consciousness in all matter."


Bikaner school indian miniature, XIXth century Region: India Period: Bikaner school, XIXth century Collection of the Maharadja of Bikaner Collection Of Pastor H. Maas, The Netherlands. Painting in good condition, framed.

Last day of June 2015

June 30, 2015, 4:47 am

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Saul Steinberg. Untitled, 1948. Love this vid. A Samoan schoolboy leads the tribal style morning prayer with verve.

The Leonid meteor showers, expected this November 17th

A moral tale of the evils of the pursuit of material wealth the fairy story 'The Heart of Stone' was written by the German poet and author Wilhelm Hauff (1802-1827).

Theodor de Bry. The True Picture of a Woman Picte. 1588.   A Pict woman (a member of an ancient Celtic people from Scotland) stands with a long spear held upright in her left hand, and two long spears held horizontally in her right. She wears only a large ring around her waist, from which a curved sword hangs behind her, and a smaller ring around her neck. Much of her body is painted or tattooed.  “The women of the Picts above said were no worse for the wars than the men. And were painted after the manner following, having their heads bare, did let their hair flying about their shoulders, were painted with griffon heads, the low parts and thighs with lion faces, or some other beast as it comes best into their fancy. Their breast hath a manner of a half moon, with a great star, and four lesser in both the sides, their paps (nipples) painted in manner of beams of the Sun, and among all this a great lightning star upon their breasts. The saids of some points or beams, and the whole belly as a Sun, the arms, thighs, and legs well-painted, of diverse figures: They did also carry about their necks an iron ring, as the men did, and such a girdle with the great sword hanging, having a pick or a lance in one hand, and two darts in the other.”

At Her Bath Indian, Pahari, about 1690–1700

Kidmograph

Trippy gifs by Kidmograph

The Visual Music Of The Shipibo Tribe Of The Amazon

The Magical Art of the Shipibo People of the Upper Amazon

By Howard G Charing

The Shipibo believe that our state of health, both physical and psychological, is dependent on the balanced union between mind, spirit and body. If an imbalance in this occurs - such as through emotions of envy, hate, anger - this will generate a negative effect on the health of that person. The shaman will re-establish the balance by chanting the icaros, which are the geometric patterns of harmony made manifest in sound, into the body of the person. The shaman in effect transforms the visual code into an acoustic code. A key element in this magical dialogue with the energy which permeates Creation and is embedded in the Shipibo designs, is the work with ayahuasca by the Shipibo shamans or muraya. 

In the deep ayahuasca trance, the ayahuasca reveals to the shaman the luminous geometric patterns of energy. These filaments drift towards the mouth of the shaman where they metamorphose into a chant or icaro. The icaro is a conduit for the patterns of Creation, which then permeate the body of the shaman’s patient, bringing harmony in the form of the geometric patterns which re-balance the patient’s body.

Shipibo Tribe. Textiles. Peruvian Amazon.

Tomás Sánchez

Tomás Sánchez

Tomás Sánchez

When I cough, my cat quacks

Precision

What A Wonderful World With David Attenborough

July 1st 20115, Summer and Frank Brangwyn

July 1, 2015, 5:35 pm

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Summer days. The month of July, my feet in the sand at the beach, swimming. Delight in flowers and richly green trees. Big skies, heat, thunderstorms, the moon and the sun.

Jessie Willcox Smith  Little Drops Of Water Little Grains Of Sand

Wanda Zeigner-Ebel, The Little Mermaid

Katsushika Hokusai, Fish and red leaves

Unknown Japanese artist, dating to sometime between 1870 and 1920. Part of the Oliver Wendell Holmes Collection in the Library of Congress archives.

Night Palms by Ferry Bertholet

By the Window by Ferry Bertholet

Deer Near Waterside by Ohara Shoson

Maud and Miska Petersham

Charles Bartlett, Ceylon

Warwick Goble, Sita finds Rama among the Lotus-blooms, 1913

Koho Shoda, Lake Biwa

Arai Yoshimune, Suma Beach

Dorothy P. Lathrop, OH, BUT IF I MIGHT BUT HOLD IT IN MY HAND ONE MOMENT, I THINK THAT I SHOULD NEVER EVEN SIGH AGAIN! from THE THREE MULLA-MULGARS, readable online

Hester Margetson

Jody Hewgill, Looking Deep

Kawase Hasui, Cloudy Day in Mizuki, Ibaraki Prefecture

Tōshi Yoshida, Hummingbird and Fuchsia

Jessie Willcox Smith "He looked up at the broad yellow moon and thought that she looked at him."

 Frank Brangwyn, "His most famous undertaking in this field was a series of large panels on the theme of the British empire, commissioned by the House of Lords. They were begun in 1926 and rejected—amid great controversy—in 1930, being considered too flamboyant for their setting. Offers for the panels came from all over the world, and in 1934 they were installed in the Guildhall in Swansea."

British Empire Panel (11) India by Frank Brangwyn Glynn Vivian Art Gallery Date painted: c.1930 Oil on canvas, 609 x 396 cm Collection: Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

British Empire Panel (6) West Africa by Frank Brangwyn

British Empire Panel (17) North Africa by Frank Brangwyn

British Empire Panel (8) Siam by Frank Brangwyn

British Empire Panel (7) West Indies

British Empire Panel (9) Burma

British Empire Panel (14) Australia

British Empire Panel (4) Canada

British Empire Panel (15) East Indies

British Empire Panel (13) East Africa

British Empire Panel (2) Canada

British Empire Panel (16) Decorative Panel

British Empire Panel (5) Canada

British Empire Panel (3) Canada by Frank Brangwyn

British Empire Panel (12) India by Frank Brangwyn

British Empire Panel (10) India by Frank Brangwyn

British Empire Panel (1) England by Frank Brangwyn

Wow, the world never ceases to be amazing.

Song Circuit in Bird Brain Contains Map of Space and Time

Holiday in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas at the Bunker Hill Hotel

July 4, 2015, 3:47 am

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So, a year or so ago, it was my 60th birthday. The present I gave myself for living this long, St. Thomas, American Virgin Islands for 10 days on my own in a budget hotel. $69 per night in the Bunker Hill Hotel with a marvelous breakfast included. It was heaven. Way better than I expected.

https://goo.gl/maps/O3PD4

https://www.google.com/maps/place/St+Thomas,+00802/@18.3545804,-64.9522791,14z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x8c051a89dc0635b7:0x5d1280e7f1f697e4

I wanted to do something fun and visiting the Caribbean is a favorite. I grew up there for 4 years from 1959 to 1962, in Jamaica and have visited 7 of the many Caribbean Islands, each one a gem in their own right. I love the extraordinary sea there, the warmth, the tropical beauty and the people. I wanted to go to a relatively safe island for a single female traveler, a hotel that was near town, since I don't drive I wanted to get around easily on foot or public transport, go to restaurants, to the beaches. My birthday falls inconveniently on Thanksgiving week, most of my friends were with family and I have none, live happily alone in NYC.

So I wanted to take the most affordable and best holiday possible. In case there are any other single women, or men, who want to take a holiday on their own, or couples or a family, I highly recommend St. Thomas and the Bunker Hill Hotel, which is about a 1 minute walk from the center of town, Charlotte Amalie.

The town of Charlotte Amalie has basically has one main street, Dronningens Gade, and tiny side streets, usually on extremely steep hills. This main street is about 5 blocks long. The tourists, visitors on the cruise ships from 9am to 4pm, usually walk about two blocks and also in the tiny, very pretty alleyways off the main street, which have many of the art galleries and nicer stores. The main street - the main two blocks of it - has the tourist jewelry stores that are famous, a few tourist oriented restaurants. After the two blocks the town becomes more local with a small handful of local restaurants, which have cheap and delicious food, there is a sweet, gentle souled Rasta man, Sky World is his nickname, who sells fresh coconuts, prepared so one can drink the coconut water, then scoop out the delicious fruit.

Charlotte Amalie is almost totally dependent on the cruise tourists, so after 4pm, when the cruise tourists return to their ships, the entire town shuts down. Most of the restaurants and bars stay open. After 4pm the island then belongs to the residents. It's wonderful.

The one minute walk from the Bunker Hill Hotel to the main street is lovely, past centuries old Danish colonial buildings in pastel colors, a marvelous local Caribbean curry restaurant, under lovely tropical trees. The big old post office is right there too.

Across the street from the hotel are two little local shops, convenience stores run by Palestinians, who are one of the several groups of immigrants on St. Thomas. From what I observed in ten days, the Palestinians run the taxis and small businesses. Indians run the main jewelry and tourist stores on Dronningens Gade in Charlotte Amalie, Caribbean immigrants from other islands run much of the island's infrastructure, restaurants and hotels.These two tiny, not typical tourist convenience stores, across from the Bunker Hill Hotel, have some locally grown fruit, all kinds of useful things, juice, soda, snack packages of biscuits, washing soap, cosmetics, tanning lotion, mosquito repellent, aspirin. Beer and cigarettes too. At night, a few locals hang out by these convenience shops and drink, smoke, talk and, in my experience, were nicely friendly, courteous. It's the custom on St. Thomas to greet strangers with "Good evening", "Good afternoon" or "Good morning". When one does this as a tourist, the locals appreciate it and are courteous in return. I felt completely safe with the locals as a single female traveler.

At the hotel front desk, I asked for a taxi-bus to be called which picked me up and drove me across the island to a beach I'd heard one can feed the fish by hand, Coki Beach, which became my very favorite.

Here's what it's like on Coki Beach. It's not my video but a good representation of the amazing sea life there. The water is pure heaven. I bought a snorkel, mask and flippers on Amazon, a lightweight backpack for the beach and spending the day out.

Fish Feeding at Coki Beach - St. Thomas

On Coki Beach you can rent a sturdy lounge chair for $5 a day. Staff from the various restaurants on the beach come by asking if you want something to drink or eat. There are fresh fruit smoothies, drinks, beach food, french fries. The locals make it very easy to go and just relax, soak in the sun and marvelous beauty of the place.

About three minutes' walk from the Bunker Hill Hotel is the ferry to the very near neighboring island, the tropical paradise of St. John, where the beaches are even more pristine. There is only a tiny touristic town on St. John and travel by taxi, usually shared with others. Staying on St. John would be great for a family with young kids, or a group of people on a boat but as a single traveler, I preferred the company, conversations and exploration of St. Thomas.

One of the many great things about the Bunker Hill Hotel is that it has, in my experience, the best restaurant, the Sugar Cane Grille, on the island and a marvelous view too. Every meal I had there was excellent, the caliber of food I can get in an excellent restaurant in NYC. My favorite dinner was the signature salad of mixed organic salad greens, slices of pear, walnuts, cranberries, Gorgonzola cheese with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Some nights I had this salad with grilled salmon. The chef, Alafia, is the daughter of the late owner. She is a superb cook as well as bartender. She is renovating the hotel, adding lot of lovely innovations, month by month, including this restaurant. On my birthday she gave me a delicious rum cake.

The Bunker Hill Hotel is family run. The father, who died, started the hotel. Apparently, the street the hotel is on was first called Bunker Hill, so that's how it got its name. The hotel is nothing special from the outside but once one walks up the two flights of stairs, it opens up and is really quite lovely, has several tiled terraces with two small swimming pools, one outdoor and one indoor, a restaurant, and a breakfast terrace. It's an unusual architecture.

Here are some photographs I took, starting at my arrival from NYC in Fort Lauderdale airport with the kinds of sweets one doesn't see in NYC.

My camera was the cheapest one I could get, so the photographs are not very good.
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Under Fort Lauderdale airport skies.

Heading out of US territory over the Caribbean Sea. The bare bones Spirit Airline has comfortable seats. 17-3/4" wide, enough for my 60 year old amplitude. But the airline is VERY fussy about the size of the carry-on luggage,  22in x 18in x 10in, measured on the outside of the suitcase. Many suitcase manufacturers tell you the measurement of their luggage on the inside. Bring your own snack for the flight.

First real glimpse of the Caribbean. so many shades of bluegreen blending in with that wonderful tropical sky. 

Bye America.

Hello Caribbean islands. Would have liked a map at that moment to see which island was which. 

Maybe those are the Bimini Islands?

I think that's Nassau.

I think that's Eleuthera Island?

Ahh. Anticipation.

Almost there.

Heading down to St. Thomas. 

Through the clouds.

Big, fluffy, rain filled clouds. Hope it doesn't rain too much on St. Thomas. 

Finally, St. Thomas below.

Wow. Late afternoon at St. Thomas airport. Free rum samples. Waiting for a taxi-van to fill up with other visitors, to drop us off at our various hotels. My driver tried to convince me to not stay at Bunker Hill, saying there was a murder there years ago, a police officer caught his wife cheating, shot her and her lover as they stayed at the Bunker Hill. But that's not the hotel's fault. I felt irritated with the driver but figured he was trying to get a kickback from another hotel. And, of course, I worried I'd made a mistake choosing a budget hotel. 

Arrived at the hotel, had to carry my carry-on luggage up the two flights of stairs myself. No porter. I'm surviving several kinds of cancer, so I wasn't sure I could do it but it was okay and the concierge did help. Opened the door to my room and this was the view.

This was my room. It was spacious, had a small fridge, a tv, bedside reading lamps, an ironing board (!) and iron, little dining table, chairs. It smelled a bit musty for the first few minutes because the rooms are kept firmly closed to keep out any mosquitoes. The air conditioner once turned on took away the mustiness, which I think is part of tropical life in the tail end of the hurricane season, which is when I went in November, when the hotel rates are also lower. 

Stepped out of the hotel room to take a look at the view. A golden sunset was a wonderful change from a NYC, cold November. 

On either side of the hotel are tropical plants growing wild. 

In the morning, I sat on the upper terrace to soak in that I had actually arrived and wait for breakfast. Gloriously sunny, warm. It's a beautiful terrace, very quiet, peaceful. Amazing views over the town and the sea. The outdoor terraces are where a person has wifi access to the internet on one's computer. So I could relax after a meal and check email and FaceBook

The town of Charlotte Amalie and the sea beyond from the breakfast terrace in the morning. Sublime.

Play of light reflected off the hotel's small swimming pool.

Looking up the steep hill from the hotel from the breakfast terrace. Lush, verdant hillside with tropical birds, wild iguanas, butterflies. 

The tropical greenery is really exquisite. 

Breakfast! Wow. A great breakfast included in the price of the hotel room of $69. Is that a happy breakfast or what! Excellent coffee, served with condensed milk, which is par for the course in the tropics. That neon colored juice was actually delicious passion fruit juice. Fresh fruit, whole wheat toast, butter, fruit jelly, eggs and bacon. That delicious breakfast was enough to last me most of the day. I could have just a light meal or snack for lunch, which saved me money too.

In the taxi-van I headed to Coki Beach with other people heading in that direction across the island. Before getting into the taxi, the rate must be asked and settled. Or else one will be over charged a few dollars.

Sumptuous, bright, tropical green countryside.

All kinds of palm trees, wild flowers. The first day of the trip was both looking at everything in wonder, enjoyment and decompressing from NYC.

Bunker Hill Hotel's marvelous restaurant, Sugar Cane Grille. Excellent food. My favorite was the salad with mixed greens, pear, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese. Great for dinner, healthy and delicious.

Magan's Bay with pelicans diving for fish

Magan's Bay beach

Hansen Beach, St. John

Taking the ferry from St. Thomas to St. John

Magan's Bay Beach, St. Vincent

Magan's Bay beach, St. Vincent

Magan's Bay beach, St. Vincent

The public bathroom on Magan's Bay beach, St. Vincent

The public bathroom on Magan's Bay beach, St. Vincent

Walking toward Magan's Bay beach, St. Vincent

Magan's Bay beach, St. Vincent

Taking the public mini-bus from Magan's Bay beach, St. Vincent, back into town, Charlotte Amalie

The marvelous concierge, Carlton, of the Bunker Hill Hotel in Charlotte Amalie. He's informative, friendly, helpful.

One of the little local restaurants at the far end of Charlotte Amalie's main street. Affordable and tasty place for lunch.

One of the little local restaurants at the far end of Charlotte Amalie's main street. Affordable and tasty place for lunch. Everything fresh and delicious.

One of the little local restaurants at the far end of Charlotte Amalie's main street. Affordable and tasty place for lunch.

One of the little local restaurants at the far end of Charlotte Amalie's main street. Affordable and tasty place for lunch.

One of my favorite locals, Sky World, who sells fresh coconuts, sings, plays guitar and offers sage advice. He's off the main street in Charlotte Amalie.

One of my favorite locals, Sky World, who sells fresh coconuts, sings, plays guitar and offers sage advice

Magan's Bay beach, St. Vincent

Getting on the ferry from Charlotte Amalie to St. John. About a 5 minute walk from the Bunker Hill Hotel

Getting on the ferry from Charlotte Amalie to St. John. About a 5 minute walk from the Bunker Hill Hotel Best guide to St. John's incredible beaches Ferry info from St. Thomas to St. John

Heading to the beach by taxi on St. John

Heading to the beach by taxi on St. John

Heading to the beach by taxi on St. John

Hansen beach snack shack, St. John

Local dove at the snack shack on St. John

Outdoor snack shack at Hansen beach, St. John

Trunk Bay beach is exquisite. St. John.

Trunk Bay beach trees and rocks, St. John

Chicken and potatoes cafe in St. John town, affordable lunch

My table mate at the little cafe on St. John

In one of the narrow alleys off the main street in Charlotte Amalie

In one of the narrow alleys off the main street in Charlotte Amalie

In one of the narrow alleys off the main street in Charlotte Amalie

Bunker Hill Hotel from the street. It looks small from the front but actually is much larger in back. One has to carry one's own suitcase up the steps.

The little patio in front of my room, which overlooked the little swimming pool.

A green walkway on the side of the hotel.

All the body care products I took to last 10 days. I used everything. A variety of mosquito repellents, Benadryl spray for mosquito bites, suntan lotion, skin cream, medication. Flippers, snorkel, mask, camera and charger.

The Bunker Hill Hotel handyman.

The Bunker Hill Hotel handyman.

My favorite salad at the Bunker Hill Hotel's excellent restaurant.

Last day, overcast weather by the little swimming pool

Charlotte Amalie airport

Charlotte Amalie airport

Adequate seat on the plane home to NYC nobody sitting next to me. Rested, tanned and happy.

Fourth of July 2015

July 4, 2015, 5:49 am

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July 4th. the web is calm.

Independence Day, the historical event.

What's Inside Fireworks: Glitter, Starch, and Gunpowder

Fourth of July Fireworks

About Fourth of July Fireworks

"July 4, 1776 was the day the Continental Congress finalized the wording of the Declaration of Independence. The official signing didn't take place until later, but July 4th has ever since been the birthday of America. Celebrations of independence took place throughout the summer of 1776, as well as they could considering there was a war going on. The legacy of the revolutionary celebrations is to celebrate with artillery and cannonfire in addition to bonfires and illuminations. Firecrackers and rockets were a natural extension. The first anniversary of the date was celebrated with the pomp and circumstance we would recognize today. Even in 1777, fireworks were used.

The evening was closed with the ringing of bells, and at night there was a grand exhibition of fireworks, which began and concluded with thirteen rockets on the commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated. Every thing was conducted with the greatest order and decorum, and the face of joy and gladness was universal. Thus may the 4th of July, that glorious and ever memorable day, be celebrated through America, by the sons of freedom, from age to age till time shall be no more. Amen, and amen (Virginia Gazette, 18 July 1777)." Via Mental Floss

Is this cool or what! Miniature pottery by Jon Almeda.

The Flying Trunk by Hans Christian Andersen

Lunch met makreel by Kenne Gregoire

Terminée by Kenne Gregoire

Dorothy Lathrop ~ 1891-1980 ~ The Fairy Circus

Girl in the Clouds by nendili

Admiring Nature by Honor C. Appleton (1879 – 1951)

Living Architecture: Islamic Indian by Andreas Volwahsen

Saul Steinberg & Inge Morath, 1959

ITALY. Bomarzo. Park of the Palazzo Orsini. 1952. Herbert List

Naples, 1961 by  Herbert List

Calascio - Primi raggi di sole, Calascio, Abruzzi, Italy ~ Capri, 1935. Photo: Herbert List.

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A selection of street foods around the world

July 5, 2015, 5:57 pm

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Street food

peeling a pineapple clean and easy


Indian fast chapati maker


The king of cotton candy. Dancing and working at the same time.  His name is David Shtorm. Can't get enough of this fun street food/art performer


Traditional Korean Candy Cutter


naan thrower in Tamil Nadu


Best Food Carts in New York City


Korean honey strings


Amazing Indian Chef


Turkish ice cream vendor trickster


Instant Ice Cream Rolls By Street Vendor In Phuket Thailand


Chinese Sugar painting, Dragon


Paris Street Food - French Crepe


Thai Street Vendor Crab Fried Rice, "Khao Pad Bu"


Indian dosa king


Japanese baby cakes. Hikawa Shrine baby sponge cake Mishima-ya craftsmanship

Great mango cutting style


Hualian Taiwan Food making


Indian man cuts onion faster than a blender


The Amazing Street Food of India


Thai Street Food: Extreme Chai Yen


Jianbing (烙饼) - China Eats series 2009


Chai in Calcutta: Street Food Kolkata: Part 1


Ice cream making in India


Thai Street Food - Chiang Mai Night Market,Thailand


Palermo: streetfood


Street Food Thrives in Marrakech


The Halal Guys ♥ NYC Street Food ♥ Review Lamb & Chicken Platter


The Original Soupman Demo Video (The Soup Nazi guy, Al Yaganeh in NYC)


Insider Trick: How To Open A Coconut Professionally,  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


Street Food, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) 


Street Food Around The World - Amsterdam


Tamales In Oaxaca Mexico


Yummy street tacos in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico


Lobster roll, Maine

AN ULTIMATE GUIDE TO EUROPEAN STREET FOOD

JIANBING: A GUIDE TO CHINA’S FAVORITE STREET FOOD

July 5th 2015

July 6, 2015, 2:22 pm

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Free internet services that should be taken advantage of via Reddit member osculator

Entertainment:

• Project Gutenberg - Free books  
• OpenLibrary - download out-of-copyright books, borrow in-copyright books,
• LibriVox - Free audiobooks  
• Podiobooks - free audiobooks mostly from self-published authors
• Documentary Heaven - Free documentaries  
• Top Documentary Films - more free documentaries
• Free Documentary - and more
• Last.fm - Keeps track of your listening habits  
• Songza - Playlists for whatever mood you're in  
• 8 Tracks - Another playlist service with playlists created by users. Internet radio created by people, not algorithms.
• Popcorn Time - http://www.reddit.com/r/PopCornTime  
• Media Hint - Allows for US Netflix and Pandora access for those of us living abroad. Turns out Media Hint are now charging but here's a workaround   
• ZenMate - (Chrome extension) MediaHint alternative
• Hola Unblocker - Same as above, allows access to US Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, etc. but be warned.  
• Soundozer - it's kind of like Pandora, but you can listen to any song you search for and you can create a station based on that song. You don't have to register either.
• Grooveshark - free music, online radio, streaming.
• Jango - Free music - internet radio that plays what you want, great for those who can't access Pandora
• Pornhub - free porn, nuff said  
• TBLOP - The big list of porn - an organized list of good porn sites   

Courses and tutorials:

• Class Central - Discover free online classes (MOOCs) from top universities like Stanford, MIT, Harvard, etc.  
• Coursera
• Open Study
• Open2Study 
• Future Learn - Learning for life, provided by UK and international universities
• Udacity
• iTunes U - iTunes University offers many free open courses from leading university
• Havard Open Courseware
• MIT Open Courseware
• Yale Open Courseware - actual video lectures for the class so you can get the in-class experience. Lots of classes over lots of subjects  
• Stanford Open Courseware
• EDX - Free courses from the best universities, you can even get a diploma for a few dollars
• Khan Academy - Free maths learning tutorials   
• Patrick JMT - making free and hopefully useful math videos for the world!
• Codecademy and LearnStreet - Free interactive coding tutorials    
• Become a programmer, motherfucker - If you don't know how to code, then you can learn even if you think you can't
• Duolingo and FSI Language - Free language learning  
• Memrise -  Learn vocabulary, languages, history, science, trivia and just about anything else easily using flashcard techniques
• Anki - Similar to Memrise. Anki is a program which makes remembering things easily. Intelligent flashcards  
• TED Talks - Free talks and lecture about anything and everything    
• Wolfram Alpha - Your one stop shop for calculations and questions about anything    
• Mathway - Awesome math problem solver
• A giant collection of Computer Science books made freely available
• Free Rice - Answer vocabulary questions and rice is donated to charity! Be sure to turn off adblock when using this site, as that's how they supply the rice!  
• Mendeley - The best free way to manage your research. Organize, share, discover. Great for when writing a paper, it manages all your referencing/bibliography in many different available notations

Self-Help/Advice:

• 7 Cups of Tea - Free, anonymous, and confidential conversations with trained active listeners. Please don't spam the site, they offer a great service    
• Thrive On - Not completely free, but aims to bring affordable online mental health programs to those who would otherwise go without. Starting next month  
• Blah Therapy - Online listening service. "Experience the rewards of venting to a stranger or lending an ear." 
• MoodGYM - Learn cognitive behaviour therapy skills for preventing and coping with depression.  
• Social Services; resources - a subreddit created by a professional Social Worker who has spent a career procuring resources for those in need.

Software/Add-ons:  

• Ninite - update/install all your programs at once  
• Portable Apps -  load several apps on a thumb drive to run on any Windows PC  
• SlimDrivers - Cloud based program that detects what drivers need to be updated. Incredible--especially after formatting an operating system. No need for CDs or trying to remember which model card, adapter...etc. you have
• Copy - Online cloud storage. Start with 15gb free. Or 20gb with a referral code (Shameless sharing of my own referral code). Here is the Copy referral train. Free storage for everyone!  
• BitTorrent Sync - Secure, unlimited file-syncing. No cloud required
• SyncThing - opensource alternative for bitsync. its recommended if you care about your privacy and security of your files  
• Mega Desktop Sync(50GB) and Symform (Unlimited, but you must share back!) - both cloud storage services
• Calibre - Free ebook library management  
• F.lux - Changes the colour of your screen as the day progresses  
• GIMP - Free photo manipulation software    
• Paint.NET - Windows application designed to be the much needed upgrade to MS Paint
• Pixlr - Online photo editor. web-based equivalent to an old version of Photoshop from 2005 or something. Very functional for occasional use manipulating images, and seeing as it's web-based and doesn't require an account it's super easy to use from anywhere
• Sumo Paint - Powerful graphics editor for your web browser and pc
• Blender - Open source, cross platform suite of tools for 3D creation
• Prey Project - Multi-platform anti-theft software  
• RES - Reddit Enhancement Suite - A must have for all you redditing needs  
• KeePass - free, open source, light-weight and easy-to-use password manager.  
• LastPass - free (with premium for multiple platforms), easy-to-use password manager.  
• Dictionary Pop-up extension, double click on a word that you don't know the meaning of and a dictionary definition pops up. Firefox extension powered by dictionary.com. Chrome extension powered by Google 
• ClipCube - clipboard history. I missed this when using Windows  
• ClipX - a tiny clipboard history manager. It is sweet, it is free, use it. ClipCube alternative
• LeechBlock (Firefox add-on) - simple productivity tool designed to block those time-wasting sites that can suck the life out of your working day
• StayFocused (Chrome extension) - Chrome alternative to LeechBlock
• Reaper - Audio workstation. Reaper warning
• Audacity - free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds
• MuseScore - Free music composition and notation software
• Notepad++ - a free source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages
• Sublime Text - a sophisticated text editor for code, markup and prose. Note that it is a never-ending free trial, but you should consider paying for the service to support the developers

• Sublime Text ColourCoder - this plugin for Sublime Text will highlight every variable in its own, consistent color (feature known as semantic highlighting, variable-name highlighting, contextual highlighting) you name it

• Atom Editor - A hackable text editor for the 21st Century
• Komodo Edit IDE - Powerful free editor for Python, PHP, Perl, Ruby, Tcl, Javascript and other major web languages
• CeltX - Free scriptwriting and all-in-one production studio
• Rainmeter - Windows desktop customisation. Similar to Conky for Linux
• Handbrake - open source video transcoder
• YouTube Video Converter - coverts YouTube videos to MP3, AAC, MP4... Recorder, Converter and Downloader  
• Pocket - a great site for saving articles, recipes or whole pages for later offline viewing, and cloud syncs with all your devices
• Feedly -  Read more, know more. RSS feed. They also have an awesome app  
• OpenOffice - Free office software  
• LibreOffice - offers much more up-to-date software than OpenOffice  
• TeraCopy - designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed. It skips bad files during the copying process, and then displays them at the end of the transfer so that you can see which ones need attention
• MyNoise - Custom-shaped Online Noise Machines
• Privacy Badger - developed by the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) and is a browser add-on for Chrome and Firefox that helps lower your internet footprint and stop third party trackers from following your movement around the web
• DistroWatch - Put the fun back in computing. Use Linux, BSD. This site gives detailed information on each Linux distribution and provides links to their respective communities
• Rufus - Easily create bootable USBs [Windows], burning bootable OS ISOs
• UNetbootin - allows you to create bootable Live USB drives for Ubuntu, Fedora, and other Linux distributions without burning a CD. It runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X  
• CloudForge - Free Subversion and Git hosting
• Spoon - Use your software and files from any desktop. free virtualization startup that lets users launch full desktop apps from any browser without having any of them installed on my computer

monty python football


A hilarious Monty Python sketch explains why Greece is in a huge crisis

sad animal facts is packed full of interesting info, illustrated by its creator, Brooke Barker

Love great parenting! Little Einsteins Dance Father and Son


100 Famous Artists And Their Studios

Bernard Frize

Jean Tinguely

Lucien Freud

Georgia O'Keeffe

MR PAUL'S MIND

Bob, the Golden Retriever

July 7th 2015 hodgepodge

July 6, 2015, 11:35 pm

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Pretty astounding reading the diabolical malice in creating false reasons for the United States government to invade another country, Cuba, in 1962, all listed here. Declassified: Operation Northwoods Justification for U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba

What's a computer trick you think everyone should know? - a practical Reddit thread

James Arruda Henry was in his mid-nineties when he began to learn to read and write.

For over nine decades he had lived successfully without being able to sign his own name.
Inspired by a book written by a 98 year old man who had also lived without literacy,
James began quietly practicing his own signature at the dining room table and went on to

hand write his first book.

I haz a cloud Horse and dog play together. Tokyo Shoe Shine Boy - Teruko Akatsuki

Draw a Vermeer with just one line

20 Unusual Uses for Coffee 

Pigeons never forget a face

Derpy camel running

Socks made in Egypt around 250 to 420 years AD

Oskar the Blind Kitten Versus Hair Dryer - Epic Cat Battle

Nikki Stanley - Skills On Fire

'Brinicle' ice finger of death filmed in Antarctic

One Year in 120 seconds

A lovely guided hypnosis for relaxation and well being

New Densely Embroidered Animals by Chloe Giordano

Her FaceBook page, so you can see the process.

Hippy Timeline

Here are some of the more important events of the 1960s-1970s.  They include the antecedents and descendants of the hippy movement, the civil rights, anti-war, women's and environmental movements.  The psychedelic and the protest movements were greatly enhanced by the revolution in music, so we've included some influential music milestones.

Cat Loves Touching Stuff

Bernese Mtn Dog and friend

Thought Audio, free audiobooks online

Such a great jump rope workout

Botanical jewelry a website with all kinds of information about jewelry made of seeds and plants

There is a word for that strip of toothpaste you put on your toothbrush, it's a nurdle.

Roy Lichtenstein Costume

Show off :P ;(

The Queen's hidden cousins: They were banished to an asylum in 1941 and left neglected now an intriguing  documentary reveals all

The documentary.

11 year old Mexican girl and her two brothers: 

Vazquez Sounds Adele - Rolling In The Deep

Tokyo as seen from a helicopter. Photograph by Panic_Switch

July 8th 2015

July 7, 2015, 5:25 pm

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Constrained Wings by artist Dukno Yoon

She teaches metalsmithing at Kansas State University

More on This Is Colossal

Early Wi-Fi System... Steve Jobs Revealed The Secret of Life In 46 Seconds

Endre Penovác. His FaceBook Page.

Peace

Still

Tranquility

Yin Yang Surprisingly interesting! Japanese plastic food samples, all about them How they are made starts around the 8:00 mark

Japanese Food Models, Yesterday And Today

Fake Food Japan, where models of fake food are sold. The business card cases are fun. 

Chicken Rice with Shrimp Business Card Case for $22.83

Cucumber Roll Sushi Ear Pick for $5.71

Marvelously graphic vintage Soviet work safety posters

Flashbak is a fun site, worth exploring

Huh, just learned that wearing red trousers for men is an upper class thing in Britain.  Apparently, this trend has been around for a while. I learned about it here: 27 Things Posh People Like
There's even a Look at my fucking red trousers website.

I remember seeing flamenco dancing in a cellar tavern in Madrid, back in 1963, somewhat like this marvelous dancer, Lucero Tena , who is Mexican.


Here she is in her middle age, playing and dancing with a classical music orchestra. Still brilliant.


And here is Lucero Tena in her older age, even more incredible on the castanets. Wow.


About her on Wikipedia.

Ooh, I like this! The legendary Shoshana Bean stopped by to help us to turn a late '90s hit - the Backstreet Boys'"I Want It That Way" - into a '70 soul hit.


Blake Morrow made two-year-apart portraits of her friend Beth to celebrate her weight loss of 150lb. The Beth Project.

Hero monkey spends 20 minutes resuscitating his friend after he is knocked out by electric rails... and SAVES him before train pulls in

Shetland ponies in cardigans

Dennis Wojtkiewicz' hyper realistic paintings of fruit, flowers and other things.

The Coke Opening Ping Pong Trick Shot 

Some wonderful 17th Century illustrations by Athanasius Kircher in the book Prodomo Apologetico, by Gioseffo Petrucci

July 9, 2015, 2:59 pm

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Gioseffo Petrucci was a student, an assistant and protégé of the German Jesuit scholar, Athanasius Kircher, a polymath, scientist, traveler, author. In 1677 Petrucci published a synthesis of what he had learned with his teacher, Kircher, over many years. That synthesis was called Prodomo apologetico alli studi Chircheriani (1677), written in defense of his teacher, who was being criticized by other scholars at that time. In this book are included illustrations by Kircher, which are included below with a link to the entire book online. 

Kircher lived at a time in history right between the magical thinking of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Age of Discovery, the beginning of  modern science with its rational thinking.  His illustrations reflect that marvelously.

Here is a link to the entire book online. Click on the word "Vorschau" for the whole book in thumbnail images.

Kircher had an early interest in China, telling his superior in 1629 that he wished to become a missionary to that country. In 1667 he published a treatise whose full title was China monumentis, qua sacris qua profanis, nec non variis naturae & artis spectaculis, aliarumque rerum memorabilium argumentis illustrata, and which is commonly known simply as China Illustrata, i.e. “China Illustrated”. It was a work of encyclopedic breadth, combining material of unequal quality, from accurate cartography to mythical elements, such as a study of dragons. The work drew heavily on the reports of Jesuits working in China, in particular Michael Boym and Martino Martini.

China Illustrata emphasized the Christian elements of Chinese history, both real and imagined: the book noted the early presence of Nestorian Christians (with a Latin translation of the Nestorian Stele of Xi'an provided by Boym and his Chinese collaborator, Andrew Zheng), but also claimed that the Chinese were descended from the sons of Ham, that Confucius was Hermes Trismegistus/Moses and that the Chinese characters were abstracted hieroglyphs. 

Here’s the original Latin manuscript with pictures, and here’s the English translation. Via EastIsEverywhere

July 10th 2015

July 9, 2015, 9:44 pm

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Nine hours of a Cassandra flower blooming

24 hours in the life of ten Daydream flowers

Antimatter flowers

Arizona Sunset flowers

Ten hours of Eroica flowers

Fascination flowers

Four Yes flowers blooming over eight hours

Time Lapse Compilation of 5 More Types of Echinopsis Flowers Opening from EchinopsisFreak on Vimeo.


Compilation of Time Lapses Showing 4 Types of Echinopsis Flowers Opening ... from EchinopsisFreak on Vimeo.

Greg Krehel's amazing time lapses of cactus flowers opening. Freaky Flowers: Echinopsis Cacti in Bloom from EchinopsisFreak.

Prin (LACMA) This watercolor depicting the Hindu god Varuna riding a sea monster dates from A.D. 1675 to 1700. Hearing what a story would likely have sounded like 5500 years ago. Telling Tales in Proto-Indo-European In the 1990s, historical linguists created another short parable in reconstructed PIE [ Proto-Indo-European]. It is loosely based on a passage from the Rigveda, an ancient collection of Sanskrit hymns, in which a king beseeches the god Varuna to grant him a son. Here, Andrew Byrd recites his version of the “The King and the God” in PIE, based on the work of linguists Eric Hamp and the late Subhadra Kumar Sen. Automaton Frog, ca. 1820, Switzerland. Gold and green enamel automaton in the form of a frog and set with pearls. Ruby eyes. Mechanism operates the legs to cause the frog to jump and croak. Automata at the Metropolitan Museum. The Secret Lives of Vinyl Hoarders

Questlove and other obsessive record collectors are chronicled in Eilon Paz’s Dust & Grooves, a photography and interview project

Star Track by I Love Doodle

J. J. Grandville, Shepherd's Star

J. J. Grandville, The Sailor’s Star

J.J. Grandville, The Good Star

A Walk in the Sky by JJ Granville

Some Mongolian pop and contemporary art

August 5, 2015, 4:09 pm

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≪ Previous: July 10th 2015

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Solongo Mellecker, Mongolian pop artist. One can buy prints here.

"I was born and grew up in Mongolia. After receiving my BFA in Mongolian Traditional Painting, I moved to Atlanta to pursue illustration and received my MFA in Illustration from SCAD Atlanta. My illustrations are unique and whimsical, inspired by folk tales, myths and imaginations with my style that is influenced by both Mongolian and Western culture. I have been working as a freelance illustrator over 10 years illustrating for editorials, advertising, children’s books, postcards and textile designs.

I am comfortable working with variety of mediums such as acrylics, color pencils, watercolors, ink and gouache and digital media. My illustrations have been featured in professional shows for both Society of Illustrators Los Angeles and New York, Illustration annuals from 3 x 3 Magazine, Society of Illustrators NY, Spectrum 18. I also enjoy showcasing my illustrations and painting in various galleries throughout the US. I live and freelance from my little home studio in Atlanta, Georgia."

The Goddess of Death

Werewolf

Nammy

White Night

No Pets Allowed

Hidden Treasure

Siberian Beauty

Alice in Wonderland 1

Mongolian Death Worm

Banshee

The Crocodile Goddess

Mongol Empire Map

The Fishing Hole

Collective Unconscious

Old Man Dalantai

Scarlett

Yama

Surprise Guest

Birth

Jorogumo

Baba Yaga the Goddess of Death

Shadow of the Colossus Another contemporary Mongolian artist, Zayasaikhan Sambuu

Zayasaikhan Sambuu, Zaya, was born in a small town Baatsagaan Bayankhongor in Mongolian 1975 , During his teenage years the oppression and censorship of communism began to fade away; which enabled the re emergence of forgotten Mongolian culture and heritage as well as the freedom of religion. Growing nationalism and religious freedom allowed many people to practice Buddhism and as a skilled teenager Zaya was greatly encouraged by the elders to depict portraits of Buddhist Gods in order to recover their religious customs and values. That had been forbidden by the communist regime for more than a decade. For this reason, Zaya was first introduced to art through Buddhism. Indeed, Buddhism had especially influenced him and at the age of 15 he decided to become a monk.

However, after studying Tibetan religious texts for two years, he realized that he had a greater interest in art itself rather than religion. In addition, the lifestyle of the monks and the strict rules of religion clashed with his artistic personality and creative mentality. At the age of 17, Zaya enrolled at the Soyol Fine Art College in Ulaanbaatar to study traditional Mongolian fine arts. After finishing college, he continued to study at the Institute of Fine Art at the Mongolian University of Culture and Art, graduating in 2002.

Another Mongolian artist, Xue Mo.

Xue Mo's premise is that the composition of these paintings act as a focal point for meditation on such concepts as virtue, beauty, serenity, benevolence, and tranquility.

Variously described as "Renaissance", "Chinese Vermeer" or "Medici- like portraiture", Xue Mo's paintings evoke a timeless elegance and a return to pure painting. Critic Katherine Wilkinson has written, "In the 20th Century, many Asian artists have sited, in the human figure, the portrayal and exploration of their own and their society’s identity and history and its changing relationship with other nations and a global culture...Xue considers her work deeply affected by old Chinese culture, its traditional music, calligraphy and early portraiture."

After graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, Xue Mo lectured in Fine Art in Beijing for many years before beginning her career as a full-time professional artist.

She has exhibited in Beijing, Singapore, Hong Kong, the US and Australia. The Diane Farris Gallery provides her first exposure in Canada.

1966 Born in Inner Mongolia, China
1982 Graduated from Fine Art Department, Ximon Normal School
1982 - 1986 Art teacher, elementary and middle schools
1991 BA, Fine Art Department, Meitan Normal College
1991- 1996 Lecturer of Fine Art, Meitan Normal College

Miss Gao Wa

Portrait of Miss Tong Tong (2009)

Qimuge

Arsgen

Qimuge

Naren Gaowa

"Mongolian Series #2", 2003

Naren Tuya", 2010

Portrait of Miss Tuya, 2006

Mongolian Girl in National Dress 2

Mongolian Girl in National Dress 2009

Portrait of Miss Gaowa. 2009

Resting

 The art of eagle hunting in Mongolia, photographed by Asher Svidensky

"I found her in the form of Ashol Pan, the daughter of an experienced eagle hunter around Han Gohadok, which is south of Ulgii. She was perfect. I was amazed by her comfort and ease as she began handling the grand eagle for the first time in her life. She was fearlessly carrying it on her hand and caressing it somewhat joyfully."

Photo credit: Asher Svidensky

The Ordos Museum in Inner Mongolia Ordos Museum by MAD from Dezeen on Vimeo.

Coral Mask of  Begtse early 20th century . "In spite of the use of unusual materials, this extraordinary dance mask of the worldly protector Begtse (Mongolian: Jamsaran) follows typical proportions and conventions. Coral masks of Begtse are unique to Mongolia, though less than ten of them are known to exist. Begtse gained importance in that region as protector of the Bogda Gegeens, the leaders of Mongolian Buddhism."

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A happy assortment, Thursday, August 6th 2015

August 6, 2015, 6:18 pm

≫ Next: Exquisite illustrations of life in India about 200 years ago

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A real treat, a large archive of Old Time Radio.

There are shows, advertisements, songs, talks, comedy, talks, historic speeches, all free.

Wonderful for doing housework, company while one does chores or goes to sleep. Fun listening. A few examples:

Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney

WWII swing music on the American forces Radio show

Suspense

Casblanca

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (Australian illustrator, 1888-1960) ~ 'Anne Rides on a Nautlis Shell'

A Fairy and a Bird Embracing- Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (Australian illustrator, 1888-1960)

If you like butterflies, this is important to know.

Butterfly Bushes Aren’t Good for Butterflies

The ecologically correct thing to do, to help butterflies thrive, is to find plants native to your area and plant them. Here is a website to find plants native to your area in the USA.
Find Native Plants

Useful to know.

The language of lying

Zip Lookup. What your zip code says about you.

The Pay Phone Repairmen of New York City

Crazy about this Colombian salsa dancing. Wow, his body is electric! Knees on fire!
SALSA CALEÑA


And Colombian salsa as it looks danced with couples in a club, sizzling
Colombian Style Salsa at a Club in Cali, Colombia


Love this vintage Indian filmi song in Telegu, her joyous plumpness, the passion
AADAVE MAYURI, the famous old rare master piece song of K Viswanath's creation


Another old Telegu romantic song that makes my heart flutter with tenderness

Nannu Dochu Kunduvate


Japanese doll making. Gentle and beautiful.
鳴子系こけし／こけしの岡仁 from dmp on Vimeo.


Online police auctions. Interesting browsing.

Gifts from Mexico: corn, potatoes, beans, tobacco, chocolate, cotton, tomatoes, peanuts, avocados, chilies, pineapples, prickly pear, limes, soursop, sweet potatoes, chiclet (gum), papayas, chilies, chokecherries, tomatillos, chayote and jicama. 

Saul Steinberg's Country Noises

NASA's planned missions through 2030

Via CookSmarts.com

Exquisite illustrations of life in India about 200 years ago

September 10, 2015, 2:59 pm

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About 200 years ago in the early 1800's, there was an Anglo-Indian man, an adventurer, James Skinner, who commissioned portraits of people doing various jobs, fulfilling various roles, in India. 

When I lived in India from 1975 to 1985, many of these jobs continued, just as they had done for centuries and I feel, looking at these images, as if they are paintings of people I saw with my own eyes, doing the same things. 

Anyone who has traveled to India, and it's probably the same to this very day, can see people fulfilling these same roles in Indian society with very few, if any, changes. 

The quality of the painting of these images is marvelous. I love the details of each portrait, the trees, the shoes, landscapes, architecture. I only - and really -  miss seeing women fulfilling the many societal roles, other than "harlot", "conjurer" and acrobat, which were and are very much the same as many of the male roles, including those that were and are their own. 

Here is the man who commissioned these images, James Skinner. 

From the Hazrat-E-Dilli blog: "James Skinner and Tashrih al-aqvam

Colonel James Skinner,(1784-1841) or Sikander sahab was an Anglo-Indian military adventurer who is known for raising 2 cavalry regiments for the British, known as Skinner’s Horse. Even today they are part of the Indian army.

He spoke fluent Persian and is the author of the book Tashrih al-aqvam(an account of origins and occupations of some of the sects, castes, and tribes of India). It  was completed in 1825 and is part of the collection of the British Library.

Skinner translated into Persian the summary of the Vedas and Shastras with a survey survey of both Hindu and Muslim occupational groups and religious mendicants in the Delhi region.

The book also gives details of Hindu, Jain, and Sikh religious faqeers (mendicants) such as yogis and sanyasis as well as the Muslim Afghans of Kasur, qawwals, and fakirs.

The text was illustrated by a number of Delhi artists commissioned by Skinner for  the album, the chief of them being Ghulam Ali Khan. The watercolor paintings all seem to have been made from live subjects by the painter who accompanied Skinner on his travels."

These images below are from the Asia Society page, which offers no information about any of the specific images, only a brief general overview. I gathered as much information as I could about the images from this LessingImages.com page. some of the images have no descriptions that I could find on the web: 

Hindu Tantric ascetic

Kshatriya warrior

A Vaishya, a Hindu trader

A Vaishya money lender

An astrologer with his divination board.

"Dakaut", impure Brahman caste, represented by a fortune teller.

An image of the elephant keeper in India riding his elephant from Tashrih al-aqvam (1825).

Female conjuror/Bhanmati

A bear-keeper with his dancing bear.

Nat – gypsy acrobat

A singer or bard. Bandijan or kalavant, a singer or bard from the Bhat caste.

A Harlot

Ship's captain, represented by the Mars, a naval battleship

Bhangi, a caste represented by a sweeper.

Chamar, a caste represented by a tanner.

Shoemaker. "Moci", Muhammadan shoemakers, an occupational sub-division of the Camars.

A dyer ("chimba" class) dipping cloth in red dye.

Man with a rifle. Dhanak, a caste formerly of bowmen and hunters.

A brush maker.

"Kanjar", a wandering tribe who make rope and articles of grass.

Bavari, an itinerant predatory tribe, represented by a bird-snarer.

Kahar, the carrier or bearer class of the eastern Panjab.

"Mallah", boatman class. Boatman in the River Ravi in the foreground with Lahore Fort beyond.

Two men wrestling.

Macchi, a Muslim caste of fishermen.

Man with his Ghulam servant

Hajjam, a barber, i.e. Muslim barber as opposed to Hindu

A Bari leaf-worker. Bari, a caste that made plates and cups from leaves.

Jarrah, a caste of surgeons.

Baghban, a gardener. Making a garland.

"Kunjra", an occupational group represented by a greengrocer.

Coppersmith (Thathera).

Ahangar, the Persian term for the Lahore caste of blacksmith.

Bellmaker.

Weaver, Julaha, a Muslim caste of weaver.

A tape-weaver.

Rope-maker

Potter, Kumhar, the potter caste of the Panjab.

A brickmaker.

Goldsmith (Sunar). Sunar, the Goldsmith caste.

An artist seated, and at work. Tashrih al-aqvam.

Chipi (or chimba), a cloth printer. Printing green cloth with a red geometric design.

Khayyat (or Darzi), a tailor. Darzi is an occupational group rather than a caste but it is organised in the guilds.

Embroiderer.

A betel-nut seller preparing his wares.

Earpicker. A man cleaning another man's ears.

Kalal, a Hindu caste of distillers or tavern-keepers.

A professional criminal. Mina, a Hindu caste of professional criminals, represented by a man cutting through the wall of a building at night.

"Raj", mason or bricklayer. An occupational sub-group of the "Tarkhan" or carpenter caste. Represented by a man ("raj") building the wall and another ("muzdur") mixing mortar.

Khati or Tarkhan, carpenter caste of the Panjab. Man sawing a plank.

Man attending a pilgrim.

Two actors. Bahrupiya, originally an occupational group of strolling players.

Washerman. Dhobi, a caste of washermen.

A cotton-dresser. Dhuniya or Pamjara, synonyms for the caste of cotton-dressers, represented by a masked man using a bow to prepare raw cotton.

Acrobats. Nat, a caste of gypsy acrobats.

A water-seller. Saqqa, a Muslim caste of water-carriers.

Man sifting grain with a sieve. Agari, a grain-sifter.

Sweepings-sifter. A man searching sweepings for gold or silver.

A labourer wielding a pick.

Badhak or Qassab, the caste of butcher.

A snake-charmer of the Sapera caste.

"Bharbhumja", occupational caste of corn roasters. Man using a kiln type of brazier to roast grain.

A mat-weaver, possibly of the Dumna caste.

A screen-maker, possibly of the Dumna caste.

Polisher. (Term "Barhiya" caste applies to Hindus and "Saikalgar" to Muslims). Man polishing a "tulwar".

"Gandhi", a caste of perfumers or druggists. Surrounded by shelves of bottles, a man is pouring liquid into a bowl.

Ribari, a caste of camel-men.

Lime-burner. Cunari, a caste of lime-burners, in front of a kiln.

Runner or messenger ("paik").

Luniya, a caste of salt-diggers.

Kamdangar, a bowmaker. Shown bending the wood of a bow over a bowl of embers.

Leather-bottle makers. (Presumably members of the "Chamaar" caste).

Sannyasi, a Saiva mendicant.

"Paramahamsa", a naked ascetic, usually a Saiva.

"Dandi", a Saiva ascetic who possesses only a staff and a waterpot.

"Sarabhanga" order of ascetics who did not believe in the ordinary ideas of pollution.

A portrait of Bhajan Das Bairagi, a member of the Vaisnava order of ascetics, usually followers of Ramananda.

"Nanga", a naked ascetic. This particular one is associated with the "Vairagis" and is armed with a spear, gun and tulwar.

"Dhundiya", a member of the strict "Sthanakavasi" sect of Jains. Wearing a mouthcloth to protect microscopic life from harm, he carries a brush to clear insects from his path.

Kanphata yogi. A Saiva ascetic with large earrings and wearing the 'linga' around his neck, accompanied by Tashrih al-aqvam. 1825

"Jangama", a member of the priestly order of the "Virasaiva"

A Nanakpanthi, a follower of the teachings of Guru Nanak, the first guru of Sikhism.

A Sikh

A Suthra Shahi, an order of Sikh devotees

Sadhu, Hindu renunciate.

Qusuri or Kusuri, a pathan of Kasur -Tashrih al-aqvam (1825)

‘Qawwal’, a sub-caste of the large Muslim caste of ‘Mirasis’ or singer/genealogists. A man beating a Dhol drum.

Sufi dervish

"Tashrih al-aqvam album

The illustrated Tashrih al-aqvam (an account of origins and occupations of some of the sects, castes, and tribes of India) was completed in 1825 and is part of the collection of the British Library.  The text, a summary of the Vedas and Shastras, translated into Persian by Colonel James Skinner (1778–1841), is a survey of both Hindu and Muslim occupational groups and religious mendicants in the Delhi region and begins with an account of the house of Timur down to Akbar II (reigned 1806–37). The largest section is devoted to the various Hindu castes found in the area around Delhi. In addition to these major occupational groups, The text also discusses Hindu, Jain, and Sikh religious mendicants such as yogis and sanyasis; after listing the kings of Avadh, the book describes the Muslim Afghans of Kasur, qawwals, and fakirs. The Tashrih al-aqvam, along with the Tazkirat al-umara(historical notices of some princely families of Rajasthan and the Panjab)—also by James Skinner and illustrated—are examples of a new kind of nonliterary Persian text written by, or under the patronage of the British that emerged in late Mughal literary culture and combined topography, biography, and ethnography.

Skinner commissioned Delhi artists to illustrate the album, the chief of them being Ghulam Ali Khan. The artist accompanied Skinner on his travels, and the watercolor portraits in the British Library manuscript are likely studies from life.The portraits in the Tashrih al-aqvam, especially those of ascetics, are done in a realistic manner that reflects the ethnographic quality of the text. Some figures are named. All of the paintings from the album may be viewed here."

Sunday in mid October 2015

October 11, 2015, 12:51 pm

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Photographs by Isabelle Chapuis

Dying Zoo Worker Gets Goodbye Kiss From Giraffe

CLICK to 5:40 In the video, If you just want to get to the Giraffe Kiss.
A terminally ill zoo worker got a goodbye kiss from a giraffe after he was wheeled in to see the zoo animals one last time.
The 54-year-old mentally handicapped man named Mario had worked as a cleaner at the Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands for approximately 25 years. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wanted to say goodbye to the animals.After Mario was brought to the zoo on a stretcher by the Dutch Ambulance Wish Foundation, one of the zoo's giraffes reached down and nuzzled Mario for a goodbye kiss.

Thomas Francis "Tom" Neale (November 6, 1902 – November 27, 1977) was a New Zealander bushcraft and survival enthusiast who spent much of his life in the Cook Islands and 16 years in three sessions living alone on the island of Anchorage in theSuwarrow atoll, which was the basis of his popular autobiography.










Chronology of Tom Neale's LifeBorn 6.11.1902 in Wellington, New Zealand. The family later moved to Greymouth and then Timaru in New Zealand's South Island.
7.10.1952 - 24.6.1954 Tom's first stay on Suwarrow.
19.6.1956 Tom married Sarah Haua Marsters in Rarotonga.
16.11.1956 Son Arthur Frederick born in Auckland, New Zealand.
16.2.1958 Daughter Stella born on Palmerston, Cook Islands.
23.4.1960 - 27.12.1963 Tom's second stay on Suwarrow.
1.7.1967 Tom's third stay on Suwarrow. Tom works with the pearl divers. He remains on the atoll after they have left.
1969 His daughter Stella visits Tom on Suwarrow.
29.7.1972 Tom's divorce in Rarotonga.
15.12.1976 Stella visits her father for the second time.
March 1977 The yacht "Feisty Lady" informs Rarotonga that Tom is seriously ill. The schooner "Manuvai" evacuates him from the island on 11.3.1977
30.11.1977 Tom dies from stomach cancer and is buried at the RSL Cemetery in Rarotonga.
As at 2001, Tom's son Arthur Frederick Neale lives on Manihiki Atoll where he operates a black pearl farm. He is divorced and has three children: Meleilani aged 24, Thomas aged 17, and Joshua aged 12.
His daughter Stella Neale-Kenyon lives in Auckland and has three children: Sarah-Elyss aged 8, Milton aged 6, and Marlow aged 3.
Tom's ex-wife Sarah Haua now lives on Palmerston Island. She is 76 years old.

Tom Neale And The Suwarrow Atoll (Anchorage Island)

List of some currently uninhabited islands

Interesting vintage photographs of New York City from the Depression and World War II era.

2705 pictures from 1935 to December 1944. On the Photogrammar website.

An avenue of clothes washings between 138th and 139th Street apartments, just east of St. Anne's Avenue, Bronx, New York

Photographer

Russell Lee

Created

November 1936

New York, New York. 1938. East 62nd Street, between 1st Avenue and the river

Photographer

Sheldon Dick

Created

1938

Location

New York, New York, New York

New York, New York. Drinking fountain in Central Park on Sunday

Photographer

Marjory Collins

Created

September 1942

New York, New York. Policeman obliges three Sunday stroller in Central Park by taking their photographs

Photographer

Marjory Collins

Created

September 1942

Kate Powell's art

Photographs by Karen Knorr

Cool watch by Kudoke

Late January afternoon, 2016 culture creatures

January 21, 2016, 10:53 am

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Japanese Mexican. 

Japanese artist Kenta Torii, currently based in Mexico.

Painting by Kenta Torii Painting by Kenta Torii

Painting by Kenta Torii

Painting by Kenta Torii

Painting by Kenta Torii

Painting by Kenta Torii

Painting by Kenta Torii

Painting by Kenta Torii

Painting by Kenta Torii

Some wonderful collages by artist bbbeto, right click each image, open in new tab for full size.

The Great Panel of Western Art by bbbeto

The Quarrel of Superman and Wonder Woman by bbbeto

Fresco by bbbeto. BIGGEST SIZE IMAGE here.

Oriental perfume by Tyra Kleen(1874-1951), Encens.

JF Bertuch's Kinderbuch– Mythological creatures

JF Bertuch's Kinderbuch– Mythological creatures

Vintage tin Matryoshka wind up toy

From The Temptation of St. Anthony, 17th century engraving, Jacques Callot, (1592-1635)

Berkeley 1968-1973 Poster Collection

April 7, 2016, 6:49 pm

≫ Next: Free channel for international music from the last 110 years, Picasso's first painting etc, early Spring

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A great collection of political posters on the University of Berkeley website. Here. 

Link via Pat Brownlee with thanks. 

The UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections holds 250 posters concerned with the advocacy for peace, equality, and harmony during the Vietnam War era from the University of California's Berkeley campus and other regions in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

In 1979 Helmut Jung of Gold River, B.C. donated the Berkeley Poster Collection to the Library. A portion of the collection was previously exhibited at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery on the UBC campus from October to December 1999. 

While the posters indicate both known and unknown authorship and publication, the entire collection demonstrates similar ideals and perspectives. The posters were all produced between the years of 1968 and 1973, a period in which the social and political climate both in the United States and South East Asia provided the genesis of tension that is seen throughout the collection. The representation of each poster within the collection is unique and eclectic supporting the idea that underground and guerilla group movements played a large role in advocacy, peace and equality. Some of the groups that are represented used acronyms on the posters such as 4973 and RAPE. 

Many of the posters were produced on computer paper while the rest are either poster or cardboard paper. Some of the posters have versos which were originally produced for the mass media.