Author: Mstldelano

Digital curator, art enthusiast, creator of daily luxurious experiences.
art · international

A Single Lot Auction? Sotheby’s Is Making It Happen

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Over the past several months of researching art, auctions and collecting, I’ve enjoyed learning about the procedures of the auction houses as well as the habits of collectors. While checking out the upcoming Sotheby’s auctions, I was surprised to see an auction with a single lot. Yes, you heard me right: there’s only one item in this auction.

I’ve never seen an auction with only one lot, so I took my time to read through the item description to see what artifact is so precious that it deserved its own solo show at Sotheby’s. Now, this isn’t the only thing being auctioned by Sotheby’s Paris on this day. There are actually two subsequent auctions occurring at this location on the same day. But this item was so special that it has a dedicated auction, featuring only this item.

The item to be sold is an incredibly rare yangcai vase. The intricate artifact is over 300 years old and in pristine condition. The vivid images were painted onto the porcelain vase by the top artisans in Jingdezhen, China, unlike similar vases during this era that were made in Jingdezhen but painted in Beijing.

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The yangcai vase

This vase is absolutely exquisite. It’s expected to fetch between $600,000 and $900,000 USD. But given it’s rarity, it may easily soar over the $1 mil USD mark. If you’d like to add this beauty to your collection, you may view it on June 9, 10, and 11, 2018, between 10 AM and 6 PM CEST. If you’d like to bid, you can register online, or you can attend the auction in person. The details to the auction are below:

June 12, 2018, 10:30 AM CEST, Sotheby’s Paris

76, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
CS 10010
75384 PARIS CEDEX 08
France
Tel: +33 1 53 05 53 05
Fax: +33 1 53 05 52 21
paris.info@sothebys.com

 

I’m excited to see what the final price will be for this gorgeous vase!

food

Review: Horace & Dickies Food Truck

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Several weeks back, I visited a food truck I’d never tried before. I didn’t have a taste for anything in particular, but I decided to do seafood for lunch because, generally speaking, seafood never lets me down.

My lunchtime adventures led me to Horace & Dickies, a restaurant that expanded its enterprise to include a food truck that serves lunch at different popular locations within Washington, DC.

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At the truck, I ordered the crabcake and fries, a simple meal that I thought wouldn’t take very long to prepare. I wasn’t disappointed: the crabcake was prepared quickly. I was handed a bag and I returned to my desk where I ate my meal.

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An abbreviated but adequate menu

My short explanation is this: I liked the fries more than the crabcake. Don’t get me wrong: the crabcake was good. But I wasn’t blown away by the flavor of it. I’ve eaten many crabcakes and have a good basis for comparison (not to mention, I’ve made some incredible crabcakes from scratch, as well), so I know when a crabcake is “good” and when it’s “awesome”. And this one was “good”: not the best I’ve ever had, but definitely worth the money and a solid effort.

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My meal

To be fair, I probably would have enjoyed it more with remoulade sauce (I asked for some, but it wasn’t in my bag). Also, the sandwich cooled a bit on my walk back to the office: everyone knows that piping hot food is better than when it’s cooled down.

Would I eat here again? Absolutely. The food was good and I suspect that, if eaten immediately, the sandwich would be outstanding instead of just “good”. I’m really looking forward to trying Horace & Dickies again so that I can give a followup review for the crabcake!

 

art

Spotlight on Monet

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Happy Monday, beloveds! Can you believe it’s almost been a whole month since I went to Philadelphia? That trip, which was mainly for the purpose of attending my first Freeman’s auction, was a lot of fun, and a great “break” in the monotony of my day-to-day life.

While at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, I made sure to tour the European art wing, because I’d be experiencing a bit of a deficit. The museum nearest to me, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, has an incredible European art collection featuring impressionist works by Claude Monet and Edgar Degas. However, the Monet and Degas works are on an international tour and won’t be returning to VMFA until 2020.

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The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pond, Giverny (Monet, 1899)

So, as you can imagine, I was excited when I saw some Monet works in Philadelphia. I got to enjoy different versions of his Water Lilies series. I love both versions that I saw: the painting that has deeper tones feels more dynamic and calls to mind a scene from a lake during the autumn season. On the other hand, the painting with the lighter colors evokes warmer weather and the freshness of spring and summer.

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Water Lilies, Japanese Footbridge (Monet, 1918-2916)

What I love most about Monet is the thing he is known for: impressionism is one of my favorite art movements. The gentle intermingling of colors (the result of applying wet paint to wet paint), the way that light is captured, and the softness of nature all speak to me in indescribable ways. Monet’s depictions of his environment make me want to experience Giverny (the commune where Monet spent more than 40 years) in person.

Ah, how I enjoyed these! I’m excited to check out more of Monet’s work at the National Gallery of Art this summer. The museum currently has 16 of his works on view, and I plan to check out each of them!

music

Learn More About Opera

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I’ve got another FutureLearn course for you all to check out! Several years back, I took a Introduction to Classical Music course on Coursera, and I’ve desired more opportunities to learn about classical music ever since. However, there haven’t been too many courses that fit the bill, until I saw the “Inside Opera” course available on FutureLearn.

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The course will dive into defining opera, discussing the onstage and backstage activities, and how it factors into the world around us.

This opera course starts June 4. I hope that you take some time to check it out!

beauty

Review: SCINIC First Treatment Essence

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Hey friends! This is a long overdue review, of a product that I’ve used since March (remember that Glass Skin Challenge?)

As you recall, one of the steps of the Korean skincare regimen includes “essence”. This mystery product that isn’t a fixture in most American skincare routines but it’s a must have for a proper Korean-inspired regimen.

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“Essence” is a nutrient-rich solution used after toning the skin but before applying heavier products like ampoules (serums). It prepares the skin for the following steps by hydrating and balancing the skin.

I tried SCINIC First Treatment Essence because I didn’t know what to expect from this step of my routine and I wanted to try it as affordably as possible. According to the Amazon listing, the product contains “80% fermented yeast concentrate”, which both alarmed and intrigued me.

I gave SCINIC a try during the Glass Skin challenge. Even though I haven’t been able to isolate the efficacy of this product (after all, I used it along with several other new products), I am comfortable saying that I really like it! I enjoyed it so much that I purchased more after I ran out.

The thing about essence is that it really makes the skin feel refreshed and hydrated after using it. I noticed that my skin retained moisture well while using essence but the extra moisture didn’t result in breakouts or clogged pores/congested skin. My skin has been really vibrant with this product in my routine. I’m glad I tried it!

life curation

This Month’s Plans

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Can you all believe that June is here already?! My mind is blown by how quickly this year is moving along! I’m really pleased at how I’ve been progressing with my goals and I’m excited about what I’m envisioning for the rest of this year.

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This month will have a lot of activity, both on this blog as well as on my social media accounts (Twitter and Instagram – feel free to follow me if you haven’t already!) Over here, I’ll be bringing more information about visual arts, self-improvement, and creating/curating a quality lifestyle. On Twitter, you can see all of the latest art and culture happenings for Washington, DC and Richmond, VA (two of my stomping grounds). Check out Instagram for daily photos recapping some of my daily shenanigans, as well as a special series highlighting incredible artists that are showcasing their work on Insta.

I’ll also be posting a goal update at the end of this month. Yes, I’ve been working on those goals! And I finally updated this website to show my goals on the righthand column of the page. Yes, overdue, but better late than never, right?

 

art

New Exhibitions Coming to Washington DC

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museum

Happy Thursday, friends! Before we welcome the month of June, I thought you all might enjoy a list of some of the exhibitions coming to DC during the month. Have fun planning your museum trips! I know that I will.

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Kreeger Museum, June 5 – July 31, 2018: The art for this exhibit is coming from the Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology (MAAT) in Lisbon. This museum is fairly new: it opened to the public in October 2016.  This is a special exhibition because it is the first group exhibition of 21st century Portuguese art of the 21st century to be presented in the United States.

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Fabergé piece on display at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden, June 9, 2018 – January 13, 2019: As a lover of all things bejeweled and antique, Peter Carl Fabergé’s work is an eternal fave. So I won’t miss this exhibition at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden in DC.  Fortunately, this exhibit will be here for several months, so if you can’t make it this summer, you have until early 2019 to visit and check it out.

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Daguerrotype of Louis Daguerre, one of the fathers of photography

National Portrait Gallery, June 15, 2018 – June 2, 2019: The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) will be exhibiting daguerrotypes collected over 50 years. This early form of photography was the predecessor to photography as we know it today. The collection has some very famous faces, like P. T. Barnum and Matthew C. Perry, within it. The museum is celebrating it’s golden anniversary this year, so you can bet that there will be a lot of great exhibits throughout the year. 

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Smithsonian Folklife Festival

National Mall, June 27 – July 1, 2018; July 4 – 8, 2018

June ends on a strong note with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This year’s festival will highlight Armenia, Catalonia and the Sisterfire Concerts. It’s technically not an art exhibition, but if you’re in the area, you can’t miss the festival. This is always a great opportunity to take in international culture over several days.

culture · life curation

New Course: Cultures and Identities in Europe

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As part of listening to my intuition and stepping into my best life, I have stayed “light and loose” when it comes to my plans. I had been taking the ALISON Color Theory course for a bit, but I found it difficult to stay engaged in the content. Sure enough, a better online course came along that completely lit me up! When my gut told me “This is the course for you!” I didn’t hesitate to sign up and put the ALISON course on hold, so I can focus on the new class.

“Cultures and Identities in Europe” is a course available through FutureLearn, an educational website based in Europe. The course aims to give some background information and perspective into how European cultures and identities have been shaped over time. This is especially useful information for me, as I plan to travel to Europe several times over the next years.

europe

 

I’m looking forward to learning more about European history, culture, creativity, and the future of Europe’s cultural heritage. The course should be fascinating!

If you’re interested in the course, you should check it out. It’s free and available in an online format, so it’s easy to complete lectures and assignments on your schedule. Don’t delay: the course starts on June 4, 2018! You’ll want to make sure that you’re already enrolled once the materials are made available to class attendees.

I hope you join me in this class! Take care, and talk to you all tomorrow.

reading list

Reading List: June’s Book

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I’m almost done with The War of Art, so it’s time for me to select another book. I really wanted to read a book that I either 1) hadn’t read before or 2) had started reading but never completed. I also wanted the June reading selection to speak directly to one of my goals (by the way, I’ll be posting goal updates VERY soon!). At minimum, I wanted the selection to be in support of those goals.

book

So, as it happens, the first book that I picked up while tidying my bedroom was Your Life by Design by Curtis R. Estes. I opened the book up and literally, the page I landed on spoke directly to me. I didn’t have to hunt for the book: my June selection found me!

I’m looking forward to reading this and discussing it with you all. Talk to you all tomorrow!

Uncategorized

On This Memorial Day . . .

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If you’re inclined, please say a prayer for the men and women who have sacrificed their lives to keep us safe. Send vibrations of love and healing to their families, that will never be the same without them. And, if you can, hold your own loved ones close: life is precious, and tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone.

 

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Take care, and have a blessed Memorial Day.