Category: life curation

art · life curation

Meet the Artist: Carrie Mae Weems

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On Tuesday, February 6th, the National Gallery of Art (NGA) is hosting acclaimed artist Carrie Mae Weems. This event is a lecture that will discuss Weems’s Kitchen Table Series, a set of photographs capturing (as NGA describes it), “[…] the story of a woman’s life as seen through the intimate space of the kitchen—the traditional sphere of women and a site of sanctuary, creation, shared experiences, and emotional honesty”.

Carrie Mae Weems

(Photo of Weems, courtesy of the MacArthur Foundation)

Weems has won numerous awards during her career, including the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. It’s going to be a treat to listen to her discuss her work during her lecture at NGA. You won’t want to miss this event!

life curation · reading list

Currently Listening To . . .

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With my January book review coming in a few days, it only seemed appropriate that I did a little more research on the author, Tim Ferriss. Somehow, I’d completely forgotten that Tim has had a podcast for YEARS, giving practical advice on how to implement the strategies he outlined in the Four Hour Work Week book.

The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts out there, with hundreds of millions (yes, you read that correctly) downloads. He has interviewed many famous and influential people, and his various time/creativity/productivity hacks give solid strategies for getting things done more efficiently and effectively.

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It’s hard to tell you exactly where to start: I find great information in each podcast. These podcasts are a bit longer (more than 30 minutes in length) so they are great for listening during a long commute or while completing chores. Among the most popular posts is “How to Build a Million-Dollar, One-Person Business – Case Studies From The 4-Hour Work Week” from December 2017. That’s pretty impressive, considering that (at the time of this post) this episode is less than two months old.

I’ll be listening to Tim over the next few weeks as I work on some other projects: I think I’ll find some more great tips throughout the episodes. If you’ve never listened to Tim before, check out the podcast! I think you’ll enjoy it.

life curation

My Favorite Organization Tools

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Happy Tuesday, friends! This is a post that I meant to do before the beginning of the new year, but life got in the way . . . And I forgot about it. But better late than never, right? And let’s look on the bright side – it *did* arrive before the end of January. That’s a good thing, no?

Look, staying organized is HARD. It’s hard to stay on top of everything that we have to do daily, to accurately project how much time we’ll have for upcoming obligations, and to remain cool and calm while we knock out everything that needs to be done. It’s a lot for one person, much less those that have to manage the calendar of others (administrative staff, parents, and event coordinators come to mind).

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(image courtesy of MariaFresa.net)

Organization tools have been so important for me, because managing my life isn’t easy. Here are some of my favorite tools for staying organized and efficient:

A desk calendar/blotter : I love being able to see my entire month at a glance. Regardless of how much I have going on, being able to see my plans in large, clearly defined squares helps me visually comprehend whether I need to lighten my load or decline additional activities/plans. I’m a fan of colorful calendars, so this one by Amazon perfectly suits me.

A personal planner : I rely on these heavily, especially since I don’t put every little task on my calendar. Personal planners hold my daily to-do lists and reminders for things to be done on future dates. The prettier the planner, the better I like it, with one stipulation: it must be small enough to fit into my purse, but large enough to capture my thoughts. I always have it with me, so portability is a big thing. My current planner is by Eccolo, and I’m including a link to one of their beautiful options below:

A refillable day planner : So it seems that a desk calendar and a personal planner would be enough, right? Well, not for me LOL! Some days require even more time management, and I’m a huge fan of fillable day planners to help me get through everything that needs to be done. These allow you to measure your time in 30 minute increments and has space for jotting down the most important items to handle through the day. Since these are undated, you only use pages as you need them (allowing you to have this planner for much longer than a year or two). The planner is also refillable, so you can add more pages as needed. I prefer this one by Blueline:


My phone apps : Who doesn’t love a cell phone? These are the best way for me to keep up with my repeated to-dos, especially since I can set how frequent I would like my reminders to be. I love my phone apps for those reminders that are time-sensitive (for example, having my alarm go off 5 minutes before I’m able to reserve tickets for an in-demand event). I’m #TeamiPhone, but every brand of smart phone has apps that can help you manage your time.

art · life curation

The Next Art Class(es) On My List . . .

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Happy Friday, beloveds! The weekend is here and, I must admit, I’ve been feeling pretty fired up for the past few weeks. I was determined to have a strong start to my year, and so far, I’ve kept my word. I’ve been focusing on everything that I want and need to get done so that I can accomplish the goals I’ve set for the year.

If you all recall, in my New Years goals post, I mentioned that I wanted to eventually transition into a career in the art world (hence this blog’s gentle but steady turning toward more art-related content). I intend to take some in-person courses through Christie’s but I am also supplementing those courses with some online education.

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Women’s Art Class by Louis Lang (1814 – 1893), at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

I’m an autodidact, so I’m very comfortable with teaching myself. You all will probably recall the art course on Alison that I’m currently taking (I’m doing this one very leisurely, though I’m already about 50% done with the material). However, I occasionally enjoy having a structure to lean on while I’m learning. That’s why I was excited to see that Coursera is offering several arts courses this year, that can either be completed without a certificate (the no-cost option) or with a certificate of completion offered (has a small fee). Since I’m doing these courses for personal development and I don’t intend to provide certification to anyone in the future, I’m doing the no-cost option.

The two classes I’m taking are Modern Art & Ideas and Fashion as Design. Both classes are taught by Museum of Modern Art curators, researchers and directors. If you find that you benefit from interaction with other students and a more structured format, then Coursera’s offerings may be a good fit for you.

I’m looking forward to learning more about modern art and fashion. I can’t wait to share what I learned with you all!

life curation · reading list

Reading List: February’s Book

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Are you all enjoying The Four Hour Work Week? I know that I am! In fact, I’m really glad for the snow days I had a couple of weeks ago, because it helped me to manage all of the reading I had to do this month.

February’s reading selection should be a great read, though I already know that it’ll be nearly impossible to complete all of the exercises during the month. Ok, I’ll admit it: I’m cheating a bit. You see, I’m already reading this book, along with January’s selection, and another book that was recommended by a mentor. So I’m reading THREE books this month (not an outrageous number for me, but I’m avidly taking notes and plan on discussing each of them, so this is far more tedious than my normal leisurely reading).

The book for February is “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci” by Michael Gelb. This book is supposed to help us uplevel to the status of genius, through seven simple steps that we can incorporate daily. I’m currently reading for comprehension, but during the month of February, I’ll be reading for implementation and integration into my life.

 

Have any of you already read “How to Think”? Let me know in the comments, and (without spoilers, please!) let us know what you thought of the book!

art · life curation

A Love Affair with Jean-Leon Gerome, Part 2

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In my previous post about Jean-Leon Gerome, I talked about how I first became acquainted with his work, and the impression that painting left on me. To date, I don’t think there is any other painting that moved me to the point of researching the painter so that I could know more about the genius that created it.

As I go forward in pursuing my art interests, I’m fascinated by the prospect of one day owning a Gerome painting for my own collection. Or, perhaps I’ll help popularize an artist that has a similar gift, deftly portraying people of color while effectively communicating the subjects’ humanity.

I am excited to announce that a painting attributed to Jean-Leon Gerome will be auctioned by Sotheby’s on February 1, 2018. While I won’t be bidding on it, I’m excited to see what comes of it. Will the buyer put it into his or her private collection, or will it become part of a museum exhibit in the style of the Salvator Mundi that sent the art world into a tizzy?

Only time will tell, but in the meantime, here’s the painting offered by Sotheby’s. The Portrait Study of Giacomo Orlandi di Subiaco (c 1843) has many Gerome-esque attributes.

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For starters, this portrait features the dark background and “candlelit” lighting that Gerome favored. The subject himself, with his tanned skin, dark, curly hair, and expressive eyes, is captured in similar fashion as other Gerome subjects. The painting didn’t attempt to “perfect” the subject by putting him in fine regalia or making his nose more aquiline: Gerome’s affinity for realism is present in this photo. The painting looks like someone that you may run into on the streets of Rome, in the midst of running his daily errands.

I am eager to see what happens with this painting. I only have to wait a few more days until the auction: I can’t wait!

life curation · relaxation

All About Tea . . .

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Have you all been following me on Instagram? If so, then you’ve seen that I’ve been posting daily tea pictures ever since I found out that January is National Hot Tea Month (Southern Season said so!)

I’m a tea enthusiast so I’ve been having a ball with the tea theme. I’ve been challenging myself to post a different tea every day (only one day missed, and not because I didn’t drink tea, but because I simply forgot to take a picture!) And, since I’m also a tea hoarder, it looks like I’ll be able to get through the month of January with no tea duplicates (and no, I didn’t have to purchase any new tea to make it happen!)

allfreedownload

(photo from All Free Download)

Did you all know there are tea consultants that you can employ to help you with selecting tea? Yes, there are experts that write about, teach about and work within the complex and beautiful world of tea. One of my personal favorite tea consultants is Jo Johnson, though, I didn’t learn about Jo through tea organizations or events. I saw her in this incredible video that discusses aging. Every woman in the video is striking, beautiful and vibrant, but there’s something about Jo’s presence that pierces your soul and holds your imagination captive. She *looks* like the kind of woman that floats around in her workshop, dispensing custom blended teas while chatting about adventures during her younger years and sharing invaluable life lessons.

Jo’s expertise allows her to instruct her clients on how to best pair different teas with appropriate foods, and she has the credentials to prove her capabilities. She also connects “avid tea enthusiasts with buyers & sellers of unique product offerings”. So if you’re looking for a rare and special tea, she’s the one to contact. You can visit her website here:

A Gift of Tea

I hope you all join in on the National Hot Tea Month festivities! After all, it only comes once a year!

Until tomorrow, take care.

art · life curation

A Love Affair with Jean-Leon Gerome, Part 1

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If you’re fortunate, you’ll come across an artist whose work speaks to you on a cellular level. For me, that artist is Jean-Leon Gerome. Every Gerome painting that I’ve seen has taken my breath away and transported me to a different time and place. I can’t see a Gerome painting without stopping to stare for a while.

Many of Gerome’s paintings have an ever-present touch of exoticism. From paintings set in the deserts of the Middle East, Africa and Asia, to his dignified portraits of people of color, I find myself enchanted by his interpretation of the exciting world outside of Europe.

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The painting that started it all: The Slave Market (1871) by Jean-Leon Gerome (Cincinnati Art Museum)

A short story: I saw my first Gerome painting when I was in Cincinnati several years ago. I decided to walk from my hotel to the Cincinnati Art Museum because it was less than two miles away, and I was in (relatively) good shape (side note: if you are ever in Cincinnati, you must stop by this museum. It’s a real gem!). Unfortunately, it began to rain and pour, and the next day, I had a cold so bad that I slept for half of the day and didn’t eat anything for dinner that evening (I recall making a hot toddy that helped tremendously, but I was still uncomfortable for a few days).

Back to the point: I laid eyes on The Slave Market (1871) and I stopped in my tracks. The painting was so powerful and full of raw emotion that I literally couldn’t move. The look of despair and anguish on the faces of the enslaved women stirred my soul. I knew, the moment that I saw this painting, that I’d never look at art with same eyes as I had when I first entered the museum. It’s the one work of art that I take with me, in spirit, wherever I go.

 

These photos fail to capture the emotion and realism on the subjects’ faces: this one must be experienced in person!

Thus began my love affair with Jean-Leon Gerome. Stay tuned for Part Two, where I discuss more about Gerome and why I’m discussing him on this blog (p.s. it’s relevant to some of the other things I’ve discussed here!) Talk to you all soon!

life curation · words of wisdom

Powerful Words on Motherhood

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I love hearing the insights of mothers. I think of my own mother, and the words she passed on to me, and the thoughts that she continues to pass to me. I’m happy that she chose to give the best of her to me, and certain lessons she taught me have served me well up to this day. I think most of us underestimate those lessons until we are still and engaging in reflection.

I’ve found that the encouragement I received to go after the things that I desire (her famous words are, “The worst thing they can tell you is ‘No’ “) is the only reason why I’ve gotten as far as I have. I realized that the advice she gave me on interpersonal relationships (letting people “think what they want”, so long as it doesn’t hurt you) and career (get as much benefit out of a job as you can: every job offers more than a paycheck) was truly timeless. She didn’t take big risks with her own life, but she spoke words that allowed me to take bigger risks with my own life. And for that, I’m eternally thankful.

With that in mind, I’d like to share a video that was shared with me almost a year ago. Phylicia Rashad, acclaimed actress, timeless beauty, and mother extraordinaire, discusses what it’s like to have a brand new baby (she already had a 13 year old son at this time) and the lessons she learned from her experiences in motherhood. The whole clip is a treasure, but starting at 4:55, you can see that it was her mother’s words and influence that molded her into a fantastic parent.

I hope that you enjoyed this clip as much as I have! Let me know what you think about it in the comments below!

art · life curation

Free Art Education At Your Fingertips

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As you all recall from my 2018 goals post, I plan to transition into an art-related career. I’m not exactly sure where I want to fall in that world (consultant, curator, collector, advisor, etc.) but I know that the art world has the excitement, beauty and adventure that I crave.

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(photo courtesy of ALISON.com)

Before I can dive into that world, however, I need to get more educated on art. I’m not a complete novice (I’ve spent lots of time in museums and I’m a voracious reader) but  I could benefit from some more targeted instruction. And, until the weather begins to warm up, I’d prefer online courses, so that I can learn without having to leave the house.

With that in mind, I’m excited to share with you all the free art course I found on ALISON. The class, Great Artists and Their Works, allows students to learn about 8 of the most famous names in art history. Learning about these artists and their seminal works has been tremendously rewarding for me. I just finished the Michaelangelo module and I will start learning about Raphael with my next module.

This course is wonderful for anyone that wants to bolster their art knowledge without a large financial investment. All that this course requires is time and a good internet connection. I fully intend to take advantage of this, and other, online learning opportunities. I have a few other courses that I plan to take this year, to help me really broaden my art knowledge base and prepare for my new career in the art world.