Los Angeles Getty Museum: Part 3, the Sculptures

When I went to the Getty in Los Angeles I was excited about the gardens and paintings. Not once did I predict it would be sculptures I got most excited about.  So I saved the best for last!  Above is "Mercury," 1560 by Alessandro Vittoria.  It's a smaller version of a sculpture Vittoria did for Doge's Palace in Venice.

Below is "Dancer," 1912 by Paolo Troubetzkoy.  He's apparently an Italian born son of a Russian Prince and an American mother, which I find very interesting.  The movement of this piece is absolutely beautiful; there's such a feeling of energy and life.  She's Countess de Svirsky, a famous Russian dancer known throughout Europe and America.

"Pair of Figures," about 1780 in France by Louis-Simon Boizot.  This beautiful figure sits on top a piece of furniture.  She represents Study.

"Time Witnessing the Triumph of Honor, Integrity, and Prudence over Vice," about 1725 by a Parisian artist.  I love what this bronze stands for.

"Virgin and Child," About 1520 by Andrea Briosco.  Stunning. 

"Bust of Juliette Recamier," 1801 by Joseph Chinard.  She had an affair with the Prince of Prussia.  Was courted by Napoleon's brother.  In short, she got around.  Everyone knew her for her beauty.  I actually think Juliette looks a little like Adele.

"Juno," 1776 by Joseph Nollekens in Marble.  She's Queen of the Gods and the Roman goddess of marriage. 

Juno with "Venus," 1773, also done by Joseph Nollekens.  We all know what she's the Goddess of.

"Covered Goblet with Mythological Scenes," about 1680 by Balthasar Griessmann.  Not a morally sound piece, but it's a lot of fun to look at. 

"Joke Glass," 1600s, either German or Netherlands.  This isn't a sculpture, but blown glass.  It's amazing and made me laugh.

Have a fantastic day!!
Sarah

Los Angeles Getty Museum: Part 2, the Artwork

This picture was on a sign with a big "Coming Soon," advertizing a new exhibit which hadn't opened yet: Klimt, The Magic of Line.  I love this sketch.  So wild and beautiful.  Though, I must admit, this drawing makes me think of Tarzan. 

Below is an illuminated manuscript.  This section of the Getty is my favorite, mainly because I love old books, and I love seeing the ancient handwritten art and lettering.  This piece was done in Paris around 1420 and is called "A Burial."   

Steven got super excited when he saw this!  The first is 1460-1525 and is an Italian example of "deceive the eye" paintings.  The front (this is a two sided painting) was done about 1490.

I'm pretty sure you can't guess why I liked this piece.  It's called "Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music" by Bacchiacca around 1540. 

"Disegno and Colore" by Guercino, about 1640.  It took Steven and I a while to figure out that the women was painting, and that the guy was showing her a sketch.  Steven was like, "Why is there a cupid in the bed?"  The artist, Guercino, is depicting the stages of art.   

"The Sermon on the Mount," 1598 by Jan Brueghel the Elder.  This painting is beautiful, and I like how the artist is likening the scriptures by bringing the Sermon on the Mount to his time.

"The Music Lesson," 1668 by Gerard ter Borch.  Another music painting, 

which is why I had to take the picture.

"The Interior of the Church of Saint Bravo, Haarlem," 1628 by Pieter Jansz. Saenredam.  I love the lines in this piece, which is what drew my eye.

"The Drawing Lesson," 1665 by Jan Steen.  I love the detail and subject matter.

"A Young Scholar and His Tutor," about 1629.  It's not known who the artist is, but it was done in the studio of Rembrandt, and thought to be that of Gerrit Dou, Rembrandt's first pupil.  I love knowledge, and the sharing of knowledge, which is why I like this piece.  Also, the subjects are interesting, and I want to know the story behind them. 

Have a great day!
Sarah

The Love of Cats

"Authors like cats because they are such 

quiet, lovable, wise creatures, 

and cats like authors for the same reasons."

~ Robertson Davies 

Los Angeles Getty Museum: Part 1, the Gardens

Earlier this month Steven and I visited the Los Angeles Getty Museum.  This amazing museum is free for the public, all you have to do is pay for parking which is $15.  The Getty isn't just known for its large collection of European works, but also for its architecture and gardens.  Everything blends together, creating a relaxing atmosphere above a busy city.  Here are some pictures I took during the visit.

 

After you leave the parking garage, you take a tram up to the top of the mountain, enjoying the views of the city and highway 405.  

Right when we got off the tram we took a tour of the gardens, but what thrilled me the most was learning about the walls and how the stone is Travertine.  It's beautiful.  I love the texture and how there are fossils.  The travertine found at the Getty is quarried in Italy. 

     

The reason why all the buildings, though different shapes and sizes, feel uniform is because of the square grid connecting everything. 

It's hard not to take in the Los Angeles view and ocean when in the garden. 

More pictures of the Garden.

 

 Steven sketched while I took pictures.

It's Boy Holding Frog!!  Actually, I have no idea what this sculpture is named.  At first Steven thought he was holding a crab, but I corrected him.  Soon we decided to get excited every time we saw him.

Overlooking the city.

Have a great day!

Sarah

Pioneer Day/Spanish Fork Fiesta Day Parade

Last month my Dad told my brother Steven and I what he wanted for Father's Day, and that he didn't want anything else; He wanted us to get our Ham radio licenses.  (Of course I already bought his gift, which was a vintage looking Captain America comic themed lunch box.) When I was a kid I wanted a license, but back then you had to learn morse code; no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't learn it.  A few years ago this requirement changed.  My Dad wanted us to get the license so we can help at events.  The local ARES group works the parades, races, and events so everyone can practice communication, so that during an emergency our Ham radios can be used to help with communication.  The ARES and RACES groups proved that all this training they do isn't in vain when they volunteered their time during the fires this past Summer. I was given the opportunity to help with the Spanish Fork Parade and practice my ham radio skills.  Back to the parade!

The group below set the pace of the Spanish Fork Fiesta Parade.  They fired a loud cannon and then fired weapons, giving the kids next to me quite a shock.    

Proof we're in Spanish Fork!!

More fun Parade entries I enjoyed.

All the Utah County Queens showed up for the festivities.  Below, on my most favorite float in the parade, is Miss Pleasant Grove with her attendants.  Also shown below is Miss Payson, Miss Nephi, and Miss Provo. 

Below is Mater!!  Unfortunately he broke down and I had the opportunity to make sure the lawn mower got off the street, and then report to Net Central what had happened.  

Another huge task we had was keeping the kids safe.  A lot of the groups throw candy to the kids, but the candy doesn't always make it to them, so the kids run into the street, which is dangerous.  A year or two ago a boy ran to the middle of the road; thankfully the driver of the float noticed and stopped within 5 feet.

Me in my gear after the parade.  It was awesome!  Steven and my Dad helped find lost children in their sections.  Unfortunately after the parade I found out that my sound mike was too close to my mouth which caused my voice to be muffled.  I would have liked to know this sooner, but that's the point of these exercises.  It's better to learn these problems during an event instead of during an emergency when lives are in danger.

Have a great day!!
Sarah

Batman The Dark Knight Rises: Movie Review

“You think this is going to last. There is a storm coming Mr. Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches. Cause when it hits, your all going to wonder how you ever thought you could live so large, and leave so little for the rest of us.” ~ Selina AKA Cat Woman

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years after 2008's The Dark Knight.  The city is in a state of peace, thanks to the Dent act which has helped captor criminals and keep them off the street.  Author Dent is a hero and Batman, who killed Dent to save Commissioner James Gordon's son, is the villain.  Gordon of course feels terrible over this, wishing to reveal the truth about Dent and his crimes as Two Face, but for the sake of peace he's kept silent.

Bruce has spent these years as a recluse in Wayne manor, avoiding parties that are held in his home.  He's almost in ruins, thanks to investing in Miranda Tate's (Marion Cotillard) clean energy project, who's goal was to produce fusion energy, but was disbanded when Bruce realized this power core could be turned into a nuclear weapon.  It's Selina Kyle/Catwomen (Anne Hathaway) who steals right out of an unbreakable vault that forces Bruce out of hiding.  And it's the new villain Bane (Tom Hardy) who helps Bruce to don the bat mask.    

Selina is in it for herself.  She feels the riches of the wealthy are owed her, and through jewelry Cat burglaries, she has no problem helping herself to the property of others.  Along the way she's become an associate of Bane's, and helps him in his goals.  But what are his goals?  Throughout the film we have an idea, but it's not till the end that we truly find his motive.

I like Tom Hardy as an actor, but I didn't like him as Bane.  The brilliant performance of Health Ledger's Joker is a hard one to live up to.  Of course it's hard to act behind a mouth piece, but the accent he uses was hard to take: it felt cartoony.  The sound mixing of his voice was jarring and too loud.  I kept thinking of Darth Vader and wishing for James Earl Jones, though that wouldn't have quite worked.

Before coming into the film I thought I wouldn't like Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, but by the end of the movie I grew to like her in the role.  Surprisingly it was Marion Cotillard's Miranda Tate that I disliked.  Not once did I warm to her character, which is a shame.  The plot would have meant a lot more if I had connected to her.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is another new addition to the cast as John Blake, the intuitive cop who sees things as they are, and is courageous enough to stand up for what he believes in.  He was my favorite new character, and I liked his place in the movie.  Another favorite of mine was Michael Caine's Alfred who kept the story grounded.

There was a lot of talk when it was discovered that Bane would be the main villain of the movie.  A lot of discussion has been made wondering if there was a Mitt Romney connection, with one of his businesses being Bain Capital.  Of course there is a problem when you realize that, like Bruce, Mitt is in the 1%, and Bane attacks the wealthy.  In terms of choosing Bane, instead of The Riddler or Poison Ivy, I understand.  The character was created in 1993, and in Batman Comic Canon he brakes Batman's back.  The Dark Knight Rises is the end of the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy, so why not bring in a character that helps bring about Batman's end?  But there was great debate on the web if this would really be the end of Bruce's Batman.  Well, you'll have to see the movie to find out.

Then there are the political undertones.  Nolan denies that there are any, saying he was trying to tell an interesting story.  But that doesn't stop the online debate.  It started back during filming when it was discovered that Nolan wanted to film Occupiers and use shots from the Occupy Wall Street movement in the film, only to change his mind.

Even Christian Bale, who plays Batman, couldn't believe during filming how the Occupy movement had similarities in the script.  He told OnTheRedCarpet.com "There's something quite uncanny that happened during 'The Dark Knight Rises' and I think you'll see that there's a correlation in the Occupy Wall Street movement and some themes within the movie here."

The movement shown in the movie has Occupy supporters nervous.  Harrison Schulz states, ""I’m glad that themes about wealth inequality and class conflict have entered into the zeitgeist of popular culture. In this case, however, I would rather see the these themes in The Dark Knight Rises remain free of any association with the Occupy Movement ... They in no way resemble the comparatively impoverished, peace-seeking protesters who armed themselves with signs, sleeping bags, tents, and iPhones at best in their attempts to fight for social justice."

On the right Christian Toto writes, "'Rises' never mentions the 99 percent or other overt Occupy Wall Street slogans. But Nolan clearly summons the spirit of the ragtag movement with a propensity for violence. Bane's henchmen literally attack Wall Street, savagely beat the rich and promise the good people of Gotham that "tomorrow, you claim what is rightfully yours." The Catwoman's gal pal (Juno Temple) assures her at one point, when they enter a swanky abode, that "this is everyone's home" now – in perfect Communist fashion."

No matter how you see it, there is a strong French Revolutionary theme that's hard to ignore.

The movie isn't perfect, but it is a good movie, one I enjoyed, and it's my favorite of the three.

Sarah                           

Poem: Don't Quit

(At Zion this past year)

I came across a poem that perfectly reflects my experience with the cover song "Payphone."  I've had it a long time, but haven't read it in years.  I wish I knew who wrote it, but I'm glad we have these wonderful words.

"Don't Quit"

"When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit, 

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

"Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

"Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."

~ Author Unknown

There's a fourth verse to this poem, but I've gotten so use to it this way, that the extra verse feels weird to me.  I love these words, and I wish to thank whoever wrote them, as they've been such a great help.

Have a great Sunday

Sarah

Confessions of a Wheat Addict

(Photo source info)

I love sweets, cookies, and pretty much any delectable morsel that contains sugar.  And I love bread.  Really, really love bread.  I love the smell of freshly baked pastries and muffins.  Have I made you hungry?

Only problem is the fact that I'm hypoglycemic, and being hypoglycemic automatically makes you pre-diabetic.  It's a fact of life that's haunted me for years, and yet I couldn't stop eating sweets, even though they made me super sick.  But knowledge of the situation didn't seem to stop the cravings.  

I've tried on several occasions to give up sugar, soda, and chocolate.  A few times I even made it a month-and-a-half until I gave in.  Even with this gallant effort sugar still haunted me and everyday was torture. 

Then a couple weeks ago I realized I was approaching this from the wrong angle.  Even when I was not eating a lot of sugary treats, I was still eating a lot of bread and pasta, so I set out to study what being on a low-gluten diet was all about.  Through a couple of searching I found Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis.  I haven't finished reading the book, but last week I decided to first focus on cutting out all wheat.

The withdrawal period was awful, getting a terrible migraine and dreaming about bread.  But this week I've noticed something interesting.  My cravings are completely under control.  

Yesterday I went to the mall with my family to the food court and I got a chicken salad from Chick-fil-a. Suddenly I remembered how amazing their cookies are.  The restaurant heats them up so that they are warm and the chocolate is melted.

Then the mind games started.

"I really want one!" I thought.  But did I?  Did I want one because I was craving one?  Or did I want one because I remembered how good they were and wanted to experience that again?  Did I really want one?  Really?  For a few minutes I stood there, thinking, playing angel and devil, and realized I didn't want one!  

So you know what I did afterwards?  I went to See's and got a chocolate lollipop, which I didn't even finish.  Even now, right next to me in a bag, is a dark chocolate almond candy bar.  I don't have to have it.  There's no desire.  It's sitting there just in case I have a breakdown, which hasn't happened yet, or a little indulgence, but I don't want to have an indulgence.

It's so weird!!  So I've realized, all this time, I was never a sugar addict.  I was a wheat addict.  When I thought I was craving sugar, I was really craving the wheat and flour.  

I'm on my second week, so we'll see.  The real test is how I am at the one-and-a-half week mark.  The point that always brings me down . . . and leads to unhealthy, sick inducing binging.   

So go have a cookie!! . . . or not:0)

Sarah

EDIT: May-06-2013, I must admit that I couldn't stay away from wheat.  Wish I could!  I really do like bread.  But, in reflection, what I experienced was quite real . . . I need to find a way to balance it all.