blog no. 56: Abraham Verghese, Eyes as Big as Plates Collaboration, Hungary and the Nazis

January 22, 2022

I know most of you look to this blog to provide upbeat, inspirational news to counteract all the bad news we are surrounded with these days. And that is definitely my intention. But sometimes I feel compelled to add something that I think is important to share even though it is not a happy story. As in the documentary below which tells the story of the Hungarian Jews during World War II in the words of five survivors.

We in America are on the brink of losing our democracy and I just can't always be silent about that...With the rise of white supremacy and resurgence of anti-Semitism around the world, I think we need to be reminded how fascism can arise much more easily than we think and how it takes the silence of good people to allow it to occur...And as illustrated in the film, look how easily and quickly the Hungarian people turned against their Jewish neighbors. I never thought it could happen here and I hope I am right, but I now definitely have my doubts...

three things we love

Abraham Verghese Cutting for Stone

Physician Author Abraham Verghese (photo courtesy Lithub)

Abraham Verghese Illustration by @emmabaker.art

Sometimes a book just hits you and it stays with you. Abraham Verghese's book Cutting for Stone is one of those books. I read it many many years ago and if you haven't read it already, I highly recommend it. If you have read it, you might be interested in Verghese as a humanitarian--hear one of his Ted Talk's here.

Cutting For Stone is an epic novel that follows the lives of brothers Marion and Shiva Stone, born out of a secretive relationship between an Indian nun and a brash British surgeon in Ethiopia on the brink of revolution. The compassion filled story, based partially on the life of the author himself, is "a family saga that crosses continents and cultures" from Addis Ababa to New York City and ambitiously explores, in the words of NPR's Lynn Neary, the themes of "family, politics, history, culture and love against a backdrop of life in and near hospitals." Verghese, in the true tradition of writer/doctor, gives us a detailed insider look at the workings of the world of medicine and all the human emotions that surround that world.
I not only fell in love with this book but also what I perceive as the deep understanding of humanity and caring of the physician author Abraham Verghese. I have also read his other two books and I recommend them too: The Tennis Partner and My Own Country. Dr. Verghese is currently Professor for the Theory and Practice of Medicine at Stanford University Medical School and Senior Associate Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. He received a National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama in 2016. Verghese recently wrote the foreward to the book When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi which I also plan on reading soon.

Eyes as Big as Plates Collaboration

My friend, graphic designer and interior designer par excellence Jill Korostoff of JakDesign, has impeccable taste and sends out periodic emails with inspirational tidbits that I always enjoy seeing. I share a recent one with you here that definitely caught my eye...
Finnish artist Riitta Ikonen and Norwegian photographer Karoline Hjorth are on a journey together focusing on older people; reimagining them as powerful figures from lore and legend. They have titled their project "Eyes as Big as Plates" and in their own words, "this ongoing collaboration started out as a play on characters from Nordic folklore. It has evolved into a continual search for modern human’s belonging to nature. The series is produced in collaboration with retired farmers, fishermen, zoologists, plumbers, opera singers, housewives, artists, academics and ninety year old parachutists. Since 2011 the artist duo has portrayed seniors in Norway, Finland, France, US, UK, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Sweden, South Korea, Czech Republic, Japan, Senegal, Outer Hebrides, Tasmania and Greenland.
Each image in the series presents a solitary figure in a landscape, dressed in elements from surroundings that indicate neither time nor place. Here nature acts as both content and context: characters literally inhabit the landscape wearing sculptures they create in collaboration with the artists.
As active participants in our contemporary society, these seniors encourage the rediscovery of a demographic group too often labelled as marginalized or even as a stereotypical cliché. It is in this light that the project aims to generate new perspectives on who we are and where we belong."
The first book Eyes as Big as Plates is sold out. However, you can preorder their second book due to release in 2022 by preordering it from their website here.

Hungary and the Nazis

Hungarian Jews forced to wear Yellow Stars

The Nazis invaded Hungary in March of 1944.

The International Raul Wallenberg Foundation

I grew up with the history of the Holocaust ever present in our household. It is not that my mother, a German Jewish refugee, shoved it down my throat or talked about it all the time, but it was definitely a presence and as I got older, I asked more and more questions of her about that time in her life and the history around it. She told me stories of how her family's furniture factory was destroyed during Kristallnacht and how she had to stop attending school, how some of her so-called friends stopped talking to her, and how her 16 year old life was torn out from under her. She showed me her Jewish star that she was forced to wear on her coat and had saved a piece of schrapnel that rained down on London during the blitz, where she ended up before coming to America. My sister Judy took that piece of bomb to school for show and tell and managed to lose it somewhere on the playground (don't worry, it was okay)...But like many children of survivors of the Shoah, I have always been obsessed with the subject--in search of trying to understand how something like that could happen. Nowadays and very sadly, it seems a lot less far fetched.

I watched the documentary The Last Days on Netflix this past weekend about Hitler's 1944 invasion and occupation of Hungary and the deportation of over 437,000 Hungarian Jews, primarily to Auschwitz. The film tells the story of five Hungarian Jews during this time in their own words. They all believed themselves to be patriotic Hungarians first, much like the German Jews. These survivors all lived to tell their stories, eventually ending up in the United States after being liberated by the Americans from the death camps. One of them, Tom Lantos, even became a U.S. Congressman from the State of California. Amidst all the horror described in the film and I warn you that it contains many graphic and horrific images, there are a few glimmers. Like Swedish architect, diplomat and humanitarian hero Raoul Wallenberg, who single-handedly saved tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews by renting safe houses for them and issuing them Swedish passports so they could be disguised and flee. (I coincidentally walked by a plaque commemorating him just yesterday on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.) And the message of inspiration comes too from the survivors in the film: Bill Basch, Irene Zisblatt, Renée Firestone, Alice Lok Cahana, Tom Lantos, Dario Gabbai, and Randolph Braham--they did indeed survive against all odds and they have lived to tell their tale. Directed by James Moll and produced by June Beallor and Kenneth Lipper The Last Days came out in 1998 and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature--it has just been remastered and released again in 2021 on Netflix.

Charity of the Week:
Southern Poverty Law Center

Product of the Week
New Yoga Mats

New ! Yoga Mats—contact me for more information…

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.. And by the way, let me know in the comment section what you think of the new haircut...

blog no. 54: Artist Mimmo Paladino, Ways to Reduce Anxiety, Adoptees from China Documentary

January 16, 2022

I think we all need to listen to this right now…

three things we love

Mimmo Paladino

Italian painter, printmaker and sculptor Mimmo Paladino (1948- ) is an artist that I admire a lot. Here is a video about a few of his large scale mixed media prints that take my breath away.

Ways to Reduce Anxiety

Cory Muscara, a mindfulness teacher from Long Island, had this nifty little trick on instagram recently as a way to reduce anxiety and stay in the moment. It's called take five and it is a breathing exercise with your hand and it works...

Another method that works to reduce stress is called square or box breathing, a simple and powerful technique that helps to return your breathing pattern to a relaxed rhythm. It can clear and calm your mind, improving your focus right away.

Step 1: Breathe in counting to four slowly. Feel the air enter your lungs.

Step 2: Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Try to avoid inhaling or exhaling for 4 seconds.

Step 3: Slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.

Step 4: Repeat steps 1 to 3 until you feel re-centered.

Repeat this exercise as many times as you can. 30 seconds of deep breathing will help you feel more relaxed and in control.

Adoptees from China

I watched a very touching movie on Netflix this week called Found which I recommend to you. It is the story of three teenage girls, born in China, who were given up by their birth parents as newborns and eventually adopted into families in the United States. Through DNA testing with the biotech company 23 and Me, they discover they are cousins and meet for the first time on zoom.

Filmmaker Amanda Lipitz has made a very thought-provoking film about the journey of these three young women, raised in very different surroundings, who bond over a common experience and set out on a journey to find where they come from. This is a personal story for Lipitz--her niece Chloe is one of the three. "When you know where you come from, you can find the peace in your heart."

Charity of the Week:
National Coalition for the Homeless

Painting of the Week

blog no. 54: Artist Mimmo Paladino, Ways to Reduce Anxiety, Adoptees from China Documentary

January 8, 2022

I think we all need to listen to this right now…

three things we love

Mimmo Paladino

Italian painter, printmaker and sculptor Mimmo Paladino (1948- ) is an artist that I admire a lot. Here is a video about a few of his large scale mixed media prints that take my breath away.

Ways to Reduce Anxiety

Adoptees from China

Charity of the Week:
National Coalition for the Homeless

Painting of the Week

blog no. 53: Patti Smith, Philip Glass, Billy Collins, Heather Cox Richardson

January 1, 2022

three things we love

Philip Glass, Glass Pieces

I love dance and I love the music of Philip Glass. My cousin Joanne, a choreographer herself, reminded me recently of Philip Glass's Glass Pieces, an amazing dance piece choreographed by Jerome Robbins and performed for the first time by the New York City Ballet in 1983. I saw it many years ago but it remained vivid in my mind. I am amazed at how wonderful it was to see again, this time only on my computer screen, but totally enjoyable nonetheless...Enjoy!. And for a description of how it is to be a dancer dancing this difficult piece that is reminiscent of Grand Central at rush hour, listen to Russell Jansen's description and that of Justin Peck

Poem by Billy Collins

Introduction to Poetry
BY BILLY COLLINS

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide
or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem’s room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author’s name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

I feel the same way when someone asks me about my paintings

Heather Cox Richardson, Again

Those who are familiar with my blog know that I have featured historian and Boston College professor Heather Cox Richardson a number of times because I think so highly of her. She is a national treasure--educating us and giving us insight and context to all the ins and outs of our complicated political landscape. This end of the year political chat that she does on facebook regularly is a must listen to anyone who wants a clear, concise description of where we are in the United States today and what we should expect in the next year politically before the midterm elections. By the way, this is not totally depressing...

Charity of the Week: City Harvest

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow We See Trees: Homage to Maira Kalman mixed media on canvas 50” x 80”

blog no. 52: The Premonition by Michael Lewis, Rafael Mantesso, Cold Missouri Waters

December 24, 2021

One year of *Things We Love*…please consider sharing this blog with three people you love and encourage them to subscribe. If they do and then email me (pamsmilow@me.com) with your name, I will send you a nice gift as a thank you!

three things we love

The Premonition by Michael Lewis

Just finished Michael Lewis's book The Premonition: A Pandemic Story which is a must read if we are to understand the lessons and mistakes of how we have (and are handling) Covid-19. Lewis is a master storyteller and the book reads like a true nonfiction thriller, complete with many characters you and I have never heard of. For example, thirteen year old Laura and her father Bob Glass, whose middle school project created a model that helped predict the spread of the virus. And public health superstar Charity Dean, former Assistant Director of the California Department of Public Health and co-founder of The Public Health Company, whose genius and importance you will learn about; and Carter Mecher, and a small group of visionary doctors who called themselves the Wolverines...heroes who tried their damnedest to get us through what they saw as coming but whose voices were drowned out by an uncaring president, petty functionaries and stupid political appointees who did not have a clue. Through sharp investigative reporting, Lewis connects unlikely protagonists and weaves a tragic story that he believes could have been avoided...

Quoting the author: "Charity would tell you — and I think it's true — that the pandemic has created a kind of selective pressure on our public health officers. And it's removed the brave ones. The brave ones have all got their heads chopped off. So it's sort of institutionalized a cowardice that we're going to need to face up to so that this business of punishing people who are doing their damnedest to try to save us from ourselves has got to stop."

Rafael Mantesso and his Dog Jimmy Choo

Through the fog of covid, sedition, depression and pessimism, I am reminded that humans do wonderful things too. "Since 2014, Brazilian illustrator Rafael Mantesso has been on a journey of endless adventures with his best friend, the dog Jimmy Choo. What started as a playful moment of creative doodling around Jimmy the pitbull turned into a joyous partnership of a human and dog working and living together in harmony." Thanks to Rafael Mantesso and my friend Jill of @jakdesign for sharing this spurt of creative inspiration and lightening our mood!

Cold Missouri Waters and the Mann Gulch Fire

I heard about the tragic Mann Gulch fire through a song on the 1998 album Cry Cry Cry, featuring the collaborative efforts of singer songwriters Richard Shindell, Lucy Kaplansky and Dar Williams. Written by Canadian James Keelaghan, the beautiful and touching song Cold Missouri Waters commemorates the tragic loss of 13 firefighters when the blaze took another direction and trapped the men. In addition, the song describes a technique, born that day, of setting a smaller fire to avoid burning in a bigger one, a tactic still in use today. Sadly it didn't save the life of most that day.

Charity of the Week: City Harvest

Painting of the Week

Pamela Smilow Midnight Blue mixed media on canvas 52” x 80” $8500

blog no. 51: Savant Daniel Tammet, High Tea Crosby Hotel, Two Short Poems

December 17, 2021

three things we love

Savant Daniel Tammet

Inside the remarkable mind of Daniel Tammet

Tammet shares with us his inspiring story of living a fully independent life as an autistic savant.

The subject of child prodigies and savants has particularly fascinated me. These are people with exceptional mental abilities and one of the most interesting cases I have come across is a man named Daniel Tammet who has a seemingly magical relationship with numbers and words. One of Daniel's claims to fame is that he holds the European record in his ability to recite the number pi to 22,512 decimal places. He says he sees numbers as a landscape. In addition, he has synesthesia, which he describes as a cross talk of the senses--when you hear music but you see shapes, or you hear a word and see a color. Hence the title of his memoir, which I enjoyed immensely, called Born on a Blue Day. Daniel is also a linguist who speaks at least 11 languages, and has the amazing ability to learn new ones extremely quickly. He has even been featured on an Icelandic television program by learning the difficult Icelandic language in five days and then going on a talk show to prove it.

There are numerous books written by Daniel Tammet that include Moonwalking with Einstein, Thinking in Numbers, Born on a Blue Day; and Embracing the Wide Sky; How to Be Normal; and Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing; as well as Lili Marlene's book on Daniel Tammet: The Boy with the Incredible Story. If you want to learn more, there is a good documentary on him as well entitled Brain Man
What makes Daniel so intriguing is that Savants can't usually tell us how they do what they do. It just comes to them. Daniel is different--he can describe what he sees in his head. That's why he's exciting. As Richard Johnson of the Guardian puts it: "He could be the Rosetta Stone."

High Tea at the Crosby Hotel

I don't do it often, but once a year I take my daughter and niece out for high tea. It has become a tradition around the holidays and I look forward to it every December. This year, with the omicron variant of Covid beginning to spread like wild fire in New York City, I write this as a virtual visit to my favorite place for high tea: The Crosby Hotel on Crosby Street in Soho (NYC). The setting could not be more beautiful, and although I am usually a minimalist when it comes to interior design, the wonderful designer Kit Kemp goes to town with her eclectic mix of over the top patterns and colors in the hotel and bar. High tea includes standard fare: delicious tea sandwiches and pastries beautifully presented with a wide choice of impeccably british teas....

Two Short Poems

To Blossom
BY ANAIS NIN
And then the day came, when the risk
to remain tight
in a bud
was more painful
than the risk
it took
to blossom.

Dust of Snow
BY ROBERT FROST
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

Charity of the Week

Painting of the Week

blog no. 50: Jane Goodall Interview, Elizabeth Gilbert Reminder, Salmon Recipe

December 11, 2021

three things we love

Jane Goodall Interview

Portrait of Jane Goodall by Christina Chung

Krista Tippett's November 2021 interview with legendary primatologist Jane Goodall, one of my biggest heroes in the whole world, speaks for itself and since I am a little short on time this week, I will say no more and let you listen to this episode of On Being.

Elizabeth Gilbert Reminder

I hope that Elizabeth Gilbert doesn't mind me posting her reminder, which I thought was a good message to give out today...thanks to my friend who posted it on facebook.

“Some years ago, I was stuck on a crosstown bus in New York City during rush hour. Traffic was barely moving. The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated with one another, with the world itself. Two men barked at each other about a shove that might or might not have been intentional. A pregnant woman got on, and nobody offered her a seat. Rage was in the air; no mercy would be found here.
But as the bus approached Seventh Avenue, the driver got on the intercom."Folks," he said, "I know you have had a rough day and you are frustrated. I can’t do anything about the weather or traffic, but here is what I can do. As each one of you gets off the bus, I will reach out my hand to you. As you walk by, drop your troubles into the palm of my hand, okay? Don’t take your problems home to your families tonight, just leave them with me. My route goes right by the Hudson River, and when I drive by there later, I will open the window and throw your troubles in the water." It was as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing. Faces gleamed with surprised delight. People who had been pretending for the past hour not to notice each other’s existence were suddenly grinning at each other like, is this guy serious? Oh, he was serious.
At the next stop, just as promised, the driver reached out his hand, palm up, and waited. One by one, all the exiting commuters placed their hand just above his and mimed the gesture of dropping something into his palm. Some people laughed as they did this, some teared up but everyone did it. The driver repeated the same lovely ritual at the next stop, too. And the next. All the way to the river.
We live in a hard world, my friends. Sometimes it is extra difficult to be a human being. Sometimes you have a bad day. Sometimes you have a bad day that lasts for several years. You struggle and fail. You lose jobs, money, friends, faith, and love. You witness horrible events unfolding in the news, and you become fearful and withdrawn. There are times when everything seems cloaked in darkness. You long for the light but don’t know where to find it.
But what if you are the light? What if you are the very agent of illumination that a dark situation begs for?. That’s what this bus driver taught me, that anyone can be the light, at any moment. This guy wasn’t some big power player. He wasn’t a spiritual leader. He wasn’t some media-savvy influencer. He was a bus driver, one of society’s most invisible workers. But he possessed real power, and he used it beautifully for our benefit.
When life feels especially grim, or when I feel particularly powerless in the face of the world’s troubles, I think of this man and ask myself, What can I do, right now, to be the light? Of course, I can’t personally end all wars, or solve global warming, or transform vexing people into entirely different creatures. I definitely can’t control traffic. But I do have some influence on everyone I brush up against, even if we never speak or learn each other’s name.
"No matter who you are, or where you are, or how mundane or tough your situation may seem, I believe you can illuminate your world. In fact, I believe this is the only way the world will ever be illuminated, one bright act of grace at a time, all the way to the river." Elizabeth Gilbert

"No matter who you are, or where you are, or how mundane or tough your situation may seem, I believe you can illuminate your world. In fact, I believe this is the only way the world will ever be illuminated, one bright act of grace at a time, all the way to the river."~~ ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

Best Salmon Recipe

This is hands down the best salmon recipe I have ever tasted...A man I know told me the other day he had another woman in his life (he is happily married) and her name was Melissa Clark. After tasting this salmon, I know why and rushed out to the bookstore to buy her cookbook Dinner.

Vietnamese Caramel Salmon
Ingredients
Sauce:
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
3 tablespoons Fish Sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Ginger
1 Lime Zest
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
4 skinless Salmon Fillets
Sliced Scallions, thinly sliced Jalapeños and Cilantro for Garnish Set an oven rack 6 inches from broiler
Brush the salmon fillets all over with oil and season them lightly with salt
In a 12 inch oven safe skillet set to medium high heat, combine brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, lime zest and lime juice, black pepper and 1 tablespoon water and bring to a simmer
Place the fish, skin side up, in the skillet.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, without moving it, until the fish is cooked through halfway, approx. 4-6 minutes.
Spoon the pan juices over the fish and transfer the skillet to the oven.
Broil until the fish is just cooked through and the skin is caramelized in spots, approx. 2-5 minutes for medium rare, depending on the thickness of the fish.
Transfer the fish to a serving plate and garnish with scallions, jalapeños, and cilantro.
Drizzle with the pan sauce and serve.

Charity of the Week

Top 6 Charities That Help Children at Christmas Time

45 Great Jones Street, New York, NY 10012 hours: 1-6pm

@SARPottery and Quilts by Susan Rosenfeld

blog no. 49: Author Noah Gordon, David Byrne Choir, Billy Crystal on Jimmy Kimmel

December 3, 2021

This blog might be a little short this week—I lost one of my favorite cousins a few days ago of pancreatic cancer. He was one of my most loyal and avid blog readers, a true cheerleader to me and everyone he encountered. He was an exceptional human being who gave to others no matter where he was—he will be sorely missed by us all, including the Community Center where he delivered food every week to the hungry and to the Democratic Party in Sarasota County, where as a lawyer, he made sure that no one was cheated out of their vote. See you on the other side, dear Anthony Kahn…

three things we love

Author Noah Gordon

I hardly ever read the obituaries. Don’t know really what drew me to that section one day this week but I happened upon one of my all time favorite writers: Noah Gordon. He was an American born in Worcester, Massachusetts, but for some reason, much more popular in Europe than here. He wrote many books including a fictionalized trilogy about the history of medicine, beginning in Europe in the 11th Century through modern times. These books (The Physician, Shaman, Matters of Choice) are fascinating, gripping (you literally can't put them down) and so informative about the roots of medicine and how medical education, practices and ethics developed around the world. The historical fiction makes the story easily palatable as you follow the young Robert Cole and the subsequent generations of the Cole Family across Europe and the Middle East on their quest to be the best physicians they could be. I highly recommend Noah Gordon!

David Byrne

Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman (AKA “DaBu”) founded Choir Choir Choir in 2011 in Toronto, Canada as a drop in singing event. It spread around the world. Hope you enjoy this moment of GroupSing at the Public Theatre, (singing David Bowie's Heroes in New York City), led by David Byrne, as much as I did... Even more special since I found it by chance on an old facebook entry of my late sister, Judy Smilow.

Billy Crystal on Jimmy Kimmel

Billy Crystal was on Jimmy Kimmel the other night. I only caught it on youtube but this guy has to be one of the all time best comedians ever--and we all can use as much laughter as possible these days. Here goes a great interview and definitely some good chuckles.

Charity of the Week

Top 6 Charities That Help Children at Christmas Time

Gifts for the Holidays

Cheese/Cutting Boards
My big seller this holiday season…

Cotton Duvet/Comforter

Elephant Pouch (Copy)

Pillow Shams

Small Animal Giclee Prints

Gert Mathiesen Rust Tree of Life Giclee on Canvas

Childhood's End Series: 3 Birds

Travel Mugs

Phone Cases

Rust Tree of Life Pillow

Blue Botanical Cutting/Cheese Boards

Clocks

Botanical Giclee Prints

Tea Towels

laptop cases

Pam Smilow Paintings

Scarves

blog no. 48: Thanksgiving Myth, Braniff Airlines, Andrew Garfield on Grief

November 26, 2021

Courtesy of Martin Creed at the Parrish Museum, Water Mill, New York

three things we love

Thanksgiving Myth

“It is the one day out of the year when every American bows their head and gives thanks for everything that was taken from us....”

I have written about Heather Cox Richardson a few times before in my blog and I really do believe that this historian and Boston College professor is a true national treasure. She has outdone herself with her latest November 24th entry on Thanksgiving and democracy--a must read and not to be missed. She proves, once again, that history repeats itself and that "those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. "

And for another in-depth analysis of the myth of Thanksgiving, the New Yorker published an article in their November 25, 2019 issue The Invention of Thanksgiving

When Airlines Were Cool

Emilio Pucci flight attendant uniforms as part of the SFO Museum display entitled Fashion in Flight

Mary Wells Lawrence was behind the award winning ad campaign for Braniff Airlines

Definitely a cooler and bolder airplane interior…

While killing some time at the San Francisco Airport a few weeks ago, I browsed through the SFO Museum's current exhibition on flight attendant fashion over the years. What stood out to me was Braniff Airline's collaboration with Emilio Pucci that lasted from 1965 to 1973. Braniff was one of the coolest airlines around at the time and I remembered, too, that this was the same airline that gave Alexander Calder an opportunity to paint the outside of their planes (one of my lifetime dreams!).

These innovative ideas were actually the brainchild and part of the genius of Alexander Girard, as part of Braniff's rebranding and "End of the Plain Plane" campaign. Architect, interior/furniture/industrial/textile designer Girard was a fascinating figure in the design world, working on textiles for such luminaries such as Charles and Ray Eames and George Nelson and designing interiors and furniture for companies such as Herman Miller, George Jensen and John Deere among others. According to John Nance in his book Splash of Colors, "The Braniff project gave Girard the opportunity to work with textiles, color, and graphics on a grand scale, redesigning everything from the sugar packets to the ticket counters to the color of the planes themselves. He used colors like light and dark blue, beige, ochre, orange, turquoise, and lemon yellow to make the planes recognizable from the ground. Italian couturier fashion designer Emilio Pucci designed attendant uniforms."

Andrew Garfield on Grief

Jonathan Larson who wrote the rock opera Rent

The highly acclaimed actor Andrew Garfield stars in the recently released film on netflix Tick Tick Boom about the life and premature death of American composer and playwright Jonathan Larson but he recently made news speaking about grief and the loss of his mother Lynn on the Stephen Colbert Show this past week. From someone who has experienced grief in their life, I was very moved to hear his description--perhaps the best and closest description of what it has been like for me... Vanity Fair wrote about it recently too. And while we are at it, here are Anderson Cooper's thoughts on grief through a conversation he had with Stephen Colbert on their great losses as young boys and how he feels it is important that we bring it out into the open and make the subject less taboo.

charity of the week

Kevin Strickland spent 42 years in jail for a crime he did not commit.

I don't usually ask so directly for money on this blog but the case of wrongful conviction of Kevin Strickland is heartbreaking and the inhumanity of the state of Missouri shocking and that they are providing absolutely zero compensation for his 43 years in prison. Please consider donating by clicking the image above to get him back on his feet.

painting of the week

Recently installed painting in a New York City client’s home. Looks beautiful there if I might say so myself…

Gifts for the Holidays

Cotton Duvet/Comforter

Elephant Pouch

Pillow Shams

Small Animal Giclee Prints

Gert Mathiesen Rust Tree of Life Giclee on Canvas

Childhood's End Series: Birds

Travel Mugs

Blue Botanical Pillow

Phone Cases

cutting boards

Clocks

Botanical Giclee Prints

Tea Towels

laptop cases

Pam Smilow Paintings

Scarves

blog no. 47: George Harrison, Angelic Rendition of Hallelujah, Elka Schumann of Bread and Puppet Theatre

November 20, 2021

three things we love

George Harrison's Last Performance

Youtube really is a place where you can find all sorts of interesting things, including this interview with George Harrison,who appeared on host and presenter John Fugelsang's VH1 program. What was George doing there as he always shied away from the limelight? He actually was on the show to help his friend Ravi Shankar promote his (at the time) new album Chants of India. There are a lot of pearls here including Harrison's thoughts on life and death, on Bob Dylan, on the story behind The Traveling Wilburys among other interesting topics… As it turns out, it was the last time Harrison performed before his death—an impromptu concert before the staff of thirty of VH1! And if you stick around to the very end of the video, you will hear an acoustic and very raw version of George singing one of my favorites: All Things Must Pass…

Angelic Rendition of Hallelujah

P.S. 22 student Elisha has such a beautiful voice!

It is getting colder outside and the days are getting shorter as we move into the winter season. I am again including this angelic rendition of Hallelujah here as a pick-me-up I imagine we all could use right now. Even though Hallelujah is not my favorite Leonard Cohen song, this December 2, 2015 rendition by Elisha of P.S. 22 is one of the most moving performances I have ever heard. Call me schmaltzy but I can't imagine this not pulling at your heartstrings...

Bread and Puppet Theatre

Bread and Puppet’s very affordable art is available for sale on their website

Elka Schumann and her husband, Peter Schumann, founded Bread and Puppet Theatre in the 1960s.

I recently read about the death of Elka Schumann, Matriarch of the Bread and Puppet Theater. Co-founded in the 1960s by husband and wife team Elka and Peter Schumann, Bread and Puppet is one of the oldest, nonprofit, political theatre companies in the country.

I had seen this theatre group perform at protests against the Vietnam War way back when with their signature giant paper maché and cardboard puppets and signs, but I had no idea that there existed a "museum" in Glover, Vermont, where all these art props were housed. Gert and I happened to stumble upon the place by sheer accident, while driving across the state on the way to Maine after attending a wedding in Lake Champlain. What a stumble it was--a truly amazing place--chock full of raw art and a true treasure in the middle of rural America. Well worth a visit!

Elka Schumann's story is a fascinating one--a life truly well lived, and although her husband Peter had the title of Artistic Director, Elka's role in Bread and Puppet cannot be overstated—she was the glue that held the whole enterprise together behind the scenes of Peter’s manic creative energy.

A third stroke took Elka away on August 1, 2021. She died with her five children and husband at her side. Read Democracy Now's obituary of her here. In true form, she had performed the workers’ anthem The Internationale on recorder during a Bread and Puppet circus performance the day before.

Bread and Puppet is still active today. For more information, check out their upcoming December schedule.

charity of the week

Please consider participating in the Toys for Tots program.

smilow + mathiesen bedding

This cotton duvet cover is so wonderful—thick, soft cotton, available in different patterns, and comes as a comforter as well…Cotton pillow shams are also available for purchase. Check out these and all our other products in the artSHOP section of our website: www.pamelasmilow.com/shop-all.

blog no. 46: Natalie Merchant's San Andreas Fault, Turkish Lentil Soup, Harvey Milk

November 13, 2021

Due to circumstances beyond my control with squarespace, some of the links in the blog text may not be working (although the photo links seem to work fine). My apologies. Natalie Merchant’s song San Andreas Fault can be found on youtube. The photo links seem to be working but if you are interested in more information on Harvey Milk, you might have to google it yourself…Sorry for the inconvenience…

three things we love

Natalie Merchant's San Andreas Fault

Natalie Merchant’s SAN ANDREAS FAULT

Go west, paradise is there, you’ll have all that you can eat of milk & honey over there. You’ll be the brightest star the world has ever seen, sun-baked slender heroine of film & magazine. Go west, paradise is there, you’ll have all that you can eat of milk & honey over there. You’ll be the brightest light the world has ever seen, the dizzy height of a jet-set life you could never dream. Your pale blue eyes strawberry hair lips so sweet skin so fair, your future bright beyond compare, it’s rags to riches over there. San Andreas Fault moved its fingers through the ground, earth divided, plates collided, such an awful sound. San Andreas Fault moved its fingers through the ground, terra cotta shattered and the walls came tumbling down. Oh, promised land, what a wicked ground. Build a dream, tear it down. Oh, promised land, what a wicked ground, build a dream and watch it all fall down. Natalie Merchant Indian Love Bride ©1995

Turkish Lentil Soup

I used to get a craving for this soup at Bereket on Houston Street and I would run down there in the middle of the day just to get it for lunch. Sadly one day the hole in the wall restaurant disappeared and I had no choice but to learn how to make it myself. Luckily, I succeeded. Just might be my all time favorite soup—be sure to add a lot of lemon just before serving.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup Recipe (Mercimek Corbasi) I used to get a craving for this soup at Bereket on Houston Street and I would run down there in the middle of the day to get it for lunch but sadly the hole in the wall restaurant closed and I had to learn how to make it myself. Luckily, I succeeded. Just might be my all time favorite soup—be sure to add a lot of lemon just before serving…Turkish lentil soup is ready in 30 minutes and is so easy to make and only requires a handful of ingredients.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 mins
Turkish Servings: 4 servings
Author: Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion chopped
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 carrot chopped
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 cups wate
Saute onion until golden. Add tomato paste and cook for a minute. 
Add in carrots and potatoes and cook for a few more minutes. 
To the onion and carrot, add the red lentils, salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper and black pepper. Stir well and cook for a minute. 
Pour in the water and bring the soup to simmer. Cook covered on medium heat for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 10 minutes until the lentils are completely cooked. 
Blend the soup in the blender or using an immersion blender until it's creamy and smooth. 
Serve warm with a big squeeze of lemon.  
Store the leftovers in a glass airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the soup in a sauce pan with ⅓ cup water and reheat over medium heat.

Harvey Milk

Photograph as part of the SFO Museum Exhibit on Harvey Milk

At a time like this in our nation’s history, it does us good to remember heroes of the past that have fought the good fight and persevered in difficult circumstances…Harvey Milk (1930-1978) is one of the important figures in American history—and we owe it to him to remember him and the legacy he left behind.
”
Milk was a visionary civil rights leader who launched an activist agenda for LBGTQ rights out of his modest camera store in the Castro District of San Francisco and went on to become one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S. when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. His election gave never before experienced hope to the LGBTQ community and the impact of his work continues today.
The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has just completed construction on the new Harvey Milk Terminal, including seven new departure gates, a new post-security connector to the International Terminal, a new museum gallery, and a new display of exhibit content honoring the life and legacy of Harvey Milk. If you are flying in and out of SFO on JetBlue, have a look at this wonderful exhibit. P.S. If you want to learn more, Sean Penn played Harvey Milk in a 2008 film well worth watching.

products of the week

Get a head start on holiday shopping. Visit our artSHOP including silk blend scarves, table runners, cutting boards, memory card games, pouches, pillows, bedding, & more…www.pamelasmilow.com/shop-all

Donate to the Harvey Milk Foundation

“Hope Will Never Be Silent” —Harvey Milk

Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…

blog no. 45: Fantastic Fungi, Love and Lemons Every Day Cookbook, Anthony Bourdain

November 6, 2021

I am in California

through November 12th, 2021

Please contact me if you would like to attend an event in Santa Rosa today (Sunday November 7th), or you would like to book a private appointment to see the art in your home while I am still in California.

To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.

three things we love

Fantastic Fungi

Had a very busy week so all I am going to say about this film Fantastic Fungi is drop everything and watch it on Netflix. Truly amazing, eye opening, and game changing when it comes to our view of life, the universe and nature's interconnectedness. 5 Stars+!

Love and Lemons Every Daty Cookbook

I am not a vegetarian but I am a vegetable lover and can easily get by without meat in a meal. But I am often short on inspiration of what to cook using just vegetables. Well, my problem is solved, at least temporarily, because I found a beautiful cookbook recently that is inspiring and giving me all sorts of new ideas of what to cook for dinner. The cookbook by Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews is called Love & Lemons, Every Day: More than 100 Bright, Plant Forward Recipes for Every Meal. It is a beautiful book, each recipe elegantly illustrated and clearly explained, including in addition to ingredients and instructions, thoughts on when best to serve each particular dish. Jeanine Donofrio is the author of other Love & Lemon Cookbooks, a blog and has been featured in many magazines including Bon Appetit, Oprah's Magazine O, and Self.

Anthony Bourdain Words of Wisdom

Came across these words of advice below by the late Anthony Bourdain--renowned chef, author, and travel documentarian. His award-winning CNN series "Parts Unknown" (available on HBOMax)was a celebration of food and diversity around the world and a favorite of many people, including me. His way of being and demeanor reminded me of my late husband, Gert, in some ways. His best-selling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, originally published in 2000, gave a real behind the scenes look at restaurant life. Sadly, Bourdain ended his life tragically in 2018. His friend and fellow chef Eric Ripert remembered him this way on twitter: "Anthony was my best friend. An exceptional human being, so inspiring & generous. One of the great storytellers who connected w so many. I pray he is at peace from the bottom of my heart. My love & prayers are also w his family, friends and loved ones."

Here's his advice:
"Eat at a local restaurant tonight. Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o’clock in a mostly empty bar. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Listen to someone you think may have nothing in common with you. Order the steak rare. Eat an oyster. Have a negroni. Have two. Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you, but have a drink with them anyways. Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check in on your friends. Check in on yourself. Enjoy the ride."

products of the week

Donate to The Coalition for the Homeless

blog no. 44: Beautiful Duets, Republicans Plead with Republicans, Val Jackson Textile Art

October 30, 2021

I am in California

through November 12th, 2021

Please contact me if you would like to book a private appointment to see the art in the quiet of your own home, are interested in hosting a small art gathering or would like to join a viewing in your area.

To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.

three things we love

Beautiful Duets

James Taylor and Carly Simon

Joan Baez and Paul Simon

John Prine and Bonnie Raitt sing John Prine’s Angel from Montgomery

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sing Shallow from the movie A Star is Born

Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton singing Islands in the Stream

And it wouldn’t be complete without including a real blast from the past: Sonny and Cher

So many more I could include here...Enjoy!

Republicans Plead with Fellow Republicans

Save Our Democracy!
If any of you have friends who are Republicans, perhaps you will consider sharing this op-ed that ran in the New York Times and the Washington Post about a week ago. It is written by Christine Todd Whitman (former Governor of New Jersey) and Miles Taylor, (who served in the Department of Homeland Security from 2017 to 2019), two former Republicans urging their fellow Republicans who still value democracy to vote Democratic until the authoritarian faction that has taken over their party is bled out of it. From the New York Times October 11th, 2021:

"After Donald Trump’s defeat, there was a measure of hope among Republicans who opposed him that control of the party would be up for grabs, and that conservative pragmatists could take it back. But it’s become obvious that political extremists maintain a viselike grip on the national and state parties and the process for fielding and championing House and Senate candidates in next year’s elections. Rational Republicans are losing the party civil war. And the only near-term way to battle pro-Trump extremists is for all of us to team up on key races and overarching political goals with our longtime political opponents: the Democrats. This year we joined more than 150 conservatives — including former governors, senators, congressmen, cabinet secretaries, and party leaders — in calling for the Republican Party to divorce itself from Trumpism or else lose our support, perhaps with us forming a new political party. Rather than return to founding ideals, Republican leaders in the House and in many states have now turned belief in conspiracy theories and lies about stolen elections into a litmus test for membership and running for office. Starting a new center-right party may prove to be the last resort if Trump-backed candidates continue to win Republican primaries. We and our allies have debated the option of starting a new party for months and will continue to explore its viability in the long run. Unfortunately, history is littered with examples of failed attempts at breaking the two-party system, and in most states today the laws do not lend themselves easily to the creation and success of third parties."

Val Jackson Textile Art

So much of the fun of writing this blog for me is discovering new things to love and coming across inspiration in all different places. Since I am chiefly a visual person, my favorite social media for browsing is pinterest and I discovered Val Jackson's incredible embroidery art there.

Jackson is an artist based in Liverpool who recycles clothing into items of storytelling, history and drama, like epic tapestries. This is how she describes herself in her own words:

"My work represents an exploration of the relationship between memory and clothing and their corresponding decay. Currently I am investigating memories of childhood and youth in the 1950's and 60's through garments, accessories and larger memorabilia, such as houses and cars."

painting of the week

Pam Smilow, Flower Power Series I-IV, mixed media on paper, $1500 each/$5000 for the series

Donate to The Coalition for the Homeless

blog no. 43: Queer Eye, The Maharishi Effect, Joyce Kilmer Poem

October 23, 2021

I am in CALIFORNIA

October 22nd through November 12th, 2021

Please contact me if you would like to book a private appointment to see the art in the quiet of your own home, are interested in hosting a small “art party” or would like to join a viewing in your area.

To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.

three things we love

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

Full episode of Queer Eye

This blog would not be complete without my mentioning one of my favorite shows--Queer Eye (Fab 5 Version) on Netflix. It is an ultimate makeover reality show, featuring the cast of Bobby Berk (interior design), Karamo Brown (culture), Tan France (fashion), Antoni Porowski (cuisine), and Jonathan Van Ness (grooming)--five delightful human beings who set out on each episode to offer consult and advice in hopes of helping to improve the life of one lucky person. They do it with a great sense of tender loving care and as a result, everyone is left feeling uplifted. Although Season 6 is in production now and won't be coming out until Spring of 2022, I await it with excitement. Now is a good time to begin watching from Season 1 if you haven't seen it already. Queer Eye is such a shot of love and goodwill that even those who have seen all the seasons already might want to take another look just for the simple joy factor.

The Maharishi Effect

Whether you actually meditate or not, I think we all would agree that meditation has its benefits and it would be a good idea for us to do it on a daily basis for individual health, stress reduction and general well-being. But have you heard of the Maharishi Effect? According to best-selling author and spiritual guide Deepak Chopra, “If you’re having over 100,000 people all shift to the same state of consciousness, it could easily start a pandemic of peace in the world.” World-renown quantum physicist John Hagelin Ph.D. commented that “There is far more evidence that group meditation can turn off war like a light switch than that aspirin reduces headaches. It is a scientific fact.”

Joyce Kilmer Poem

Click here to see how the Hug a Tree movement began in India

Pam Smilow Green/Yellow Tree, mixed media on paper, 60” x 22'“ $4000.

Gert Mathiesen, Rust Tree of Life, giclee print on canvas, 60” x 40” $4500

Trees are one of the things that I love the most, the subject of much of my art. Joyce Kilmer wrote a beautiful poem which I share with you here--and whatever your definition of God might be, I think this poem captures the essence of tree-ness and nature.

Trees
by Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow, Green with Blue Leaves, mixed media on canvas, 31” x 62” $6500

Donate to The Coalition for the Homeless

blog no. 42: Swedish Band First Aid Kit, Moosewood's Hungarian Mushroom Soup, Loyal Dog

October 16, 2021

Upcoming: CALIFORNIA Here I Come

October 22nd through November 12th, 2021

Please contact me if you would like to book a private appointment to see the art in the quiet of your own home or are interested in hosting a small “art party” in exchange for a painting.

To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.

three things we love

Swedish Band: First Aid Kit

Beautiful rendition of If it Be Your Will on their Leonard Cohen Tribute Album

We are coming up on the anniversary of Leonard Cohen's death. I remember it vividly because it was the same day T won the presidential election. After attending Hillary's so called "victory" party at Madison Square Garden, I had left early seeing the writing on the wall, gotten right into bed, pulled the covers over my head and tried to sleep. Woke up the next morning to the inevitable news and on top of that, Leonard Cohen had died too...A truly dark day!
My friend Sue, just visiting from Helsinki, and I share our love for Leonard Cohen and she turned me on to a Swedish group called First Aid Kit, consisting of two sisters, Johanna and Klara Söderberg, (born in 1990 and 1993, respectively), who are also big Leonard Cohen fans. They put together an absolutely wonderful tribute concert in March of 2017. If you are a fan, as much as I am, you will have no trouble listening to the whole thing....And if you are interested in the history of the band and want to hear more from these two talented sisters, NPR interviewed them on World Cafe upon the recent release of the tribute concert album.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

There are probably a lot of things that are not worth saving from my generation but this Molly Katzen treasure is definitely not one of them. Moosewood Cookbook was a staple in the life of so many of my peers and fellow hippies--and in a lot of ways was in on the ground floor of vegetarian eating in the United States. The cookbook came out of a famous restaurant by the same name in Ithaca, New York. I never had the opportunity of eating there but definitely tried so many of the recipes from the book. One of my favorites, and apropos of the autumn season, is the recipe for Hungarian Mushroom Soup, which I give five stars and share here.

Loyal Dog

Gert Mathiesen/Pam Smilow Orange Dog Animal giclee print 8” x 10” $150 Framed

One of my animal loving readers shared this story with me below from Country Living Magazine's November 2021 issue. It is a story of a dog's utter love and devotion to its owner which is beautiful in its own right, but I also can't help but feel it's a little heartbreaking too, given my opinion of the human species these days.

A Dogged Kind of Devotion,
by Country Living Magazine, November 2021

Daisy was a gorgeous golden retriever my father first saw careening out the back of a moving truck. She was about 6 months old and had a scowling, snarly owner with no patience for puppies, no desire to train her, and when he took off, out of the back of the truck she went. My dad was nearby and saw all of this. He walked up to the man and said, "I'll give you 200 bucks for your dog, right now." The guy cursed Daisy, then counted his money. And the Leitches had another family member for the next 14 years.
My father treated Dasiy like he treated his children: with love, compassion, and constant discipline. Daisy grateful for her new home, would do anything my father asked and obeyed him unfailingly. She also had one great trick. Dad would put a biscuit on her nose, and she'd balance it there, as long as it took, until he snapped his fingers and said, "Get it, Daisy!" She'd then wag her tail and snap up the biscuit, and everyone would cheer.
My father was a troubleshooter electrician for the power company, which meant that when the power went out in the middle of the night, he'd be called to fix it. One evening, Dad was in the midst of the biscuit trick when the phone rang. The dispatcher informed him there was an emergency that he had to get out to immediately. In a desperate hurry, Dad scrambled out to his truck, drove the hour to the power substation, worked there for an hour or so, then drove back. He yawned and went to the fridge for a sandwich. It was a long night, and he was exhausted. He called for Daisy and received in response, from the other room, a whimper. He walked into the living room and saw Daisy still sitting there, biscuit on her nose, a pool of drool on the floor below her. Dad gasped. "Oh, GET IT, DAISY," and she snatched up the biscuit, loyal as ever. Dad, feeling terrible, lay on the ground with her and gave her all the biscuits she wanted. She jumped in circles, so happy to have him, so happy they were together, so happy to have this life.

painting of the week

Tree of Life Series
mixed media on paper 60” x 22”
$4000

photo of the week

Donate to The Coalition for the Homeless

blog no. 41: Kara Goldin & Hint Water, Charles Blow Opera, The Snoo

October 8, 2021

I am coming back to California with a big selection of art

October 22nd through November 12th, 2021

Please contact me if you would like to book a private appointment to see the art in the quiet of your own home (no obligation) or are interested in hosting a small “art party” in exchange for a painting.

To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.

three things we love

Hint Water

Undaunted, Kara Goldin’s book about her journey and building HINT — **Undaunted**, Kara Goldin’s book about her journey and building HINT

We all know that hydration is important—and some of us struggle drinking enough water every day (how many actually drink the recommended 8 glasses a day even though we know it is crucial to a good diet and a healthy body in general?). Making water more attractive, like in a spa where cucumbers or citrus is immersed in a pitcher, always helped me drink more but I never seemed to get it together to do that at home. Along comes HINT, founded by an accidental, in her own words, entrepreneur named Kara Goldin, who simply set out in the beginning to get herself healthier, off of drinking diet sodas and trying to make water more interesting for herself, her family and her friends to enjoy. I met her about the time she was just starting the business (we sat next to each other at the bar in Picco Restaurant in Larkspur, California and struck up a conversation) and remember thinking she seemed very determined although it seemed a big stretch to me to enter into what I knew as the very competitive beverage market, especially with just plain water. Well, many years later, HINT is everywhere and business is booming! So impressed by Kara Goldin! True to its name, Hint contains just a hint of flavor so people expecting and looking for something sweet will be disappointed (the only negative comments I can find on this product are about this). But I LOVE this product. It makes me drink more water. The flavors are subtle and yet just enough to make a glass of water interesting and delicious. And now they are even branching out into some new markets--check out their new sun and body products as well.

Fire Shut Up in My Bones Opera

You probably have heard of Charles Blow as a journalist, most known for writing op-ed political and social commentary in the New York Times. But he also is the author of a memoir Fire Shut Up In My Bones about his difficult life growing up in Louisiana which was adapted by Terence Blanchard into an opera by the same name. This very powerful production debuted at the St. Louis Opera House in 2019 but is now being performed at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City and lucky me, I had the privilege of attending last Monday night. The cast was very impressive with Baritone Will Liverman, one of opera’s most exciting young artists starring as Charles, soprano Angel Blue as Destiny/Loneliness/Greta, soprano Latonia Moore as Billie, and Walter Russell III as Char’es-Baby. Dance played a very important role in the opera and that, along with the beautiful set design, was a highlight for me. Fire Shut Up In My Bones is a watershed moment for the Met Opera, long overdue I might add: the first time for a black composer and also a very large all black cast. “There were so many faces of pride,” the composer recalls of last week’s premiere. “Obviously it was directed towards me but it was much bigger than me. Seeing themselves on the stage, seeing people that they knew, seeing the culture on the stage at the Met had people in tears." It was encouraging to see a much more diverse audience--not just your normal older white crowd. If the opera is to survive and reach out to a younger more varied population, this is the way to go. And after such a dry spell during our pandemic isolation, I can't tell you how weird and at the same time exhilarating it was to be back inside a theatre.

The Snoo

My niece just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and she already has taught me something. Have you ever heard of the Snoo? It is a robotic bassinet/baby bed that falls into the "what else will they come up with next" category. It is the latest and hottest invention of pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp and Nina Montée Karp, whom Forbes Magazine describes as "the pediatrician behind the Happiest Baby empire... turning night-night into a $50 million business who won't rest until parents do." The Snoo is a combination swaddler, rocker for newborns and seems to make them feel totally comfortable and stave away the possibility of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDs). (It seems to have reduced the infant mortality rate because it prevents the baby from rolling over). It looks like a straight jacket to me but hey, whatever works, keeps the baby safe, comfortable and not crying is a good thing, right? Sadly, it is not affordable for most people, weighing in at a hefty price of approximately $1500. People do seem to be sharing though, buying them used, etc...and has created a whole new market in baby goods...Time will tell if this will stick around and become the baby bed of the future. P.S. Does anyone remember the Skinner Box?

paintings of the week

One of my Yellow Spruce Series pieces, mixed media on canvas, 49” x 66” $7500

Mandala Series : Pink Bird, mixed media on paper, 27” x 19” $1500

Donate to The Coalition for the Homeless

blog no. 40: HBO's The Investigation, Blue Zones Diet, Artist John Whalley

October 4, 2021

To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.

Take two minutes, sit back, and listen to this beautiful piece of music—divine is the word that comes to my mind…I hope this fills you as much as it does me…by Giacomo Puccini: “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi / Renée Fleming, soprano · Ion Marin, conductor · Berliner Philharmoniker / Recorded at the Waldbühne, Berlin, 27 June 2010

three things we love

The Investigation on HBO

Danish Television Series The Investigation available on HBO

*The Investigation, a Danish TV series, currently on HBO*

Danish Actors Pilou Asbæk and Søren Malling

If you are looking for your next television series, don’t look further. Watch The Investigation on HBO. Despite the very sad subject (the true story of the murder of a Swedish journalist in Denmark), this murder mystery is not your ordinary crime story. Instead of focusing on the blood and gore of the crime itself, you the viewer are taken behind the scenes to witness the step by step process of investigating the crime and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. I have a new appreciation for detective work and the meticulous and often tedious job of these crime investigators. I highly recommend this series as I do many of the television coming out of Scandinavia these days...!

Blue Zones Diet

How do you get to be over 100? I've written about the Blue Zones before--National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner has been studying the places in the world where people live the longest. Those locations include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California. One of the focuses of Buettner is his study of what these long-lived people are eating--he has been looking at their diets over the past ten years. USA Today published an article this week about how to eat like them if you want to hang around this world for longer (after this week in politics, I am not sure I do). P.S. This is not good news for you hot dog lovers.. .And in addition, as a Japanese food lover, here is also a link to the Okinawa diet.

Artist John Whalley

I first came across John Whalley's work in a restaurant in Damariscotta, Maine and was immediately blown away! I would say it was love at first sight. I am not usually a fan of photo realism but no one does photo realism like John Whalley. And no one picks such interesting and unusual subject matter either...Whalley is able to literally capture the feel and essence of the material he draws or paints--it is as if his art has brought these objects to life and you can literally touch and feel them with your eyes. He portrays the "paperness" of paper, the "metalness" of metal, the "woodness" of wood...
It is clear that Whalley is a master of his trade but he also illustrates to me that it is not just "mastering" but also what you choose to paint or draw. Although he does do your normal "still life," it is his choice of unique subject matter that interests me the most and differentiates him from the flock.

painting of the week

A view of my studio this week with the painting I am currently working on: The World Through Rose Colored Glasses, mixed media on canvas 50” x 84” $8500. — A view of my studio this week with the painting I am currently working on: *The World Through Rose Colored Glasses, mixed media on canvas 50” x 84” $8500.*

Small Animal Prints

Pam Smilow/Gert Mathiesen small collaborative animal giclee prints available framed in white or black 8” x 10” $150 each

These animal giclee prints are also available in larger sizes upon request.

Donate to Help Families in Afghanistan

blog no. 39: Joyce J. Scott. , Anita Moorjani, Jo Resnick Rosen

September 25, 2021

To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.

No one gets it better than Roz Chast—from one Jewish mother to another….courtesy Roz Chast and the New Yorker Magazine

three things we love

Joyce J. Scott

The Sneak, depicts six figures either engaged in, or witnessing, domestic violence Beads, thread, dimensions — *The Sneak*, depicts six figures either engaged in, or witnessing, domestic violence Beads, thread, dimensions

Joyce J. Scott surrounded by her art and that of the African Yoruba Tribe

The beadwork of the Yoruba Tribe in Nigeria serves as inspiration for Scott’s work.

I was initially drawn to Joyce J. Jones' jewelry after randomly coming across one of her necklaces as I was browsing on pinterest but soon found out that this was just the tip of the iceberg for this amazing artist. I was happy to discover that Joyce is the recipient of the presigious MacArthur Genius Award (she won in 2016) and is best known for her depictions of racially and politically charged subjects in her work. Her necklaces are meant to be conversation pieces, provocative and engaging--you have to be gutsy to wear her work. Aside from the craft of jewelry and her intricate use of the peyote stitch in beading, she is truly a woman of all trades--a printmaker, sculptor, weaver, performance artist and singer as well. Listen to her talk about her own work here. PBS did a segment on her as part of their Craft in America Series and for a more academic approach, Susan Cummins of the former Susan Cummins Gallery in Mill Valley, California gave a slide show and talk on Joyce which is also well worth the listen. And if you haven't seen enough of her work yet, check out this site as well.

Anita Moorjani

Anita Moorjani’s story is indeed a remarkable one and if you believe her (and I have no reason not to), it might just change your outlook on life (and death) forever. You see, Anita Moorjani died and came back--and lived to write about it. Her body, riddled with cancer, had zero chance of survival after a four year fight with the disease. She was down to 80 some odd pounds and in a coma with literally hours to live. What happened next is surprising, baffling, and inexplicable to her doctors and all of us in our current way of thinking. She "died" and miraculously came back to life, and within weeks, had not a trace of cancer remaining in her body. Listen to her mind stretching Ted Talk here. Anita has written a book entitled Dying to be Me which tells her tale in extensive detail, and I highly recommend it. I know, sounds crazy, right!? But hey, you never know...well worth the read and always good to keep an open mind...

Jo Resnick Rosen

Photo of Gert and me by Jo Resnick Rosen

No family event, party, or wedding should go without Jo Resnick Rosen, people photographer par excellence, who is able to capture the essence of her subjects through her camera lens. I know JoJo since I was a little kid—-she grew up in Usonia, the same Frank Lloyd Wright cooperative community I grew up in outside of New York City. She was always creative but photography is her passion (she also has a law degree!). If you are having a special event, want to memorialize time with family photos, or just need a headshot, please check out her website and consider hiring her—-she loves to travel for her work too so don't hesitate--so many of my favorite photos of family and friends are taken by her…P.S. She is a wonderful person too and great to have around.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow Mignon Means Cute in French mixed media on canvas 40” x 60” $4500

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blog no. 38: Woody Guthrie, Eckhart Tolle, Dr. Chris Kerr

September 18, 2021

To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.

three things we love

Woody Guthrie Songs to Grow On

Woody Guthrie is quoted as saying “"You can follow your book and your map of wars, but I'll go and follow my kids..” — Woody Guthrie is quoted as saying “*"You can follow your book and your map of wars, but I'll go and follow my kids..”*

Woody Guthrie is without a doubt one of America's most important national treasures, famous for writing This Land Is Your Land (here joyfully sung in 2009 at Obama's Inauguration--I give you permission to sing along) but many people do not realize that he wrote a myriad of children's songs as well--for his own kids as well as instructional and fun "lessons" for children in general. I originally came across Woody's 20 Grow Big Songs as a book and cassette on a seconds table at a local bookstore many moons ago and for some reason it popped into my head the other day. It brought me back to my daughter Morgan's childhood and the hours Gert, Morgan and I spent singing along. Here are some of my favorites: Wake Up, Don't You Push Me Down, Cleano and Pick It Up. You don't have to be young or have kids to enjoy these songs now as much as we did then but if you are lucky enough to have young ones around you, I am sure they will enjoy these songs too!

Eckhart Tolle

Do you ever spend time wondering what happens when you die? I never gave it much thought until I had a series of losses that left me simply saying, “Where did they go?” In order to deal with my grief, I gave myself a crash course on everything death and dying, afterlife, past lives, reincarnation, how animals grieve, mediumships--you name it, I read about it. And it all led to the deeply profound question: does consciousness survive death. Is the brain just like a radio playing our consciousness or is consciousness an invention of our brains? I have never heard this question examined in such a thoughtful and clear way as by listening here to the German spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle.

Dr. Christopher Kerr

Dr. Christopher Kerr is the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer for Hospice and Palliative Care in Buffalo, New York. Canadian-born, Kerr comes from a long line of physicians, fifth generation to be exact. He has explored and researched what he has found as near-universal experiences that precede death, often providing comfort, insight and significance into the life led and the death anticipated. I have a particular interest in this story as I witnessed my own mom's actions on her deathbed, extending her arm up to the ceiling like a ballet dancer's port de bras, her eyes opening wide as if she was seeing something. At the time, I had no idea what it was that she was doing and thought it was an involuntary muscle. Only later did I realize after hearing from a hospice nurse that it was a common occurence to see dying patients seemingly "reaching out to something"--that had up until then never occurred to me.
The research team at Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo has published multiple studies on this topic and documented over 1,500 end-of-life events, many of which are videotaped (I have my mom's movement videotaped as well since I was trying to ask my sister, who wasn't there at the time, what my mom was doing). Dr. Kerr has also authored a very interesting Ted Talk entitled "I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying" that I include here, where he talks from personal experience about this medically ignored topic. The talk has been viewed by approximately 3 million viewers and has been the subject of reports on many prominent publications and news programs including the BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Scientific American Mind, Huffington Post and Psychology Today.

painting of the week

Gert Mathiesen, Boat Echoes of the Sea, handcolored mixed media woodcut, 15” x 44” $4500. Also available as a giclee print in varying sizes. Email for a price quote.

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blog no. 37: Kiss the Ground Documentary, Haiku, Elizabeth Holmes & Theranos

September 11, 2021

To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.

As Mr. Rogers’ mother would say, “Look for the helpers.” In honor of 9/11 and courtesy of my friend Eileen who shared this story with me.

three things we love

Kiss the Ground Documentary

If there is one thing I might recommend right now, it's a 2020 documentary that has now made it to Netflix called "KISS THE GROUND. We are so distracted by so many things these days that we have a hard time differentiating between the big problems and the small ones. And if you are anything like me, you are just plain overwhelmed with so many scary issues afflicting our nation and the planet--I feel paralyzed. But the message of this film Kiss the Ground is an optimistic one, and just for that it is worth watching. The film begins by examining how tilling and the use of pesticides have led to soil erosion, and then traces the damage done to our ecology, health and climate as a result. It argues for regenerative farming and the healing power of soil through its ability to sequester carbon, explaining some very complicated climate change details in understandable ways for the general public to understand. I for one walked away with a much better understanding of the issues at hand.
Kiss the Ground provides a thread of hope and somewhat of a roadmap to at least a partial way out of our march towards extintion...Highly recommend watching it.

Haiku

Writing poetry always seemed like a daunting task but I do remember really enjoying trying to come up with great Haiku in my younger days…Seemingly simple, this Japanese form of poetry is based on just seventeen syllables--a line structure of 5/7/5, but is anything but easy. More modern English versions can be found and are a perfect example of postmodern minimalism, although the literary world barely pays attention. Here are a few classic and contemporary haiku I came across that I thought were beautiful. Always fun to try and come up with your own as an exercise in creativity.

by Katsushika Hokusai:

I write, erase, rewrite
Erase again, and then
A poppy blooms.

And probably the most famous haiku of all time
by Matuso Basho:

An old silent pond!
A frog jumps in—
Splash! silence again.

by Yosa Buson:

A summer river being crossed
how pleasing
with sandals in my hands!

by Richard Wright:

From across the lake,
Past the black winter trees,
Faint sounds of a flute.

Theranos

I have always had a fascination with white collar crime--don't ask me why--and the Theranos story is a very juicy one! It has all the ingredients of a very engrossing thriller. It involves a young Stanford dropout, Elizabeth Holmes, who became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire, her start-up health care company Theranos (that proclaimed to revolutionize the blood testing industry without ever panning out), very high profile investors including some of the biggest politicians and military men in America (Henry Kissinger, Rupert Murdoch, George Shultz, Larry Ellison, General Mattis to name just a few), her very wealthy dot.com boyfriend/investor at the time, Sonny Balwani, and partnerships with some of the biggest companies in the U.S (Walgreen's for one). Founder Elizabeth Holmes is on trial right now for defrauding investors, patients and doctors and could be jailed up to 20 years if convicted.

The whole Theramos empire story began to crumble with the excellent investigative reporting of John Carreyrou, who smelled a rat very early on and began reporting on it back in 2015 for the Wall Street Journal. The trial is not being televised but there are numerous ways to follow the story and court case. Carreyrou's 2018 book on the subject (with updates), Bad Blood, is on the list of One of the Best Books of the Year (2018) by NPR, Fortune, Bloomberg and Science Friday to mention a few and his podcast Bad Blood: The Final Chapter is following the trial currently. ABC News has a very good podcast too entitled The Dropout, hosted by Rebecca Jarvis. And if you want more, there is an HBO documentary available entitled The Inventor. I hope you find this story as interesting as I do.

painting of the week

Gert Mathiesen, Woman with Flowers on Head, original is mixed media on rice paper (also available as giclee print). Call for more information.

artSHOP: tree of life series

Mint Green Tree of Life with Sparrow

Blue Love Tree of Life

Orange Multi-Colored Tree of Life

Light Blue Candelabra Tree of Life

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