blog no. 22: Studs Terkel, River Songs,Flash Fiction

May 29, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson continues to be my go to person for American political analysis and I found something very interesting and encouraging in her newsletter of a few days ago. I have been thinking how hopeless our situation is if 53 percent of Republicans actually believe Donald Trump was the winner of the 2020 election. However, she pointed out something which I hadn't realized and which I have not heard mentioned at all in mainstream media. That is: "A new Gallup poll today finds that 53% of Republicans think that Trump won the 2020 election. But only 26% of Americans identify as Republicans. Journalist Richard Hine crunched the numbers and notes that those percentages boil down to about 14% of Americans who think Trump is still president. They are a minority, but they believe the former president, who continues to insist that he won the 2020 election despite all evidence to the contrary."

three things we love

Many of us will have probably forgotten or never known the name Studs Terkel, (1912-2008), author, actor, historian who practiced a form of what he called "guerilla journalism" through oral history--by listening to people tell about their lives and experiences. Born in the Bronx of Russian Jewish descent, a progressive blacklisted during McCarthy times, it is no surprise that he was one of my dad's favorites. Through interviews on his long running WFMT Chicago radio show and through his many books (among them Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression; The Good War: An Oral History of World War; and Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, he gave voice to both famous and ordinary people, providing us with down to earth, rich and interesting accounts of life in America through the 20th century. "If they think you’re listening, they’ll talk. It’s more of a conversation than an interview.” While researching Studs Terkel for this blog, I came across what I consider an absolute treasure trove for anyone interested in history--an enormous archive of Terkel's life's work: recordings of conversations organized by subject matter over the years on anything from civil rights and advocacy, feminism, dance, to education, jazz, Chicago, you name it and he has material that will transport you back in time and give you insight into where we come from and where we are now. I invite you to visit it. As Theodore Roosevelt put it: "The more you know about the past, the better you are prepared for the future."

In the tradition of sharing some of my favorite music, I thought I would pick a theme and feature some songs I like on that subject matter. Do you know the Joni Mitchell song River? She does a beautiful rendition of it but I was awestruck when I heard Robert Downey Jr.'s version (who knew he could sing too!). Tina Turner's version of Proud Mary has been described as one of the all time great concert performances and is guaranteed to get you going whatever time of the day it is. Many Rivers to Cross brought us college roomates back to our Jimmy Cliff The Harder The Come album days. Down By the Riverside, here sung by Grandpa Elliott, brings me back to my camp days, where I learned many protest songs. Bruce Springsteen did a great rendition of his song The River, Arlo Guthrie does the beautiful American classic Shenandoah, and I love Bob Dylan's Watching the River Flow. Last but not least (I could go on and on) and going back in time to my friend's player piano, (and maybe the geriatric ward), here is an old classic sung by Andy Williams: Moon River.

I have spent the last two weeks with my college roommates in a little artist cottage on the coast of Maine. We met 47 years ago (could it really be true?) in Alice Lloyd Dorm at the University of Michigan. They are both mental health professionals but one of them, Jan Elman Stout, has become a very successful “flash fiction” writer. I hadn’t heard of this genre before she introduced me to it and from my lay perspective, it falls somewhere between poetry and short stories. Brevity, precise word choice, rhythm and tight writing are key. The writer must get right to the heart of the story and get out of the story just as quickly. Jan has won a number of honors for her flash fiction writing and I share with you a short piece below called Stained Lips, first published in the journal 100 Word Story and included in Best Microfiction 2020. If you would like to read more of Jan's work, My Year Inside A Mask is one of my favorites, originally published in Pidgeonholes. And if you want to explore more of flash fiction in general, the SmokeLong Quarterly is a good place to start.

Stained Lips

She dabs her lips with Faithful Fawn. He hovers behind, runs his fingers through his graying hair, eyes fixed on his reflection. How do I look? Her mouth forms a perfect “O,” presses shut. Handsome. He points. When you move your mouth that way you look like a fish. Her mind recedes light-years to their rehearsal dinner. The baby photos her mother had blown up. Adorable, she’d said when she saw his. Your forehead’s so high, he’d responded. She drops her stained tissue in the toilet. Flushes. What’s that lipcolor? he says. Fawn, she answers, and flashes her broad smile.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow, Felt with the Heart, mixed media on canvas, 54” x 80”, $8500.

Sometimes I begin a painting by finding a quote I like and scrawling it across the canvas as underpainting. Much of it disappears as I pile on layer upon layer of paint to reveal the subject matter of the emerging painting but I know the quote is there. In this case, I started with words attributed to Helen Keller: "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched--they must be felt with the heart."

This week's featured charity: ACLU

Please Donate. They do such important work protecting our democracy.

Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…

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, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 21: Animals,Here Now, Alewives

May 22, 2021

three things we love

Crows are known to be among our most intelligent birds.

Pam Smilow/Gert Mathiesen Animal Prints 8 x 10 in. (over 100 different animal images available).

It used to be that we thought we were the only beings capable of using tools. And that our intellect was way beyond any other animals in the animal kingdom. And we were the only ones who had feelings and the ability to self-reflect. Dismissing of animals as inferior to humans was a myth we told ourselves (not sure why that would make us feel good). Well, take a look at these crows! And elephants, whom Aristotle remarked as "the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind". Not to mention gorillas, see Koko here. Jane Goodall and Krista Tippett reflect on this subject in an interview in Orion Magazine. These days, I venture to say that animals might just be smarter than us humans…think QAnon...

Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish in the new film Here Now.

Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg & Robin Williams, best of friends.

I am a big fan of Billy Crystal and am still missing him as emcee of the Oscars, even though he hasn't hosted them in nine years. I don't think there has been a better host (or a better comedian for that matter). So I was very excited to hear that Crystal has a new movie out with Tiffany Haddish called Here Now. I haven't seen it yet because I am still a little skittish about going into a movie theater but the preview and the reviews look really promising and I plan on seeing it soon. The reviews look good and any chance to laugh out loud is always a good thing!
I can't think of Billy Crystal without mentioning his best friends Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. Click here for an interview that Whoopi did with Billy about Robin, soon after his death. If you still want more, here is the Best of Comic Relief, the comedy festival these three founded in order to raise money for charity.

Alewives swimming from the ocean to lay their eggs in the fresh water of Damariscotta Lake, Maine.

Alewives are the primary bait for lobster fisherman in Maine.

The first time I saw the run of alewives up to Damariscotta Lake I was with my husband, Gert, and we stopped because there was a crowd gathering around a bridge and we were wondering what they were looking at. We got out of the car, walked over and looked down—and saw nothing. What was taking all their attention? And then we realized we saw nothing because in the stream below it was a solid blanket of fish. Alewives are in the herring family and each spring, the adult fish migrate straight upstream from the salt water of the ocean to the fresh water of rivers, streams, ponds and lakes to spawn. ... Some die in the process but the majority make their way back to the ocean shortly after laying their eggs – to do it all over again the following spring (if they have escaped being eaten along the way up by seagulls, eagles, herons, osprey or other sea birds or captured by humans to be used for bait in lobster traps).
I am not exaggerating to say this truly was one of the most exciting things I have witnessed in nature. The amount of strength it takes for these small fish to combat such strong currents and waterfalls over quite a long distance is truly a sight to be seen. One of the true wonders of the world!

painting of the week

Pam Smilow, Maine at sunset, mixed media on canvas , 54 x 54 inches.

Continuing on the Maine boat theme, this is a painting I did after one of my previous trips, this time with the sunset on fire.

This week's featured charity: The Jane Goodall Foundation

blog no. 20: abcV, Leslie Kean, Love Songs

May 15, 2021

If there has been a silver lining to Covid-19, it is that it has forced me to take a good hard look at what my life is comprised of. And I realize I don't want to go back to exactly how it was before our lockdown and business (busy-ness) as usual. I found this video on instagram, created and performed by Charly Jaffe, illustrated by Heather Scheider and asked permission of the filmmaker to post it here. I do think reentry will pose challenges for many of us as we take stock and reevaluate what we want our days to look like.

And as it turns out, I found out that Charly Jaffe also organizes the COVID Grief Network (providing free support to young adults bereaved by COVID) and she just released a Seasons of Love COVID Grief Tribute with the Broadway cast of RENT, young adults in our network and home videos of those they've lost. For more information on this project, please contact Charly Jaffe.

three things we love

Beautiful interior design of abcV, Jean Georges’ vegan restaurant located in the flatiron section of New York City.

Large variety of delicious offerings featured at the restaurant abcV in NYC.

Now at least in New York City, restaurants are beginning to open up and I for one am starting to wonder what it feels like to go out about the town. And the first place I think of (because it is always about the food) is abcV, one of my all time favorite eateries in NYC. Housed as one of the three Jean Georges restaurants in the ABC Home building in the Flatiron section, this vegetarian restaurant (and I am not a vegetarian) is not only delicious, but an aesthetic experience that involves all your senses. The decor is so simple and pure, the dishes zen like (if ceramic plates and mugs can be considered zen) and who would ever think that one of the foods I look most forward to is carrots! Check out this somewhat amusing review from the NY Times here: here and consider going the next time you are searching for a wonderful and delectable dining experience.

Leslie Kean’s book on UFOs published in 2011.

Leslie Keane is a powerhouse of an investigative reporter. I have written about her here before, in reference to her book and subsequent TV Series Surviving Death (I thought the TV series didn't come close to doing her very scientific and thorough book justice) . I admire her in so many ways but mostly because she dares write about subjects that risk being ridiculed by the mainstream and yet she methodically and seriously goes about her business of thorough research, objective exploration and is always way ahead of her time. Her book on UFOs entitled UFOs:Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go On The Record published in 2011, is a must read for anyone interested in "paranormal" phenomenon. There she generally offers us a complete review of literature in this field, including international governmental and military papers including reports from the United States and France. And now, the staid New Yorker magazine has come recently out with an excellent article on the subject of UFOs that often cites expert Keane among other sources. Even Scientific American has gotten in on the game.
I remember as a kid hearing the story of Betty and Barney Hill, who claimed they were kidnapped and subject to experiments from alien beings--seemed totally far-fetched and crazy and yet, ever since I was a kid, I have always had a deep interest in unexplainable things like the Bermuda Triangle, Atlantis, animal intelligence, UFOs, ghosts, past lives, reincarnation, etc. I have received many rolled eyes when bringing up these subjects over the years but I am happy to report, these things may just not be as far fetched as we once thought...

Hearts are a common theme of artist Jim Dine’s work.

Here is a small selection of some of my favorite love songs to uplift you this morning--if you can, take the time to just sit back and listen: Willie Nelson and his son's rendition of Just Breathe, written by Eddie Vedder, Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely,, written at the birth of his daughter Aisha, Bob Dylan's Make You Feel My Love, Elton John and Bernie Taupin's Your Song, Schumann's wedding gift to his beloved Clara and finally, one near the top of my list, Louis Armstrong's rendition of What A Wonderful World, written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss.

painting of the week

I always loved this painting, which hangs in a beautiful home in Berkeley, California. The shades of green are all around us now, as spring has finally sprung here in Maine. I love the way a big green painting can bring the outside in and I also love the way the deep brown wood and the colors of the painting bring out the best in each other in this particular client's dining room.

This week's featured charity in honor of Jacques D'Amboise:

National Dance Institute, founded in 1974 by Jacques D’Amboise and now in its 45th year, transforming the lives of children through the love and joy of the arts. May it live on for years and years to come. Please consider a donation by visiting their website at https://nationaldance.org/support-us/.

blog no. 19: Bernstein, Ferlinghetti, d'Amboise

May 8, 2021

three things we love

Seymour: An Introduction. A film by Ethan Hawke about pianist/teacher Seymour Bernstein

Ethan Hawke sat next to pianist and piano teacher Seymour Bernstein at a dinner party in New York City at a time when Ethan was soul searching about the meaning of his life. They struck up a conversation that turned into a deep friendship and eventually ended up in a collaboration on this documentary film Seymour: An Introduction. If you love piano music as much as I do, and you want to hear about the life of this very talented, recognized pianist and the reasons why at the age of 50 he gave up a hugely 'successful' career to pour all his energy and soul into teaching, and you want to learn more about what makes Ethan Hawke tick, this is a little gem of a film for you. It is full of wisdom, joy and ruminations on art, music, the meaning of success, and the components on what goes into a rich life...I highly recommend it! If you want more, here is a review of Seymour: An Introduction and a very interesting Q&A session with an audience at Lincoln Center after seeing the film.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet, founder of City Lights Bookstore in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, died on February 22, 2021 in San Francisco, California at the age of 101. — **Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet, founder of City Lights Bookstore in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, died on February 22, 2021 in San Francisco, California** at the age of 101.

This is definitely going to date me but my first boyfriend introduced me to poetry (and most specifically the beat poets) when I was 16 in 1972. Lawrence Ferlinghetti, founder of City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco was always one of my favorites. Here is a funny poem he wrote about painter Marc Chagall and one of his paintings from Ferlinghetti's book Coney Island of the Mind.

DON'T LET THAT HORSE . . .
By Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Don’t let that horse
eat that violin
cried Chagall’s mother
But he
kept
right on
painting
and became famous
And kept on painting
The Horse With Violin In Mouth
And when he finally finished
it
he jumped up upon the horse
and rode away
waving the violin

And then with a low bow gave it
to the first naked nude he ran across

And there were no strings
attached

The Falling Angel, painting by Marc Chagall

Last week the world lost one of its true greats and a national treasure. Much has been said about Jacques d’Amboise (1934-2021) as a legendary dancer, member of the New York City ballet and about his relationship with George Balanchine, who choreographed many ballets with him in mind. But what I want to focus on here is his extraordinary contribution to children and arts education. Through his non-profit organization National Dance Institute, Jacques has had an incredible influence on literally millions of children throughout the United States and the whole world, which I have had the great privilege of witnessing firsthand. Founded 45 years ago, NDI began as a way for Jacques to teach his son and a very small group of his friends dance and it blossomed into a program that is currently in forty four schools in the New York area as well affiliate programs across the country and beyond, including a robust program in Shangai, China. Much more than just teaching dance, NDI's mission and belief is that the arts have a unique power to engage children of diverse backgrounds, abilities, and socio-economic positions, and motivate them toward excellence in all aspects of their lives. I still remember my first encounter with NDI--it was a class in P.S. 183, and it didn't take more than a few minutes for me to realize that what I was observing was so powerful and unique, intellectually challenging yet so fun and joyful, and it was evident that the result was kids that felt engaged, successful and confident as they strove towards excellence. My daughter had the good fortune of NDI as part of her fourth grade curricululm and she went on to become a member of the SWAT and Celebrations teams. Her Saturday mornings were spent in rehearsals at LaGuardia High School and I went along for the great ride: sitting and watching every weekend in awe. Jacques' pedagogy engaged the children, made them life long appreciators of the arts, and at the same time taught them the value of practice, discipline, collaboration and hard work. Aside from the In-School program, they produced an Event of the Year based on different themes related to school curriculum every June, which was one of the real cultural highlights of my year and I know many others. They also run an internationally acclaimed teacher training methodology program that goes way beyond dance. Jacques will be sorely missed by so many, but he made sure that the baton was passed years ago, through the brilliance of his "heir" Artistic Director Ellen Weinstein and the incredibly dedicated teaching artists that will keep him alive and continue to represent him and his vision so beautifully for generations to come.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow Maine Series 2 mixed media on canvas 52” x 80”

The second in a new series based on things I have observed during my stays over the years in Maine. I am sure you can see the inspiration from my photograph, taken at the little gem of a harbor around the corner from where I sit.

This week's featured charity:

blog no. 18: Samantha Power, Chocolate, Teaching

May 1, 2021

three things we love

Samantha Power and her Pulitzer Prize winning book: The Education of an Idealist

I am almost done with the Pulitzer Prize winning powerful memoir The Education of an Idealist written by Samantha Power, which showed up in my mailbox one day as a gift from an old dear friend and I can't tell you how much I am enjoying every page of it. Power is a master storyteller in the Irish tradition and living testament in defiance of the statement "you can't do it all." Beginning as a gutsy war correspondent during the Bosnian war, she became a champion against ethnic cleansing and went on to Harvard as an expert in genocide prevention. She subsequently played various roles under the Obama administration including senior and trusted special advisor to the President, member of the National Security Council and ultimately United Nations Ambassador. The memoir takes us through her whole life up until now (she is only 50), beginning with her birth in Ireland through a real behind the scenes look at the workings of journalism and governmental agencies as seen from the inside. We travel with her throughout her world, meeting with all types of people, leaders and civilians alike, sharing her references and mentors, and we are at her side as a mother, wife and human rights activist. She recounts her life story in a very personal manner, writing with humor and humanity, and I loved the many interesting and intimate details of her relationships, most notably her deep friendship with Barak Obama and her poignant connection with her father.
Icing on the cake: Ms. Power has just been confirmed this week to head up USAID, and in that huge role, will oversee the distribution of billions of dollars in foreign humanitarian aid. All the power to this committed, passionate, determined, and compassionate individual.

Samantha Power is a mother, wife, human rights activist, civil servant, marathon runner, and author.

Delicious chocolate dessert recipe made with dark chocolate and saltine crackers (or matzoh) courtesy David Lebovitz and Marcy Goldman

You can count on my favorite niece Maia to bring our family’s favorite dessert to all our holiday and social gatherings. In fact it is so good and so addictive that it goes by the name “Crack.” Here is the recipe from the highly acclaimed pastry chef David Lebovitz. (Please note that you can substitute saltines for matzoh.) Make this recipe if you dare. Or as they say, just rub it directly on my thighs…

And while I am on the subject of family recipes, here's one more favorite from my wonderful cousin Joanne Kahn. It will get us preparing for the warmer weather, and it is definitely a lot better for the waistline:
GAZPACHO SOUP
(serves 8-10)
combine 3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 cups tomatoes, chopped (about 4 tomatoes)
2 cups cucumbers, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4/cup fresh chives, chopped
1/3 cup veg oil, chopped (just kidding)
1-2 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon tabasco, depending on how spicy you want it
1 32 oz. bottle of clamato juice.
Chill and enjoy.

And for those who are not purists, here are a few variations on the Gazpacho theme from the website Brit + Co.

Gazpacho Soup has its origin in southern Spain

Teacher teaches a valuable lesson to students about kindness

This is making the rounds on facebook. Thought it was worthy of posting here:

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments. No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.' After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher. 'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.' Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. 'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.' All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.' Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.' 'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary' Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists' That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

painting of the week

I love the long horizontal format. It has an elegance to it that attracts me. I have been working on this series of bird scrolls for a number of years in various iterations, originally loosely inspired by an exhibit of Chinese calligraphic handscrolls I saw at the Metropolitan Museum quite a few years ago. And since my husband, Gert Mathiesen's passing, red birds have a special meaning for me.

Featured Mother's Day gift and one of our top sellers: Cutting board that doubles as a Cheese Board. Available through our artSHOP

Vintage Contemporary Green Botanical Cutting Board/Cheese Board

Egyptian Series Cutting Board/Cheese Board

Yellow Dandelion Botanical Cutting Board/Cheese Board

blog no. 17: Best of Enemies, Hockney, Chast, BLM

April 24, 2021

Screen-Shot-2020-05-28-at-9.51.56-AM.png

Many of us have probably seen the press release above, issued on May 25, 2020, by the Minneapolis Police Department to explain the "incident" around George Floyd's death. At the risk of sounding like a preacher, I wanted to explicitly show it again here to stress the all important and key point: one person, one teenager no less, by the name of Darnella Frazier, had the courage to go out on a limb and got involved when she saw something she considered an injustice. By filming Derek Chauvin with his knee on George Floyd's neck for 9+ minutes, she might well have changed (we hope) the trajectory of policing in America for years to come. Other bystanders played their important parts too. Since I was a kid, I had this drummed into me, my mother being a victim of Nazi Germany: standing by is not an option for any of us if we want to see a just and better world. That lesson over and over again: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ― Edmund Burke.
This is how we change the world.

three things we love

I can't believe I missed this movie The Best of Enemies when it came out in 2019. I am usually up on these kinds of things, especially when it involves a movie with a subject like civil rights. But a mention by MSNBC's announcer Ali Velshi last Sunday morning thankfully led me to it now and I am super excited about its potential as a solution to so many of our problems in the United States today. Suffice it to say that it involves a man named Bill Riddick who had a vision of getting opposing sides together in an intensive way (called a charrette), meeting every day all day for a period of two weeks to solve a problem together. In the case of the movie, Durham, North Carolina was a very divided and volatile town that had to come up with a solution of what to do with black students when their school burnt down. Sometimes the best solutions are the most obvious ones that we have overlooked. If anyone knows someone with deep pockets like Bloomberg or Bill Gates who could fund an initiative like this, or any police chiefs or any government officials, I think this charrette thing, done on a massive scale, is both doable and potentially life changing for us Americans. Please watch the movie and tell me what you think.

The real Community Activist Ann Atwater and former Ku Klux Klan member C.P. Ellis

I always liked David Hockney but preferred his earlier work, paintings that were a little more raw in feel. (He got a little too prissy for me at times later on). But he defintely has wowed me with his digital drawings made on an ipad (using an app called Brushes) which are deceptively simple. I remember seeing a video of him creating a New Yorker cover many years ago, soon after the ipad just came out. I have seen this video countless times but never get tired of it. So cool to see the process of the layers piling up on each other, transforming into a beautiful, rich still life. Here too is a another process video of him sitting in a cafe at the Louisiana Museum outside of Copenhagen drawing a Calder sculpture (I recognized this wonderful favorite place of mine right away--aside from great art and a great building, they have a wonderful buffet lunch there too!). I also saw a show of his Yosemite Series at the Pace Gallery in Palo Alto a bunch of years ago and these ipad drawings were blown up to a height of eight feet--very impressive!

David Hockney Yosemite Series ipad drawing

Roz Chast and Steve Martin (top) and cartoon by Roz Chast

Because this is kind of a serious blog this week, I decided that it would be good to try and provide some comic relief also, as laughter is one of the best things I know. I am bringing back one of my old time favorite funny people: cartoonist Roz Chast. Here she is being interviewed by another really funny guy, Steve Martin, at the New Yorker Festival back in 2014. What I like most about this conversation is that Chast really gets a kick out of herself and it is so fun and contagious to watch her laugh at her own jokes and cartoons.
It is possible that this type of humor might not be your cup of tea, as humor can be very personal, so if that is the case, go out and find something else to laugh about like I Love Lucy or these harmless kids mishap videos or an old, stupid family favorite: National Lampoon's European Vacation. Because laughter is the best medicine! If you won't take it from me, then trust Audrey Hepburn:

painting of the week

This series above, which I call my Childhood's End Series, is originally inspired by old vintage school charts and the drawings my parents saved of mine when I was a kid. Bits of these drawings are incorporated into the collage elements of the painting. What appeals to me is the order--I always liked lining things up so neatly. I am really getting into these light blues, lavenders, and soft greens these days. And yes, finally, more nature in my daily life!

Mother's Day is around the corner. Below are links to Smilow + Mathiesen ArtSHOP products. Please consider us when in need of a special gift.

blog no. 16: Covid-19, Missing Art, Homelessness, Democracy

April 17, 2021

On Wednesday, April 14th, a two page ad was placed in the New York Times with a big heading entitled: WE STAND FOR DEMOCRACY: A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE.... It was signed by over 700 individuals, corporations, law firms and non profits, all in support of voting rights, stating clearly that "Voting is the lifeblood of our democracy and we call upon all Americans to join us in taking a nonpartisan stand for this most basic and fundamental right of all Americans." I call attention to it here because I believe in the power of the purse and because I think we all should be aware of where our spending dollars go and what companies we choose to support (or not). The list is too long to quote here but signatories include such companies as SalesForce, Starbucks, Nordstrom, American Express, Cisco, Apple, American Airlines, General Motors, Harry's, United Airlines, and Target to name a few. Walmart, McDonalds, Home Depot, and Pepsico were notably absent from the list. Here is the full ad and some additional information that might be helpful in making our choices: courtesy the New York Times, courtesy Deal Book Newsletter from the New York Times and courtesy Fortune.

three things we love

Do you recognize these people? Odds are you don't but I can tell you they are in your life right now and you actually owe them a lot! These free thinkers are four of the most instrumental scientists behind the mRNA Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Starting with Kati Kariko (top left), immigrant to the United States from Hungary, Kariko has painstakingly been working her whole career on the technology of messenger RNA, never making more than $60,000 in a single year. She had a lot of trouble getting funded--her research was considered too farfetched--and therefore had to work in the labs of others instead of her own. But she believed in herself and the potential for mRNA and did not give up. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are based in her research and we are all profiting big time from her hard work and determination. Next is Dr. Ugur Sahin (top right) and Dr. Özlem Türec (bottom left), a husband/wife team working in Germany, both immigrants from Turkey. First and foremost doctors, they met in medical school and went on to eventually form the company called BioNTech, where they initially focused on drugs to treat cancer. They then moved on to other technologies including mRNA, realizing that that might be important in vaccine development. Already collaborating with Pfizer on a flu vaccine, both companies pivoted upon hearing of a new virus in Wuhan, China and together with Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer (bottom right), it became all hands on deck. The fruitful partnership between Pfizer and BioNTech is now history.

Being a researcher is not exactly a glamorous life. These scientists have been plodding along for years, working extremely hard and are more than dedicated and passionate about their field. What they have in common is that they are modest immigrants who share a love of science over business. There is little fanfare for these scientific hardworking souls--upon hearing of the success of their mRNA vaccines against Covid-19, Kati Kariko went home to celebrate by eating a box of goobers (chocolate covered peanut candy for those non-Americans). Dr. Sahin and Dr. Turec went home and drank a cup of Turkish tea to applaud themselves. That same couple went straight back to the lab on their wedding day--no honeymoon for them!

Missing panel of the Jacob Lawrence series The American Struggle that hung unsuspectedly in the home of an Upper West Side nurse in New York City..

Jeff Neal, one of the brothers pictured in Alice Neel’s portrait above.

There are a lot of mysteries in the artworld because it is a field that is anything but transparent on so many levels. And there are many, many stories about lost paintings, stolen paintings, missing paintings, forged paintings. It seems to be a captivating subject for many of us and is currently the subject of a new netflix documentary entitled This is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist about the billion dollar heist at the Gardner Museum in Boston. Everyone loves a good detective/crime story. I am far into the series and it is defintely holding my attention and well worth watching.

Another interesting missing art story involves the work of African American artist Jacob Lawrence and an unsuspecting nurse who discovered that the painting she had hanging in her hallway for years, one that she had purchased at a local school auction years before for next to nothing, was actually worth a lot more than she could have imagined. In fact, it was a long sought out missing panel from Jacob Lawrence's The American Struggle series that many in the art world had been searching for over the period of quite a few years. To read how she came about acquiring the panel and her full story, click here.

And finally, here is another fun tale involving the portrait artist Alice Neel whose work is currently on view at the Metropolitcan Museum of Art (through August 1, 2021). Fifty some odd years ago she painted a portrait of two brothers from Harlem, Jeff and Toby Neal (no relation, different spelling). The boys sat for several sessions but never got to see the finished product. Years and years went by and they always wondered what had become of the painting. Fast forward fifty years, both Alice Neel and one of the brothers no longer on this earth, and the remaining brother gets word that the painting he has been trying to find has surfaced....Click here to get the New York Times article that details the whole story.

Piedmont and Oakland California are right next to each other but couldn’t be more of a Tale of Two Cities…

With the enormous homeless problem in our country, I thought I would include this video about a wealthy Piedmont, California businessman living in the extremely wealthy, lily white suburb of San Franciso, whose heart goes out to a homeless couple who have been living on the street for ten years in Oakland, California. He decides to invite them to come live in his big sprawling home. Although this is just one story of three people whose lives happen to intersect, it reveals some of the complexities of the homeless problem and the difficulties of finding simple solutions. It is also a love story.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow, New Harbor Series, mixed media on canvas, 54” x 80” $8500.

So many of the elements in this painting are in my wheelhouse already, even before arriving in Maine and observing the local scenery here this time around. I have been coming to this area for most of my life and my vocabulary has always included ladders, windows, houses, houses and ramshackle shacks, moons and birds.

Beautiful land and seascapes and a change of scene are always a good idea for any artist. This ain't New York City! I am getting a lot of work done up here...

Mother's Day is around the corner. Below are links to Smilow + Mathiesen ArtSHOP products. Please consider us when in need of a special gift.

Silk Blend Scarves

Duvets&Comforters

Tea Towels

Phone Cases

Cutting/Cheese Boards

Pillows All Sizes

Coasters

Art

blog no. 15: Jose Andres, Amanda Gorman, Paper Clips

April 10, 2021

I have watched almost every minute of the so far 10 day trial of police officer Derek Chauvin, taking place right now in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Some people might call me a masochist, but I somehow feel a duty to bear witness and understand the case inside out. Dr. Martin Tobin, a well respected pulmonologist and critical care physician was a truly expert witness and knocked it out of the park on Thursday for the prosecution in my opinion. He disputed definitively, in a very systematic and clear manner, every single argument the defense is making. In the process, he also set a new benchmark for witness testimony, questioned many aspects of the use of lethal force, and raised important questions regarding certain crime laboratory practices that he considers misleading. On the latter point, he cited one lab in San Diego that seems to be the go to place for many police departments across the country when they are trying to make a case for justification of their use of lethal force. Not sure this particular California lab has anything to do with this case (to be determined this coming week), but I hope an investigative journalist will look further into these practices more deeply.

three things we love

Chef Jose Andres started off making paellas with is dad in his native Spain.

Who said one person can't change the world? Listen to the story of Spanish American chef Jose Andres, who started his illustrious career as a teenager in Barcelona, Spain when he enrolled in culinary school at the age of fifteen. He went on to work for three years at what was known as one of the most celebrated innovative restaurants in the world, El Bulli in Roses, Spain before ending up in the Big Apple New York City, at the age of 21. From cook, to chef, to head chef to restauranteur himself, Andres is now the head of Think Big Group, owner of multiple notable restaurants across the country and whose mission is, in their own words, to "change the world through the power of food." But Andres has a major philanthropic side, inspired at first by DC Central Kitchen (whose mission is to train ex-cons in the culinary arts at the same time recycling food in the DC area and providing it to service organizations where it is most needed). Spurred into action after the Haitian earthquake of 2010, Andres then founded his own organization to combat hunger throughout the world: World Central Kitchen. Through this nonprofit, he and his team have provided sustenance to hungry people in the wake of disasters all over the globe, serving countless meals to needy citizens in such countries as Peru, Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Uganda, Zambia, Cambodia, and the United States to name a few. If you are interested in learning more about this fantastic humanitarian and how he sees the role and future of restaurants, here is a recent interview with him and Trevor Noah. And as a little aside, all the more power to Jose Andres for standing up to one of my least favorite people: right wing Ann Coulter who recently conducted a diatribe against him quoted by Joseph Choi in the Hill of Dec.17,2020.

Art by Brenda Barrios @bbbarrios—check out her instagram to see more of her amazing artwork.

Do you know the song by Alicia Keyes, "This Girl is on Fire? I think these words were written to describe Amanda Gorman, the young woman who has literally taken the world by a storm after reading her poem The Hill We Climb at Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2021. (It was Jill Biden who suggested her)....She started off as a bookworm with a speech impediment, daughter of a single mom with an equally talented twin sister. If you have any doubt that I am overstating her power, intelligence and determination, listen to Amanda on Moth Radio in 2017 speak her truth, recounting her story of trying out for the Broadway's Lion King in New York City. Gorman has racked up so many accolades by now that I won't even venture to list them but suffice it to say that because of her, we now have a U.S. Youth Poet Laureate and she is it. She has her own organization as founder and executive director of One Pen, One Page, which promotes literacy through creative writing programming for underserved youth, is a published author and has a children's book coming out in September 2021 which is already ahead of time on the bestseller list (not sure how that works). I don't think this 15 minutes of fame rule will apply to her--she is going places and I'm willing to bet that she will not stop at anything short of the White House...

Is there anything this woman can’t do?—Look for Amanda Gorman and illustrator Loren Long ‘s new children’s book, Change Sings, to be released in September of 2021.

In honor of Holocasut Remembrance Day, I decided to look for a documentary that so moved me a number of years ago entitled Paper Clips. In order to teach the Holocaust and what happens when prejudice goes unchecked, three teachers in one school in an unlikely town in rural Tennessee got together and decided on a novel and creative approach. They realized that the kids could not imagine what 6 million looked like--when it gets to such big numbers, it is very hard to picture. So to signify the death of six million Jews during the Holocaust, the teachers and students of Whitwell Middle School decided to write letters and appeal to anyone and everyone to help them gather 6 million paper clips, inspired by the Norwegians who wore paper clips to defy Nazi occupation during World War II. They ended up getting much much more than actual paper clips--their letters led to incredible experiences that changed the kids and transformed the town. Don't want to spoil the story but I guarantee you it is a good one...which ended up in a Children's Holocaust Memorial Museum on school property that stands to this day. The woman behind the whole story is a woman named Linda Hooper, interviewed here by Rabbi Mark A. Golub for Jewish Broadcasting Service. And if you want to hear a wild and quirky story that touches on the Paper Clip Memorial story, check out this documentary about a bunch of British bikers touring the south of the United States: Jews on Bikes-Visiting The Paper Clips Project

painting of the week

Vegetable Garden, mixed media on canvas, 50” x 80” Painting I donated to the Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, California—the school that hosts Alice Water’s pioneer program The Edible Schoolyard.

I originally painted this canvas in the dead of winter in New York City, figuring the closest I would get to spring at that time would be to paint it myself. In 2010, enamored with the incredible Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame, I decided to donate it to the school that hosts her community garden project The Edible Schoolyard. To date, this progam has changed the life and eating habits of so many middle school students at the Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, California and her philosophy has grown into a nationwide movement of teaching healthy eating, vegetable gardening and community spirit in many of our children's schools across the country. To learn more about its creator, Alice Waters, and how she got into cooking in the first place, PBS American Masters series has a wonderful documentary about this amazing woman and the simplicity of her cooking-- where fresh and local food and the farmers are the stars. If you ever get a chance to eat at her restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, what a treat you will have.

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen paintings and two favorite CHARITIES

Donate World Central Kitchen

Duvets in ArtSHOP

Avail Paintings Smilow

Donate Edible Schoolyard

blog no. 14: Heather Cox Richardson, Stanley Kunitz, Ragnar Kjartansson, Black Lives Matter

April 3, 2021

A lot going on in my week and I have to confess I have been glued to Courttv.com much of it, watching the George Floyd trial. It has been heart wrenching to see and a lot of the time I had to shut my eyes and ears but somehow I think it is important to witness our justice system up close and personal and how it does (or doesn't) work.

If I weren't an artist, I think I would have chosen to be a journalist or lawyer. I always admired my dad for using his art to express a political opinion. My art though, I thought, was more abstract and all about just adding some more beauty to the world. Until the pandemic that is...I was isolated and had a dream about my late sister, Judy Smilow (1958-2018) who I missed terribly. I painted a 7-foot portrait of her and it was as if she was still with me somehow. It gave me comfort and that began a whole series of 20+ larger than life portraits of living and deceased friends and family to hang out with. Then came the Black Lives Matter movement and instead of attending the protest marches (I was too scared of Covid-19), I decided to make portraits of some of the victims of police brutality. Together with an old dear friend from Chicago who happened to be a graphic designer (Barbara Cotterall Murphy of Murphy Design), we made the images into posters and for those brave enough to go out and march, we would donate the high res images for people to print on their own. If you know anyone who might like to receive these free high res images of any of these posters, please let them know where they can get them.

Some political art by my father, Mel Smilow, made during the 1960's civil rights movement:

three things we love

Boston College History Professor and Historian Heather Cox Richardson (photo courtesy The New York Times)

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Famous words we have all heard over and over again but do we heed it? We are so fortunate to have history professor Heather Cox Richardson in our lives during this particular time in history to educate us. I have written about her before but feel compelled to include her again in my blog. This very recent 49 minute interview I feature here from Maine Public Radio is a must listen for anyone interested in where we find ourselves today in the U.S. of A. I cannot say enough about her, her storytelling abilities, her ability to make American history come alive and to put so many issues of the day in context. I also wake up to her daily email every morning. Subscribe here to her Letters from an American" if you want to also. And don't take my word for it--I am not the only one who finds her so crucial to our zeitgeist right now. Here is an article about her in the New York Times .

Two time U.S. Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz (1905-2006)

This blog gives me an opportunity to delve deeper into things I have loved but not necessarily known that much about and in this case, the featured poem below hung on my wall over my desk for many years but I really knew very little about its writer. April is National Poetry Month (who is the one who designates these things?) and I am no poetry expert but The Long Boat by Stanley Kunitz (1905-2006) struck a deep cord with me that continues to this day.

The Long Boat

When his boat snapped loose
from its mooring, under
the screaking of the gulls,
he tried at first to wave
to his dear ones on shore,
but in the rolling fog
they had already lost their faces.
Too tired even to choose
between jumping and calling,
somehow he felt absolved and free
of his burdens, those mottoes
stamped on his name-tag:
conscience, ambition, and all
that caring.
He was content to lie down
with the family ghosts
in the slop of his cradle,
buffeted by the storm,
endlessly drifting.
Peace! Peace!
To be rocked by the Infinite!
As if it didn't matter
which way was home;
as if he didn't know
he loved the earth so much
he wanted to stay forever.

The poem speaks for itself but if you would like to know more about this man, twice U.S. Poet Laureate, avid gardener , winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry and many other prestigious accolades, I include his New York Times obituary here, a shorter National Public Radio piece on him and also a longer in depth interview he gave with the poet Gregory Orr.

Ragnar Kjartansson is not a household name but in The Visitors, an immersive, nine-screen video art installation, he has created a remarkable art piece that is truly one of the best museum shows I have ever seen. I bring it to your attention in case you can still get a chance to see it. It has been around for quite a few years but it seems to still be making the rounds and as we open up from the pandemic. It is currently on view in Boston at the Museum of Contemporary Art through August 15, 2021, at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia through May 9, 2021; and at the Reykjavik Art Museum in Iceland through September 19, 2021. I first stumbled upon it in San Francisco at SFMOMA in 2017 quite by accident since I rarely had any use for video and usually just walked by (my bad). The Guardian literally puts it at number one “best art of the 21st century.” It is almost impossible to describe but by way of preview, here is Kjartansson himself describing the piece, the ideas behind it, his experience making it and also a "doesn't do it justice" version you can experience on your cell phone with headphones.

painting of the week

For more information on these free Black Lives Matter posters, please contact me.

blog no. 13: Gert Mathiesen

March 27, 2021

Gert Mathiesen used to time his annual visits to Denmark to correspond with the blooming of the anemones.

Gert, Hanne and Palle Mathiesen (Gert was the youngest), Esbjerg, Denmark, cerca 1954

One of the good things about dying is that your aging gets stopped dead in its tracks (no pun intended). Hard to believe that my late husband, Gert Mathiesen, would have been 70 years old today! In the words of Bob Dylan, he will always remain forever a young 62 in my mind...

People handle grief in different ways. My way of coping with his loss (and it has already been eight years) is to celebrate him and his art and by keeping him present in all of our hearts and minds. I dedicate this issue of my blog to him.

three things he loved

A suntanned Gert Mathiesen in front of a series of his linocuts.

Click here to read a wonderful essay about
Gert Mathiesen and his art.

It is hot off the press, written by Frank Matheis as part of his new Hammond Museum essay series entitled In Other Words. Upon reading the essay, our daughter Morgan stated excitedly, "This is by far the best piece of writing I have seen on Gert--he really "got" him!"

In addition to his other excellent writings on artists and their art, Matheis' first love is music. An expert on the blues. Matheis has published over 600 music articles, produced an award winning radio blues documentary (that aired on three continents) and spent nearly a decade on the radio in New York/Connecticut hosting wild blues and roots shows. He has a new book out about the blues tradition in our nation's capital entitled Sweet Bitter Blues – Washington DC’s Homemade Blues, which he wrote in collaboration with the harmonica player Phil Wiggins.

Gert working on our Mexican bark paper animal pieces in his studio on East 64th Street

Gert had a band called The Black Witches.

Playing the drum set in a client’s home in the middle of an appointment to show art.

Sit back and enjoy this compilation of Gert's FAVORITE MUSIC by clicking all the links below. He always told me he wanted an American girlfriend so he could learn all the words to the songs he loved. Starting off as a young boy listening to Radio Luxembourg with the radio under his pillow, Gert acquired an eclectic taste in all types of music. Here are some of his favorites: Hotel California, which propelled him to drive across the country soon after arriving in New York to visit his brother and was probably his theme song in the early days. Bob Dylan was no doubt top of his list and it would really be hard to choose a particular album or song but if I had to, it might be the Time Out of Mind album and the song It's Not Dark Yet. John Prine defintely spoke to him and he got a kick out of the song In Spite of Ourselves. among many others. Of course, as a European of a certain age, he grew up with Leonard Cohen and absolutely loved him although he really liked Jennifer Warnes renditions of Cohen's songs on the album Famous Blue Raincoat best. He loved Johnny Cash, especially Ring of Fire and he loved Johnny's daughter Rosanne too, playing Tennessee Flat Top Box and other songs from the album King's Record Shop. He went crazy over The Travelling Wilburys when their record came out and he definitely had a special place in his heart for Tom Waits, especially Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You and Jersey Girl. He loved so many songs of Otis Redding and shifting gears, if you want to spend a leisurely morning listening to his favorite classical piece, here's Mozart's Jupiter Symphony. P.S. His mom always thought he would have made a great rock star...

Gert made al lot of music posters and close to forty theatre posters over the years.

This column would not be complete without writing about the third most important thing in Gert's life after art and music (and his family)--he loved to eat. He ate a slim breakfast, if at all a croissant and a cup of tea. But it was up from there. Many of his favorite foods were comfort foods he grew up on in Esbjerg, Denmark and I include some of those recipes here: smørrebrød--black bread with his favorite toppings like leverpostej, gratin dauphinois, and his favorite midnight snack biksemad (the Danish version of leftovers, topped with an egg). He also liked more gourmet foods and loved to eat out although he never liked a restaurant with a stuffy atmosphere, preferring to sit at the bar. His favorite restaurants in New York were his beloved neighborhood Bistro 61 (now defunct) and probably top of the list for special lunches, Il Buco in downtown Manhattan. He also loved Picco Restaurant in Marin County, California.

And now finally, a few more random things he loved, always passionately: loafers, the ocean, swimming, rosé wine before it became fashionable, fishing, flowers, harbors, potatoes (we were married on the beach between two potato fields), Puerto Rico, old episodes of Ozzy Osbourne, history, Tuesdays (which was the day he dedicated solely to reading), the films Shawshank Redemption and Forrest Gump, and of course ceramics, printmaking and painting.

We were married in Bridgehampton, New York in 1992

Gert’s pride and joy—his children and grandchildren: Toran, Jonathan, Rocsi and Morgan Mathiesen

painting of the week

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen BOOKS and a favorite CHARITY

Catalogue $45 Heerup Museum

Mathiesen Book $50

Animal Prints $150

Donate to NDI

blog no. 12: Jimmy Carter, Who Gives A Crap, Preet Bharara

March 20, 2021

Greetings from the beautiful rocky coast of Maine. I drove six hours from the heart of New York City and have transported myself to the most gorgeous of settings--a little artist cottage on the edge of the vast Atlantic Ocean. I write this from a large picture window where all I see is water and sky. It is just me and the ducks so far. I am sure I am going to get to know the sky like I never knew it before.

I had a good laugh this morning--me, the eternal Jewish mother whose philosophy is sadly "when in doubt, worry..." Gazing out on the vast ocean before me, I spotted a lone duck swimming all alone by the shore and a much larger group of ducks quite a bit away. I immediately started worrying that this little guy was lost and the rest of the flock hadn’t noticed… Well, good news and a sigh of relief--he/she/they is on the way back to the others.

And on a more somber note, in light of this week's horrible events which appear to be hate crimes around Atlanta, Georgia, I'd like all of us to be reminded of this quote that originated in Nazi Germany by a Lutheran Pastor named Martin Niemöller.

"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

three things we love

Willie Nelson, Roslyn Carter and Jimmy Carter

If you have any doubt that Jimmy Carter was one of the coolest presidents the United States has ever had, think no more. The recent CNN documentary Jimmy Carter Rock and Roll President confirms it. Aside from his political accomplishments in the field of conservation, the Salt II Agreement, and the Camp David Accords (establishing peace between Israel and Egypt), Carter's other deep love and passion was for music. He was friends with a myriad of rock and roll and jazz musicians and they were frequent visitors to the White House. (Willie Nelson was even purported to have smoked pot with Carter's son inside those walls...). Bob Dylan spoke of Carter as "A man you don’t meet every day and you are lucky if you do…." and the Allman Brothers helped propel him into the presidency with their fundraising concerts...I always thought Jimmy Carter got a bad rap as being a weak president, mostly because of the Iran Hostage crisis. But in my mind, he was a gentle man, a true humanitarian and to this day at 96, still at it, building homes for his beloved Habitat for Humanity and speaking out on issues that matter...I absolutely loved this documentary and if you want to read a good review and synopsis of it, go to Mary Lucia's (aka Looch) Minnesota Public Radio podcast The Current.

Californians in general are always a few steps ahead of the game in recognizing climate change and what we can do about it in terms of conservation, recycling and sustainability. My friend Barb at wholechampion.org has turned me onto something I wanted to share with you and you are probably going to laugh at this one (or roll your eyes--no pun intended) and say, why is this on her list?. Because I am going to talk to you about toilet paper and tell you about a company where I intend to buy it from now on. The company is called Who Gives A Crap and they donate 50 percent of their profits to building toilets for people in need around the globe. (Did you know that diarrheal diseases caused by poor water, sanitation and lack of toilets account for 1 in 9 child deaths worldwide, making diarrhea the second leading cause of death among children under the age of 5.) And I know you are now thinking, must be like sandpaper. Well, I have tried it and it is very soft, affordable ($1.00 a roll), wrapped in pretty wrapping for us designerly types, and includes free shipping. What could be better?

If you are wanting to do more, check out this other company, the Wild Minimalist. They are trying to make it easier for people to begin their journey towards a zero waste lifestyle by vetting and offering the best quality products, partnering with sustainable businesses and shipping purchases in recyclable or compostable packaging. Many of their suggestions might be items our grandparents would have used--full circle back to the natural. We can all do our part...

I fell upon this podcast this morning as I was researching other things and decided to dedicate my post this week to former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s podcast Stay Tuned interview with Atlantic Magazine's Anne Applebaum instead of something else. I found it so important and compelling and it also left me slightly hopeful too. The occasion was Applebaum’s new book Twilight of Democracy, which seems like a must read for anyone interested in politics these days as she explores the subject of authoritarianism. She puts it into context by comparing it in her native Poland, England and the United States: how it comes about, its historical roots, reasons for its attraction and most interesting of all to me, her ideas on how we might go about preventing its rise. These are two very smart people discussing this very important issue of the day--how to protect and save our democracy. Couldn’t ask for a better interview/conversation between two learned individuals.

painting of the week

Seagull (Yellow Spruce Series) mixed media on canvas 54” x 80” approx.

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen PAINTINGS and two favorite CHARITIES

Donate to NDI

Paintings

artSHOP Products

Donate

blog no. 11: Joe's Violin, Naomi Shihab Nye, Hans Silvester

March 13, 2021

In Honor of Women’s History Month March 2021.  This 7 foot tall bronze statue was just erected in Ginsburg’s native Brooklyn, New York.   Created by artists Gillie and Marc, Ginsburg herself consulted with the artists on it before her death.

three things we love

Joe Feingold and Bronx Global Learning Institute for Girls student Brianna Perez

This sweet little documentary, Joe's Violin, had me crying (in a good way) almost from the moment it started…This touching story begins with an old man, his violin and his memories of what music meant to him growing up in war torn Europe. Years later, in New York City, responding to an instrument drive run by the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation (inspired by the movie Mr. Holland's Opus) he decided to donate a violin his fingers could no longer maneuver. It is amazing how this simple act transformed his life and that of the recipient of his instrument and her school, the Bronx Global Learning Institute for Girls in New York City. As usual, there is an amazing teacher behind this too...Kokoe Tanaka-Suwan, was nationally recognized as a nominee for the prestigious Music Educator Grammy Award in 2020.

Poet Naomi Shihab Nye born to a Palestinian Father and American mother

The poet, Naomi Shihab Nye was featured and interviewed last week on Krista Tippett's podcast On Being. This particular poem struck a cord with me. If you would like to hear the poet read it aloud to you, click here. Or just read it below on your own.

KINDNESS
by Naomi Shihab Nye

Listen
Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.
Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,
only kindness that raises its head
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.

To hear Naomi Shihab Nye talk more about her work, click here

Couldn't be more excited to present to you this amazing book of photographs of the peoples of the Omo Valley taken by the esteemed German photographer Hans Silvester. I have looked at this book Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration From Africa countless times over the years (it was published in 2008) and it never ceases to get my heart pounding with sheer excitement at such beauty! The Surma and Mursi tribes, located where the lands of Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan meet, paint and adorn themselves and each other in the most aesthetically exciting and artistically creative ways--carrying on a tradition of their people that has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. Using natural pigments found in their environment, this body painting is one of the most incredible uses of natural elements in fashion and art but also has its roots in practicality by protecting against the sun, acting as an insect repellent and warding off evil. Thanks to anneofcarversville.com, who is as fascinated as I am with this book, here is a compilation of quotes from Silvester himself, describing his twelve trips to that area and some of the things he learned about these nomadic people and their amazing bodyart.

painting of the week

Signs of Spring 1-3 mixed media/ledger paper (from a Texas general store in 1929!), 27 1/2 x 19 3/4” each, $1500/panel, $3800/set of 3”

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen PAINTINGS and two favorite CHARITIES

National Dance Institute

ArtSHOP

Paintings

Donate a Musical Instrument

blog no. 10: Bhangra Dance, Andre and his Olive Tree, Patrick Hutchinson, Kafka

March 5, 2021

Look what our neighbors to the north are doing to celebrate diversity! Dancing the Bhangra, a Punjabi folk dance led by Gurdeep Pandhera, a joyous Sikh immigrant who emigrated from India to Canada is on a mission to spread joy. Wouldn't it be great if our police spent more time dancing, communing with their community and celebrating the people they protect. I dare you to get up wherever you are right now and follow along--smiles on every face, including yours!

three things we love

The documentary Andre and His Olive Tree, available on Netflix, tells the story of the highly celebrated Asian chef André Chiang and offers a behind the scenes look at his restaurants and what it takes to run such high end establishments. Chiang is a very interesting character, not afraid of change, and his highly acclaimed Singaporean restaurant Andre, the subject of the film, went out on a high note, closing its doors at the height of its success in 2018. If you are still curious, you might like to listen to this extensive interview with him. And click here to stay current and find out what Chiang is up to now--I for one am planning to visit his new venture in Japan once the pandemic is over...

Hector Guest Sculpture of Patrick Hutchinson

This photo of Englishman Patrick Hutchinson carrying a white supremecist to safety in the midst of a Black Lives Matter protest in London is an image that has resonated around the world, even inspiring a sculpture about him and his heroic act. Raised by a single mom in London, England, now a father and grandparent many times over himself, Hutchinson's story is one of a simple act of kindness by a regular citizen, who despite differing opinions, took it upon himself to save a life of a fellow human being. Hutchinson attributes his values to the compassion and empathy he learned from his mom. In his own words: "I hope that if there's one thing you can take away from that picture, its unity. It doesn't matter to me the color of a person's skin or even their views, if they're a person in need then I will save them and I would do it again. We don't have to be friends afterwards, but I'm there to help anyone in need. If we were all like that, I think society would be a better place." Featured in many publications including GQ Magazine in December 2020, Hutchinson also caught the attention of Prince Harry, who sat down with him for an extensive conversation, revealing to me the decency and compassion of both men.

I came across this delightful piece regarding Franz Kafka and a missing doll on someone's facebook post this week. On further look, there are many versions of this story and some doubt as to all its details, but I thought you might enjoy it in any case, especially coming from a writer who we might not necessarily think of as associated with such a tender act of kindness...Here goes the story:
At 40, Franz Kafka (1883-1924), found himself walking through a park in Berlin when he met a little girl who was crying. She had lost her precious doll and was looking everywhere for it. Kafka joined in the hunt but they were not able to find it. When they parted, Kafka told her to come back the next day and they would try again. The next day brought no better luck so Kafka, who had thought ahead, pulled out a letter he had brought with him "written" by the doll, telling the little girl "please don't cry. I took a trip to see the world. I will write to you about my adventures." Kafka continued to write these letters until the end of his life in 1924, when he passed away at the age of 41 from tuberculosis. During his meetings with the little girl, Kafka read the letters of the doll, carefully written with her adventures and conversations. The little girl loved listening to this correspondence and delighted in it. One day, Kafka came carrying a doll which he had bought, saying the doll had returned to Berlin. When the little girl said "It doesn't look like my doll at all," Kafka handed her another letter in which the doll wrote: "my travels have changed me." That satisfied her and she gave the doll a big hug, happily bringing it home. Kafka died soon after. Many years later, the now-adult girl found a letter inside the doll. In the tiny letter signed by Kafka it was written: "Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way."

And speaking of dolls, have you heard of the company Cuddle + Kind? They are one of my favorite places to buy new baby gifts..In addition to supporting a small business, their fair trade production employs women in Peru and a portion of their proceeds goes to feeding hungry children. To read their mission statement, click here.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow Blue Composition with Stripes and Dots and Moons mixed media on canvas. Recently sold painting in a beautiful home in Napa, California.

If anyone is considering purchase of a new piece of art and/or just wants to see how it will look, I have a nifty new tool that enables me to transpose a painting on your wall without moving an inch from my desk (or yours). All I need is an email from you including a straight on photo of your wall (with some of the room around it for context) you will see instantly how art uplifts, excites, transforms and inspires...No purchase necessary if you want me to just play around...

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen PAINTINGS and two favorite CHARITIES

National Dance Institute

ArtSHOP

Paintings

Fair Fight

blog no. 9: Sixto Rodriguez, Brownies, Harry Belafonte

February 27, 2021

This is an eclectic blog. The different entries might seem disjointed and unrelated at times. All I can say is this is a journey into my brain and memories of things I have loved over the years throughout my whole life. So far it seems like a bottomless font and I am amazed and what is showing up! I hope it is bringing you at least some of the pleasure that it is bringing me...

Our Giveaway Collaborators, A.Gallo Colors, has a restock sale beginning today, Sunday February 28, 2021. Click on their name to see their offerings and buy these amazing paints beginning at 10am--don't hesitate as they sell out almost immediately...

three things we love

Sixto Rodgiguez, musician and subject of film Searching for Sugar Man

My late husband, Gert Mathiesen, was a passionate guy and he got very excited about things. This story of the musician Sixto Rodriguez in the movie Searching for Sugar Man caught his attention in a big way and was his subject of choice in the days leading up to Gert's sudden death of an aneurysm in 2013--he said he thought it was the most incredible story of the 20th century. Take the time to watch this amazing movie and story (it costs $3.99 on Amazon Prime) and judge for yourself. I don't want to say too much more about it before you see it.

Delicious Brownie Recipe made from unexpected ingredients Courtesy chocolatecoveredkatie.com/

Talk about unrelated--here's a crazy brownie recipe that you probably will make a face at on first glance. Believe me, I almost didn't try it myself but I have some relatives that are gluten free so I baked these before one of our family holiday getaways. Make them and then don't tell anyone what is in it and I guarantee you they will never guess the ingredients--they are as fudgy and delicious as you would expect of any brownie and very low on weight watcher points to boot! One tip: don't skimp on the chocolate chips...

Harry Belafonte, singer, songwriter, activist, actor

I was first introduced to Harry Belafonte as a kid when I would see my dad sitting down in our living room, sparkly red set of bongos between his knees, drumming along to the beat of calypso music--most usually Harry Belafonte. He was always a hero in my family, not just for his music but for his unrelentless activism, which continues to this day as he turns 94. As an old friend of his, Bo Taylor, once noted, "from the time he got up to the time he went to sleep, he would always be seeking out the injustices done to humankind…"
A few years back, a wonderful documentary came out about him, called Sing Your Song. The talented filmmaker, Susanne Rostock, happens to be a friend of mine who I met through National Dance Institute (both our kids participated in their dance program). To quote her, "Harry is so full of optimism and his optimism is infectious...it makes you want to join him..." And if you want to immerse yourself totally, for $25, join the virtual celebration today Sunday February 28th at 7pm ET for his surprise 94th birthday party including Usher, JayZ among many others... Tickets available here

painting of the week

Pam Smilow Yellow Spruce Series mixed media on canvas $8500.

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen PAINTINGS and two favorite CHARITIES

Food Bank of New York City

ArtSHOP

Paintings

Fair Fight

blog no. 6: P.S. 22 Chorus, Brian Weiss, Stephen Wiltshire

February 6, 2021

I never thought of myself as a writer but producing this blog is bringing me an enormous sense of pleasure. I truly do love the things I am sharing with you and revisiting them again myself brings me joy and inspiration. Thank you so much for reading my new venture, please consider forwarding it to friends if you feel so inclined, and I welcome any comments, reactions and suggestions you might have for me (you will find the comment section all the way down in the bottom of this post just below the keywords after my photograph). It is always good to get some honest feedback.

three things we love

Music Teacher Greg Breinberg, with his student PS 22 Chorus

Celebrate the teacher! With Jill Biden in the White House, maybe these incredibly important people in our society will finally get their due. Inspiring music teacher Greg Breinberg is cream of the cream of the crop and his amazing PS 22 Chorus, out of a working class Staten Island public school, shows his magic in action. Some of you might have heard of these children as their youtube videos have gone viral for years...Here I share such a nice a rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Watch the longer joyous documentary to see the power of the arts to transform children's lives and the story behind how they ended up performing for millions at the Academy Award Ceremony in 2011.

Many Lives Many Masters, a book that changed my life view

The book Many Lives Many Masters was suggested to me from a friend just after I lost my husband, Gert, in 2013. I can tell you that it literally changed my life, opened my mind, and set me on a new and spiritual path of exploration that continues today, almost eight years later. Having a skeptical mind and someone who has trouble shutting off the rational part of my brain, believing that consciousness survives your body was something I never would have entertained. Having the Yale and Columbia educated Dr. Brian Weiss, respected head of psychiatry at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, Florida, a total skeptic himself, tell his story of a certain patient that transformed him and his whole life view got me going to take the first steps in believing that maybe, just maybe, this is not all there is.

I have long been fascinated by the human brain and things that we cannot yet explain about its inner workings. Savant syndrome is a rare condition in which individuals, often with an autism diagnosis, exhibit abilities that far exceed what we might consider as "normal." In this amazing story, Stephen Wiltshire is an extraordinary example: with his photographic memory and his interest in cityscapes, Wiltshire can fly briefly over a city, in this case, Rome, reproduce it completely and accurately on paper, down to exact details including number of columns and windows in every building. To see a longer video about Stephen, click here. If you want to find out more about savant syndrome, and other intriguing individuals with extraordinary abilties, this short documentary should be a good introduction.

painting of the week

Gert Mathiesen Facebook 70” x 77.5” acrylic on canvas

If I had to pick one painting of Gert's, it probably would be this one. I love the colors he chose and its scale...and it contains all the themes he cherished: people, ceramics, flowers, fish, animals...If you look closely, you can see some writing in the background. Gert used to gesso my canvases for me and would leave me little love notes on it afterwards. On this one, I answered back. To see other paintings of his, click on the image above.

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen PAINTINGS and a favorite CHARITY

Gert Mathiesen Art

Pam Smilow Art

artSHOP Products

Southern Poverty Law Center (Copy)

blog no. 5: Women Leaders, Roz Chast, Brazilian vegetarian boy, Anna Breytenbach

January 30, 2021

Feels like we are on the cusp of some new good things but I am still full of a lot of trepidation. Will the pandemic ever be over? Will the vaccines work against the new strains? Will we escape this attack on our democracy intact? Will America ever live up to its ideals of liberty and justice for all? So many uncertainties lie in our future. But then this video came along, sent from some friends in California, and it put a big smile on my face. Keep hope alive--look what is happening while the world has been distracted!

three things we love

New Yorker Cartoonist Roz Chast’s insider guide to New York City.

New Yorker Cartoonist Roz Chast's humor is definitely of my time and just thinking of some of her cartoons makes me smile. Roz grew up in Brooklyn, New York and moved out of the city to raise her kids in Connecticut, to put some distance between her and her parents (if you read another of her great books Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant, you will understand). Her latest book was written for her NYC college bound daugher as instructions on how-to navigate New York City. Going Into Town: A Love Letter to New York is in my mind the perfect practical insider's travel guide for anyone who wants to familiarize themselves with NYC life and all the insider tricks of the trade. There will be a day when we go can go around without worrying about catching a virus so this is a book we NYC lovers can all look forward to. And in the hopefully near future, it will be a must buy as a gift for house guests visiting our great city or for anyone wanting to just "get" New York.

Watch Luis Antonio come to the realization of what is for dinner…

This is a short and very sweet and touching video. It features the innocence of a child, in this case a very adorable little Brazilian boy, as he discovers what his dinner consists of. Sometimes it takes the simplicity of a child's view of the world to wake us up and make us see something afresh.

Animal communicator Anna Breytenbach with the black leopard Spirit

I always thought if we humans are so smart, how come we don't know what the birds are saying? I have been very interested in the subject of animal intelligence and animal communication ever since I was a kid and I read my first book on the subject called "How Smart Are Animals." From then on, I knew that common knowledge that humans were the only ones with superior intelligence, self reflection and the ability to use tools was not true. I think discoveries in the field of interspecies communication will lead us to the next big frontier--an art that the ancients and indigenous peoples across the globe knew very well intuitively but which most of us have totally lost touch with today. South African Anna Breytenbach is a leader and powerhouse in this field. This short video will blow your mind: watch Breytenbach "talk" to a rare beautiful black leopard and get answers back. If you are interested in learning more and you don't think I am totally crazy (I'm not), an hour long, fascinating interview with Anna and her American animal tracker mentor Jon Young is well worth a listen. For those of you with kids, Anna has even written a children's book about this black leopard entitled How Diablo Became Spirit (in collaboration with Andrew Newman).

painting of the week

Pam Smilow Nature mixed media on canvas 56 x 100” approx.

I picked a darker piece this week, not because I am necessarily in a darker mood but it is winter and it is getting pretty cold right now here in NYC. This large painting hangs in a huge mansion on a big hill in San Francisco's Pacific Heights. It's an old painting that was purchased many many moons ago. I don't usually miss my work but there is something about this one that holds a special place in my heart.

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen PAINTINGS and two favorite CHARITIES

Southern Poverty Law Center

ArtSHOP

Paintings

Fair Fight

blog no. 4: Irmi, Young at Heart Chorus, Jeong Kwan

January 23, 2021

I didn't realize how much fun I would have writing this creative lifestyle blog and I hope that this comes across in my posts. I have an ongoing list of things that I want to write about and people whose lives I want to call attention to. There is so much inspiration out there!

Catching a glimpse of light has made me aware that the tunnel we have been in has been deeper and darker than I even thought...We came very close to losing our democracy and we must remain totally vigilant lest it happens again. But for now, how great, as CNN's Van Jones put it, that "the stutterer won over the bully."

Please consider giving me your feedback in the comment section below and if you like what you see, I'd so appreciate your forwarding this new blog to anyone you think might be interested. Thank you so much and stay safe out there!

three things we love

Portrait of Irmi Selver by her daughter in law Cappy Coates

The documentary film IRMI tells the interesting life story of German Jewish refugee, Irmi Selver, based on a personal memoir she originally wrote for the eyes and ears of her two grandchildren, read in the film by the German actress, Hanna Schygulla. Included as one of the featured films in the upcoming New York Jewish Film Festival (don't worry--you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy the Jewish film festival!), her story is told lovingly by two long time filmmakers and dear friends, Veronica Selver, (Irmi's daughter) in the Bay Area and Susan Fanshel in New York City, a cross-country collaboration! Irmi had an indomitable spirit, and yet her life was laced with unthinkable tragedy. I had the good fortune of knowing her personally and I see her in my mind's eye standing in her bright yellow kitchen, full of life, with her huge infectious smile and her familiar German accented voice loud and clear. Irmi's journey took many turns, over two continents, through wartime and a lot of different kinds of experiences--what we walk away with is the strength of the human spirit and most of all, her resilience. IRMI will be available for screening on January 26th, 27th, and 28th. Purchase $12 tickets here for the virtual screening and sign up for a special Q and A Zoom session with the filmmakers on January 27th here.

You might have heard of the Young at Heart Chorus out of Northampton, Massachusetts or seen the wonderful documentary about them. To beccome a member of this singing group, you have to be over 70 and this is no ordinary old people's choir. Led by the only youngster in the bunch, Bob Climan (he's in his sixties and started out playing piano at a senior citizen community center), the group plays a variety of his musical favorites which include a repetoire of punk rock and rock and roll. There is a documentary about them that is pure pleasure and a must see. But here I want to share with you a very special moving performance by Young at Heart chorus member, Fred Knittle of the Cold Play song Fix You, that touched me deeply, mostly because it shows that if you have soul, you don't need anything else. One of the participating instruments in this performance is an oxygen machine! I will never hear Fix You in the same way again.

Jeong Kwan, Zen Buddhist Nun and World Renowned Chef. Drawing by German artist Alice Pelzi (https://www.portrait52.com/blog/jeong-kwan)

I love to eat good food, explore different types of cuisine, dine out, and find great restaurants near me. (Hopefully we will get back to that when the Covid 19 Pandemic is over.) In the meantime, I am a big fan of many of the cooking shows and definitely consider myself a "foodie." I also realize that cooking can be a highly creative venture not far from other fine arts and chefs can be true artists in the real sense of the word. Chef's Table is one of my favorite food shows and this episode that I highlight here stands out above the others for me. Jeong Kwan is no ordinary chef. She is first and foremost a Korean Buddhist nun and her temple cooking predates farm to table by thousands of years. She champions simplicity and vegan cooking at its absolute best. Watching this episode, I am reminded of how simple, good clean living can be. Watch Netflix's Season 3, Episode One here.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow, Lavender Tree, mixed media on canvas, 50” x 80” , $8500

I chose this painting of mine this week, Lavender Tree, for its softness, its peacefulness and because it is a dreamy one. I thought it was particularly apt as we emerge from four years of being fed lies, negativity and hate. And then I realized too that these colors are the colors of Kamala Harris and Jill Biden's coats on Inauguration Day! My favorite image of January 20th, 2021 was of the four of them: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff, on the east steps of the U.S. Capitol, standing proudly in all their glory. I loved the colors--the jewel tones against the grey steps, and the combination of Kamala's purples against Jill's turquoise teals. My art is often based on these types of color sequences, where I stay in the same family of colors rather than mixing a palette of opposing ones.

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen PAINTINGS and two favorite CHARITIES

House the Homeless (Copy)

Phone Cases in our ArtSHOP

Paintings

Feed The Hungry (Copy)