Always Inspiring

I am for an art ...

by Claes Oldenburg

I am for an art that is political-erotical-mystical, that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum.

I am for an art that grows up not knowing it is art at all, an art given the chance of having a staring point of zero.

I am for an art that embroils itself with the everyday crap & still comes out on top.

I am for an art that imitates the human, that is comic, if necessary, or violent, or whatever is necessary.

I am for an art that takes its form from the lines of life itself, that twists and extends and accumulates and spits and drips, and is heavy and coarse and blunt and sweet and stupid as life itself.

I am for an artist who vanishes, turning up in a white cap painting signs or hallways.

I am for an art that comes out of a chimney like black hair and scatters in the sky.

I am for an art that spills out of an old man's purse when he is bounced off a passing fender.

I am for the art out of a doggy's mouth, falling five stories from the roof.

How about a song...

To Start Our Week...

Source: ohsobeautifulpaper.com via Andrea on Pinterest

delightful

Source: bippityboppityboo.tumblr.com via Julie on Pinterest

Inspired by a post on one of my favorite blogs, The Simply Luxurious Life, I am spending my Saturday indulging in a few simple, formal and classic ideas to put a bit of flair into my life. 

I have taken down my old set of china and intend to start using it more often. Today I've started by having my morning coffee in that lovely little cup you see above. Is is not sweet? I've had this enormous (it serves 12!) set of china for  twenty odd years (yes, I got it when I was an infant) and really do not enjoy it enough. It has followed me from city to city, apartment to apartment, and held up quite well. So, today I will take some pieces out of the quilted storage bags they live in and let them breath and be put to good use. Even inanimate objects like to be needed. 

Jazz...sigh. I adore Jazz. Today the music will be ever present and drifting through my apartment via Jazz Radio, possibly my favorite app on my iPhone. Jazz Radio offers up all genres of jazz - classic, blues, bossa nova, and my favorite Paris Cafe. Heaven.  

Sorting out my bulging dressing room does not seem very 'luxurious' but it will be the means to an end of simplicity. There is a 5-tiered shelf in my closet that is so full it toppled over in the middle of  the night. A clear sign it is time for serious purging. As with most of us, I wear basically the same 10-20 items of clothing in an average week. So why do I have so much surplus? Well, this blog is called the JENsonian -- I tend to get sentimentally attached to most things, probably because I have moved around and traveled so much in my life. And that is wonderful, but these saved pieces need to be either  given to someone who will actually where them or stored away properly. That is the goal for today. To take a hard look at every little thing and decide where we go from here. (Hmmm...am I only talking about my closet here?) 

via The Simply Luxurious Life...I found this terrific blog from author Jennifer L. Scott -- (LESSONS FROM MADAME CHIC: THE TOP 20 THINGS I LEARNED WHILE LIVING IN PARS)

Word of the Day....

Fecund (fe-cund) adj
1. Fruitful in offspring or vegetation: Prolific
2. Intellectually productive or inventive to a marked degree

Matisse

Source: busybeingfabulous.com via Meg Biram / on Pinterest

Art History

Well, by now we all know how much I adore and obsess over ART. Here are just a few of the many beautiful art books I am currently lusting for. 

Degas and The Nude - works by the French artist Edgar Degas

Bruce Sargeant And His Circle: Figure and Form

SARGENT - One of so many great books on John Singer Sargent

George Seurat - The Drawings - stunning drawings by French painter George Seurat

Van Dongen - the works of Dutch artist Kees Van Dongen

  George Barbier: Master of Art Deco: Fashion, Illustration, and Graphic Design - the complete works of French illustrator George Barbier

for Thursday...

Source: virginiais4lovers.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Archive: Owl

Argentina is one of my favorite countries. From the people to the food (more delicious red meat than you knew you wanted - and you will want it) to the wine (I dream of Malbec) to the overall beauty of the landscape. This country has never failed to disappoint. Truly I could go on and on and and some point I'm sure that I will.


This charming little owl is an object I picked up near Bariloche, a beautiful town in the Patagonia region. Often referred to as the "Switzerland" of South America, Bariloche is most known for its ski resorts as it sits in the heart of the Andes, but is also surrounded by lakes making it a special destination year-round.


The owl lives in my kitchen, sitting next to my silver elephant. 

Bariloche, Argentina

November 2009

Take a look at 'Argentina on Two Steaks a Day'.  

"The classic beginner's mistake in Argentina is to neglect the first steak of the day." 

There are many more interesting travel + food posts on this smart blog.

Archive: elephant

This silver elephant is very, very small. He came from the Pink City in India - Jaipur - a beautiful city known for its silver markets. I love this little guy. He currently sits in my kitchen next to a slightly larger Owl from Argentina. 

Silver Elephant

Jaipur, India 2008

To inspire your Tuesday...

shared via katearends

Edible Body Scrub

This luscious body scrub is not only effective but also edible. Admit it, you've thought about eating in the shower. 

I made this scrub from very simple ingredients - olive oil, raw sugar, cocoa powder and honey. It could not be simpler. It is also wonderfully effective for adding moisture to your skin. The olive and oil and honey soak in and make your skin feel amazing. The sugar exfoliates. The cocoa powder gives a little caffein kick to stimulate your cells. 

The smell is heavenly. 

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

Raw Sugar

Cocoa Powder

 Honey

Fill a small jar (12oz is a good start) 3/4 to the top with sugar. Add the olive oil slowly to desired consistency; add in cocoa powder and honey (approximately 1 tbls of each) to the mix. The scrub should be thick, not runny. But create to your own liking. Its yours, after all. 

Enjoy. 

Welcome to the New + Improved Blog!

This blog of mine has had a few name changes over the years. Previously Ramblings and Ruminations, then Ruminations and Revelations, and at one time My Life in 365. In an effort to simplify and also inject a bit of humor the new name (for now!) will be the JENsonian. I have used this title in conversation a million times in reference to bits and bobs I've collected and saved throughout my life. For example: "Oh, this? This old denim jacket from 15 years ago that no longer fits but I wore during three glorious summers in Europe? No, I'm not throwing it away -- its going in the JENsonian."


This blog will still focus on my "ruminations" and "revelations" and "ramblings", but now it will have a name that is less of a mouthful. Thoughts?


ruminate |ˈro͞oməˌnāt|verb [ no obj. ]1 think deeply about something: we sat ruminating on the nature of existence.2 (of a ruminant) chew the cud.DERIVATIVESrumination |ˌro͞oməˈnāSHən|noun,ruminative |-ˌnātiv|adjective,ruminatively |-ˌnātivlē|adverb,ruminator |-ˌnātər|nounORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin ruminat- ‘chewed over,’from the verb ruminate .revelation |ˌrevəˈlāSHən|noun1 a surprising and previously unknown fact, esp. one that is made known in a dramatic way: revelations about his personal life.• the making known of something that was previously secret or unknown: the revelation of an alleged plot to assassinate the king.• used to emphasize the surprising or remarkable quality of someone or something: seeing them play at international level was a revelation.2 the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world: an attempt to reconcile Darwinian theories with biblical revelation | a divine revelation.• ( Revelation or Revelations; in full the Revelation of St John the Divine )the last book of the New Testament, recounting a divine revelation of the future to St. John.DERIVATIVESrevelational |-SHənl|adjectiveORIGIN Middle English (in the theological sense): from Old French, or from late Latin revelatio(n-), from revelare ‘lay bare’ (see reveal1). Sense 1 dates from the mid 19th cent.

Hair Powder + Root Coverage = Genius

This product by Bumble + bumble is fantastic. It is a spray powder that also covers your grays - brilliant. This dual purpose product soaks up any bit of oil in your hair as well as covers root growth or stubborn gray hairs. The powder comes in 4 shades - black, brown, blondish, and silver. Although my hair is brown, I chose the blondish as the tint was a bit less flat.
Not only does it work, but it looks natural. I have tried many similar products in the past and this is by far the best. The powder comes in 2 sizes, the smallest selling for $19 and the larger for $35 (Sephora). Honestly, it is worth it. It will save you an early trip to your colorist. Fabulous.

the Rothkos

Couldn't you just sit and look at these for hours? Rothko's painting are so meditative and introspective. The colors draw you in, tell a story, and create a sense of depth. True beauty.

The Seagram Murals

Mark Rothko

on view at the National Gallery of Art

Washington, DC

Many years ago I was spending a summer in London as a teaching assistant for a film program at the British Film Institute. I spent as much time as possible going to museums and galleries. And if you've been to London, you know there are no shortages of either. It is a glorious city for art, among other things (I'm a big fan, you see). One day I was at the Tate and wandered into a dark, wine-colored room. It was long and narrow, the light was low and it was filled with these remarkable Rothko paintings, all dark shades of red and black and other deep, saturated hues. It was as if you had stepped into a temple, a place to worship. And indeed I did. I worshipped at the altar of Mark Rothko and have ever since. 

I don't recall which Rothko paintings I saw that day at the Tate. Maybe some were of the Seagram murals, maybe not. But seeing these at the National Gallery in DC brought back the memory of that day in London. A beautiful memory. I sat in front of those works and worshipped once again.

Pinterest

Connect with me via my Pinterest Boards. I have been filling my page up with images of art, culture, fashion, and beauty. You will get lost in the rabbit hole. Enjoy.

The Duchess

This gorgeous, lush painting by Italian artist Giovanni Boldini lives in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It is one of my most favorite paintings and I visit it any time I step foot inside the museum. I love the saturated colors, the loving and relaxed expression on the faces of the Duchess and her young son, and "the swish" - the name Boldini's flowing technique was given. It is a beautiful piece that I could stare at for hours. 

Consuelo Duchess Of Marlborough With Her Son Ivor Spencer Churchill  

Consuelo Vanderbilt (1876–1964), Duchess of Marlborough, and Her Son, Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill (1898–1956)Giovanni Boldini  (Italian, Ferrara 1842–1931 Paris)

I found this album at a street vendor's table on Broadway last night. I love the colors and of course the divine Edith Piaf. Might have to dust off my little turntable and have a listen.

Birchbox

Birchbox is a subscription service that will send you a bright pink box filled with beauty products. I don't need it -- but I love it. Who doesn't like getting mail?

My April Birchbox selections...

Birchbox also has an online shopping site for purchasing full-size versions of the samples you receive as well as just about anything else that's fun and good. There is a blog, videos, and articles too. A terrific portal to jump into and lose yourself for a few minutes...or hours. 

Pretty in Pink

It was a beautiful weekend in New York City. Spring. It's official.

I can see it...

 'Fifteen Pairs of Hands' at the National Gallery of Art
Artist: Bruce Nauman

Its an Art History week...

More from the National Gallery....

Young Girl Reading, 1776 

Jean Honore Fragonard (click for more works)

 

John Singer Sargent 

(click for more works)

Repose

On a recent trip to Washington, DC I of course visited the National Gallery of Art. It truly is one of the most beautiful museums in the world. I could have stayed there all day. On my next trip, I just might do that. 

Nonchaloir (1911), John Singer Sargent

read more....

National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Cementerio de Recoleta, Buenos Aires

Argentina is one of my favorite countries to visit. The landscape is beautiful, the food is outstanding, and the people - passionate. A few months ago I was working in Buenos Aires and wanted to see the very famous cemetery where Eva Peron and her Duarte family are laid to rest. The beautiful La Recoleta Cemetery is located in the Recoleta neighborhood.

Eva Peron's final resting place...

It is Spring. It is Friday. The Sun is Shining.

The Junk Drawer

There is something intriguing about 'the junk drawer'. A little glimpse into one's life.