Here are the next two Tyer Felix pages and the next installment of Lane Allen’s Diary. I hope maybe Allan Holtz will be able to shed some light on this feature, we know it ran in 1957, but which magazine? How long did it run? I would love to read more than I have managed to collect.
Last Thursday, the painting group, Cathy and I went to Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles to paint the historic landmark and the bustling shops and milling tourists. The oldest surviving house built in L.A. is still there, and many other historic buildings. Cathy and I always walk over to the old train station, Union Station, which is across the street. I love the abandoned restaurant inside the Station with the checkerboard floor and old counter with the art deco stools. Maybe they rent this one out from time to time. I hope people can get inside the restaurant, it’s too big a space to just let sit there. Of course there are two newer eateries inside the station, TRAXX, which is the “sit down” restaurant, and the “Bagel Express” right across from it. The big brown overstuffed chairs have been used by passengers between trains for many years and would make great painting subjects in themselves. Christmas decorations reflected in the well-polished floors, invite the visitor to gaze at their welcoming splendor. It’s heartening that in this age of air travel, that the age of rails still has such a show-place.
Cathy and I painted the entrance to Olvera Street, right next to the bandstand. There was a big stuffed replica of a donkey which attracted the hordes of school kids that got off the buses to take their “Old Los Angeles” day trips. Old drunks offered to pay us $40.00 to paint their portraits, but we ignored them, they were obviously not in any mood to sit long enough for a portrait, let alone pay for it with their liquor money! This time of year they also have the traditional Mexican Christmas procession: “Las Posadas”. If you want to learn more about it, just thread your print of “The Three Caballeros” up and hear Panchito tell you all about it.
Today, Sunday, we went to the San Gabriel Art Association in the Old Grapevine room and watched the great Jason Situ paint a forest landscape. He worked from a photograph and just in a little over an hour worked out all his darks and lights, using his favorite color, Prussian Blue and Cadmium Red for the darkest tree trunks. He added a lot to the composition, making it appear that a little stream was coursing over a natural dam in the foreground. Jason is not only a master of foliage and plants, but can paint water very convincingly, like Josh Meador used to do. A lot of our friends from the Painting group came to the demo and really enjoyed it. This was only the second time that Jason has painted before the public, so it was not to be missed.
Movie seen this week: “Starting Out In The Evening”, very good, felt like a filmed stageplay with a great performance by Frank Langella as the old writer. Another rare attempt at doing a movie which touches on the creative process. It’s also quite erotic without much nudity, as a matter of fact, the only “nude scene” is in a very non-erotic part of the story. See it if you don’t have to spend too much money. Also saw “Grace Is Gone”, good, anti Iraq war picture, emotional, but restrained. Music score by Clint Eastwood! I liked it, but not as much as “Starting Out In The Evening”.
Olvera Street
December 10, 2007
Uncategorized
No Comments
Mark
Here are the next two Tyer Felix pages and the next installment of Lane Allen’s Diary. I hope maybe Allan Holtz will be able to shed some light on this feature, we know it ran in 1957, but which magazine? How long did it run? I would love to read more than I have managed to collect.
Last Thursday, the painting group, Cathy and I went to Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles to paint the historic landmark and the bustling shops and milling tourists. The oldest surviving house built in L.A. is still there, and many other historic buildings. Cathy and I always walk over to the old train station, Union Station, which is across the street. I love the abandoned restaurant inside the Station with the checkerboard floor and old counter with the art deco stools. Maybe they rent this one out from time to time. I hope people can get inside the restaurant, it’s too big a space to just let sit there. Of course there are two newer eateries inside the station, TRAXX, which is the “sit down” restaurant, and the “Bagel Express” right across from it. The big brown overstuffed chairs have been used by passengers between trains for many years and would make great painting subjects in themselves. Christmas decorations reflected in the well-polished floors, invite the visitor to gaze at their welcoming splendor. It’s heartening that in this age of air travel, that the age of rails still has such a show-place.
Cathy and I painted the entrance to Olvera Street, right next to the bandstand. There was a big stuffed replica of a donkey which attracted the hordes of school kids that got off the buses to take their “Old Los Angeles” day trips. Old drunks offered to pay us $40.00 to paint their portraits, but we ignored them, they were obviously not in any mood to sit long enough for a portrait, let alone pay for it with their liquor money! This time of year they also have the traditional Mexican Christmas procession: “Las Posadas”. If you want to learn more about it, just thread your print of “The Three Caballeros” up and hear Panchito tell you all about it.
Today, Sunday, we went to the San Gabriel Art Association in the Old Grapevine room and watched the great Jason Situ paint a forest landscape. He worked from a photograph and just in a little over an hour worked out all his darks and lights, using his favorite color, Prussian Blue and Cadmium Red for the darkest tree trunks. He added a lot to the composition, making it appear that a little stream was coursing over a natural dam in the foreground. Jason is not only a master of foliage and plants, but can paint water very convincingly, like Josh Meador used to do. A lot of our friends from the Painting group came to the demo and really enjoyed it. This was only the second time that Jason has painted before the public, so it was not to be missed.
Movie seen this week: “Starting Out In The Evening”, very good, felt like a filmed stageplay with a great performance by Frank Langella as the old writer. Another rare attempt at doing a movie which touches on the creative process. It’s also quite erotic without much nudity, as a matter of fact, the only “nude scene” is in a very non-erotic part of the story. See it if you don’t have to spend too much money. Also saw “Grace Is Gone”, good, anti Iraq war picture, emotional, but restrained. Music score by Clint Eastwood! I liked it, but not as much as “Starting Out In The Evening”.