FRIDAY BITS AND PIECES

Sacramento Street

Simple and basic, but not stiff. Not boring. It's so easy to be boring with basic. Too classic sometimes equals boring. But this isn't. It's soft. It's perfect.

Pinterest

DIY anyone?

Just a few things culled down for inspiration purposes.

NEED LESS, NEEDLESSNESS, LESS NEED

Via

The idea is simple, yet profound. However, if you need more concrete steps on the matter, feel free to consult here.

I myself, find that this is a mindset that needs changing. It's the attitude of scarcity at it again. Somehow, whenever we take into account what we have, the perception is that it isn't enough, when you could instead evaluate it as the perfect amount. And get creative.

On the more superficial side of things, I could perhaps spend less time mindlessly browsing. Spend more time on what would enrich my life, rather than deprives me of riches. 

INTERVIEW WITH HENRIETTE GREGORIO, FOUNDER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN BAROQUE SOCIETY

October 31, 2010, Henriette Gregorio, center, debuting as fictional tongue-in-cheek 1760's character, Lady AuRevoir, pictured with the Haűsmusik string quartet, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The occasion is a private performance featuring Baroque composer Wolfgang A. Mozart. In an ode to Mozart’s panache and humor, Gregorio created his & hers historical couture costumes (pictured). 

Background

A lover of all things Baroque and Rococo, I am a first generation American with Saxon-German roots.  Expressing myself through design, I created over six centuries of historical clothing, to fully embody past characters while reenacting periods of history through dance, social events and festivals. I have traveled across twelve countries, mainly throughout central and western Europe, lived in five, and organized full immersion events which allow a participant to live a playful, fun role from the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th century historical eras.

Since I was a teen, I loved designing clothing.  As a historical reenactress and hobbyist in my adult life, I loved working with the richly decorated fabrics of silk, lace, velvets and gemstones and modifying patterns to recreate clothing for historical reenactment, festivals and balls. 

Professionally, I have served as a consultant for non-profit, government and small businesses with services in marketing communications, graphic design, photography, public relations as well as advocacy for healthcare causes. 

Earlier still, I stood up for drug-free sport competition, winning six regional and state bodybuilding championships, including Ms. NorthWestern America, Ms. California, Ms. San Francisco Bay Area, which stood in contrast to my eight years of training in classical piano, operatic voice and "finishing" school. 

Growing up, I studied, practiced and played a continual piano repertoire of Bach, Handel, Brahms and classical hymns for the residents of my family’s business, the Berkeley Senior Residence in Berkeley, California. This was in addition to a weekly chapel accompaniment in private grade school.

Throughout my life, I have always loved Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, the architectural richness of Baroque cities and their cultural heritage.  My heart is drawn to the opulence of the 17^th and 18^th century Europe, particularly the Loire Valley Chateaux region of France, the musical gem known as the city of Prague, and the early roots of Baroque in Italy, my favorite being Venice with its annual Carnivale.  

I fell in love with Prague during my first visit in September 2011, a city of music, a Baroque heaven. I loved every cobblestone I walked on, every wall I touched, every corner that rang with Carillon bells from churches in every quadrant on Sunday mornings. It brings tears to my eyes just remembering the feeling of standing on those streets in Old Town, a 360 optic love affair from Petřín Tower, walking in and out of the local craft shops, zigzagging from the Castle on Nerudova street, listening to classical and folk street musicians everywhere. I feel the deep pull of my roots in central and western Europe every time I set foot there.

A striking moment of connection occurred during the 2014 Santa Barbara Historic Dance Weekend. It was during the performance of dancer Bruno Benne.*  Seeing the graceful but exacting spirit of Baroque moving through his footwork, I found myself in tears remembering, for the first time in my adulthood, that I had danced this same footwork, alone, in my childhood home, at the age of 6.

With no one to witness, I remember feeling compelled to express those dance movements, the fibronacci** hand gestures and the upright posture in time with the music of the great Baroque composers.  I did not have a point of reference for these movements at that age.  In my mind and heart as a young girl, I saw myself in full court dress, dancing in the Court of the King and Queen.  No one ever knew or saw me.  No dance or dance training was in my upbringing or adult life, outside of social enjoyment at historical reenactment balls.  

Until Bruno's performance, I had forgotten that experience, which had became buried in the 'growing up' process and evolution of young adulthood.  I am very grateful to Bruno for the profound spirit that he shared, which re-awakened this burning childhood memory, a memory which had been incongruous with my young environment.   I cried for several hours while processing the emotional flash of that powerful, profound childhood memory.

L:Louis-XIV-Lebrun, public domain; R: Marie Antoinette 1767, public domain

What is the Baroque Period?

Wikipedia references the Baroque era in three phases:

• Early Baroque, c.1590–c.1625
• High Baroque, c.1625–c.1660
• Late Baroque, c.1660–c.1725

Late Baroque is also sometimes used synonymously with the succeeding Rococo (1723 – 1785) movement. This is the musical period of the great Bach composers:  Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach and Johann Christian Bach. It was the time of Marie Antoinette and, earlier, the famous King Louis XIV, known as Louis the Great, the “Sun King” (Le Roi-Soleil).  It was the architectural style period of the prominent architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who designed the Palace of Versailles.

The term Baroque is derived from the Portuguese word meaning “pearl of irregular shape.” Baroque began in Rome, Italy, embodied by religious themes of the church in art, and heavy, elaborate ornamentation in design elements. Rococo began in Paris, France in the early 18th century and was developed as a reaction against the grandeur, symmetry, and strict regulations of the Baroque.

Baroque and Rococo across all channels of art, fashion, architecture, culture, dance and music can be recognized by their complex geometric design: symmetrical in the Baroque period while being asymmetrical, curvilinear and exotic in the Rococo period.

In both Baroque and Rococo, ‘flourishes’ (dramatic, sweeping gestures), seemingly endless ornamentation, complexity of line, űber-opulence and the use of precious, rare materials were engineered with the finest craftsmanship and artistry of the time.

When you think of Baroque, think Venetian silk embroidery, laces, tapestries, French powdered wigs, Italian 24K gold ceilings, Moravian jewels, the Sun King Louis XIV of France (1638-1715). When you think of Rococo, think of Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), light colors, shell-like curves, porcelain figures, florals, playful and witty themes. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Gardens of Villandry, France also demonstrates the geometric beauty of the Baroque period. 

Examples of Baroque above: characteristics include symmetry, balance, and heaviness. Top: Chateau de Villandry, Villandry, France. Above, clockwise from left: aerial view of Baroque town, Palmanova in Venice, Italy ©2011 Ayishwariya Balagopal; Château de Versailles ©2013 Henriette Gregorio; ©2008 HiSunnySky/Shutterstock

Clockwise from top: Rococo garden in Painswick, Gloucester, U.K. via rococogarden.org.uk; abstract asymmetrical Rococo ceiling stucco at Neues Schloss Tettnang in Bodenseekreis, Germany via wikimedia; Rococo facade of Golz-Kinský Palace, dominating the northeast part of the Staroměstské Square, Prague. ©1997; AISA, Archivo Iconográfico, Barcelona, España

What inspires you about this time period?

In 2009-2010, after I created my first Baroque couture set, a lady’s formal gown and gentleman’s suit, I was hooked.  I was driven by my vision to create these pieces even though there was no event to wear them until the performance of the Haűsmusik string quartet on October 31, 2010. 

The beauty, richness of detail, colors, music, light, elegance and artistry ring to me like Carillon bells, calling me back to this period of time.  Every time I come in contact with Baroque art and culture, it rings through me with a sense of complete familiarity. I feel a sense of home.

The creation of Lady AuRevoir at the Haűsmusik performance lit a flame that would grow to eventually reveal a vision to be living, working, traveling and playing with a community that loves the Baroque period as much as I do.  This passionate vision launched in the Spring 2014, as the North American Baroque Society. To relive, travel, and be immersed in Baroque in Europe with friends who feel the same, eager to explore the Baroque experience to its fullest potential through dance, art, music, culture, cuisine and play is the foundational aspect of the North American Baroque Society.

What is the North American Baroque Society?

We are a community of Baroque lovers enjoying the 17th and 18th centuries through culture, travel, news, resources and full immersion events from around the world.  Our mission is to connect, share, explore and travel with a community of friends (online and in person) in North America and Europe who love Baroque in all of its many expressions:  art, music, dance, architecture, fashion couture, culture and events.  Think masquerade balls, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Duchess, Casanova, Amadeus and the famous annual Italian event:  Carnivale of Venice!

For more resources, please continue below.

ON SELF-TRANSFORMATION

HAND CARVED WOODEN HOUSEPLANTS BY YUTO YAMASAKI

Spoon and Tamago

I have a black, black thumb. If you've heard of a green thumb, then you should know that there exists the reverse: the black thumb that leaves a trail of quaking plants in its wake. What to do? Cactuses? Succulents? How about air plants? I've killed two out of three.

Here is another option: hand carved wooden plants by Yuto Yamasaki. If I hadn't said anything, you would have thought they were real, eh?

Read more here. 

KITES OVER THE WEEKEND

View from below

There are certain things you conveniently forget ever exist. Kites, for instance. I had forgotten that there were such things. So passing by Kite Day over the weekend, I received a reminder. And then another. Followed by octopi.

ART PRINT

Etsy

Here's a lovely print from CongoStudio at Etsy. Love the gold set against the black and white.

CREATIVITY - AS EXPLAINED BY NANCY ANDREASEN

So this is my private, not so secret obsession: creativity, and how to nurture it. Or, to put it more bluntly, how can I get my muse to appear when I need her? 

Creativity comes in many forms. You can see it expressed most obviously in the arts, but also in novel scientific approaches, inventions, or the kind of thinking that diverges from the norm. What if you were to study this process, steadily over time, in people who have been able to channel their creativity to achieve great levels of success? Would a pattern emerge? 

This is precisely what Nancy Andreasen has done, in her article Secrets of the Creative Brain. She monitored participants' REST: Random Episodic Silent Thoughts, which are periods of free association. In doing so, she found that 

"almost all of my subjects confirmed that when eureka moments occur, they tend to be precipitated by long periods of preparation and incubation, and to strike when the mind is relaxed - during that state we called REST."

What is it that the mind is doing during REST? Andreasen's theory is that the mind is making subconscious connections, knitting together random bits of information into a comprehensive whole. The creative mind, as opposed to the non-creative, is exceptionally good at this process. Andreasen theorizes that  

"creative people are better at recognizing relationships, making associations and connections, and seeing things in an original way - seeing things that others cannot see."

However, as a caveat, "not all of these connections actually exist." 

In practice, the characteristic that a successful creative needs to truly thrive, is persistence. When you create something that is entirely novel, you are going against the grain of what has gone before, and this will be met automatically with skepticism. To succeed, you need to have an inherent belief in your work. You need to continue to push forward in the face of contention, and to meet resistance with perseverance. 

I'm paraphrasing, of course. The article goes into far greater depth than what I've written. I just picked out some titillating items, but you can read the full piece Here. I highly recommend it. 

SIDE CHARACTERS: HOMELAND'S PETER QUINN

Almost. I am almost caught up on the 3rd season of Homeland. I've had to dodge spoilers like the Matrix, avoiding all potential leak points. You have to be constantly, almost hyper-vigilant in avoiding any and all sources of information. 

I'm not going to discuss the two leads. I think a good show, a good story, lies in the details, such as in having side characters that intrigue and have the same gravity as a lead, only their bit of the story carries less of a punch. So for Homeland, there is Peter Quinn. Granted, the actor's cheekbones are amazing. But once you get over that part, and it make take awhile, you start to notice details. The two leads bring the hard hitting drama. She's bipolar, he's a traitor, and they are surrounded by terrorists and inept CIA bureaucracy. So, there is a strong foundation here for intense dramatic scenes. The show is full of them. They're great, I'm not complaining.  

Everyone on this show is in crisis, and they express this all according to their character. While I like overt confrontations, it's also nice to note that off to the side there, this Peter Quinn person is quietly going through a complete meltdown. It is the most contained, competent meltdown I have ever seen. His work doesn't seem to be suffering. He is still an effective agent, and can still stakeout his targets diligently for hours upon days. I've come to the conclusion that this character wears CIA-issue diapers and eats babyfood. There is no way one person can sit that long without eating and well...that other thing.

Carrie/Claire Danes is almost transparent - every emotion shows on her face. Quinn, in contrast, is almost a blank canvas - he blends in, because he allows others to project their own perceptions onto him, while keeping his own to himself. His clothes are absolutely generic. Nothing stands out. You only know he's in crisis because he tells you/Carrie/you. I like the internal crisis. It's difficult to impossible to portray. You wonder where this will lead in a person with such immaculate control. 

THE ALMOND OF EVIL

Roxana Bashyrova/Shutterstock

No one has anything bad to say about the almond. It's high in protein, vitamins, and the fats that are good for you.  I probably have some in my mouth right now. Almonds are good = eat almonds. Unfortunately, as someone who lives in California, almonds also happen to be sucking my state dry of water, and this at a time when California is in drought. 

I've always appreciated people who can see life on a grander scale, people who can plan and execute a seven book series*, people who can read the patterns in the earth. I suffer from nutrition myopia where food is concerned, that is to say, I cannot see beyond eating based on my own health. And that's pretty much it. 

However, I remember coming across an article from 2012 (don't ask) featuring James Beard Award-winning Chef Dan Barber, owner of the Blue Hill Restaurant in New York, and a resident locavore. If you are looking for someone able to see food on a grander scale, he may be one to follow. 

Now, here's Barber in own words. Note, he's not a punch-puller:

"I'd like some to explain the phenomenon of the self-righteous vegetarian to me. I'm not here to say I don't eat vegetables—I do, a lot of them—but, from a soil perspective, they're actually more costly than a cow grazing on grass. Vegetables deplete soil. They're extractive. If soil has a bank account, vegetables make the largest withdrawals. So without animal manure, where are you going to get your soil fertility for all those vegetables in an organic system? You are, by some measures, forcing crops into a kind of imbalance. 

Butchering and eating animals may not be called kindness, but eating soy burgers that rely on pesticides and fertilizers precipitates destruction too. You don't have to eat meat, but you should have the good judgment to relinquish the high horse. There is no such thing as guilt-free eating.  

What's the definition of a healthy diet, the kind you can actually feel a little smug about? There isn't one answer, of course, because it depends on where you live and what time of year it is. 

Good diets, like great cuisines, are filled with diversity—grains, vegetables and a smattering of meat (not big 12-ounce sirloins, but utilizing every part of the animal). The proportions vary depending on the region and the climate. But modern agriculture separates animals and vegetables and grains; we've broken apart the system, which means we've broken the nutrient cycle. So now you need to import your nutrients in cheap chemical form rather than using manure. We've allowed dinner to become less diverse, less nutritious and a lot less flavorful." 

"True sustainability is about more than just deciding to cook with local ingredients or not allowing your child to have corn syrup. It's about cuisine that's evolved out of what the land is telling you it wants to grow. As one farmer said to me, Food systems don't last; cuisine does."

From the Wall Street Journal.

*Cheers to you, Game of Thrones author George RR Martin, and please don't die before completing the series.