Have you heard...?

       Whew it has been a long time and, except for the usual reasons, I have  no excuse for being away. How much laundry and cooking can account for avoidance and fear? Turns out a few months worth but enough of that. Let me tell you what I've heard.

       I love to read. LOVE IT!  I love to turn the pages and smell the paper books are printed on but recently I've become an audiophile. Audiobooks have awakened the theater of my mind. I'm also intrigued by the glamour and tragedy of actors and models which led to me Dropped Names by Frank Langella.
         Mr. Langella has had a long acting career (most recently Robot and Frank) although his name is not bandied about in the news. One of the pleasures of listening to his autobiography is to hear him tell it, something few authors can pull off. He has been around long enough to have met well-known actors and politicians. He has dined with the Kennedy's, went to the races with the Queen of England and dated Elizabeth Taylor. He talks quite openly about his crush on Raul Julia and, in his opinion, the good looks but not great talent of Paul Newman. He provides insights into the psyche of actors yet doesn't reveal much of himself. If you are at all curious about well known figures in show business this book is chock full of gossip,I mean anecdotes.
 



 Beauty Dis-rupted

After leaving home in her early teens Carre Otis became one of the most popular models in the '80's appearing in ads for Calvin Klein and Guess jeans.
The breadth of life experiences she survived with little or no guidance before she was 25 is remarkable. She traveled extensively, was addicted to heroin, was sexually violated and subjected to physical abuse most notably from Mickey Rourke. What makes her story a standout is the intrinsically spiritual aspect of her life course. Her survival as a model and maturation as a woman, wife and mother is astonishing. She even took on Oprah! It is a cautionary tale with a solid happy ending 

                 There are other audiobooks I'll talk about soon. Right now, you guessed it; time to cook and I have books about that too.

   

Heads in Beds

 If you have ever had a job under the category of customer service you will relish hearing from compadre Jacob Tomsky.
What so many fail to understand is most "customer service " employees want to do their job. Mr Tomsky makes clear providing service is not the same as being a servant and he does it with humor and grace.
 

Everyone, even businesses and organizations, has habits. Some are necessary to function properly and others we’d like to change.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg tells how habits develop and how others change and why. One of the thought provoking themes the book discusses is why some habitual behaviors are vilified while others prompt compassion.

Take for instance a man who habitually walked in his sleep and during one episode killed his wife. In another example a woman developed a gambling habit that cost her over $250,000. The murderer was found not guilty but the woman was persecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

It’s an intriguing read well worth the time.

Michael Jiroch Update

My apologies for ignoring this blog. Although it's always lurking in my mind I've been taking advantage of the gorgeous Seattle summer. 

I've indulged my passion for horses with riding lessons and reading by joining two book clubs. I hope to be more consistent after my trip to NYC in September.

Meanwhile, Michael Jiroch has created new work that deserves a look. 

I hope your summer has been full of sun, fun, good books and movies.

Cheers.

Michael Jiroch-Contemporary American Artist

            One definition of art is “the arrangement of colors and forms in a manner that affects the sense of beauty.” After being extremely disappointed by a recent exhibit at the Frye Museum I returned to Michael Jiroch with renewed appreciation.

            What I like about Jiroch’s art is its accessibility. When I see art it is to be inspired and elevated. I don’t want to leave feeling empty and frustrated. Because I tend to revel in bright colors like Paul Gauguin and David Hockney, which Michael uses lavishly, I am not disappointed. His vision is arresting; you must stop and look.

           Jiroch's talent was evident as early as kindergarten. Encouraged by his teachers his creativity continued to flourish. A junior college teacher encouraged his photography  but he (Jiroch) thought he would pursue medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 
            It wasn't long before he realized pre-med studies were not a good fit for him and he changed to art.
            Although op-art and pop art were the craze Jiroch preferred Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer. Armed with a Masters Degree in Fine Art he moved to New York, center of the art world.
            Several months later he decided to photograph swimming pools in Los Angeles. He drove from Madison, Wisconsin and made Venice Beach, California his new home. Soon after Jiroch had a show  at the Los Angeles Museum of Art. He also met David Hockney who, at the time, did not think photography was much of an art form. Looking at Hockney's subsequent photographs he obviously had a change of heart.

           In time, Jiroch began to explore the medium of oil painting with tremendous success. His paintings are vibrant, full of dazzling color evoking a range of emotions.
           His philosophy is, "The purpose of art is to have an emotional reaction. Art that fails to give you that reaction is bad art."
            With today's rapidly changing technology his next venture is combining photography, painting and an unknown medium creating a triptych.
             Michael Jiroch is also painting and exploring the wonders of Documentary Photography in the new Digital Age.

Nichols Canyon-1980-David Hockney

Reagan-Michael Jiroch

Portrait of Nick Wilder-1966-David Hockney