Treasures of the Norton Simon Museum

The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena is one of those gems in Southern California that makes museum going fun to do with the family. Being a medium sized museum, it's not too time consuming to walk through and it has a fantastic collection to boot.

Located in Pasadena, The Norton Simon Museum was originally designed in 1964 by Thornton Ladd and John KelseyArchitects. Since then, it has been modified and added onto by artist Edith Heath, architects Craig Ellwood, Frank Gehry, and Gensler and Associates.

The Museum houses and amazing permanent art collection by well known artists, and has rotating exhibits of artwork from other museums' collections. Last year, we saw a wonderful collection of Hokusai's wood block prints from Japan. Currently, Lessons of the Cherry Blossom: Japanese Woodblock Prints is on exhibit until September 3, 2012. Among others, it features prints by Utagawa Hiroshige, Totoya Hokkei and Chōbunsai Eishi.

Another exhibit on display is Significant Objects: The Spell of Still Life. Drawing on the Norton Simon Museum's own collections, the exhibition "explores the wealth of aesthetic and conceptual artistic strategies that challenge the shortsighted view of still life as simply an art of imitation." On display are works by Picasso, Chardin, Cezanne, and many others. The artistry of these still life paintings are just mind boggling.

Then, there is the garden of the Norton Simon Museum. Serene and intimate, the lush grounds have sculptures dotted throughout and a water feature running through the garden. It takes about 10 minutes to walk through, but you feel transported to a different world.

This is one of the most beautify and intimate museums in Southern California with a world class collection of artwork. Treat yourself and go visit the Norton Simon Museum this year.

The Norton Simon Museum
411 West Colorado Boulevard
Pasadena, CA 91105-1825

Imagined Worlds: Donald Evans' World of Stamps

A while ago, my friend Julia lent me a copy of "The World of Donald Evans" by Willy Eisenhart. I liked it so much, I kept it for a couple of  years, and finally returned the book to her last year.  Because the book is so unique, I went and bought a copy of it for myself.

Donald Evans was an American artist who painted postage stamps and cataloged them in a compilation called "Catalogue of the World". The stamps are of fictitious countries with their own history, geography, climate, currency and customs.

Displayed on the pages of The World of Donald Evans are exquisitely drawn postage stamps of imagined countries in imagined worlds. Evan's attention to details can be seen in his taxonomic elaborations of his invented stamp collections. Plants, fruits and objects of one imagined country, quilt designs of another, all demonstrate the research and detail Evans placed in his art.

Stamps from the republic of Banana

Stamps of quilts from the Tropides Islands.

Check it out. One can't help but be mesmerized at the wild imagination of a non-existent yet orderly world and at the same time, be impressed with the artistry of Evans' work.

Sam Johnson's Bookshop

On Venice Boulevard, there is a used, or out-of-print book store that's been around for a while.  It's not the kind of book store that you'd think of visiting to get the newest bestseller.  Nothing there is new.  In fact, even the people who work there, or who own the store, are old folks who just seem to love old books and are having a good time hanging out at the store.

I don't know if they make money, because during the Christmas holidays when I visited, I was the only customer there at 7:00 p.m.  The owner came in and asked the cashier how much they made that day.  The lady behind the counter said that they made about $100 that day.  My purchase added another $50 to that amount, but still, that's not much. I vaguely remember that years ago, when I first visited Sam Johnson's, the owner told me that he purchased the property where the store stood so that he didn't have to deal with the cost of ever increasing rent.  So, maybe they are doing okay.

A decade ago, we were all lamenting that independent bookshops are being pushed out of business by all-in-one mega stores like Barnes and Noble and Borders with the the packaged gifts and the coffee shops. But considering that a decade later, in my neighborhood of West Los Angeles, both Barnes and Noble at the Westside Pavilion and Borders Books on Westwood Boulevard shut down, it's a wonder that the small indy stores like Sam Johnson's and another gem, Children's Book World still remains.  Maybe there is hope for independent book stores after all 

At Sam Johnson's, there are lots of out of print, or first edition books in every category.  I like the arts and  architecture sections.  I found an out of print book about the Los Angeles Union Station for $15, and a book of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture signed by the photographer who took the architectural photos in the book for $20.  Both were great Christmas gifts for my brothers in law, one a train buff, another an architect.

My greatest find at Sam Johnson's were the 1973 Herge Archives of the Tintin comic books, published by Casterman, covering Herge's work from 1929 to 1940.  The Archives are of the original black and white drawings and are in French.  Unfortunately, I only got volumes 1, 3 and 4.  Sam Johnson's didn't have Volume 2.

 

Sam Johnsons: 12310 Venice Boulevard    Los Angeles, California  90066 (310) 391-5047 

When I Crave Childhood Comfort Food.

In my case, childhood cuisine means Taiwanese or Chinese style food. Even though I've only lived in Taiwan for about a year and have never been to China, I've visited Taiwan several times, and mom cooks Chinese food, so I consider Chinese style food my comfort food.

 When I have a craving for cuisine I grew up with, I head out to the San Gabriel Valley, a hotbed of all kinds of Asian cuisine.  Yesterday, I had a craving for Chinese dumplings, so we went to the Mandarin Noodle House on 701 W Garvey Ave, an establishment that has been around for decades. The food there may not be up to the standards of the new expensive foodie craze sweeping over California, but it is basic northern Chinese food that hits a spot.

We ordered boiled pork dumplings with leek, fish dumplings, and pot stickers with pork and cabbage.
For sides dishes, we had marinated cubumbers, julienned seaweed, beancurd strips, and tofu with preserved eggs - all comfort food that we haven't had for quite a while.

After lunch, we had shave ice at Shau May Restaurant at 104 N Garfield Ave. in Monterey Park. We ordered one to share because even the 3 items combo shave ice is quite large. We had the combination of red beans, mochi balls and grass jelly topped with shave ice and condensed milk. Fantastic way to cool off on a hot summer day.