California Dreaming + Museum Shows

I think sometimes you do things knowing they are going to be important to you when you look back. How? Doesn’t really matter, but you know that by doing it, you’re stretching into something new.

Back in December, I was juried into a show curated by the National Association of Women Artists at the Sasse Museum in Pomona, California. I had painted 'She moves in Blue' and it seemed pretty perfect to be in a show called Pacific Influence. The week before Christmas I had her shipped to California. 

Me, Christine, Brad + David at the Sasse Museum of Art in Pomona with 'She Moves In Blue'.

I had never been to Los Angeles, never been in a museum show, never been to the Getty, or seen a Guerrilla Girl show, eaten at El Coyotes, seen Topanga Canyon and the ‘Theatricum Botanicum’, seen the Malibu coastline or any of the other fun things before. A highlight tho, was getting to spend time with Brad’s old friend, David Jackson (what a gem of a man).

He and Brad met in the 80s in London, where David was a player in Dwight Yokum’s band. They made friends and David told him to look him up when he got to LA. Brad moved to LA to go to music school and Brad learmed how to be a musician from those days watching them play at Chadney’s . By they way, if you ever listened to music in the 60.70.80/90/00/s on, you’ve likely heard David Jackson play. He’s been a world class player since the 50s and played with a jillion folks.

Another hightlight was getting to see one of my favrite people on the planet, the vixen formally known as Jules, Julia Wolov. She is a writer/actor in LA and I love her madly. True story, we were super good friends and terribly bad. I mean, I feel certain that it's a good thing we were seperated after 7th grade becuase, omg, we were bad.

There is nothing like being supported by your friends. And we got to see Ricky Perez and Mark Jobe! Ricky took our photos in Pacific Grove when Brad and I eloped to Cali to get married! I found him on craigslist, as a college student doing photos on the side. He is magnificent! Some of the most prized photos that I have.

Mel picking us up

Us picking up David

Meeting Carolyn Baker//PHD at 72

Selling my painting 

Winning an award

Christine Lakeland