The VIP reception went very well. Ryan Noble gave a performance with a sculpture that was very intriguing.

FLAG STOP opens!

Have been working on this FLAG STOP event since February, and tonight's VIP reception will kick-off the 3 day Event. Some truly superb work on show. Valerie Wilcox, shown above, is one of our group, putting up her installation in the LEXUS lobby. Lots of free professional help to install other works came from Erik Johns seen here affixing another piece, by hiroko, on to a wall built in the lobby.

The Best Art in Marina del Rey

The Best Art in Marina Del Rey? Yes it is still that way since the Rembrandt drawing was stolen last Saturday, two hours after the close of the Marchese Gallery Opening Reception. The events are not related of course, but it does posit the idea that the best art has to be somewhere in the Marina.

The good news is that the Rembrandt was found today in the Valley. So, until it is replaced at the Ritz-Carlton, please continue to beat a path to the Marchese Fine Art gallery on Fiji Way.

Hey -- enjoy some cake!

Marchese Fine Art Gallery Opening Reception

We had a great opening reception for the 11 artists in Howard Marchese's Fine Art Gallery in Marina Del Rey on Saturday. Nine of the artists were present: Nancy Carroll, Karl Dempwolf, Bernard Fallon, Howard Marchese, Vic Riesau, Junn Roca, Julie Snyder, Natasha Temares and Jacques Valin. So many people! I got out of there at 8.30 pm.

Two hours later at the nearby Ritz-Carlton, a Rembrandt drawing valued at $250,000 was stolen from their lobby.

Now the only decent art in Marina Del Rey is at the Marchese Fine Art Gallery.

Until, of course, the Rembrandt is found and returned to the Ritz-Carlton, which we hope is very soon.

Well, hot on the heels of riots in Brixton, South London, I see that our Los Angeles expert former Police Chief Bratton is offering some free advice to the Brits. If this music club's signage on Redondo Pier, that I saw yesterday, is anything to go by, here might be a couple of solutions coming soon - - - - -

I was sorry to see this little 6 x 6 " oil "Two Fruit" go under my hammer at the Zask Gallery Fundraising Auction, but it did go to a good home, AND it raised some nice change for our FLAG STOP Art Event coming up in September.

However, moving onto more art happenings, tomorrow is the opening reception for the Marchese Fine Art Gallery.

I'm showing there alongside Nancy Carroll, Karl Dempwolf, Ignat Ignatov, Howard Marchese, Steve Mirich, Vic Reisau, Junn Roca, Julie Snyder, Natasha Temares and Jacques Valin.

Not a bad bunch of artists - - - - -

A great evening at the Peggy Zask Gallery with a silent auction. Then we had a live auction of 20 works of art. A good crowd; and we raised plenty for FLAG STOP and the Surfrider Foundation, two good and worthy causes.

Get to the auction Friday evening 6-9 to benefit the SurfRider Foundation and the FLAG STOP event.

I am the auctioneer.

You will bid on the original art to start your art collections.

YES I say to you!

The Muse Exhibition

This is a great exhibition at the Manhattan Beach Creative Arts Center. Over 30 photographers have photographed the same girl as the artist's muse - yours truly included. The show runs until late June. Well worth a trip to see it.

Funny how this week, in London, the Royals have a wedding, and persist in promoting the lineage of the Prince, while acknowledging the bride's background, while the US president has to show his birth certificate to prove his legitimacy.

Hanging the Pastel Show

Hanging the Pastel Society of Southern California's 2nd Annual Show this morning with Dave Wolfram at the Creative Arts Center in Manhattan Beach. Fifty members work is represented. I have a couple of pieces in, too. The reception is tomorrow evening. Here we go--------

Being an auctioneer at an art event is a blast! My first time (and maybe only time) doing this improv theater, while raising money and playing the gentleman in the green hat against the lady in blue.

However, today is another day and I'm focussing on creating a pastel for the Pastel Society of Southern California's annual show in Manhattan Beach. Deadline is tomorrow. What will I create?

Today we had our 3rd meeting to create an art walk event in Torrance. Our first meeting had almost 30 people at the Torrance Art Museum. Today we had 9. We are expanding our location search from old town Torrance into bigger industrial spaces, partly to include shipping containers to display contemporary art.

Tonight is the closing of the last show at the Zask Gallery in Palos Verdes at its Golden Cove location. There's a wine tasting event, and then a live auction of donated works of art to raise funds for the move into the Peninsular Center. I have donated "A Touch of Fruit".

I am the auctioneer, too.

Mmmmm - should be interesting......