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......

Tribute to Chuck Chambers, Sean Kelly and Russ Urban

Attended a Memorial Service for Chuck Chambers on Torrance Beach yesterday. He, along with two passengers, Russ Urban and Sean Kelly, died last week, when his plane developed engine trouble, and they crash landed near Newport Harbor. There was a huge turnout with much music and many colorful tributes to a remarkable man. A fly-by tribute by the Tiger Squadron flew over in a missing man formation. Russ Urban was a great teacher and taught my son Patrick from an early age. One of Chuck's mottos: "Life is a journey ---- not a destination"

The Mammoth Trip

Back from a great painting trip to Mammoth in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Lots of photos and painting. Steve Mirich did all the driving -- and the cooking, An amazing feat. What a guy!

My Nikon SLR D100 shutter went out on the journey up. Pulled into Vons in Bishop and bought a Nikon point&shoot COOLPIX L22. I knew I was going to need it.

I also had my Leica M4 (a lovely film dinosaur I bought in the 70's) and my last 2 rolls of Kodachrome, a classic film invented for the intrepid National Geographic photographers to bring back the best photos from the frozen and the fiery ends of nowhere. This film's production has ceased. And December is the last month for developing this great film. I'll post results when I get them back.

Meantime, here's one of the D100 photos, just before it conked out.

I have been working on some small square paintings. Here is one of a Japanese cake - they come in packs of five at my local Japanese market. Very attractive! I have some other paintings to do from here, but right now I am off to the mountains of Mammoth to do some good old plein air stuff. My local plein air classes are finished, but I am still doing some demonstrations for local art clubs.

After the rain in LA is a most wondrous time. So clear. Been down on Redondo Beach quite a bit. Here's "After the Storm."

Tomato Grapes and a new vintage is born.

At last! My experiments have paid off after years of grafting. I have created a Chardonnay flavoured tomato that grows on a merlot grape vine. This now gives a multi harvest abundant crop ready to ferment. And the natural yeast is outstanding. I now have 72 acres of Los Angeles freeway embankments (all south and west facing) ready for cultivation next Spring.

I'd like to call it Chardomato, but I'm open to suggestion for other names for this latest appellation. Please feel free to give me your thoughts.

Crabs - ugh

Came across some crabs on Redondo Pier last week. The effect on me is almost the same as spiders, except crabs hold more fascination