My Five Favorite Movies of the Summer

Warning: The following films may not have been released this summer or during any summer for that matter. But I did watch them this season as a way of relaxing and refilling my creative well. That most of them are sentimental romantic comedies is purely coincidental. :)

Outsourced – An underground favorite that takes place in India; I found it thanks to a Netflix recommendation and am so glad I did. The stranger-in-the-village tale stars Josh Hamilton as the trying-not-to-be-ugly American.

The Proposal – I somehow didn't know this fairly poignant Sandra Bullock flick existed. Betty White is cute, Ryan Reynolds is cuter, and watching Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen is like drinking tea in front of a fire. Don't ask me why; just move on to the next pick.

Serendipity – Somehow I had never seen this John Cusack movie either (although my husband is convinced we saw it together; perhaps my "momnesia" is worse than I thought). That it takes place mostly in New York and centers on my favorite phenomenon of synchronicity renders me completely biased.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona – Set in Spain, por supuesto, and starring Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, and Rebecca Hall, this witty and spicy romantic dramedy from Woody Allen offers eye candy of all sorts. Yes, the people are beautiful, but so is Gaudi's architecture. And it's fun to witness Cristina's blossoming as a photographer. The soundtrack and warm cinematography complete the cinematic escape.

Before Sunrise – I do remember seeing Before Sunrise at the theater years ago (not sure with whom though LOL), and I think I liked it better this time around. Its sequel Before Sunset, which takes place in Paris, not only has a clever title but snappy dialogue to match. Cerebral and sexy Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy star in both.

Honorable Mentions Set Entirely in NYC:

Ira and Abby – Seinfeldian and laugh-out-loud hilarious in a neurotic, only-in-New-York kind of way.

New York, I Love You – If you're trying to quit smoking, don't watch this. That Ethan Hawke is in this film and Dead Poets Society, one of my all-time favorite movies, is also purely coincidental. :)

Faster Than the Speed of Fright

Like my zen snowboarder? It's one of a few fast watercolor paintings I dashed out in 30-second spurts the other day.

Here's a windswept detail from another one.

It's the visual version of freewriting, where my brush moves faster than my analytical mind that wants to plan the painting in advance and gauge its artistic merits when it's done.

Improv acting also comes to mind vs. scripted performances. Spacious, wandering days vs tightly scheduled ones. Guess which kind I'm having today. :)

Quick, do something faster than the speed of fright. Now!

Risk

This is something I sketched with oil pastels just before launching this blog (which will be six months old on September 7th; insert parade here!).

While I unplugged over the weekend, I came across the drawing and shortly afterward encountered this related bit of advice from David Lloyd George: "Don't be afraid to take a big step when one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps."

Duly noted (and illustrated), sir.

Three Reasons I Love Living Here

Showerhead-inspired art by Yen-Hua Lee on display at the Time Warner Center,

stores where kids can publish their own books and scribble with wet-erase chalk,

and water-tower silhouettes at sunrise.

Levitating with Lenka

You may know her infectious song from Old Navy commercials or Tonight Show appearances, but I recently discovered her through the Wiggles station I created for my daughter on Pandora (I don't watch much TV, remember?)



Intrigued by "The Show," I dug a little deeper and discovered that the Australian-born Lenka is also an actress with a BFA in sculpture who has woven her visual talents into her music videos and live performances through stop motion animation, set pieces, drawings and prints she created with illustrator James Gulliver Hancock. Way to sail those many rivers of creativity, Lady Lenka!

P.S. If you like Lenka, you may enjoy this other delicious discovery from "The Wiggles Channel" called "New Soul" by Yael Naim.