won over by the city of angels

chapter one:  pre-trip

as a nor-cal girl i have long despised los angeles.  i based this intense dislike on an idea that it was filled with superficial people, ladies with blond hair and professionally altered body parts, and glitz and glam.  well.  i went down to this city of angels, and she won me over big time with her heart and oozing soul. 

~wonderland~

 

~enjoying my time~

 

~signs of spring at home~

 

~itching for a road trip~

 

~my birthday is around the corner~

 

chapter 2:  road trip with coco down hwy 101

aka:

the screaming eagles

 

~red barn~

 

~coco:  my partner in road trippage~

 

~green:  fertile, alive, lush~

 

~roadside~

 

~rolling hills with oaks~

 

~worth a detour~

 

~abandoned~

 

~e: i love you~

 

~but you are gone~

 

~i don't think this is going anywhere~

 

~cultivating our strength & wisdom~

 

~during the witching hour~

 

~the sky is aflame~

 

~i am naked~

 

chapter 3:  a journey to india with orly avineri

the purpose of this glorious weekend road trip to the city of angels was to participate in a one day work shop in the home of orly avineri.  i have admired, been amazed and moved beyond comparison by orly's art for several years now.   honoring my year of being open~ saying yes and taking action~ i signed up immediately after i found out about the workshop.  as it turned out it was the exact weekend that my dear friend coco was to scatter her mommy's ashes over the ocean in la.  and thus, an adventure was born.  someone is smiling, make that beaming, on me.  everything is perfect, well, except for the parts that.... aren't! 

the workshop that orly put together was so rich and vibrant.  she is a generous soul as well as an amazing artist.  i felt as if i was being welcomed into her family.  her brother, yoram and his son, gil, were participating in the workshop.  orly had prepared an amazing indian feast for us.  yoram offered to make turkish coffee for us in the afternoon, heavenly!!  the journaling was amazing, made richer by orly's ability to engage each of our senses and fill them with india.  the rich colors in her home, the scent of incense and spices as the food was heated up, the sound of indian music, the taste of the food... no detail was left undone.

each of the participants were lovely.   due to the personal nature of journaling,  glimpses  into our stories and even souls were shared.  it's always an honor to share beyond the surface with other beings.

i will be back orly!  thank you so much!

 

~a journey to india with orly avierni~

 

~i sat down at the table and then noticed this in front of me:  i am where i am supposed to be~

 

~at peace~

 

~sipping mint and rose tea~

 

~nourishment~

 

~sacred~

 

~turkish coffee with sweet orly & yoram her brother~

 

~our journals all together~

 
~the amazingly talented gil shares his pages~

  ~close up of gil's spread~

 

~vivid~

 
~yoram shares~

 

~close up of yoram's spread~

 

~sarah shares~

 

~close up of sarah's spread~

  ~guardian~

 

~my passage to india~

big journal entry 020611

 

~close up of left page~

 

~close up of right page~

 

~windows open~

 

~elephants for pa~

 

all roads lead to the same point, to the communication of who are are.  and we must travel across lonely & rugged  through isolation & silence, to reach the magic zone where we can dance or sing a melancholy song; but in the dance & the song are consummated the most ancient rituals of awareness-- the awareness of being men, and of believing in common destiny.

~Pablo Neruda~ 

chapter 4: la after dark with  jenn sharpe

i love this chick.  we have hung out maybe 3 times since graduating from BHS in 1987 and every time we amuse ourselves with hours of the most diverse, riveting, and often times hilarious conversation.  it's so easy.  and so perfect! 

 

~santa monica~

 

~careful what you choose~

 

~the one & only~

 

~california dreaming in venice~

 

~heaven sent~

 

~10 pm snack~

 

~eye of the storm~

 

~witchy woman~

 

~interesting fella's:  bill n ben of brasa~

  ~serious bear energy~

 

~swoooooooon~

 

~channeling my people~

 

chapter 5:  beach time

 

~don't hold back the hope~

 

after a delicious breakfast outside we hit the beach.  coco's feet in the water where her mommy's ashes now rest.  a lone pelican overhead checking in on me--- hi pops!  and i pull the beaver card, # 22,  thinking, cool, that was pa's bday.  then realizing we're on the beach at 22nd avenue, i remember, i am where i am supposed to be.

~coffee n coco~

 

~all i need~

 

~22nd n hermosa~

 

~i pulled the beaver card:  #22~

 

~lifeguard tower #22~

 

~i choose to let the light in~

 

~the screaming eagles cruising with the top down~

 

chapter 6:  returning

there is nothing that involves only going without returning.  it is the nature of heaven and earth. when there is going, there also must be returning.

~I Ching~

 
~lucky~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[bill]

Thanks for bringing me along.

I sent Uta a story I wrote and I want to share it with you as well:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xbkrjXKe2P62dnSSFJk9KOa_jK7qGu1JFe4-tZ5MHn4/edit?hl=en&authkey=CMv0j4EM

[Orly Avineri]

Dear dear Elke, what an honor and joy it was to have you here among us. Your post LA post should be described as purely poetic, your words, your photographs and your art illustrate your prolificness.
Thank you so much, I wish you a wonderful birthday, I'll be thinking of you when I am driving up to Nor. Cal whilst on my birthday and on my artful journey with Maya.
XOXOrly

[SARAH BERGER]

Dear Elke,
Thank you so much for sharing..I am so moved by your honesty and vulnerability. It was such a pleasure having you in the class. YOu have inspired me to create a blog and open myself up to the universe. Please stay in touch.

XOXO
SARAH

[Emily]

This is when I curse living in the Midwest ... I haven't come across any great art journaling retreats here.

Thanks for sharing such a wonderful post. I really enjoyed the photos and journal spreads.

And Happy (I'm assuming late) birthday!