Budget Diva

Exhibition Titled Perspective in Motion is Featured on the Huffington Post and Showcases Hockney-inspired Photo Collages and Paintings Highlighting The Artist’s Love of Vivid Color and Form Altered by Light Artist Christopher Jules White explores the intersections of vivid color, light and form in PERSPECTIVE IN MOTION, a collection of photo collages and paintings on display at the Gregory Way Gallery in Beverly Hills. The exhibition of the Texas native’s work opens with a special reception at the Gallery on Saturday, March 26 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and runs through April 30, 2011.   “I use images and colors instead of words when I express myself because both have different capacities than words do,” says White. “I am affected by light which alters color and form and allows me to see something in an individual way. This is what I paint—the very individual thing that I see because of the effect of the light. And capturing that individuality is the essence, I think, of what painting is.”   The exhibition is featured on The Huffington Post, with the Post’s Rajeev Goyal  saying this about the artist’s work: “White's bold photo collages of California, Japan, Switzerland and Alabama are Hockneyesque but very much his ...

by Angela Rocco DeCarlo, copyright, 2011 "I've got something special for you, " said President Abraham Lincoln to the young boy and girl. With that he pulled from his trousers' pocket a handful of the shiniest of new US Lincoln copper pennies. This Lincoln enactor, Bill Peck, was pitch perfect in appearance (with a real beard) and demeanor at the annual Presidents' Day free event at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Yorba Linda, CA. He spoke gently to the children as he explained the 2009 "Rail Splitter" pennies* he presented to them were keepsakes. Sam, 7, and Seritella, 5, our grandchildren, were awestruck as they accepted the shiny pennies. I admit, I was, too. He suggested the children learn not only the Gettysburg address, but Lincoln's second inaugural address filled with hope and prayer. It was a small moment of pure theater just for two little kids - beautiful. The Nixon Museum has been a favorite destination for us to take our four young grandchildren over the past ten years. They've scampered up and through the presidential helicopter, which is a part of the permanent collection of Nixon objects. The Apollo astronauts and their accouterments were an exciting up-close encounter when on ...

There are many places outside of LA that serve as great options for a getaway.  Few are the ones you’d also consider living in.  Claremont is that city.   Away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, you’ll find a thriving city with the charm of a small town. How to get there: The eastern-most city in Los Angeles County, Claremont is 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles along Interstate 10. It’s a destination quite unlike any other in Southern California: A hidden gem within the sprawling, urbanscape of the L.A. basin.  From LA: Take the 134 to the 210 exit North Towne Avenue South. Ontario International Airport (ONT) - 10 miles  Los Angeles - 40 miles   STAY:   Hotel Casa 425 is just what it claims to be: a home away from home. Located on the town square, within steps of fine restaurants, cafes, boutiques, art galleries and the prestigious Claremont Colleges, Casa 425 is a sophisticated boutique hotel with spacious rooms with clean lines and understated art.  Most of the rooms of this stylish boutique hotel open onto a tranquil courtyard in the heart of historic Claremont Village, and within walking distance of all the nightlife.  This diva recommends you ...

Featuring acclaimed comedians Ludo Vika, Katy Franco, Jackie Dollar, Shayla Rivera, Tere Joyce, Jeffrey Peterson and Ruben Rabasa.   Kick start your weekend with Ludo’s Funny Burlesque, yet another fabulous show from vivacious comedian Ludo Vika, a one time only event on March 4th at 10 PM at M Bar in Hollywood!  Ludo puts a sexy spin on stand-up comedy by giving her talented comic friends a touch of Burlesque and providing the audience with an hour and a half of firecracker entertainment.  Comedy by acclaimed comedians Ludo Vika, Katy Franco, Jackie Dollar, Shayla Rivera, Tere Joyce, Jeffrey Peterson, and Ruben Rabasa.  Music and Burlesque dance by: Roxanne Ferrara, Jacquelyn Kennedy, and Enicole Smith. Surprise guests and prizes including Cancun vacations and giveaways by Goddess Fitness! Burlesque clothing for performers provided by Dewberries.  Tickets are $15 at the door.  The two-drink minimum will get you in the mood for a little burlesque and a lot of laughs!  The party continues at El Floridita for more drinking and dancing!  M Bar Restaurant & Lounge is located at 1253 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90038, right next to El Floridita.  For more info please call 323-856-0036 or find Ludo’s Funny Burlesque on Facebook ...

The Infini Couleur Group exhibit will feature two pieces from Carmen Perez’s WonderDreams Collection Carmen Perez, noted Hollywood’s Latina It-Girl and fine artist will be exhibiting at Norbertellen Gallery’s Infini Couleur Group Exhibition this February 6th through March 26th.  From her memorable appearance on Nip/Tuck to the top of the Pop Music Charts, to hugely successful gallery exhibits, Carmen continues to thrive in the art world, focusing on her collection “WonderDreams.” The show will feature two pieces from the collection along with the works of established and emerging local, national and international artists in Norbertellen Gallery’s classic parlor style exhibition of painting, illustration, photography, mixed media and sculpture. Audiences are invited to meet Carmen during Opening Reception, Saturday, February 5th, 6pm to 10pm at a meet and greet. Gallery doors will remain open through The Downtown LA Art Walk Thursday, February 10th from 12pm to 10pm.  The must-see exhibition is open to the public and free to all ages. Norbertellen Gallery located at 215 W 6th Street Suite 110, LA, CA and there is no charge to attend. For more info please see below or visit carmenperezart.com WHAT: Carmen Perez's Art at Norbertellen Gallery’s Infini Couleur Exhibition WHERE: Norbertellen Gallery at 215 W 6th ...

Featherless January 16, 2011 7:30 pm at Wordspace 3191 Casitas Ave. #156 Los Angeles Ca 90039 Featherless is a fun, intimate monthly gathering of readers and writers at Wordspace in Silverlake. It features a monthly roster of writers from all writing disciplines and ranges from well-known writers to up-and-coming talent. The space offers a cozy, relaxing atmosphere, free appetizers and a cash bar with wine, beer , and soft drinks. Featherless #7 will take place on January 16th, at 7:30 pm, at Wordspace.  We have three very exciting readers this time, from the bestselling author Thaisa Frank, experimental poet/critic/critical poet Mathew Timmons, and the mysterious spoken word artist m.g. martin.  Come see.three very different voices collide, collude, and inspire....and then stay for handmade nibbles. The readers: Thaisa Frank is the author of two acclaimed short story anthologies SLEEPING IN VELVET and A BRIEF HISTORY OF CAMOUFLAGE.  She also co-authored the nonfiction work FINDING YOUR WRITER'S VOICE, which is taught in MFA programs. Her new novel HEIDEGGER’S GLASSES centers around a secret Compound of Scribes, tasked by Third Reich officials to answer letters sent to the dead in ...

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo,copyright, 2011 The Richard Nixon Library and Museum is an intimate facility highly suited to families and children, especially grandparents with young children. It does not overwhelm in size and so is an enticing destination at any time of the year. Every Christmas season we take our grandchildren to enjoy the model train exhibits. Last year there were two rooms of spectacular model train layouts – a densely constructed Lego cityscape with many bridges, buildings and encampments. In the second room was the marvelously imagined tiered landscape with various-sized model trains choo-chooing across a fantasy America dotted with charming towns filled with miniature people. This year’s visit found a smaller, though still interesting, Lego exhibit, which continues until January 28, 2011, with the second room devoted to “Treasures from the Vault:” A collection of valuable gifts given to the Nixon family, but owned by the U.S. government, by many foreign heads of state. The Lego train exhibit is housed in the museum’s lobby all set about with various themed Christmas trees hugging the perimeter of the space. There’s the Presidents’ tree; the First Ladies’ tree; the Asian tree; the USA tree and others. The Lego train curators created a little game with ...

The exhibition Carlos Luna: Los Decorados is comprised of a stunning installation of new oil paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and dozens of ceramic plates by the acclaimed Latin-American artist. Additionally, throughout the gallery, Luna will create custom wall paintings as background designs that will unify the installation into a passionate display of imaginative ornamentation. Born in Cuba in 1969, Carlos Luna has always been an artist; he recalls making a painting of his mother at the age of seven. His prodigious talent was recognized and nurtured from an early age, as he distinguished himself at four successive art schools. By the age of 15 his work was being exhibited in group shows in National Museums throughout Cuba, and internationally a year later. Possessing a strong spirit, and an unquenchable desire for personal growth as an artist, Carlos left Cuba in 1991. He migrated to Mexico and subsequently settled in Puebla, where his career entered a new phase of exploration and growth. Exile can also provide a fresh perspective on one’s roots and the opportunity to expand one’s artistic vision and influence to a wider global scale. After receiving a U.S. EB-1-1 visa for extraordinary ability in 2001, Carlos migrated to ...

Carmen Perez, noted Hollywood’s Latina It-Girl will be performing at the opening of her Art Exhibition this Sunday in Pasadena.  You may know her from her memorable appearance on Nip/Tuck or from the Pop Music Charts, but Carmen Perez is not your ordinary LA celeb.  She now tackles the art world with established artists such as Abel Alejandre, Damian Chavez, Marsha Judd, Jose Lozano, Rosalind McGary, Carlos Molina, Andres Montoya, Julie Nagesh, Oscar Sanabria & Jose Luis Sedano this Sunday December 12th at Fremont Gallery from 2pm-5pm.  The show will feature Carmen’s “WonderDreams” collection followed by a unique performance by Carmen herself, accompanied by talented musicians Byron Gore (guitar) and Rolly Devore (acoustic & bass).  The must see performance and art show will take place at 812 Fremont Avenue, Suite 100 in South Pasadena and there is no charge to attend. For more info or individual bio please see below or visit carmenperezart.com [gallery] WHAT: CARMEN PEREZ's ART & LIVE PERFORMANCE EXHIBITING ARTISTS: Carmen Perez, Abel Alejandre, Damian Chavez, Marsha Judd, Jose Lozano, Rosalind McGary, Carlos Molina, Andres Montoya, Julie Nagesh, Oscar Sanabria & Jose Luis Sedano PERFORMANCE BY: Carmen Perez with Byron Gore (guitar) and Rolly Devore (acoustic & bass) WHEN: Sunday, December 12th, ...

When it comes to world festivals, this diva is honored to have been one of the thousands attending the second annual Taste of Playa 2010.  As incredible as the food was, it was only upstaged by its organizers, putting together the event with competence, grace and passion for all things culinary. Sunday, November 21, 2010, 43 of the Riviera Maya's most talented chefs, restaurateurs, beverage purveyors and specialty food merchants gathered in the Parque Fundadores, just steps from the beaches of Playa del Carmen, to present their signature dishes and culinary creations to over 7000 local residents and visitors to the popular Mexican Caribbean city. The event far exceeded our expectations this year!' reported event Chairperson Nicola Inwood. The small businesses who made up the participants in both the restaurant and marketplace areas truly reflected the international influences that make up the modern Riviera Maya. The local restaurants, bars and food retailers represented this year offered truly world class dishes for food lovers from across the globe who came to enjoy the Caribbean sun and experience the best of traditional Mexican and international cuisine. The Travel Channel's Mark DeCarlo was the celebrity host of this culinary festival and worked through the crowd talking ...