CHAGALL & SMILES

This Foolish Aesthete is buried in wood, stone, glass, and contractor choices.  Great fun, but can lead to strong disagreements with your spouse -- particularly when it comes to design vs quantifiable performance!  OK, Fashionistas, let's all admit that we have experienced some suffering for the sake of beauty in our lives. That's what makes us Foolish Aesthetes.

So, I'm on break to think about beautiful things that make me smile.  Weddings are coming up:  a nephew's in Denver next week, and two cousins' weddings in NYC this summer.  Nuptials draw me into the world of ivory dresses and Marc Chagall's floating brides.

Marc Chagall's bride & groom in Paris
Detail of my vintage ribbon dress

How can one not smile at Marc Chagall's paintings?  The colors are strange and fabulous, and everyone is airborne, from cows to Fiddlers on the Roof.  I even blend into the painting (Pop quiz: where am I?).

I found this vintage mini dress in San Francisco a few years ago.  The ribbons and appliques meandering around the dress had drawn ahhhs from the sales clerks.  Meanwhile,  I jealously guarded it from other prying fingers.   I didn't let go until it was home.

Marc Chagall's bride & groom in Paris
My vintage ribbon dress

What things make you smile?  I'd love to know!

P.S.  Lately, my project hasn't given me much computer blogging time, or even photography time.  My apologies if I am not able to visit your blogs as often or post updates.  Please bear with me!

CURVES IN SPACE

After all this beautiful weekend weather, we are being punished with a late season storm.  I'm huddling warmly and searching my archives rather than take my camera out in this chilly downpour.

This is from our ballet photo shoot last month.  My ballerina colleague struck this moving pose so quickly I could barely frame it.  However, this turned out to be one of my favorite shots.  Her curved lines in space are so beautiful!  She is our tallest dancer and long limbs are definitely a plus in ballet.

My friend, "R"
Photo: The Foolish Aesthete

You may notice that most of my ballerina friends are Japanese.  Not sure why, but there are certainly a lot of Japanese ballet dancers in this part of the Bay Area to Silicon Valley!  Perhaps the attention to artistry inherent in Japanese culture draws them to this art in motion.

Wishing all you Aesthetes sunnier skies wherever you are ...