cookies for friday

I occasionally tend to think I am allergic to gluten. This has not been proven by doctors, but I have experimented with a "gluten-free" diet and it feels great. One thing I had a hard time giving up was baked goods! I absolutely love baking, so played around with different flours and ingredients in order to get the right sweetness. Currently I tend to still bake with unique ingredients trying my best to stay away from the white flour and white sugar. Yesterday, my cousin showed me the recipe for a wheat-free vegan chocolate chip cookie (not completely gluten-free)...I tried them out last night and they are great!

Here's the recipe for you to try this weekend!

1 stick vegan butter/soy margarine (114 grams)* — room temp
1/2 very tightly packed cup light brown sugar (114 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 scant teaspoon Kosher salt
1 egg replacer**
1 cup barley flour (120 grams)
1/2 cup oat flour (40 grams)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped (50 grams)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or 3-4 oz vegan chocolate, chopped ***

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Beat the margarine/butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in the vanilla, baking soda, and salt, making sure leavenings are evenly distributed. Beat in the egg replacer. When well mixed, stir in the barley flour, oat flour, toasted pecans and chocolate chips.

Shape the dough into 6 equally size balls (about 3 oz each if you have a scale), then put the balls onto the cookie sheet and pat gently to make 6 2 inch rounds – the cookies will spread as they bake.

Bake for a total of 18 minutes, stopping half way to turn pan. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully lift from pan and set on cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes 6 big cookies or 12 minis

*Earth Balance Buttery Sticks are a good vegan choice

**Per the directions on the back of the Egg Replacer, I used 1 ½ teaspoons Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons warm water

***I used Guittard’s new extra dark chocolate chips which seem to be vegan as I don’t see any dairy on the label.

cookies for friday

pml

Yesterday I went to help interdisciplinary artist, Peter Max Lawrence, with some archiving, as he has come to have a very large and diverse body of work over the course of his career. It was actually sort of therapeutic to spend the afternoon making thumbnails for his website, drinking tea, and chatting about random topics. I'm excited to help out again next week.

The point being: You should definitely check out his work. He does all sorts of things, exploring a wide variety of approaches, media and techniques. He also just had a screening of a film at San Francisco's Museum of Fine Art's DeYoung! Sweet!

pml

vortex

I just stumbled upon something so rad: the LightScraper by interactive designers based in Melbourne, Australia (ENESS). The LightScraper is a custom built aluminium structure, fabricated with a layer or semi translucent mesh. The structure can be easily erected in various compositions in an outdoor or indoor setting. A single computer and two projectors are use to bring the sculptures visuals to life. The LightScraper also acts as a giant musical instrument, people’s location influence the melodies emitting from the sculpture. Visitor's position is tracked via an infrared camera mounted at the peak of the structure, and transposed into musical notes, the result is ever-changing melodies and visual delight.

The LightScraper was just at the Rainbow Serpent Festival in Beaufort, Victoria (Australia) and will be going to the Melbourne Docklands Ignite Festival. 30st May - 14th June 2009 day(no light) night(it's bright) at New Quay Promenade.

Take a look at these beautiful interactive sculptures below. I want one in my backyard ...

pictures and video from ENESS website

vortex

tunnel vision

In Tel Aviv, artists have altered public lighting in open underground tunnels. Artists Bar&Shay were inspired by the Wizard of Oz's Yellow Brick Road to create their own Rainbow-lit Road.....check it out:

tunnel vision

amazing

Two great things: 1. Radiohead, and 2. nature

Once again, J Tyler Helms has taken these things and created a beautiful video. He edited footage from the 1996 French film, "Microcosmos" with the delicate melody and sensual pace of Radiohead's song, "All I Need." The music works really nicely with the images of small organisms and cinematography

amazing

balloons

I found this video edited with footage from Albert Lamorisse's 1956 film Le Ballon Rouge and music from the Grizzly Bears (from the album "Veckatimest," coming to stores May 26 and will be on summer tour!).  This movie is so sweet and precious, and it is so interesting to see the scenes played to an contemporary song...I guess we will always be inspired by the past and beautiful things like a group of balloons carrying you up into the sky.  Here is the chase and ending of The Red Balloon along with the music video I found from designer J Tyler Helms...

balloons

eye control

The other night I was talking to a nice Swedish fellow named Hans who was looking for a place to go dancing after the bars closed. Although we could not think of a place open late for dancing similar to those he was used to in Europe, he did tell me about his company, Tobii. What he does is sell products based on what is known as "eye control." This innovation is CRAZY! It works by measuring a person’s point of gaze (i.e. where they are looking) and determining eye/head position. The origins of eye tracking are apparently over a century old, but in the last 5 years large technological advances have opened up new possibilities. Modern day eye tracking can be used not only in a laboratory, but in homes, schools, and businesses where it aids in research and analysis and is used for interacting with computers as well as with friends and family. Hans was in the states to promote this idea to businesses here...Imagine: no more clicking mouses or typing!? It is indeed a simple idea, but involves complex math. Eye tracking works by reflecting invisible infrared light onto an eye, recording the reflection pattern with a sensor system, and then calculating the exact point of gaze using a geometrical model. Once the point of gaze is determined, it can be visualized and shown on a computer monitor. The point of gaze can also be used to control and interface with different machines. This technique is referred to as eye control. This is definitely something worth checking out...

eye control

headlands

Today I went to the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin to meet with Swedish artist, Jacob Dahlgren.  Despite the fact that our GPS system led us to the middle of the mountains (literally, we went down a barely-there dirt road and it told us we "reached our destination" once we got halfway up the mountain), it was wonderful. Jacob is a fantastically personable and charming person; a pleasure to have a studio visit with.

He told me about his T-shirt collection of about 1,000 striped shirts.  He said that 10 years ago, he made a contract with himself that he'd wear a new one everyday and paint each of them, as replicas of his shirts.  What a fun idea!  He is totally intriguied by geometry and color.  Another interesting project from the Venice Biennial was a wall of dart boards -- this creates an illusion to the viewer and participant throwing the darts, which actually makes it harder to get a bullseye (ironic, since it's a wall of dartboards...).  All in all, it was great fun to spend the afternoon in the beautiful headlands and talk with the new artist in residence...here are some photos of his previous work...

  

 

  
(from top to bottom: "I, the world, things, life" interactive dart board installation 52nd Venice Biennale; painting from T-shirt collection; "Front art to life to art" food cans, steel and podium, 2008; "coulour reading and contexture" Malmö Konsthall 2005) photos from his website!

headlands

figment nyc

Friday May 15 is the last day to submit a project to Figment, New York's annual free celebration of participatory art and culture!  June 12-14, 2009 New York City's Governors Island transforms into a large-scale collaborative artwork including an interactive sculpture garden and artistic minigolf course.  And it's awesome.  

Also on Friday May 15, there is a fundraiser party for Figment from 9pm-4am !

Where? Battery Maritime Building ferry slip (10 South St, Slip #7, New York, NY 10004

1 to South Ferry, R/W to Whitehall and 4/5 to Bowling Green)

What? one night only -- a haggard ferry dock will transform into a merry port of call

Why? It's featuring the siren songs of the city’s finest bands, DJs and performers.  And, most importantly, you are supporting a rad arts event that is totally free to the public.

(Maritime, mermaid, sailor, pirate, deep sea creature or other nautical attire is encouraged). 

picture from figment's flickr 

figment nyc

the movies are back

For those in LA for summer, you must check out the movies in the cemetery.  Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Cinespa hosts classic movies Saturdays and Sundays all summer long.  It is so fun to bring a picnic, some drinks and a blanket, hang out and watch a good flick! 

This Saturday (May 16th) is the first movie in the cemetery of the season!!  Go!

Cool Hand Luke.

directed by stuart rosenberg (1967, 126 min.)

gates at 7:00 pm, film at 8:30 PM 

hollywood forever cemetery 

6000 santa monica boulevard at gower 

no reservation necessary.

$10 donation tickets available at gate. 

as a courtesy to other movie-goers: no tall chairs, please

The great Paul Newman stars as Luke - a 'natural born world shaker' whose playful and clever rebelliousness inspires his fellow prisoners of a chain gang. Beautifully shot by master Conrad Hall, the film teems with beautiful sunsets, fields of golden grain, and the bronzed bodies of the prisoners. Newman is at his most charming and handsome as the affable rebel in this humorous and compelling masterpiece.

small town talk spins before and after the screening.

the movies are back

I wish I thought of this

Forget the winter scarves I'm working on...let's move onto greater and better things like knitting the city, from poles, parking meters, monuments and bridges to fences, signs, pillars and car antennas!  It's all over: LA, NY, Paris, Sweden, Germany, Seattle, El Salvador, Montreal, San Francisco...

check out more press, images and info of the guerilla knitting crew here

Rogue knitters of the world, you rock.

I wish I thought of this

Oz

It's Sydney's southern beaches! But in a time-lapse video by Keith Loutit, a Sydney based photographer. These are really neat; he makes everything look like a miniature dollhouse land, even though it's just our everyday land, because it's done with a tilt-shift lens...check out the awesomeness:

Music "Clementine" by Megan Washington; video with help of Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter

This video of his features Sydney's beachside eastern suburb, Tamarama (aka: glamourama) -- a personal favorite place


Music “I feel Fine” by Sonido Lasser Drakar

Oz

summertime and the living's easy

Are you in New York?  Ready for hot, humid sunny days?  Do you want to listen to music...in Central Park...for free?

Well, City Parks Foundation is celebrating its 20th year and the Central Park SummerStage lineup of concerts has been posted!  Free concerts in the park all summer long...check out the lineup here.

summertime and the living's easy

A Place to Reflect, Installation at Marina Green

Double soy latte and croissant in hand on a regular foggy San Francisco Sunday morning last December, I took two chairs, which I made and mosaicked  in broken mirror, to the Marina Green park next to Chrissy Field.  I placed the chairs back to back in the middle of the park and enjoyed a lovely picnic on the grass with some friends as I watched runners, bikers, walkers, drivers, and dogs look in awe and curiosity at my chairs.  

They really sparkled once the sun set and looked beautiful with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.  The photographs from the evening didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, but what a beautiful sunset!

Once the adorable 8-year olds' soccer practice and twenty-somethings football buddies arrived,  they all respected the chairs as art and kindly asked if they would be in the way or could move the chairs so they wouldn't hit them.  However, unfortunately, the "reflective" chairs only lasted a mere 24 hours: the next afternoon when I returned to check on them they had disappeared.

If you see some rad mirror chairs in someone's living room...or in the dumpster for that matter, let me know.  

Baked goods for reward.  (And nobody told you, but I can make a mean chocolate chip cookie).

  

A Place to Reflect, Installation at Marina Green

dreamland

These photographs by Denise Grünstein are magical.  She is one of the most respected Swedish photographers and her images are recognizable by their characteristic, personal, fantastical, and quite romantic artistic expression.  I love the nature that is a common subject in her work and ability to encorporate people in a unique way.  These are a few of my favorites. 

dreamland

national margarita day

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  In honor of our southern neighbors defeat of the French back at the Battle of Puebla, I thought I'd include a unique margarita recipe for you to try.  This delicious and refreshing, tropical, yet spicy 'rita was created at New York's restaurant, Public (also home to "The Monday Room," the wine bar without a bar).  The spice reminds me of the margaritas we used to have at one of our favorite old stomping grounds in Boston, Audobon.  Certainly a delight for an afternoon cocktail on the patio...

Red Chile-Guava Margarita:

Game plan:  The "red-chile" in this drink's name comes from the homemade Chile-Infused Tequila.  Be sure you make it a couple days in advance to get that spicy kick this cocktail deserves...and I recommend you use 100% agave tequila (all self respecting margaritas use 100%; try Cuervo 1800, Patrón Silver, Herradura, or Don Julio)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Chile-Infused Tequila

1 1/2 cups Triple Sec

1 1/2 cups guava nectar

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice

10 lime wedges

Salt, for rimming glasses

Ice

10 small red chiles (for garnish, optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine tequila, triple sec, guava nectar, orange juice, and lime juice in a pitcher and reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use

2. To serve, rim a rocks glass with salt by rubbing a lime wedge around the outside and then dipping the glass in salt.  Fill the glass with ice, add the margarita mixture, and garnish with a skewered chile pepper.

Makes 10 drinks

Cheers!

national margarita day

the city

I [heart] New York.  

Here are some photographs I took last Spring (2008).  The black and white was taken in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  The color was from the Rooftop Sculpture Garden of the MET,  which includes part of a Koons sculpture being exhibited at the time.

the city

to brighten up a rainy day

Who doesn't love a little song and dance?!  Over 200 dancers performed a seemingly spontaneous version of the Sound of Music's "Do Re Mi" in Central Station of Antwerp, Belgium.  I would've loved to be there! 

Here's the video -- see if you can help but smile...

to brighten up a rainy day

look at the birdie

14 never-before published short stories by one of the most beloved and original American writers, Kurt Vonnegut, will be published in a collection titled, Look at the Birdie.  The book will include original illustrations and intricate short pieces from a voice which we miss immensely. Look out for it in November of this year!

look at the birdie

i'm a vermont-a, i can do what i want-a

a couple photographs from a shoot I did last fall in Burlington, Vermont

i'm a vermont-a, i can do what i want-a

tame impala

Tame Impala is rad.  They are an Australian band from Perth and present us with steady flowing psychedelic groove rock that emphasizes a dream-like melody.  I have been listening to their song, Half Full Glass of Wine, a lot recently.  Check it out; the video is by a great multi-disciplinary creative studio, Special Problems. 

tame impala

all you need is love

picture from artist/designer, Nubby Twiglet.

all you need is love