I love birds and always love coming across different kinds of bird houses.
Aside from looking pretty, they provide a nesting place for a variety of birds. More than 24 species of birds nest in birdhouses (provided they have ventilation and drainage holes), including songbirds, swallows and owls. Most of these birds nest in tree cavities, but when natural nesting areas remain scarce, birdhouses serve as a backup. They’re also an attractive outdoor home decoration on their own.
This taken at “Market Market” – handmade by Laura Temkin.
I recently came across some of the most beautiful and intricate birdhouses which are handmade by ceramicist/artist Laura Temkin. I went to her lovely indoor/outdoor home to have a look at her studio and all the exquisite (some more ornate) handmade birdhouses surrounding her home. I’m not sure that these photos here do them justice.
As Laura says, making art is her therapy. Certainly it is a way of expressing emotions. I asked her about the process and she replied below:
“Ironically, the process is so involved in the making that it lets me forget my worries in the real world.
you can see a lot of the detail in this photo.
I usually start with basic slab walls, cut by sight, perhaps a ruler nearby. I do this fairly carelessly because I am impatient, and because the pieces have more character when they are not perfect.
I’ve always thought that the clay itself where it bunched up or split apart is as beautiful and inspiring as anything I can create. It is the nature in the clay showing itself.
Taken at “Market, Market” – where Temkin sells some of her birdhouses.
I like to combine unexpected textures with jagged seams. I punch them with holes that will later be sewn back together. I cover them with barnacles or *sqrafitto so the underglazes will influence the final piece.
I always add glazes dark to light. First celadon dipped or painted, before painting other glazes in the same color palate of greens and blues.
Taken at “Market, Market”
Between the use of 3-4 glazes painted and overlapping the underglazes, the various textures break over an edge. The pieces are fairly controlled and yet clearly offer many opportunities for the glazes to interact, allowing for an appreciation of the materials itself.
*Sgraffito is a technique where potters can put a layer of glaze or slip on a piece of pottery, let it dry, then use a pottery carving tool to scratch at it to show the base layer of color. Sgraffito derives from an Italian word meaning “to scratch.”
Who wants to be perfect? More interesting to be slightly less-so and have more character which is more important anyway. Like these birdhouses.
Sidenote: Laura’s husband Steve is also an artist. They’re a creatively interesting couple.
The color variations, the grain, the knots and the richness of natural wood make me happy.
Bali Breeze has been garnering a lot of attention lately. This new home décor and furniture store in Palm Springs appeals to anyone whole loves an indoor/outdoor soothing home environment.
Photo: Megan Abbott
While I certainly like and appreciate all the Midcentury modern, contemporary and industrial design of the homes and décor surrounding Modernism Week, my personal preference lies with the allure and warmth of natural beauty. This, combined with expert craftsmanship and a touch of wellness, makes for a cozy and inviting space.
At the Bali Breeze Home Decor, you can find exotic rustic wood furniture, large sized Buddhas, wood slabs, and unique home decor pieces from Indonesia. Jewelery, candles and singing bowls too.
Marcelo, the owner, is originally from the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. I told him that I lived in Brazil for a year and how much I loved everything about being there – the people were friendly, vibrant and fun loving and I really had the best time. His connection with gem mines in Brazil and all over the world provides the store with a great selection of gemstones, crystals, fossils, and minerals.
I love that Marcelo’s wife is a ceramicist and her beautiful pottery is sold in the store.
Below are some photos of magazines that their products have been featured in like Palm Springs Life and Home + Design. A big wood centerpiece (like in my photo above) was purchased for The Spa at Séc-heat Agua Celiente Cultural Plaza.
The family run business has two other locations: Joshua Tree Rock Shop and Palm Springs Rock Shop (around the corner from Acai Oasis – which they also own). Website at bottom.
Father Tartuffe: An Indigenous Misadventureis playing at the Arts ClubTheatre in Vancouver until March 24th, 2024.
Every now and again I may invite a guest reviewer on this site. Today it is Paul LeMay who I’ve asked to give his take on “Father Tartuffe” from the opening night at the Arts Club Theatre.
The arts (theatre, poetry, music, painting, sculpture, literature, dance) done with skill and imagination, are an essential part of life.
Paul’s Review:
“Father Tartuffe: An Indigenous Misadventure“ is built around a play called Tartuffe, or the Impostor, originally written by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, who is better known as Molière. Molière, who lived during the reign of France’s King Louis XIV, is often described as France’s Shakespeare. However, unlike the Bard, Molière preferred comedic plays.
And comedy is the operant word here, which is important when one considers the times in which the play is being performed. I refer here to several world headline grabbing allegations made in recent years by certain First Nations spokespeople about the abuses and yes, possible crimes indigenous students allegedly suffered at the hands of unscrupulous clergy in Canada’s various denominational native residential schools. So, given the huge social controversy these stories sparked, what could possibly be considered comedic diving into that terrain?
And perhaps that’s the inescapable point worth mentioning here. Many of European settler ancestry might be inclined to believe this play might be all about pointing many accusatory fingers at the perpetrators of cultural genocide against first nations peoples, and the legacy of harm it unleashed in its wake. And who would want to squirm in their seats for two hours in some in unrelenting guilt fest? I have to admit, these were some of the thoughts that crossed my mind before attending the performance.
Well, I am here to tell you that’s not what indigenous playwright Herbie Barnes did. Rather, the play took a much more light-hearted aim at the immoral character of an exploitive Montreal priest by the name of Tartuffe, which was entirely in keeping with the original Molière play title. Tartuffe had been invited to live in the home of an extended first nations family, that was itself already in the process of trying to find out what it meant to be an “Indian” in 1967 Canada. Sure, in some respects one could argue that the Tartuffe character was a symbolic stand-in for the duplicitous white man who speaks with forked-tongue. But for many, that allusion might completely escape their immediate recognition.
Yet both the play, and its performers, did not disappoint. In fact, on both counts, both exceeded my original expectations; and it accomplished what it set out to accomplish, namely, to make people laugh. And laugh we did, even at jokes filled with all manner of culturally riské inuendo, that tastefully never quite crossed the line into taboo land. From my eyes, the play was part situation comedy, part farce, part inside jokes among native people, and together, the mix proved cathartic, if not, therapeutic.
And as the ancient Greeks knew long ago, this can help audience members (society’s members) both explore and release pent up guilts and/or mental tensions around almost any topic, in the hope they realize that we are all flawed individuals trying to make our way through life the best way we can…even screwing up on occasion despite our best of intentions. And this alchemy succeeds because such is the universal human condition. In this respect, this play and its performers, proved both healing and entertaining. What more can one ask of a play? In this regard, it was an evening well spent.
Get a glimpse of what it’s like to travel like a stylish vagabond.
Channel your inner wanderlust spirit.
I had a wonderful time wandering around this weekend-long event of showcase trailers, displayed on an empty lot in downtown Palm Springs.
This curated ticketed show has always been a hit during Modernism Week. It’s an amazing assortment of vintage trailers from all across the country with unique history, significance and style. I’ll let the rest of the photos speak for themselves. You’ll see some of the interiors too.
Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving
In 1970, a jet-set photographer by the name of Slim called up a socialite in Palm Springs and said “I want to come over and do a pool shot.Call some friends over.” Slim chance they’d realize then, that history was in the making.
I went to a Modernism Week talk recently at the Annenberg Theatre entitled “Wait Until You See: Slim Aarons x Palm Springs.” It was given by Shawn Waldron, author of the new book “Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection.” He also wrote Slim Aarons “Style.”
“Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection” is a colossal and luxurious hard cover book. One you want to leave on a coffee table or at least keep as part of your important books collection. Especially if you love fashion, style and all that goes along with it. The good life, with a capital “G.”
I always say, that aside from the home tours, parties and exhibits going on around Modernism Week; don’t overlook taking in one of the lectures. The informal talks are informative, interesting and significant to the story at hand. You find out a lot more than you already know.
Shawn Waldron stands by his latest book. At Grace Home Furnishings 02/23/24. Photo: d. king
For starters, I always thought that high society photographer Slim Aarons only took pretty lifestyle photos. However; we found out that he started off working as a photographer at West Point Military Academy and later as a combat photographer, following and documenting the horrors of World War II across Northern Africa and Europe.
After the war, Slim vowed to walk on the sunnier side of the street, opting to photograph girls not guns, bikinis instead of bombs. Good call.
With Nelda Linsk – now. Beautiful & elegant as ever.
Last night I went to a cocktail party and book signing at Grace Home Furnishings (Grace is named after the owners’ black lab). The ambience was very inviting at one of the most stylish modern retail and custom design studios I’ve been to. Founded in 2000 by designers Michael Ostrow and Roger Stoker; providing furniture, art, photography and more, including in-house personalized interior design services. I was talking with a woman who was extremely happy with the team who outfitted her home with “everythingGrace.” Delicious canapes and cocktails were being passed around courtesy of Jake’s (a restaurant in the uptown design district).
Among the attendees were the two owners; Michael Ostrow and Roger Stoker, the author; Shawn Waldron, Designer Trina Turk, and Nelda Linsk; who of course was in the iconic Slim Aarons “Poolside Gossip” which the photographer shot in 1970 at the Kaufmann House in Palm Springs. The photograph has had many reproductions and has since become as much a symbol of modernism as its setting. You’ll see a print hanging in many homes here and there. Almost every store in Palm Springs too.
Grace on the floor by a “PoolSide Gossip” print on the wall at Grace Home Furnishings . Photo: taken from their website.
No doubt you’ve seen the photo. Two attractive women sit in lounge chairs beside a teal-blue pool, looking fabulous and moneyed. A third, all legs and carefree attitude, strides toward them with a drink in her hand. In the background is a modern glass-and-stone house and purplish mountains. The landscape is idyllic. The sunlight is hazy and golden. You would live inside the photo if you could. (this paragraph was taken from The New York Times).
That’s exactly what I was trying to do last night. Live inside the photowith my new friend (we were so busy gossiping and the conversation was so mesmerizing that I unfortunately forgot her name.)
In 1997, Mark Getty, the co-founder of Getty Images, visited Aarons in his home and bought Aarons’ entire archive. In 2017, filmmaker Fritz Mitchell released a documentary about Aarons, called Slim Aarons: The High Life.
Nelda Linsk was a longtime friend of Silm Aarons and owner of the Richard Neutra designed 1946 Kaufmann House. Nelda hosted the impromptu party where along with friends, Helen Dzo Dzo (Kaptur) and Lita Baron, she would become immortalized in the world-famous photo.
The 3,200-square-foot home was once owned by Barry Manilow and Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr.
Palm Springs’s commitment to its midcentury legacy and architectural flair has allowed it to remain a sought-after vacation home locale well into the 21st century.
Imagine having no idea how celebrated you’d become over the years by having a cocktail with friends at your home?
This is another home I’ve wanted to tour for years. This 1960 deemed Class 1 historic site designed by William Krisel, is where Elvis and Priscilla Presley spent their honeymoon. It’s also referred to as “the pleasure dome”and “theAlexanderresidence” – as it was the home of designer Robert Alexander, his wife Helene, and daughter Jill. They lived there from 1960 – 1965. Very sadly, both Robert and Helene passed away in a tragic plane crash. Jill went to live with her aunt in Los Angeles.
I’ve always had a thing for unique eye catching doors.
Leonard Alexander, great uncle of Jill’s, leased the house to Elvis and Priscilla Presley. They honeymooned here in 1967.
After that, the house passed multiple hands: from a reclusive wife of a rancher to another owner cited by the city for letting the pool turn into a mosquito swamp. It was then repossessed by a Boston bank in 1987. Leonard Lewis purchased the house from the bank and turned it into a sideshow.
Bringing us to the new owners who had the sensible mantra of “how would the Alexanders do it” and made some renovations like adding a private balcony, raising the kitchen to accommodate modern furnisings and a brand new ceiling in the master bedroom.
The 4,700 square foot home has four living spaces within four 12-sided polygons. The four 30-degree-angled dodecagons (In geometry, a dodecagon, or 12-gon, is any twelve-sided polygon) rest at the four points of two facing , 45-degree triangles. Inner triangles comprise hallways and rooms connecting four main spaces.
The shape of the pool mimics the roof – which creates an ascending orientation.
Doors can be drawn to close off sections of the house away from public gatherings.
Thank you Modernism for opening up this home for our self-guided tour. We’re very happy to have finally seen it.
Here in the desert there is no shortage of gorgeous homes, but for Modernism week our focus is to celebrate and appreciate the preservation of midcentury architecture and design.
Today I got to tour the Wexler house, which interestingly enough, is a short walking distance from where I reside here in Palm Springs. While I always admired the outside of the house and wondered what lay behind the white walls, I had no idea of its importance of retaining the best of mid-century style and elegance. Now I know.
This is a Donald Allen Wexler (January 23, 1926 – June 26, 2015) designed home. Wexler was an influential Mid-Century modern architect whose work is predominantly in the Palm Springs area. He is known for having pioneered the use of steel in residential design.
H3K Home + Design worked with preservation consultant Susan Secoy Jenson (AIA – American Institute of Architects) to take this home back to its historic roots while keeping the original vision along with being able to support today’s lifestyle. No small feat.
Celebrating the home’s elongated flat roof with walls of glass, they delightfully blurred the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces, drawing the eye to the historic slump stone walls and wonderful pool area. The outside area exemplifies desert living and the mid-century modern experience. This home is a model of thoughtful architectural preservation enlivened by the best in modern design. It received a well deserved historic designation in 2022.
Photos: d. king
Modernism is on until February 25th. For tickets please visit:
My first home tour for Modernism week 2024 was a home I wanted to visit for a long time;
which turned out to be a fully immersive experience which felt like climbing into a 3-D painting. One painted by the artist known as Shag (Josh Agle), who reimagined this mid-century modern, tiki-inspired privately owned home to fit with his original designs.
If you’ve ever visited Palm Springs, you more than likely stopped by the Shag store on Palm Canyon. It’s a must-see on the visitors list as it contains an array of well curated limited-edition merchandise, original paintings, and fine art prints that span over 30 years of Shag’s career. I feel like it was all condensed into one home.
For this home, Shag drew upon his architectural studies and the aesthetic of his artwork to reinvent this classic 1958 home.
Modernist fans will recognize the core of the house, where Shag has preserved much of the original layout including the familiar 3-bedroom, 2-bath floor plan, as well as the tongue and groove ceilings.
While the centre of the home’s layout remains the same, everything else has been updated, expanded, and transformed, for the current homeowner, Brandon McBurney; who enjoys hosting philanthropic events.
In collaboration with Brandon and John-Patrick Flynn of Brandtopia, the Shag team has created an entirely new exterior offering grand curb appeal.
The front entry has been expanded and the original breezeway has been converted into a swank party lounge. Beyond the lounge, the addition of a casita offers a quiet retreat with a unique vantage point of the pool’s and surrounding areas.
It’s amazing what people can create with a vision, a team, some cash and cachet. Bravo for a job well done!
The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is the stage for Donizetti’s madcap masterpiece set in 1960’s Rome.
Photo: Emily Cooper
A whacky story about inter-generational jealousy, deception and reconciliation This opera is bursting with vivid colour, engaging melodies, fun characters and plenty of cats.
Told in 3 acts, it’s on the lighter side of opera but not without a comedic element of cruelty. After all, what would opera be, if not deprived of a little misfortune? The amusing story and cast of characters will appeal to everyone.
Photo: Emily Cooper
The title character is Don Pasquale, a wealthy bachelor getting on in years, who has grown tired of his lazy, sole-inheretor nephew, Ernesto. Worried that his wealth will be squandered, he has chosen a bride for Ernesto. Ernesto, who is currently in love with a young widow named Norina whom Pasquale has never met, asserts that he won’t marry a woman of his uncle’s choosing.
So Pasquale determines to find himself a wife instead. A mutual friend of his & Ernesto’s named Dr. Malatesta, suggests his beautiful younger sister Sofronia, as Pasquale’s prospective bride. A thrilled Pasquale asks his friend to arrange a meeting at once. Pasquale tells Ernesto to move out of his pensione and announces his own marriage plans. Astonished, and with prospects of an inheritance slipping away, Ernesto sees his dreams evaporating. A further hurt: he learns that his confidant Malatesta has arranged Pasquale’s marriage.
Photo: Emily Cooper
Meanwhile, Norina confidently reflects on her ability to be able to charm a man. When Dr. Malatesta arrives, they decide to concoct a plan together. Norina will pose as Sofronia and marry Pasquale in a mock ceremony. Norina is keen to play the role of wife if it will result in her and Ernesto being together.
However, Ernesto is unaware of their scheme.
Don Pasquale is impatient to meet his prospective bride. When Norina (as Sofronia), the distinctly feline young lady turns up, he is instantly smitten. He decides they should get married immediately.
However; having a wife is not quite as straightforward as he expected…
Be careful what you wish for. In addition to her new shift in attitude, “Sofronia” has started living extravagantly, blowing through Pasquale’s money. Servants arrive carrying more of her purchases, and Pasquale, at wit’s end, angrily resolves to assert his rights as husband.
Can’t give it all away. The ending you’ll have to see for yourself!
Cast takes a bow. Photo: Rosa Sevy
February 10th-18th. Tickets still available for matinee and evening performances:
A place of history, hospitality, and diplomacy in the California desert.
With a side of Yoga, Tai Chi and Music. We are blessed in the desert to have an abundance of natural beauty very close at hand. Located in Rancho Mirage, Sunnylands is one of the most beautiful places to spend an afternoon. Take a free Yoga or Tai Chi lesson, have lunch in the café, stroll the gardens and walk the round contemplative labyrinth (read the difference between a labyrinth and a maze below) while setting an intention and leave any negativity behind.
The historic Sunnylands estate operates primarily as a private, high-level retreat center. Public access is limited to guided tours, offered when retreats are not in session. Tours and tickets.
Desert Wildflowers bloom around Sunnylands
Sunnylands Center & Gardens is a special place for those not familiar. It first opened to the public in March 2012. Upon entering the 15-acre site, a winding driveway takes visitors through a desert art garden to the glass facade of Sunnylands Center. The spacious, contemporary building houses a rotating art exhibition, café, gift shop, and multimedia offerings that detail the history of Sunnylands and its founders, Walter and Leonore Annenberg. For 40 years, Ambassadors Walter and Leonore Annenberg welcomed entertainment and world leaders to their winter estate in Rancho Mirage, California.
Yoga in the Gardens
Instructor Kristin Olsen was a fun, amazing instructor. She made us laugh.
Yoga in the Gardens is an opportunity to experience poses ranging from beginner to intermediate. Everyone gathers in a circle on the grass. Yoga is offered Fridays at 10 am, November through April. These free 60-minute sessions are open to all age and experience levels. Participants should bring yoga mats and dress comfortably. Sun protection and water are suggested. Reservations are not required. Parking and admission are free.
Tai Chi in the Gardens
Tai Chi in the Gardens is an opportunity to experience a traditional teaching of the Yang Family 108 Long Form. Participants learn the beginning positions of the form rooted in tai chi philosophy and principles. No previous experience with tai chi is required.
Tai chi is offered on Saturdays at 10 am, November through April. These free 60-minute sessions are open to all ages and experience levels. Participants should dress comfortably. Sun protection and water are suggested. Reservations not required. Parking and admission are free.
What’s the difference between a Labyrinth and Maze?
While they both offer a sense of intrigue, a maze is designed to create confusion whereas a labyrinth offers the chance for contemplation. Rather than featuring wayward paths and dead-ends, labyrinths are unicursal, meaning they have a single path that weaves to the center and subsequently meanders back to the entrance. Many people find labyrinths to be a meditative experience.
Sunnylands Center & Gardens
37977 Bob Hope Drive
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
I recently came across some of the most beautiful and intricate birdhouses which are handmade by ceramicist/artist Laura Temkin. I went to her lovely indoor/outdoor home to have a look at her studio and all the exquisite (some more ornate) handmade birdhouses surrounding her home. I’m not sure that these photos here do them justice. 
Between the use of 3-4 glazes painted and overlapping the underglazes, the various textures break over an edge. The pieces are fairly controlled and yet clearly offer many opportunities for the glazes to interact, allowing for an appreciation of the materials itself.
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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