An update on the Retrospective Print and Paint Show is long over due. It is amazing that almost a month has gone by since my last posting. I have never been so busy in my life! Almost all the paintings are here and making their way to the gallery. This morning I was still missing four paintings but just learned that the Vancouver Girls was found! Now I think it may be only Peter's paintings and one from Lauren's parents. I hope they make it because they are some of my favorites. I'll post them if I can find the photos for you to see. The most miraculous is that I got Rhea Perlman's painting here. I wasn't sure it would be available but here it is:

It looks like more people want to stay over than I thought! I added 6 more rooms but these have only one bed so people will be able to choose. We now have twelve rooms for partying. Please let me know if you are intending to stay at the Travel Lodge. I would like to get a count and send you a map.

I DID IT!

I just reserved 6 non smoking rooms at the Travel Lodge, 1.6 miles from my house for April 13th and 14th. It is a very standard motel. Inexpensive, clean, breakfast included, good stuff in the room (frig, hair dryer, etc), 2 beds if wanted, walking distance to restaurants, Kaiser, Children’s Hospital and favorite Mid East market. I thought better than fancier place, far away. This area is hopping at that time, must be a conference or something. Here's the URL for the Blog we're looking at right now to follow the retrospective adventure? I keep changing it so do look now and then.
http://bea-gold-retrospective.blogspot.com/
Check out the bottom of the Blog – it has the events laid out. I'm going to put a map in the mail for Silver Lake and the motel for those staying. There is no deposit required, just when the person checks in. I’ll send a copy of the agreement as well. Well, one more step!

Moving Forward?

I'm putting my invitation card up again to remember why I'm doing this Blog. Bea Gold, Retrospective Print and Paint Show, Opening will take place on April 7, 2007 at the jFERRARI Gallery, at The Complex, 3015 Glendale Blvd, Atwater Village, CA 90039, 323-877-5542, www.jferrarigallery.com, from 5:00 to 11:00pm.
This is the place to keep up with the Retrospective planning. The invitation cards were ordered and will go out next week. IT IS GETTING CLOSE! The framing is going on, paintings are coming in, I'm meeting with the caterer on Monday to finalize the food, I got a call from Allison Cohen, Las Feliz Ledger to set an appointment with the writer for a story about me and the show. It will be the lead story in the Ledger for April. Everything seemed to be falling into place until I called to make a reservation for 5 rooms, at the hotel that I had looked at and that had rooms available for April 13th and 14th. I learned they sold out while we were on the Road Trip. Although it wasn't a terrific hotel it was close and people could come and go easily from my house during the time they are here. I'll let you know what I come up with as soon as I get something together. I am not calm, cool or collected.

HOME AGAIN

What a wonderful trip. All the paintings were gathered. Everyone had something special to wrap their paintings in to protect them and they all traveled safely. All the people were welcoming and gracious. Thank you everyone. I'll see you in April!!!

It looks like this Blog should be read bottom up. Let me know how it works for you.

LAST STOP - SANTA BARBARA

We made it to the Baker's house before 5:30pm. It was still light and we could see their beautiful back yard. Dennis was there and showed us the work that they had done on the house since I was there last. Cory got her realtor tour and then Stephanie got home and the girls came in. They are charming young ladies and still look as pretty as they did when I painted them. The painting was comissioned and I was asked to do the painting because they liked the one I did for Nan and Curt who were close college friends. It was a lovely visit and we left with another painting and headed for home.

Car Trouble

That night we got as far as Los Gatos and crashed in a motel that our GPS informed us about. It was a plain Jane but clean and had sheets on the bed. All the way from San Francisco Cory complained about hearing a noise at the front wheel on my side. I didn't hear it. Deaf! The next morning Cory called Budget and they said for us to come to the San Jose Airport and exchange cars. We did and got a nicer car to drive. It was much quieter than the one we had before and the flat space for paintings was a little larger. Cory had been calling several times a day to see if there was an opening at Asilomar. On Thursday there finaly was an opening and we headed for Pacific Grove, Monterey and Carmel. Cory felt she could spend another day on the trip so going to the Monterey Peninsular was no problem. On the way we came to a Factory Shop Mall and found a Chico's and Cold Water Creek and bought some wonderful clothes. I got my party outfit. Actually I bought three dis=fferent things but don't know yet which I'll wear. What a treat. We had a delicious time. Wonderful sights, tastes, smells and a comfortable place to rest. We took our time leaving the next day and spent time in Carmel going to the shops. I found a beautiful pair of shoes which I didn't buy because they were $225. Cory urged me to buy them but I just couldn't. I found them on line when I got home but they were only $15 less. Should I get them?

More SanFrancisco

We spent the day driving around - we went past our next stop to see where it was. It was in a beautiful neighborhood not far from Brynas's but over near the Presidio. We used our GPS to hunt for clothing stores and she led us to some wonderful shops. The first one we went into happened to be next to where we parked. It was a designer shop and the first garment I looked at was $3000. A little steep even for an outfit for my party. The young woman was wearing a jacket that was $1500. Cory asked if she could afford such an expensive garment and she asnswered, "I'm lucky, I own the shop". Oh well. We had a very nice time and then headed for the Lissak home, a little early. We needed to get out of the car and settle down. We called and got someone who said they we ready for us. That was the housekeeper who was preparing vegetables for a dinner dish. The parents and children were not home yet. Pretty soom there was a burst of energy and Susanne Lissak and the three children came into the house. Susanne made a bee line for the food preparation and the kids took us on a tour of the house. It is a huge four story and beautiful old house in a very lovely part of San Francisco. The children were adorable, full of energy, talkative, willing to share and interactive with each other. They were a real treat to be with. Ron, Jack's second cousin, came home, the housekeeper left and we settled down to a delicious dinner. We were invited to stay over but were hoping to get part way to Asilomar. It was our plan to spend a night there but it didn't look too likely if we had to be home on Thursday. The painting we picked up was a commision purchased by Ron and Susanne. It is of the parents and their first born child. They are talking about another painting with al three children in it. It would be fun to do. I love those kids.

ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
We met up with Bryna before lunch and went to her house to pick up the paintings. Bryna and I have known each other since 1963 when we team taught at Lokrantz in the San Fernando Valley. The school was for physically handicapped chhildren and our classes were for preschool and kindergarten children. We have been friends ever since. One of the paintings are of Bryna and the girls and the other is of Bryna at school, at the table with the children playing with play dough. I still can name the children in the painting. I wonder if Bryna can. I bet she can. Bryna lives near Golden Gate Park and she and her co-ownwner are also business partners. Gwen is an Ocupational Therapist and Bryna is an Educational Therapist. They sometimes share patients but always share space. It is a terrific arrangement for both of them. At lunch time Bryna drove us to a Russian restaurant in her neighborhood. I had Pilemini and Cory had Borscht and we all shared an asortment of Piroshki. Very good food and we haven't had Russion food since Moscva Cliff went out of business - many years ago. It was a little too short a visit with Bryna because she had to get back to work but the time we had was very enjoyable.

CONCORD Next

We were just too tired to go on to San Francisco that night after the difficulty driving in the rain and long day of visiting. We stayed in Walnut Creek. How lucky we were. We were able to reach Rhonda Garcia the next morning and drove to her work in Concord. What a treat! Rhonda is working for children's services in Concord and has a Resource and Referral program and a progrsm for inclusion of children with disabilities. She took me on a tour of their new facility and it was like old times. We also met Magda Gerber's son! Erica and Daisy's brother. Such a great visit that was! The painting we picked up was a commision Rhonda won in a fund raiser for an Early Childhood Organization. I had contributed the work to be used as a donation to the silent auction. The painting was of Rhonda and her two teen age children. That was ten years ago so her kids are now well in their twenties and thirties.

When we left Shirley we went on to Sheryl's house using our darling little GPS. Our Navagator was a young woman who had good diction and a sense of humor. Her voice when she had to recalculate, because we changed something, was annoyed and reprimanding. She was perfect. The Weiss house is a gem. Sheryl and Melanie were there and Sheryl had let me know she was just finishing remodeling the family house and that my paintings had some influence on decisions. We were taken on a tour and found all the new developments wonderful. Paul and Sheryl's bedroom was a treat, including the story about moving the bed to the alcove because Sherly woke up in the middle of the night realizing that's where the bed belonged. It does belong there. Downstairs again we saw the paintings of the goat and Sheryl painting. The room is designed to settle aroung those paintings. Thank you Sheryl. It made me feel terrific. These two paintings were bartered for engineering work by Elliott Moscovitz when we built our Bianca house. Sheryl and Paul had two more paintings for us. One was a batik that Paul had gotten from Jack and Millie Hirsch and one was a painting I did of Shirley Moscovitz for the girls to use for thier mother's memorial services held in our house. They were added to the load. We spent a long time there, enjoying the stories that we shared about the families and visiting with Melanie, Sheryl and Paul.

Next, we went on to Walnut Creek and visited with Shirley Berman. What a fun visit. I discovered that Shirley is one month younger than I am and is living in an apartment complex in a new area of Walnut Creek. Shirley shared her collection of antique brass items and the doll house that Shirley built. The painting we picked up was a Pipe Player that I had bartered for a sound system for the Bianca, Northridge house, that Jack Berman did for us.

After Sacramento we went on to Alamo and visited with Janet Terada and the Terada children. Big rains and sleet coming down. Huge ice pellets and sheets of driving rain so visiting in the warm fireplace heated home was great. We picked up a painting I had done as a gift for Shirley Moscovitz when she was ill, Janet and Sheryl's mother who died several years ago. The house is very lovely and in a treesy friendly neighborhood. The ceiling in Kailin's room was covered with medals hanging down on ribbons and was spectacular. She won them for Gymnastics. How does such a young kid win so many medals? One good thing is if an earthquake ever hit that room those medals would make beautiful music.

Picking up paintings

Before our Road trip was to start we received two paintingas from Susan Fink. One is of Susan, Alanah and Roper and the other is of Loren, the dad, baking bread. Such a great family.

THE FIRST DAY OF THE TRIP - SACRAMENTO TO FOLSOM

We tried to meet up with Sheila Wolfe in Sacramento after we got our SUV and GPS, but somehow kept missing her. We went to Folsom instead, where we were going to meet Giovanna Stark and pick up the painting that was commisioned fifteen years ago. I haven't seen Giovanna for probably ten years and was looking forward to it. The gallery was amazing! Huge space and filled with all kinds of interesting and beautiful art. Giovanna was her usual charming self and we just spent the afternoon visiting and enjoying the gallery and the coffee shop (part of the gallery). Giovanna made a reservation for us at a Folsom Inn and invited us to dinner at a local restaurant. Jack Hailey walked into the gallery, he and Giovanna are living together now and Jack does some work for the Gallery as do Giovanna's children. Both he and Giovanna are still providing services for the Senate. Jack has a shock of bright white hair today but looks exactly as he did when I met him in 1972 when he had a shock of pitch black hair. I don't know how he accomplished that. We had a great dinner with them and Jack had to get going because he had a presentation thre next morning to a Senate Committee. He is definately still working.

The next day we went back to the gallery and picked up our the painting of three of the Stark children. I remember loving to paint that picture. Still one more to come from the family.

.
BACK TO SACRAMENTO

After Folsom we went back to Sacramento to visit with Sheila and once again Cory got the full Realtor house tour. They have such a great house and I could remember with pleasure camping in front of the house in our motor home. We loved that camp site! We picked up the painting of Chris and Sheila that I did when they lived in Silver Lake. That was a long time ago.