Rice, Rice, Baby.

I'm learning to cook Japanese and in learning about rice I ran across these photos of a village in Japan called Inakadate that has a crazy festival every year which began as a community revitalization project and is now a tourist attraction for the small village. Hundreds of people gather to plant different varieties of rice (which grow in different colors) in patterns. And they're not just any patterns but painstaking reproductions of famous works of Japanese art. The following shows the planting to harvest.

This is the harvest of a different field but you get the idea.

Isn't that just all kinds of excellent? Makes you feel pretty lame about the pot of tomatoes you're about to plant on the patio, doesn't it?

Cheers to you on this other Paddy's Day. And remember, don't drink and blog.

(Most photos came from tofugu.com)

Ebay Birdy Booty.

Snowy Egret

Great Blue Heron

How beautiful are these Audubon prints? I got them from isellart2 on ebay for $65 each. They're giclee prints on beautiful French cotton rag watercolor paper in 22x30 size. They are available in various sizes and they are more beautiful in person.

In the pond behind us at the beach, there is a Snowy Egret habitat - they all swoosh in at dusk every day, about 20 of them. Very cool. A pair of blue herons also makes frequent appearances (I saw them today in fact; I am playing hooky at the beach ;-).

Decorno and Just Plain Porno.

Thanks to the mighty, magical, omnipotent Decorno, I have received more traffic today on my blog than, well, ever.

I would like to say thanks if you came by to visit. And rock on, Decorno-ites.

I would also like to thank Internet Porn for increasing my blog traffic. On any given day, an unusual number of you arrive at my blog looking for "dicks," "famous dicks" or "infamous dicks" due to this post: Famous Dicks.

Sorry to disappoint. But, hey, since you're here, stick around, baby. You're looking good. We'll find something to satisfy your, um, cravings.

To whet your appetite and make this visit worth your while, I will post a surprising artwork by the last-remaining* (and my favorite) Wyeth, Jamie, at my favorite show to date at the Brandywine River Museum** called "Factory Work," which comprised the works of Jamie Wyeth, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat from their time together at Warhol's Factory:

In Drag, Drawing #1, 1977, Pencil on Paper, James Wyeth, Farnsworth Art Museum

Hey, I know I'm dumbing down art, but I'm just giving the people what they want. Like Emeril.


*Not technically the last remaining, but you know what I mean.
**Although his show with sketches on craft paper of Nureyev about killed me, they were so beautiful. And the retrospective last weekend on Andrew was very poignant.

Maira Kalman is Queen of My Dreamworld.

Okay, I'm Queen. She's artist laureate. At any rate, Maira Kalman is back the last Friday of each month in the NYTimes' visual column, "And The Pursuit of Happiness." Click here for it. She's one of my all-time favorite artists and street philosophers. She has the best take on everything and her observational skills are beyond compare. If you have kids or just haven't decided what you want to be when you grow up, I besiege and beseech you to find a copy of "Chicken Soup, Boots" and get reading. Or if you insist on being a grown-up, get thee to a Barnes & Noble or local bookseller and purchase a copy of "The Principles of Uncertainty."

I also found an interview with her on a blog called "Inspiration Boards." Go here to read it.

Paul Pincus recently did a post on her here. Actually, you have to scroll down to January 8. Do it. It is where I stole my new icon. I hope that's okay with Maira, actually.

You can also find her here at the Julie Saul Gallery.

She seems to be all over the place lately and I couldn't be happier. Let's spread the joy.

Thanks to Hollister Hovey for alerting me personally to this on her blog.

A happy, colorful, quirky weekend to all.

Life's a Beach.

Welcome to Beach Week on Hello Gorgeous. It's perfect timing I think, considering the weather in some areas right now. I went to the beach over the weekend and took pictures of some of my favorite shops cuz I know how y'all are into that sort of thing. The great thing about shopping at the beach is that there is something for everyone - from high-end to funky and everything in between. Ready? Let's start with some funk, compliments of Detail, A Gallery for the Home.

Michael Muller and Tom Boeke are the owners of Detail Gallery. Detail showcases the works of many local and regional artists, including owner Michael's art and offers plenty of other out-of-the-ordinary goodies for the abode in a jam-packed home-like environment.

Who doesn't love a tinsel tree? The ornaments are especially great. And because nothing gets by the eagle eye and multi-layered prescription eyeglasses of Hello Gorgeous, the man to the right of the tree? He appears to be starring in one of Michael's collage pieces looking especially fabulous (click here to see more of Michael's art):

Uncertain Choices by Michael Muller, multimedia, $375

Mascot Extraordinaire Mirabelle the Boston Terrier is the adorable face behind the store and the inspiration for many items within, such as greeting cards and reusable recycled shopping bags created by Muller.

But that's not all! The Adventures of Mirabelle which has been featured on Michael's website is about to be published as a children's book. I can't wait for it to come out. Go here to see some of Mirabelle's adventures, also available online and in-store as cards and prints.

Birddog, with watermark

Difficult as it is to leave lovely Mirabelle, it's time to move about the store:

Flora in Black by Brent Rodgers

Doesn't the top artwork look so Mad Men? And oh, yes, I came home with Miss Flora below looking all Marie Antoinette-y and fabulous. And speaking of Queen Marie:


And equal time pour les messieurs...


Some family-friendly art:


A handful of accessories, fresh from the oven:


At his old location, he had quotes from "Barefoot in the Park" painted onto his walls. Because it is one of my all-time favorite movies, I immediately loved his shop. Here, perched amongst the candles and soaps is a signed photo of Mildred Natwick, who played to perfection Corie's mother, Ethel. Rent it if you haven't seen it.


If you don't live around here, you can still visit the Gallery and shop online. But if you're in the area, it shouldn't be too hard to stop by. In fact, next Saturday, Dec. 13, is the Second Saturday Destination Art Walk from 4-7 pm. Be warned, I left town loaded down with booty from my weekend (having planned to not buy a thing).

I mean, shop owners have to eat, too, right? *wink* I'm just doing my part for local retailers in this lousy economic and retail environment.