Circus Art - Kees Van Dongen

As you may know (from real life or reading this blog), I work at a painting restoration studio.  We work with the auction houses a lot and I get to see really cool stuff.  And touch really expensive paintings.  Touching expensive paintings is the best, I highly recommend it.  Except at museums where you will set off alarms and have guards tackle you.  Anyway, this painting by Kees Van Dongen came across my radar a little while ago because it was in a sale, but I found myself thinking about it during aerial class at Circus to the People.  I think it is quite nifty!  And no, I can't do a crazy one armed handstand arabesque thing.

L'equilibriste

Von Dongen was a Fauvist artist who painted dancers, socialites, theater people, circus folk and prostitutes. You can read more about him on Wikipedia here.

OM my god, Aerial meditation!

So I've been away on vacation the last week, which is why I was lax about updating.  I was too busy napping on the beach in Bethany, DE.

Anyway, just a quick post to say that I have been doing more aerial arts!  One of my current favorite things is Aerial OM Meditation at OMFactory.  The class is basically what it sounds like, a combination of aerial yoga, meditation and chanting.  But what makes the class really special is the teacher, Seanna Sharpe.  An ISHTA yoga person (all of my favorite teachers who are not Kripalu are ISHTA) and amazing aerialist.  Below is a video of her doing cloud swing off of the Williamsburg Bridge in 2011.   She was arrested for it!  Seanna also teaches a donation based circus class, which I will be going to on Saturday.

Happy Weekend - Brokelandia Yoga Video!

I stumbled across this video recently.  Brokelandia is like Portlandia, but about Brooklyn, which happens to be where I was born and raised, as well as where I am currently living.  In fact the intersection they show in this video (Bedford and N. 7th) is a five minute walk from where I live.  Hm, please don't stalk me based on that information.

Anyway, this is their take on Bikram yoga.  I have to admit I've never done Bikram, because I'm scared I'd be like the protagonist of this video.  Although, I DID recently make a foray into the world of hot yoga, which you can read about here.  Also, I'm kind of freaked out that the part at the end is going to be my future.   In fact, my friend just said, "Oh god, that's totally your future."  ALSO, it features Grizz from 30 Rock!

 

See the rest of the Brokelandia series here: https://www.youtube.com/user/BrokelandiaTV

Drawing: Cats Doing Yoga

I was kind of bored, so I did a picture of kittehs doing cat - cow.  Cat - cow is often done in yoga as a warm-up stretch.  Start in a neutral table top position.  On an inhale, broaden through the collar bones, lift the sitz bones up, let the belly drop (cow).  Exhale, round the spine, release the head and neck (cat).