I recently had the honor of documenting an amazing urban farm and art project created in honor of Cesar Chavez. This project is a crossroads of community, art, healthy living, and kids.

More photos after this description of the project, quoted from the Do aRt Foundation website:

The Do ArT Foundation recently partnered with Young Folks Urban Farmers Organization to bring a high quality inspirational and relevant street art mural to the Los Angeles Leadership Academy in Lincoln Heights. Deeply encouraged by the Young Folks Urban Farmers community gardening program at the school, we wanted to contribute a one-of-a-kind mural by the well-known Mexican artist Alfredo “LIBRE” Gutierrez that highlighted the theme and importance of urban organic agriculture and Mexican-American culture. We were given the blank wall space on the side of the Los Angeles Leadership Academy that faces the current hillside garden where the students do their work. Libre worked for an entire week with the students to teach them about Mexican-American mural history (along with Ms. Isabel Rojas-Williams from MCLA), collaboratively design an idea, and then physically paint the mural. This new mural will provide the students with creative inspiration as they farm with the YFUF program, as well as showcase the good work that the school is doing to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Do ArT Foundation strives to provide artistic expression to the public, therefore having the mural be on this wall will do just that. Having the mural face the neighborhood will serve to remind the community of the rich heritage and history of mural art and Mexican-American culture. Facing the garden, the artwork will also inspire and support the efforts of urban sustainability and collective community pride as the students work to plan and harvest nutritious food for their school cafeteria.

Music: Galaxy in Janaki, by Flying Lotus
Bravo to those involved!

My amazing friends, Kestrin, Dawn, and I  recently got together to create a fashion shoot. We collaborated on the art direction & clothing styling and then each brought our own unique talents to the project:

Kestrin: model

Dawn: hair & make-up

Me: photography & post production

Little did we know how prolific that one-day shoot would be!  Needless to say that I am absolutely thrilled and proud of our project!

continue below for more images

We managed to create some total gems!  Here’s a sampling shots.

Click on an image to enlarge, then click on te arrow to the right or left to scroll through the gallery.

We have more images from this project. Please email me if you’re interested in seeing additional shots.

Over the last few months while exploring our new home in Los Angeles, I’ve been constantly amazed and inspired by the creative threads in this city.   I’ve seen so much self-expression in fashion and dress that goes far beyond any trend.

A few weeks ago, P and I went to the Melrose Trading Post held at Fairfax High School. We were stunned by how many very fashionable and beautiful people we saw perusing the goods.

We went back today and decided to stop a few sharp-dressed strangers to take their photos. The people we chose to ask to photograph not only looked fantastic, but were extremely nice as well.  Next time, I’m bringing a little notebook to jot down details from these awesomely dressed strangers. AND business cards so they can find their way back to my post.

Striking fashion gold, here are my first Style Strike finds!
Sunday, April 22, 2012

We’re here. We’re officially living in Los Angeles.
And we’ve landed feet first.

But before I tell you that story, I have to tell you this story…

When I first found out I was pregnant with Paloma, 13 years ago, I couldn’t imagine loving another human being as much as I loved Romeal, who was under two at the time. I fretted that my motherly love would have to be divided and I couldn’t imagine Romeal having half of my heart.  But baby Paloma came along and my heart grew two sizes that day. The love in my heart doubled, not divided.

And now, my life has expanded and doubled again with this move and creating a new home from Seattle to Los Angeles. When we first told the kids we were moving, they were scared and worried, naturally. They thought their life and friends in Seattle would dissipate.  We told them their lives would be expanded and enriched by this new adventure.  Although I said these words to them (and to myself!), I didn’t know them to be true. Until now. A new layer and depth has come into our lives as we’ve begun to create a life branch here is Los Angeles. Seattle is still there, with all of our friends, families, and memories. We’ve doubled, not divided. We’ve all landed feet first.

We all have these experiences and relationships and explorations and mistakes and successes. In this life, we get to double up exponentially every time we open our eyes in the morning and step our for a new adventure. We are all so lucky.

And in the end, we always land feet first, even if it seems not to be so initially. I’m spoiling the ending, but I will still tell you that it’s a happy one.

I am just starting to take my first steps here. They’re baby ones. I haven’t been shooting a ton, but I’m working my way to it.  I hope to post more often, now that the moving dust has started to settle. In the meantime, please enjoy some shots of our new adventures in Los Angeles. PS Seattle, I still love you!

click on the photos below to see them larger

We’re moving to the land of sunshine and palm trees at the end of the month! That’s right. My family and I are re-locating to Los Angeles. More news to come as we unfold a new life adventure in Cali.