Picassos are there, in Basel

I spent some memorable time in the Swiss city of Basel in my early twenties. The city is charming, artistic, simple and free—being in love at the time with a local hipster certainly has something to do with it's impression on me. Still, my traveling buddies felt its spirit too. It's a great place.




The city's Kunstmuseum was a favored spot to roam on cold or rainy days, and a place I wanted to share with my family. On this latest visit we were fortunate that the museum was hosting a very special Pablo Picasso exhibit Die Picassos Sind Da!




Picasso helped lead the movement of modern art in the early twentieth century. He stirred up controversy and gained acceptance and clout unlike no other living artist before or since. A passionate man of many women, and visualization and creativity at his core, he often alluded in obvious and other times more subtle ways to sex and all the parts that entail 'it'.




Like my love affair with and around the city, Basel fell hard in adoration for Picasso in 1967 in what was known as the Picasso Year. In fact, the people of of the city were so in love that it approved a loan of 6 million Franks and raised another 2.4 million Franks in a strong initiative to acquire two special paintings of the artist.




The current exhibit introduces various works that are privately owned and have never been on public display as well as pieces on loan from the Foundation Beyeler. It includes paintings, sketches, drawings and sculpture from Picasso's early to late years taking visitors through his various artistic phases of Cubism, Neo-classism and Surrealism, which this featured vibrant beret painting is. The idea was to create art 'as beautiful as the chance encounter'.




It is an impressive collection that pulls together the visions, thoughts and talent of Picasso. The Girl in the (irange) Beret is an oil painting chosen to promote the exhibit, and one that turned out to be a favorite of ours. The posters are fantastic, but hold nothing to the real painting hanging on the wall.His sequence of sketches shown in one room convey the immense talent he had for combining a few simple lines together to deliver a clear visual message. In these I found great humor. The Picassos are there in Basel now, and it's well, well worth a short trip, or long. Do not miss this special collection. If I still lived there, I'd go for Happy Hour every day - between 5-6 admission is free.




The Basel Kunstmusem has a Picasso exhibit book for sale that describes the city's love affair with Picasso and offers photos and descriptions of every work included in the exhibit. We didn't pick one up because of weight, but I've already ordered a copy to be mailed home. Look up the 1903 sketch The Kiss. It was one of my favorites.
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Giverny: Monet's Place of Inspiration in Normandy

Claude Monet, the world famous Impressionist painter of the late nineteenth century, was a bold, gifted man. Giverny, France is where Monet made his home in the final years of his life. He lived in a large country home with a gorgeous blue tile kitchen and large yellow-walled dining room fit to hold twenty comfortably.





It is the place where he established his prominent brightly colored gardens of various plant species. It is home to the lily pad pond and green Japanese bridges that gave inspiration to some of his most popular paintings.


The aura of the place is powerful.


At this time this year the air is crisp. The weather has been much cooler overall for longer moving into spring—we're only hitting mid-fifties in mid-April. Monet's gardens would normally be well-moving into hearty bloom by now. For us the flowers are just beginning to bud and expose their petals, reaching out hungrily for the sun's warmth so to draw out full and complete.


With this irregular infancy in the flowers' growth we had the opportunity to imagine the fresh, vivid rainbow that clutched Monet's heart and hand, creating lurid expressions that have brightened the light of the world for millions over the years, and more and more to come, for certain.

The place is enchanting. It's inspiring. I felt as though I could spend months there drawing out the magic of the place to create my very own unique communication of life's treasures, it's flow, adaptation and progression.


Walking along the budding paths of the garden and over the bridges, around the pond dancing with the flow of winter's snow melt reflecting in the sun's rays, nude from the luscious Water Lilies (1906) painted in summer's flourish, Monet's impression is clearly seen. It's there in the water of the earth linked to all that surrounds it, including us.


The hairs on my body stood tall. I could feel it acutely—the magic of Giverny.


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Milwaukee moves into Fall

Work has been hectic these last few weeks - busy and good. This weekend I'll get writing about it all. It's just been so much fun spending time with glorious friends from around the world, and showing them how great our city is. Here's a few shots of Milwaukee as we move into fall.








Dog Park











Field Hockey Season








Hoan Bridge


Harley Davidson Museum














Harley's stage in Summerfest grounds


Near Barnacle Bud's









The Wicked Hop





Lake Beaulah





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From Sea to Shining Sea...and then some

In October I was fortunate enough to have two of my favorite gals get hitched to wonderful, wonderful men (two different men).

The first wedding was in Sonoma County in California's wine country. I had been there earlier in the week for work - lucky for me I am in the label printing industry, and well - where there's wine, there's got to be labels. The weather was outstanding reaching the upper 80s. I had the chance to visit a couple of wineries including Spring Mountain, which is one of the region's oldest, and undoubtably one of the most beautiful. There we tried some of the Elivette Reserve wine that had the longest legs I've ever seen, and a smell that one could never say no to. The inside is immaculately decorated using a high top glass table for the tasting. This small design incorporation added volumes to the experience as the sun shone brightly through the window, the wine glass and the table top.

Most of my girl's family and friends flew into California for the occasion. It was truly a Wisconsin invasion!! In the morning of the big day I found a great little French Bakery - Costeaux - where my hangover was washed away with an APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON, SPINACH, SUN DRIED TOMATO, AND BRIE omlette, glass of fresh orange juice and a killer cup of java. And the breads, to die for!!


A few of us had some fun wandering through the local second hand store as well where we found a few fab finds including a pair of opera binoculars made in Paris, which dated back to the early years of the 20th century.

The ceremony itself was held at a family owned vineyard with a killer view. No flowers necessary with this background. The entire ceremony and celebration was filled with complete love and joy - and tons of fun had by all I can guarantee that. DJ FancyArms made for fabulous eye candy and we all had a memorable time.

On my way out of San Francisco I was able to hook up with a dear old college friend and one of my local Milwaukee ladies that has recently ventured too to the West Coast. We had a tasty dinner at Fresca where they have a variety of ceviches that are absolutely out of this world. What a lucky girl I am to have all of these wonderful people (and more) in my life living in the same fabulous city - and I didn't even get to visit will all of them!!

It was only the following weekend that I had a wedding in Cincinnati, Ohio. There my childhood girlfriend from age two had one of the most unique weddings I’ve been to yet.

My mother was my hot date to the event, which was one of the best decisions. It had been well over 15 years since our two mothers had time to catch up, so it was due time. On the day of the wedding we had some breakfast at my girl’s favorite local greasy spoon – JK’s in Madeira. For the rest of the day we buzzed around Kenwood mall.

The ceremony was in the middle of a park near the amazing Mirror Fountain that brilliantly reflected the fall colors dripping from the trees’ leaves. Celebrations commenced at the American Sign Museum which is home to hundreds of vintage neon signs for US hotel chains like Howard Johnson, historical food chains such as Big Boy and a plethora of drug store and pharmacy signs. It created the perfect backdrop for the wedding party who wore Adidas sneaks and most of which had detailed, colorful tattoos.

Dinner was something that I’d never experienced before: low key, made to order and amazing! In the months prior to the event, the husband-to-be ventured ‘round the city tasting tacos and more from the city’s most reputable Mexican restaurants. The delivery – a taco truck. Aye carrumbba! It was a magical event. Truly different.

In between these two fabulous events I traveled to Belgium for work to give a presentation on the market in North America. While there I was able to share a lovely dinner with a close friend at the perfect quaint spot on a side road in Antwerp. At Chez Fred we shared a lovely tuna carpaccio, well-made steak with peppercorn sauce and a great bottle of red.