findingthemojo no 382

Hello again and sorry for the lack of comms, the festive season is upon us in more ways than one and as such this will be the last of the 2013 blogs. A new year's resolution to do at least one local trip per year, has been fulfilled for 2013 and we managed two trips in one month!

• a canoe trip down the Orange River was loads of fun, gorgeous river with some edgy rapids - nothing too harsh, and excellent food - Felix Unite are very professional

• just back from the Green Mountain Trail which takes place in the Elgin/Grabouw/Botrivier area - what a discovery!  Glorious mountain flora, magnificent views and many kms later, we made it and will definitely be back

cheers, enjoy the holidays and festive cheer, please take care on the road
speak to you on 3 Feb 2014 again
jp

findingthemojo no 381

Hi there - wondering what to do with those house-guests who start arriving around about now?

image: leonardodavincisinventions.com

• definitely get them down to the Waterfront’s Chavonnes Battery Museum (at the Clocktower Square) from Wed 27 Nov to 9 Feb 2014 for the Da Vinci - The Genius Exhibition, open from 9am - 9pm everyday - " a dream exhibition for art and history aficionadas, engineers and mathematicians", also where "the unveiling of the 25 secrets about the Mona Lisa" will be revealed - can't wait!

image: wavescapefilmfestival.co.za

• don't miss the annual Wavescape Surf Film Festival taking place at various venues in CT which includes the Art Surfboard Project & Exhibition, on from 27 Nov to 4 December 2013 at Superette in the Woodstock Exchange - auction takes place there on 4 Dec, schedule here

cheers and we'll be back in the office on Monday 2 Dec
jp

findingthemojo no 380

Morning - today, in sympathy with friends with challenging teens.....

image: dailymail.co.uk

• "the most terrible thing is the absolute certainty of teenagers and Hitler" - Stephanie Beacham, quoted in The Independent

image: innovationlabs.org.uk

• "when your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you" - Nora Ephron, quoted in NYTimes.com

image: dog-behaviour-tips.com

cheers and great weekend
jp

findingthemojo no 379

Hi and what's on the cards for the weekend ahead?

• you might like to take in two nights of lekker local toons at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.  Friday night features the bands Seether and Taxi Violence and on Sunday it's Prime Circle.  Both nights should be very popular so book your tickets early

image: sanbi.org

• or, you might prefer the more outdoorsy Cape Town Festival of Beer which takes place at Hamilton's Rugby Club from Fri 22 to 24 Nov - enjoy!

image: capetownfestivalofbeer.co.za

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 378

Hello - everything is coming up potty and we love it!

image: artintheforest

• on Saturday this weekend, do not miss the bi-annual Potters Market at the Rondebosch Park with it's fab creative vibe.  Great for gifts, get there early or you will miss the best of the best

image: johnbauerart.com

•  the following Saturday, 30 Nov sees the opening of the Art in the Forest Ground Zero Exhibition, Constantia Nek Circle, at 11:00 (zero being zerophytes) "exploring design, planters, earth, pots, succulents and botanically inspired ceramic art"

Carla de Cruz's work, image: artintheforest

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 377

Hello again - a favorite artist, British Lucian Freud has been in the news again

image: galleristny.com

• "English society is one of the world’s richest and longest-going orgies", says Dan Duray in his review, Portrait of the Artist as an Old Bastard which focuses on the new Lucian Freud biography, Breakfast with Lucien by Geordie Greig

image: associated press

• when Three Studies of Lucian Freud by Irish painter Francis Bacon went for a record $142 million on a Christie's auction last week, HuffPost put together An Idiot's Guide to Francis Bacon: The Man Behind the World's Most Expensive Painting - something new every day

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 376

Hi there - wondered if this was enough?

• "one of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats" - Iris Murdoch, quoted in Good Housekeeping

image: dailymail.co.uk

• "a virtuous ordinary life, striving for wisdom but never far from folly, is achievement enough" - Alain de Botton, quoted in The Observer 

image: news.bbc.co.uk

we'll be back next week Tuesday, take care
cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 375

Morning - the weeks are wild and it's best to plan well ahead

image: opera-online.com

• do not miss this honey sweet voice: Pretty Yende is in Town for a one night recital only on Sat 16 Nov at the Artscape Theatre @ 8pm

• Saturday is also the last day to view the Ceramics SA Western Cape Regional  Exhibition at The Great Cellar, Alphen Estate, Constantia.  On every day 9 - 5pm and 9 - 1pm on Sat and it's free!

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 374

Hello - crazeee creatives, highlighted by Colossal

• American sculpture Morgan Herrin uses humble laminated construction wood to create these marvellous pieces - "recycled, construction-grade lumber reflects our society’s preference for cheap, fast, and impermanent"

image: morganherrin.com

• Korean sculpture, Park Seung Mo's amazing wire work,  "tightly wound aluminium wire was used to create this metal dress. So fine and seamless is the artwork, it appears to be one sheet of material".  Watch the video on his early work - amazing!

Wedding by SeungMo Park

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 373

Hello - wise weekend words

• "if people did not sometimes do silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done" - Ludwig Wittgenstein, quoted in The Buffalo News

image: en.wikipedia.org

• "had I abided by good advice I might have been saved from some of my most valuable mistakes" - Edna St Vincent Millay, quoted in The Boston Globe

image: way2enjoy.com

cheers and lovely weekend!
jp

findingthemojo no 372

Morning - what are your plans for the weekend? Two suggestions

image: dustyrebelsandthebombshells.co.za

• the inaugural Dusty Rebels and the Bombshells Rockabilly Festival takes place on Sat 9 Nov from 12pm at the Cape Ostrich Farm in Philadelphia (N7), just outside CT.  Featuring classic cars & bikes, plenty of pin-ups, bike polo and the CT rollergirls

• the Table Mountain Sunset Special is currently on till 20 Dec, half price between 6 & 8pm. Better still, purchase a TM card, only R510 and it's valid till 30 Sept 2014 - total bargain and it's quite beautiful up there

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 371

Hi there - several interesting exhibitions are on in CT right now, with one suggestion to visit

• The Lovell Gallery in Woodstock which is hosting the Unisa Visual Art Graduate Exhibition, until 16 Nov

image: lovellgallery.co.za

• and, opening on 22 Nov, do not miss the SPI National Portrait Award Exhibition which will be on at the Alphen Estate in Constantia until 10 Jan 2014

Modern Youth by Ashley Bothma

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 370

Hello hello - a reminder that it's amazing up there..... after the long long winter, Table Mountain is looking spectacular! Spent a night in the Overseers Cottage this past weekend and walking across to the cable station accompanied by an amateur botanist was quite delightful! 

• disa rosea, a rare orchid beauty

• 'fields' of erica empetrina, the only place they occur in the world!

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 369

Hello - so Summer is finally here in the Cape and the programme is looking hot!

• The Galileo Open Air Cinema Summer season opens on Tues 5 Nov and there are now three venues to choose from - grab a bunch of friends and that picnic, enjoy!

• the famous Kamers Vol Geskenke also opens on Tues 5 Nov at the Webersburg Estate in Stellenbosch, for five days only.  "With transformation as this year’s theme, Kamers provides a visual and creative feast of exceptional handmade and crafted products"

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 368

Hi there honeys

• "to achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time" - Leonard Bernstein, quoted on Forbes.com

image: dmpnet.nl

• "everything changes except the avant garde" -  Paul Valery, quoted in The Observer

image: ndbooks.com

cheers and fab weekend
jp

findingthemojo no 367

Greetings - two suggestions for some fine theatre this weekend

• get to the Artscape Arena Theatre for The View, a riveting two-hander - rave reviews

image: artscape.co.za

• do go and see Laugh the Buffalo at The Baxter Theatre, to witness Andrew Buckland in amazing form

image: baxter.co.za

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 366

Morning - CT loves a dress-up and  Halloween is a happening! the spine-chilling celebrations are huge this year, including bloody balls, bats, bums and bingo, continuing well into the wicked weekend

• the blood-curdling SA Horrorfest starts today and will include the screening of two dozen horror movies at The Labia, from Fri 1 - 8 Nov

 

• Hillcrest Quarry hosts the 2013 Halloween Dansville, "an eight hour jol", get your tickets now, phases 1 & 2 are already sold out!

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 365

Hello - a pet peeve

image: telegraph.co.uk

• from The  Independent, some frightening stats concerning wasted food in the UK:  "68% of bagged salad bought and sold by Tesco never makes it onto the consumer's plate", "the average British family throws away R10880.00 worth of food each year"

image: yelp.com

• also need to mention (and remind ourselves of) the mountains of plastic waste this 'bagged' and packaged fresh produce and pre-packaged meals generate on an annual basis - try to buy your fruit and veg local and loose - it's lekker!

image: telegraph.co.uk

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 364

Hi again - on the road, in this amazing place we call home

• on our way over Kloof Nek into the City the other evening - a ridiculously lovely rainbow

• on a road trip through the Karoo just recently, we drove behind this fabulously branded haulier - Lephuthing and 3 Daughters

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 363

Hello - two famous actresses have their say

• "I always wanted to be somebody but now I realise I should have been more specific" - Lily Tomlin, quoted in The Spectator

image: biography.com

• "Life is about losing everything, gracefully" - Mia Farrow, quoted in The Daily Telegraph

image: people.com

Enjoy your weekend
cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 362

Hello - weekend suggestions

• you should support our local artists and visit the brand new Cape Town Art Fair at The Lookout at the V & A this weekend, opens Fri 25-27 Oct, from 11 - 6pm

image: whatsonincapetown.com

• and get the ultimate adrenalin rush at the Banff Mountain Film Festival which also opens Fri 25 Oct - 1 Nov.  Screenings at Cavendish and Tygervalley @ 20:15 daily

image: banff.co.za

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 361

Hi again - as we head into Summer and those lovely long days, the diary seems to require more and more attention.  Suggest you make space for these two upcoming events

• the Elgin Open Gardens 2013 weekends, on 2-3 and 9-10 Nov.  Try to incorporate a hike, visit to a wine farm or restaurant while in this beautiful area of the Western Cape - so worth it!

• spend a riveting two hours or so listening to nine different speakers, presenting their interesting stories for six mins and 40 seconds each at PechaKucha on Tues 5 Nov - it's free!

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 360

Morning - winning photographers

• the winners of the Landscape Photographer of the year 2013 have been announced. The overall winner was Mist and Reflections, Crummock Water, Cumbria by Tony Bennett, but love this 'adult urban view winner'

Starlings over Carmarthen by Nigel McCall

• and the winner of the  Wildlife Photographer of the year 2013 is Greg Du Toit from SA with his Essense of Elephants photo, but the top 10 pics are all amazing!

Dive buddy by Luis Javier Sandoval (Mexico)

cheers
jp

findingthemojo no 359

Morning - all about art (aaa!)

image: Dennis van Tine- Abaca USA

• Banksy's at it again - from Time Magazine: "British street artist Banksy's new work 'The Sirens of the Lambs.' The installation features dozens of wailing stuffed animals aboard a slaughterhouse delivery truck that has been driving the streets of the Meatpacking District in New York"

• do go and check out the brand new Art For Me Fair at The Lookout at the V & A Waterfront, from 25 to 27 Oct, 10:00 till 20:00 - should be interesting, here's hoping!

cheers
jp