"I've always known that I was supposed to be an artist." As a 3-year-old in his small Ohio hometown, Paul Richmond woke before dawn each day, stole downstairs to the family dining table and drew, and drew, and drew. "I’d have hundreds of pieces done before they got up," he says. "They weren’t masterpieces by any stretch—but I knew that I loved it." That early passion … [Read more...] about True Expression
Scenery with a Cinematic Past
Hollywood’s Love Affair with Point Lobos
The swarms of tourists that clog Highway 1 every weekend to soak up the beauty of Point Lobos might believe that social media made them privy to a long-held Monterey Peninsula secret. Little do they know that Hollywood moviemakers discovered this gem and have been using it as a backdrop for more than a century. At last count, around 50 films have been shot on or around Point … [Read more...] about Scenery with a Cinematic Past
Shaking Up the Cocktail Industry
Mariano Martinez Invented the Margarita Machine
It's worth noting that two innovations that transformed the bartending industry were birthed by musicians. The first was the Waring Blender, named for famous Big Band Era bandleader Fred Waring. The second was created as a solution to a shortcoming of the first. On May 11, 1971, Mariano Martinez debuted his first frozen margarita machine at Mariano's Hacienda, his Dallas … [Read more...] about Shaking Up the Cocktail Industry
A Natural Aptitude for Art
Jennifer Anderson's Animal-Inspired Works
As I grew up, I was fervently desirous of becoming acquainted with Nature." "As a child, I was out in nature all the time." Quotes from two masterful artists for whom depicting various members of the animal kingdom became a lifelong vocation and avocation. The first was painter and ornithologist John James Audubon, the second, multiple media artist Jennifer Anderson of … [Read more...] about A Natural Aptitude for Art
A Way with Words
The Jazz Journey of Legendary Songwriter Carroll Coates
Songwriting is a multidisciplinary calling. A songsmith is equal parts composer, poet, musician, philosopher and entrepreneur. Many times, it's an unsung profession: the performer who interprets the song gets the credit and adulation, the songwriter gets a credit set in microscopic type on a CD cover or record label. Sure, there are exceptions. Individuals such as Cole Porter, … [Read more...] about A Way with Words