Fruit

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

I was passing the local grocer in my neighborhood here in Geneva when I was struck by the beauty of the display of their fruit. There is something so lovely about the care that goes into the display, the contact of the grocer with his clientele and their conversation about the joy and pleasure of food that always impresses me. This intimacy and human contact must impact the pleasure of eating and consuming. I'm happy about the new trend in the US that encourages people to buy from local growers whether living in the city or in the country. The power and corruption of the mass chains, big farms, the food production machine of the US, has reined supreme for far too long. I really applaud the courageous people involved in the movement of exposing the complex corruption and ultimate poisoning of Americans in the race for corporate profits.

Sally Mann at The Musee de Elysee

Yesterday my husband and I drove out to The Musee de Elysee in Lausanne, which specializes in photography, to see the Sally Mann exhibit. Lausanne is a beautiful town on the north side of the lake as you drive east towards Montreux. You can see it on the map above marked by the "A". Geneva is to the west and Evian in France is directly across the lake. The weather was exquisite. Sunny and warm with a perfect temperature of about 70 degrees F. The museum sits on a hill over looking the lake of Geneva. You can see the building below. The exhibit consisted largely of Mann's famous photos of her children, some of which I have included below. Lately she has turned her lens towards the natural landscape of the deep south. Over all, the exhibit was well done. The director of the museum, William Ewing, is leaving this year after 14 years at the helm. He will be followed by Sam Stourdze. After the exhibit we drove to a small village called Cully. The view from the village across the lake is spectacular. You can see the French Alps, the Swiss Alps and the Swiss vineyards. The Swiss produce some wonderful white wines but they are consumed nationally and rarely exported. We strolled along the lake and saw children having a swim. We had drinks and dinner on these lovely little tables with spring blooms in blue water. All in all it was a good day.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

Sally Mann

Sally Mann

Sally Mann

Sally Mann

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

Cabinet D'Arts Graphiques

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

Last night was a beautiful evening here in Geneva. The cafes were full and alive with the buzz and excitement of spring. It seemed as if the entire town were out and about. We were invited to the opening of the new Cabinet D'Arts Graphiques Museum located in the old town. It is part of the Musee d'artet et d'histoire and the Swiss museum network. It is the arm of the museum responsible for drawing, prints and all works that come under the umbrella of graphic arts. Following is the cover of the brochure from the show and some selected works. My favorite piece is by artist and sculptor Charles de Montaigu.

Charles de Montaigu

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

Anri Sala

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

Pipilotti Rist

Philippe Deleglise

Josh Smith

Markus Raetz

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

European Airspace Closed

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

What a fiasco we are having here in Europe with most of the airspace still closed. People are stranded all over the world. Goods and services are grounded and food stuffs are decaying with devastating financial results. Flights in Asia are being cancelled because the airline companies can't get their planes back from various destinations. The rail system here is being over taxed, it's terribly crowded and there are numerous delays. Perhaps the only companies and people profiting, from this spewing volcano and its ash, are the car sales and rental people. This is a good lesson in just how interconnected we actually are.

Down the Road

Have you ever looked down the road at all the things you have to accomplish, would like to accomplish or both? Only to find that you become overwhelmed or discouraged? It's just way too much! Well, me too. But, I've had another one of my epiphanies. I realized there is no need to look down the road, especially if all it produces is anxiety. Looking down the road is an idea, a concept, created or imagined in your head. You can't accomplish anything there in actuality. The only place to effect your future is today. In the present moment. If you can do one small thing today towards that future concept, then you're on your way. It's such a miracle to realize everything is wrapped up into the now. The now is all there is. It contains the totality. The past, the present and the future.

Signs of Spring

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

Happy Birthday Victoria

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

My younger daughter's favorite place in the whole world is Hawaii. Now you might think, she couldn't possibly have visited many countries for her young years to make such a statement. But this is certainly not the case. She was born in New York, raised in Switzerland and has traveled on her own as far as Australia, Thailand and Cambodia. When she was quite young, maybe five or so, she had this growing passion to visit Hawaii. We never understood where it came from, it was uniquely her own aspiration. So for her 16th birthday, instead of a traditional sweet sixteen party, we took our daughter and her cousin (also her best friend) to Hawaii. We had a wonderful time. Today is her birthday and as I was reminiscing our trip I thought it fitting to post a photo of this beautiful Hawaiian tree. It's a bit of a gift. She is in New York for her birthday weekend and I am in Geneva.

Happy Birthday Victoria

Plagiarism in the Arts

There is such a buzz going around the Internet regarding plagiarism in image making, or taking, that I thought I would put up this quote that I found on someone else's blog. Forgive me, but I can't remember whose blog it was. OOOPPPS, appropriation without consent! I especially like the last line from Godard.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

It is a beautiful Easter Sunday here in Geneva. This is the view of the Jura mountains from my terrace. As you can see the snow is beginning to melt.

Happy Easter

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

Whether you are celebrating Easter or Passover I wanted to wish everyone a very happy and healthy holiday.

Easter Preparation

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

© 2010 Constance Hobbs. All rights reserved.

Easter is such a happy time as it heralds in the spring with its vibrant colors and pungent floral scents. I must admit, I still love to color Easter eggs, just as I did as a child. There is something about all those deep colors. Dipping the egg in red then blue. Watching colorful transformations take place. I am partial to the royal blue and aqua green. Then again, the reds, purples and pinks aren't bad either. One can apply all kinds of resists with crayons, markers etc., such fun. I haven't met one child who doesn't enjoy this process.

We couldn't be living in a better place for the Easter chocolate. Switzerland has a copious number of fine chocolatiers. My favorite are the orange rinds dipped in chocolate. My husband likes chocolate truffles. There is a delicious white wine I like from the Loire Valley of France called Sancerre. We will have that with our various Easter goodies. Switzerland also has a very delicious selection of hams and smoked meats. If you're a vegetarian I guess you'd pass on these. We can't forget the bread. Last night we had the most wonderful prosciutto with olive bread and a local white wine. You can really enjoy everything as long as you eat in moderation. Bon appetit!