Dawn Andres Design

Live a life true to yourself

2012-01-13T04:29:09Z

John Cage Performs “Water Walk” on “I’ve Got a Secret” (1960)

I recently read an article by Bronnie Ware, former nurse that compiled the top 5 regrets she heard while caring for patients on their death bed. The most common regret she heard was “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” What if John Cage didn’t have that courage to break the mold and do what he believed in when others laughed? How many other geniuses are there sitting in suits biting their tongues and silently dreaming? We all are influenced by those that are close to us, but we are the ones living our lives. Embrace your quirks. Be your best self and live a life true to your dreams.

Originally seen at openculture.com

The marriage of music and sculpture

2012-01-29T21:08:34Z

Andrew Bird and Ian Schneller’s Sonic Arboretum, MCA Chicago. December 27, 2011

I was home in Chicago over the holidays and made it a point to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art. It’s one of the only, and one of the largest, museums dedicated to artists of our lifetime. If you find yourself in Chicago, definitely check it out. They have great rotating exhibits and a wonderful permanent collection.

It was the Tuesday after Christmas when I entered through the front door of the MCA and was immediately confronted with Ian Schneller and Andrew Bird’s “Sonic Arboretum.” Large speakers resembling the horns of old time phonographs were assembled in two groups. The speakers, hand made by Schneller, are made of compressed newsprint, dryer lint, and shellacked to a shiny finish. The speakers are stunning art objects in themselves, but when combined with Bird’s music are appreciated at a whole new level. Each horned speaker intermittently played a delicate melody of plucked or bowed violin strings. The soft melodies came together to form a layered cohesive piece of music that was emitted from a garden of beautiful horned speakers. The music, composed and preformed by Bird specifically for this exhibit, interacted with the acoustics of the large atrium. It was a multifaceted piece that needed to be seen in person to be appreciated it fully. Sadly, the exhibit came down at the end of December. Bird gave two live performances earlier in the month that must have been spectacular.

From tree to table, a persimmon galette

2012-01-29T22:02:24Z

Persimmon Tree (photo by Ian Tuttle)

A couple of weeks ago Mr. Tuttle brought me persimmons picked straight from his dad’s persimmon tree in St. Helena. Some of them were even still on the vine. A few of them I enjoyed raw; Persimmons are sweet and lovely eaten just as you would eat an apple. But after a few days I realized something should be done with the remaining 4 persimmons.

One of my favorite no nonsense ways of “dealing” with whatever fruit is currently in abundance in my fruit bowl is to make a galette. Galettes are a non-pretentious desert (or main dish if you make a savory galette!) that can handle almost anything as a filler.

Persimmon Galette

To make my persimmon galette I cut each of the 4 persimmons in half and then sliced each half into pieces between an 1/8^th and a 1/4^th of an inch thick. I tossed them with about a teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoon or two of agave. You really can’t go wrong with cinnamon and agave, just add each to taste. I threw in a bit of flour at the end to thicken it up. I used this recipe to make the crust, poured the persimmon mixture into the center, folded the ends of the crust dough up, and baked it for 20 minutes (or until the crust just started to brown).

I served this galette for desert at a small holiday dinner I hosted with a scoop of 3 Twins Vanilla ice cream.

Mission Dolores

2012-01-31T06:28:26Z

I am lucky enough to live not only in an amazingly beautiful city but also in a vibrant neighborhood rich in history. Blocks from my house stands the oldest building in San Francisco, Mission San Francisco de Asís. Founded in 1776 and commonly referred to as Mission Dolores, it is one of 21 Spanish Missions in California and the oldest one still intact. It is also home to the only cemetery in San Francisco.

Stepping inside was like leaving the streets of San Francisco far behind. The 4ft thick walls shut out the noise outside and kept the inside cool and dark. It is a fine example of artistry and craftsmanship, constructed under passion for a common belief.

Click a Thumbnail for a larger view

Fun with Final Cut Pro

2010-07-26T18:14:31Z

A while back Lee Sinclair at NO MEANS NO USA asked me if I would create a video montage for her based on the video footage she had of her pilot NO MEANS NO class at the School of the Arts. She had about 3 hours of raw footage and wanted a 4 minute or so video she could use to promote the class. I had never worked with video or Final Cut Pro, but she was patient with me as I maneuvered my way through the program. She chose the song, a karaoke version of Coldplay’s Lovers in Japan, and together we sifted through the video picking the clips that best represented the class. We wrapped up editing a couple of days ago and I’m so proud of it. Lee has a great program going and she was wonderful to work with on this video project. Thanks Lee!

Calder to Warhol Photobooth

2010-06-26T21:33:42Z

Visited the photobooth at the Calder to Warhol exhibit opening reception at the SF MOMA last night. Maybe i’m biased, but I think Ian and I happened to have the best pose.

A Grand Polo Match

2010-06-11T05:17:40Z

Last summer, the Derailleurs, in cooperation with SF Hardtop Bike Polo and the SF Tweed Ride, filmed our bike polo skit using the Tweed Riders as extras. We used the footage from the skit to promote the Derailleurs movie, which is still in production. This was a fun little skit, and Janel, aka Agent Take The Lane, did a great job with editing the movie!

P.S. the bike tour was all I thought it would be and more. I want write about it and post some pictures, but havn’t been able to dedicate the proper time to it yet. Soon…

6 days through the desert on a bicycle

2010-05-22T07:14:34Z

Palm Springs, CA - Carefree, AZ

Tomorrow morning Ian and I will pick up a rental car, throw our bikes in the back, and drive south to Palm Springs. The next morning we’ll set out on our bikes for Carefree, AZ. We’ll ride 324 miles over 6 days with 1 rest day in there that has yet to be determined. I’ve been giddy with anticipation all week. My mind is having a hard time grasping what my body is going to go through, but I know that after I do this other tasks that once seemed difficult wont be so impossible.

East on 29 Palms Highway. North edge of Joshua Tree National Park. via google maps

Bye bye blogosphere. I’ll see ya on the return….

A beautiful sight, but advertising fail?

2010-05-05T02:43:50Z

This morning I passed an interesting bus shelter. It was so interesting I had to get off my bike (going up hill) and walk back a block in order to get a picture.

Blooming Muni Bus Shelter at Masonic & Oak, San Francisco, CA

I snapped a picture and went on with my day. It wasn’t until I decided to do some internet research that I found that this sort of thing isn’t isolated. There’s one over on Chestnut and Pierce as well. Equally as beautiful, but what does it mean??

Well Muni Diaries cracked the case…see the ad on the far end of the shelter for some flowery deoderent? Yeah, i didn’t catch that either. The moral? Sometimes doing something so out of the ordinary will gain attention, but in the end everyone remembers the spectacle, not the product.

Bike Scavenger Hunt TODAY!

2010-05-02T06:53:32Z

It’s a beautiful day and the Derailleurs have planned a May Day Bike Scavenger hunt with great prizes from:

Box Dog Bikes

Mojo Bicycle Cafe

Xanath Ice Creamery

Amnesia Bar

Bar on Church

Bike Light Fairy

Agent Chaos Toptubes