The Lardner Report

Unleash your creative superpowers!

Allowing The Moment To Emerge

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(Pic #1) Unexpected visitor, Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge, CA. (Photo by Josh Kaplan.)

On an impromptu trip to Descanso Gardens (https://www.descansogardens.org) Josh wandered around as usual, taking photos of anything that he finds visually interesting: a child mesmerized by the splashing fountain, an artist capturing the stunning grounds with her sketch book, a quirky multicolored sculpture reflected in a fresh pond.   

(Pic #2) Unexpected visitor, in cammo mode.

There are gorgeous plants and flowers as well, as you can see. Then at one point he stopped to shoot a simple magenta blossom — not much about it was extraordinary — but there was something different about it. He wasn’t sure what…. until…. he checked the image closely, and found… a hidden treasure in plain sight. A leaf-mimicking Praying Mantis — all stretched out in the sun on the flower’s top shelf.

Several cool photos followed, and an important lesson as well. When creating any kind of art, we can limit ourselves by accepting the obvious — as is, what seems to be the final product. But if we remain open — almost expecting a sweet surprise — sometimes magic really does happen.

(Pic #3) Garden guest
(Pic #4) Artist at work

(Pic #5) Reflection, Outdoor sculpture

Stunning, Simple Beauty

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Portland’s Japanese Garden makes you rethink your own relationship to space.

(Pic #1) Fall colors at the world famous Laceleaf Maple Tree on a foggy autumn morning at the Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Scott Smorra.)

Yes, it’s real. Typically known as “the Tree”— this stunner attracts thousands of fans from all over the world. Its most flamboyant show “opens” during the Fall months. But the joys of Japanese landscaping don’t end there.

It’s not just the lush rich greens and changing colors of the season, but the Japanese appreciation for the simplest (yet powerful) design, and a reverence for artful construction.


It’s what urged me into screaming, “I must become a minimalist!” to my friends (Portland residents) Brian and Geordie. Every plant, stream, water feature and pathway had a reason to be there, and nothing is ever overdone. Walking the grounds, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the unexpected, cleverly-patterned stone walkways that lead guests through in abstract, asymmetrical patterns. (Pic #2)

I want to throw everything I own into a dumpster. I’m just going to have to face the separation anxiety.

An Artist’s Mission: Keep An Open Mind

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(Pic #1) My first foray into lawn gnome culture. Meet a rusty old rabbit named Mike.

About a year ago I set out to buy a lawn gnome for a colleague of mine. If that makes you chuckle, it did me too. I really just like the sound of those two words together. Say it with me: “lawn gnome.”

But I guess I was a little snobby about garden sculpture, especially if it was literal or in any way recognizable. If you follow my posts, you know I’m partial to abstraction. The less identifiable the form, the better. But part of an artist’s raison d’etre is to see—and help others look at their surroundings, everyday objects, and life around them. So dismissing any form of art deprives us of connecting, not only with art, but with innovative ideas and each other. Seeing something fresh and new is the best way to enrich our lives.

As an artist, I now know it’s my job to keep a completely open mind. So when I saw the rusty rabbit above, in a Carpenteria Nursery called Seaside Gardens, I had to have him — and share with you. Yes, he’s made from discarded metal trash, but I like his roughness, pastel stripes, and simple lines. And who knows, in a few weeks, we may be celebrating the births of dozens of rusty baby bunnies in our fragrant bushes of lavender.