art appreciation

(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 #5) Reflection, Outdoor sculpture

When art touches soul

In my corporate workshops I always stress the importance of art — in any form — as a way to enrich our daily lives. Allowing art to find us, touch us, and inspire us — can lead to a visceral sense of complete joy and fulfillment. That apparently applies to quadrupeds as well.

Studies show that animals do respond to music — and in some cases, researchers notice a healing effect. When a team of researchers in Belfast, Northern Island, exposed 50 dogs in an animal shelter to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Greigs Morning and other classical pieces, the dogs “became calm and laid down.” When the researchers played music by Metallica and other heavy metal bands, the dogs “became agitated and began barking.”

In the attached video, you’ll see a what anthropomorhically appears to be a quite charming adult golden retriever — completely enraptured by a song played on guitar by a UConn college student named Drew Acoleo. Watch closely, and you can see “Bailey” actually bopping to the beat and “smiling” when antibiotics Drew begins to strum. As soon as he stops, Bailey does too.

The musician received so many queries about the video’s authenticity that he felt he needed to explain: He says he was playing in the basement of a friend’s house when he noticed his buddy’s golden responding to his tune. He was as surprised as we are, and he decided to record the session on his iPhone.

Drew says he wants to make it clear–that he doesn’t work for Anheuser-Busch. (You’ll notice the can of Bud Light propped in a very strategic place on the right side of the screen.) Guitar World Magazine concluded that it’s just a clever way for us to watch Drew’s hand strumming in the can’s reflection.

The viral video has now reached nearly 6 million views in just one month’s time. Now some Bailey fans are hoping to see this clip run as a commercial during the Super Bowl next week. Hey, goofier things have happened. Here’s one of the finalists from the “Crash the Super Bowl” homemade ad contest for Doritos:

Allowing The Moment To Emerge

Proof Positive: Dogs Dig…. Music