Make a daily practice of viewing the world as if you have just entered it. Think of the endless, glorious gifts we enjoy. The sunshine, the air. See. Smell. Hear. Taste. Touch. Look at everything around you with newness each day and you will transform monotony into an exhilarating experience.

Image by Nick Dewar, an awe-inspiring illustrator who died last month at the age of 37.

A friend of a friend contacted me about setting me up with a guy she and her fiancé know from AA. She said he’s “Jewish, cute, funny in a sarcastic way and 6 years sober.” The sober thing could have been a red flag, but I wanted to be open-minded and non-judgmental.    

I arrive at the coffee place, and I guess he’s decent looking (though not my taste) but he had a fit build. I immediately knew I didn’t like him. We sat down outside, where he proceeds to make fun of a “NO on Prop 8” bumper sticker. At first, I thought he was kidding, but then realized he, in fact, was NOT. He went on to compare gays to crack addicts and bank robbers that only look for sex…. And when I got really heated and started to raise my voice, I was told “God all you Jewish girls are just so liberal.” Apparently he simply considers himself a Conservative Republican with traditional values…so I had the pleasure of clearing that up by telling him he is a BIGOT (he also seemed like a woman hater) And that as a minority himself (a Jew) he should be much more understanding of people who are different. Needless to say the date was over in 30 minutes. My blood was boiling…I got to my car (yes I was PMS) but just lost it crying that the world is filled with such TRASH. I went to my neighbors’ apartment, where they proceeded to feed me lots of wine and make me laugh. There is even more detail to the story of stuff he said, but why even put his ugly words into the universe.

OK. Just had to tell you. I’ve had some bad dates, but this takes the CAKE! Where or where is my person already!!!

Image: Crying Girl, 1964, by Roy Lichtenstein

Image: Barbie (with Pearl Necklace), 1997, by Marlene Dumas

Living in San Francisco, my wardrobe palette ranged from gray to black, a perfect accent to the perennial fog. My East Coast sister-in-law used to say, “Would it hurt to wear a little color?” Here in L.A., with its long season of white hot sun, I’ve loosened up, and now own clothes in coral, yellow, mint green and white, none of which I’d be caught dead wearing in the Bay Area, for fear of being scorned as a tourist. But red lipstick still intimidates me. Each time I apply a coat, I tissue it off before leaving the house. Beginning on March 11, the wonderful Neue Galerie in NYC is presenting an exhibition of the German expressionist, Otto Dix. In honor of this exhibit, Estée Lauder is launching two limited-edition beauty products: A lipstick called Berlin Red ($30) and a Bauhaus-inspired mirror compact ($55). I might have to give red one more try.

Image: Portrait of the Dancer Anita Berber by Otto Dix, 1925.

VOTE update – top contenders are “ART SEEN” and “GALLERY.” New write-in vote: “ART WALL”

Update from 3/2: There’s still time for your voice to be heard. Polls call soon.

Don’t forget to vote!

(Image: The Equivocal Woman, 1923, by Max Ernst)

Please go to the poll and help name a new gallery section on the site.

Image: Nick Dewar

3/8 Update: ART SEEN!
3/5 Update: Voting extended through Sunday.
3/4 Update: Poll includes the 6 entries that have received at least a couple of votes.

(Image: starting top row, left to right, artwork by Alex Katz, Clare Grill, Leonard Freed, Hayv Kahraman, Chris Jordan, Sophie Blackall, Jacob Dahlgren, Irving Penn, Richard Rutledge.)

(Image: Pusher Woman by Mel Kadel, whose work is featured in 2TheWall until March 2.)