New Ceramic Art Gallery on 1st Street!

While wandering around Little Tokyo waiting for the Hope & Memory Service at the Japanese Cultural & Community Center, I found a bright green wall and open door under the old boarded-up game shop sign (you know, the one that says "Outer Heaven"). 

Meet Lilia:

Meet lovely ceramic art:

I kept coming back to those faces. I'm trying to think of what I can give up for a few weeks in order to save the dough to buy one of her lovely pieces. Good to set artful goals. In addition to her own work, she also has pieces from friends in South Africa available. 

I loitered there watching her work and chatting for about an hour. Only one couple came in during that whole time. Come on, people! She's getting her sign this weekend and her opening will be in a few weeks. I love new discoveries, especially when they resonate with ideas I've been toying with for a while. I've been thinking about taking a ceramics class for over a year now. Material art is sort of foreign to me since I'm so used to the work-anywhere medium of writing. Hmm, there's always papier-mâché...

More on Venier Gallery soon, like the address and opening date. For now, wander down First Street and look for the bright green wall. You can't miss it.