Andrew's Oval, Part 1
Awesome Video of the Day:
If you don't feel like watching all of it, a guy in Texas is a collector of Presidential memorabilia - like JFK's Oval Office rocking chair, campaign things going back to Eisenhower, and pictures + autographs of him with each President going back to Nixon. Anyway, he built a replica of the Oval Office in his driveway (as an extension of the house, so it's like adding on a whole real room!) With a real desk, and designed to look real in every way! *u* it's soo cool.
I wanna see an Oval Office someday. Certainly the real one would be best, but for the time I'll accept one of the professional replicas. There was a partial replica back at the FDR Presidential Library & Museum. IKEA created a replica of the Oval Office in the subways of Washington D.C. back during inauguration season I guess - I don't remember seeing it! There are replicas immitating the appropriate Presidents at the Ford, Carter, Reagan and Clinton libraries. I want to seeee theeeem...
But what might my Oval Office look like, for the sake of creative blogging? Well, I happen to already have a collection of favorite White House art. There is a book on it at Bierce, which I find FASCINATING!
First of all, this would not be in *my* oval office -- but one of my favorite art pieces is the John Singer Sargent presidential portrait of Teddy Roosevelt. It's got an awesome story behind it, another artist had painted Teddy's official portrait but Teddy HATED it! He thought it made him look like a "cute kitten." He hid it in the darkest corner of the White House, until it went "mysteriously missing." No historic photos exist of this picture. But someone recommended Sargent paint Teddy, and he agreed to pose for half an hour a day for sketches until Sargent found a pose he liked. Well, days went by, and Teddy found it to be a HUGE waste of time (and hated standing still) and one day blew up at him, thinking the famous artist "Had no idea what he was looking for!" Angry Sargent yelled back, "You have no idea what it takes to pose for a portrait!" "Roosevelt, whom by then had reached the landing, planted his hand on the balustrade post, turned onto the ascending artist and said, "Don't I!" - (JSSGallery history.)
I love that story. Which is why I tried so hard for so long to find a print of that painting! They're all like crazy ridiculous expensive on the internet. Luckily me and Sarah found one at the Teddy Roosevelt house this past trip to New York n.n got it framed, now I just need a matte.
The Teddy portrait that does make it into my oval office would be by Philip Alexius de Laszlo -- a British painter (1869-1937), painted in 1910. This portrait was once described as...
New Story of the Day: "Obama orders Equal Benefits for Same-Sex Partners in the Executive Branch" -- I oppose "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and signed some online-petition the other day (Which you should consider signing too) which was official don't worry - I got it from Obama, I got it from Obama...
Song of the Day: "Young Forever" by Jay-Z, ft. Mr. Hudson. This is apparently a remix of an 80's song called "Forever Young." Yup, turns out that song is by Alphaville - and came out in 1984. This song took some getting used to, but I've come to kinda like it. Choice lyrics:
If you don't feel like watching all of it, a guy in Texas is a collector of Presidential memorabilia - like JFK's Oval Office rocking chair, campaign things going back to Eisenhower, and pictures + autographs of him with each President going back to Nixon. Anyway, he built a replica of the Oval Office in his driveway (as an extension of the house, so it's like adding on a whole real room!) With a real desk, and designed to look real in every way! *u* it's soo cool.
I wanna see an Oval Office someday. Certainly the real one would be best, but for the time I'll accept one of the professional replicas. There was a partial replica back at the FDR Presidential Library & Museum. IKEA created a replica of the Oval Office in the subways of Washington D.C. back during inauguration season I guess - I don't remember seeing it! There are replicas immitating the appropriate Presidents at the Ford, Carter, Reagan and Clinton libraries. I want to seeee theeeem...
But what might my Oval Office look like, for the sake of creative blogging? Well, I happen to already have a collection of favorite White House art. There is a book on it at Bierce, which I find FASCINATING!
First of all, this would not be in *my* oval office -- but one of my favorite art pieces is the John Singer Sargent presidential portrait of Teddy Roosevelt. It's got an awesome story behind it, another artist had painted Teddy's official portrait but Teddy HATED it! He thought it made him look like a "cute kitten." He hid it in the darkest corner of the White House, until it went "mysteriously missing." No historic photos exist of this picture. But someone recommended Sargent paint Teddy, and he agreed to pose for half an hour a day for sketches until Sargent found a pose he liked. Well, days went by, and Teddy found it to be a HUGE waste of time (and hated standing still) and one day blew up at him, thinking the famous artist "Had no idea what he was looking for!" Angry Sargent yelled back, "You have no idea what it takes to pose for a portrait!" "Roosevelt, whom by then had reached the landing, planted his hand on the balustrade post, turned onto the ascending artist and said, "Don't I!" - (JSSGallery history.)
I love that story. Which is why I tried so hard for so long to find a print of that painting! They're all like crazy ridiculous expensive on the internet. Luckily me and Sarah found one at the Teddy Roosevelt house this past trip to New York n.n got it framed, now I just need a matte.
The Teddy portrait that does make it into my oval office would be by Philip Alexius de Laszlo -- a British painter (1869-1937), painted in 1910. This portrait was once described as..."I used to look at it all the time when I felt bad and I worried, "Was the war in Bosnia going to come out all right? Would the Kosovar refugees ever be able to go home?"I'm going to stop there, and make this a multiple part series. I started this a few weeks ago, and now can't really think straight but wanted to update. Have a good Tuesday ya'll!
Because if you look at that picture, Theodore Roosevelt, who was known as our most macho, bully, self-confident president, you look at that picture and you see here's a human being who's scared to death and not sure it's going to come out all right. And he does the right thing, anyway. That's what I saw in that picture..." -- President Bill Clinton
New Story of the Day: "Obama orders Equal Benefits for Same-Sex Partners in the Executive Branch" -- I oppose "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and signed some online-petition the other day (Which you should consider signing too) which was official don't worry - I got it from Obama, I got it from Obama...
Song of the Day: "Young Forever" by Jay-Z, ft. Mr. Hudson. This is apparently a remix of an 80's song called "Forever Young." Yup, turns out that song is by Alphaville - and came out in 1984. This song took some getting used to, but I've come to kinda like it. Choice lyrics:
"Let us die young, or let us live forever
We don't have the power, but we never say never..."
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