By Adrienne Papp

For most people Julia Roberts is a legend, which title carries the appropriate dignity and respect she earned, but sometimes lacks the understanding that she is flesh and blood as the rest of us, except perhaps a lot more creative, determined, and sensitive. One cannot be a great actor without carrying a respectable amount of vulnerability and a great deal of receptivity of the world around them.  And one cannot be successful unless determined with a great deal of tenacity, just like Julia Roberts is.

Now, of course on top of that extreme sensitivity that getting into high intensity emotional characters requires, she also needs to “hold it together,” and cannot afford to “fall apart” like so many people out there who are being provided for, and taken care of regardless of circumstances. They are the ones not understanding the work involved before someone gains the title of a celebrity. It is easy to get a “nervous breakdown,” and such endless dramas, which demand others to carry the weight of the World for them, – in plain English: they suck the blood of the caretaker.This stunt work can be pulled off by many and even gets them sympathy, but never on a movie set.  Let’s not talk about where this behavior gets anyone in general! But, most people thinking that a life of a celebrity is easy belongs to this well cushioned crowd.

The assumption and perception that a celebrity’s life is peaches and cream  however would be much less possible if the reality was more often revealed about how one needs to show up on the set every day at 6 am fresh and rested and stay sometimes till 2 am and not complain about a single thing. Most importantly they must carry the weight of the entire film as if there was NO weight at all! For the camera sees it all, and the camera is merciless and will let nothing go unnoticed whether you are photogenic or not!

Topping this off comes the part of just getting the role and choosing the right project. All this takes a tremendous effort  from any actor including Julia Roberts and a tireless commitment. Boy, we are off the wagon as fans in our imagination of their flawless lives, aren’t we?

But, creating fuzziness and the lack of factual reporting in the media leaves a whole generation with ignorance as a mess epidemic, which  nevertheless has served the media and even politics more than anything. Lately everything seems to be mixing with entertainment, including politics. Well, of course most politicians are great actors, but without any emotional attachment to the character they play and absolutely no honesty at all! In fact most politicians aim for achieving a celebrity status and the admiration that it brings just to get ahead and gain the votes they need!  Telling the truth is not that appealing anymore unless it is mixed in with a great deal of sensationalism, – unfortunately almost like some fashion trend.

But, going back to the world of art: Talent does not just randomly create its magic, but it is soulful and giving.  It does not leave success up to life’s chances and complexities and it does not believe that life is just a big chaos over which we have no control at all.  And, we all are victims of this big something called “LIFE” that nobody really understands anything about. Nobody successful has ever thought that way, coming from a rich or poor background just the same.  The ones who made it understood the juice of life subconsciously or not, and forged ahead with unstoppable force for there is no other way to the road of success.

Actually, as a side note: one of the biggest discoveries of the 21^st century is the understanding of Chaos, which is the basic element to all birth in life: The Chaos Theory, without which there would not be anything new, or any creation at all of any kind. And, in my opinion it has no end and  no beginning, but it is infinite for chaos never ends and it never begins. It just is.

And it’s basic message is simple: although you do not know how and through which variables, collisions, accidents, or so called ‘tragedies,” which are perhaps hidden blessings, coincidences, serendipities and everything else in between that is elastic, going into all the variables, but yet you will arrive to the very same END result as if the variables were different in any which circumstance in various ways.  One way or another, sooner or later it all arrives to the same end result.  And, this very end result IS what is predictable: The Chaos Theory knows this end result, but does NOT know the HOWs!

All it takes to make it in life is to see the big picture. Unfortunately though when you do not see the big picture the in-betweens become your every day focus to the degree that you micro manage, get lost in meaningless details, lose sight of the goal and as the result will start attracting that which you most probably do not want at all, and the more you do not want it, the more you will have it and so you go on a Ferris wheel, not knowing that you can just step of it any time.

The 21^st century, sorry folks, I do not mean to disillusion anyone, but is really about breaking up the bull completely!  2010 is not about the end of the world in a literal sense, but rather the end of the World, as we THINK of it! The exact same power that creates all negativity inside and outside you is also able to create the biggest achievements there are! In fact being rich is easier than being poor. Becoming rich and successful is a way of thinking and not some random happenstance.

That is how simple it is. It is time to get “real, “real in the sense of waking up, for a change, to change! Unfortunately we tend to forget that life is a privilege.

Just one example: Jesus did not say, “Go and sin no more” because he was just in the mood! He said it because he understood and taught Quantum Physics already 2,000 years ago to humans who would not understand the language that scientists understand today. He taught the Laws of the Universe, which of course was almost completely misinterpreted!  I have seen countless examples of true stories that most often end up in court when someone falsely believes that sinning is fine  for as long as one can ask for forgiveness and then they go out doing  the same thing again, exploiting others, then asking for forgiveness yet again, and so the story spirals. However, neither Jesus, nor Quantum Mechanics says that it is okay to sin over and over again until we destroy the Earth and each other.   And, this is one of the messages of the 21^st Century: Within and not without! One for all, and all for one,  how you think is who you are, and are becoming every day: “Cogito Ergo Sum,” or in English “I think therefore I am,” as it has become most popular in its expression throughout the past decades from Descartes.

Not that in this piece I want to credit Julia Roberts with all of the above, the chaos theory, and other transformational recognitions, but I believe she is  demonstrating  to us how important it is to live life with consciousness.

The set of her latest film is in Cancun, Mexico, and we are discussing Roberts playing Elizabeth Gilbert in the big-screen adaptation of her soul-searching memoir, Eat Pray Love.

Ryan Murphy, the movie’s director describes Julia as “the kind of actress who people project dreams onto and love and feel safe to follow anywhere”.

A Hollywood A-lister, statuesque in a shimmering Balenciaga top and Céline heels, she is a powerful presence, her famous mouth even more pronounced in the flesh. But for all the gloss, there is an earthy quality to her, a grounded, no-bullshit approach to life. As Murphy puts it, Roberts “lacks the narcissism that most actresses have”.

Of her personal spiritual journey, and believing in past lives, she is pragmatic: “Do you wake up one day and realize you have found yourself? Everybody wants it to be this big moment where God talks to you, but you get to the place you are searching for step by step, I think,” she says.

And what I LOVE the most is this statement from her:

“When you end up happily married, even the failed relationships have worked beautifully to get you there.”

This statement basically means that not only we can influence the future and change it in every single minute, but also can change the past. (This is a Quantum principle that I fully believe in.)  I have a story like that myself. I pray that the person I am referring to will know in his heart of hearts and will Eat, Pray, Love until such day when the past will be just as happy as the future can be!

About the Author of This Article:  Adrienne Papp is a recognized journalist who has written for many publications including Savoir, Beverly Hills 90210, Malibu Beach, Santa Monica Sun, The Beverly Hills Times, Brentwood News, Bel-Air View, Celebrity Society, Celeb Staff, It Magazine, Chic Today, LA2DAY, West Side Today among many others. She is the President and CEO of Los Angeles / New York-based publicity company, Atlantic Publicity and publishing house, Atlantic Publisher. Adrienne writes about world trends, Quantum Physics, entertainment and interviews celebrities, world leaders, inventors, philanthropists and entrepreneurs. She also owns Atlantic United Films that produces and finances true stories made for theatrical release or the silver screen. Spotlight News Magazine is owned by Atlantic United, Incwith Adrienne Papp being the majority shareholder.

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Courtesy of Adrienne Papp

By Adrienne Papp

Since the Academy’s inception in 1987, BAFTA / LA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) has consistently presented a varied and innovative program that inspires and advances creative works, and embraces, supports and honors the wealth of creative talent in the US and California communities. The past twelve months has seen BAFTA / LA present another successful year of programming, all of which begins with the dedication and hard work of the BAFTA / LA Members serving on the Board and Committees.

The year started with the Annual Awards Season Tea Party held in the luxurious surroundings of the Beverly Hills Hotel. A staple fixture in the industry calendar, the party honors nominees from around the world, and provides a unique afternoon of British themed food and drink for those seeking a respite from the hectic Awards’ season. Once again the turnout was laden with filmmakers from all areas of the industry, and amongst those sipping tea and eating fish & chips were Clint Eastwood, Leonardo Di Caprio, Danny Boyle, Ron Howard, Stephen Daldry, Tom Wilkinson, Marisa Tomei, Alexandre Desplat, Viola Davis, Freida Pinto, Paul Bettany, Saffron Burrows, and Josh Brolin.

Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller and Teri Polo at BAFTA dinner

Later in the year, BAFTA / LA hosted a second Tea Party to celebrate the year’s achievements in television and to honor those Commonwealth and British-born individuals nominated in the Emmy Awards. Both Tea Parties shine a spotlight on the success and creative accomplishments of the peers, rewarding their film and television work while inspiring their colleagues and members to continually expand their own creative visions.

Emily Blunt at BAFTA dinner

Much of the proceeds raised from the events’ silent auctions are invested into BAFTA / LA’s Education and Outreach program, which continues to flourish. BAFTA / LA awarded British film students at UCLA, and in June they presented emerging filmmakers with the BAFTA / LA student awards.

To inspire and celebrate scholars and students, BAFTA / LA held a special screening of Anvil! The Story of Anvil, directed by the former UCLA scholar, Sacha Gervasi and all was thrilled to note that the evening energized and inspired many Members to offer their time and support to further expand the organization’s work.

In an exquisite dinner setting, on November 5, this year’s honorees were, Kirk Douglas for Worldwide Contribution to Filmed Entertainment; Danny Boyle for Artistic Excellence in Directing; Emily Blunt for British Artist of the Year; Robert De Niro for Excellence in Film and Colin Firth received the BAFTA / LA Humanitarian Award.

Kirk Douglas receives BAFTA awards from the Governor

The Host for the evening was Stephen Fry and the events was sponsored by British Airways, Volvo, American Airlines, Asprey, Beefeater 24, and Stefan Johansson Vaxjo.

Among the presenters were Ben Stiller, Claire Danes, Amy Adams, Benicio Del Toro, Ewan McGregor and Tom Ford.

About the Writer: Adrienne Papp is a recognized journalist who has written for many publications including Savoir, Beverly Hills 90210, Malibu Beach, Santa Monica Sun, The Beverly Hills Times, Brentwood News, Bel-Air View, Celebrity Society, Celeb Staff, It Magazine, Chic Today, LA2DAY, among many others. She is the President and CEO of Los Angeles/New York-based publicity companies, Atlantic Publicity andAtlantic Publisher. Adrienne writes about world trends, Quantum Physics, entertainment and interviews celebrities and world leaders. She also owns Spotlight News Magazine.

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“Getting Older is Better than Being Dead” – George Clooney

By Adrienne Papp

Academy Award winner George Clooney, quit his job as a broadcast journalist at the age of 21 and slept in a friend’s closet in his first year in Hollywood before he broke into television, and later into films. He is notorious for having a witty, wry sense of humor, which comes out at every turn in this interview. Clooney’s playfulness is obvious on screen and off as he shares one of his tricks he pulled on a friend, Matt Damon. Once Damon, while vacationing in Clooney’s villa at Lake Como in Italy, and desperately wanting to lose 30 pounds after a movie role, was exercising twice a day and only ate salad. To get a good laugh, Clooney hired a woman who took in an inch or so almost daily from Damon’s pants without him knowing. He kept on wondering how it was possible in God’s name that he seemed to be gaining weight as his pants were getting tighter and tighter while he was eating next to nothing and exercising vigorously. Having no children Clooney certainly seems to have found a way to entertain himself with his friends just the same.

Right around the corner he has three movies coming out almost simultaneously:  The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Men Who Stare at Goats, and Up in the Air. He is now filming The American.

“That is pure coincidence,” he says referring to the current trio, “because they’ve been made over the past two years. However, there’s no doubt that some people will be thinking ‘That Clooney fella –– does he NEVER stop?’ But I can assure them that I do, and that I am pretty pernickety about projects these days.”

Contemplating his graying hair the 48-year-old actor says with a laugh: “It’s an interesting thing to watch yourself grow older on screen. I was watching Up in the Air and I thought, ‘Jesus, who’s the old gray- haired guy?’ And it was me. I never wear make-up for movies and it’s starting to show.”

“But I’m kind of comfortable with getting older because it’s better than the other option, which is being dead. ”

Up in the Air, is a romantic comedy drama, and The Men Who Stare at Goats, is a black comedy.

In the Up In The Air, Clooney portrays a businessman, Ryan Bingham, who leads an empty life out of a suitcase with a job that has him traveling around the country firing people. Just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams, his company does the unexpected: ground him. This story about a man who is ready to make a connection is arriving this December to theaters. “It’s a bit close to my own persona so I knew I’d have to take that baggage on, and it would be okay” he says.

In The Men Who Stare at Goats, a war-comedy in which Clooney portrays Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army’s First Earth Battalion, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.  A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Cassady, as he is trying to lose himself in the romance of war after his marriage fails, and certainly gets more than he bargains for from Cassady as he reveals the existence of a secret, psychic military unit whose goal is to end the war as we know it.

The film is based on a book by Jon Ronson, a British journalist, which tells true insights of various psychic phenomena. The film, which will be released in November costars Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey and was co-produced by Clooney.

“The script had been around England and Hollywood for a while and it wasn’t going to get made because things started working against it,” he says. “We worked our magic to get it independently financed. From the very beginning it was one of those projects where I had to go to Ewan and Kevin and Jeff and everybody and say, ‘Let’s all just jump in and do this and have some fun.’ We made up stuff in the script that we thought was funny, but the weirdest stuff in the film is the true stuff.”

Both Up In The Air and The Men Who Stare At Goats received great critiques at the Toronto Film Festival last month and Oscar talk is already building around Clooney, who previously won and Oscar for his role in Syriana.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is an adventure animation about angry farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with a sly fox, and look to get rid of their opponent and his family.

Clooney, seems to have fallen in love with the concept right away.

“How could you not? I’ve been a huge fan of Roland Dahl for as many years as I can remember, and I love working with Wes Anderson.  Wes told me that it was the first book that he ever really appreciated as a kid, and when you hear something like that, you have to find out what all the fuss is about.  I wasn’t disappointed.  And then it was also Wes’ first foray into stop-motion animation, so I was a sucker for it from the beginning, as soon as I was asked to voice Mr. Fox.”

Clooney has a villa on Lake Como where he rides his Piaggio motorbikes and races his speedboat.  He loves to entertain and is an enthusiastic host to his friends.

“Tons of people have stayed and everybody shows up for dinner,” he says. “I’ve had some of the most fun dinners ever there. We have wild, fun evenings of interesting people telling interesting stories. I relate to nothing but joy and happiness there and getting the villa has been the greatest thing I’ve ever done for myself.”

Clooney was briefly married to Talia Balsam in 1989, and remained determinedly single ever since. He has been recently linked with Elisabetta Canalis, a presenter on Italian television, but his focus remained his own production company.  He produced and starred in a string of films, including the Oceans 11 series, and received a best actor nomination for Michael Clayton.

“I’ve been lucky enough to do a few films that will last longer than an opening weekend and those films are the ones I’m proud of. But I have to be honest and admit that I’m much more successful now than I ever dreamed that I’d be. It’s all icing on the cake from here on in, but you know that I still don’t feel that where I am now is a success? …, but, I’m very comfortable with what I’m doing ” he says.

George Clooney and I share the same motto: When someone says ‘‘Trust me’’, in this industry, it’s probably wise to get it in writing!

About the Writer: Adrienne Papp is a recognized journalist who has written for many publications including Savoir, Beverly Hills 90210, Malibu Beach, Santa Monica Sun, The Beverly Hills Times, Brentwood News, Bel-Air View, Celebrity Society, Celeb Staff, It Magazine, Chic Today, LA2DAY, among many others. She is the President and CEO of Los Angeles/New York-based publicity companies, Atlantic Publicity andAtlantic Publisher. Adrienne writes about world trends, Quantum Physics, entertainment and interviews celebrities and world leaders. She also owns Spotlight News Magazine.

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By Adrienne Papp

Alex Kaufman may not be a household name, but he is a celebrated American entrepreneur who survived the Holocaust and, starting with nothing, built one of the biggest chemical empires in American history.  Through daring, innovation, and sheer hard work, Kaufmann developed thousands of exclusive products for the aircraft industry, building numerous companies, developed the popular sweetener NutraSweet and created thousands of jobs through the chemical industry worldwide.  His story is one we can all learn from. This extraordinary man, who reveals his charm and flamboyant personality in conversation, who through resourcefulness and determination, has developed a set of principles that helped carry him through the toughest times in his life.

Follow his advice, and it will help you overcome anything and accomplish all that you attempt in life:

Establish a good name.

“I survived World War II by living in the forests in Poland and coming into the villages to work for food.  Most of the men were gone, and the women left behind needed help.  Even though they didn’t know me, they learned that I could be trusted to do the work I agreed to do.”

“The same thing applied when I came to America.  My English might not have been perfect, but they knew I would tell them the truth.  As I worked up the ranks at Hatco, I dealt straightforwardly with the people above me, the ones I worked with, and those who worked for me.  When later I bought Hatco I had to borrow millions of dollars.  I had no collateral anywhere near the amount, so I told the bankers to check my reputation with the mother company and within the chemical industry.  They came back in a few days and made the loan. At that point, the Hatco employees had a choice: stay with the original owners, or make the jump with me.  I was proud that so many good people trusted me and came with me in our new venture.  We did great things together.”

“I was up to my chin in debt, I had good people, yet I still needed to buy chemicals to make new products – but I had no money to do so.  My suppliers, with whom I had worked for years, knew me and concluded those early deals with just a handshake.  They believed in me, which paid off for me, and I kept my word, which paid off for them.”

Don’t be afraid to take risks.

“The Nazis had me in a work camps laying railroad tracks, and I realized that unless I did something drastic, I would never get out of there alive.  One day when a slower than usual train came through, I threw down my sledgehammer and ran, jumping on the moving train.   The guards shot me in the foot, but I held on for dear life and made it to the forest, where I jumped off and lived for the rest of the war.”

“I jumped on that train to save my life, of course, but I also did it to prove that a dictator was wrong and that freedom was right.  There are people all over the world still taking those kinds of risks.  They may not be jumping on a train, but they are standing up for freedom in places such as China, Iraq and Iran.”

“The second risk I took was buying Hatco.  I was president of Hatco when it was owned by the original owner, Grace, and I received a good salary and a comfortable life.  I had a wife, three children and a mother-in-law who all depended on me.  Buying Hatco was a financial risk, but one I was willing to take to become a better provider.”

Become Self-sufficient as soon as possible.

“I saw the Nazis take away all the material goods of my family and thousands of others during the war.  If you get a good education, no one can take that away.  When I graduated from the university amid the ruins of Europe, I had job offers from Australia to Argentina to America.  I could have gone anywhere.  For me the best country in which to achieve success was the United States.  It still is.”

“I learned a lot from Peter Grace, the president of W.R. Grace and Company, but as soon as I could I went out on my own.  Get an education, then learn from the best people you can find in your field.  As soon as you can, strike out on your own.”

“Knowledge and hard work are an unbeatable combination.  In the chemical business, we depend on catalysts creating chemical reactions to produce new products.  Sometimes these reactions with 10,000 gallons take hours to complete, and when they did I was there – even if they took place in the middle of the night.  Years later I was named Entrepreneur of the Year, but it all began by willing to work hard.”

“Companies should be as self-sufficient as the people who run them.  As I build up Kaufman Holdings, I structured companies with synergy to supply each other instead of having to buy supplies and products from others.  That way we could keep the profits in-house and could use them to modernize and keep ahead of the competition.  I was very proud to have created hundreds of jobs that enabled employees to have good lives.  Some of the children went to college and then came back to work at Hatco.”

“Countries need to be self-sufficient too.  I’m not against international trade –I have sold millions of dollars of chemical products overseas- but I’ve argued for years that when we see our best young minds go into financial institutions instead of making things that people can use, we are on the wrong track.  The events in the last few months of our economy have proven my point.”

The bottom line: Family.

“The lowest point of my life was when my parents and sister were taken away.  I never saw them again.  There is nothing more important than family.  To bring children into the world, to provide a good life for them, to give them a good name to live up to – all these things should be the main focus of a good life.”

With his youthful energy, Kaufman now enjoys travelling the world, staying at homes in Aspen, Palm Desert, New York, and New Zealand. Beverly Hills is his second home with frequent visits to TV shows, and cruising around for great restaurants and designer shops. He continues to cut a dashing figure, riding his Harley, playing tennis, carving tracks in the snowy peaks above Aspen.  The more permanent marks he is leaving in the world are the lasting impressions of his values for all those who are willing to listen.

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By Adrienne Papp

Fulfilling the potential of his Matrix character title, Keanu Reeves proved that he is also The One when it comes to auto racing. He took the checkered flag in the competitive celebrity field at the 2009 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race as part of the 35th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, California.

The star of blockbuster films like The Matrix, The Day The Earth Stood Still, and Speed, Reeves finished first among celebrities in a mixed field that included racing pros Al Unser Jr. who won the Pro division with just five seconds ahead of Keanu. Other participating celebrities included Oscar winner Adrien Brody, Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, comedian Carlos Mencia, 24 star Mary Lynn Rajskub and From G’s To Gents host Fonzworth Bentley.

The event is a popular tradition during the festivities of the Grand Prix weekend, and had the crowd cheering on their favorite celebs throughout the entire race. Both celebrities and professional racers were very success driven as they attempted to win some funds for charities, driving Scion tCs that had been performance modified for the event especially. Not that it made car racing any safer.

With proper training and practice, competing celebrities learned the driving skills needed to navigate the 1.97-mile racetrack through the streets of downtown Long Beach. And although their competitive natures came out during practice, the drivers also enjoyed the camaraderie of experience, which is what the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is really all about.

World champion pro skateboarder Danny Way led the celeb race for the most part, but got tangled up with Fonzworth Bentley on the ninth lap and ended up hitting the track wall in a head on collision. Reeves then gained the speed necessary and seized the opportunity to cross the finish line first, just seconds in front of E! Entertainment Television’s Executive News Editor, Ken Baker, and comedian Carlos Mencia. Carlos was a funnyman off track and on.

Keanu seemed almost surprised by his triumph even though his chance to win was obvious to me from the beginning. He was not only intensely focused, which is key factor according to Jeff Bodnar who trained Keanu, but also showed continuous commitment.  “It is such a great feeling,” Reeves said after the event. “Bentley and I had been going at it for most of the race, but when I got to the last lap and came around the fountain turn I almost couldn’t believe it. I figured, ‘I’m just gonna go get it.’”

Now the popular multitalented actor (also bassist for rock band Dogstar, and a fan of the heart warming documentary, Anvil! The Story of Anvil!) can add car racing to his resume. It’s probably too early to tell if he has the same bug that got into the blood of actors like Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and James Dean, but Reeves looked like a natural in his red and white Toyota racing suit, and took the checkered flag with great enthusiasm for a great cause. He is an active supporter of many charities, including Angelwear, City of Hope, Coach Art, PETA, Stand Up To Cancer and Wildlife Way Station.

Reeves’ acceptance of the trophy was followed by contributions to various charities, which made everyone’s participation all that more worthy. Toyota donated $5,000 to “Racing for Kids” in the name of each celebrity racer, and another $5,000 to the winning racer’s charity of choice. Racing for Kids is a national non-profit program benefiting children’s hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County, California.

Another $15,000 donation was made in conjunction with the annual “PEOPLE Pole Award.” Sponsored by PEOPLE magazine, the award was given to Danny Way who was the pole-position winner of the qualifying session. Way selected the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC) as his charity.  Keanu Reeves’ big win will also benefit the charities of his choice, and adds to the list of his contributions on so many levels, not just to film, but also many other causes.

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By Adrienne Papp

Dr. Loraine Stern has every reason to be proud of her medical career, which includes work as a Woman’s Day columnist for over 20 years, regular contributions to Proctor and Gamble’s website, and half a dozen books on children’s health, including the popular Off to a Great Start. But one career was not quite enough for Dr. Stern, who also chose to explore her artistic side by portraying the female body in sensual drawings, featuring gold and metallic effects in wonderfully evocative black and white, or colored renderings. She harmonizes artistic instincts and the love of science and excels in each without compromising either, a rare balance in today’s world. The end-result is brilliant, her work is exquisite, and is admired by fellow artists and art enthusiasts equally.

“The initial inspiration came from my visits to the Art Institute of Chicago when I was a child,” she recalls. “I was struck by a female torso that was part of their collection. It was just mesmerizing.”

Whether captured in a radiantly youthful figure sketch or in maturity with shapes of rumpled, infirm fleshiness, by looking at these images we are looking at a reflection of our own nature, a vision of ourselves revealed in the captured image of another. It’s the same vision that has inspired hundreds of well-known works, like many of Rembrandt’s female nudes, Ruben’s ‘Venus at a Mirror’, Manet’s ‘Olympia’, and Titian’s ‘Venus of Urbino’ all portraying voluptuous bodies, the Mother of all with its immeasurable grace and sensuality.

What began as an exploration of Loraine’s underlying passion and obvious talent quickly grew into a large portfolio and she began receiving recognition, and a complementary nickname, befitting her lively personality – “Legsley.”

“When I started drawing, my husband asked me what I would like to do with my art. I said that I want to be distinctive so people would recognize that I did it, like Aubrey Beardsley.” He replied, ‘You have nice legs, so we will just call you Legsley.’”

The affectionate moniker stuck, and now “Legsley” is how she signs her work.

“The human figure is the most complex and most intriguing of subjects to me,” she says. “There is beauty in the lumpy, the fat or thin, the sad, the pensive, the energetic or whatever a model is conveying. I often juxtapose silver or gold with the figure because one has an intrinsic value just by virtue of being human and the other has value imposed by society.” That philosophy is another example of Dr. Stern’s unified synthesis of seemingly opposing values.

“I think a good life has to have balance,” she says. “With my art, I enjoy the ability of just getting it out there and seeing the response of people who appreciate it. That makes me happy.”

An extraordinary artist, a recognized doctor, Legsley’s next project will entail a synthesis of words and figures, another form of balance from an artist whose work expresses warmth and natural beauty in a presentation that is devoid of rigidity but rather compassionate and loving. The beauty of the female body presented in a masterpiece form of art is like nothing else in the world.

To view Legsley’s work, please visit www.lorainesternartist.com

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By Adrienne Papp

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By Adrienne Papp

“Everyone wants to look good,” says world-renowned, restorative and reconstructive celebrity dentist,Dr. Eric Fugier. “It’s all about natural beauty, excellence in dentistry, and artistry. Designing a smile is like designing  clothes. You have to look at the face and the whole person.” And he really does treat the “whole person,” having received honors in Energy Medicine as a Dr. of Naturopathic Healing, and awarded “The Best Dentist in America” by his fellow dentists.

First practiced in Monte Carlo, then post graduated in the States, Fugier
also worked with Dr. Charlie Pincus, celebrity dentist for Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, and Elizabeth Taylor. Not to brag about Fugier’s achievements, but he did learn from the Galileo of teeth – as Pincus is also the inventor of the Porcelain Veneer. Fugier’s own clientele includes movie and music icons and dignitaries from around the world. The demand for elective dental work has grown considerably in recent years.

However, with the over-commercialized cosmetic dentistry, some dentists are offering services they don’t know how to perform properly. “There are so many botched jobs. People do not understand that good dentistry requires the
right technique along with experience and artistic ability.” Dr. Fugier frequently receives cases where another dentist changed the spacing or height of the teeth, creating pain and problems that hadn’t existed before, such as TMJ. “The general public is being sold cosmetic dentistry as if it were some easy, fun procedure. If it is not done right, you will  have permanent damage. It’s important for people to find someone really qualified, so they don’t have to go through a  nightmare.” One patient who found Dr. Fugier after suffering through horrible pain, waking up with teeth she never wanted, looking and feeling horrified, says: “You must work with someone knowledgeable. I found in Fugier a doctor who is esthetically fantastic, structurally and physically meticulous.” Although we are ready to “suffer for beauty” – as the saying goes, – doing some home work before invasive undertakings is a must in order to avoid a traumatic
beautification.

For answers go to www.drericfugier.com or call Dr. Fugier at +1 310-859-1575 in his Hollywood office.

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By Adrienne Papp

In the very competitive world of couture design, it’s rare to find a fresh talent with a unique take on the ever-changing world of fashion.

Once in a generation someone outstanding comes along with an exciting new line that blends tradition and creativity in a unique way. A new rarity, a limited edition of 99 extraordinary bags in three different models, is the creation of Alessandra Gucci, a flamboyant talent and vivacious entrepreneur who is taking accessories in a brilliant new direction with her first collection of purses.

Alessandra is boldly taking a never before direction while maintaining the tradition of one of the strongest names in the history of couture.

Yes, Alessandra is directly related to the famous Gucci family and the House of the Gucci fashion empire. She’s quick to add though that her business is completely separate and not related to the iconic Italian company, even though her grandfather and father served as inspirations for two of her three models that are part of the AG Limited Editions collection, called ‘The First.’

‘I loved to follow my grandfather and father in the shop or the production department,’ Alessandra says. ‘I learned by watching them create bags, mixing high quality, beauty and tradition all together.’

Alessandra’s new company, AG Limited Editions, is the result of her desire to connect to her family tradition and also produce innovative designs inspired by her own creativity. With her inherited artistic sensibility and passion, and a university degree in Business Economics, Alessandra decided it was time to make her own statement in the fashion world and create something that would establish her identity as a creative designer. ‘I also wanted to let the world know that “Made in Italy” is back and something to be proud of,’ she says.

The inspiration for her first line was a book on botany that depicted floral designs in unique and vibrant ways, portraying an effect that was ‘chromatically stimulated.’ She began to experiment and invented a new procedure of manual dyeing, which is used for every piece of her new collection. As she worked with alligator leather, she found it reacted to the process very uniquely. It is the irregularity of the colors, and unique shading and nuances produced in her process that makes each AG design a one-of-a-kind. Through this process, each purse becomes an individual work of art, with Alessandra participating directly in every phase of the creation. The models that make up her first line are interpreted with the colors ‘Pink’, ‘Jungle’ and ‘Blue’ produced by the innovative dyeing process.

Each AG bag is made by hand, the leather treated and shaped using Alessandra’s unique dyeing process and old world artisanal methods. ‘I am working with artisans who have 100 years of experience,’ she says. ‘They were friends of my family and now I am working very closely with them.’ The final result is a line of luxury leather goods combining tradition, quality and innovation.

The three models reflect her family’s traditional roots, her father, and her own contemporary personal vision. ‘Each of the bags is unique and numbered. I wanted to keep the first collection very special, very small,’ Alessandra says.

Dedicated to her grandfather, ‘Rodolfo’ is the model that interprets the roots of her family. It reflects classic beauty and Old World artisanal craftsmanship. Alessandra’s ‘Maurizio’ designs are named after her father, and are a tribute to the evolution of tradition, a passage from one generation to another. Alessandra uses her name on the third design, taking a whimsical barrel shape and reinventing it through the exotic alligator leather. The result contrasts fun with handcrafted luxury in a contemporary design reflecting Alessandra’s personality. For every model there are only 11 pieces available, each one unique and completely constructed and crafted by hand.

Alessandra’s AG designs essentially redefine the alligator bag, remaking it into something that can be worn with jeans or a black suit or evening dress, and each model is accented with colorful handmade Swarovski crystals.

And this first line of exotic alligator bags is just the starting point for Alessandra. ‘Shops who handle my first line of bags will also be the ones who get my second line. I would like to develop a relationship with my dealers internationally, and continue to grow with them.’

Based in St Moritz, Switzerland, her collection is currently available at high-end locations in Milan, St. Moritz, Lugano, Paris and Moscow, and she is in talks with an expanding network of dealers in key cities throughout the world. With any luck, they will be coming to exclusive boutiques in New York and Los Angeles soon.

‘I want to keep improving and find my specialty niche. My next collection may again special handbags, but different from ‘The First’ collection, then future creations maybe leather gloves, or shoes,’ Alessandra adds. ‘It is time for me to develop my ideas and share them. I am taking everything one step at a time, making sure that everything is of the highest quality. Anyone who buys my bags can be proud that they are the owner of one hundred years of Italian artisan experience.’

Image courtesy of Guido Harari

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By Adrienne Papp
Posted on 23 Jan 2009 at 11:00am

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