Hollywood or bust: How a Wyoming kid became a respected special effects artist

 

Andy Schoneberg worked on the award winning film, "Inglourious Basterds," here with Jake Garber, just after filming his scalping.  The film is set in Nazi-occupied France during WWII, when a group of Jewish-American soldiers, "The Basterds" spread fear in the Third Reich by brutally scalping Nazis.
 

From left, artists Andy Schoneberg and Nicole Michaud,with
Schoneberg's creation of famed actor Humphrey Bogart,
  Christene Meyers and Bruce Keller joined the party.

DRIVEN BY A DREAM:  MAKING MAGIC WITH SPECIAL EFFECTS IS WHAT HE LOVES BEST

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

and courtesy Andy Schoneberg

Andy Schoneberg applies makeup to Diane Lane
for "The Oldest Living Confederate Widow..."

Editor's Note: The writer and today's featured artist met many years ago during their years at The Billings Gazette. They collaborated on theatrical productions and Schoneberg created a bronze of the writer's late husband for a garden in his memory on the campus where he taught for 25 years.

WHEN ANDY Schoneberg arrived in Los Angeles 40 years ago, he had $500 and dreams of making it big in Hollywood. Since then, he's crafted a successful career in special effects and makeup and has seen the city through highs and lows: Oscar ceremonies, star studded receptions, riots, drought, COVID and the recent horrific fires. Through it all, he's kept his equilibrium, continuing to create. Monsters, movie stars, rock icons, famous paintings by masters all fascinate this master craftsman.

Schoneberg's fascination with the Beatles resulted in creation
of four life size faces of "the Fab Four." Here is a silicone 
 mannequin of John next to a final sculpture of Paul. Below
 those are sculptures of George and an unfinished Ringo.

Schoneberg's credits are well known to movie buffs. His wizardry includes crafting the hands of "Edward Scissorhands" for Johnny Depp, transforming Diane Lane into the "Oldest Living Confederate Widow" and working on dozens of other films from horror movies to documentaries -- "Jurassic Park," "Terminator 2," and more. Ghosts and dinosaurs, heroes and villains are all part of his vast and talented repertoire.  Schoneberg even realized a bucket list dream when he met and worked with famed makeup artist Dick Smith, who transformed Dustin Hoffman into ancient narrator Jack Crabb in "Little Big Man." 

GROWING UP in Casper, Wyo., he was constantly drawing. Now at 69, he credits his parents with planting those long ago seeds that led to a life in the arts.  "Both were arts-oriented people. Mom sang  in Casper's community theater. My dad also loved singing and was a fan of big-band music."

 Make-up master Dick Smith, left, with
Andy Schoneberg. Smith was known as
"the godfather of make-up" for his award
winning work on "Little Big Man" and
many other famed Hollywood films.

His parents encouraged him to find his own style, to experiment and study the masters. "I idolized Leonardo da Vinci and copied a few of his paintings," he remembers. "That set up my love of replicating things."

 

WHEN HE SAW Planet of the Apes in 1968, he wanted to learn how the makeup was done. Driven by his penchant for mimicking, he found materials at a theatrical supply in New York. "I began a series of experiments," he said. "Many of them failed, but I took my tiny successes as encouragement to keep trying."  THE ARTIST'S attraction to Hollywood escalated

The writer with Schoneberg's
creation of Marilyn Monroe.

from an ambitious dream to a firm goal when he visited Los Angeles with friend Marc Vertin in 1978.

"I fell in love with the city immediately," he says. "I knew L.A. was for me."

While working on dozens of notable projects, Schoneberg met his partner Nicole Michaud, also a gifted special effects and makeup artist. A native New Englander and painter, she and Schoneberg also teach. "My joke is I help young people grow into artists who make dead people, old people, olden times people," she says. 

Quasimodo, with David Woodruff
a re-creation by Schoneberg,
 for the 90th anniversary of "The
Hunchback of Notre Dame"
which featured Lon Chaney

ACTORS MARILYN Monroe and Humphrey Bogart are also favorites of Schoneberg.  Bogart is the subject of a decades old fascination. As an accomplished actor, Schoneberg has played the famous actor twice in "Play It Again Sam." When he was 23, he was cast as Bogie in that Woody Allen work. In 1980s, working as a newspaper illustrator in Montana, Schoneberg reprised the role. That led to crafting a life size mannequin of Bogey in Los Angeles. "So Bogey and I are star-crossed!"  Schoneberg laughs. "Nicki accuses me of having a Barbie doll because my Bogey has several outfits."

Schoneberg and his partner, Nicole "Nicki"
Michaud with Schoneberg's "Mona Lisa."
He has long admired Leonardo Da Vinci and 
his dad said "Wouldn't it be fun to have a Mona
Lisa in your living room?" So the Schoneberg
replica is also an homage to his father.

.

AMONG FAVORITE

productions is "Edward Scissorhands."  "It was  so gratifying," he says of the Tim Burton movie.  "Tim was fantastic. Johnny Depp was warm and funny, Winona Ryder was friendly, and the whole cast was great."   Schoneberg is delighted the gothic romantic fantasy is still going strong. His work is listed in the credits for building the intricate hands Johnny wears throughout the film.  

The writer, Christene "Cookie" Meyers at the
dedication of the Bruce Meyers Poets Garden
which features Schoneberg's bronze of the
late actor, poet and MSU-Billings professor. 

Michaud, Schoneberg and his ex-wife Becky have an amicable relationship, sharing pride in Andy and Becky's two kids, both creative people.  "They realize they don't have to work so hard and make the sacrifices I did," he says, "but they love that I did the things I've done."

He says of the kids, "Dorian loves to write, and Emily is a fine makeup artist. That makes me happy." 

Schoneberg's  plaster cast
from the head of Bruce
Meyers who played Daddy
Warbucks in "Annie"
was the basis for a bronze
sculpture the artist
created for Poet's Garden.

 AS FOR his fascination with the Beatles, he says, "John started as a study in facial muscles and during the addition of muscles to the skull I sculpted, I thought, 'I really should make it look like John." 

As he was finishing the famous Beatle, he thought "Wouldn't it be outrageous to do all four of them? And once that seed was planted...BAM!"

You can find more about Schoneberg's career, including how he got the "Edward Scissorhands" gig on Instagram:
@theschoneberg

Here in London King's Cross Station, trains await passengers.
We share tips on travel in the United Kingdom with BritRail,
which offers a variety of passes to suit individual needs.
www.britrail.com

UP NEXT: On to spring travel.  We're off on a trek on Brit Rail, to explore the wonders of the United Kingdom with trips to historic York, founded by the Romans, and north to Edinburgh for a stroll on Prince's Street, a visit to the royal yacht Britannia, and tips on visiting famous castles and manors.  Start planning now for a trip to your favorite UK cities and villages, with tips on how to make the most of your time by using the efficient and varied rail system. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, the arts, nature, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com

As Earth Day approaches, celebrate, help improve our fragile planet

At Monterey Aquarium, beautiful works of art are created from plastic and other junk
pulled from our oceans. Eight million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans each
 year, a staggering amount. It poisons or strangles creatures who mistake it for food.  

WE HUMAN BEINGS HAVE CAUSED MAJOR PROBLEMS  ON THE PLANET BUT WE CAN DO MUCH TO RECTIFY OUR MISTAKES 

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

EARTH DAY GIVES US TIME TO THANK AND HELP OUR FRAGILE PLANET

The bluff above Torrey Pines State Beach offers a splendid
 view of the Pacific Ocean. When we hike it, we often
find plastic and it goes in an old cloth bag we carry.  

WE SPEND many happy hours each year in nature -- on our oceans, rivers, lakes and streams.  Like many of our readers, we visit national and state parks, estuaries, wildlife habitats and other places where we know we'll find birds, plants, animals.  We hold our planet and its creatures in sacred space.

But while we love Mother Earth, we are imperfect creatures and have unwittingly done our part to jeopardize the planet. So when Earth Day rolls around each year, we do our bit to help preserve the planet we so cherish.

An artful turning of plastic rescued from the
ocean, by a contributing artist at
Monterey Bay Aquarium.

CELEBRATED annually since 1970 on April 22nd, Earth Day holds immense importance as a global platform.  Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson was a staunch environmentalist, deeply concerned about the planet's declining health.  He believed the solution could be found in individuals and grassroots movements.  He urged teachers and parents to expose young impressionable minds to an aquarium or nature driven place, encouraging them to respect our fragile planet and our fellow inhabitants.  This launches them into little environmentalists.  By teaching them to pick up plastic and cans, consider personal habits and be good stewards of the land, we're fostering respect and activism in future generations.

Thousands of us plant trees, feed birds, plant gardens that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.  Many of us pick up trash and study pressing environmental issues like climate change, pollution, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. As individuals, communities and governments, we can take action to protect our planet and ensure its sustainability for future generations. I believe this in my heart. 

I KNEW A lot of plastic goes into our oceans, but I had no idea that 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the seas each year. Keller figures that’s the equivalent of dumping one 

Fort Lauderdale's Riverwalk
 in a light rain. Celebrate Earth
Day by planting a tree, taking a
walk, visiting a nature driven place
 -- a park, beach, river, preserve.

garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every minute. More than 171 trillion pieces of plastic are floating in the world's oceans, according to scientists' estimates. Plastic kills fish and sea animals and takes hundreds of years to break down.

UNFORTUNATELY, we people are the sole cause of the plastic debris destroying our oceans. The good news is, we have the power to solve the mess we created.  Here are a few things we do in our life and home to help to help the Earth.  It may sound corny, but if everyone does his or her bit, together we can make a huge difference.

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora
Borealis, is a magical display of ribbons of light.
  

* We are ridding our home of single-use plastics.

* We ride our bikes daily and on errands whenever possible. We're considering a hybrid or electric car.
* We support our local environmental watchdog grassroots resource council.

* We try to recycle and compost properly.

* We patronize farmer's markets and other places that avoid plastic packaging and always take our own cloth bags whenever we go to a store.

Big Sky Country, near our Montana place in Stillwater
County.  Pristine places like this dot the landscape all across
the United States. We feel a responsibility to keep it beautiful. 

* We take an old fabric bag with us in the car and on our bikes to pick up cans, bottles and other litter.

* When we order a take-out meal, we make sure there are no plastic utensils, wrapping or plates. We look for places that use recycled materials when shopping or dining out.

* We've planted 97 trees on our Montana place and each year we scatter native wildflower seeds to promote clean air and the survival of indigenous wildlife. Feels good to plant things.

* We make presents of gift certificates to greenhouses and garden centers. Great way to thank someone who has done us a favor.

* We are members of a variety of nature oriented foundations including Sierra Club, Arbor Day, National Wildlife Federation, Nature Conservancy, and many other agencies and non-profits that save and protect birds, trees, animals and the ocean. 

We love seeing families enjoying wildlife, here
at Hilton Waikoloa Resort where it is possible
to swim with the dolphins and learn about them.

* We're taking shorter showers, using the dishwasher only twice a week, turning off the faucet while brushing our teeth.

No more plastic in our lives
Other ideas we're already doing or hope to implement: 

* Shopping at thrift shops and second-hand stores for toys and gifts for kids or when we need to replace an appliance. New stuff has lots of plastic packaging. 

Gentoo penguins frolic near Ushuaia. Visit a
national park or just take a hike in the woods, or
the nearest bird sanctuary or nature preserve. 

* Hosting a clothing swap or clothing repair party to encourage our friends (and ourselves) to recycle, mend or salvage old garments rather than buying new ones. We are donating a box a week of good, useable clothes. Women's shelters and many other places welcome good used items.  I'm a packrat and like most of us, I have too much stuff. So I'm going through closets, try to winnow, share and make use of what is still useable.
* Volunteer to pick up litter in a neighborhood or local park. Get a child interested. Take him on a whale watch or to a place where nature is revered. Exposure in youth creates lifelong environmentalists.

* Get neighborhood kids to run a recycling drive for glass and plastic containers.

Have a happy Earth Day! Do something to improve our imperiled planet.

More info: earthday.org
 hawaiimagazine.com/see-how-kauai-artists-turned-marine-debris-into-art

Special effects wizard Andy Schoneberg shakes hands with 
his creation of famed actor Humphrey Bogart. Also an
actor, he played the part of Bogart in "Play It Again, Sam."
 

UPCOMING FUN: Variety is our spice.  We're talking with a Wyoming born Hollywood special effects artist and his make-up and wig artist partner. Find out how a kid from Casper made it in Hollywood.  Then we're off to explore northern U.K with a train trip to Britain. And we celebrate our love of nature with visits to New York's Central Park and the city's fabulous High Line Park, created on a derelict rail site. All that and more, always with a look for the fresh and new. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fun look at performance, art, nature, family and more. Please share the links:

www.whereiscookie.com 

MoMA's magic mesmerizes as we visit a fabulous New York museum

Expect the unusual at New York's spectacular Museum of Modern Art.  Here is Salvador Dali's "Retrospective Bust of a Woman," created in 1933.  It features painted porcelain, bread, corn, feathers, paint on paper, beads, ink stand, sand and more. It is one of many treasures at the museum.  

NEW YORK'S MUSEUM OF MODERN ART HONORS LEGACY TO EMBRACE THE NEW

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie"
Meyers near Van Gogh's most
famous painting. 

STANDING NEXT to "Starry Night," one feels the genius of Van Gogh.  The darkness that overtook him, the talent that sprang from his tortured soul, the beauty of his timeless art. It's all there. That and much more, in an astonishing array of 200,000 works of art from around the globe.

You'll see works by Van Gogh, Matisse, Dali an array of other spectacular artists at  New York's great and grand Museum of Modern Art, "MoMA," as it is affectionately known.

There are museums and galleries, and then there's MoMA.

The museum is a beloved treasure trove of beautifully displayed art through the ages. Its founders insisted that showcasing the new and modern be the focus at MoMA.  And so it is, with modernist masterpieces including works by Picasso and many others considered ahead of their time.  

Picasso's "Lady in Mirror" is among
the exquisite bounty at MoMA.

THE MUSEUM debuted in 1929, during the heights of the Great Depression, opening just days after the infamous Wall Street Crash.  It was a gift of deep-pocket visionaries and philanthropists, a trio of progressive and influential patrons of the arts.  Lillie P. Bliss, Mary Quinn Sullivan and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller -- challenged the conservative policies of traditional museums by establishing a gallery devoted to modern art. The three were a "Who's Who" of New York then and wanted a place to showcase new work. The museum is front and center in  midtown Manhattan, filling an expansive block on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.  Many patrons have donated their personal art treasures to MoMA.

Henri Matisse's famous "La Dance" was a gift of Nelson
Rockefeller.  The Rockefeller family has long ties to MoMA.

THE MUSEUM was originally located in the Heckscher Building on Fifth Avenue where it was America's first museum to devote itself exclusively to modern art.  At its helm were A. Conger Goodyear as president and Abby Rockefeller as treasurer.  Through its early years, the museum moved to several temporary locations. John D. Rockefeller Jr. eventually donated the land for its permanent site. 

A new sculpture garden by Philip Johnson was designed and the museum moved to its current location on West 53rd Street in 1939.

Modern art sculpture
plays a major role
in MoMA galleries.

Besides Van Gogh's famous "Starry Night," created in 1889, you'll find many other masterpieces including these two most viewed paintings:

Bruce Keller points the way to imagination
in an intriguing piece, "Bingo," by Gordon
Matta-Clark, 1974. The museum's wide ranging
 exhibits include changing installations. 

 "The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dalí, that intriguing melting clock created in 1931, and Pablo Picasso's

"Les Demoiselles d’Avignon," which revolutionized contemporary art when it was unveiled in 1907.

You'll also see Andy Warhol's famous Campbell’s Soup Cans, Andrew Wyeth's evocative "Christina's World," Rene Magritte's "The Lovers" and masterpieces by Chagall, Cezanne and other groundbreaking artists.

New York's Museum of Modern Art remains in a
league of its own, with a collection of 200,000 works.

LAST YEAR, the museum welcomed nearly 2.7 million visitors to its galleries for more than 35 exhibitions. The range of changing exhibits included An-My Lê’s photographs exploring conflict and human connection, a reunion of works made by Picasso during the pivotal summer of 1921, and more.

MoMA makes a visit a pleasure with excellent maps and guides, helpful docent volunteers to point you to the places you desire, and a delightful albeit pricy restaurant with among other treats, caviar hotdogs. The museum shop is one of the best in the world. What's not to like at MoMA? 

More information: MoMA is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except Saturdays, when it is open until 7 p.m. Tickets may be reserved in advance through the My CityPASS® moma.org

ON TAP: Hold on to your hat and duck your head! We'll explore wonders of our world as Earth Day approaches, and follow the theme of "great art" -- both man made and created by nature. Come with us to caves, mountain tops, museums, off the beaten path wonders and  unexpected pleasures on a road trip. We'll explore art that incorporates trash -- salvaged from our beleaguered seas. Join us as we hop  

The Crystal Caves in Bermuda are a famous attraction
in Hamilton Parish. They're formed over millions of years and
were discovered by a couple of kids playing cricket in 1907. 

  about the globe, with a look at two fabulous caves in Barbados and Bermuda, a study of Salvador Dali's three museums in northern Spain, a visit to a favorite city, Barcelona, where we examine the influence of architect Antoni Gaudi, and a look at a Montana museum devoted to the work of renowned western artist C.M. Russell. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, performance, nature, art, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com

Gaudi's Guell Park invites visitors into his world of wonder and magic

With a rooftop view of Barcelona, our road trippers visit Park Guell, on Carmel Hill in the Gracia district of Barcelona. It was designed by famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi and is considered a masterpiece of imagination and modernist architecture. Gaudi is also known for his inventive homes and apartments and his lifelong project, the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world and a wonder to behold.

STEP INSIDE GUELL PARK AND ENJOY ITS MARVELS: SERPENTS, COLUMNS, WAVES

The Dragon Stairway invites visitors to climb into a magical world
 and the Hypostyle Room of 86 columns.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

ONE OF the most popular attractions in Barcelona is Park Güell. The stunning park is like no other, the creation of famed architect Antoni Gaudi.  It is found above the city on  Carmel Hill, which offers a spectacular view of beautiful Barcelona.

We took a bus to within a couple blocks of the wondrous place, and on our third visit we saw new detail.

MOST PEOPLE visit to see the vibrantly tiled Serpentine Benches in the Greek Theatre with its panoramic views. But, there are many more equally engaging things to do and see in Park Güell.

THIS VISIT,

The Laundry Room Portico, meant to resemble ocean waves. 

we explored the Laundry Portico, marveled at the Hypostyle Hall, ascended the Dragon Stairway, visited Gaudi’s House and said hello to the beloved dragon, "El Drac." The first landing offers a variety of capricious shapes including  goblins, while halfway up the steps is the emblem of Catalonia. One must stop to admire the dragon -- actually a winsome salamander -- covered with decorative tile-shard mosaic. This has become the most popular image of the park and we enjoyed watching young and old "pet" the mosaic creature which acts as the symbol of Barcelona.
‘'El Drac'’ is known by other names -- "the dragon"’ and "the Park Güell lizard." Acting as a guard for Park Güell, it was created from brick and is coated with Gaudí’s signature Trecandís technique.

 

Gaudi House Museum is a wonderful, detailed look at
the world, its colors and forms that shaped the artist.

 THE PARK was built between 1900 and 1914, inspired by the "garden city movement" of the 20th century. Gaudi was a visionary and built the park on the edge of the city.  His notion was to allow the park and the self-contained communities within it to be surrounded by both clean air and green open spaces. 

 A famed Catalan architect, Gaudí was also a savvy businessman and named the park after his sponsor Count Eusebi Güell, who loved Gaudi's work and endowed his creativity.

The mosaic salamander statue
has become a symbol of
Barcelona.  

The estate remained Gaudí’s family home until his death in 1926. That's a sad story because he was hit by a tram on his way to inspect his beloved Sagrada Familia, and had no identification on his person.  He was identified several days after the accident in a pauper's morgue, and when people realized it was the great man, he was accorded a massive funeral befitting royalty.
THE SERPENTINE Bench is another favorite of ours, a well loved mosaic tile bench that winds its way along the terrace around Park Güell. It was created by Gaudi using the Trencandís technique, which he invented, and was widely copied during Catalonia’s modernism and surrealism periods 

Mosaic creatures and plants
 deck the halls of the park.

THE AUSTRIAN Gardens and Gaudi House Museum were originally meant to be part of a grand housing estate plan. It was Gaudi's hope that 60 villas would be built 

Guell Park deserves a visit; do
plan to spend several hours.

but the plan failed. So Park Güell was opened to the public, and the Austria Gardens became a plant nursery. Poignantly named, they gained their title through a donation of cherished trees from Austria in 1977. Both houses built on the estate can be viewed from the gardens.  One of them became Gaudí’s home, and is known as the Gaudí House. It's a charming place with personal effects providing insights into the life of a true visionary and genius.

At Guell Park, the stairs are often photographed, and one
may book a tour of the place so as not to miss highlights.

CONSTRUCTED in a slanted shape, the Laundry Room Portico was designed to mimic an ocean wave. Created with textured walls and statues, the pillars at the exterior were put in place in order to secure the road above.
Typical of Gaudí's genius, he cleverly used design to blend his creativity with the surrounding natural environment and meet the demands of the complex construction.

We highly recommend Visit Barcelona tickets. Wonderful way to see the city.

For more about this fascinating city and its rich cultural attractions:

www.barcelonaturisme.com 

"Dance" by Henri Matisse, was painted in 1920
and is among the world's most beloved paintings.
It resides in New York's fabulous MoMA.

ON TAP: We're on the trail of unique museums, art projects and nature inspired wonders around the world. We'll take readers inside the Museum of Modern Art in New York and check out the city's delightful High Line, a public park and walkway built on the site of an elevated historic freight rail line which was in disrepair. That and British trains, caves, craters and Central Park as it welcomes spring. We'll also feature a veteran special effects artist who found success in Hollywood. Catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, the arts, nature, family, performance and more:    www.whereiscookie.com  

  

Dabbling with Dali: 3 days of dizzying delight with the art of a genius

 

The Dali Theatre-Museum is a magnificent, over-the-top creation designed by Salvador Dali himself.  He supervised construction upon the remains of the former Figueres Theatre of his childhood.
It is one of three museums operated by the Dali Foundation, all worthy of close attention.

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers
at the Gala Dali Castle in Pubol, a place of
exuberant creativity dedicated to Dali's wife.

Salvador Dali supervised the "redo" of the
former Figueres theatre, where he showed his
early work. The stairway of Dali Theatre-
Museum is one of many eye-catching features.
 

HELLO, DALI!
SPANISH ARTIST
CREATED UNIQUE BODY OF ART

Flamboyant maestro of dreams and delusions has trio of unique museums in Spain

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

                                                                PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

A polar bear greets visitors to the Gala and Dali
house in Port Lligat, Cadaques. It is one of many
bizarre and intriguing features of the home.
 

IT WAS a dizzying three days, as we visited a trio of museums in Spain devoted to the art of Salvador Dali. His works are under the control of the Dalí Foundation. It includes three very different museums in Figueres, Púbol and Port Lligat in  Cadaqués. We joined 1.5 million people who make a pilgrimage each year to the "Dalí Triangle." 

Dali Castle in Port Lligat, Cadaques, is a gorgeous
castle which Dali purchased as a gift for Gala.
He could not visit without written permission.

Each of the 3 museums is unique, worthy of a visit.

Dali Castle in Port Lligat, Cadaques, is a gorgeous
castle which Dali purchased as a gift for Gala.
He could not visit without written permission.

It's best to savor them on different days, to spread the wonder -- giving each museum its own "breathing room" and devoting time to each place. They deserve the attention and you will need the time to sort, digest and ponder this maestro of dreams and delusion.

WE HAD visited the Dali Theatre-Museum twice before and years apart since it was inaugurated 50 years ago in 1974.  We decided to revisit the unique museum as it entered its second half- century of entertaining a worldwide audience. We needed the grounding and reminder of his scope.

Larger than life Dali, click here

THE MUSEUM in Figueres is a culmination of the eccentric surrealist's life work, conceived and designed by Dali, who visited daily to supervise. The place is as intriguing and mysterious as Dali. 
Its broad range of work begins with his earliest artistic experiences and follows into his final years.  An homage to Mae West has its own room. 

 

Dali's exquisite jewel artworks:
dazzling gold, precious stones.

In other galleries, Dali's detailed landscapes need a magnifying glass to fully appreciate his immaculate tiny brushstrokes.  On close inspection, one finds intricate trees, people and objects that might go unnoticed. Our 

In Figueres, Mae West
has her own gallery.

guide borrowed a fellow tourist's phone to show the detail of a postage-stamp-sized detail: an entire cityscape emerged to our "oohs and aahs." There are dozens of drawings, too, and if you aren't sufficiently dazzled, the Dali-Jewels gallery near the building's exit will push you over the top: 41 exquisite gold and stone jewels.

THE TWO less visited museums are a Medieval castle in Pubol, which Dali bought for his wife, muse and equally eccentric Gala, and

Dali's castle gift for Gala came with strings
attached -- not by him, but by her.  

 the Salvador Dali House-Museum, the most personal of the three.  It is in the municipality of Cadaques, in a village on the bay known as Port Lligat. (Sometimes spelled as a single word.) 

Dali and Gala (center)
entertained the Walt
Disneys and others.

FANS OF Dali will find each place offers fascinating detail with insights into the life of the man who lived from 1904 to 1989. He was named after a dead brother and raised by a tyrannical father which naturally shaped him and influenced his art. He studied in Madrid and in 1929, he met Gala, Russian wife of fellow surrealist poet Paul Éluard. She became his lifelong muse and partner. Gala and Dalí moved into a small house in Portl Lligat in 1930, which they expanded as they purchased nearby fishermen's huts. In 1969, Dali began converting the 12th Century castle in Púbol into '"Gala's Castle" collecting textiles, antiques and murals to create a splendid setting where Gala reigned.  Designed as a gift to Gala, the castle became her private home, and Dalí could visit only with Gala's prior written permission.

The approach to Dali's Port Lligat home gives
a feeling of the peace that the artist felt there.

THE HOME on the port is our favorite -- the complex of transformed fisherman's huts is a maze of eccentric adornments -- a stuffed bear, a mirror that seizes morning light, dozens of personal effects. From his bedroom Dali could see the coast. He built a beautiful terrace, put his spin on a Greek statue and decorated his swimming pool.

More on Dali, click here

Dali chose the bay for his home.
He spent his last years there
after his wife, Gala, died.

You've likely heard of the world famous Salvador Dalí Theatre Museum in Figueres but not many outside of Spain know about Dalí ’s house in Port  Lligat or his wife’s castle in Pubol, sometimes called  "the Kinky Castle" because Gala entertained her young lovers there. Some believe Dali encouraged her liasons with voyeuristic enthusiasm.  

Dali's "The Persistence of
Time," his most famous work. 

Dali was a master of self promotion
and Gala was an expert at getting
the best prices for his artwork. 

GALA DIED in 1982 and was buried on the Castle's grounds. Then Dalí remained in Port Lligat, establishing his final studio. In our three days, we came to know Dali better.  He was flamboyant -- he wore sweeping capes and grew his signature mustache early in his career.  He was sensitive, felt things deeply
and reacted with passion to slights. But the visionary artist strayed from the avant-garde, eventually alienating comrades through his outspoken support for Franco and his idiosyncratic flair. His prodigious creativity cannot be denied for it spawned paintings, sculpture, fashion, advertisements, books and film.  His ending was sad: he was badly burned in a fire and spent his final years wheelchair bound.

More information on tickets and booking. Reservations are required: www.salvador-dali.org; reserves@fundaciodali.org 

Antoni Gaudi's Guell Park is full of magical creations.
Come with us to visit one of Barcelona's beloved attractions. 

ON TAP:  We're in an "art state of mind," visiting both nature's creations and some of the world's greatest museums in Spain, England, the Caribbean and in the U.S. Coming in the next weeks are pieces on Antoni Gaudi's magical Guell Park in Barcelona, the caves of Barbados and Bermuda, a beautiful crater in Ponta Delgada and the masterpieces within the fabulous Museum of Modern Art in New York City. We're mingling with famous artist creations, paintings and painters and we will also head to the real west to feature a Montana museum celebrating the work of cowboy artist Charles Russell. Meanwhile, keep on the sunny side, visit a museum, treat a friend or relative to an art gallery stroll and remember to explore, learn and live.  Catch us weekly for a fresh spin on performance, art, travel, family and more:  www.whereiscookie.com