Around the World in a Single Stroke

Coach Bill Walsh, Around the World Honoree on Football, Brush Strokes and Dreams

2007-04-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

This morning I met with Honoree Coach Bill Walsh and reminisced about the trajectory of the Around the World project. He was one of the earliest supporters of the project, encouraging me to realize my dream of taking one single brush stroke around the world in a bold gesture of peace.

Matt Cohler, VP Strategy and Business Operations Facebook on Enso 2007

2007-02-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

Met with Matt Cohler, VP Strategy and Business Operations, Facebook over white pomegranate tea and radish mint butter cucumber sandwiches. He arrived clad in a zipfront JAPAN non-hoodie, a bold rising sun emblazoned on his back. We traversed sumi-e, technology, social networking, and music. His response to Enso 2007 was that he liked its absence of hierarchy. In the bold brush stroke encircling the space, simultaneously empty and full, he noted a decentralized quality lacking in traditional Western compositions. We here in Silicon Valley are pushing the world towards decentralization, he said, and that's a good thing.

Ali Jackson, Jazz at Lincoln Center Drummer on Enso 2007

2007-03-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

One of the finest drummers in the world, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Ali Jackson stepped within the rhythmic embrace of Enso 2007. And for a moment the Enso spun within the curves of the metaphorical golden cymbals of Ali Jackson. The Enso resembled a drum, a note, an ideation, and kept shifting "across the bar" of logic. Jackson had a particular understanding of the rhythmic complexity of the textures within the stroke.

In an in depth call and response we talked about the beginning and end of the brush stroke which are the closest together and yet the furthest apart. Jackson was struck by how the Enso visually represented to him the beauty of the tension in the major 7 and flat 9. Then we discussed these intervals and the Enso in "different registers."

San Francisco Symphony Mid-Peninsula League and Upper League Welcome Enso 2007

2007-02-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

Today Enso 2007 touched down in Atherton. I was invited as a featured speaker and performer for a special joint meeting of the San Francisco Symphony's Mid-Peninsula League and Upper League. When I arrived at the gates, traffic was being carefully directed for over 80 members who had RSVPed for the event and were not deterred by the heavy rain. The event took place in a magnificent ballroom of the private home of Sherry Burke and Dr. Robert Wolf, parents of Cheryl Burke, the 2 time Dancing With the Stars Champion. I performed classical and jazz selections and shared the on-going story of Around the World in A Single Stroke. Performing for this audience with their vast knowledge and love of classical music was thrilling. The audience appreciated so many nuances of the musical dimension of Enso 2007. An exquisite lunch was served at the conclusion of my performance.

I was deeply touched by Peggy Chamberlain, President of the Mid-Peninsula League of the San Francisco Symphony who shared that she chose the speaker for today carefully as this event only takes places once every two years! "When I saw Drue perform for the Peninsula Volunteers I said I must nab her for the League." Twila Woods added "We have been following Drue since she was at Stanford. So much talent in one body! And I know today we are only seeing a fraction of it." Nancy Greenbach, Co-Chair of the PV Diamond Jubilee and Atherton Dames Past President said she felt my presentation deeply resonated with her. A thought-provoking interactive conversation about the Enso in the context of Classical music commenced.

Catherine Malandrino, Fashion Icon Honored Today at her Flagship Boutique in the Meatpacking District for Around The World in a Single Stroke

2006-12-15T23:23:00.000-08:00

The Sumi-e encounter began with a lovely lunch at the Soho House, a chic private club in New York in the Meatpacking district hosted by Bernard Aidan. An animated discussion on our respective art forms ensued. In particular, we discussed how each of us share an artistic impulse to innovate while being in dialogue with and respecting the great traditions of our disciplines.

In the diffuse lighting of a December afternoon we were escorted to the Catherine Malandrino flagship boutique where a champagne toast was waiting. Catherine personally selected a stunning couture gown for me to wear for the performance. Under the glittering chandelier my painting, ENSO 2007, spun softly awaiting Catherine's remarks. I was deeply touched by her intuitive reflections - "Drue is reaching through her art a timeless moment - not yesterday, and even further than tomorrow." I will upload Catherine Malandrino's extensive quotes on http://www.inasinglestroke.com along with beautiful photographs of today's encounter.

Stanford Arts Initiative -Enso with Prof. Bernhardt and Stanford Students

2007-01-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

I was invited by Professor Elizabeth Bernhardt, Dean, South Row Professor, German Studies, Director, Stanford Language Center to be a special guest of honor for the Stanford Arts Initiative Program. Students must apply to be a part of the program to subscribe to the series of dinners and dialogues with the guests. I was invigorated by the students’ perceptive questions about the arts, the art form of Sumi-e, and the Around the World in a Single Stroke project. A lively discussion took place as I answered questions and we delved into the interconnections encircling us all. At the conclusion of the the dinner, in the spirit of the Around the World project we formed a Stanford Enso!

A Welcoming Rainbow for Jim Clendenen's Around the World Encounter

2007-01-29T00:30:00.000-08:00

A fragment of an Enso in multi-color rainbow form greeted us as we drove towards the Around the World Encounter for Master Vintner Jim Clendenen, Au Bon Climat.

Coach Bill Walsh on the Superbowl and Drue's Enso as Football

2007-02-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

Extraordinary lunch and meeting with Coach Bill Walsh, one of the 12 Honorees for my Around the World project. Bill's commitment dedication and positive belief in the meaning and potential of this project has been incredible.

We delved further into the meaning on Enso 2007 in the context of American Football and the Superbowl. I'll be posting some more of his insightful remarks soon.

He told me about his recent return from the first ever California Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Hilton Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. Fellow inductees included Magic Johnson, Bob Mathias, Jackie Joyner Kersee and Tommy Lasorda to name a few. Bill praised CSHOF Founder and President, former Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro running back Christian Okoye's vision to honor those influential in sports in the Golden state. Bill also shared his recent interview with Bob Costas for HBO's "Inside the NFL" which aired last night.

Cory Ondrejka of SecondLife and Prof. Beth Noveck

2007-01-31T21:43:00.000-08:00

A remarkable experience listening to New York Law School Professor of Law and Director, Institute for Information Law and Policy, Beth Simone Noveck and Cory Ondrejka, CTO at Linden Labs. Prof. Noveck aptly described Ondrejka as the creative boy wonder behind much of Second Life, the internet-based virtual world with 3 million user accounts. I was struck by her sparkling brilliance and ability to tease out strands of legal complexity with the greatest delicacy. I shared with Mr. Ondrejka the concept of Enso 2007---and Around the World in A Single Stroke entered the imagined space of the Metaverse. From bits to atoms, real and virtual spaces and places, suburban, exurban and web worlds, high fidelity avatars, avatars wearing bodies as clothing, the discussion was not bound by concrete reality. Ondrjka referenced the groundbreaking research of Stanford Prof. Jeremy Bailenson (Virtual Human Interaction Lab).

Cory Ondrjka’s comment that “innovation is created from the collision of disparate social networks” resonated with me since I have always envisioned Around the World as a project about juxtaposing worlds, creating unusual pairings, and transcending cultural and temporal boundaries both visible and invisible.

Ondrjka pointed out that much of what is built in Second Life can be created and then made to disappear very quickly as everything is ephemeral in this virtual space. It seems many worlds away from the Floating World but I wondered about the ramifications of a place with so much impermanence.

Jim Clendenen, Au Bon Climat joined by Andrew Murray, Bryan Babcock, Jim Fiolek, Frank Ostini and circle of esteemed guests

2007-01-30T20:56:00.000-08:00

The crème de la crème of the Santa Barbara winemaking community was invited to a spectacular evening and dinner in honor of Around the World Honoree Jim Clendenen. At his private ranch, the golden light could be seen glowing from his floor to ceiling windows as guests were seated along one grand long teak Indonesian table.

In keeping with the theme of Enso 2007, Jim chose the menu featuring round foods in a concentric presentation. Starting courses included slivers of gourmet pizzas by American Flatbread, the Los Alamos artisan bakery known for their pizzas made in primitive wood-fired earthen ovens. As a finishing touch, owner Clark Staub lavished truffles over each pizza. Next the most tender romaine and baby greens were selected from the garden for a salad accompanied by a single exquisite scallop on a bed of French white beans and tender shrimp. Lamb over butternut squash and a succulent arugula and pesto puree was paired with brussel sprouts caressed with Andrew Murray Enchanté.

Guests included fellow star winemakers including Andrew Murray of Andrew Murray Vineyards and Bryan Babcock of Babcock winery and vineyards, Chuck Carlson of Curtis Winery, Executive Director of the SBVCA (Santa Barbara County Vintners Association) Jim Fiolek, The Hitching Post Owner/Chef Frank Ostini as well as the Au Bon Climat team, Michael Meluskey, ABC/Qupe winemaker and enologist Jim Adelman, Marketing Director Rob Fry and Enrique Rodriguez and members of Clendenen’s family including sister Marcia and niece Marisa.

1995 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir, "La Bauge au Dessus," Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara County, 1995 Santa Ynez Valley Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay, 1996 Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay Nuits-Blanches, 1999 Santa Maria Valley Hildegard, and Vita Nova 1994 Reservatum Cabernet Sauvignon were some of the exquisites wines poured.

The culmination of the evening was the performance and interactive presentation of Enso 2007 to Jim where he eloquently spoke about it in parallel to the art of winemaking as a cycle in balance with nature. After tasting the Around the World pinot noir around the world it was an incredible moment to see a glass finally in Jim’s hand for his special toast. The wine in his glass swirled around this circle of remarkable people who had devoted their lives to the ancient art of winemaking. He waxed poetic about the infinite tones of Sumi-e and the infinite complexity of notes in this pinot…even denoting the exact color of cherry notes, “not in the dark and heavy spectrum,” he said but more with the subtlety of Queen Anne and Rainier.

Drue with 4th generation owners of the historic Cafe Metro founded in 1920

2006-12-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

Wynton Marsalis Photos Coming Soon Charlie Trotter Photos Up!

2007-01-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

The Charlie Trotter galleries are now up. Please stay tuned for the Wynton Marsalis photos coming up shortly. I would like to thank everyone who has sent me positive emails and good wishes from "Around the World." Meanwhile photos, and footage is being sent to me and I continue to post photos, so stay tuned for London, Paris, Gstaad...

I'm overwhelmed by the positive energy and momentum of the Enso which has swept up into its embrace so many new friends. Besides the pleasant notes in my inbox---and you know who you are out there!--I've received lovely calls and comments. This morning I had the pleasure of speaking with the great filmmaker Conrad Barclay who was taking a moment away from a session in New York. He and his team filmed every angle of the Around the World Encounter with Wynton Marsalis. He has poured over the footage and has been editing it into a beautiful reel. When you witness Conrad with a camera in his hands, the quiet sensitivity and depth is palpable. Today he told me--"Drue you have a magic way with words, and an unparalleled eloquence." Thanks Conrad!! Here's a photo from the day of the Encounter at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola when Conrad and his team arrived early in the morning to meticulously set up. The Enso swirled and swung--happily caught in the curve of these jazz-infused lenses.

Please Enjoy the Charlie Trotter Galleries here:

Chef Charlie Trotter Sumi-e Stopover in Chicago
Drue Visits the Trotter Kitchen in Chicago
Chef Charlie Trotter Encounters Drue's Enso 2007
Chef Charlie Trotter Signs Drue's Enso 2007
Chef Charlie Trotter and his team join Drue
Chef Charlie Trotter's Culinary Response to Enso 2007
Chef Charlie Trotter's Legendary Wine Cellars

Drue Visits Legendary Titan of Jazz Culture Albert Murray in Harlem

2007-01-12T22:41:00.000-08:00

Revisiting that magical night when I met Albert Murray...I am just now downloading those photos and will have them up soon...
Jazz at Lincoln Center arranged for a special car to take me to Harlem to visit the legendary critic, novelist, biographer Albert Murray. Born in Alabama in 1916 he attended Tuskegee Institute and was a close friend of Romeare Bearden and a collaborater and contemporary of Ralph Ellison, as well as a friend to all the jazz greats from Duke Ellington to Count Basie. He still refers to himself as one of "Duke's boys." Sharing with him Enso 2007 was an extraordinary experience. He wanted to celebrate by bringing out a rare cognac given to him by the great Victor Goines on the occaison of his 90th birthday last May. I read for him a selection of my jazz poetry and he responded, "That's the Blues in your face!!" He added "What is the word in the English language that stands for the most delicate? You're dealing with some delicate stuff there and the delicate is no less powerful than the robust." When I played a blues for him on my flute he paused, touched his ear softly nearly cupping the sound and said, "That sounds like how a flower smells." The ride into Harlem was one I’ll never forget. And the ride away was a reluctant one indeed. As I left Murray was still going strong, "You and I could talk our way across any desert there ever was," he said. We had a fireworks poetry jam session as I would riff poetry, and he would weave his words about any turn of phrase. "Drue your poetry is like sculpture--it doesn't take up space, it enriches space, there's more in the same space, you see? It's full of blinks and oohs and ahs, like diamonds." A high compliment from this man who had coaxed the essence out of so many words.

Drue and Enso 2007 - Encounter with Odile Gilbert in her atelier in Paris

2006-12-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

Reflecting on Odile Gilbert's response to ENSO 2007 at Cafe de Flore over the sur le nil and Christmas lights on Boulevard Saint Germain

2006-12-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

Drue at Musee d'Orsay with Albert Bartholome's La Gloire

2006-12-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

Forrest McGill, Chief Curator Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and Drue

2006-12-31T23:25:00.000-08:00

Wynton Marsalis Enso Ceremony at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center

2006-12-06T01:44:00.000-08:00

In the Jazz Capital of the World---the exciting preparations for New York Honoree Wynton Marsalis are in their final stages. I'm most grateful to Wynton and Jazz at Lincoln Center for the energy, soul and attention to detail they are infusing the ceremony that Wynton will be hosting in the elegant Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola. I look forward to the acoustics of this world class facility when I play my musical tribute for him. And I know the Enso will vamp then spin softly across the breath-taking Manhattan skyline. Wynton is having his grand Steinway specially tuned just for the event. For the exclusive invitation-only reception a beautiful folding card of the Enso of the Tokyo skyline was sent. The photo accompanying this blog post shows the image.

Chef Trotter Presents Drue with Fernand Point's Ma Gastronomie

2006-12-12T23:39:00.000-08:00

There's so much to say about the unbelievable toast of the Around the World Pinot Noir. Chef Trotter's sommelier poured and commented on the wine's balance--beautifuly silky without being heavy. Chef Trotter waxed poetic---It's opulent and sleek. More on the toast, my performance for Chef Trotter and his responses later.

Meanwhile I am carefully packing many of Chef Trotter's gifts from the evening. One was the landmark work Ma Gastronomie A Classic of French Cuisine by Fernand Point. Fernand Point (1897 - 1955) is considered to be the father of modern French cuisine. For Point's Restaurant de la Pyramide in Vienne, in the old Roman town south of Lyon, he gained three Michelin stars and trained a generation of French master chefs including Paul Bocuse.

As the European Daurade with Tofu Puree, Bok Choy, Wasabi and Hijiki was served in grand style, Chef Trotter sat by me and read from his favorite passages of Ma Gastronomie. Chef Trotter's voice rose and fell softly accompanying the delicate daurade. I was deeply touched by his thoughtful inscription in the book.

Drue at Asian Art Museum for Japanese Bell Ringing - Bringing Enso 2007 into the New Year

2006-12-31T23:22:00.000-08:00

Coming Full Circle and returning with Enso 2007 to San Francisco I attended the 21st Annual Japanese New Year’s Bell Ringing Ceremony (Joya no kane) at the Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Art and Culture. The ancient Japanese tradition of striking a temple bell 108 times to purify the old year and welcome the new one is one of the most beautiful in the world. The Japanese bell in the collection of the Asian Art Museum is a treasure made by Tachibana Kyubei for the Daienji Temple, Tajima Province in 1532.

When I was selected for the 12th ring of the bell I felt the incredible destiny of Enso 2007 once again as 12 is a number central to the project. The highlight of the day was speaking with Forrest McGill, Chief Curator and Wattis Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute Celebration with Dr. Clay Carson, Clarence B. Jones, Tavis Smiley, and Dr. Cornel West

2007-01-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

Honored and delighted to attend the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute Celebration of Volume VI of the Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Clayborne Carson, eloquent and soulful as always brought the spirit of Dr. King alive and welcomed special guests Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornel West who flew in just for the event. Later in the evening Dr. Carson held his annual celebratory dinner to thank supporters of Institute and I was inspired to meet Clarence B. Jones, attorney to Dr. King, who was an award recipient this year. He told us, "When Dr. King preaches at you, you know you are being called." Pillars of the MLK Institute Harold and Sara Boyd were at my table and I was moved by Harold's words. "Drue you have accomplished so much in your short life. You are one of the few people who is already building a legacy at such a young age."

Stopping time at the Musee d'Orsay - the Enso as clock in Paris

2006-12-23T10:19:00.000-08:00

Isaiah Washington, Grey's Anatomy and Drue - Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration 2007

2007-01-12T22:12:00.000-08:00

When Dr. Carson introduced me to Isaiah Washington, Washington, paused looked at me and said "You are sitting on two or three worlds, aren't you?" Dr. Carson asked me to explain my unique creative process for painting a portrait and my research process for painting Dr. King and Washington shook his head and said, "This is intense!" I was touched by Dr. Carson's remarks, "I met Drue when she was just in high school. When I see her I say this is what Stanford students are all about. Someone like this with that talent ---that takes it, develops it, and brings it into the world..."

I was struck by Isaiah Washington's response early in the evening when someone had commented that "all the grace had been lost" from the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. He lifted up his fork, and his silverware gleamed in the light, "Not all of it," he laughed, amiably defending younger generations.

I talked with Dr. Carson about the Enso in terms of peace and Dr. King.

Drue at Restaurant a la Petit Chaise - Le plus vieux restaurant de Paris fonde en 1680

2006-12-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

Drue aboard the Legendary Swiss Golden Pass Panoramic en route to Gstaad on Christmas night

2006-12-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

Enrobed in Christmas fog we are leaving Montreux for Gstaad--Enso 2007 safely stowed.