Ludka's Museum

As you can see
Ludka was a seriously beautiful Czech girl


(Can you tell
that she was professional dancer?)




... and she still is beautiful
even in this ghostly image
reflected by one of the paintings
in her collection.












This might serve
as portrait of her as well











These are the tools of her trade.
She's been a top tier
piano teacher
in the Chicago area
for several decades now.



During which time
she has managed to acquire
this wonderful house
and stuff it full of eye candy.









Zugmas Brazis




Our tour should probably begin
with her favorite sculpture















and here's another one
perched in a tree
in the back yard













BTW,
she's also a gardener
(as well as a world traveler )





She says the garden
has been somewhat neglected this year







But I prefer
the "jungle look"
myself










at the top,
is the veranda
on which
we have often been entertained










Walking around the side of the house
is this little fellow
who fell off the wall

Now we're on the front porch.

This little fragment
was found abandoned in the kiln room
at the Palette and Chisel Academy.

The head is also an abandoned piece,
while the small figures
were made by a romantic Frenchman
who passed through Chicago
a few years ago

And this strange figure

was made by yours truly

Mark Chatterly

The stained glass windows
were designed and fabricated
by the lady herself.

(who also makes jewelry )

Now we're on the inside,
and we'll be walking counter-clockwise
through the building

Jade (from trip to China)

Martina

Though I can identify this one:

myself

(from trip to Lhasa)

some very nice historical pieces

(from trip to Guatemala, near Tikal)

Lecoque, plates are Czech, sculpture by Jan Zlebek

Alois Lecoque and Groeger

Jan Zlebek, painting by Vladimir Ovtcharov (Bulgaria)

As I recall,
these were painted
for Ludka's father
by a fellow prisoner.
(Czech officers spent
a lot of time in prisons,
first Nazi, then Communist)

Indonesia (left), Namibia (right)

another piece by yours truly

Mathurin Moreau (France)






John Freda (Evanston, Il)

This is my favorite corner

Lubos Vojkuvka (Czech)

Petr Zlamal (Czech, from Ludka's home town)

Kostka (top), Russell Maier (bottom), sculpture by Erte

and I love all her glass

Light is by Ludka, inspired by a tall Chicago building in the clouds

Jiri Solc (Czech)

Zimbabawe

Indonesia

Belize

This is in the bedroom.

There were several paintings
there also,
but I couldn't photograph them
through the reflective glass.

Milos Koutecky (Czech)

This is a portrait of her son
done at least 30 years ago.

She's sorry that it was done
from a photograph,
but it looks pretty good to me.

And once again,
the lady herself
as a young woman.


As you can see,
she is an out-of-control
aesthete,
making, collecting, displaying
whatever resonates with her.


Might we say
that her entire house,
is a work of art
just like a Cornell box ?

Only, it's much more
bright and beautiful.