Hollywood Valadon

The Valadon Hotel in Hollywood


The stained glass entrance to the Valadon

Last week was a fun and productive trip to Los Angeles with Dave and Denise Dorman. Dave was there to record a voiceover to his upcoming instructional DVD from the Gnomon Workshop. It will teach you to paint the Dave Dorman way. Buy it.

Denise and I went for moral support and to make as many contacts as possible for The Devil's Candy Store. We had great introductory meetings with agents and a couple of movie studios. Plus, we got some excellent feedback from Stone Perales and Travis Bourbeau (of Gnomon).

We went to visit an old friend of Dave and Denise, Dan Roebuck, and had an amazing tour of Dr. Shocker's House of Horror!

My most Hollywood moment on the trip came while I was making phone calls by the rooftop pool on a beautiful LA afternoon. It was luxurious and decadent. As I sat there, staff brought by complimentary shrimp and drinks. Ahh.


The pool view over the city

Stone Perales came to visit us for dinner one night and had the good fortune of having his car towed from right in front of the hotel. We bonded that night in ways one only can when trying to find the tow lot at midnight in a strange city.

And we had a excellent breakfast before we left with Craig Elliott and Amy at the Grove.


Best Desk Clerk in the World - Agnes

Our stay at the Valadon (soon to be renamed as the 'Petite Ermitage') was met with the epitome of customer service from their staff. The beautiful, charming, helpful, and patient Agnes held down the front desk daily performing tasks for us that had no limit. And they gave away chocolate chip cookies 24 hours a day.

The hotel is just off of Sunset. If you were to stumble out of the Viper Room in a drug-induced stupor you would roll down the hill outside and land in the hotel foyer with a lucky bounce off a parked car on Palm.