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Frieze Art Fair New York, 2014 issue #4

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Thea Djordjadze,
"She didn't have friends, children, sex, religion, marriage,
success, a salary or a fear of death. She worked." 2012,
steel & paint, Spruth Magers, Berlin, London

(side view)Thea Djordjadze, 
"She didn't have friends…."Spruth Magers, Berlin, London



ART
Frieze Art Fair 
New York, 2014 
issue #4
coverage continues

Albert Oehlen, "Untitled" (22/87), 1987, oil on canvas, 78.75" x 63",
Spruth Magers, Berliin, London

Andreas Gursky, "Nha Trang" 2004, C-Print / Diasec, ed of 6,
Spruth Magers, Berlin, London
Andreas Gursky,  (detail) "Nha Trang" 2004, C-Print / Diasec, ed of 6,
Spruth Magers, Berlin, London

Joseph Kosuth, "Art as Idea [Language], 1966, Photographic enlargement of dictionary definition (English)
47 1/4" x 47 1/4", Spruth Magers, Berlin, London

Peter Fischil / David Weiss, "Blossoming Branch", 1986, color photo, 15 3/4 x 11 7/8", ed of 3,
Spruth Magers, Berlin, London

Peter Fischil / David Weiss, "Burohaus fur Shanghai", 1984/86, color photo,
15 3/4 x 11 7/8", ed of 3, Spruth Magers, Berlin, London

Peter Fischil / David Weiss, "Das Deativ", 1984, color photo, 11 7/8" x 15 3/4",
Spruth Magers, Berlin, London

Peter Fischil / David Weiss, "The Car of Evil", 1984, Silver Gelatin Print, 15 3/4 x 11 7/8", ed of 3,
Spruth Magers, Berlin, London

Robert Janitz, "Charming Tubes and Wilted Flowers", 2014,
oil and wax on linen, 77" x 60",
team (gallery, inc.) New York

Robert Janitz, "Places of Interest", 2014,
oil and wax on linen, 77" x 60",
team (gallery, inc.) New York

Robert Janitz, "Rabbit's Foot Fern", 2014,
oil and wax on linen, 77" x 60",
team (gallery, inc.) New York

Robert Janitz, "Waring's Conjecture", 2014,
oil and wax on linen, 77" x 60",
team (gallery, inc.) New York

Rosemarie Trockel, "Horizons lined up 1",  2011, Wool over canvas with perspex, 39.25" x 39.25",
Spruth Magers, Berlin, London

Rosemarie Trockel, (detail of construction) "Horizons lined up 1",  2011,
Wool over canvas with perspex, 39.25" x 39.25", Spruth Magers, Berlin, London

Artworks hanging from the ceiling at Frieze Art Fair NY 2014.

(Source: All photos were taken with the permission of the fair and the individual galleries by ARTSnFOOD staff.)

Until later,
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Frieze Art Fair New York, 2014 issue #5

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Esther Schipper Gallery booth, Berlin
Art: General Idea, "Mondo Cane Karma Sutra" (Distressed) #s 11-13, Acrylic on Canvas
Daniel Steegmann Mangrané, "Untitled" (screen) 2014, Anodized aluminum chain and laser cut powder coated steel, Esther Schipper Gallery, Berlin
ART
Frieze Art Fair 
New York, 2014 
issue #4
coverage continues

Casey Kaplan, New York

Charles Avery, "The Islanders", Grimm Gallery, Amsterdam 

Charles Avery, "The Islanders",  Grimm Gallery, Amsterdam - installation

Charles Avery, "The Islanders",  Grimm Gallery, Amsterdam - painting 


Charles Avery, "The Islanders",  Grimm Gallery, Amsterdam  -  book

Cory Arcangel, "Blue, Yellow, Red", 2014, c-print,
 84" x 50", unique, team (gallery,inc.) New York

Dadamaino, 1959, "Leaf" recut, Massimo DeCarlo, Milan, London

Dadamaino, 1959,  "Leaf" recut,  Massimo DeCarlo, Milan, London

Doug Aitken, "Magic", 2013, LED lit lightbox, 20.25" x 96" x 5", ed. of 4, Regen Projects, Los Angeles

Francis Upritchard, "A Hand of Cards", Notingham Contemporary

Galleri Nicolai Wallner booth, Copenhagen

Gert & Uwe Tobias, "Untitled" 2014, woodblock print on canvas,
edition of 2, 78 3/4" x 66", team (gallery inc.) NY

Gert & Uwe Tobias, "Untitled", 2014, woodblock print on canvas,
ed. of 2, team (gallery, inc.) New York

Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, Cape Town

Amikam Toren, Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco

Anton Kern Gallery, New York

Balula, galerie frank elbaz, Paris

Canan, "Untitled" 2000, ed. of 5, c-print,
75" x 55" Rampa Gallery Istanbul

Carroll Dunham drawing, 1999, Gladstone Gallery, NY, Brussels

Carroll Dunham drawings, Gladstone Gallery, NY, Brussels

Greene Naftali, New York


Jean-Luc Mouléne, "Masques 2" 2014, Galerie Greta Meert

Joao Maria Gusmao & Pedro Paiva, "Hare and cylinder", 2013, Sies & Hoke, Dusseldorf

John Armleder, Massimo DeCarlo, Milan, London

Jonathan Monk, "All The Possible Combinations of Eight Legs Kicking (One At A Time) 2013,
ed. of 2, Galleri Nicolai Wallner Copenhagen

Matti Braun, "untitled' 2014, Silk, dye with powder-coated aluminum frame,
 Esther Schipper, Berlin

Matti Braun, "untitled' 2014, Silk, dye with powder-coated aluminum frame,
Esther Schipper, Berlin

Michael van Ofen, "After Nicolaus Hoff after Johann Friedrich Overbeck, "Germania und Italia- 1828", 2013,
Sies & Hoke, Dusseldorf 


Olafur Eliasson, "Your lost outside", 2014 24 partially lilvered glass spheres
Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, NY

Paola Pivi, Massimo DeCarlo, Milan, London

Rampa Gallery, Istanbul

Sarah Lucas {English (1962)} "New Religion (Orange) 2013, neon, Sadie Coles Gallery, London


Sies & Hoke, Dusseldorf

Susanne McClelland, "Ideal Proportions- Squeeze - A Winning Hand" 2009, mixed media & oil on linen, 72" x 84", team (gallery, inc.) New York

Ugo Rondinone, {Swiss (1964)} "drittermarzzweitausendundvierzehn"
acrylic on canvas, 2014, Sadie Coles Gallery, London

 Jessica Bradley Gallery booth, Toronto

Zin Taylor, "A Structure Coreographed to Filter a Room (Fingers Pulled from the Sea and Pattered), 3rd arrangement," 2013, Plaster, CPVC, acrylic paint, Jessica Bradley Gallery, Toronto

Zin Taylor, "Talking Panel" (Horizontals and Verticals #12" 2013, Double-sided- MDF, acrylic paint, brass hanging device, Jessica Bradley Gallery, Toronto

Back Room at Sies & Hoke, Dusseldorf 
-------------------------
Information Unknown
WE DIDN'T WANT TO KEEP THE IMAGES UNPUBLISHED
below

music room

detail music room

wall assemblage


(Source: All photos were taken with the permission of the fair and the individual galleries by ARTSnFOOD staff.)

Until later,
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

ART Frieze Art Fair New York, 2014 issue #6 finalé

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Alex Katz, "Untitled" 2011, Oil on linen, 75" x 114"
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris Salzburg

ART
Frieze Art Fair 
New York, 2014 
issue #6
finalé

This is the last piece of our puzzle regarding the Frieze Art Fair NY 2014. 
Literally it has been an "Around the World Art Journey!"
What an international and up to the minute exhibition!

Chantal Joffe, "Striped Dress", 2014, Oil on canvas, 
60" x 48"
Cheim & Read, NY

Claus Richter, 
Clages Gallery, 
Cologne

Ed Ruscha, "New Bleach Paintings", 
Gagosian Gallery, 
NY, London, LA, Paris, Rome, Athens, Geneva, Hong Kong

Ed Ruscha, "Co." - "New Bleach Paintings", 
Gagosian Gallery, 
NY, London, LA, Paris, Rome, 
Athens, Geneva, Hong Kong

Ed Ruscha, "Service Clown" - "New Bleach Paintings", 
Gagosian Gallery, 
NY, London, LA, Paris, Rome, 
Athens, Geneva, Hong Kong

Erwin Wurm, "Gigant Klein, ich deal" 2014, 
Bronze, polished, 28" x 13" x 10", 
Galerie Thaddaeus Popac, Paris, Salzburg


Fiona Banner, "Forger (neon jet) 2013, 
Neon bent by the artist, wire, transformer and paper template, Perspex frame, 
39" x 27.5" x 5" in frame
Frith Street Gallery

Florian Meisenberg
Simone Subal Gallery, New York

Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne

Georg Baselitz, "Und so varmed loch" 2013, Oil on canvas, 
118.11" x 98.43", 
Galerie Thaddaeus Popac, Paris, Salzburg

Georg Baselitz, "Untitled" 2013, India ink on paper, 
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris, Salzburg

Gunther Forg, "Untitled" 2008, Acrylic and oil on canvas, 
76 3/4 x 88 5/8 inches, 
Greene Naftali Gallery

Heimo Zobernig, "Untitled" 2005, 
(3 projection screens), 
Galerie Chantal Crousel

Jason Martin, "Gemini" 2014, 
pigment on aluminium, celestial blue, 
69" x 10", 
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris, Salzburg

Jeppe Hein, "Corner Wall", 2013, 
Aluminum, stainless steel, 
high polished steel (super mirror),
90.5", 90.5" x 2" x2"
303 Gallery, NY

Justine Kurland, "Rebuilt Engine", 2013, Inkjet print, 
20 x 24 inches, 
Mitchell-Innes & Nash Gallery, NYC

Louise Fishman, "For GGG" 2014, Oil on linen, 70 x 88 inches
Cheim & Read, NYC

Maria Nepomuceno
A Gentil Carioca (gallery), Rio de Janeiro

Mitchell-Innes & Nash Gallery, NYC

Not Vital, "Head (LiGao)", 2013, 
Stainless Steel with PVD coating, 
70" x 57" x 55", ed of 3, 
Galerie Thaddaeus Popac, Paris Salzburg

Roxy Paine, "Revolution" 2014, 
Maple wood, 
Marianne Boesky Gallery, NY

Salon 94 - gallery,
(Jayson Musson paintings + 

Sylvie Fleury, Large Stainless Steel Razor Blade & fiberglass car), 
New York City

Sarah Braman, "Untitled" 2013, Acrylic on plywood, 
72 x 60 inches, 
Mitchell-Innes & Nash, NYC

Shana Lutker, Barbara Seiler Gallery, Zurich

Stephan Balkenhol, 
"Frau vor schwarzer 
geflochtener Hoztafel" 2013, 
Wawa wood & Beech wood, 
Galerie Thaddaeus Fopac, 
Paris, Salzburg 


Stephan Balkenhol,
-detail- 
"Frau vor schwarzer 
geflochtener Hoztafel" 2013, 
Wawa wood & Beech wood, 
Galerie Thaddaeus Fopac, 
Paris, Salzburg 


Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town & Johannesburg

William Eggleston, "Woman on Curb, Memphis, Tenn."
Cheim & Read, NY

ZHAN Wang, "Artificial Rock No.60", 2006 ed of 4,
Long March Space, Beijing

ZHAN Wang, "Artificial Rock", 2006 ed of 4,
Long March Space, Beijing
Frieze Art Fair, NY 2014 Exhibition View

Frieze Art Fair, NY 2014 VIP Entrance - Exterior of Tent

(Source: All photos were taken with the permission of the fair and the individual galleries by ARTSnFOOD staff.)

Until later,
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR Fall 2014, NYC + FOOD, Walnut & Coffee Cookies

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Martha Hughes, "Scene 102", 2013 Acrylic on panel, 12 x 12 inches
Elisa Contemporary Art
$800


ART
THE
AFFORDABLE
ART FAIR
FALL 2014, NYC
Sept. 25 - 29, 2014
THE TUNNEL
Manhattan
269 11th Ave.

Way back in 1996, Will Ramsay opened Will’s Art Warehouse in southwest London to bridge the public’s increasing interest in contemporary art and London’s highbrow gallery scene. By concentrating on relatively unknown artists not carrying a premium for reputation, the gallery was able to offer works from about $100 up to $5,000 from a stable of over 150 artists. The response Will received from his Art Warehouse inspired him to take his approach to the next level, and three years later the Affordable Art Fair was born.  By embracing other friendly galleries selling affordable art, the first fair launched in Battersea Park in October 1999. 10,000 visitors took advantage of the ease of buying, breadth of choice, affordable prices and user-friendly approach.

The Affordable Art Fair has become something of a global phenomenon, it now takes place in Amsterdam, Bristol, Brussels, New York, Milan, London, Singapore, Hamburg, Mexico City, Toronto, Stockholm, Hong Kong and Maastricht. Globally, over 1.4 million people have visited an Affordable Art Fair and purchased over $339 million worth of art.

Again this year AAF Fall 2014, NYC will be at the Tunnel Space, 269 11 Ave. at 27th St., New York City, September 25 - 29th, 2014. 50 local and international galleries will exhibit a huge array of affordable contemporary art, with pieces by established names hanging alongside work by the emerging artists.

Here are images provided through the AAF Website. 

(http://affordableartfair.com/newyork/exhibitors/fall-2014-exhibitors/)



















Galleries represented at this year's AAF Fall NYC 2014.










(Source for AAF information: All images and text was provided through the AAF 2014 NYC website. All rights reserved, Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees. Contact individual galleries if you want further information about an artist, Internet links are provided above.)

FOOD
WALNUT & COFFEE
COOKIES

Ingredients
2 envelopes instant latte
1 tbsp hot water
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely shopped walnuts

Directions
Put the instant latte into a bowl and stir in the hot, but not boiling water to make a paste. Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon, then beat in the egg yolk and coffee paste. Sift together the flour and a pinch of salt into the mixture, add the walnuts and stir until thoroughly combined. Halve the dough, shape into balls, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line 2 cookie sheets with baking parchment.

Unwrap the dough and roll out between 2 sheets of baking parchment to about 1/8 inch. Cut the cookies into 2 1/2 inch squares and put them on the prepared cookie sheets - spaced well apart.

Lightly brush the cookies with water and sprinkle with sugar crystals. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

(Source: Recipe by Linda Doeser)

Until later,
Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

ART for Yogaphiles + FOOD: Shrimp & Veggie Stuffed Eggplant Slices

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"Yoga Joe" demonstrates downward facing dog.


Brogamats "Doward Facing Log" yoga mat bag.


ART
BRoGAMATS:
Artworks for
Yoga Dudes 

(& Women)

BRoGAMATS, a company comprised of artistic yogaphiles, feels that yoga products are boring. So, they have turned their talents toward making yoga art.


Brogamats' molded toy soldier named "Yoga Joe" demonstrates yoga positions. ($25)

"Hot Pink Yoga Joes" also demonstrate yoga positions.

BRoGAMATS's Yoga Joe demonstrates various yoga positions below.




















"Quiver of Arrows" yoga mat bag. ($35)

"Quiver of Arrows" mat. (72" long, $69)
Given that men are taller, heavier and sweat more than women, the company decided to make a mat that was extra long, extra thick, and "grippy".


"Quiver of Arrows" yoga mat.



Brogamats'"Burrito" yoga mat bag. ($35)

Brogamats'"Lumberjack" yoga mat bag. ($35)

Brogamats' manly plaid lumberjack yoga mat bag.


"Yoga Joes" t-shirt. ($40)
All items shown are © BRoGAMATS, available through http://www.brogamats.com.


FOOD
Shrimp & Veggie
Stuffed Eggplant
Slices

Ingredients: 

1 cup Béchamel Sauce (recipe below)
2 medium eggplants
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 tablespoon diced garlic
1/4 cup crushed croutons for breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded cheese (good quality Gouda)
Salt
Pepper
Cajun Seasoning
3/4 lb. of large shrimp, boiled, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Directions:

Boil Shrimp with crab boil (until almost done) and set aside - peel and cut up. reserve 8 shrimp for presentation.

Prepare a cup of Béchamel Sauce.

Chop and sauté onion and green pepper until slightly browned and soft.

Slice 1 unpeeled eggplant into 1.25 inch rounds, (4 total)
brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and sauté in some butter until browned on both sides and soft inside.

Remove skin and chop all remaining eggplant into 3/4 inch pieces. 
In a large sauté pan, place cubed eggplant and add a good sprinkle of Cajun seasoning
Sauté in butter until soft. 

Add garlic half way through cooking.

Add sautéd onion and pepper, stir in thoroughly.

Add béchamel sauce and cheese and stir in thoroughly. 

TO PLATE:
Place the cooked rounds on a walled baking sheet/pan, place one whole shrimp and a mound of chopped shrimp on each round, then pile on the béchamel/eggplant mixture and some breadcrumbs on top.

Broil for a few seconds until breadcrumbs are starting to darken.

Plate up each eggplant round. Add a whole shrimp on top and sprinkle it with some paprika.

Garnish the plate:  fresh avocado, cherry tomatoes and diced onion.

Béchamel Sauce:

1/2 stick butter
4 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup of 2% milk
pinch of salt

In a heavy saucepan, over medium heat melt the butter and gradually add in the flour. Whisk constantly until mixture is incorporated but remains light in color. Slowly add in milk, whisking constantly until smooth and creamy. Add salt to taste, not too much.

Garnish:

1 ripe avocado - med. slices
12 cherry tomatoes - halved
reserved chopped onion 
vinaigrette dressing

Garnish the plate with slices of fresh avocado, halves of cherry tomatoes and a few diced pieces of raw onion sprinkled on top.

(Source: Cajun inspired original recipe from Atkinson Family Cookbook.)

Until later,
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

"Road Trip" a Photo Essay by Jack A. Atkinson + FOOD: Grilled Veggies

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ART
"ROAD TRIP"
A PHOTO ESSAY BY 
JACK A. ATKINSON

This is the first installment from a series of photos titled "ROAD TRIP".
Enjoy these "selects" taken on a recent trip, driving through Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and back to Colorado. All images were photographed or originally seen from the car.














































(Source: All photos were taken by Jack A. Atkinson © Copyright 2014 all rights reserved.)

FOOD
Grilled Veggies

Veggies can be the highlight of a casual or a formal dinner when marinaded and grilled to bring out their sweetness.


Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • Dash salt
  • 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
  • 3 small carrots, cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 large sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch strips
  • 1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
Directions
  • In a small bowl, whisk the first seven ingredients. 
  • Place 3 tablespoons marinade in a large resealable plastic bag. 
  • Add vegetables; seal bag and turn to coat. 
  • Marinate 1-1/2 hours at room temperature.
  • Transfer vegetables to a grilling grid; place grid on grill rack.
  • Grill vegetables, covered, over medium heat 8-12 minutes 
  • or until crisp-tender, turning occasionally.
  • Place vegetables on a large serving plate. Drizzle with remaining
  • marinade.

  • Serves 6
(Source: —Heidi Hall, North St. Paul, MN)

Until later,
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

"GUERNICA" in LEGOS + Food: Farmer's Market Dinner Salad

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ART
LEGOS do 
"GUERNICA"

Veronica Watson, of the Legoland Discovery Center at the Ridge Hill megamall in Westchester, New York, crafted a Lego version of Picasso’s “Guernica” painted in 1937Watson used 800 LEGO bricks to painstakingly build Picasso's cubist painting, the Lego version is seven inches tall and 14.5 inches wide.



(Source: Images courtesy LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester)


Picasso was born on October 25, 1881. He would have celebrated his 133rd birthday this past weekend. The original painting of "Guernica" (below) depicts the horrors of the Spanish civil war.


Guernica - Probably Picasso's most famous work, this painting is certainly the his most powerful political statement, created as an immediate reaction to the Nazi's devastating casual bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during Spanish Civil War. Guernica shows the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians. (Photo source: PabloPicasso.org) 

The Lego version of "Guernica"
at 
LEGOLAND Discovery Center.
For more information on Picasso's "Guernica" go to the following link: http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp

FOOD
Farmer's Market
Dinner Salad



Ingredients:
Handful of mixed Field Greens
1 Heirloom Tomato (Med-large)
1 Med. English Cucumber (peeled and sliced into medallions)
1 Red Bell Pepper (diced)
1 Small Eggplant (peeled & cubed)
1 large Portobello Mushroom cap (diced)
Vinaigrette Dressing
Salt & Pepper
Bacon Bits (optional)

Serves 2

Instructions:
• Wash all ingredients before slicing.
• Cut tomato 3/8 inch per slice and place on the two plates.
• Dice the mushroom, place in skillet, add a pinch of salt and pepper - sauté in a little olive oil until tender. Remove from heat and distribute over the tomato slices.
(NOTE: leave the center of the plate clear for the greens.)
• Peel and cube the eggplant. Place cubes in the skillet with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and olive oil until soft. (After 2 minutes - cover and cook over a low heat, stirring from time to time, so they will soften more quickly) Divide the eggplant between the two plates.
• Peel and slice the cucumber (English cucumbers do not need to be seeded). Divide and place on the edge of the plates.
• Dice the red bell pepper and sprinkle over the other vegetables.
• Place selected mixed field greens in the center of the plate.
• Dress the vegetables with a splash of vinaigrette dressing and some bacon bits (I actually prefer the condiment bacon bits made from soybeans.)
 Serve with white wine and a wedge of toasted, warm artisanal bread.
(Source: Atkinson Family Cookbook)

Until later,
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

A Close Look at Remington's "A Dash for the Timber" + Food: "7-UP" Biscuits

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"A Dash for the Timber" (1889) by artist Frederic Remington
ART
Examining
Remington's
"A Dash for 
the Timber"
Oil on Canvas (c. 1889)
The Amon Carter Museum
of American Art
in Ft. Worth, Texas

---------------------
From time to time ARTSnFOOD selects a work of art to examine, very closely. This week we take a look at "A Dash for the Timber" (1889) by the artist Frederic Remington. As we look, notice the brush strokes, notice the under painting of color behind the surface and notice so many of the details which are easily missed. With a typical long viewing, usually 20 to 40 seconds* in front of a painting in a museum, we see so little, but upon a closer look all of the details become fascinating. *Most works of art in museums hold the viewers attention for only 3 or 4 seconds, before the museum guest moves on to look at the next artwork.
---------------------

Between 1885 and 1888, Frederic Remington made a number of trips to the Southwest, often to cover the activities of the U.S. Cavalry and their conflicts with the Apache Indians. He was deeply influenced by the stark landscape of the region and filled his sketchbooks with color notes and observations about the special quality of the light. In 1889, he wrote to a friend that he was working on "a big cowboy picture," and he needed two or three pairs of different chaps for reference. He was referring to this painting, which launched his career when it received favorable critical attention at the National Academy of Design in New York the following year. The overall effect of the this composition is riveting, as the fleeing riders gallop forward directly toward the viewer. Interestingly the painting has a cinematic quality which anticipates the many "Western" movies that were to happen a generation or two later! Frederic Remington lived from 1861 until 1909.


Detail of a cowboy's profile
from "A Dash for the Timber"
by artist Frederic Remington

The rise of the cowboy as a romantic hero of the American West began shortly after the American Civil War, and Remington was among those who played a part in its subsequent development. One of the cowboys' most effective supporters was Theodore Roosevelt, who was also a friend of Remington. Roosevelt viewed cowboys as the wild riders of the range, the final players in the epic drama of the American frontier and "as hardy and self-reliant as any men who ever lived."


The Amon Carter Museum of American Art
considers Frederic Remington's "A Dash for the Timber"
one of the most important works of art

in their permanent collection. 
The Amon Carter Museum of American Art
in Ft. Worth, Texas. 

A Close Look at
Frederic Remington's
Masterpiece: 
"A Dash for the Timber"
Painted in 1889




Remington had seen the photographic work of Eadweard Muybridge and
knew how to realistically paint a galloping horse.
In 1872, Muybridge set up a series of 24 cameras and was able to take multiple shots of the running habits of various racehorses, in a kind of film-strip style. The photographs demonstrated that all four legs often left the ground, although not as artists had depicted them, with the legs stretched out fore and aft, but rather with the four legs tucked up under the horse.

Eadweard Muybridge's sequential photos
 "The horse in motion".

Remington painted in his studio using his sketches and notes as his main resources.  Imagine how difficult it would be to capture the realism of this action painting - galloping horses with riders bouncing around and shooting - strictly from his visual memory, notes and sketches.

The artist used focus to make the painting feel real. The cowboys and their horses in front are in sharp focus, the cowboy in back and the pursuing Indians are painted in soft focus with very little detail.
Detail photo of the Indians in pursuit. 
The information is all there but executed with only a few brush strokes
for each horse and rider.


Remington knew working cowboys, their gear and the horses they rode. The revolver above contains all of the details needed to identify it, also there is no doubt the bridle on the horse is real  (notice his knowledge of how it is all put together), also real are the holster / gun belt and the specific whip, hanging from his wrist. The smoke from the other rider's rifle helps to define this riders profile, giving better contrast and making him stand out.

Detail photo of the gun, whip and part of the bridle.
Horses are not easy to draw or paint, but Remington makes them
very convincing and realistic.


The looseness of his brushstrokes make for a great painting. 
Although this painting was the result of endless drawing, color studies, 
the making of a cartoon, all before the final painting in the studio,
his brushstrokes have a quickness and ease to them. It is as if Remington was right there in front of the riders, with no time to waste while quickly capturing the image .

Notice how the shirt of this cowboy has been painted over a yellow background (under-painting), you can see the same color poking through the dust and all parts of the painting. This technique helps to tie the composition together.

The horse's mane is made up of just a few, quick, upward strokes of thin brown paint, 
but his equine anatomical structure, proportions, transitions of color and the tension in the horse's face reflects all of the detailed studies Remington 
must have gone through to the make this final painting.

Capturing the moment of death. 
The Cowboy pictured has been shot through the heart, 
you can see the blood on the front of his shirt. 
The photojournalist Capa captured a photo of a soldier being killed during the Spanish Civil War - almost by accident, clicking the shutter just as the bullet hit the soldier. That photo was a remarkable achievement. Remington must do the same thing but only using his observation talents, ie: being with the Cavalry during battle and other real life experiences. Because Remington's rendition of the moment of death is so real, without the aid of a fast camera for reference, the appreciation of it makes his version even more impressive.


"The Falling Soldier" is a photograph
taken by photojournalist Robert Capa
at the moment of death.
Spanish Civil War, c. 1936.


The only horse shown wounded, this white horse has been grazed by a bullet. 
The white horse was selected for this detail, because blood 
shows up on white, but would be lost on a reddish brown or black horse.

Cowboys are rugged and they have their own fashionable outfit, 
which cowboys still wear to this day: a wide brimmed "cowboy hat" 
that can be tied around the chin, a neckerchief, animal hide chaps, 
pants made from durable cloth, a sturdy belt, a long sleeved cotton shirt 
and "Cowboy" boots.

Almost lost in the composition
 is an eighth cowboy, fourth from the left, 
in the background. 

The lost cowboy's horse's head peeks out 
from below the white horse as seen above.

An overview of the lost cowboy and his horse.

One cowboy is possibly Mexican, he is wearing a large sombrero. 

There may be eight cowboys but there are 
nine horses in this line up.
This horse is the pack horse, 
and someone took the time to hook 
the cast iron skillet to its side, eggs and all.
The attack must have interrupted breakfast.

Detail photo of the skillet with eggs still in the pan.

Notice the buffalo hide chaps on this cowboy.

His rifle is also very detailed even if slightly loose in the painting of the barrel, 
but he is definitely concentrating as he looks through the rifle's site. 
Posture and hand positions are all correct and believable.

The title is "A Dash to the Timber". These are the timber(s), a place to gain cover. It is interesting to see Remington's painting technique, with his quick scumbling-in
of the sky and foliage. 
Below is a detail of the brush technique Remington used in the painting.



Above is a large final look at Remington's "A Dash for the Timber" (Oil on Canvas, 1889, at The Amon Carter Museum of American Art). 

Stop by and see this Remington masterpiece the next time you are in Ft. Worth Texas.

(Source: All photos were taken by ARTSnFOOD staff, with permission of the Amon Carter Museum staff. Introductory text came from information provided by the museum.)

FOOD
"7-UP" BISCUITS


Fast, easy to make and so good! Recipe is hard to find. 

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups Bisquick brand baking mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup 7-Up
1/2 cup melted butter

DIRECTIONS:

• Mix Bisquick, sour cream and 7-Up. Dough will be very soft. 
• Knead and fold dough until dough incorporates all of your Bisquick mix. 
• Pat dough out and cut biscuits using a round biscuit or cookie cutter. 
• Pour melted butter into the bottom of a baking sheet pan or 9x13 casserole dish. 
• Place biscuits on top of the melted butter.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees or until brown.
(Source: Recipe is from a friend & included in the Atkinson Family Cookbook)

Until later,
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Halloween Costumes / NYC's Street Scene - A Photo Essay - Food: Chicken & Dumpling Casserole

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ART
Halloween
Costumes 
on the Streets
on New York City
A PHOTO ESSAY
BY JACK A. ATKINSON

Sometimes it's difficult to tell if people walking down the streets of New York City on Halloween, October 31st, are wearing Halloween costumes or if is that just the way they roll !?!

These photos are some of the NYC revelers, enjoying their once-a-year alter-egos, walking down 14th Street, on Halloween night, 2014.

The "ART" is all in the individual expression!











































(Source: Above Photographs are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson, all rights reserved.) 

FOOD
Chicken & Dumpling
Casserole

Ingredients:
2 lbs. of chicken ( I used all thighs, my preference)
1 C. all purpose flour
1 C. milk
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
2 C. chicken broth (I used the water my chicken cooked in)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper


Instructions:
Place the chicken in a pot and cover with water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 1 hour. Remove chicken from pot, save the water, and let cool. Shred the chicken and place in the bottom of a 11x7 baking dish. Whisk together the flour, milk and butter, pour over the chicken. Whisk together the broth, soup, salt and pepper, pour over the casserole, DO NOT STIR. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

(Source: a recipe shared by a friend, part of The Atkinson Family Cookbook)

Until later,
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

DIATOMS - otherworldly beauty from microscopic organisms + ROSE MACARONS with EARL GREY TEA cream filling

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Marine diatoms are one of the smallest creatures on Earth.
UK-based biologist Klaus Kemp and "filmographer" Matthew Killip teamed up
to showcase these minuscule organisms' diverse beauty.
ART
DIATOMS
are used to create
microscopic art

Otherworldly beauty can be found in microscopic organisms!
(Source:  Science Alert Magazine, author: Bec Crew & The Diatomist Magaizine, Author: Miss Cellania.)

Diatoms are single-celled organisms found in natural water all over the world. There are estimated to be 100,000 species of these micron-sized creatures in existence, and they play a crucial role as one of the main food sources for marine organisms, including fish, molluscs and tunicates, such as sea squirts.
Once you get them under the microscope, the diatoms will reveal the incredible glass shells that contain their tiny bodies. During the Victorian era - the second half of the 19th century - scientists would pop them under their microscopes and lay them out in complex and beautiful arrangements, and UK-based biologist Klaus Kemp is one of the last remaining scientists on Earth to keep the practice alive.
"Filmographer" Matthew Killip made a documentary about Kemp, as the master of diatom art, and these stunning images were the result. Killip explains how the film came to be over at Neatorama:
I was very curious to see if anyone still practiced diatom arrangement and also to find out how it was done. I managed to track down Klaus Kemp in the UK - he's really the only person doing this to a professional level (he's able to make a living from a small base of collectors) - and filmed with him for one afternoon in December 2013.
The Victorian diatomists took their secrets to the grave, so there was no accurate information on the practice when he first started at sixteen. It has taken him years to be able to create these stunning microscopic slides of arranged diatoms. This is Klaus' life's work.






The video below show Klaus explaining his microscopic masterpieces.


A link to making the diatom slides: 
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artoct06/rhu-diatoms.html

(Sources: All images / photographs are credited to Klaus Kemp, some text Wikipedia, jpgs -The Diatomist, video- vimeo, some text ScienceAlert.com) 

{ Background - Diatoms are a major group of algae, and are among the most common types of phytoplankton. Most diatoms are unicellular, although they can exist as colonies in the shape of filaments or ribbons (e.g. Fragilaria), fans (e.g. Meridion), zigzags (e.g. Tabellaria), or stars (e.g. Asterionella). Diatoms are producers within the food chain. A unique feature of diatom cells is that they are enclosed within a cell wall made of silica (hydrated silicon dioxide) called a frustule. These frustules show a wide diversity in form, but are usually almost bilaterally symmetrical, hence the group name. The symmetry is not perfect since one of the valves is slightly larger than the other allowing one valve to fit inside the edge of the other. Fossil evidence suggests that they originated during, or before, the early Jurassic Period. Only male gametes of centric diatoms are capable of movement by means of flagella. Diatom communities are a popular tool for monitoring environmental conditions, past and present, and are commonly used in studies of water quality.) Source: Wikipedia


FOOD
French Macarons
ROSE MACARONS 
with 
EARL GREY TEA
cream filling 





Macarons
{For ROSE MACARONS filled with EARL GREY TEA cream:
Add 1 teaspoon of Earl Grey tea finely ground and 3 drops rose-pink gel paste food coloring to the Basic Vanilla Macaron (below). 
Also add 1 teaspoon of rose water to the buttercream filling (below).}

EASY Recipe 
for Basic Vanilla 
Macarons

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
- 3/4 cup fine ground almonds (almond flour)
- 3 egg whites
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:
- Sieve the confectioners sugar and the ground almonds together.
- Sieve the granulated sugar separately
- In a bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks
- Add the salt
- Then gradually fold in the granulated sugar until obtaining a thick meringue
- Add half of the confectioners sugar and ground almonds, stir gently with a spatula from the top to bottom.
- Finally add the vanilla and the remaining confectioners sugar and almonds -  continue stirring gently until blended.
- Pour the mix into a pastry bag with a large round tip
- Hold tip 1/2 inch above the mat and make 3/4" rounds on a silicone baking mat, finish by pulling off to one side. (The batter will expand some.) Space 1" apart on all 4 sides.
- Allow the macarons to rest between 30-35 minutes at room temperature.
- Cook in a preheated over at 300º F for 20-25 minutes until firm to the touch.
- Repeat the process with the rest of the batter. 
- Makes 30 macarons

- Fill these macarons with:1) bought icing, 2) French strawberry jam, 3) Orange Marmalade, 4) Hazelnut chocolate spread or 4) butter cream filling (recipe below).


Butter Cream Filling
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine the egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer.
- Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch (2 minutes).
- Transfer bowl to the electric mixer.
- Using the whisk attachment, mix on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed, until stiff, glassy peaks form (about 10 minutes).
- At low speed, add the butter, piece by piece, to the egg whites and beat until smooth. 
- Add the vanilla extract and continue mixing until incorporated.


Vanilla Bean Macaron
A more exacting measurement recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
- 2/3cup sliced blanched almonds
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
- 1 drop "copper" gel-paste food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350º F with rack in the lower third of oven
- Place almonds in a food processor and process until as fine as possible, about 1 minute.
- Add confectioners sugar to almonds and process until combined, about 1 minute
- Pass the almond mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer remaining solids in sieve back to food processor and regrind, again sift pressing down on the clumps. Repeat until less than 2 tablespoons of the solids remain in the sieve.
- Beat egg whites on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid) for 2 minutes, increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat for 2 minutes, finally beat on high (8) for 2 minutes more.
- The beaten egg whites will hold stiff, glossy peaks when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. Add 1/2 of a vanilla bean's seeds plus 1 drop of copper gel-paste food coloring then beat on highest speed for 30 seconds more.
- Fold in almond/sugar mixture. (Add dry ingredients all at once.) With a spatula fold from the bottom of the bowl upward, then press flat side of spatula firmly through the middle of the mixture. Repeat just until batter flows like lava (35 to 40 complete strokes).
- Prepare a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8" round tip (Ateco #804) place inside a glass to hold upright while filling. Transfer the batter the the bag
- Secure top of bag then dab some of the left over batter onto the corners of two heavy baking sheets before lining with parchment.
- Hold pastry bag tip 1/2 inch above the parchment and make 3/4" rounds on the baking sheet, swirl off to one side to stop. (The batter will expand some.) Space macarons 1" apart on all 4 sides. Tap the baking sheets firmly against the counter 2 or 3 times to release any air bubbles
- Allow the macarons to rest between 30-35 minutes at room temperature before baking for the tops to set and smooth out.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until risen and just set (13 minutes). 
- Let cool.
- Pipe or spread your filling on the flat sides of half of the macarons, then top it with the remaining halves.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. (Best after 2 days of refrigeration.)

VARIATIONS
On Macaron Flavors
and Different Fillings

TOASTED HAZELNUT AND CHOCOLATE
Substitute toasted skinned hazel nuts for almonds in macarons.

Filling: Heat 1/4 cup heavy cream in a saucepan until bubbles begin to form. Add 1 1/3onces of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, stir to combine. Sir in 3 tablespoons store-bought chocolate-hazelnut spread. Let cool until thick and spreadable.

CHOCOLATE MINT
Add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and 2 drops of leaf-green gel-paste food coloring to the macarons. After grate bittersweet chocolate over half of unbaked rounds.

Filling: Heat 1/4 cup heavy cream in a saucepan until bubbles begin to form. Add 1 1/2 ounces of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, stir to combine. Let cool until thick and spreadable.

ESPRESSO
Add 1/2 teaspoon instant-espresso powder to the macarons. After sift more powder over top of cookie.

For Mocha Macaron: Replace 1/3 cup of confectioners sugar with 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.

Filling: Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon instant-espresso powder in 1/4 teaspoon hot water, mix into 2/3 cup buttercream filling (above).

Alternate filling: Substitute 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese and 1/4 cup butter (for the 2 cups butter) add 1 tablespoon of amaretto liqueur and 1 teaspoon of powdered cocoa all in the buttercream filling (above).

ROSE RASPBERRY
Add 1/4 teaspoon rose water and 3 drops rose-pink gel paste food coloring to the macaron.

Filling: 1/2 cup raspberry jam.

WASABI MACARON
w/ PISTACHIO FILLING

Add 1 teaspoon of Wasabi and 2 drops of green food coloring to the macaron.

Filling: Add 1/4 cup of raw ground pistachios to the butter cream filling (above).

ROSE MACARONS filled with EARL GREY TEA Filling
Add 1 teaspoon of Earl Grey tea finely chopped (ground) and 3 drops rose-pink gel paste food coloring to the macaron. 

Filling: Add 1 teaspoon rose water to the buttercream filling (above).

(Source for more exacting recipe and cream filling: http://www.marthastewart.com/1054200/vanilla-bean-macarons http://www.marthastewart.com/350044/swiss-meringue-buttercream)

Until later,
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Samurai Armor at LACMA + FOOD: Making Sushi Made Easy

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ART
Samurai Armor
at LACMA

LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) presents an exhibition of samurai armor on loan from the collection of the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum in Dallas. The Barbier-Mueller has one of the largest and most important collections of its kind in the world. It is composed of nearly three hundred objects, several of which are considered masterpieces, including suits of armor, helmets, masks, horse armor, and weaponry. The objects date from the 12th to the 19th century, with a particularly strong focus on Edo-period armor.



Travel back in time and discover remarkable objects that illuminate the life, culture, and pageantry of the samurai, the revered and feared warriors of Japan. The Samurai Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, one of the finest and most comprehensive collections in the world, presents a treasure trove of battle gear made for high-ranking warriors and daimyo (provincial governors) of the 14th through 19th centuries. The exhibition illustrates the evolution of samurai equipment through the centuries, featuring more than 140 objects of warrior regalia, with full suits of armor, helmets and face guards, weapons, horse trappings, and other battle gear.
During the centuries covered by the exhibition, warfare evolved from combat between small bands of equestrian archers to the clash of vast armies of infantry and cavalry equipped with swords, spears, and even matchlock guns. Arms and armor were needed in unprecedented quantities, and craftsmen responded with an astonishingly varied array of armor that was both functional and visually spectacular, a celebration of the warrior’s prowess. Even after 1615, when the Tokugawa military dictatorship brought an end to battle, samurai families continued to commission splendid arms and armor for ceremonial purposes. Because the social rank, income, and prestige of a samurai family were strictly determined by the battlefield valor of their ancestors, armor became ever more sumptuous as the embodiment of an elite warrior family’s heritage.



ITEMS BELOW AVAILABLE AT THE LACMA SHOP


The exhibition is accompanied by a fully-illustrated catalogue, 
with essays by leading Japanese samurai armor experts.
Art of Armor: Samurai Armor
from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection
Hardbound $65.00 USD Member Price $58.50

Samurai Armor Poster  $10.00 USD  Member Price $9.00



Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 'Warrior' Kerchief $18.00 USD Member Price $16.20

This is adapted from a rare sketch, Finished Drawing of a Warrior from around 1878 that would have been used by a craftsman to create a woodblock print. LACMA's permanent collection includes over 400 additional works by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 



Below: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 16" x 20" Reproduction Prints $40.00 USD Member Price $36.00






Tsukiioka Yoshitoshi: 'Kibi Daijin' Journal $12.95 USD Member Price $11.65


Samurai 500 Piece Puzzle $16.95 USD Member Price $15.26


Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan$34.95 USD Member Price $31.45

Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan
$34.95 USD Member Price $31.45








(Source: LACMA website & press department)


FOOD
Home-made Sushi 

Can Be Easy!


SushiQuik Manufactures 

a Kit Making Sushi 

Fun and Easy

for the sushi chef challenged!

  • Easiest way to make sushi! Easy for the whole family to use.
  • Detachable sushi mat so you can put it in the dishwasher with silverware
  • Comes complete with training frame, non-stick paddle, and the SushiQuik Roll Cutter
  • Makes all sushi roll sizes including rolls with rice on the outside.
  • Easiest and most complete sushi kit on the market.
$39.95









(Source: SushiQuik)

OR

Sushi Chef Sushi Making Kit

For the more traditional method
by Sushi Chef $36.90



(Source: Sushi Chef)
More info on Sushi:

Until later,
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

"State of the Art", Crystal Bridges Showcases Artistic Talent From Across the USA + FOOD: Eleven, Dining at Crystal Bridges Museum

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Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, in Bentonville, Arkansas
has become one of the great destination museums of the world.
Photo By Arkansas Parks and Tourism 
State of the Art / Artist: Teri Greeves from Santa Fe, NM,
exhibits her "Abstraction-Kiowa by Design" created this year, 2014,
and made from canvas, beads, (sneaker elements) and high heels..
ART
"STATE OF THE ART:
Discovering American Art Now"
Crystal Bridges Museum
of American Art 
has curated one 
of the most
important exhibitions
of this century!
(Exhibition continues until January 19, 2015)

(Because of the size and importance of this exhibition this is Issue #1 covering: STATE of the ART - the final two installments will come after the exhibition closes in January.)

Crystal Bridges Museum derives it's name from the fact that
several of the galleries are actual bridges
over a fresh water stream-fed lake.


"State of the Art, Discovering American Art Now"
Two representatives of Crystal Bridges Museum, the president, Don Bacigalupi, and curator, Chad Alligood, set out in planes, trains and automobiles for an unusual art hunt to find undiscovered artists across the USA. The goal: to showcase these artists from the heartland in a one-of-a-kind, ambitious and contemporary art exhibition at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas (founded by Alice Walton).


Artist- Laurel Roth Hope from San Francisco, CA,
"Biodiversity Suits for Urban Pigeons"
Yarn, polyurethane, pewter, glass, epoxy and walnut wood.

This exhibition begins to answer the question many people inside and outside of the "art world" often ask: "If 99% of the emerging and famous artists shown in the major U.S. galleries and museums live in New York City or Los Angeles, what other great American artistic talents (who don't happen to live in those two cities) are going unrecognized?" In the United States, we all know there are thousands and thousands and thousands of artists dispersed through-out the country, living and working in every community, large and small. Who are the masters among these artists and what do they have to say?

To find out the state of the art in America today, Don and Chad took on the ultimate road trip to over a thousand destinations over the course of a year, logging more than 100,000 miles as they crisscrossed the United States to visit nearly 1,000 artists. Traveling to towns and cities large and small, the Museum sought to discover artists whose work has not yet been fully recognized on a national level. On their travels, the museum curators conducted hundreds of hours of one-on-one conversations with artists in their studios. 


Artist: Jonathan Schipper, Brooklyn, NY, "Slow Room"



The result of this unprecedented journey is a one-of-a-kind exhibition that draws from every region of the US, offering an unusually diverse look at American art. "State of the Art" brings together the artwork of more than 100 artists, ranging from works on canvas and paper to photography and video to installation and performance art, and more. The exhibition examines the ways in which today’s artists are informed by the past, innovating with materials old and new, and engaging deeply with issues relevant to our times.

"Let's start this conversation about art today!" - Don Bacigalupi




From Crystal Bridges' Blog
This may be the first time museum curators have traveled cross-country to get to know regional artists and see their artworks in the artist's studios. Museums usually define the art worthy of being shown based upon their valuations from art auctions, private collections, and invitational museum biennials. So it was refreshing to see curators take action and say to the establishment “Let’s be authentic and hear from the artists on what is art!” The State of the Art exhibition features more than 220 artworks by 102 artists from across the US. This exhibition goes beyond just the number of objects and the names, it's actually a journey for the viewers and for the artists to be amongst each other as they explore a spectrum of art mediums and offer up their opinions on current society. The State of the Art exhibition is the first of its kind for Crystal Bridges. It has certainly set a precedent in exhibition research, and made a clear statement that Crystal Bridges is determined to connect with people and places nationally. A public symposium will be held in November to serve as a link between the artists, their works, the museum and its patrons. 

(Source: Information originally was written in Crystal Bridges Blog by Sara Segerlin, the Senior Crystal Bridges Museum Educator, here it was edited for length by ARTSnFOOD.)

Alberto Aguilar, Chicago, IL, "Sensitive Equipment" (Interactive Art), 2013,
carpet, bells, balloon, table, Chinese jump rope and video,
(While standing on carpet, patrons try to keep the balloon aloft.
Bells ring with each punch at the balloon.)  

Alberto Aguilar, Chicago, IL, "Sensitive Equipment" (Interactive Art), 2013,
carpet, bells, balloon, table, Chinese jump rope and video

Alberto Aguilar, Chicago, IL, "Sensitive Equipment" (Interactive Art), 2013,
(While standing on carpet, patrons try to keep the balloon aloft.
Bells ring with each punch at the balloon..

Chris Satuer, San Antonio, TX, installation
"The Known Universe",
telescope created by cutting star/planet pieces
out of the gallery's drywall.

Dan Steinbilber, Washington, DC, "Reflection Room"
Mylar, electric fans, lights, trash can, silver foil, 2014

Dan Steinbilber, Washington, DC,
"Reflection Room" 2014

Dave Greber, New Orleans, LA, (Floor Projection) 
"Still Lives II - Vignette", 2013
Video Projection

Emily Erb, Philadelphia, PA, "World Map", 2011, Dye on silk
(A world map created using painted, encyclopedia sourced, images.)

Emily Erb, Philadelphia, PA,
"World Map", 2011, Dye on silk (detail))

Emily Erb, Philadelphia, PA,
"World Map", 2011, Dye on silk (detail)

Guy W. Bell, Little Rock, AR, "Cain and Abel", 2013 Oil on canvas
The biblical reference implies this struggle relates to
the fundamental dualities of all human experience,
the viewers supply their own meaning to the conflict portrayed.
Is the car in the distance the help needed to stop this fight?

Jawshing Arthur Liou, Bloomington, IN, "KORA", 2012, A ultra high-definition video
takes viewer on a journey to Mount Kailash in Tibet,
a place sacred to four world religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Bon).

John Salvest, Jonesboro, AR, "Forever" 2013,
Art is made of secondhand paperback romance novels, on metal armature
(courtesy Morgan Lehman Gallery)

(detail) John Salvest, Jonesboro, AR, "Forever" 2013,
Art is made of secondhand paperback romance novels, on metal armature
(courtesy Morgan Lehman Gallery)

(detail) John Salvest, Jonesboro, AR, "Forever" 2013,
Art is made of secondhand paperback romance novels,
on metal armature
(courtesy Morgan Lehman Gallery)

Ligia Bouton, Santa Fe, NM,
"Understudy for Animal Farm, 4 legs good, 2 legs better", 2012-14

Ligia Bouton, Santa Fe, NM, 
"Understudy for Animal Farm"
(detail)

Ligia Bouton, Santa Fe, NM, 
"Understudy for Animal Farm"
(detail of installation)

Ligia Bouton, Santa Fe, NM, 
"Understudy for Animal Farm"
(detail of installation)

Ligia Bouton, Santa Fe, NM, 
"Understudy for Animal Farm"
(detail of installation)

Ligia Bouton, Santa Fe, NM, 
"Understudy for Animal Farm"
(detail of installation)

Ligia Bouton, Santa Fe, NM, 
"Understudy for Animal Farm"
(detail of installation)

Linda Lopez, Fayetteville, AR, "A Moment is Forgetfulness" 2013, ceramic and wood

Mary Ann Currier, Louisville, KY, "Apple" 2012
Colored pencils on paper

Mary Ann Currier, Louisville, KY, 2013
"Ruminations on the Right Angle"
Acrylic on pane

Mary Ann Currier, Louisville, KY, 2013
"Ruminations on the Right Angle"
Acrylic on pane

Mary Ann Currier, Louisville, KY, 2013
"Ruminations on the Right Angle"
Acrylic on pane

Mary Ann Currier, Louisville, KY, 2013
"Ruminations on the Right Angle"
Acrylic on pane

Michael Menchaca, Providence, RI
"Codex Vidiot Vidi and Codex Heterogeneous, 2013, Digital Video Animation

Michael Menchaca, Providence, RI
"Codex Vidiot Vidi and Codex Heterogeneous, 2013, Digital Video Animation

Michael Menchaca, Providence, RI
"Codex Vidiot Vidi and Codex Heterogeneous, 2013, Digital Video Animation

Michael Menchaca, Providence, RI
"Codex Vidiot Vidi and Codex Heterogeneous, 2013, Digital Video Animation

Michael Menchaca, Providence, RI
"Codex Vidiot Vidi and Codex Heterogeneous, 2013, working drawings

Monica Aissa Martinez, Phoenix, AZ
"Male Torso - Anterior View"
from the Nothing in Stasis series, 2-12-2013
casein, gouache, gesso, and micaceous iron oxide on canvas

(Detail) Monica Aissa Martinez, Phoenix, AZ
"Male Torso - Anterior View"
from the Nothing in Stasis series, 2-12-2013
casein, gouache, gesso, and micaceous iron oxide on canvas

Noelle K. Tan, Hyattsville, MD, "Untitled", 
(High Contrast Photograph - Gelatin Silver Print)
from the series
"An Excerpt from the Anthology of Unfinished Projects" 2013

Pam Longobardi, Atlanta, GA, "Ghosts of Consumption" (for Piete M.) 2013
Found "Ocean-Plastics" (trash) 
from: Hawaii, Greece, Costa Rica, Italy and the Gulf of Mexico.

Pam Longobardi, Atlanta, GA,
"Ghosts of Consumption"
detail of found ocean-plastics (trash)

Pam Longobardi, Atlanta, GA, "Anthropocene - Supernature", 2013 (painting)

Peggy Nolan, Miami, FL, "Untitled" series, 2010-2013, 
Framed Chromagenic Color Prints

Peggy Nolan, Miami, FL, "untitled"
(light bulbs) 2010-2013, Chromagenic Color Print

Peggy Nolan, Miami, FL, "Untitled", 2010-2013 - (Cat Judy's bed), Chromagenic Color Print

Peggy Nolan, Miami, FL, "Untitled" 2010-2013
(toenail clipping), Chromagenic Color Print

Peggy Nolan, Miami, FL, "Untitled" 2010-2013
(rubber duck), Chromagenic Color Print

Peter Glenn Oakley, Banner Elk, NC,
hand carved sculptures - marble with granite bases
"food containers & cassette tapes"
Peter Glenn Oakley, Banner Elk, NC,
"sewing machine"
hand carved sculpture - marble with granite base


Susan Goethel Campbell, Ferndale, MI, "CLODS Series"
(Large Circles; Bunnies; Donuts; ipad; Light Bulbs; USB) 2014
Sod grown in, then removed from, plastic consumer packaging.

Susan Goethel Campbell, Ferndale, MI, "CLODS Series" 
(USB chord packaging - detail) 2014
Sod grown in, then removed from, plastic consumer packaging.

Terence Hammonds, Cincinnati, OH, 
"You've Got To Get Up to Get Down",2014, 
Birch, graphite, screen-prints, records, record player

Museum patrons are encouraged to select and play a record an the record player next to the wall - then to celebrate life by dancing to the music on the platforms.
Four dancers can dance at once on the four different platforms, plus there is a wheel chair accessible dance space in the center.

Terence Hammonds, Cincinnati, OH, 
"You've Got To Get Up to Get Down", 2014
screen-print / wall paper
Terence Hammonds, Cincinnati, OH, 
"You've Got To Get Up to Get Down", 2014
(Select the record you like, put it on the turn-table and play it.)

Terence Hammonds, Cincinnati, OH, 
"You've Got To Get Up to Get Down", 2014
(Detail of photos on the dance platforms.)


Across from the coffee bar at Crystal Bridges is the ART PROJECT "Water Bar". Patrons are encouraged to taste the different waters from nearby communities. 
Some sips are from artesian aquifers, some from reservoirs, some from mountain streams.  All of the water has been treated, chlorinated and verified to be safe drinking water, but the tastes are dramatically different.



The map, above, shows the number of artists in the "State of the Art" exhibition from the Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern regions of the United States.
(Source: Some text information and visuals for this feature article came from CrystalBridges.org website. Caption information is from the exhibition wall plaques.  All photographs were taken with permission by Jack A. Atkinson, except where noted and supplied by a third party. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.)


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"State of the Art"
If you want to see the State of America's Art TODAY, the time to make the trip to see America's newest art destination: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas is NOW!
This historic temporary exhibition will only stay up until January 19, 2015. 

Travel information to Crystal Bridges Museum:
Hotel: 
21c Museum Hotel Bentonville is a 104-room boutique hotel, contemporary art museum, cultural civic center. ($149 & up) 
(LINK) 
http://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/bentonville/?s_kwcid=AL%214331%213%2153849359514%21e%21%21g%21%21hotels%20in%20bentonville%20ar&ef_id=dx1PVT1baW0AAABj%3A20141116135317%3As

La Quinta Inn & Suites, Bentonville ($74 and up)
(LINK) 
http://www.expedia.com/landing?kend=1&regionId=6488&semcid=13172-1&kword=+Bentonville_+AR_+hotels!m.ZzZz.3340001617290.0.38779036720.%2Bbentonville%20%2Bar%20%2Bhotels.+bentonville_+ar_+hotels&gclid=CMywoayw_8ECFYUF7AodfCkAuA


Airport:
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS REGIONAL AIRPORT (XNA - in Bentonville)  is served by American Airlines, Delta Global Services, United Airlines, U.S. Airways and Allegiant Airlines, with non-stop services to 14 cities.

14 major airport non-stops to and from XNA.

(LINK) http://www.flyxna.com

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which opened on 11/11/2011, was founded by Alice Walton on 100 acres of land donated by her family. The museum's main galleries house an impressive permanent collection of masterworks from the colonial era to modern day America. The museum's unique glass-and-wood buildings were designed by the world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie to capture an interplay of nature and art. The museum grounds have landscaped trails and paths and the museum is within walking distance of Bentonville's town square. Soon a rare Frank Lloyd Wright structure, the Bachman Wilson House, will be added to the museum property, after being dismantled in New Jersey and reconstructed at Crystal Bridges.

(Source: http://www.arkansas.com)



News About State of the Art:
"Artnet News, a publication of Artnet (an information company focused on the art market), recently listed “The 25 Must-See Museum Shows Around the World.” No. 1 on the list was "State of the Art", contemporary American art by emerging and undiscovered artists at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville."

Admission to Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas is complimentary and currently there are no timed entry reservations needed for the STATE OF THE ART exhibition.
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FOOD
Eleven
at Crystal Bridges
Museum


Shrimp and Grits
is a favorite lunch and dinner item 
at Crystal Bridges'"Eleven" restaurant.

(Details) Sautéed Gulf shrimp are served over
perfectly cooked "War Eagle Mill" cheese grits made with
"Boar’s Head Smoked Gouda" cheese.
The plate is garnished with sautéed red bell peppers, 
sautéed white onions, greens and cherry tomatoes. 
(All vegetables are locally sourced.)
The finale is a drizzle of 
roasted red pepper coulis along the edges of the bowl.
(Photo courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum)

The excellent, edible masterworks at ELEVEN, inside Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, are classified as "High South Cuisine". Selections such as Smoked Trout, High Top Biscuits, Local Bacon, Eleven Brushetta (artisan bread, toasted with Gorgonzola, figs, walnuts and clover honey), Shrimp & Grits, Beans & Cornbread and classic Chicken & Waffles are just a few of the culinary gems awaiting Eleven's diners.

"High South" is a style of cooking originating from all of Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, western Tennessee, southern Missouri, all of Mississippi and northern Louisiana. These regions combine to create a rustic, country cuisine using only fresh products from regional farmers, ranchers, and artisans, with a culinary history steeped in generations of food preparation based on canning, pickling, fishing, hunting (duck & deer), vegetable gardens and readily available livestock. "High South Cuisine" is sophisticated, understated, rich and interesting. It includes pork barbecue, Gulf seafood and it's related to, although nothing like, the spicy Cajun and Creole cuisines of southern Louisiana
"High South" is a serious epicurean cuisine with local sourcing and talented chefs at it's heart, creating dishes using traditional foods of the Ozarks and the Mid-South region.

(Source: Information / photo came from CrystalBridges.org website.)

Until later,
Jack


ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

21c Art Museum & Hotel is a short walk from Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art + Breakfast at the Hive Restaurant

$
0
0
As you walk into 21c, behind the front desk
are three Kehinde Wiley oil paintings. 
(above)
Kehinde Wiley's
"The Prophet and the King II (Columbus)"
2006



ART
A Night in the Museum
The 21c Museum Hotel
where you sleep
with the art!
21c founders: Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson
Museum Director: Alice Gray

Hidden in the small northwest Arkansas town of Bentonville is Walmart's World Headquarters, a hub of international commerce. Also in Bentonville are the new cultural destinations of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the 21c Museum Hotel and both of these cultural venues have excellent restaurants. 

At the 21c Museum Hotel, Bentonville, you are greeted at every turn by their iconic "Green Penguins"sculptures. 21c isa 104-room boutique hotel with a contemporary art museum for its lobby and art installations on every floor. The museum/hotel is located on the northeast corner of the Bentonville, Arkansas's historic town square. 21c, museum and hotel continue the cultural experience most visitors begin at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art which is a short walk away along a scenic nature trail.


The front desk and lobby area of 21c Museum Hotel, Bentonville.

The Crystal Bridges Museum has a nature trail that links the large museum with this boutique hotel, restaurant and 24/7 museum.

21c Museum Hotel's logo.
Rachel Lee Hovnanian's
installation/sculpture
"Dinner for Two"
(Our digital and networked life gives us the impulse to text instead of talk. We are lonely, but fearful of intimacy.)
Rachel Lee Hovnanian"Dinner for Two"
(detail)
in front of male, a
projected mouse
is eating the cake.
The information sign for
"DIS-SIMBLAGE - PROJECTING AND PERCEIVING IDENTITY"
the current 
six month Museum Gallery Exhibition at 21c Museum Hotel.

Yinka Shonibare's "Food Faerie" sculpture is featured in the 21c lobby.
A Yinka Shonibare sculpture



Dis-semblanceProjecting and Perceiving Identity is currently on view in 21c’s galleries and public spaces. The exhibition explores the shifting nature of identity in our digital, global age where we are increasingly more interconnected and interdependent. “We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us,” said '60s “the medium is the message” theorist Marshall McCluhan. For the next six months, the "Di-semblance" exhibition will be an intriguing, imaginative and thought-provoking welcome to all those who visit the 21c Museum Hotel, Bentonville

A large Kehinde Wiley oil on canvas, behind the front desk.

Kehinde Wiley
"Support the Rural Population
and serve 500 Million Peasants"
2007, oil on canvas



An edition of 199 "Green Penguins" greet 21c guests. Created by the Italian art studio, Cracking Art Group.

Hank Willis Thomas "Baron of the Crossroads" side view

Hank Willis Thomas "Baron of the Crossroads"
front (blurred) view



Adriaan van der Ploeg (Dutch) "Head Shots (European)", 2007

Adriaan van der Ploeg (Dutch)
"Head Shots (Chinese)", 2008



Anthony Goicolea, photograph.

Anthony Goicolea, "Warriors",  photograph.



Bradley McCallum and Jacqueline Tarry,"Cora McHaney (Arrest #7088)"
oil on canvas under toner on silk 

Bradley McCallum and Jacqueline Tarry,"Arrest #" series
oil on canvas under toner on silk


Christoph Draeger (Swiss) "Schizo (Redux)" single channel video
video displayed in a separate projection gallery



Large editioned plastic art sculptures available in the gift shop.
21c's sculpture on the patio.

Drew Tal, "Porcelain Promises", Chromagenic print

Drew Tal, "Porcelain Promises", Chromagenic print


Eva and Franco Mattes, digital prints on canvas


Mohau Modisakeng." Dikubu Series"Chromagenic prints on watercolor paper


Serkan Ozkaya, "Sudden Gust of Wind, Bentonville"


Valerie Belin,
"Painted Daisy
(Carmine Blush Chrysanths)"
2010, Photograph


FOOD
THE HIVE at 21C
Taking the
Southern Breakfast
to the highest
possible level!

Under the direction of executive chef and Arkansas native Matthew McClure, "The Hive Restaurant" pays tribute to "High Southern Cuisine" while giving a nod to the classic fresh and local cuisine Southern farm families have enjoyed over the past century.




"The Hive" is a work of art surrounded by contemporary works of art. Our personal experience for breakfast was remarkable, from the friendly and interesting waitstaff, through all of the food courses we sampled.


Service station at Hive.

When judging any food for quality there are many different criteria, but the highest possible compliment may be: "The food tastes as wonderful and real as my grandmother's country kitchen. It was made from only the freshest ingredients and created with great attention and care." That is what my table-mate said of our breakfast sampler.

We tasted: 
The House-Cured thick Bacon
The House-Made Pork Sausage
The Steel Cut Oatmeal
The Fresh Poached Eggs
The Steel Cut Grits  
The Steel Cut Grits with Bacon
The House-Made Country Biscuits
The House-Made Molasses infused Butter
The French Roast Coffee 


We told the restaurant we were there to report on the Hotel only after we had ordered and eaten. We did feel the need to slice our golf ball sized round pork sausage ball into thinner, more edible portions, but there wasn't a weak link in our fresh and delicious breakfast.

As you dine in the restaurant or have drinks in the cocktail lounge21c's Museum exhibits their art, setting a sophisticated mood on all of the walls. The museum is currently featuring contemporary photographs by international artists throughout the dining and lounge areas.

We did not taste any items on the dinner or lunch menus, but in many ways a hotel restaurant is best judged by their breakfast. The breakfast at Hive is worth a visit to enjoy, even if you don't have the opportunity to stay at the 21c museum and hotel. 


The Hive's glasswear becomes an art installation.

The "open kitchen" at The Hive.

A changing art exhibition surrounds the dining area.
Detail of photo, above left.

Detail of photo, above center.
Detail of photo, above right.
"The Hive" cocktail lounge.
(Source: A visit to the hotel & restaurant  All photos were taken by ARTSnFOOD staff, with the permission of 21c Museum Hotel, Bentonville and The Hive Restaurant.)


Editor's Note: To see some of the current special exhibition at Crystal Bridges Museum of Contemporary Art - "State of the Art" - go to this link:

http://www.artsnfood.blogspot.com/2014/11/state-of-art-crystal-bridges-showcases.html

"State of the Art" exhibition at CB ends January 19, 2015.

Until later,
Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

2014 ARTSnFOOD Holiday Gift Guide + Food: Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing

$
0
0


The Thinker, by August Rodin 
(French, 1840-1917)

this version from

The Baltimore Museum of Art
$89.85
11.75" tall   Bonded Bronze 
The Thinker is a statue by Auguste Roden, intended to represent Dante himself at the top of a monumental sculptured door based on his Divine Comedy. He is reflecting on the scene below. However, many speculate that Rodin thought of the figure in broader, more universal terms, The man is in sober meditation, battling with mankind's constant internal struggle.

ART
Shopping!
2014 Holiday Gift Guide

There are many museum shops with fabulous merchandise for holiday shoppers. Usually ARTSnFOOD selects several museums to feature. This year we are doing something different, we are showing a selection of gifts from one source, "The Museum Store Company" online. www.museumstorecompany.com

The Museum Store Company is not associated with any museum, but sells art related merchandise that be found in various museums or world heritage sites around the world. Their selection is gigantic and their prices are generally less expensive than museum shops associated with museums. 

This small selection will give you an idea of what they have. There is bound to be a stocking stuffer somewhere in this companies vast collection.


Enjoy, and happy holidays!



Mask of Death & Rebirth, Tikal, Mexico. 900 AD, Maya

Was $58.00
Now $37.85

This Mayan mask shows the different stages of life as part of a never ending circle of human evolution through life and the after-life as it was understood by the Mayans. The mask has three layered faces, each representing one particular stage of life. The inner face represents the beginning of life at birth. The middle face is the most important one since it represents the adult stage when the person comes into his full potential and most of his life experiences happened. The outer or third face represents the end of earthly life. This sacred time was viewed by the Maya as the end of one cycle and the beginning of another one. Death was followed by lavish preparations for the next life.

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Venus of Willendorf, Museum of Natural History, Vienna, 30,000BC : 8"H on Marble Base


Was $64.00
Now $38.00

The Venus of Willendorf was found by the researcher Szombathy on the 7th of August, 1908. It is made out of limestone and still has some signs of red pigmentation; it fits in the palm of a hand. It is one of the most obese representations of the Paleolithic statuary. She represents the Earth and its fertility and continuation of life, the Mother Goddess, the universal female principle even if it is in its most primitive conception. Women were recognized as the life-givers and sustainers. They were revered as priestesses. Upper Paleolithic female figures, such as this one are found from the Pyrenees mountains to Siberia, indicating that East and West were once united in honoring the Goddess. The vast majority (over 90%) of human images from 30,000 to 5,000 B.C. are female.

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Vitruvian Man Wall Plaque - Leonardo da Vinci circa 1487

Was $75.00
Now $58.00

EXCLUSIVE for MUSEUM STORE COMPANY : The Vitruvian Man is on of the most famous and notable drawings and accompanying notes from Leonardo da Vinci's journal entries of around 1487. It depicts a naked male figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and simultaneously inscribed in a circle and square. Also know as the Canon of Proportions or the Proportions of Man. It is held in the Gallerie dell' Accademia in Venice, Italy.

The Virtruvian Man provides insight into Leonardo's keen interest in proportion. Leonardo believed the workings of the human body to be an analogy for the workings of the universe. According to the accompanying notes, the work was made as a study of the proportions of the (male) human body as described in a treatise by the Ancient Roman architect Vitruvius (Vitruvius De Architectura), who wrote that in the human body:

- a palm is the width of four fingers & a foot is the width of four palms
- a cubit is the width of six palms & a man's height is four cubits (and thus 24 palms)
- a pace is four cubits & the length of a man's outspread arms is equal to his height
- the distance from the hairline to the bottom of the chin is one-tenth of a man's height
- the distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin is one-eighth of a man's height
- the maximum width of the shoulders is a quarter of a man's height
- the distance from the elbow to the tip of the hand is one-fifth of a man's height
- the distance from the elbow to the armpit is one-eighth of a man's height
- the length of the hand is one-tenth of a man's height
- the distance from the bottom of the chin to the nose is one-third of the length of the head
- the distance from the hairline to the eyebrows is one-third of the length of the face
- the length of the ear is one-third of the length of the face

da Vinci's Vitruvian (Vetruvian, Vertruvian) drawing  symbolizes the essential symmetry of the human body, and by extension, to the universe as a whole.

4.5 lbs, 13.5"H x 9.8"W x 0.5"D, Cultured Marble / Stone : Antique Stone Finish


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Nike - Winged Victory of Samothrace (200 BCE) - Life-Sized & Large Format Sculptures



$3,675.00

The marble statue of the Winged Victory of Samothrace (Nike of Samothrace) was discovered in 1863 on the island of Samothrace  by French consul and amateur archaeologist Charles Champoiseau. The statue is now displayed in the Louvre in Paris .

In Greek mythology, Nike was regarded as the bestower of victory, both in war and in contest. As a war goddess she was often represented standing alongside Zeus, Athena and Ares. As goddess of  contests, she typically is portrayed adorning the winner with a victor's wreath and/or sash.

The statue of Nike is one of the greatest surviving sculpture masterpieces of the Hellenistic period, even though it is significantly damaged - most significantly missing its head and outstretched arms. Since its original discovery in 1863 is has been reassembled and rebuilt, with the right wing being a symmetrical cast plaster version of the left. Many pieces, including a hand have been found at the site, but neither the arms or the head have ever been located.

Created by an unknown sculptor (Rhodian in origin), the piece is dated between period 220-190 BCE, though certain scholars think it could have been created as early as 250 BCE (or even 288 BCE) or as late as 180 BCE .

An inscription on the base of the statue includes the word "Rhodhios" (Rhodes), indicating it was commissioned to celebrate a naval victory by Rhodes, but again other scholars believe it was an offering donated by the Macedonian general Demetrius I Poliorcetes after his naval victory at Cyprus, however this would date the statue an even earlier 288 BCE.

Collection of Life Sized & Large Format Statues.  Perfect Outdoor Statue fit for Royal Ground or Regal Gardens

PLEASE NOTE: This item is a Special Order Item. Please allow 4-6 Weeks for Delivery (Truck Delivery).
Size: 27 x 60 x 72"
Base Size: 20 x 27 x 5"
Materials: Fiber glass and resin
Weight: Approx 200 lbs, hollow
Location: Good for Indoor and Outdoor Locations

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The Thinker, by August Rodin (French, 1840-1917), The Baltimore Museum of Art

Was $128.00
Now: $89.85

Of all the works by Rodin, the most famous one is unquestionably the great Thinker. The Thinker was the first work by Rodin to be erected in a public place. The Thinker was modeled in 1880 - 1882 as part of a commission by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris to sculpt a monumental door based on The Divine Comedy of Dante called The Gates of Hell. Each of the statues in the piece represented one of the main characters in the epic poem. The Thinker was exhibited in its original size (H. 71.5 cm) in Copenhagen in 1888. It was enlarged in 1902 and exhibited in this form at the Salon of 1904 where it aroused strong reactions from the press during a period of intense political and social crises which turned this sculpture into a socialist symbol. In 1922, using as a pretext that the statue created an obstacle during ceremonies, it was transported, with its pedestal, to the garden of the Hotel Biron which had by then become the Rodin Museum. Another example was placed over the tomb of Rodin in Meudon. Initially named the The Poet, The Thinker statue was intended to represent Dante himself at the top of the door reflecting on the scene below. However, we can speculate that Rodin thought of the figure in broader, more universal terms. The Thinker is depicted as a man in sober meditation battling with a powerful internal struggle. The unique pose with hand to the chin, right elbow to the left knee, and crouching position allows the statue to survey the work with a contemplative feel.
11.75", Bonded Bronze 

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Small set of Foo Dogs

Was $49.00
Now.$35.85

Foo dogs or lions are found near temples, gardens, entrances and homes . They are considered protectors of buildings and guard against evil spirits. Foo lions are always displayed as a pair and the male lion has a ball under one of its paws while the female has a pup under its paw.

7"H (11 cm) : Bonded marble, Antique bronze finish


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Circle Square - Abstract Art Mobile, Denmark

$125

Mobiles are a traditional Danish craft. Our suspension, hanging Mobiles are created so that the elements are in constant motion while the entire mobile maintains a harmonic balance. Each mobile is carefully assembled, and balanced by skillful hands. They are packed so that they are ready to hang. Our mobiles make terrific additions to any home and are perfect gifts from newborns to all ages. With themes from the abstract arts to animals and nature, placed in an apparently still room the mobiles catch the slightest current of air, providing hours of relaxing memorization. From Denmark.

Material: Fiberboard, 14" x 36"


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Charles Dicken's Reproduction Desk


$749.00

Own a piece of history. Write at Charles Dickens Desk

PLEASE NOTE: Special Order Item - Truck Delivery Required. M. 42.5 x 20.5 x 41.75".


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Degas Little Dancer of Fourteen Years, Cloth Skirt and Fabric Bow

Was $49.00
Now $39.85

Although Degas is mainly known as a painter, sculpting was almost as important in his life. He began seriously to sculpt when he was in his early forties and, although he probably had no thought of exhibiting most of his sculpture, his modeling increasingly became a major part of his work. At the time of his death his studio contained more than one-hundred and fifty wax models which he had made of dancing girls, race horses and women working or bathing. With failing eyesight, sculpting became his principal medium of expression at the end of his career. "Everyone has talent at twenty-five. The difficulty is to have it at fifty." Edgar Degas (1834-1917.). The only sculpture exhibited by Degas in his lifetime, the wax version of the Little Dancer caused a furor when first exhibited in 1881 because of its stark realism as Degas was clearly using the sculpture to question accepted ideas of art. A sympathetic critic observed: "The terrible truthfulness of this statuette is a source of obvious discomfort... all their notions about sculpture, about that cold, inanimate whiteness, those memorable stereotypes replicated for centuries, are demolished. The fact is that, on first blow M. Degas has overturned the conventions of sculpture."

Size : 8" x 2.7" x 2.7" : Casting Stone : Hand Detailed / Hand Finished

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Standing Buddha in Pose of Dispelling Fear, Bronze Finish

$49.00

Here Buddha is represented in the dispelling fear - blessing pose with the palm of his right hand facing out to give blessing or dispel fear. That hand position is known as abhaya mudra. He usually faces the north. His is also known as Amoghasidhi, one of the five Celestial Buddhas. Buddha was born in 563 B.C. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepit old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterward, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became monk Guatama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred fig tee, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Size : 9.75"H x 3.25"W x 3.25"D : Casting Stone

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Loire - Black / Gold Rug : Persian Tufted Collection



$668.00

Persian Tufted Collection. Our Persian Tufted rugs are made in centuries old traditional designs using blended New Zealand wool. The rugs in this collection are hand tufted in villages of North Central India. After the tufting is complete, a canvas backing is placed on the reverse of the rug and the edges of the rug are bound. Then each rug is hand sheared to our specified pile, and washed of loose fibers.

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Tribal - Brick / Rust Rug : Wool Flat Weave Collection

Hand Made Tribal - Brick / Rust Rug  (detail)
Wool Flat Weave Coll


4'x6' = $98.00
5'x8' = $162.00

Wool Flat Weave Collection. Our Wool Flat Weave rugs are a mix of old tribal motifs and new contemporary designs. The rugs in this collection are all hand woven into a flat weave by our weavers in and around the province of Agra, India. These rugs are woven rugs are made using an 80% Jute / 20% Wool mixture to give the rugs an antiqued look.

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Shrimps - Chinese Painting on Rice Paper




$28.00

The tradition of Chinese painting is one of the world's oldest traditions, which goes back to 481-221 B.C., which is the period of the earliest Chinese paintings seen. One of the most popular styles in Chinese painting is called "Mountain and Water", commonly understood as Chinese Landscape painting. That style involves scenes of natural landscapes of China - woods, waterfalls, mountains, and rivers - that represent five elements of the natural world. Each of the five elements has a particular color and interacts with other elements in a holistic positive interaction. Interactions such as: Wood (green) produces Fire (red), Fire produces Earth (yellow), Earth produces Metal (white and gold), Metal produces Water (blue and black), and Water produces Wood. 

Dimentions: 27.5" x 15.5"

The Rosetta Stone - Rosetta, Egypt. 203BC


Was $78.00
Now $57.85

When the last temple was closed in the 6th century A.D., the skill of reading hieroglyphs was lost until the discovery of this slab of basalt stone found at Rosetta in the western delta in 1779. On the stone are three scripts. The bottom section is in Greek, the center in demotic (popular script originated in the XXVI dynasty, 700-600BC and widely used for the next thousand years), and the top in hieroglyphs. The stone was first set up in a temple. It was an elaborate "thank you" to the Greek ruler of Egypt, Ptolemy V, who reigned in the 2nd century B.C., for favors that he had given to the priests. The three scripts contained the same text, allowing the hieroglyphs to be translated. French archaeologist, Jean-Francois Champollion spent many years deciphering the symbols of the Rosetta stone. Champollion's work in the Rosetta stone was an important breakthrough in the translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs. The stone was taken by the French, and upon Napoleon's defeat was transferred under the Treaty of Alexandria to  Brittan which has held the stone in London's British Museum ever since. However, the Egyptian government claims the Rosetta Stone as property of Egypt and has requested what it believe should be its rightful return.

Size: Approx. 14"H, 10"W, with a hanger on the back


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 Gatti Originali Cards


$19.85

A limited edition series of 22 small black and white drawings depicting cats as traditional Major Arcana characters. Card titles in Italian. Packaged in a hardcover case with tie ribbon. 

2" x 2 15/16"

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Stonehenge (restored reproduction) : Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England, 2950 B.C.



Was $68.00
Now $48.85

Around 3000 B.C. (middle Neolithic) the semi nomadic peoples that populated the Salisbury Plain began to build Stonehenge as the center of a ceremonial site. We know almost nothing about who built it. A popular theory attributed it to the Druids but modern dating shows it to be at least a 1000 years before the Druids came to power. Stonehenge was built as an astronomical calendar aligned with lunar and solar events such as the summer solstice where the sun rises directly over the Heel Stone and the first rays shine into the center of the monument between the open arms of the horseshoe arrangements. Built in three phases between 2950 B.C. and 1600 B.C., the original construction was a circular ditch and mound with 56 holes forming a ring. The first stone placed at the site was the Heel stone erected outside of the entrance to the site. 200 years later 80 blocks of blue stone were erected forming two concentric circles. At some point this construction was dismantled and the final phase of the site begun. The blue stones were moved within the circle and the gigantic stones and lintels that give Stonehenge its distinctive look were installed. Some of these stones weigh 26 tons. It remains a mystery how such huge stones were moved from the quarry by a supposedly primitive people.

9"D (23cm) : Bonded marble, Stone finish

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Rocking Horse, Small



$299.00

Our petite rocking horse has all the same features as our larger masterpiece. Hand carved and just the right size for mantel, desk, or pedestal.

M. 29.5 x 5.25 x 18"


Thomas Jefferson - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness Key ring


$39.00

Thomas Jefferson inspired key ring inscribed "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". The man destined to be Governor of Virginia, Revolutionary leader, Minister to France, Secretary of State and ultimately Third President of the new Republic: Thomas Jefferson, was born in 1743 in Virginia, the heir to a substantial estate. The subject of the liberty of the individual was one central to his personal philosophy. Remembered for so many achievements as statesman, diplomat, philosopher, architect and humanitarian; Jefferson is perhaps best remembered as the draftsman of the Declaration of Independence. He died in 1826, fifty years to the day since the Declaration he authored was signed. Few passages in the English language ring out with such timeless clarity, conviction and universal meaning: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Sterling Silver

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RMS Titanic Photo with Coal Fragment Signed by Survivor Millvina Dean



$475.00

Steaming out of the White Star Dock at Southhampton, England, Titanic begins its ill-fated voyage. All of her passengers are on board, including two-month-old Millvina Dean. Her father would perish when the great ship went down; she, her brother, and their mother would survive on lifeboat 10. Hand-signed by Millvina, now 94 and one of two living survivors, black-and-white photograph is matted and framed in wood under glass. Limited to an edition of 1912, the year of the tragedy, Each includes a certificate of authenticity.

Photo size 8x10, Framed piece with matting 11 x 14

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Explore "The Museum Store" online for yourself. It is like the "Holiday Wish Book" (Sears Catalog) of Christmas Past, except for art lovers. www.museumstorecompany.com 

FOOD
Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing


Cornbread Dressing for the Holidays!

This is not a complete recipe because the passed down recipe does not include quantities. It is just a formula for creating old fashioned cornbread dressing, Southern cooks have made for generations. Each cook has developed their own quantities for perfect dressing through trial and error, and I guess if we want it, we have to try and try again, too.
Once made correctly, you will never want anything more than roast turkey & dressing served with turkey gravy with giblets.

(Dressing is not cooked inside the turkey, that would be called stuffing. The problem with stuffing is cooking the bird and the stuffing may not take the same time in the oven for both to be their best. That is the reason to serve perfectly cooked dressing.next to perfectly cooked turkey. )

The Verbal Recipe for Sothern Cornbread Dressing:

Bake a few cast iron skillets of southern cornbread (no sugar).
Crumble it into a huge bowl when it's cool enough. if moist and fresh, leave the bowl out, uncovered, to dry overnight.
Tear up an equal amount of cooked biscuits or white bread to match the cornbread. 
Chop onions in a med dice, and celery in a med. dice, then simmer the combination in butter until the onions are clear (try not to brown too much). 
Mix the breads and sautéed veggies together in a huge bowl.
Pour in chicken stock and stir well to coat every piece.
Add chopped hard boil eggs, coursly chopped pecans and peeled / diced red apples.
Mix raw eggs, dried sage, salt & pepper into the mixture. 
You want the mix kind of wet, so it doesn't dry out while cooking.
Pour into a high walled casserole dish.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook (later that day).
Bake the stuffing at 350º F for 1 hour, or until done. 

Serve as a side dish.



Until later,
Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Surrealism in 1624? Giovanni Battista Braccelli's art was created 400 years before 20th century's modernism! + Food: South Louisiana Gumbo

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ART: 
Giovanni Battista Braccelli - 
Surrealism Seems to Have
Been Invented in 1624

SURREALISM (definition) a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, often using irrational images and odd juxtapositions.


The Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Réserve des livres rares has released this compilation of amazing engravings called “Bizzarie di Varie Figure”. The book of etchings was published (1624) in a city on the western coast of Tuscany, Livorno, Italy. The artist, Giovanni Battista Braccelli (1600–1650), was an Italian engraver and painter during the Baroque period.

Braccelli's engravings may have been influenced by Giuseppe Arcimboldo's style.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo's
technique.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo 1527-1593 was an Italian portrait painter who created images using fruits, vegetables and everyday objects. Braccelli also composed his figures from groupings of boxes, chains, rackets, and other fantastic objects. Along with these elements of surrealism, modern cubism seems to also be predicted in Braccelli's work.
















































FOOD
SOUTH LOUISIANA
GUMBO

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons e.v. olive oil
4 tablespoons flour
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 29-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 cups fresh okra, chopped (canned or frozen/thawed okra is fine)
4 cups of bottled clam juice
2 bay leaves
pinch thyme
pinch dried parsley
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper
2 pounds shell on shrimp
1 store package of frozen bay scallops (thawed)
Tabasco sauce


Directions:
Mix the olive oil and the flour in a large kettle or pot. Cook over a medium to low flame until your roux is a dark brown, stirring constantly, until it is a silky and smooth texture. The color slowly changes from tan through caramel, milk chocolate and finally a dark espresso.
The roux should always have a sheen to it. If you ever see a dry, powdery finish on your roux, you’ve burned it and must start over. By keeping the flame low, you reduce the chances of burning your roux. Cook it low and slow - don’t let the roux cook without you stirring and keeping a close eye on it. The final color of your gumbo will be several shades lighter than your roux so try for a chocolate or if gutsy, espresso.  
When the roux is done, add the chopped onionsCook the onions for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. They will release liquid and you’ll see immediately how the roux serves as a thickener. When the onions are translucent, add the chopped garlic. Cook the garlic a minute or so before adding the other vegetables. Add the clam juice in a slow stream while stirring constantly.
Stir in the canned tomatoes, the bay leaf, the thyme, parsley, salt, pepper and 2 to 4 good shakes of Tabasco sauce. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the pot from the heat.
Cook the shrimp separately in a pot of salted boiling water with "shrimp boil" added, until they are pink and opaque. Using a Chinese spider scoop, remove the shrimp to a separate bowl. When the shrimp have cooled some, peel them and add to the finished gumbo. Sauté the bay scallops in butter and olive oil for just a few seconds until they begin to "opaque", then stir them into the gumbo. 

In my experience, cooking the seafood separately will keep the shrimp and scallops wonderfully tender and sweet. All of the flavors of the seafood and sauce will meld overnight. (Refrigerate to keep.)
If you can wait, Gumbo is always better the next day. (Bring sauce to room temp or heat slightly.) 
Serve in a bowl, ladled the Gumbo over a bed of fluffy white rice. Have Tabasco sauce available, so individuals can add more heat if they desire.


Until later,
Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

MERRY CHRISTMAS - "Reconciliation" Sculpture in England + FOOD: Figgy Pudding

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This statue at Coventry Cathedral in England is by sculptor Josefina de Vasconcellos, who made it at the age of 90. It was installed at the Cathedral in 1995 on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. 
Replicas of this statue can be found in Berlin, Hiroshima, Dresden and Belfast.


BELOW: England's Offical Christmas Broadcast 2014, commonly known as 'The Queen's Speech'.  Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of England, recalls the Christmas truce of 1914, 100 years ago today, and is reminded of the "Reconciliation" statues in Coventry England, Berlin, Hiroshima and Belfast.




THE QUEEN'S SPEECH, 2014
(Summary)

The Sculpture: Reconsiliation which is the peaceful end to a conflict.

The Art Installation "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red"at the Tower of London in August, 2014: ceramic poppies placed in and around the tower drew millions of visitors - every poppy represented a British life lost during WWI.


During WWI, in 1914 on Christmas Day, British & German soldiers met in No-Man's-Land to celebrate Christmas together before going back into their trenches to shoot at each other once again.

+ Scotland, and Ebola.

FOOD:
FIGGY PUDDING

The Christmas Dessert!
(In England)

The ancestor of figgy pudding is a medieval spiced porridge known as "Frumenty". Today, the term figgy pudding is known mainly because of the popular Christmas carol "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", which mentions it numerous times throughout the song. Currently figgy pudding is not a very popular food in England, but it is mentioned often during the holiday season. The British-style pudding, or dessert, resembles a white Christmas pudding and various versions may be baked, steamed, boiled, or fried. 


With the word pudding, the English mean something different than what is currently thought of as pudding. It is more of a cake-like bread and the taste to most palates is a little strange, but to many in England it smells and tastes like Christmas. The figgy pudding should always be served warm. If you can't serve it fresh out of the oven, it will taste just fine to warm it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Ingredients:
  • 16 ounces dried figs
  • 1 3/4 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel 

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a a medium saucepan, heat milk and chopped figs over medium-low heat but do NOT bring to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. The the milk will soften the figs.
- In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs one minute on high. Reduce speed to low and add butter, bread crumbs, orange peel, and warm fig mixture.
- Slowly incorporate flour mixture. Beat until just blended.
- Pour the mix into the greased bundt pan. Level top as much as possible. Cover the mold with a piece of aluminum foil greased on one side, greased side down.-
Place the mold in a roasting pan and place on oven rack. fIll with hot tap water 2 inches up the side of the mold. Bake for 2 hours or until the pudding is firm and it is pulling away from the side of the bundt pan.
- Remove the pudding from the water bath. Remove the foil and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before unmolding. Invert bundt pan onto a serving plate and remove mold. It should come away easily.
- Serve with a hard sauce.
(Scource, Text Wikipedia, Recipe and some text: Courtesy of Food.Com and Chef James Thomas  http://www.food.com/recipe/figgy-pudding-337148 )


"A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, every one!" - December 25, 2014.

Until later,
Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

ARTIST PAUL DAVIS PAINTS THE "FACES" of the PUBLIC THEATER, NYC + FOOD: Crêpe Suzette

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Detail of a "Public" Poster (for Hamlet) painted by Paul Davis.

Director Joe Papp
Artist Paul Davis

ART
PAUL DAVIS
PAINTS THE "FACES" 
of the
PUBLIC THEATER,
NYC

Last week, the Public Theatre turned the lobby of its Newman Theatre into a gallery showing an exhibition of their theatrical-posters by artist Paul Davis. For sixteen years his collaboration with the theatre’s founder, Joe Papp, put the promotional face on the Public's productions.

Davis, originally from Oklahoma and now seventy-six years old, first started working with Papp in 1975, after achieving notoriety as an artist with Push Pin Studios, in New York. At that time theatrical-posters mostly used typography, not images to promote a production. Davis was determined to show what the actors and the director were trying to communicate to the audiences during the performances in his posters. Papp also thought "the Public" was a place where he could create a conversation about each important issue. 

















A book of Paul Davis' posters and paintings
is available at Amazon.com.

FOOD
Crêpe Suzette

Crêpe Suzette is a French dessert consisting of a crêpe with a sauce of caramelized sugar and butter, orange juice, orange zest, and liqueur on top. It is flambé (usually table-side) before being served.

Directions:
- first make basic crepes, stack & set them aside

Ingredients
- place 2 knobs of butter in a crepe pan
- add 2 tablespoons sugar
- add 2 tablespoons orange zest (using zester)
- cut a large orange in half and add juice from 1/2

Next
- Place each crepe in a pan and coat with sauce, then fold in-half 
(2 crepes in each pan)
- fold crepe one more time (into a triangle)
- brown the crepe triangles on both sides 
- add 1 oz. each of orange liqueur and cognac 
- flambé the pan to burn off the alcohol
- shake the pan while you cook off the flame
- pour the crepes and sauce onto plates to serve
(some also add a scoop of good vanilla ice cream)

(You can put all of the ingredients (except crepes & liqueur) into a food processor & blend, then put that mixture in the fridge. When you want to make the dessert, scoop out some of the flavored butter and prepare the flambéed Crêpe Suzette table-side.)


Basic Crepe Recipe

Ingredients
Original recipe makes 8 crepes
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 

  • 2 eggs 

  • 1/2 cup milk 
  • 1/2 cup water 

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 

  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter and beat until smooth.
  • Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
  • Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen the edges with a spatula, flip and cook the other side.
One story (of many) re: The Origin of Crepes Suzette 
In 1895 the Café de Paris, Monte Carlo, Prince Edward of Wales, son of Queen Victoria and future king of England, was a regular patron. One of the courses served there was crepes. The crepes were precooked in the kitchen, but the dish was completed by heating them in a sauce made from orange peel, sugar, and a combination of liqueurs in a chaffing dish, table-side.  Unexpectedly, the alcohol caught fire, flambéing the crepe in the sauce and serendipitously creating an unusual and new taste for the dish.
The Prince asked the chef if he wanted to order it again, what he planned to call this new dish. The chef said, “Crepes Princess?”  Edward responded, "In honor of my guest’s daughter, I would appreciate it if you were to name this new creation 'Crepes Suzette'!" And so, one of the most well known and interesting desserts, of all cuisines, was created and Christened.
Until later, 
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

2014 / 2015 A Look Back & A Look Forward

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ART of LIFE
A Look Back &
A Look Forward!





Fortune Magazine 
Ponders 2015
Courtesy of Fortune Magazine 
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO GO TO FORTUNE STORY)


(Source: Fortune Magazine, Researched and written by Scott Cendrowski, Erika Fry, Leigh Gallagher, Stephen Gandel, Erin Griffith, Robert Hackett, Beth Kowitt, Adam Lashinsky, JP Mangalindan, Chris Matthews, Tory Newmyer, Scott Olster, Daniel Roberts, Anne VanderMey, Phil Wahba, and Claire Zillman)

A Look Forward!

There’s a lot to look forward to in 2015: The Apple Watch will debut, medical science will advance, and most economists expect global growth to accelerate — led by a strengthening U.S. economy. Sure, China’s juggernaut is slowing, gridlock in Washington looks worse than ever, and there may be a coffee shortage, but most forecasts in the U.S. point to a sunnier 2015. Hopefully they’re right. As any meteorologist will tell you, predicting the future is nearly as difficult as it is important. Herewith are our educated guesses for what to expect in the year ahead. 
CHINA SPUTTERS
(Cranes operate at a residential construction sites all over China.)
The big question for the 2015 global economy is how dramatic China’s economic slowdown will be. Our answer? Meryl Streep dramatic. A gauge of factory output in November registered an eight-month low, which piles onto a continuing slump in real estate. And this coming spring, expect China to announce its lowest official GDP growth target in nearly a quarter of a century: 7%. (Real GDP won’t outpace it either, as it has in the past.) The bright side? As China takes its foot off the gas, it can focus on reform efforts like dealing with its crippling pollution. The downside: Much lower growth could trigger widespread Chinese loan defaults—with global repercussions.
WIRELESS CHARGING BECOMES A REALITY
Starbucks wireless charging
Courtesy of Starbucks
Consumers have long dreamed of ditching their power cords and battery packs. It’s not just fantasy. This fall Starbucks  SBUX -0.74% turned on 200 or so cordless charging spots (adapter required) in Bay Area shops and is planning more elsewhere in 2015. Marriott is testing similar stations in some hotels. And companies like Intel  INTC 0.19%  are developing charging products due out next year. Ubiquitous? No. But it’s a start.
THE PRICE OF LATTES WILL GO UP
Gas might be cheap, but a different American fuel is getting pricier: The cost of lattes is primed to increase in 2015 — potentially by as much as 30%. Prices of the morning salve’s main inputs — coffee beans and milk — are both up, and likely to keep rising. But this is all a preamble to 2080, when the coffee bean might disappear from the planet all together. If morning commutes are still around by then, expect mayhem.
WAGES WILL RISE (FINALLY)
Job growth has been faster in 2014 than at any point since the recovery began, but the American public is still down on the economy. Why? Wages for the average worker have barely kept up with inflation in recent years. That looks set to turn around next year. The unemployment rate already sits at 5.8%, close to full employment, and several other indicators suggest that the job market is about to get drum tight: this year saw a record number of job openings and increased labor market turnover. As the competition for labor gets tougher, employers will have to start offering raises if they want to keep talent.
SOLAR POWER GETS CHEAPER
The next year may finally be the tipping point for solar. Panel prices have been coming down for a while. But a recent report from Deutsche Bank predicts that 2015 may finally be the year in which it costs less to produce a kilowatt-hour using solar energy than the traditional coal or oil powered electricity grid in a majority of U.S. states. The report predicts that solar power prices will drop nearly 20% in 2015. Deutsche Bank says by 2016 there will be 47 states in which it is cheaper all in to get your energy from the sun rather than the grid, up from just 10 today.
HEDGE FUND FEES WILL SINK
Taken together, the 25 highest paid hedge fund managers took home $21 billion last year, up from $12 billion in 2009, according to Alpha magazine. Those paychecks won’t last. On average, hedge funds have underperformed the market for each of the past five years — the longest stretch on record. This fall Calpers said it was selling all of its hedge fund positions and banks and the mutual fund industry are already creating much cheaper alternatives. Recently, billionaire Paul Tudor Jones cut his fees to 2.75% a year on all his clients’ assets, and 27% of the annual gains. That’s still shockingly high, given that Jones is on a multi-year cold streak that could chill the Arctic. Other managers will soon have to go much lower to keep their clients from hitting the exits.
THE APPLE WATCH SUCCEEDS
MAC-AppleWatch
Courtesy of Apple
Some analysts say Apple could ship 30 million of its computers-on-a-wrist in 2015. That’s hardly an iPhone-size number, but still big revenue for Apple  AAPL -0.95% . Plus, each sale feeds its phone/payments/computer/apps ecosystem.
CHINA SMARTPHONE EXPLOSION
When reports surfaced that Xiaomi was raising money at a $50 billion valuation in late 2014, many were incredulous. But the Chinese company, which sells high-quality phones at razor-thin margins, overtook Samsung as China’s No. 1 smartphone seller this year. Now enter a half dozen other Chinese smartphone makers—including Meizu, OnePlus, and Vivo. Look for one to have a Xiaomi-like rise next year.
2015 WILL BE THE YEAR OF THEMICROBIOME
The stool sample is about to go mainstream. Sounds gross, but poop is at the center of a medical revolution focused on the human microbiome — or the trillions of bacteria that reside in our stomachs, mouths, and skin. Now that technology has made it easier to study microbes, a growing community of researchers believes our bacterial ecosystems will unlock the secrets of some of the trickiest medical issues, from obesity to allergies. Data-rich stool is being used to develop successful treatments, and VCs, drug developers, and food manufacturers like Danone are very excited.
THE S&P WILL CLOSE THE YEAR AT 2312
MAC-Estimize
That’s what the hive mind says, anyway. New York firm Estimize crowdsourced thousands of guesstimates for Fortune to arrive at this 2015 target for the broad-market gauge — a roughly 10% boost from today’s levels.

MOM JEANS GET HOT
MAC-MomJeans
Photograph by Taylor Hill — Getty Images
When Goldman Sachs  GS 0.30%  and Vogueagree on the next big fashion trend, you know it’s the real deal. That happened in 2014 when the investment bank’s retail research team and the fashion magazine each predicted the return of the high-rise pant. Call it the “Mom Jean,” a high-waisted, ankle-length, slightly tapered denim trouser currently popular with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Chloë Sevigny. Expect the trend to go mainstream quicker than most — after all, moms are already wearing it.
YOUTUBE STARS WILL SHOW UP ON CABLE
MAC-YoutubeStars
Jennifer Lawrence may grace magazine covers, but the average teen would rather meet Smosh or PewDiePie. Never heard of them? You’re probably not on YouTube, where PewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg) has 32 million subscribers. He earns $4 million a year in sponsorships and ads, and his peers aren’t far behind. Now YouTube stars are taking mainstream media by storm. Comedy vlogger Grace Helbig landed her own talk show on E!, and Benny Fine of the Fine Brothers has a Nickelodeon show in the works. It’s a case of old media following new.
SEARS WILL RETURN TO THE CATALOGUE
MAC-Sears
Hedge fund manager Eddie Lampert spent much of 2014 selling off more big chunks of Sears  SHLD -0.73% , once the largest U.S. retailer. He spun off Lands’ End and sold most of its stake in Sears Canada. Then in November, Sears floated the idea of selling 300 of its best stores to a real estate investment trust. While many on Wall Street surmise Lampert is just gradually dismantling the struggling retailer to extract value while he still can, he insists he is merely “transforming” Sears into a membership-based, e-commerce giant less reliant on brick-and-mortar. In other words, a 21st-century version of how it all started for Sears in 1888: as a catalogue.
DUCK SEASON? RABBIT SEASON? ACTUALLY — IT’S DRONE SEASON
MAC-Drone
Gun-toting vigilantes have begun to take privacy into their own hands, blasting flying surveillance robots out of the skies. One resident of the small Colorado town Deer Trail went so far as to initiate a ballot calling for drone-hunting licenses. The proposal was shot down, but don’t expect the self-appointed welkin wardens to give up so easily. As the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration draws up commercial standards for unmanned aerial vehicles (regulations are due in September), expect sharpshooters to keep the industry — which has surged 20% annually to $2.5 billion — in their cross hairs.
APPLE PAY SHAKES UP PAYMENTS — A LITTLE
MAC-ApplePay
The last time an Apple service upended an industry was when iTunes burst on the scene — particularly when iTunes first worked with a Window computer. Apple Pay, a handy-dandy service that uses a technology called near-field communications is revolutionary. But it only works on new iPhones. That’s a big number, but still a niche. Competing payments systems should be scared, but only to a point.
IT’S ALIVE! INCHING CLOSER TO 3D PRINTED ORGANS
We’re not quite at the level of Dr. Frankenstein just yet, but we’re getting closer every day. Researchers are using human cells (taken from biopsies and donated adult stem cells) to develop biological ink. With the help of 3D printing tech, that ink can be used to print layers of tissue, which ultimately form a living, functioning model of a human organ. In November, San Diego-based biotech firm Organovo announced that it had begun to offer tiny samples of 3D-printed liver tissue — which can last as long as six weeks—to researchers developing drugs for diseases like Alzheimer’s. Why the liver, you might ask? Many drugs never make it past the trial phase because they have such a toxic effect on the liver. What’s on the horizon? The use of 3D-printed kidney tissue and breast cancer tumor models to develop new treatments. And beyond that? Grafting blood vessels and patches of organ tissue into live patients. Stay tuned.
IN-HOME ROBOTS EMOTE
Amazon Echo
Courtesy of Amazon
Next year artificial IQ will get a little EQ. Already this fall, Amazon’s  AMZN -0.59%  new “Echo,” an in-home device that looks like a speaker but acts like Siri, was a start. Jibo, the Pixar-like “family robot” went a step further, recognizing people, holding conversations, telling jokes and issuing reminders. In 2015, computers that learn (think IBM’s Watson or Samantha from the movie Her) will only become more human.
ON-DEMAND EVERYTHING
MAC-OnDemand
Same-day delivery services like eBay Now have proven costly and unnecessary. But on-demand services with very specific functions have thrived. For this, we can blame Uber, the wildly popular on-demand car service app. Uber’s seamless simplicity has conditioned us to summon anything we need—paving the way for startups like Washio (on-demand laundry), Glam Squad (in-home hair and makeup), Instacart (groceries), and Canary (the “Uber for weed”). There’s also the simplistic app Push for Pizza, which is exactly what it sounds like. Next year, the instant gratification economy will only get bigger and more ridiculous. Not-so-far-fetched ideas for 2015: on-demand tattoos, paternity tests and day-old bread. Need someone to brush your teeth for you? It’s only a swipe and a tap away. VCs, call us.
FOOTBALL HELMETS GET A LOT MORE FUTURISTIC
SpeedFlex helmet
Courtesy of Riddell
The big story in the NFL this season has been player conduct off the field. But the larger crisis in the sport is head injuries. While critics have said that the actual rules of the game need to change, for now the short-term focus is on helmets. And the most sweeping changes in helmet technology, as well as the eager testing, is going on at the college level. This year, top-dog helmet-maker Ridell rolled out the SpeedFlex helmet, which relies on an “InSite Impact Response System” to better protect against concussions. It’s being tested at big DI programs like Arkansas. Among other features, the helmet disperses energy at the point of impact to minimize damage. But the real excitement is over its software: if an impact falls beyond a certain safe range, the helmet alerts coaches wirelessly. In numerous sports head injury cases—not just in football — a criticism of coaches and sideline staff has been leaving a player in when he should be taken off and examined. Expect this aspect of Ridell’s new helmet to get imitated by other brands trying to catch up, and eventually become standard. In 2015, expect to see helmets in the NFL that communicate to coaches or trainers the moment a player might be concussed. And expect the NFL, which has already settled one big head injury lawsuit from former players, to cite new helmet tech as a sign that it is trying to make the game safer.
ALIBABA’S MOMENTUM SLOWS
MAC-Alibaba
After a stratospheric IPO you could dream up, Alibaba’s returning to earth in 2015. There are a handful of reasons BABA won’t go much of anywhere during the year and they have nothing to do with Jack Ma losing his touch. Wall Street’s hype-machine promoted BABA at full speed this fall and the stock popped 60% from its IPO price through November. This next year reality sets in for the company whose market value now equals Walmart. A couple things could temper the excitement. Alibaba  BABA -0.33%  already staged its first quarterly earnings as a public company, so traders know the company is capable of. Second, Alibaba is expected to make some big investments this year, one of which could include buying Netflix  NFLX 2.15% . If short-term profits take a hit, the wave of optimism surrounding the company could flatten very quickly.
THERE WILL (PROBABLY) NOT BE AGLOBAL RECESSION
The world economy is still recovering from the last financial crisis, but is another just on the horizon? The consensus view is no, but economist David Levy says yes. He argues that China has over-invested in its export sector for years now without commensurate growth in demand across the developed world, and that this dynamic could trigger a Chinese debt crisis in 2015 that takes down an already reeling Europe and ultimately the U.S. This isn’t a popular view, as plenty of China watchers see the globe’s second largest economy continuing to grow at twice the speed of the world at large. But if the global economy does suffer a major slowdown, trouble Middle Kingdom will be the culprit.
This is an expanded version of a feature that appeared in the December 22, 2014 issue of Fortune. © Copyright 2015 Fortune Magazine. 
Until later, 
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all original Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2015 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Natl. Western Stock Show & Rodeo = A Different Kind of Parade + FOOD: Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

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ART
A PHOTO ESSAY
The National Western Stock Show & Rodeo has a "different" kind of parade through a modern day canyon of office buildings in Denver, Colorado.



The recent National Western Stock Show and Rodeo Parade through Downtown Denver, Colorado was unlike most other city parades. For 45 minutes 17th Street in downtown Denver was transformed into the wild west of Denver's past. A cattle drive through these streets with hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls on horseback would have been the norm 150 years ago, but they are out of place now, as the various animals trot along the pavement.

This National Western Stock Show and Rodeo's annual parade marks the start of its 109th year of celebrating "all-that-is-western", open to the public from January 10th through the 25th. The National Western is considered the “Super Bowl” of America's Livestock Shows, World-Class Horse Shows and Professional Rodeos (with crowd pleasers like mutton bustin' and super dogs) plus over 300 events during its fifteen days. 

The stock show will offer dozens of livestock competitions, where the owners lovingly groom, fuss over and blow-dry their favorite critter, then present them to some very picky judges, all vying for a ribbon or best in show! Hundreds of vendors are set up to sell everything a ranch family could dream of needing and the food concessions seem to concentrate on BBQ and many types of sweet treats.

To this day, the city and many of its residents leave their Christmas/Holiday lights up to make Denver's environment festive for the thousands of National Western visitors.

This year's parade took place on a sunny day, sandwiched between the more normal snow storms and subfreezing temps, a time affectionately known as "Stock Show Weather". Ahhhh! Colorado in January!

Now, enjoy this photo essay featuring one of Denver's best traditions linking the old west with this present-day, 21st century city.













































(Source: Above photos are © Copyright 2015 Jack A. Atkinson, all rights reserved.)

FOOD
Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients
1 medium head cauliflower
1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup home-made chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions
- Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces.
Cooking Options:
- (a) Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.
- (b) Try roasting the garlic and adding a little fresh rosemary for a whole new taste.
- In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the cooked cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chicken broth, and pepper until almost smooth.
- Garnish with chives, and serve hot with pats of butter.

Until later, 
Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all original Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2015 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Selected Art Videos from Various Museums + FOOD: Ham Broth & Vegetables

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ART
"Late Rembrandt"
Exhibition at the 
Rijksmuseum




Crystal Bridges
through the eyes 
of P. Allen Smith




DAM
The Denver Art Museum
and Nick Cave's Graphic
Explosion of Movement



75 Years of The
Walker Art Center
Minneapolis, MN 





The Art Institute of Chicago
Impressionism +
An Encycolpedic Museum


x




x

The Modern
an art museum in
Fort Worth, Texas
3D Autocad



The Guggenheim, Bilbao - Spain




Hokusai at LACMA
(Los Angeles County Museum of Art)




Ellsworth Kelly at LACMA



MoMA - 20th Century
Abstract Expressionism



MoMA - Matisse Cut Outs
(Video from the Tate in London / same exhibition)




Picasso at the Metropolitan Museum of Art




Velazquez Rediscovered (Metropolitan Museum)





Washington, D.C.: A Day at the Art Museums



(Source: All videos in this issue are posted by the museums onto YouTube.)

FOOD: 
Ham Broth & 
Vegetables

The next time you buy a spiral ham and enjoy it, put the bone with whatever meat is left on it into a large stock pot, add some water and boil it for a few hours, refreshing the water when needed. The broth that is rendered can be magnificent.

To this broth add your selection of vegetables and simmer all for 5 minutes, just to blanch and remove some stiffness. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if needed. (Hams are generally salty, and I like to add a shake or two of Tabasco Sauce, a grind or two of fresh pepper and a Tablespoon of ground tarragon.)

Serve on a cold winter night, with some crusty bread with butter. 

Vegetable Suggestions: all fresh or frozen, not canned

1 cup shelled peas 
1 1/4 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut into smaller pieces
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced baby turnips
1 cup diced asparagus
1 tablespoon ground tarragon
Garnish with a little chopped flat leaf parsley


Until later, 
Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all original Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2015 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.
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