T H E C U R A T E D L I F E

Meet Chef Rei of Panzur: A Hudson Valley Foodie Gem

2012-03-25T17:10:00.001-04:00

Rei Peraza, Chef and Owner of Panzur in Tivoli, NY

Nestled into the little Hudson Valley town of Tivoli is an exceptional restaurant that rivals the best the big city has to offer - Panzur. Chef Rei Peraza owns this little gem, and his passion and deft hand bring the magic.

This is not a restaurant review, but I will say that I love the food here. Sophisticated and satisfyingly homey at the same time. Molecular gastronomy together with rustic goodness. Wonderful atmosphere and a team who are cool, but not "too cool" to be good at what they do and make you feel taken care of.

I highly recommend the house-made jamon de pato (duck ham), one of the staples of the ever-changing menu. And Panzur has prepared not one, but two, of the best foie gras dishes I have ever eaten... anywhere (including the most highly lauded restaurants in the country). Yeah, it's good. You should go.

They make wonderful drinks too. My favorite is Pinga de Oro. Yes, I know what it means...

So, I posed a few questions to Chef Rei, the genius behind all this goodness...

Q. How do you describe your food to people?

A. The real answer... I cook what ever comes out, what ever I am feeling at the moment. If I try to put myself in a box, I tend to get a bit stagnant. The other answer: progressive Spanish with French, Asian, and Latin American influences.

Q. I have been particularly impressed with your subtle and meaningful approach to "molecular gastronomy" techniques. You are the anti-Moto so to speak. Tell me about your philosophy on this matter.

A. Thanks, simply put, I think "MG" is dominated by techniques that can be easily learned and repeated by even the most basic of cooks, I believe these techniques should be intertwined with more conventional/classic techniques. If these style/techniques become dominant they can yield a gimmicky soulless cuisine.

Q. When people taste your food, what will they know about you?

A. I am intense, in your face, not subtle... not scared I will hit it big or crash and burn.

Q. How do you come up with new dishes?

A. The creative process always varies. It can really be any kind of sensory experience whether it is a trip to the supermarket, something I read about in a magazine or book…really anything can spark an idea. Then I elaborate on it, until I feel I've achieved the balance I am looking for.

Q. What is your process for then developing the dish? Does your imagination taste it? Smell it? See it? Which sense leads the way? Or is it more of an intellectual thought process?

A. I tend to create a dish in my head and mentally "make" it over and over trying to look at it and taste it from different angles. By the time I actually make it I am always closer to the finished dish. The most important thing is flavor, then smell and finally the presentation. Sometimes I just need to talk it over with someone, my sous chef or my wife for example. The act of talking about it can bring it together in my mind.

Q. Why live and have your restaurant in the Hudson Valley?

A. I grew up mainly in South Florida with next to no seasonal change and once I came to the Northeast, I loved being somewhere with distinct seasons. It's hard to explain but I have moved around a lot and this is where my wife and I feel the most 'at home' if you will. It offers a nice balance of country living without being completely separated from the city, which is great both for my family life and my business.

Q. What is your passion?

A. I have a passion for life and for its most basic pleasures. Obviously I am all consumed by food, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, beer -- if you can eat it or drink it I am obsessed with it – all of it from growing it, to conceptualizing, to its execution.

Q. What led you to the work you do today?

A. Trial and error.

Q. What would you be doing if you weren't a chef?

A. I would make wine and own an open wheel race team.

Q. What is your opinion of cooking reality shows like Top Chef, Chopped, Next Iron Chef, etc..? Would you ever…?

A. The idea of a cooking shows are great, Its been a huge part of the growth of our industry. If it were the right show and the right time, I would do it.

Q. Who are your favorite artists?

A. Beethoven. He was a genius. I was kind off obsessed with his life. If you align his music with life, you can hear what he was feeling. In those days music came from within as there was very little to be consciously or unconsciously inspired by.

Q. What music is moving you these days?

A. It depends on my mood, lately I have not been listening to much music. Up until Panzur I never allowed a radio in the kitchen, and soon after receiving a new ipod for fathers day I promptly washed it. I listened to everything... those who know will tell you I love Billy Joel, great song writer, not just the old stuff, but all of it and I associate his music with different stages of my life. But if you were to magically listen to my laundered ipod you will here everything from Eminem to Pink Floyd... and of course Beethoven .

Q. What question do you wish people would ask you?

A. What would you like to eat? I am going make you whatever you like. (Usually its the other way around)

Q. What are a few of your favorite things?

A. Spending time with my wife and son. Sounds selfish but I love sharing in what I do with them.

Q. How do you curate your life?

A. With the relationships I have and the memories I hope people will have of me.

Q. What would you want for your last meal?

A. Too long to describe, years ago this was a topic on a long road trip between my wife and I. I discussed in great detail breakfast, lunch and dinner with the appropriate snacks in between, all matched with its perfect beverage albeit great wine, beer, coffee. Unknown to me she wrote it all down, and for special occasions since she has made some of those impossible meals/wines a reality. In retrospect, it wasn't what I would eat, but with whom.

Q. What is your favorite cocktail or beverage?

A. I love wine over any thing else. I am still mystified that it’s just fermented grape juice.

Q. What is your philosophy of life in 12 words or less?

A. Try, as hard as you can, to live your passion.

Juana Medina: An Illustrated Life

2012-03-06T06:33:00.000-05:00

My first encounter with Juana Medina was through Twitter. I started following her and became enchanted with her illustrations. So much so, I asked how I could get a print of the image that first appears on her website, a cat curled up in an orange chair.

"Gato" by Juana Medina

The bio on her website revealed the following on her background:

Juana was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. She studied at the Corcoran College of Art+Design and at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she has also been a Faculty member.

She has been awarded by the National Cartoonists Society and has illustrated books for Random House, Alfaguara Editores, Texas University Press and Editorial Norma.

Juana currently lives between Washington, DC and Providence, RI. She is working on multiple collaborations and is always eager to explore different venues to tell stories

I learned more about Juana and her work through her answers to my questions...

"Cling" by Juana Medina

Q. How do you describe your work to people?
A. Most of my illustration work relies on very simple traces and economic -but expressive- use of line. I like using ink and gouache color sparingly. Simplicity is very important to me. My design and animation work rely a little more on color and line, but humor and lightheartedness tend to be a constant.

"Gala Night" by Juana Medina

Q. What lead you to the work you do today?
A. Life gave me as a present the ability to draw, I was stubborn on realizing it was a gift and took it for granted for a very long time. Little by little, life has shown me that I better take care of that ability, enjoy it and use it for good.

Now, there's a less glamorous but more detailed story behind this. As I was growing up, I would easily get in trouble for doodling on my books and notebooks. For creating collages and cartoons that were not always seen positively by my teachers (but were enjoyed by my peers). As I grew older, I ended up studying Physical Therapy; while doing so, I found great difficulty memorizing the verbal description of muscle insertions and the paths of nerves, veins and arteries. So more than once, I made agreements with professors where for exams, I would draw in great detail anatomical structures and physiological mechanism, instead of writing long descriptions as responses. Not everything went smoothly then though, more than once I was frowned upon when they (my professors) would see cartoons I would draw of them. Drawing just came naturally and it was and has been since I can remember, a language I rely on constantly to get my point across.

After years of drawing bones and muscles (and working with patients, too), life brought me to the United States. That gave me a fresh start and I opted to take art more seriously. I studied at the Corcoran College of Art + Design and then finished my studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) -- both spaces* granted me opportunities to explore further what I wanted to do; they challenged me and offered completely new conversations and platforms to explore my capabilities as an artist.
That lead to the work I do. That, and having a highly encouraging family.

*Both spaces have also offered me great inspiration and challenges, while working at them as a teacher.

"Chrysler Building" by Juana Medina

Q. How did creativity emerge in your life?
A. I was lucky to be born in a family where everyone has some sort of artistic outlet, so for a long time, I took the ability to draw for granted and the creative nature of my work as something everyone could do. Little by little I started learning how, just as I was not so good at math and music, some others were not that prone to drawing. That made me see I had to explore my abilities further, be more disciplined and challenge myself much more when it came to drawing and creating.

"Little Red" by Juana Medina

Q. What is the source of your inspiration?
A. There are many, many things that will get me inspired to work. Music, seeing other people's w’rk, watching dancers perform, nature… the most minuscule thing, like watching a leaf fall, can turn into inspiration for work.

"Dancer" by Juana Medina

Q. What other creative outlets do you have?
A. Besides illustration, design and animation, I write a lot. I have great interest in storytelling and how it happens. Illustration and design can offer great tools to tell stories, I find animation as more of a vehicle for it, but writing -whe–her it appears in the final product or not- is the hemming and springboard for most of my stories.

"Hectic Plant" by Juana Medina

Q. Who are your favorite artists?
A. This is a tough question to answer. As I learn of more artists, I admire each a little more. But here are a few that come to mind right now (and why I admire them):

Alfred Hitchcock’s attention to detail is staggering.

The richness in color, emotions and narrative on Julie Taymor’s productions is quite moving.

I grew up loving Mafalda and I’m still in awe of Quino’s work, his ability to express emotion through line and the intelligence of his observations on society are simply masterful.

Chavela Varga’s force and passion are admirable, her voice holds strength, character and power. It can make you empathize, believe and be moved.

Eva Zeisel is a great model of a thoughtful designer, a gracious artist and a playful creator. Her work is delightful and her ethics are something to look up to.

Reading is another way to be humbled and fall in great admiration for people’s work. Murakami, Neruda, García Márquez… that’s a whole other list.

"Feet on the Ground" by Juana Medina

Q. What are a few of your own favorite pieces/works and why?
A. There have been pieces I love because they have implied overcoming great challenges, they might not be the most appealing ones, but they are highly significant. There are some others that were great fun to work on.

I have a drawing of a black, bold brushstroke of ink that I love. People look at it with some pity, thinking I’m pulling their leg saying it is one of my favorite pieces. But, after drawing many, many circles with brushes dipped in ink, there was something that seemed to work well on this one and that makes me love it.

Most of my favorite work has come from collaborations, because they always allow me to see my work through a different perspective. Collaborations to me, are about communicating effectively and creating something where two or more voices have to be represented in great balance, that isn’t always easy, but gosh, they’re fun experiences!

"Drafting Table" by Juana Medina

Q. What music is moving you these days, and why?
A. Lately I have been listening to Latin music more than usual. Cold months are always a bit hard on me, Latin music helps me stay warm. I’ve also been listening a lot to Feist’s Metals album and in a very nostalgic way, to Cesaria Evora.

Q. When people see your work, what will they know about you?
A. Hm. Good question. I think we’d have to ask them.

Q. What question do you wish people would ask you?
A. Would you like to grab some tea*?
*I'd take ice cream, too.

Q. What are a few of your favorite things?
A.
Music.
White, crisp paper.
Sunrises.
Conversations.
Books.
Swimming.

"Theodore" by Juana Medina

Q. How do you curate your life?
A. Had I been asked this question a couple years ago, my answer would probably have been quite eloquent and seemingly wise. But this last year has been very different from many others; there have been many unexpected changes that have forced me to see life in a very different way. I’m learning to take life slowly. I am learning to be patient. I am trying to learn from those who inspire me and not be affected by those who hurt me. I am appreciating humbleness and modesty. I am redesigning my life.
I have thought of how to answer this question over and over again. My final conclusion is, I could answer graciously and shortly and move on to the next question. Or I could be frank and share openly a little about my life. This is not easy to do so; one, because I enjoy keeping my personal life private and two, because I wonder how the world would take an answer like the one –I have already decided- I will write below. So for the faint of heart, please proceed to the following question.

For those who might be going through hardship and need to know some others have been there too, here it goes: In the last 18 months or so, I have lost a number of dear friends and family without being able to go to their funerals; I had to go through major surgery, had an accident that left me for many weeks on crutches, lost my job, experienced a major break-in, had to switch cities… being an immigrant, I am waiting to hear on a visa application that will define whether I can stay in the country I love or not. It has been hectic, it has been painful and it has been tough, very tough. It has implied tears, moments of doubt, and forced a difficult situation where uncertainty is the main constant. There’s very little glamour to what I just shared. But here’s the cool part: A couple months ago, after saying goodbye to a friend, I had to walk back to my car through a flight of slippery stairs. It had been raining, it was pitch dark black and to add to this lethal mix: I am extremely clumsy. She knows me well, and from her door she asked if I was okay. I replied loudly “I’ll be fine” and waved back at her. With all factors combined, chances were, I’d slip and fall and crack my head open, but I didn’t. And the words “I’ll be fine” echoed in my mind for a while. I have decided to believe I will be fine and in order for that to happen, I am arming myself with courage, good will and passion, to make fantastic things happen. I am lucky to have wonderful friends, to hold faculties to see, read, talk, express and experience…

So I have decided I will be fine by redesigning my life and taking this year as a year zero, where life has granted me (in a not-so-fancy way) a perfectly blank slate to make of it the best I can. So I am working hard on things I love to do, taking a day at a time and allowing myself to be mesmerized by inspiring books, thoughts and people.

"Reading in Barcelona" by Juana Medina

Q. Any advice for people trying to follow their dreams?
A. Remain curious.

Q. What would you want for your last meal?
A. My mom’s lasagna.

Q. What is your favorite cocktail or beverage?
A. Sorbete de Curuba*. Have you tried curubas? They are fruits that grow –mainly- in Venezuela, Colombia and Peru. They have a soft –but thick- skin (the outside feels a little like peaches to the touch) that is green and yellow when ripe. But the inside is pink! When you open them, it’s like a color explosion taking place in front of your eyes.

In Colombia, they take the seedy inside of this fruit and grind it to make juice, then they add milk and sugar and serve it in tall glasses with a straw. It’s smooth, refreshing and sweet. Highly recommended if you visit my homeland.

*sp. Sor-beh-teh   deh    coo-roo-bah, I think it is translated as Banana passionfruit, but that does not sound half as good as “curuba”

"DC Cityscape" by Juana Medina

Q. What is your philosophy of life in 12 words or less?
A. Work hard, be kind, have fun.

Q. Where can we find you online?
A. At www.juanamedina.com please come over anytime! The doors are always wide open.

Many thanks Juana for your heartfelt honesty and the beauty and positivity you bring to the world. (You can also follow Juana on Twitter here)

Forgetfulness. Poet Laureate Billy Collins.

2012-03-05T10:16:00.000-05:00

As I slowly emerge from the fog of a TED altered state, memories of the magical moments there arise. Two-time U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins won over my heart. I am now a poet groupie. Although his dry and witty TED talk is not yet posted, within it he did share some animations of his poetry, including this one below.

It is not that I forgot about him, I was so immersed in the mundane aspects of work and life in 2001 that I never knew he was Poet Laureate. Sad.

But happily I can enjoy his work from this moment on...until I forget.

Calexico: An Immense Amount of Cool

2012-02-23T06:25:00.000-05:00

I lived in Arizona for a few years. My favorite things about the place are Pizzeria Bianco and Calexico. (Oddly, I actually saw Calexico at Pizzeria Bianco once.)

Indie rock + Mariachi + Jazz + an immense amount of cool = Calexico.

Tell me what you think....

Wisdom and Whimsy: Meet Melissa Townsend, Artist

2012-02-18T06:40:00.003-05:00

"Zoe" by Melissa Townsend

Meet Melissa Townsend, Artist.

I first saw Melissa's compelling owl paintings on the wonderful design blog ABCDdesign.com. I was enchanted. One (at least) of her paintings is on my short list of new art I want to acquire. I can't exactly tell you why I am so drawn to her owl paintings, but perhaps it is that interesting combination of intensity and whimsy. I think she has captured something special. When I interviewed her, I gained a bit more understanding behind the power of the paintings.

Melissa's statement about the owl series is quite profound.

The owl/bird paintings come from a place of desiring freedom in life. A freedom to be and to exist with purpose, with great delight, even when suffering comes. Opportunity to discover the depths of who you are, your potential, and your biggest dreams. Freedom that speaks to the profoundness of endurance, and not giving up. Not so long ago somebody said this to me: "on the other side of pain is break-through." I have realized this to be a true statement.

"Burton" by Melissa Townsend

"Carl" by Melissa Townsend

"Olivia" by Melissa Townsend

"Stewart" by Melissa Townsend

"William" by Melissa Townsend

I got to ask Melissa a few questions about herself and her work.

Q. How do you describe your work to people?

A. Most of the time my work appears whimsical, fun, light and quirky. However, the work is quite intentional on a deeper emotional and spiritual level. I sort of imagine the painting being infused with a message of hope and a richness that is felt more than anything. I have found that the measure of depth in certain pieces is usually quite unexpected by the viewer. That is why most of the time it is left unspoken. But, the deeper meaning is important to me and definitely present.

Q. What led you to the work you do today?

A. Definitely a lot of doodling with my favourite pencils, playing with colour and paints; looking at photography and pretty things; letting my imagination run; overcoming fear and doubt and of course breaking some art school rules.

Q. What is your background and training?

A. At age 12 we moved from central Alberta to a secluded, out of the way small town in Northern British Columbia where art training was limited. My parents sent me to private watercolour classes from a nearby neighbour who painted for fun. Soon after that I started to attend more specialized out of town summer school art classes. Because we were so isolated, my parents ordered art supplies for me through the mail. I still have one of the paint brushes, a palette and a couple of the paints from that time, just for keepsakes. After high school with 2 local Scholarships and the graduating Art Career Award, I headed to Malaspina University College, now called Vancouver Island University. I later transferred to NSCAD University, in Halifax, where I graduated with a Major in Fine Art and Minor in Drawing. I continue to study on and off with local artists and through the local Extended Studies Program at NSCAD University.

Q. How did creativity emerge in your life?

A. I drew and daydreamed from the beginning. It was almost a problem. Ha! Indeed there are crucial things that have impacted and inspired the creative side of me. I have been very influenced by my dad, a musician and music teacher, who continuously played stunning music around my brothers and I! I can't forget my mom's inventive cooking. She is like a cyclone in the kitchen and without exception, composes the most incredible masterpiece dishes, every time. But it was when I was 12, during a summer art class where I distinctly remember being quite proud of this little bird I had made out of pencil crayons. My instructor seemed very pleased with my work. I could see that my parents saw something special too, something creative, worth looking into. This was a pivotal moment where I really started to sense that push of wanting to create. I cannot emphasize enough how the act of dreaming has been a key ingredient for my inspiration and in making art!

Q. What is the source of your inspiration?

A. So many different things. Excitement and hope, if you can imagine the feeling being tangible. Dreaming crazy big dreams and journeying through faith kinda go together for me. Interior design, beautiful photography, other artist's work, pattern, colour, fabric, the sky, the plains of Alberta, a special moment, somebody's story, music and knowing that I'm doing what my heart desires. When I work hard, it inspires me to want to work harder. I guess to sum it up, all of life inspires me and I never know when inspiration will hit.

Q. What other creative outlets do you have?

A. I love eclectic (vintage & modern) house design. I like to draw house plans, it's a little bit of a hobby. I love walking really fast with my dog, Walker. I love hosting intimate dinner parties, but I barely have time for that sort of thing these days. And sometimes my husband and I sing together.

Q. Who are your favorite artists and why?

A. I love contemporary American painter, Melissa Peck. She inspired me from the start and I just love her subject matter and cheerful perspective. We've spoken a little over email and I'd love to meet her one day. I admire her vibrant colours, her pencil marks and how her work makes me feel. Something about her work makes me feel like I'm home.

More recent discoveries would be Samantha Fox, Michelle Armas and Miranda Skoczek. I am completely swept away by their skill, mark making and colour palettes!

I also have my favourite local Canadian artists: Dennis Austin Reid, Ambera Wellman, Drew Klassen and Barbara McLean to name a few. These artist's make some of my most favourite art!

I have so much respect for French artist, Degas. I saw his work in Paris and was surprisingly overcome with a lot of emotion and inspiration all at once. It was amazing! Also, there's Jackson Pollock. I appreciate his story of his success and heartache. It grips me. Canadian artist, William Kurelek is another favourite. I grew up with my dad reading to us the books that Kurelek illustrated. Plus my dad is also Ukrainian and grew up close to where Kurelek lived. I feel a special connection to Kurelek's work.

Q. What are a few of your own favorite pieces/works and why?

A. My favorite works are usually the ones I've just finished. So truly, I don't think I've made my favorite work yet.

Q. What music is moving you these days?

A. I will always feel a special connection to classical and instrumental music because of my dad and my childhood memories. Lately, I've had Jeremy Riddle playing on repeat. I also really enjoy listening to stories while I paint. My music selection tends to change often and sometimes I need total silence while I work, especially if the work is difficult or intense.

Q. When people see your work, what will they know about you?

A. Of course different people will see different things. Some people will see that I love to have fun. Others will feel the depth and seriousness that I tend to find difficult speaking about. Overall, I would want people to know that I believe in hope above anything else. It's as though the paint itself is holding hope.

"It's as though the paint itself is holding hope."

Q. What question do you wish people would ask you?

A. I wish that I could ask people more intimate questions and listen to them tell me their story and hear about their own connections to my work. Then maybe I'd be able to open up more and tell those people everything that's happening in the work. With the work up on the wall, I already feel as though I am being quite vulnerable. More incoming questions can start to freak me out. I'd like to know more about people before I share.

Q. What are a few of your favorite things?

A. I really love family, friends and my dog more than anything. I love my mom's cooking, old wooden floors, sparkly things; big windows so the sun can shine in; the prairies; the big prairie skies; pretty pillows; hand crafted things and unique necklaces.

Q. How do you curate your life?

A. I try to evaluate the temperature of my heart... I ask myself "is this a good idea for me - or is this not?" I tend to take a lot of time with this.

Q. Any advice for people trying to follow their dreams?

A. Don't doubt yourself! Overcome fear and anxiety, because those things can steal your dreams. Fully believe in your dreams, especially if they seem impossible! And no matter what kind of bad day you've just had or no matter how discouraged a person has made you feel, don't let your dreams go. You are the only person in the world just like you. And you are the only person that can live out your own dreams. Mila Mulroney expressed it best when she said "you were born an original, don't die a copy!"

Q. What would you want for your last meal?

A. Most definitely a big plate of my momma's & grandma's Ukrainian cooking!! And maybe a nice charcuterie tray.

Q. What is your philosophy of life in 12 words or less?

A. Your dreams are precious, protect them and never let anything steal them.

Q. Where can we find you online?

A. www.melissatownsendart.com

Melissa Townsend

I love that the first drawing Melissa can remember was a bird. And now her owl series is so compelling. I have no doubt she will take flight.

Meet Francis Guinan: Actor, Steppenwolf and Beyond

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Meet actor Francis Guinan, one of the most creative, madly talented people I know.

Rondi Reed and Francis Guinan in "August: Osage County"

I first met Francis Guinan when I worked at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago many years ago. (Pretty sure I got the job there because I had no aspirations of being an actor myself.) The first play I saw there was Athol Fugard's A Lesson from Aloes. I was wide-eyed as I watched the actors in rehearsals and started to understand for the first time the passionate, tangible power of live theatre--and how uniquely special is was to be at Steppenwolf Theatre in that place and time. Francis was joined in the play with fellow ensemble member Joan Allen, and guest actor Danny Glover.

Francis Guinan and Joan Allen in "A Lesson from Aloes."

I came to learn that theatre is a really big deal in Chicago, perhaps even more than it is in New York City, and it has a special heart and soul. The way I see it, Chicagoans go to theatre and support the theatre community--they are personally invested and passionate about it. They embrace new works. Chicago theatre does not rely on tourists to support it. Like everything else about that great city, it is authentic and out there. Chicago Theatre is like a scrappy start-up company. They take risks and give it all they've got. They adapt and change on the fly and if it doesn't work they fail fast and move on. If it does work, it is amazing and hits a chord that resonates with your heart and soul.

Here is a clip from one of Guinan's Steppenwolf performances in David Mamet's American Buffalo. The play was directed by Amy Morton and his fellow actor is Tracey Letts (author of August: Osage County) Here is a clip from that performance:

Some background on Fran...

Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1951, Fran grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He graduated in 1976 with a master's degree in theatre from Illinois State University. While at Illinois State, he met and studied with many of the original members of Chicago's world-renown Steppenwolf Theatre, and joined the ensemble in 1979.

Guinan moved to Chicago in 1979 and helped establish Steppenwolf in the city after the company's move from the suburbs where it originated. In the three years that followed, he appeared in numerous productions including Balm in Gilead, A Nightingale Sang, and True West, roles he reprised when the shows later moved to New York City.

With Steppenwolf, he has appeared in nearly forty productions including the Tony Award-winning Broadway productions of The Grapes of Wrath and August: Osage County which also won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008.

In 1989 Fran made the move to Los Angeles. He remained based there for seventeen years as a typical “working actor,” appearing most notably as Edgar in Eerie, Indiana and as Dan in The Mighty Jungle. His many TV roles include Murder She Wrote (once as killer, once as victim), and Star Trek (three roles as various aliens [Voyager, Enterprise]), as well as assorted doctors, businessmen and lawyers. Other numerous TV appearances include The Beast and Grey's Anatomy. His film credits include appearances in the short film Typing, as Master Pakku in The Last Airbender, Low Tide, Guinevere, Speed II, Constantine, Shining Through and Hannibal.

In 2006 Francis and his family returned home to Chicago. He has worked almost continuously since then: fifteen plays (nine for Steppenwolf), five films and three TV roles, including the powerful performance of Governor McCall (Mac) Cullen on the Starz original series Boss.

I think Fran has given some of his best on-screen work in this series. (The nature of stage work is ephemeral and his greatest performances there are for the priviledged few whom are present.) This first clip offers an overview of the show with clips of Fran. In the second video Fran, as Mac Cullen, is on-screen with Kelsey Grammer. How Fran is able to convey so much with only his face is astounding.

Fortunately, Fran let me ask him a few questions.

Q. Acting is such an interesting profession. Everyone thinks they could be an actor and so few are good at it. How did acting emerge in your life?
A. I started doing after school activities in high school. I dropped the football team in the first week of practice. I tried out for the Talent Show and got into that. Plays followed (Brigadoon, Fiorello). Chorus. Speech Contests. I once memorized “The Face On the Barroom Floor” for State contest and got an Honorable Mention.

From there I got a masters degree in theatre (acting/directing) from Illinois State University. It was there that I met many of the people who formed the original membership of the Steppenwolf Theatre Co., which I joined in 1979.

I have lived and worked as an actor and (rarely) a director my entire adult life. For this I consider myself extremely lucky.

Q. How do you approach the art of acting?

A. I ascribe to no particular approach to acting. Indeed, I find myself drifting into a confused silence when talking about acting. I really don't know how it's done. “Imagination,” boldness, humility, the ability to speak clearly before groups of people. I have never read Stanislavsky for longer than 20 minutes without dropping the book in utter tedium.

I am most comfortable on the stage. I like film work, though the camera terrifies me. I've grown slightly more comfortable with it lately. My primary motivations for working on film remains the higher pay and health insurance for my family.

Q. What Inspires You?
A. By inspired I believe you mean moved to action. Wow. That's tough. I am moved emotionally rather easily. It's A Wonderful Life; that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic drops his pen.

I can be enraptured by some rare stage performances (Dancing At Loughnasa, Tracy Letts, Laurie Metcalf). Several painters and illustrators leave me in wonder (van Gogh, Matisse, Marc Ryden, Banksy).

I suppose what really inspired me lately was a website dedicated to sketchbooks. There one sees scores of sketchbooks containing personal artwork. I read there that for more than one artist the sketchbook was a true outlet. Most importantly, it didn't matter if it was “GOOD”; technical accomplishment was secondary...just putting ink or paint or graphite to paper was the important thing.

I guess that inspired me. I started painting children's blocks again. My technical accomplishment waxes and wanes, but that is secondary.

Q. What other creative outlets do you have?
A. Painting the children's color blocks, like I just mentioned. And I love photography. I recently bought a Nikon D5100. I have yet to take better photos with it than with my point and shoot Olympus.

Chicago Near Planetarium in the Fog, Francis Guinan

Merged Downtown Chicago, Francis Guinan

Chestnut Street Philadelphia, Francis Guinan

Steppenwolf Sign 2011, Francis Guinan

North Avenue Beach Winter Night, Francis Guinan

Q. Who are your favorite artists and why?
A. Banksy for his simplicity and boldness. Mark Ryden for his technical brilliance, warped world view and sense of humor. Lucian Freud because his painting disturbs and discomforts me. Alex Gross and several other new Surrealist painters. Gross uses bizarre imagery and circus poster techniques.

Q. What would you want as your last meal on Earth?
A. A strong cup of coffee on Lake Lugano.

Q. What music moves you?
A. I particularly enjoy Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Journeys. Peter Gabriel's older stuff like Passion.
John Phillip Souza.

(Fran, I can honestly say you are the only person I know who mentioned Souza.)

Q. What are the favorite roles you've portrayed?
A. Sharkey in The Seafarer. The themes of death and redemption are rich for me.

Colin in Absent Friends. I realized I could do comedy for a sustained amount of time in the company of other seriously funny people.

Gaev in The Cherry Orchard. I could never completely get my head around him but found it to be an endlessly productive journey of discovery.

Charley in August: Osage County. Fun to be in a hugely successful production. I found that Charley became simpler as the run progressed. I was “acting” very little by the time I left the show.

Q. If you weren't an actor, what would you be doing?
A. No idea. A laborer of some sort, probably.

Q. What will people know about you from your performances?
A. I hope I'm invisible. That's one of the reasons I like acting...to escape myself.

Q. What is your philosophy of life in 12 words or less?
A. The greatest skill is to see what's right in front of you.

Thank you Fran, you are wonderful.

The XX - If you don't know them you do now

2012-02-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

I've had iTunes on random lately and this morning "Stars" by The XX played. It was a lovely surprise and I switched from random to an all The XX morning.

I first learned about The XX when their album XX was on a top ten of 2010 list on NPR. I ordered it song unheard. Then I fell in love. XX feels unvarnished and emotional; simple and honest yet layered with a groove that won't let go.

Then I read that The XX were kids in or just barely out of high school in England. Impressive artistic expression in ones so young. Never underestimate anyone.

Click for The XX video Basic Space

If you don't have the XX CD yet, and you like what you've heard here, you should buy it. They are apparently working on a new album that will be released this year.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think...
Debby

Meet Liza Donnelly: New York Cartoonist

2012-01-28T19:07:00.004-05:00

I first met Liza Donnelly in 2010 when she spoke at the TEDWomen conference. Her topic was about how humor can help empower women to change the rules.

Please watch this brief video

Liza Donnelly is a staff cartoonist with The New Yorker Magazine. When she first began selling to The New Yorker in 1979, she was the youngest and one of only three cartoonists who were women.

Not only did Liza speak at TEDWomen, she also has presented at the United Nations, and The New Yorker Festival, among many other places. She has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, NBC and BetterTV, and has been profiled on radio and in numerous magazines, newspapers and online.

Liza's cartoons and commentary can be seen on various websites including: CNN.com; huffingtonpost.com; salon.com; dailybeast.com; womensEnews.org; and narrativemagazine.com. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, The Nation and The Harvard Business Review, and her cartoons have been exhibited around the world.

Her most recent book is When Do They Serve The Wine? The Folly, Flexibility and Fun of Being a Woman (2010, Chronicle Books) which has been optioned by Mark Gordon for an hour long comedy for television. (Mark, you don't know me, but hurry up and produce that please!)

Donnelly also wrote Funny Ladies: The New Yorker's Greatest Women Cartoonists and Their Cartoons, a history of the women who drew cartoons for the magazine, Sex and Sensibility: Ten Women Examine the Lunacy of Modern Love in 200 Cartoons and Cartoon Marriage: Adventures in Love and Matrimony with the New Yorker's Cartooning Couple (with Michael Maslin) which also has been optioned, this one by Jennifer Garner and it is in script production for ABCStudios. And currently, Liza is at work on a new book, titled Women On Men. I can't wait for this one, it sounds like it will be priceless.

So much of what Liza creates about is about life and politics, so it is no wonder she is inclined to make a difference. She conceived of and is editor for World Ink, a site of international cartoons from contributors around the globe on dscriber.com, and she is a charter member of an international project, Cartooning for Peace, helping to promote understanding around the world through humor.

Needless to say, I was thrilled when Liza agreed to an interview...

Q. How do you describe your work to people?

A. I tell them I am a cartoonist for The New Yorker, and that I am also a writer. More specifically, I say that my work is simple line drawings, usually in one panel, that they tend to be about life in general. Sometimes I do political cartoons, but they are oblique, about how politics affect us in life. I love word play, sarcastic, deadpan, subtle humor.

Q. What led you to the work you do today?

A. I have been drawing since I was little, and always appreciated the cartoons in The New Yorker. I discovered it was a way to be "an artist" with a viewpoint in a medium that I understood.

Q. How did creativity emerge in your life?

A. I always drew, since before I can remember. My mother gave me a book of James Thurber cartoons, and I began tracing them and then developed my own style. It got approval from my parents and friends, so I continued. Also, I was very shy, so this was a way for me to say something without having to say a lot.

Q. What is the source of your inspiration?

A. Life. Politics.

Q. What other creative outlets do you have?

A. I haven't done so in a while, but I also paint abstract paintings, mostly on paper. And I play the cello.

Q. Who are your favorite artists?

A. That's hard to say! In the fine art world, I love Willem DeKooning, Paul Klee, John Marin. I love the photographs of CindySherman. My favorite cartoonists (some no longer alive) are Thurber, Bob Weber, Jules Feiffer, Barbara Shermund, William Steig, Michael Maslin, Jack Ziegler, RozChast...there are many!

Q. What music is moving you these days?

A. I used to listen to a lot of Jazz, but since I moved to the Hudson Valley, I don't so much--although now with the internet, I have begun to listen to my favorite station from the city again. At the moment, I am obsessed again with Stevie Wonder. His songs have such depth and feeling, both musically and content-wise. He is an inspiration because he puts himself out there with his feelings and beliefs.

Q. When people see your work, what will they know about you?

A. That's an interesting question! They may know that I have a subtle sense of humor, that I love drawing and find the relationships between people both funny and interesting. And that I love politics.

Q. What are a few of your favorite things?

A. My daughters, my husband, New York City, walking, animals, seafood, red wine.

Q. How do you curate your life?

A. I move from one day to the next, trying to schedule time to be creative--space, in other words. I love to travel, and also love to take on challenges when they present themselves. So I try to combine a time with a fair amount of normalcy and quiet, with times that are new and exciting.

Q. Any advice for people trying to follow their dreams?

A. Just stick with your dreams, and don't let anyone discourage you.

Q. What is your philosophy of life in 12 words or less?

A. Savor every minute, the ones you love; and push yourself to new heights.

Q. Where can we find you online?

A. My website is lizadonnelly.com, and by blog is whendotheyservethewine.com

And you can follow me on Twitter too as @LizaDonnelly

Thank you Liza, we look forward to your new book and for those options to get produced!

Genius on the Edges

2012-01-16T09:13:00.001-05:00

I admit it. I am a big Tom Waits fan. Ever since I saw him perform as a freshman in college I was mesmerized. Heart Attack and Vine is one of my favorites, as well as the hauntingly beautiful Heart of Saturday Night, but I love his evolution too through Rain Dogs (I swear I think of lost little dogs every time I walk the city streets in the rain) and Bone Machine. I have to admit I lost track after that.

He paints such vivid portraits with his poetic lyrics and manages to trigger your emotions through the unglamorous side of life--rough and raw. His voice and increasingly unconventional instrumentation over time completed these tableaus of life on the edges.

I had the opportunity to work with Tom Waits twenty six years ago--not as a session musician or anything, though that would be cooler--but as a lowly PR manager trying to wrangle him to interviews and photo shoots. I did not register as anything more than an annoyance and it broke my heart. Well, not really, but I was disappointed and stopped listening to his music for a couple years. But there is no denying the guy is a genius.

And I will be listening to all the CDs of his I own today.

And just for fun---here is Tom Waits on the Mike Douglas show performing Eggs and Sausages and giving a classic Waits interview--seriously. Just the fact that he has to sit next to Marvin Hamlisch is priceless.

Fragmented Beauty: Mosaic Art by Ariel Shoemaker

2012-01-08T21:10:00.003-05:00

"A mosaic is like a puzzle. It engages the mind through a sequence of possibilities, trial and error. You look at the broken fragments of tile. Your eye assesses the space to be filled and searches for a corresponding shape. Piece by piece, you come closer to the desired form and effect. Mosaic is not simply an art form but a form of integration, a way of not only seeing the world but responding to it." --Terry Tempest Williams, "Healing Rwanda"

Twitter is a wonderful thing. I have met many incredibly talented and passionate people through that medium, often quite unexpectedly. Ariel Finelt Shoemaker is one of those happy intersections of discovery. Many of her pieces captivated me--she expresses a real depth of beauty and meaning in her abstract execution of the artform. After interviewing her for this blog post, I have a better understanding of why her work reflects such emotion.

Here are excerpts from Ariel's biography on her website.

Ariel Finelt Shoemaker is a professional mosaic artist and arts' educator. She has a keen passion for color, texture and innovation in this ancient art form. While creating custom mosaic works for private clients and vendors, she also donates pieces of her work to fund-raising events, participates as a featured artist in gallery shows and in group shows such as Newton Open Studios, The Wellesley Marketplace, and The DeCordova Museum's annual Art in the Park event, and teaches mosaic art throughout New England.

Inspired by her students and the vast array of creative people in her life, she hopes to continue cultivating motivational environments where members of communities and schools can find healing, confidence and inspiration through the arts.

Ariel holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emerson College, Boston, MA with a concentration in Writing, Literature and Publishing. In June of 2004, she completed her Masters of Education, with a concentration in the Arts in Education, from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA. She currently lives with her husband and works in her home-studio on the Charles River in Waltham, MA.

Recently, Ariel was kind enough to answer a few questions for me so we can better get to know her.

Q. How do you describe your work to people?

A. Completely original, hand-cut mosaic art pieces. I also fuse glass, which I call Fused Glass Micromosaics. All my work reminds people of different things, but general themes include Gustav Klimt's work, tapestries, and "organic" shapes.

Q. What led you to the work you do today?

A. Boredom and melancholy at a corporate job I was in 10 years ago. I began breaking glass a few months after 9/11, when I lost several friends--and the founder of the company that I worked for at the time. It was a devastating blow, and I needed something generative, productive and beautiful to do. I taught myself how to puzzle together the broken pieces.

Q. How did creativity emerge in your life?

A. I love this question. Creativity was always nourished in my home. Even as a child, I remember feeling rewarded by how creative I was with poetry I had written, art that I had created, or awards that my sister had won for her beautiful art works. Creativity is a completely normal thing for me--it's not an "outside piece of me" or an "other". It's ingrained in my person. Emergence of it occurred the moment I looked around, observed the world, and translated what I saw into writing, glass work, and other mediums I explored.

Q. What is the source of your inspiration?

A. Mostly nature and literature. Also, shape and color.

Q. What other creative outlets do you have?

A. Doing art with our 4 year old son, Simon, and our 2.5 year old son, Max; cooking; writing.

Black Swan Bejeweled in Limes (Detail)(c) Ariel Finelt Shoemaker

Q. What are a few of your own favorite pieces/works and why?

A. "Even in the Wasteland, Flowers Grow"--because I actually thought about the meaning of the poetry I studied so carefully as a student and translated it elegantly and poignantly into mosaic. It earned a place in a National Mosaic competition and has since been purchased twice in two unique iterations. "Black Swan Bejeweled in Limes" is the other favorite. It's a brave use of materials and color, and I just love the over-all effect of the interchange between the elements. Exploring it deeper, you will find you will see more and more than at first glance.

Even in the Wasteland, Flowers Grow(c) Ariel Finelt Shoemaker

Q. Who are your favorite artists and why?

A. In no particular order... Georgia O'Keefe--her ability to both represent accurately and skew our interpretation of scenes and objects. Willem de Kooning--the vibrancy and intensity of color that he uses just completely makes me tick. Gustav Klimt-- gold, women, lovers, subject/ context/ gorgeous interchange between subject/context and background. Everything about his work and history and interpretation of what he has seen and translates to his art arouses my interest. Egon Schiele--portrayal of the human figure in all it's beauty and disfigurement. Gory, yet beautiful.

Q. What music is moving you these days?

A. Regina Spektor, Mumford and Sons, Beth Orton, JackJohnson, Adele, Coldplay. All have soul and poignancy and terrifically infectious voices and lyrics. All poets. All rock starts. Lovin' each of them.

Q. When people see your work, what will they know about you?

A. You tell me.

Q. What question do you wish people would ask you?

A. How I ended up with a middle school Math teacher....? How I deal with work/life/kids balance? What inspires me? Each day?

Q. What are a few of your favorite things?

A. My two sons, my husband (most of the time), time alone, quiet, poetry, pearls, abalone shell, turquoise.

Q. How do you curate your life?

A. With the love of things that we are able to purchase--within our budget--finding the intrinsic and quirky beauty in the not-so-obvious.

Q. Any advice for people trying to follow their dreams?

A. Just stick with it, and make sure that you have a supportive partner that will bring you coffee, a glass of wine, what have you--when you need it. Also, have those people around you that nurture your spirit, indulge your whims, and can take you out to enjoy something new and different--so that the boredom of "pursuing your dreams" doesn't make you miserable in the process.

Q. What is your philosophy of life in 12 words or less?

A. If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If not now, when? (Hillel)

Q. Where can we find you online?

A. On my website http://www.arielshoemaker.com, on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ariel.shoemaker, and on Twitter @mosaicsbyariel.

Thank you for sharing your work and yourself with us Ariel!

Meet J.K. McDowell: Night, Mystery and Light

2011-11-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

This day, this wonderful time of year, can be hectic. I offer an antidote - beauty, reflection, a pool of mystical meaning in which to submerge.

Meet J.K. McDowell, a true Renaissance man. Being around him, even just corresponding on Facebook or email, reminds me to stop, breathe and feel the deeper vibrations of life. He reminds me that the mundane world and the mystical creative world are bound together and that it is possible, and even powerful, to have a foot in both. He reminds me that I can create and have a day job because he does. J.K. recently published a book of poetry called Night, Mystery & Light with Hiraeth Press. Just look what he has brought into this world...

Meet J.K. McDowell, poet, artist, mystic.

Q. What is your background and training?

Born and lived in the Midwest most of my life. Now I am from Lafayette, Louisiana. Married to my Soulmate for nearly 25 years. Trained as a PhD in Engineering, make a living in that world, and that supports a separate existence as an Artist, Poet and Mystic.

Q. How did poetry emerge in your life?

Some of my earliest memories are of my Mother reading me poetry. We moved quickly from Dr. Seuss to Edgar Allan Poe and Rudyard Kipling. My Father quoted Shakespeare and Omar Khayyam. A love of poetry seems inescapable.

Q. What is the source of your inspiration?

The poet Mary Oliver has some beautiful words “… I do not know how to pray but I know how to pay attention.” My poetry is driven by image, feeling and phrase. Paying attention in this numinous world helps fill in the spaces when I work on a poem. Nature and art are wonderful sources of inspiration. As a Mystic, you can sense everything is connected, as a Poet you find the thread, the vibration, the beat.

Q. What is your process?

I have a practice where I write at least one poem a month. I write in a leaping style called the american ghazal, six stanzas, each stanza is 3 lines of 12 syllables. Each stanza also has to be a stand-alone poem. The style is leaping because each stanza is its own story and the next stanza leaps to a new topic yet there are threads that hold the whole poem together. I first discovered this style in the work of Robert Bly. I have been working in this form for almost ten years and have had this poetry practice since early 2006. As for process, each poem is different, there is no formula. You have to stay with the creative process, pay attention. Sometimes a poem is crafted from fragments, other times a poem flows start to finish. I work with pen and paper as well as keyboard and software. Some times back and forth. I keep a notebook/sketchbook, I think that is important. I sometimes say I write for my sanity and the pleasure of my friends. This creative habit has become a spiritual practice.

Q. In your book of poetry “Night, Mystery & Light” you seem to pose questions to yourself. How do you describe the questioner? Jim?

The ghazal poetic form allows the final stanza to refer to the poet. I often do this in the form of a question. This brings the poet into the poem, down to earth so to speak, with the reader. The poets Hazif and Ghalib are very good as this. Now the reader is listening in on a sort of conversation, personal and yet transpersonal. The “questioner” can be the poem itself, the reader, the Divine, just a Friend. And as for “Jim,” “James K.” & “J.K.” they are all me.

Q. Your work almost always contains both the mundane and divine—why contrast these worlds?
The Mundane and the Divine are close together, even interwoven. A common response is to focus on one at the expense of the other. Both are important. Zen masters bow to honor the dust and in the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus says “split a log, turn over a rock, I am there.” The ghazal form allows me to move between these worlds. I am searching for the balance between the Mundane and the Divine that opens more possibilities.

Q. I know this is like asking which of your children is your favorite, but which poem do you personally find the most powerful, and why?

I see my poems as my old friends rather than my children. An exciting aspect about “Night, Mystery & Light” is that the poetry collection is a sort of eclectic gathering of friends. They all know me but do not know each other. As I perform poetry readings I am discovering these friendships all over again and learning the best way to introduce these friends to the audience.

As for the most powerful poem for me, I will give you three friends: “… the sinking.” & “…never dance.” & “…silvery face.” I have been starting poetry readings with “… the sinking.” I will probably always read these three poems in any poetry performance. These three have a balance and flow and energy that just spills over at the end, with the earlier stanzas still in ripples.

Q. I lingered on the phase “Can you savor the sweetness of uncertainty?” in the poem "…and seed." Can you tell me more about what this poem means to you?

This poem begins and ends with references to the Romantic English poet/painter/composer William Blake. Blake’s genius is all about possibilities and moving beyond traditional boundaries. He has a beautiful short poem about creativity and a once blighted tree.

Debby you have found the power-line in that poem. “Can you savor the sweetness of uncertainty?” We need to say: “YES.” You never know it all and you never will but you can always learn more. “Savoring the sweetness” because there is always more, uncertainty and questioning leads to more. A life compared to the whole of human history, compared to the history of the Universe. Then from “the verse” to the Multi-verse. Not a sense of more in terms of possessions or experiences but in terms of wholeness and union.

The poem flows to an end “Remember that you are blossom, fruit and seed.” and so not an end but a beginning. All of nature is transformational, beautiful but not easy. Even when you dare “read the directions” things do not turn out. “Rediscovery is always on the agenda,” so “add to the madness.” Many since Blake have considered him a mad man. Nevertheless we all can “…hold infinity in the palm of your hands” as Blake proclaims.

Q. What other creative outlets do you have?

I am a glass artist. Color, light and form are the inspirations there. I am also a book artist and make handmade journals. My inspirations there are historic bindings of the first books crafted by artisans for scholars. I have been a glass artist for about ten years and have pieces in two local galleries and my works have appeared in several juried shows over the years and won a few awards. On the book arts side, I have mostly made works as gifts and taught classes. It has been only the past year or so that I have actually made journals for my own use.

Q. Who are your favorite artists and why?

I will use artist broadly and include poets & writers. Let’s start with poets: the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca; the Persian poets Rumi and Hafiz; and Robert Bly, a living American Treasure. They all have a depth and a spirit that allows the poem to resonate and then linger. Their poems are all powerful when read aloud. As for writers, I have been reading a lot of H. P. Lovecraft. He adores language and the non-linear narrative and most of his stories end, well let’s just say I am glad I am not one of his characters. As for artists, Dale Chihuly, Magritte, Picasso and Dali. Dali and Magritte are surrealists, as much interested in language and the unconscious as painting. They are very technically proficient and dared explore images of unreality. Picasso was a powerful creative, unstoppable, worked into his nineties. Dale Chihuly is the champion of glass art and continues to push and inspire that medium on grand scale.

Q. What is your favorite music and why?

I am listening to Azam Ali. She is Iranian, raised in India and lives in America. She mixes cultures and traditions, ancient and modern. Azam Ali has an incredible, haunting voice and is often featured in movie soundtracks. Also on the music side let’s add The BoDeans, Depeche Mode and James. These three bands have great lyrics and I have enjoyed them in concert. I am also a fan of the ambient music artist Steve Roach.

Q. When people buy your book, read your poems, what will they know about you?

That I believe in the human creative spirit. That I believe that living an authentic life is a struggle but not a burden. That I believe the Other World is close by. That I love literature and the arts. That I believe the Soul is indestructible and worth seeking.

Q. What question do you wish people would ask you?

“Do I have to understand everything about a particular poem to enjoy or experience it?” And my answer is NO. Even I do not understand everything that is in a poem and I am the author. Nothing is more awe-inspiring for me than for a reader to find hidden threads and meanings in my work, things not obvious to me. This has happened more than once and gives me the shudders, and reminds me maybe that is why I write poems.

Q. Where can we find you online?

I have a blog on WordPress, I would encourage your readers to subscribe. The blog is called “Night, Mystery and Light” and that is where my monthly poems now appear. I will also post works in progress and prior art on the blog. Your readers can Subscribe or Friend me on Facebook.

Q. How can people buy “Night, Mystery & Light?”

They can purchase the collection at the Hiraeth Press website. Hiraeth Press is home to many fine poets and writers and I am honored to be part of that small press. Please look over their whole catalog. The collection is also available online at Amazon as well as Barnes and Noble. If you want author signed copies of the poetry collection please contact me directly by email firedancestudio@bellsouth.net for purchase.

Q. What is your philosophy of life in 12 words or less?

“The future is a strange and wonderful place. I will meet you there!”

I hope 13 words are OK.

I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did. And I also hope you consider J.K.'s wonderful collection of poetry for yourself and your friends. When is the last time you were given a gift of poetry--how wonderful would that be.

There are several poems that resonated with me, in particular ...and lose, ...and the playwright, ...and seed, and ...arrives soon. You can see a preview of Night, Mystery & Light here. What do you think? Which poem moves you?

Grooving On... Fitz and The Tantrums

2011-11-22T09:45:00.001-05:00

When I first heard Fitz and The Tantrums I was disoriented--I hadn't heard the clean force of funk in a very long time. When my ears re-calibrated to the neo-soul groove, I was blown away.

Read more about them here and even get a free download. I love them and find them stuck in my head. What do you think?

I like this simplified version of "Don't Gotta Work It Out" below because they are in Amsterdam, one of my favorite cities. The a cappella and sax only arrangement is also cool.

Meet: Bob Burkhardt

2011-11-22T06:31:00.000-05:00

Meet photographer Bob Burkhardt.

Many years ago Bob and I were colleagues in corporate America. We both longed for something more, that dream of doing what you truly love.

Bob made it happen.

My personal favorites in Bob's body of work are the stark and quietly intense photographs he took in his childhood home before it was put up for sale. I find the images so packed with emotional I wanted to know more about them.

Changes (c) Bob Burkhardt

Home (c) Bob Burkhardt

Q. Tell me about the images in your childhood home.
I was an only child. My mom died about 10 yrs ago and when my dad passed it fell to me to get the house prepared for sell. It was always a lonely trip returning to an empty house. On my last trip a friend suggested I photograph the house as a way of processing my feelings. After looking at the photos I was surprised how many people felt the emotional impact of the images without knowing the story behind them.

Sunday Dinner (c) Bob Burkhardt

Q. How do you describe your work to people?
I think of my work being fairly minimalist. Whether shooting a landscape or a figure I strive for simplicity in my work. I’m often told my work brings about a certain serenity. This is not something I seek out when shooting but more of an end result. My graphic design background draws me to create clean, crisp imagery. Light, and the way it interacts with a subject, fascinates me. My focus is on details, whether capturing a mood or following that alluring trace of light as it disappears sensuously down a subject’s back.

Late Arrival (c) Bob Burkhardt
(I am lucky enough to own a print of this one)

Q. What led you to the work you do today?
I would have to say my career in graphic design brought me here. Graphics certainly influenced my sense of design. Graphics afforded me the opportunity to work with other photographers images and honed my preferences.

Q. How did creativity emerge in your life?
I was an only child and would entertain myself as a child by drawing. Its a place where I excelled.

Q. What is the source of your inspiration?
I’m inspired by all that I see and by other artist’s work. For me, photography is about capturing the moment in time... showing the world what I see through my eyes.

Q. What are a few of your own favorite pieces and why?

I’m most pleased with fine art work shot in Piedmont Park and Provincetown, MA. The land and seascapes resonate with me because I love the park and P'town. I also enjoy my more recent exploration into portrait work. I enjoy learning studio lighting and working with the human form. At times feel I’m giving the subject a gift by showing them their inner spirit and often how they do not see themselves.

Windswept (c) Bob Burkhardt

Pentimento (c) Bob Burkhardt

Q. When people see your work, what will they know about you?
Hopefully they will see how my eye sees the world and feel the emotion I’m trying to express in the photo.

Kristen (c) Bob Burkhardt

Q. What other creative outlets do you have?
Music, film, dance and theater.

Q. Who are your favorite artists?
George Hurrell, John Todaro, Maya Guez and Todd Hido

Tangerine Dream (c) Bob Burkhardt

Q. What music is moving you these days, and why?
Patty Griffin, Shelby Lynne and Lizz Wright are favorites of mine. They speak to my southern roots and their music speaks to my soul. Its about their voice and not about the production.

Q. What are a few of your favorite things?
A clear, bright day; a small child waddling down the street and people in love.

Q. What would you want for your last meal?
Lasagna and banana cream pie

Destination (c) Bob Burkhardt

Q. Any advice for people trying to follow their dreams?
Pay attention to what drives you. Life is short... tune into your dreams sooner than later.

Q. Where can we find you online?
The PBJ Gallery website

Thank you for sharing your work and your thoughts with us Bob. Beautiful.

What's Your Philosophy of Life (in 12 words or less) ?

2011-11-19T10:09:00.001-05:00

What is your philosophy of life (in 12 words or less)?

That is a question I've included in the series of interviews I've been doing lately with artists, actors, musicians, poets and other interesting people. The responses are fascinating and almost always make me look at myself, what I believe and how I live life.

I decided to ask this question of people I connect with on Twitter. It is a pretty intense first encounter with here-to-fore strangers, but I love the ability to have some understanding of people so quickly.

What follows is just a few of the responses I received (used with permission of course). Enjoy!

Give all you've got to give. Love wisely, love foolishly. No regrets.

Love others as you love yourself. Love yourself.

Be passionate, tolerant, true in everything I do.

Be true to your beliefs and listen to what others have to say.

Genuine caring + Honest Communication = Deep Connection Love: Passion, Sharing, Affection, Nurturer.

Lao Tzu: All things are born of being. Being is born of non-being.

I think mine would have to be Cultivate. Create. Uplift.

Many thanks to these wonderful Twitter friends for sharing their thoughts and themselves. A very interesting group of people to follow.

What is your philosophy of life?

Four Favorite Components of a Gnoshing Sunday Supper

2011-11-15T17:58:00.001-05:00

Sometimes a simple collection of favorite foods is the perfect simple Sunday supper. (Especially since Sunday is the best night to indulge in television--football, Homeland, Boardwalk Empire, Boss on the DVR from Friday...)

A few of the rock star elements of our gnoshing plate are highlighted above.

Luckily I thought to bake a fresh loaf of bread Sunday morning. Mark Bittman's recipe for Speedy No-Knead bread is fantastic. Very little effort is required, you just need to have the capacity to plan ahead. This bread is better than almost all other bread I have had--with the exception of Per Se's pretzel bread and Parker House rolls.

Roasted chestnuts remind me of a wonderful trip to visit relatives in Bern, Switzerland. Right outside the train station was a roasted chestnut vendor. Amazing. So when I saw chestnuts in the grocery I grabbed a dozen or so to experiment. I found this very helpful how-to roast chestnuts article online, chose the soak in salt water then oven roast method, and it worked! (Only one exploded, literally right as I was putting on the oven mitts. Thank goodness for self-cleaning ovens.) It is a shame that chestnuts are hidden in stuffing so often, especially when they have to share space with celery.

A quick tangent on chestnuts and Switzerland--when there we also indulged in a local seasonal favorite called vermicelli. It is a sweet chestnut paste that is pressed out to look like vermicelli noodles and is topped with meringue. Truly amazing. The timing of our trip at the height of chestnut season was fortuitous!

Back to the simple life. For cheese I selected the Saga Blue Brie (Just learned it is their 25th anniversary. Yeah for them!) and my all time favorite, Tete de Moine. I love it so much I already devoted a blog post to it. I get my Tete from Artisanal. Sometimes you can find it at Whole Foods, but I once found it sliced in quarters there, which makes it impossible to use the girolle and get the florets. Come to think of it, I first tasted Tete de Moine on that Switzerland trip too.

The final stand-out element of the meal has nothing to do with Switzerland, but it is delicious. We took pieces of peeled black garlic and stuffed them into Applewood-smoked olives. Black garlic is one of the most delicious food inventions on Earth and we have the Koreans to thank. It is like an umami gummi bear. Buy a tub of the peeled stuff, it is worth every penny. Note: These stuffed olives are also amazing in martinis, especially my favorite concoction, the "red-head martini" (dirty martini using the applewood smoked olive brine plus a shot of fresh tomato juice).

Hope you enjoy some of my favorites! Let me know if you try any of these recipes and what the elements are in your own favorite gnoshing suppers.

Hudson: Good stuff x 2

2011-11-13T16:48:00.001-05:00

This video is visually entertaining with its wow-factor stop motion technique, and the music is a head-bopping and layered folkly treat. This new music is by emerging Melbourne Australia-based indie folk musician Hudson.

Hudson - Against The Grain from Dropbear on Vimeo. Via Boing Boing

So this video drew me in, but when I spent more time on Hudson's site, Destination Blues sealed the deal. I downloaded the $8 digital EP. I must admit I don't love it all, but 60% isn't bad and I love the idea of directly supporting musicians who are just trying to get their passion to the people.

Hope you enjoy. What do you think?

Tattoo You

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

This post isn't actually about tattoos, or the Rolling Stones. Though I must say, Tattoo You is, oddly, one of my favorite Stones albums, and one that I think is terribly under appreciated. Or maybe it was just the time and place it reminds me of -- Sophomore year in college living off campus with wonderful friends in complete and glorious squalor. (Regardless, I know every word of every song on this album.)

I Stumbled Upon this Flavorwire post on Scott Campbell's mind-blowing laser-cut sculpture made of US currency and inspired by tattoo art. Campbell is a famous tattoo artist to the stars who is a hipster darling and a really freaking amazing...artist artist. I don't mean to diminish the value of tattoos as an art form, I just have never wanted a tattoo and never gave its artistic value much thought. To be honest, I do find tattoos oddly compelling on occasion. Polynesian designs are beyond amazing, so organic, so powerful (even on Mike Tyson's face). And the brightly colored full commitment tattoos are mesmerizing both in their impact and the boldness of the bearer. The "bad-ass" nature of it all is a draw.

Here are images of Campbell's ironic currency sculpture, as featured on his must-see website. Amazing, am I right?

If I ever did get a tattoo in some last gasp of rebellion, it wouldn't be a butterfly. I believe it would have to be a gigantic tiger on my entire back, kind of like the one by Scott Campbell pictured below, but in color and bigger! I have had recurring dreams of tigers in my lifetime and was born in the year of the Tiger, so it just seems appropriate. And I would want to get on Scott Campbell's waiting list. But I am quite confident that will never happen...I'm just not that bad-ass.

Miniature Sculpture on Coins

2011-11-08T07:51:00.000-05:00

This is a quick post to share this (slightly old but still awesome) Colossal link about miniature bas relief sculptures created on coins. The practice leads back to 1800's and became more popular during the Depression era when people carved into Buffalo nickels--these were known as Hobo Nickels. I just thought they were cool and that you might appreciate seeing them too. Be sure to read the Colossal article for more photos and info.

Q & A with Artist Jack Simonetta

2011-11-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Untitled, 2006 Jack Simonetta

Jack Simonetta

Meet Atlanta-based artist Jack Simonetta. Jack works across multiple media, including collage, oil, watercolor, sculpture and most recently beaded boxes.

I met Jack many years ago through his husband Bob Burkhardt, a wonderful photographer and at the time, a professional colleague of mine. Bob and Jack had just recently embarked on their mutual dream of opening an art gallery. Such a bold and exciting move to make their aspirations real.

Jack's work drew me in immediately. The moment I entered their gallery, a vibrant collage caught my eye. I bought that piece (shown above) at their very first show. The PB&J Gallery in Atlanta is still open and thriving and has become a vibrant showcase for contemporary Southern artists.

Jack graciously agreed to answer a few of my questions so we can learn more about him and his art.

Q. How would you describe your creative work?
A. My creative work is how I physically express myself. I've always had to use my hands to make things to "get out" my vision. Making things can be anything from painting to stone sculpting to glueing beads on to boxes to create designs. The physical process of making is what I HAVE to do. When I haven't made anything for a while I can feel it. My good friend Sue gave me a quote by Pearl S. Buck that describes me completely. Here it is:

"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanely sensitive. To them... a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create -- so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, their very breath is cut off... They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating."

- Pearl S. Buck

It still makes me cry when I read it.

Reaching for the Moon, Jack Simonetta

Q. What is your background and training?
A. I've been drawing or painting since childhood. As far as formal training, I've been through four years of college with a BA in Art and minor in Education and Art History. I've been studying stone sculpture for the past 7 years with Jane Jaskevich, a sculptor here in Atlanta. I've shown in a few galleries here in Atlanta over the past 15 years, most recently of course at our PB&J Gallery.

Career-wise, I started out doing paste-up at a company in Boston where they had some of the first wysiwyg computers for doing layout. After five years of that I left and went to work for the company that made the computers, Camex, doing software training and sales support. Three layoffs later and burnt out on traveling I returned to design work, first freelancing and then working for a small magazine publishing company in Atlanta where I currently work.

Roman Pine 1, Jack Simonetta

Q. What are your biggest influences?
A. Mostly I'm influenced by nature, trees especially. Bare branches can be so expressive. Emotions also influences my work—grief, spiritual things, quietness. I use my art to work them out.

Q. Who are your three favorite artists at the moment and why?
A. First that comes to mind is Charles Burchfield. I saw a book on his watercolors and was drawn to them. They have this mystical/fantasy feel to them like he was able to see hidden dimensions in a scene. Everything vibrates visually!

And Georgia O'Keeffe, I've always loved her work and when I first saw her early abstract pieces and the pieces other than her large flowers like the city scenes I was blown away. The shapes she used in her work turn up in my work. How she represents clouds and folds have very much influenced me.

And finally, José De Creeft. My sculpting mentor, Jane Jaskevich, has a library of sculpture books in her studio. I picked up a book of José De Creeft work and said, "This is how I want to sculpt!" I'm drawn to hands and he sculpted hands so simply. Sometimes he would leave the texture of the stone and I love that. It's like a painter making sure you see the brush strokes in a painting. The stylization of his pieces reminds me of Mayan or Aztec sculpture. They're shapes and bodies at the same time.

Crescents, Jack Simonetta

Q. What are a few of your favorite things?
A. Walking on the beach, reading books, growing things and cooking.

Q. What are your favorite blogs or websites?
A. I recently discovered a design website that's great - designboom.

The Depths, Jack Simonetta

Q. What music is moving you at the moment?

A. My favorite singer right now is Lizz Wright. She has a way of singing that tugs at my heart. She sings everything from jazz to gospel to R & B. She could sing anything and I'd love it!

Q. What would you want as your last meal?

A. Polenta with tomato sauce on top. My grandfather would make a huge pot of it, slice it up and pour sauce over it.

Q. Name one thing on your "bucket list"

A. I don't have a list. But, I would like to take at least 2 months and just do my art and nothing else.

Crow Flies, Jack Simonetta

Q. Where can we find you on the web?
A. You can read my blog at http://jacksimonetta.wordpress.com/, and find (and purchase) my work on our gallery website http://www.pbj-gallery.com/buy.php

Q. Finally, what is your philosophy of life in 12 words or less?
A. Go for it. When you're dead you're dead.

Thanks Jack, I needed that!

Cello Lessons

2011-11-05T08:53:00.002-04:00

When I turned thirty I got divorced, jumped out of an airplane and decided I wanted to learn how to play the cello.

There is something about the instrument that just resonates with my guts.

I grew up in a small Pennsylvania town and the public school I attended did not offer strings as an option. So as a child I chose to learn how to play the saxophone. Sadly I was not exposed to Jazz or The Blues at that age and did not have a clue about the full potential of the instrument. The musical selections we played in band were limited to marches, college fight songs, modified orchestral pieces and the occasional bad interpretation of a Beatles song. My interest in the instrument waned. "On Wisconsin" did not stir my soul.

Then I heard Bach's Cello Suites. I think I actually cried. I wanted to be able to express that beauty myself, to play that incredibly sensual instrument. I bought a cello, took lessons and was humbled.

I learned a few things about myself. I learned that my patience is in limited supply. I learned that synapses don't form as quickly as an adult. I learned that I really don't like being lousy at something. That last one has given me lots of fodder for introspection.

BACH TWO WAYS

A Digital Representation of Bach's Cello Suite No. 1, www.baroque.me

I did give up the lessons and sold the cello at a ridiculously low price to the parents of a very enthusiastic little kid just starting out on his musical journey. He had the extra brain capacity to make a go of it. Maybe he is a virtuoso now graduating Julliard. I hope so, my own little Red Violin moment.

For now, in this lifetime, I will take pleasure in the musical mastery of others. I make an effort to see live music as much as possible. And I enjoy the company of dear friends who have the skills I do not.

A few years later I did buy another saxophone--and I still have it, waiting for the day I have some extra time to give it another go and have a little enjoyment.

Architecture That Moves You: Flamenco Style - Proposed International School Museum of Flamenco (ISMOF)

2011-10-19T07:30:00.000-04:00

Expression. Movement. Sensuality. Passion!

All of these aspects of Flamenco music are captured in this design proposal by MUS Architects for the International School Museum of Flamenco (ISMOF).

This design stopped my in my tracks this morning and moved me. The architects have drawn on all their senses and creativity in the ether on this one. I would most definitely go to the ends of the earth to see this in person. I hope this vision becomes manifest in the physical world.

To read more about the project and see more photos go to ArchDaily. Does this move you?

The Meta Artist: Shea Hembrey

2011-10-17T08:59:00.000-04:00

Shea Hembrey blew my mind.

When I saw him speak at TED this year the first thing that went through my mind was, wow, that is brilliant, I wish I had thought of that!

Frustrated with the contemporary art world, Hembrey wanted to stage his own biennial exhibition that was guided by the principles he considers essential in art: heart, head and hands. When he thought through how much work it would entail to solicit and curate artists for the exhibition, he decided it would be much more interesting to create fictional artists--thinking through their history, their points of view, their motivations--and have "them" create work for his biennial.

The work is art, there is no question, but he manages to inject humor and commentary on the art world in the process. Watch his TED talk for yourself -- 18 minutes well spent!

My favorites from those Hembrey described are the "Artist in Residence" and the "Sober Dobermans" whose work is a commentary on how over-coddled our society has become (this one made me laugh out loud).

"Horse Sense Fence" by the Sober Doberman Collective
by Shea Hembrey

I found myself wishing that he had actually physically staged the "Seek" exhibition. I was prepared to travel to Arkansas. Instead, he captured the work in a catalogue that is for sale. The catalogue, Seek: 100 in 2011--The Inaugural Exhibition, is a signed and numbered work of art by Shea Hembrey in a singular edition of 1,000. Each work of art is $1,000 and can be purchased on Shea Hembrey's website.

What were your favorite artists in Seek?

The Architect Artist: Meet Alice Franklin

2011-10-15T17:06:00.001-04:00

Meet Alice Franklin, architect, artist, meditator, creator of beautiful things. Alice explores the fascinating intersection of precision and passion. Alice is largely unknown and I have been a fan of her work for many years.

Shape, color, and surprise are all elements that she uses in her designs. That is probably why I like her work so much. I am especially fond of the three dimensional pieces that draw you into a unique world.

I interviewed Alice Franklin last week to learn more about her inspirations and her work.

Q - How would you describe your creative work?

I think of my work as an attempt to describe energy and nature. The patterns are a description of the movement and flow of energies as elements interact in the piece and with the viewer. Most people can relate to these patterns as mandalas which can induce a meditative quality for the viewer, but they aren’t confined to a flat surface since I am always interested in structure. I experience and see energy in space and I try to create that experience for others. My other creative work is usually done in fiber and is functional and recycled. The structure of the design, honoring the integrity of the material, and providing an option of uses are what interest me.

Q - What is your background/formal training?

I have an undergraduate and masters graduate degree in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. In addition, I have over 25 years of experience in Taoist/Buddhist meditation practice and learning.

Q - What are the biggest influences on your work?

For design, my first big influence was a professor who taught me well how to respect and understand the nature of whatever material I am handling. This professor was a design teacher, not so much an architecture professor, so what I learned was how to design, whatever the program, whatever the scale or materials. After that, my biggest influence is my spiritual Teacher. A path of self-discovery is always an influence on an artist.

Q. Who are your three favorite artists at the moment and why?

My favorite artist these past few years is Lee Bontecou. She was a prominent artist in NYC from the late 50’s to around 1970. She was part of the group whose work was shown regularly at Leo Castelli gallery. For 25 years or so, she retreated to her farm in rural Pennsylvania and worked on her own without the influence or knowledge of the “art world.” She had a major retrospective in 2003 which is when I first came to know her work. I am inspired both by her story, her faith in herself and her work, as well as the work itself.

Recently, I was blown away by Theo Jansen who is a Dutch artist who creates Strandbeests from plastic pipe. These “living” beasts walk on the beach, propelled by the wind to kick up sand to help preserve the beaches and dunes in Holland. They are so magical. The integration of a need-- the ecology-- the design and the art are so amazing to me.

I also love Mike and Doug Starn who built the bamboo structure on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Big Bambu. They have a huge warehouse studio somewhere along the Hudson River Valley. They have created other bamboo structures and filmed the evolution of the construction. I was so impressed with the Big Bambu-- not just as a structure, but as a group building project, as an organic form and by the use of the materials.

Q - What are your three favorite buildings in the world and why?

I can’t think of favorite buildings. I have always loved the work of Antonio Gaudi, and I think my favorite building just for the experience of it is the Getty Museum. Richard Meier isn’t a favorite, but the setting, the approach, the details, and the relationship with the landscape make this building a wonderful experience.

My favorite buildings these days tend to include some clever use of alternative energy/sustainability, or clever use of materials and construction, often hand built. My area of focus in school in the early 70’s was alternative energy, and I truly thought my expertise would be in demand when I went out to the work force. Sadly, we were too far ahead and it has taken 30+ years for these ideas to be discussed again. I always cheer when I see something new and interesting.

Q. What are a few of your favorite things?

I love nesting things, and I love tiny things. I love my iPad. I love interesting clothing design-- clever use of the fabric, the joinery, and other details.

Q - What is your philosophy of life in 12 words or less?

Philosophy of life? Kidding?

I am here to cultivate my self in order to transcend the self.

Q - Where can we find you on the web?

I try not to be on the web. Before my website, you could google me and come up with nothing. I loved that. But now I have my website: alicefranklinstudio.com

Inspired by... a Coat Rack

2011-10-09T17:00:00.000-04:00

Simple function. Clean Design. Inspired by the inside of a piano. Wonderful.

Piano Coat Rack by Feld

This simple yet stunning coat rack by Feld came to my attention through AHAlife. It made me smile and inspired me to nurture my own creativity.

If you haven't discovered AHAlife yet, you should definitely check it out. Here is how they describe themselves:

AHAlife is the online discovery destination where you can learn about - and purchase - the best unique products from around the world, collectively curated by our group of influential tastemakers.

Enjoy!

Shoe In

2011-10-09T07:24:00.001-04:00

While breezing through my inbox this last week, this gorgeous shoe caught my eye.

This one from Donna Karan made me stop in my email tracks. The question is will this be more than a "one hour" shoe? (I rate shoes by the length of time I can wear them before they inflict distracting, life-interfering pain.)

The Donna Karan "Vixen Sueded Calf Bootie," as this is called, is a stunning shoe with styling I have not seen before. Now normally, I would turn running from anything called Vixen (or Bootie for that matter) but this shoe rises above its moniker and definitely is on my coveted list.

Donna Karan "Vixen" Sueded Calf Bootie $850