ANTworkstudio blog

ANTworkstudio News

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:41:00 +0000

ANTworkstudio.com is going under the knife. Sure, our site looks the same for now, but we are expanding. We are adding features while improving our site navigation, and continuing our march towards completion of ANTworkstudio's foundation on the web. We're just getting started!

When the ANTworkstudio.com's new site is up and running (expecting the new site to be available by the end of the week) we'll throw a post out.

Please be patient. We're growing and adjusting with incredible things to come. We ain't just doin somethin fer nuthin! Don't get stuck on the grammer :)

U get the point!

Check out the family of websites:
publicspeakingrules.com - All you need for a great speech! New book now available
andthensomeworks.com - based on the And Then Some philosophy: Give more, get more, want more from life!

Makin' it GR88T -N- 2008!
ANTworkstudio.com

Greek Spinach Pie Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:00:00 +0000

Recipe by Ann O'Halloran

Click any picture to see it bigger and use your browser "back" button to come back.

Spinach Pie
8 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min

Ingredients

1 stick (4 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
Two 16-ounce bags frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 1/2 pounds cottage cheese
8 - 10 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper (use fresh ground pepper for added taste!)
1 box Athena phyllo dough, 16 - 20 sheets

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Defrost spinach, but don't cook... throw the bags in the sink with some hot water and let them float around, turning them over when you remember. In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 min; transfer to a large bowl. Wipe out the skillet.

Place the spinach in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out excess water. Add the spinach , cottage cheese, feta, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper to the onion and stir to combine. Set aside. Prepare this the day before and save time!

Note: Buttering each sheet of phyllo dough can take a long time with a small pastry brush. Use a big pastry brush to help speed up the process.

Note: Phyllo dough doesn't keep well once the package is open. Use 10 layers of phyllo dough on the top and bottom simply to use it up. The dough is so thin you won't notice the difference and it might as well get used up.

Note: This recipe was tried in both a metal baking dish as well as a stone baking dish... and it tasted the same.

In the reserved skillet, melt the remaining 1 stick butter. Using a pastry brush, coat a 9 x 12 inch baking dish with melted butter.

Unfold or unroll phyllo dough and line the baking dish with 1 phyllo sheet, gently pressing into place. Brush the sheet with more melted butter. If the sheet is too big for your pan simply squish any excess dough into the corners with brush. Repeat until there are 8 - 10 layers of buttered phyllo in the dish. Cover the remaining phyllo sheets with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out.

Fill the phyllo-lined baking dish with the spinach mixture and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Place a sheet of phyllo dough on top of the mixture and butter with brush. If the sheet hangs over the edge, squish sheet down into the sides of the baking dish with your buttered brush. Repeat this until there are 8 - 10 layers of phyllo dough.

Bake the spinach pie until golden-brown... about 45 minutes.

Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing...

OPA!

ANTworkstudio News

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:30:00 +0000

Looking for a delicious recipe? How about some spinach pie served up by Ann O'Halloran. ~ANT fell in love with spinach pie when he painted the Greek Mural at Manos Greek Restaurant and this Saturday's Free 4 All is Ann's recipe. Feta, plus spinach, and phyllo dough equals yummy!

Makin' it GR88T -N- 2008!
ANTworkstudio.com

Colors of Art: Compliments of Spring

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:00:00 +0000

~ANT

Spring has sprung! The bright greens of new grass and leaves, the smell of flowers from the Magnolia trees, and the burgeoning yellows of the many Forsythia around the neighborhood. The weather has been fantastic with plenty of sunshine bouncing all around.

It's time to slow down for a minute and "stop and smell the roses." Since the roses won't be around for a little bit longer, there are still plenty of flowers begging for you attention. Listen close and you can hear 'em!

Click on the picture to see it bigger, then just click the "back" button on your browser.

Website Revisions and a new book coming soon..

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:00:00 +0000

The jobs at ANTworkstudio vary. Some days there's a whole lotta paintin' goin' on and sometimes it's a whole lotta website stuff... sometimes both. Then there are the days... you just never know what ANTworkstudio is getting into. Right now there is a whole lot of website revisions going on.

andthensomeworks.com was just revised and updated. The site was built to be smaller, leaner, more efficient including when uploading new updates adding more features. Check it out and tell us what you think of the site!

Public Speaking Rules!, a new book by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD will be released on May 1, 2008. This book is written for those who are seeking the nuts-and-bolts of speech preparation and presentation. The book covers the fundamentals of public speaking, and it is designed for the first-time public speaker as well as for experienced public speakers who want to brush up on the basics. It is a practical, straightforward, hands-on approach to the essential elements necessary for giving great public speeches.

ANTworkstudio feels a surprise post coming on this week. When, where, about what? Stay tuned!

Makin' it GR88T -N- 2008!
ANTworkstudio.com

TK -4- REAL portrait painting done!!

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:00:00 +0000

~ANT

TK -4- REAL is done! This was a great project and I had a lot of fun with it. Click here to go to the photo gallery or click the picture. If you have any questions or just want to throw me a "shout out"... leave a comment!

~ANT's paintings are affordable and a lifetime keepsake that can be handed down generation to generation. If you are interested in a portrait painting or any other style of painting by ~ANT, please contact ANTworkstudio through our website: http://www.antworkstudio.com/contactus/contactus.htm

NEWS - Colors of Art: TK -4- REAL portrait is finished!

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:00:00 +0000

TK -4- REAL is finished! Wednesdays Colors of Art will have the finished pictures including the new TK -4- REAL photo gallery.

Next week the Colors of Art will either be an update on the painting progress of the Austen portrait or ~ANT will be telling us he's finished. As Austen used to say, "Who's to say?"

Makin' it GR88T -N- 2008!
ANTworkstudio.com

Austen portrait painting update

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:00:00 +0000

~ANT

I'll start off by saying... this painting isn't done. This is simply a progress report with pictures. The Austen portrait is almost complete. There are only the minor details left...

Leave a comment and tell me what you think of the work so far. I'd love to hear what your thinking! Click on the image and see it bigger (use your "back" button to come back here).

~ANT's paintings are affordable and a lifetime keepsake. These works of art stand the test of time and can be handed down from generation to generation. If you are interested in a portrait painting or any other style of painting by ~ANT, please contact ANTworkstudio through our website: http://www.antworkstudio.com/contactus/contactus.htm

NEWS - Colors of Art: Austen portrait progress

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Wednesday's Colors of Art is the Austen portrait painting progress report. Try to say that fast... wow! The painting is going extremely well and I have some new pictures to share.

Both the Austen portrait and TK -4- REAL portrait are almost done. I've mentioned in a previous post about these two portraits being painted side by side. They will both be finished at relatively the same time. For these two particular paintings, painting side by side has really helped with inspiration and motivation. Good stuff!

Yesterday, Sunday April 6th, Clutch (TK -4- Real), sChag, and ~ANT played for the Poo Championship Trophy. ~ANT took the Trophy! With only one more space left on the trophy for a signature, there is just one huge Poo Championship left before we build the next section of the trophy. Check it out for yourself (Please be aware: There is some swearing and a few pictures of middle fingers. They are playing for a trophy with fake sculpted poo at the top and they take it seriously.): http://pootrophy.blogspot.com/

Makin' it GR88T -N- 2008!
ANTworkstudio.com

Plastic Grocery Bags

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:00:00 +0000

by ~ANT

I think it's a bit of stretch to connect plastic grocery bags with technology and art. Though one can admit, it is through advancements in technology that these bags exist... and lots of them. Reusablebags.com asks if recycling can fix the issues with the mountains of plastic bags and they are not convinced. The Sierra Club also asks the question Paper or Plastic? They say neither. A sturdy, reusable bag makes more sense if used just 11 times.

I agree with reusable bags and use them when I remember to put them in the trunk. Actually, remembering they are in the trunk also seem to create a problem for me. I'm working on that solution. At the same time, until a majority of the earth's people start using reusable bags, I have a suggestion. This notion derives from seeing the plastic "tree bag flag" around my neighborhood. If it has to be nasty, why can't it be colorfully nasty?

I walk out to my backyard on a windy cool day to watch the trees bend in the breeze. It's no surprise turning right I see a plastic grocery bag hung high up in the neighbors tree. It's stuck really well and has been there for months. Off to my left, a half a block over, is another great towering tree holding yet another precious sack. I hasten to call this plastic membranes "sacks" so strong the baggers double bag the milk. (Please note the sarcasm). Bags just strong enough to get your groceries home and maybe hold some dog poo. Thank God for my small dog!

I can't fault my neighbors for "tree bag flags". I recycle as many of these grocery bags as possible, ain't no doubt, but hell, I could fault myself as much as anyone else. Everyone puts their garbage to the curb as best as possible, but everyone knows the garbage men miss. You end up picking up the [bleep] they left behind and move on. Plastic bags are just part of that equation. If anyone misses in the equation, the garbage men or you errantly... on a windy day? The bags float and are gone 50 feet into the air before anyone has a chance to catch them. I don't mind hugging a tree, but plastic grocery bags are barely within anyones control. You just try your best! That could be my "tree bag flag"... who's to say because no one really knows.

One of the challenges of our next generation will be dealing with the "tree bag flag" billowing in the breeze proclaiming the name of a store you've probably visited yourself. Most of the bags I see are tan or white. Sure, there is Wal-Mart light blue or Big-Lots orange, but those are rare. Kind of amazing if you think about it. There should be more!?! I simply don't see many bags of other colors. Somehow there has to be a way to make cheap grocery bags the rainbow of fruit flavors!

My suggestion? I am pretty convinced simply driving my car to the grocery store that we are already polluting the world with all of these plastic grocery bags. Why not make these bags every color possible? Neon, pastels, vibrant primary colors... and make them as cheap as the tan and white bags so companies will buy them. The tan and white colors are boring and it's not as if they blend into their surrounding environment anyway. They're frickin' plastic for god's sake and everyone knows it's not of this earth. If it's possible Canada's plastic bags are landing in Scotland then lets have have them land in a huge swath of nasty colors. Check the Canada bad story for yourself and you decide! The picture shown on that post by Melanie is of what seems to be a tan and white plastic bags. Colorless global conglomerate poo-heads made this crazy decision of white and tan.

I'm an artist and of course... I love color. I figure if I am going to watch a "tree bag flag" billowing in the breeze why not it be a crazy color? I can watch how it moves, changes color in the sun, clouds, dripping wet from rain, or blowing in breeze ala the movie American Beauty. Oh yeah, that bag was also white.

HEY! Plastic people... Your polluting my world. If it's gonna be unnatural... Why can't you make the unnatural, at the very least, have some color?

Give me a color that's interesting to look at if I have to put up with that "tree bag flag". I haven't seen green very much. A deep red would be cool too and not just during the Christmas season.

Bring your own tune and sing to the plastic flag:
Neither college or pro team,
can fight as proud...
as that [bleeping] plastic grocery bag,
stuck on a limb in the tree.

No tool in my possession,
is long enough to help,
get that mother [bleeping] bag down,
Hard to smile and let it be.

So there's nothing I can do,
I ain't climbin' up there,
even worse the bag's tan...
no color anywhere.

TK -4- REAL portrait painting update

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:00:00 +0000

edited: 3/04/08 - I neglected to mention this painting isn't done. I will continue updating TK -4- REAL as the painting moves towards completion.

~ANT

As I write this post all I can think about is painting. There's a smile on my face that's hard to wipe off! As I make small adjustments, the end of both paintings is drawing near. It's always fun at this stage of painting. One minute everything looks almost normal, then I paint and someone loses a little bit of their smile or looks like a "deer caught in headlights". No worries. I paint some more and everything takes another huge step towards completion. It's all part of the process carrying huge amounts of fun!

Yep, you read it right... I said paintings. I am painting Austen R. and TK -4- REAL portraits at the same time. They both are using the similar colors and brush techniques and are both 11 inches by 14 inches. The Austen R. portrait update is coming in a future blog post. Today's post is all about TK -4- REAL. Click the pictures for a bigger example and post a comment... let me know what you think of my work so far.

~ANT's paintings are affordable and a lifetime keepsake that can be handed down generation to generation. If you are interested in a portrait painting or any other style of painting by ~ANT, please contact ANTworkstudio through our website: http://www.antworkstudio.com/contactus/contactus.htm

NEWS for the week - Tech Friday and Colors of Art

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:00:00 +0000

How do you connect plastic grocery bags, technology, and art? That's this weeks Tech Friday! The idea is a humorous slant on a real, aggravating problem that most people see everyday.

We also have the TK -4- REAL portrait painting update. The painting is going well and we will have more pictures to share.

Also, if you looking for some silly, crass, and just plain fun... Yesterday, Sunday March 30th Clutch (TK -4- Real), sChag, and ~ANT played for the Poo Championship Trophy. Congrats to Clutch winning his 20th Championship! Check it out for yourself: http://pootrophy.blogspot.com/2008/03/clutch-cruises-into-green-20.html

Makin' it GR88T -N- 2008!
ANTworkstudio.com

Colors of Art: Life's a Beach in Hawaii series completion

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Click any picture to see the Life's a Beach in Hawaii photo gallery ...
OR click here

The concept for the Life's a Beach in Hawaii series came from the clients. They were interested in a portrait of their children from pictures they would take on their vacation to Hawaii in October 2007. ~ANT was faced with a dilemma. In his hands were four incredible pictures taken at Sunset Beach on the island of Oahu. He didn't want to paint just one... he wanted to paint them all!

~ANT told the clients about the idea of not just one painting, but a series of four paintings. Who wouldn't be excited? Four paintings for the price of one... oh yeah! This change in the project ended up being instrumental in the speed at which this artwork was produced.

~ANT spoke with enthusiasm saying, "Painting 4 pieces together at the time seemed to make sense. All the same colors and themes ended up making the job easier. I would paint on the smaller flat panels, then move to the large canvas piece transferring the techniques I used on the smaller paintings. Going from small to large, smooth to bumpy does create issues. It was a matter of finding the right brushes for the small paintings and the same for the large painting. I have to remember I am trying to produce relatively the same brush stroke, but I know I can't because the size and surface is too dissimilar. I get to learn something new and that's always cool!"

The three smaller paintings were completed at Christmas. See the blog post about those paintings - click here for post. This entry focuses on the last painting of Life's a Beach in Hawaii. The acrylic painting is 40" x 30" or for a cousin of ~ANT's who resides in Switzerland - 103cm x 77cm.

On a quick ~ANT tangent: "I would love to paint something for my cousin. Just to know I have a painting in Switzerland is just plain.... well that would be a one of my dreams come true. A painting of mine in another country. Wow!"

Back to Life's a Beach... this series might not be over quite yet. There are rumors of a fifth painting in production, but ~ANT isn't saying anything yet. ANTworkstudio will keep you posted.

~ANT's paintings are affordable and a lifetime keepsake that can be handed down generation to generation. If you are interested in a portrait painting or any other style of painting by ~ANT, please contact ANTworkstudio through our website: http://www.antworkstudio.com/contactus/contactus.htm

ANTworkstudio.com Service Unavailability

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Starting midnight March 28th ANTworkstudio.com will be down for 24 - 48 hours. Our host is switching servers to their new Data Center. This blog will still be running, however the pictures contained in the blog may not display properly, if at all.

I'll let HostExcellence explain it:
We've been very diligent in planning the move of our data center and we're on schedule with all preparations. Our primary target date for the relocation of all servers is the end of next week: Midnight, Friday March 28^th. At that time, for a period of up to 48 hours, there will be service unavailability. It is not certain when your account will become unavailable or how fast it will come back up. Please allow ample time for us to make the move safely and securely.

I know I'm asking a lot of you and am truly thankful for your patience. You can expect significant service improvements with this move. It is likely that most accounts will only be down a portion of the allotted 48-hour window.

Kind Regards,
Fathi Said, CEO
www.hostexcellence.com

---------------------------
You can expect faster webpage loads with their new multiple fiber-optic lines. ANTworkstudio asks for your patience while our host gets their work done transferring to their new Data Center.

ANTworkstudio News - Colors of Art: Life's a Beach

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Faaaaaantastic! This week the "Colors of Art" focuses on Life's a Beach in Hawaii. The painting is finished and the clients love it! The completion of the work coincided perfectly with Easter. ~ANT took the painting up to Ann Arbor, MI for an Easter feast of lamb with Grandpa, Uncle F., Aunt B. and Uncle D., along with ~ANT's parents, brother and sisters family and their kids. It was one fine Easter.

Good things were heard from all... ~ANT nailed another painting! oooOOOHHHH YEEeeeAAhhh!

Next week "Colors of Art" updates the progress of the portrait TK 4 REAL. ~ANT is painting this portrait side-by-side with the Austen portrait. Updates on the latter painting are coming soon...

Makin' it GR88T -N- 2008!
ANTworkstudio.com

Colors of Art: TK 4 REAL

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:00:00 +0000

edited 4:20pm est - 4.19.08

The visit with Tom went great. Katlyn wasn't able to join us, but Tom passed on her excitement. This is fun... this is what art is about and all of us can't wait to see the finished artwork! Rock on!
---------
~ANT

Tom, aka "The Clutch" of Poo Championship Trophy fame, asked ~ANT to paint a portrait from a picture of both Tom and his girl Katlyn. Tom will be stopping by the studio later today to check out the progress.

The acrylic painting will be 11" x 14" on multi-ply 1/4" panel. I start by drawing a pencil outline then quickly move to painting the first layers.

I have often called this stage the Ugly stage. Maybe that's why I like this time in the painting so much. During this stage I make a lot of mistakes and that's what building the first layers are all about. It's the mistakes that get adjusted as I move towards the final layers. Each mistake adds another layer of paint creating depth and depth is what I'm after.

I used to get really freaked out by the Ugly stage. I've had clients openly gasp when they see my work before it's finished. I never knew how to explain what I was doing. These days I smile... it's the Ugly stage. Nothing is quite right and it's perfectly normal.

I will be updating the TK 4 Real project in the coming weeks. Subscribe to the ANTworkstudio blog and stay tuned! Subscribe via Email

~ANT's paintings are affordable and a lifetime keepsake that can be handed down generation to generation. If you are interested in a portrait painting or any other style of painting by ~ANT, please contact ANTworkstudio through our website: http://www.antworkstudio.com/contactus/contactus.htm

ANTworkstudio News - Colors of Art: TK 4 REAL

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Excitement is in the air around ANTworkstudio! ~ANT can't wait for Wednesday's Colors of Art painting update. The Tom and Katlyn (TK 4 REAL) portrait painting is going really well as ~ANT brushes down the basic layers of color.

Next week, the Colors of Art brings you the finale of the "Life's a Beach in Hawaii". This painting will be presented on Easter Sunday. ~ANT showed this painting at Christmas in its rough draft form and if the reaction of "ooohs" and "aaahs" was any indication... "Life's a Beach..." will be a tremendous hit!

C U Wednesday!

Thanks for paying attention...
ANTworkstudio.com

Colors of Art: New Commissioned Portrait

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:59:00 +0000

ANTworkstudio is proud to announce a new portrait by ~ANT. Tom, aka "The Clutch" from Poo Championship Trophy fame, asked ~ANT to paint a portrait from a picture of both Tom and his girl Katlyn. Consider it done... No worries!

The acrylic painting will be 11" x 14" on multi-ply 1/4" panel (see image below). ~ANT is totally stoked about this project and will keep you updated on the progress here on the blog.

~ANT's paintings are affordable and a lifetime keepsake that can be handed down generation to generation. If you are interested in a portrait painting or any other style of painting by ~ANT, please contact ANTworkstudio through our website: http://www.antworkstudio.com/contactus/contactus.htm

ANTworkstudio News - Colors of Art: New commissioned portrait

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:00:00 +0000

We're back! After a two week hiatus - vacation, ANTworkstudio blog has found it's rhythm.

This week, Wednesday, the "Color of Art" introduces a new commission portrait by ~ANT. We at ANTworkstudio love suspense so we are keeping you in the dark. The only hint: This portrait painting is going to be fantastic! ~ANT has started painting and all is going well.

New Free -4- All recipes are coming! Ann's spinach pie is to die for, ~ANT has a breakfast surprise twist, Mike's enchilada recipe spices things up, and John has a garlic bread recipe that works on any budget. This is just the beginning of recipe's coming up!

ANTworkstudio in partnership with And Then Some Publishing, LLC is soon to release Public Speaking Rules! The book covers the fundamentals of public speaking, and it is designed for the first-time public speaker as well as for experienced public speakers who want to brush up on the basics. As soon as we know the release date we'll let you know. Find out more - check out Public Speak Rules! website.

ANTworkstudio is producing a new video soon based on the And Then Some philosophy... the And Then Some speech by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD. The speech covers the core of the And Then Some, the basics of what it's all about. ANTworkstudio will keep you up to date on the progress.

We have a lot of projects brewing at ANTworkstudio. We strive to find interesting projects that continue our growth by challenging ourselves to bring the best out of everyone involved.

Thanks for paying attention...
ANTworkstudio.com

Monday News: Vacation or Holiday?

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:30:00 +0000

~ANT

My definition of a "vacation" is taking time away from a project and a "holiday" is taking time away from all projects. ANTworkstudio blog is taking a two week vacation. We will be working behind the scenes on multiple projects setting ourselves up to bring you an even better ANTworkstudio.

We are working on new videos, more recipes, and building the basic foundation for our new graphics section. Also, in conjunction with And Then Some Publishing, LLC, a new book by Richard L. Weaver II is soon to be released. Public Speaking Rules! is an exciting book giving you the nuts and bolts rules necessary for giving a GREAT speech. Check out the new website: http://publicspeakingrules.com/

It's time to get to work... See you in 2!

ANTworkstudio.com

Free - 4 - All: To my Grandmother... rest in peace

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 20:00:00 +0000

by ~ANT

I love my Grandma. She was incredible. You could feel the love from her soul pour into you with every hug.

Christmas 2007 was touching. She looked well, we ate, gave thanks, hugs, and kisses... I knew this was her last. Everyone knew.

I was selfish and took much pleasure in the last Christmas with my Grandma. Thank you Grandma... I know you can hear me all the time now. That's a comfort I wear like a warm blanket. I can explain everything to you now... and you always understood. It feels really good! I am lucky to have had such a great woman in my life. I will miss you... I love you.

~ANT
----------------------------

Linked from MLive.com:

----------------------------

Zella C. Willis

Willis, Zella C. Ann Arbor, MI

Zella "Buster" Willis, Age 93, died at Arbor Hospice from complications of pneumonia on February 17, 2008.

She was born on January 30, 1915, in Toronto, Canada, the daughter of Rev. Harry R. and Carrie (Knight) Nobles. Rev. Nobles was for 25 years the senior pastor of the Temple Baptist Church in Windsor, Canada. Zella had three sisters who predeceased her.

In 1938 she married Edgar E. Willis, a Professor Emeritus of Communication at the University of Michigan, who survives her. In 2007 they celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary.

She is also survived by two sons, Richard of Alpena, MI, Franklin of Oklahoma City, and a daughter, Andrea (Weaver) of Perrysburg, OH, eight grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Zella was a graduate of Detroit's Grace Hospital Nursing School and before her marriage, served for a year as a registered nurse at the Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital. In addition to her skills as a nurse, Zella was an exceptionally fast and accurate typist. She was of immeasurable help to her husband in his professional career. She typed his Ph.D. dissertation, all of his books, and the scholarly articles he wrote as a university professor.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor. For many years, she was a leader in the Christian Education program, focusing her efforts on teaching a Sunday school class of middle-school children. In addition to her teaching, she also arranged additional activities and outings which reflected her ability to initiate projects certain to attract and excite youngsters. She was also active in other community affairs.

She was the leader of a Girl Scout troop in which her daughter participated, and for 13 years worked once a week in the library of the Ypsilanti Psychiatric Hospital, a service that ended only when the state closed it down.

In disposition she was extremely charitable, always putting others' needs before her own. She possessed a whimsical sense of humor that often provoked laughter from her family and friends. An example was her comment that while her husband was earning his Ph.D., she was earning her P.H.T. - which stood for "Pushing Hubby Through."

Even when she was very ill, she often sent nurses, aides, and any visitors who happened to be present into gales of laughter with her unexpected and sometimes quirky responses to the events of the moment.

On Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m., a memorial service celebrating her life will be held at the First Baptist Church 512 E. Huron St. in Ann Arbor with the Reverends Paul Simpson Duke and Stacey Simpson Duke, officiating.

In lieu of flowers it is requested that contributions in her honor be made to the Flower Fund of the First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor. Arrangements entrusted to the Robison-Bahnmiller Funeral Home in Saline.

----------------------------------

Published in the Ann Arbor News on MLive.com on 2/21/2008.

Edited by ANTworkstudio 02.22.2008

---------------------------
Linked from MLive.com

Greek Mural Video: Manos Greek Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:04:00 +0000

by ~ANT

The Greek Mural was an incredible project! Thanks to everyone that helped make this project happen!

I though it would be interesting to post the script I wrote for the video. I left some of the information out of the video... as usual I got a bit windy and had to cut it down! :)

Greek Mural PhotoWeb: http://www.antworkstudio.com/archive/fineart/greekmural/index.html

Actual script used to record the narration for the Greek Mural video:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
You have to check out the greek mural at Manos Greek Restaurant in downtown Toledo ohio

Starting with a sketch on a piece of notebook paper Manos Paschalis,
owner of Manos Greek Restaurant,
drew his idea
of a 48 foot wide
by 11 and a half foot tall
Greek mural.

Somehow
ANT convinced Manos he could do the job.
Up until this point
the biggest artwork ANT had created was just 3 feet by 4 feet... and his focus was on 3-D painting sculptures.
Part of the reason the mural took over 7 months to create was because of ANT's inexperience. ANT had never painted a cloud, water, trees, rocks, houses.... or faux finished brick. In the end the amazing results show the inexperience was a good thing.

The basics of the mural were transferred via an overhead machine using pictures of the Greek Islands Ikaria and Samos. Once the rough idea was painted on the wall ANT started the details.
He said and I quote:
I had been going for 10 hours on my first night painting the details. I had only painted about 8 inches square. Standing on the scaffolding I looked across the 48 foot expanse and thought... oh my god, what have I done? This is going to take forever!" end quote.

There were many changes made while painting the mural. The mural was already in progress when it was noticed the peninsula's perspective was wrong on the computer design. A quick fix to the computer design and all was well.
The first painting of the sailboats were all with a single sail.
Then a customer left ANT a note describing how the boats were tacking wrong and an adjustment was made.
After a discussion with Manos
ANT's first version of the panel on the far right was altered to look more reminiscent of Samos Island, Manos Greek Island home. Included in the panel are many buildings you would find on Samos Island... including Samos Hotel.

The signature board is a 3-D frame built around ANT's practice board where he learned how to paint clouds, birds, flowers and leaves. The signature board was mounted right in the middle of the mural.

The results?... A little hard to see in video. Manos described the Greek Mural
as less of a mural and more like a painting.
This is a mural you have to see for yourself to feel the grand scope of the whole project. The detail is incredible. Only three people were painted into the mural and each stand at less than 2 inches. Can you find them?

In the second panel from the left a pelican was painted on the island..
Manos says in Greece,
this pelican is famous for asking passers by for food. This pelican has been around since he was a child and he figures this bird?
is the next generation since it is still around begging for food.

When you look at the progression of ANT's artwork since the Greek Mural
It is easy to see the dramatic effect this project has had.
Bits and pieces of the mural can be seen in all of his work since then.
The mural was a great stage for learning, knowledge, and experience...
And what an experience the Greek Mural was!

Come visit Manos Greek Restaurant
17th and Adams
downtown toledo, Oh
Walk in or call for a a reservation
Got a party?... Manos caters:
call: 419 244 4479

Enjoy great greek food and check out the mural!
manos Greek restaurant - 419 244 4479
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ANTworkstudio presents:
Greek Mural - Manos Greek Restaurant - Toledo, Ohio
Rate our video! Click the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T8Hg4RXu6A

Monday News: Thursday Video and Recipe Update

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:00:00 +0000

~ANT
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edited: 02.22.2008

Saturday Free -4- All: Grandma - Zella "Buster" Willis
I love my Grandma. She was incredible. You could feel the love from her soul pour into you with every hug...

end edit
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Last weekend Ann made "Baked Inside Out Cannelloni" from our blog recipe. While making this recipe Ann noticed that she could make some adjustments to this is really a quick and easy recipe. The recipe post has been updated. Let us know if you try this recipe and if you have any ideas... just post a comment!
Click for updated Baked Inside Out Cannelloni recipe: http://antworkstudio.blogspot.com/2008/01/free-4-all-baked-inside-out-cannelloni.html

Come be our friend on myspace! You can see our YouTube videos and links to our latest projects. If you want the down-low on ANTworkstudio, visit our one stop page at myspace!
Click for ANTworkstudio myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/antman5150101

This week our Thursday Video includes new images from the Greek Mural at Manos Greek Restaurant in downtown Toledo, Ohio. Owner Manos Paschalis described the artwork as more of a painting and less like a mural. At 48 feet long and 11 1/2 feet tall this huge mural covers that back wall of the restaurant taking just over 7 months to paint. Pay attention to the pictures closely... the arches and bricks aren't real!

Check out the Greek Mural PhotoWeb: http://www.antworkstudio.com/archive/fineart/greekmural/index.html

Wanna check out our videos?
Visit our YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/ANTworkstudio

See you on Thursday... Makin' in GR88T in 2008!

ANTworkstudio.com

Free - 4 - All: Recipe - Flautas with Pollo Deshebrada

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Chicken Flautas with Pollo Deshebrada and Creamy Guacamole Dressing
by Mike Alegria

edited: 03-03-2008 - added more Flautas baking instructions

Help ANTworkstudio welcome our new contributor Mike by trying his recipe. Tell us what you think including and tips and tricks you find... just post a comment!

This recipe is great for a large family. You can easily double the recipe and make it mass portions. There are many opportunities in the recipe to get the kids involved and have some fun cooking together. Enjoy and tell us your experience!

Tip: Make the pollo deshebrada first. While that is boiling make the guacamole dressing. All you have to do then is make the flautas. You can spread the work out over a couple days if you need too. Click on any picture to see a larger image.

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Creamy Guacamole dressing

2 avocados
1/2 cup sour cream (lite or regular)
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Roma tomato
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Use what you can find and mash it all together making it creamy! Kids love to mash things! The idea is to make this creamy... so grab a kid and mash away! Simple.

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Pollo Deshebrada

2 lbs or approx. 3 breasts of boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves

In a 5 quart pan add chicken, then add cold water cover by 1 inch and set over medium heat . Stir in garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pan and lower heat. Simmer the chicken, stirring or turning it once at the halfway point, until the meat is tender about 25 min.

Remove from heat, set it on rack, and let the chicken cool at room temperature, uncovered, in the poaching liquid. If you want to speed up the process... stick the the pot in the freezer to speed the cooling. Strain and degrease the broth, reserving it for other use if wanted. (The broth makes a great chicken noodle soup amongst others.)

If you doubled the recipe your going to have a lot of chicken to shred. By this time the chicken should be cool... grab a kid and start shredding the meat. Cover and refrigerate. The chicken can be cooked up to 1 day ahead.

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Chicken Flautas

Flautas are flutes---corn tortillas formed into tubes around a shredded chicken filling and fried crisp. Prepared as an easy-to-share, easy to eat cocktail finger food.

If you are baking Flautas: preheat oven to 400 degrees

12 6-inch corn tortillas
4 cups pollo deshebrada
Salt
About 2 cups extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or corn oil
4 cups shredded romaine
Salsa
1 or 2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack. Whatever cheese you like and however much you like.

Tip: While working with the corn tortillas Mike and ~ANT ran into an issue with the tortillas cracking and breaking. Our solution was to microwave four corn tortillas wrapped in a slightly moist paper towel for about 35 seconds (depending on your microwave). We removed the moisture in the tortillas created through heating them in the microwave by using a heated non-stick skillet. We flipped the individual tortilla every few seconds on each side until the tortilla bubbled. You don't have to do this, but it seemed to make the corn tortilla more workable.

Lay a corn tortilla on the work surface. Arrange about 1/3 cup of pollo deshebrada across the lower third of the tortilla. Season the meat with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add grated Monterey Jack cheese then roll the tortilla into a tube about 1 inch in diameter and secure with a toothpick. Repeat and make the rest of the flautas. Practice a couple times then show the kids how to do this so they can help. You'd be surprised how many flautas you can roll with a couple of extra hands!

Baked:
Place Flautas on a rack with a catch pan, then baste with olive oil. Bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Baste with olive oil (EVOO) halfway through and continue cooking until golden brown.

Fried:
In a large deep skillet, warm oil about ½ inch of oil over medium heat. Add flautas working in batches, fry, turning them once until they are almost (but not quite ) crisp. About 2 min per side. With tongs, transfer to absorbent paper to drain.

Make a thin layer of romaine on 4-6 plates. Arrange flautas 2-3 per plate on top of the romaine. Spoon a ribbon of salsa and creamy guacamole dressing on flautas. Grate some Monterey Jack cheese over the flautas and serve immediately.

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Substitutions:

Instead of chicken you can use shredded or ground beef, ground turkey, or seasoned taco meat.
Use fresh ground black pepper in place of ground pepper.
Low sodium diets: Remove the salt and eat a banana after your meal.

A Tribute to Project Shed

noreply@blogger.com (~ANT) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:04:00 +0000

by ~ANT

Dad wanted to build a shed in his backyard and I wanted to help. I figured this project would be a great opportunity to work side by side with my Dad. This project sounded more intriguing when you add Dad's specifications of no kit and no nails.

According to my Dad's plans the shed was to be 10 feet wide by 12 feet deep and 12 feet high at the peak. The barn style roof of the shed was to match the look of the barn style front of his house. The project was to be built in just 2 weeks.

Watch the video and see what happened!

Makin' it GR88T in 2008!

ANTworkstudio presents:
A Tribute to Project Shed
Rate our video! Click the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PZu6cqGLP4