Cherie Bender's Glitter Book Of Magical Cooking: Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are an excellent comfort food which may be saved in your refrigerator or frozen, for those days when nothing will satisfy but indulgence.  This recipe for my Fancy Stuffed Peppers is packed with lots of nutrition.

Fanciful Stuffed Peppers iPhoto by Cherie Bender

Ingredients:
*All ingredients are organic & free-range*
Serves 4 people:

4 medium sized green peppers
4 baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
6 oz ground turkey
I jar of tomato sauce of your choice
1 cup Jasmine rice
1 diced sweet white onion
4 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Kosher or sea salt
ground pepper to taste
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
5 tbl of red wine
1/2 cup Grated fresh Parmesan to sprinkle on top before baking, and some left over for serving

Preparation:
Trim and core the peppers, making sure the seeds are removed completely
 Par boil the peppers for 5 minutes in a medium size saucepan, lifting them out carefully with a wooden spoon so as not to damage the peppers
and set aside
Saute the garlic, medium heat, diced very fine, in the olive oil, until golden, then add the diced sweet onion, until a fragrant semi transparency. Then add the ground turkey, raising the heat for 6 minutes on high until the turkey is browned on both sides
Add the pepper flakes, and 1/2 tablespoon  of  nutmeg, making sure of an even mix. Add the red wine. Turn the heat down to low, and simmer, covered, for approximately 12 minutes, checking every five to make sure all ingredients are mixed evenly, then add half of the tomato sauce, mixing and simmering for an additional five minutes, or until the juices are absorbed, but the ground turkey is still moist.
Meanwhile, prepare the Jasmin rice according to the package directions
When the rice is ready, combine all ingredients together by adding the rice to the sauteed ground turkey mix in the saucepan. Stuff the peppers with the ground turkey mixture
Place the stuffed green peppers in an oven proof baking dish carefully, making sure they are evenly placed. Cover the peppers with the remaining tomato sauce, and sprinkle with the Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste.
Bake in a 350 oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until the peppers are nicely browned on top, and the tomato sauce is bubbling.
Remove carefully with a wooden spoon and serve. This dish is also more amazing reheated the next day, as a super-comforting lunch.
Enjoy!

Cherie Bender's Glitter Book of Magical Cooking: Tropical Salmon

Tropical Salmon iPhoto by Cherie

I love this delicious pairing of sweet salsa with an amazingly tasty salmon, grilled and fresh. Perfect for a Summer night's repast. A wonderfully potent combination of anti-aging ingredients, and fantastic taste! A great source of omega-3's and many pluses of beautifying skin replenishing properties, this may even taste better the next day as a cold dish together with a salad. As always, try your very best to only use organic ingredients and ethically farmed fish.

This recipe is for two:
Salsa Ingredients:
1 Whole pink grapefruit, sectioned and diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup finely cut chives
3 tablespoons finely cut fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon either/or  red pepper flakes or 1 jalapeno pepper stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon honey or turbinado brown sugar

Salmon Ingredients:
Four or one large 6-once salmon filet, skin on
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Marsha's special Christmas seasoning, or Zatarain's Creole seasoning, or any other spicy seasoning of choice

Preparation: Tropical Salsa
In a glass bowl, combine all  of the ingredients, blending. Cover and store in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to marinate, before serving with the grilled salmon.

Preparation: Salmon
Preheat the grill to medium
Brush both sides of the salmon with the olive oil. Season the salmon on both sides with the seasoning of choice. Place the salmon on the grill skin side down, and cook for 3 minutes, then turn the fish 45 degrees and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until the desired amount of doneness, when the center of the salmon is tender and the surface springy.
Tip: the trick here is to watch the fish carefully during the grilling process and turning at the 45 degree angle really makes a difference, before grilling skin side up.

To Serve:
Remove the fish from the grill and spoon the salsa over the top, carefully removing and serving without the skin.
Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.
Serve immediately in your finest serving dish, with a white Zinfandel, or sparkling white wine. A side dish of baked organic potato and organic baby carrots together with organic steamed broccoli is highly recommended.
I guarantee this dish to win over everyone's heart, absolutely delicious!

References: Cooking Your Way to Gorgeous, by Scott-Vincent Borba

Cherie Bender's Glitter Book of Magical Cooking: Featuring the Feminine Healing of the Hibiscus flower

Hibiscus Flower: Photo by Cherie

The Queen Hibiscus is Feminine Healing and Fun!
For Healing:
Let's start with an infusion of this beautiful tropical flower, which can be found in the Summer and in the Tropical garden,where I live, we are blessed all year round to have this Queen of flowers in many colors, my favorite being the pink double flower pictured here.
Fresh is always best, but, alternatively,  dried organic Hibiscus may be purchased or dried yourself on a sunny day and saved.
It's much better to make your own homegrown dried flowers: feeling the magic of creating something  healing with love, loving yourself and loving Planet Earth at the same time.
You can make an infusion the same way you might make regular tea using the leaves and flowers: for dried 1 oz. or 2 oz. for fresh flowers and leaves, to 1 pint of boiling water.
Put the herbs in a warmed teapot, pour on boiling water, leave covered to infuse, about ten minutes, until the flowers lose their color, and then strain.
Honey and lemon may be added, with a touch of grated ginger to taste. This amazing Hibiscus flower tea helps heal sexual feminine traumas, balances the psyche and is a natural diuretic, which means good for cleansing and detoxing the body. In the summer heat, refreshingly iced, it soothes the feminine heart. A few cups daily either warm or as iced tea, helps balance and heal the sexuality of women.
The beautiful Hibiscus flower may also be made into a tincture, which is a concentrated extract of dried herbs and flowers: Use a ratio of 25% undiluted alcohol, such as brandy, gin or vodka, to water. Add one part herbs, to two parts of liquid.
Place the herbs in a large jar and pour the alcohol and water mixture over it. Leave to macerate, shaking daily for two weeks.
Then, using a wine press, or pressing with a wooden spoon, press out the liquid and discard the herbs, which make a very good compost! Store in labeled dark bottles, keeping away from sunlight. Save all dried flowers,herbs and tinctures in this manner.
The gorgeous Hibiscus flower as a tincture, is conveniently effective, is very concentrated and can be taken when traveling or away from home.
For Fun!
As an exotic drink, this Royal Hibiscus Margarita helps fight cholesterol and tastes delicious.
 Just Perfect for that "Thank God Its Friday" feeling. Here, in this recipe, paired with fresh squeezed Orange juice and agave nectar; sweetens and is good for you!
Hibiscus Reduction:
2 ounces dried hibiscus leaves, and petals.(double for fresh flowers & baby leaves)
3 ounces filtered water
warm the water slightly to lukewarm and add 2bl organic honey
Sour Mix:
4 ounces raw agave nectar
4 ounces fresh squeezed orange juice
6 ounces water
Margarita Hibiscus TGIF:
2 ounces tequila of your choice
2 ounces hibiscus reduction
2 ounces sour mix
To Prepare:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix the hibiscus, water and Truvia. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the color has gone from the petals. Remove from the heat, adding more Truvia to taste. Strain and cool.
2.For the sour mix, combine the agave nectar, orange juice, and water
Finally, shake together the tequila, hibiscus reduction, and sour mix. Strain over ice and serve in your most enticing Margarita glass.
This should yield a tart and crisp flavor. You may add more agave nectar per cocktail for added sweetness, and garnish with squeezed lime and a fresh hibiscus, per glass. To be drunk in good health, a Nectar fit for the Gods!
Photograph of Hibiscus by Cherie Bender
References:
Flower Power: by Anne McIntyre
Cooking Your Way To Gorgeous by Scott-Vincent-Borba

Cherie Bender's Glitter Book Of Magical Cooking: Organic Fusilli Pasta

Organic Fusilli Pasta Dish iPhoto by Cherie

Pasta is food for the soul and spirit.
My dish is prepared with fusilli pasta but angel hair pasta is also delicious. Here's a traditional tri-colored pasta with oregano, basil, and chives from my garden; with organic tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, asiago or Parmesan shredded cheese and loads of organic garlic. I like to add a little fresh red pepper flakes dusted on top together with the traditional black ground pepper: Garlic, besides tasting good, is also wonderful for your skin, as it stimulates collagen production and is a natural disinfectant for the whole system. Be sure to eat this dish with love for yourself and with love for the wonderful people you will share it with!
Ingredients: (All ingredients are recommended organic and/or home grown)

This recipe is for four to six people:
Fusilli Pasta: 1 package
tomatoes:  2 Heirloom   
fresh cut chives: 1/2 cup
fresh cut oregano: 1/2 cup
fresh basil: 1 1/2 cup, cut with scissors, saving one floret
extra virgin olive oil: 5 ~ 8 tbl 
garlic: 6 cloves crushed
Cooking time: 22 minutes 
First, set the pot of filtered water to a rolling boil. I never find it necessary to add olive oil, you may add a dash of Sea Salt.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, start to saute the crushed and minced garlic in the extra virgin olive oil on medium heat. When the garlic reaches a golden color add the tomatoes, chives, and oregano. Turning the heat down slightly, add the basil, reserving a floret for decoration. 
As these ingredients are sauteing, the water should now be at a rolling boil. Quickly add the fusilli pasta, using a wooden spoon stirring a few times to make sure none stick to each other or the bottom of the pot. Boil for approximately 10 minutes or until a taste test for al dente. Which means "to the tooth" with a slight resistance in the center when the pasta is chewed. 
Strain the pasta in a large colander, never, never rinsing with cold water: this is a popular misconception but only results in tasteless pasta! When the pasta is completely strained, turn the sauteing ingredients down to low heat, quickly toss the pasta evenly in the pan. Transfer to a decorative dish and top with grated pepper, a pinch of Sea Salt, the grated cheese and  the saved sprig of basil.  
Voila!  Food for beauty, health and longevity.
Food for all the angels in heaven and earth: enjoy!



 

Cherie Bender's Glitter Book Of Magical Cooking ~Azulene~

~Azulene~ Pastel with Swarovski Crystals by Cherie Bender

 ~Azulene~ the name of the essential oil extracted from Matricaria Chamomilla, or German Chamomile, is a wonderfully magical shade of deep, dazzling blue. Just gazing at this color induces relaxation. Combined with the delicious scent of the essential oil: magical wonders are created for soothing stress.
Our English word Chamomile originally stems from the Greek chamai-melon or "earth apple" because they thought it smelled like fallen apples.
In the language of flowers, Chamomile is a symbol of energy and patience in adversity. Given in a flower bouquet in the Victorian 1800's, the flower represented support and love.
The Chamomile flower was revered by the Egyptians for its medicinal virtues and dedicated the flower to Ra, the god of the sun.
 Today, the Chamomile flowers are taken as a relaxing and sleep inducing herbal tea, or they may be crushed and made into an aromatherapy sniffing ball to induce sleep. A netted bag containing dried or fresh chamomile flowers may be immersed in a warm bath to soothe tired and aching muscles and bring peace.
Azulene, the essential oil, is wonderfully relaxing as a facial. Just one drop on a warm facecloth, breathe it in, and all of the cares of the world drop away. Beautifully.
 In my drawing  ~ Azulene ~ pastel with Swarovski crystals, I wanted to capture all of the healing and soothing magical properties of the Beautiful Chamomile flower and the fragrant scintillating blue of the essential oil, Azulene.
Pastel Drawing of ~ Azulene ~ by Cherie Bender

References: Magical Aromatherapy, the power of scent, by Scott Cunningham;
Flower Power, flower remedies for healing body and soul by Anne McIntyre

Cherie Bender's Glitter Book Of Magical Cooking: La Petite Amoureuse

* La Petite Amoureuse * Pencil Drawing by Cherie

Amouse Bouche: * small tidbits * of delicious food meant to tempt and tantalize *
Delicious food is one of the surest ways to anyone's heart, well known from antiquity until present times:
Enticing is an art form which starts with Ambiance, Candlelight, perfect linen, crystal, fine wines and scrumptious food. Setting the stage, music also plays an important part.
One of my favorite small tidbits, demonstrated to me by my grandma, involves caviar, with toast points, crumbled egg, finely chopped onion, and a squeeze of lemon.
Serve the  fine caviar in a sparkling crystal bowl, arrange the toast points, cut to a triangle shape with crusts removed, together with separate piles of the chopped egg whites and yolk, and white onion,  on a decorative serving platter. You may also add sour cream with Blinis. But that Blinis recipes is for another day, as it is about to storm outside and I must turn off the computer, living in the tropics, now, as I do!
I hope you enjoy and experiment with my *Amouse Bouche *
Featured Art: La Petite Amoureuse, pencil drawing by Cherie.

My Love Affair With Greece.. Continued

I am very happy and excited to report: Museum in Athens, Greece, is alive & well, and kicking ass!
I am also happy and extremely in love with the fact that I have been invited by Mr Theo to participate in the Grand Opening & that my painting is hanging in such a beautiful space  ~Crown of Thorns~ I will see you again, the pain has almost disappeared.....
Many Blessings to the Goddesses I will visit again, & to all living Goddesses love Cherie &

Happy Valentines xo

A Dream Come True: My Affair With Greece!

Last year, after selling the painting ~ Crown Of Thorns ~  to the  Museum, in Athens, Greece, I ecstatically made plans to deliver, rather than ship my precious cargo, to Athens.  
I had mixed feelings about selling this painting ~  my most true, most profoundly moving to myself, work, so far ~ But, I had always a fantasy of Athens, Greece, the islands, and the Goddesses. 

When I arrived in Athens, the initial thrill of opening my hotel room window onto the panorama of the city laid out before me like a jeweled necklace, with the crown jewel on top of the hill before me, the Acropolis, was incomparable. Opening the window, leaning  out to take a picture, I heard whistles from the street.  Gotta love those Greeks, so handsome, charming and the best flirts on the planet, in my opinion.  
I loved Athens, the old city, the Acropolis, and particularly I adored the islands, Mykonos & Santorini were breathtaking, but Patmos has my heart forever. 
Ohhhhhh, PATMOS! Island where St. John wrote the Book Of Revelation. I was there, in the sacred grotto, I put my hand in the rock where St. John put his hand. I felt  tremendously moved, I cried. I shall return to beautiful Patmos, I promise!
Blissfully, after leaving the grotto, I drank ouzo with the Greeks beneath the cliff, blowing kisses and happy  happy  happy !  The best thing is at times ~ anticipation ~  I plan on spending a month or so in the summer, in Beautiful Greece! Especially beloved Patmos, where Goddess Aphrodite bathed nearby. Enchantment is there, gorgeousness is there! ~

After two full weeks of travel, finishing up with a few days stay in my favorite hotel in Rome, I arrived home in the States, where I immediately had miracles happen ~ The first was the next morning, when I awoke to the sound of a beautiful goddess-like voice singing my name,  calling for me to return to Beautiful Athens, Greece and the Islands. I am positively breathless with excitement for my next adventure there! Many Blessings. Featured: Pencil & Gauche Drawing  36" x 48" ~ Luscious Garden ~ by Cherie Bender

HOW THE LITTLE SURFER GIRL LEAVES NY AND ENDS UP IN THE SIGNET GALAXY

I thought up doing a shimmering surfer girl overcoming the plunging waves and ending up in the Signet Galaxy as a sort of visual catharsis for all artists who are alive and kicking right now and still riding! It's been tough but whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.....
The buildings of New York in the background  are also shimmering, but I think they look friendly and besides....she rises above.

I added the i-phone as a commentary of our times. How we are connected through it all and how technology has advanced by leaps and bounds...

What would I do without my i-phone? Music is part of the deal, and history, so I had my web designer install the Beach Boys singing "Surfer Girl" which can be switched on/off by the tiny speaker icon rhs. If there is anyone out there who doesn't like the Beach-Boys .

So this is to the memory of my Mum, a tough but sweet cookie.... just wanted to say thanks to her by creating this little ani movie on my web-site. And good timing! Mother's Day is Sunday May 9th.

Little Surfer Girl is my gift to her and to all who are brave enough. Keep On Surfing!

HAPPINESS!

Now is the appointed time. Time ..... what a concept.

I have been following A Year In Pictures for quite some time as you can see on my list of favorite blogs, and very pleasantly discovered today that one of my favorite photos of Twinka was chosen for the Happiness Project!


"And from Cherie Bender who coincidentally had photographed Twinka at about the same time as Cynthia MacAdams (who I just wrote about) "

I met Twinka while in California and photographed her in Yosemite. It was such a happy and free time and I also met Imogene Cunningham; the slide above captures the sunlight and fragility of the moment... I had taken some great shots in black and white film during  the work shop which were stolen along with all of my photo equipment from my bungalow while I visited with the Ansel Adams family. They very kindly let me stay in their house after that in Yosemite because I was so young and scared! 

The First Night Of The First Day of 2010-Photos by Cherie Bender

.....a heart, two doves, a cat, a fawn, an elf, a fairy, a womb, a vulva, a baby 

these are the forms I see taking shape in  the blue moon as it rose through the branches of my bamboo trees on Friday, January 1, 2010.... as if the moon was being born into the new year.....

"The subject of the artist is emotions and ideas - both"   Louise Bourgeois

THE INCANDESCENTS: Marilyn Monroe; NikolaTesla & Georgia O'keeffe

"If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays" Luke `11:36

"Marilyn In Her Pucci Mirror Blouse" oil on canvas 62" x 48"painted by Cherie Bender: When I paint, I need light.  There is no question, an artist may not paint in the darkness. Light is a necessary part of the creative process.  In actual fact and in the rendering of a work of art, light is an absolute factor.  I am also committed to bringing light into my paintings visually. My oil painting of the incandescent, iconic, actress Marilyn, as pictured here, is a work in progress as I plan on creating an abstract panel in oils, which will make this painting ~ Marilyn In Her Pucci ~ a diptych. 
This leads me to the second luminous presence of this unlikely grouping which I have chosen: Nikola Tesla, inventor, the father of modern electricity.  Born in 1856, the man was a pure genius. As a child he had the vision of harnessing the power of Niagra Falls, New York, having never been there and while living in what is today known as Croatia. Later, he achieved his goal and changed history. Nikola Tesla worked for Edison in this country who ripped him off for  over 1 million dollars which Edison had promised him.  Just before he died, Edison admitted his greatest regret was trying to pursue direct electrical current rather than the vastly superior alternating current invented by Tesla.  Tesla became a US naturalized citizen and was awarded posthumously a patent for the radio which had been denied him by the US during his lifetime and given to his rival Marconi who was later discredited. 

I like very much that Tesla believed in the equality of woman, and predicted that women would become the dominant sex in the future, the "Queen Bees". He certainly was way ahead of his time, and it was spoken about him in his lifetime and even believed now,that he was really an alien or angel from the planet Venus, come to earth to give us these great electrical gifts.


Tesla's luminous presence is still very much with us: along with the many obvious inventive gifts he left us, there is a popular heavy metal rock band "Tesla" named after him; and recently a car, the Tesla Roadster, which runs on lithium battery cells and can go from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds; David Bowie starred in a  2006 movie "The Prestige" about Tesla's life; The US government owes most if not all  of our early warning defense system to Tesla, and Google honored Tesla in their search home page this year, on his birthday, the tenth of July, 2009, with the G as a Tesla coil ..... these are just a few of his great contributions. Tesla died alone and financially indigent in the New Yorker Hotel in 1973.... although he is greatly honored today.  Which leads me to the third and last luminous presence, unlikely though it may seem, but likely in view of the fact of myself as painter.....

Georgia O'Keeffe. Georgia who has been my inspiration and personal hero ..... a "Queen Bee" of women painters if there ever was, she is most certainly one.



Georgia who did the opposite of all the "city men", Georgia who painted in vibrant, pulsating, moving color when they painted in static grays "I can paint one of those dismal-colored paintings like the men" she said in 1922, and she did so: a painting of a shed "all low toned and dreary with the tree beside the door"  calling it "The Shanty" and hanging it in her next show. "The men seemed to approve of it" she said fifty four years later. " They seemed to think that maybe I was beginning to paint. That was my only low-toned dismal-colored painting."

Because she was her own person, and because she did not do the expected, Georgia decided to live in Texas with her sister for a time, where there were no trees and no one to tell her how to paint them... there was only the horizon.  She and her sister Claudia would go for walks in the late afternoon away from the town and toward that horizon, to watch the evening star come out. "That evening star fascinated me" she wrote. " It was in some way very exciting to me.  My sister had a gun, and as we walked she would throw bottles into the air and shoot as many as she could before they hit the ground. I had nothing but to walk into nowhere and the wide sunset space with the star.  Ten watercolors were made from that star" I am compelled as much by Georgia's sister Claudia with the gun, as by the painter Georgia with the star......  but only the painter left us this incandescent, luminous, shining record. Ten watercolors were made from that star.

BLOG ACTION DAY-BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY Photo by: Cherie Bender

After quite a bit of thought and research about today's Blog Action Day topic: Global Climate Change, and being a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information received, I decided to include these very excellent and pertinent posts and links, so that, dear valued reader, you may decide for yourself exactly what you, personally, can do to aid the cause for Planet Earth:

www.americanprogress.org
www.pewclimate.org
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Greenpeace

So now, for my very own personal opinion, I have to be honest, the Tree hugger blog: a little bit too much, and some of the rest, with the angry children........ well, listen, talk is cheap. What is it that a person, individually, can do?
It's very simple, Give Back

When we first took this country from the Native Americans, we forgot that for every action there is a reaction. This is law. Now, we must make amends and tighten up the belts. That means a little sacrifice and.... how about those Hummers? I mean, they are worse than the old gas guzzlers! I just had to mention. To me, very, very, very, Obnoxious.

If this country, The United States of America were completely serious, we would have a mandatory change in vehicles (allow only hybrids or better) and therefore in the consumption of OIL. Well, that is all I have to say.

PEACE

BLOG ACTION DAY IS OCTOBER 15, 2009

BIRD ON A WIRE - COME SUNDAY

This song is in my prayers ..... "come Sunday, oh, come Sunday, that's the day".... sung by the in-comparable Mahalia Jackson, from Duke Ellington 's so very wonderful album BLACK BROWN & BEIGE.

I don't believe I have been more moved as this morning, outside in my garden, looking up and seeing a bird on a wire...... singing so happily and proudly. I ran inside to grab my trusty Nikon, and took this picture....

It was as I had felt recently, with only a very thin wire to stand on, and a very far way down, as if I had lost my wings and my voice to sing. I looked up, as I say, and there was the most joyful song I could imagine sung by this little bird, so joyous it made me laugh with happiness and I thought, if this little bird can be so happy with such simple things, well so can I. I choose to live the Extravagant Life now... this morning with glorious organic Stash earl gray black & green tea, instead of just plain tea, (the bergamot is exhilarating) together with an almond croissant from the French bakery around the corner. And last night, instead of plain salad with dinner, organic arugula roquette with luscious organic tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and dark green virgin olive oil. Lovely........the simple things shared together...

I tried to download a live visual version of the above song Come Sunday, but at least listen...... and I found quite by accident, a live video recording of Mahalia singing "How I Got Over" how wonderful...... " we are gonna sing, and never get tired!"

DESIRE & THE PINK LAMBORGHINI

Desire - the beginning of creation and adventure, begins with thought. We think, therefore we are. Desire, what would life be without Desire? Very, very boring, I can tell you that. I go a fairly long time without really desiring anything, but once I get bitten, watch out! I am incorrigible.

This painting is part of the Rebel series. I just delivered this and other paintings to a gallery in downtown Miami getting ready for Art Basil 2009 in December .... I miss it already. A part of me is inside that painting, which is inspired from a photograph my husband took of me when I was nineteen years old and newly married. We were at Sebring, Florida, watching the races. Andy loved to race and loved race cars. He taught me how to drive in an old TR4 which I later inherited. I became a very good driver from that experience. I can remember driving home late in the old TR, when lo and behold, the alternator light came on, and me without a clue what an alternator even was.... I did get home safely, although I cannot remember how exactly.

Desire & The Pink Lamborghini, a diptych, has Mizner Park in the background, distressed. I wanted to juxtaposition two realities, then and now. As if time is frozen forever and I am still dreaming now of then and then of now and ... of more desire. The painting is oil on linen with a free form abstract panel, done in pink, black, baby blue and silver, 5ft x 5ft.

WE ARE ALL FRAGILE....

I attended another funeral today. Well, almost attended. I lost my way there. Which was just as well, because I just did not want to have another "viewing" so soon after my mum...

I like the idea of being cremated more and more. I want my ashes to be scattered from a cliff overlooking the thrashing ocean. At this point.

Water has and will continue to play an important role in my life. The above photograph was taken by me in Yosemite National Park on a photo holiday. It has a feeling for me of a birthing, an innocent awakening. Of trust and vulnerability.

The Alpha & Omega. A journey for all of us humans. We know, that we know, that we are, and we are fraught with the fear of the unknown, which is also beautiful in its mystery.

Everyday we die a little. But what if we willingly die every moment, what if we are not afraid? What if.....we experience life as if every moment is the last moment? As in an orgasm which is, as the French say " la petite mort" The little death.

I include this video from ColdPlay from their latest, Vive La Vida (or Death and all his friends...)

HANGIN' BY A THREAD

Have you ever felt like you were just hanging by a thread? I woke up feeling like this these past few days.... just clinging to a shred of my dignity.

I then observed a spider outside my bedroom door, after a rain shower, mending her damaged web diligently. I watched her for quite a few moments then decided I had to photograph this and write about it, so I could remember, and also share, how a spider, tiny and fragile, just kept mending away and creating, no matter what. And she always knew the correct pattern. It was inbred. It was instinct. It was survival. I loved it. I love this spider!

She is still outside my bedroom door, hanging in there, and her beautiful web is larger and quite intact. I will not harm her. She is a symbol.,,,, An artist...... and a pretty good one at that..... Meanwhile,
I discovered the music of Death Cab For Cutie - Here's the video. Great music to spin by.

JULY FOURTH "KISMET"

It was very evidently all meant to be...

I had traveled to Scotland on a return trip (I spent my childhood in Edinburgh) to visit some friends and soak up that gorgeous atmosphere of purple heather, great pubs and the Castle on Princess Street.

I stayed for all too few days at the Caledonia Hotel - waking up to Sunshine in a room with an excellent view overlooking Princess Street and Edinburgh Castle,with kippers and poached eggs in bed, marmalade and toast burnt on one side, served on a tray with fine linen napkins,and really,really good china and silverware.....
That was truly heavenly.

But the reason for this July 4th post is the celebration of the connection between all of us and particularly with me and my connection to America, and quite coincidentally with a fantastic artist named Duane Hanson.

After the marvelous breakfast that day,I decided to go to the Museum across the street from where I grew up - the National Galleries of Scotland and took a cab there. I saw, much to my amazement, as soon as I walked in the door, "Mr & Mrs Miami Beach Tourist" a life size sculpture by artist Duane Hanson, standing there for all they were worth looking as if they had stepped from a tourist bus and wandered into this gallery from across the pond.

Now, I lived then and do now, in Florida. And Mr. Hanson lived and worked in cowboy territory, Davie, Florida. I had met Mr. Hanson after this quite powerful, to me, "coincidence" and he is one of the most amazing and real people, as an artist, that I have ever met. A quiet, reserved, attractive man who looked quite human and frail, it was hard to believe that he was a world renowned artist who caused controversy by staging riots in the street, causing the police to come a number of times in the 70's to North Miami, with his installed life size and extremely life-like sculptures "Race Riot", among others. Mr Hansen had also done a sculpture of my painting professor, the artist Robert Thealey, sitting on his helmet, of when he was a player for the Canes, my school the University of Miami's football team. This sculpture is still in the Lowe Gallery, I do believe. For those who wish to know more about Mr. Hanson:

The other connection to me of Florida and America, is that when I was growing up in Edinburgh, I lived opposite the National Gallery of Scotland and visited there many times, in the National Park of Scotland. There I discovered hot houses, huge glass domes built to house exotic plants, where I saw my first palm trees and hibiscus flowers. Quite amazing to experience the extreme cold of Scottish winters and visit in warm, enclosed, womb-like, moist environments, to see then flowers and trees which surround me now in my beloved Florida. Happy July 4th!!!******

A FATHER'S DAY MESSAGE ON SUMMER SOLTICE

I choose to honor my father, who had passed away over ten years ago...... today, on the day Summer officially begins and also, coincidentally, Father's Day. The above photo spread of my fine art oil paintings appeared in ART IN AMERICA magazine,2009. The top painting, a diptych, is entitled "My Father At Work In His Paisley Tie" Oil on Canvas, 5ft x 3ft, to be found in the Fine Art section of my web.

Our fathers are also men......

There can be issues between Fathers and Daughters. Some of them epic in scope. I have found gratitude to be the great healer, and that my issues were NOT epic and that I am grateful to love my Dad.

Dad was forced to serve in the Polish army in Poland, against his will, for many years after his contract was up. Ever since, Dad loved his freedom and after meeting my birth mother in Scotland, traveled to his beloved America and proudly became a naturalized citizen.

I chose the pattern of the painting honoring my father to be the Black-Watch Tartan, worn by the guards in Scotland as they watched over the sleeping city. My father's name was Michael, and I am also especially attracted to the Archangel Michael for protection on my sacred journey here on planet earth.