A Henry & Katja Reunion

"Is that you?"

Katja is visiting us from Heidelberg! It's been three or four years since she was last here. K and I drove out to Beaver Farm to see Henry. K wondered if H would remember her. I really think he did. As usual with Henry there were no glad words of remembrance but some intense stares and happy grins. Like, "Oh THERE you are!"

"It IS you! Yay!"

"Now can I have some ice-cream?"

♡☼♡....

A Sourdough Baker's Dozen

This is my second attempt at sourdough baking, using starter passed along by a local foodie acquaintance. My first attempt was disappointing, but this loaf: wow! It looks a complete little world. I used Jim Lahey's no-knead recipe for this try, substituting 1/2 cup of starter for the dry yeast.

And it tastes just the way you think it does....!

The Day After the Night Before

Out for the count!

Sunny Cat has now managed to Houdini himself outside at night two nights running. Unlike other times of day, he won't return when called if he gets out in the late evening...and has thus managed to attend the local all-night cat raves w/o parental supervision. He's been on the porch in the morning wondering where his breakfast is, though. He then eats like a (little furry) horse and hits the hay.... sleeping so deeply he doesn't even flinch a whisker if you drop something on the floor near him. Typical teenager!

I have heard that in other places people deliberately put the cat out at night, but here where I live we have such a panoply of raccoons, foxes, owls and even the occasional (it is rumored) coyote, that it makes me too nervous to let him roam free among the night-hunting predators. Typical mom!

Big Momma

I just got my hands on some sourdough starter or "mother" from a generous foodie acquaintance. I love to bake bread and am good with yeast, but have absolutely no experience with sourdough wrangling. I love the flavor of sourdough, and was inspired by hearing Michael Pollan interviewed on NPR yesterday...he waxed enthusiastic about the superior health benefits of fermented foods. I look forward to the adventure! 

YEAR OF THE WOMAN Group Show

I have three new pieces in an exciting group show opening this weekend in Philadelphia:

"Painting Girl"  oil on canvas 24 x 20 inches  2013

"Hijab Me"  oil on canvas on board 16 x 12 inches  2013

"Young painter" oil on canvas on board  11 x 14 inches  2013

YEAR OF THE WOMAN Paintings and Sculpture of Women by Women     April 2013 at Artists' House Gallery April 3 to 28, 2013  First Friday: April 5, 5 to 8:30 PM Sunday Reception: April 7, 1 to 4 PM     The year 2013 seems to be the pinnacle of events in recent years that have culminated in special recognition of the contributions of women in many activities:  politics ,science and medicine, management, visual arts, theater and film, sports, etc.     We three women managers of Artists' House Gallery have designated 2013 as a special year to recognize the "Year of the Woman" in the visual arts.  We present an exhibit of twenty extraordinary women artists, each exhibiting paintings or sculptures of women.   Please join us at Artists' House for our two receptions: First Friday, April 5, from 5 to 8:30 PM and our Sunday reception on April 7, from 1 to 4 PM.     The following artists are exhibiting in "The Year of the Woman" exhibit. Works by these artists are displayed below.  Julie Bell  Kate Brockman Rachel Constantine Saskia Ozols Eubanks Diane Feissel Renee Foulks Katherine Fraser Frances Galante  Leigh Gustafson Hilarie Hawley Rita Klinger Julia Levitina  Amber Lia-Kloppel Jafang Lu Sydney McGinley Nancy Bea Miller   Elena Peteva Carolyn Pyfrom Lauren Tilden  Lea Colie Wight ABOUT ARTISTS' HOUSE GALLERY Artists' House Gallery, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, features the work of outstanding emerging and established artists, frequently from the greater Philadelphia area. Artists' House offers art lovers and collectors the opportunity to purchase excellent affordable works of art.  Artists' House Gallery   57 N. Second Street   Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 923-8440  Email: artistshouse@aol.com Gallery hours:  Wednesday to Sunday 12:00 Noon to 5:00 PM, or by appointment.      Click to visit the Artists' House website

EASTER 2013

Fragrant Easter!

That darn Easter Bunny never knows when to call it quits!

Sixteen year old H is learning to drive!

Brunch at Camphill Special School, Beaver Farm. Henry was so glad to see us. and vice-versa.

Henry posing with cows. Unfortunately someone has taught him to make this "CHEESE" face every time he notices a photo is being taken! ;-D

It's definitely a real farmhouse; there's real mud in the mudroom!

The drive home passed in a blur! Two weeks of Henry vacation, coming at us!

An Easter nap!

What came first? The chocolate chicken or the chocolate egg?

Day Trip to NYC...short but sweet

Went with a couple of friends to see the Mary Cassatt Print show at the NYC Public Library...wonderful!

My scholarly side...!

The Library building is breathtaking!

Jennifer and Eliza with one of the iconic NYC Library lions

Then we hit the Frick to see the Piero della Francesca show..superb!

We went indie with our coffee break...this tiny little Mexican Coffee shop featured coffee-n-empanadas!

Displayed prominently...not very confidence inspiring!

Great light on the drive home!

Home sweet home! A great day!

Sunny n Paul!

Our young cat, Sunny, loves his "Daddy." People accuse me of being overly bonded with this animal but really Paul is the alpha cat (if such a thing exists?) When Paul walks in the door after work Sunny comes a-running, and then hangs around hoping for interaction. He is definitely a teenage boy cat and wants to wrestle, play catch, drink beer and watch football, just like the big guys.  His teenage brother is pretty much next in line of devotion, and he loves me too I suppose, I do get lots of sweet kisses, but still....

This morning...a rumbling armful.

Last week...that looks good!

Recently...who needs a blanket?

Traveling to a Museum Show

Nancy Bea Miller  "Sarah Cellphone" 2012  o/c

Just sent my painting "Sarah Cellphone" off to be part of a show at the Asheville Art Museum called The Philadelphia Story: Contemporary Figurative Work Drawn from the Academy.  I am really thrilled to be included in this show which looks amazing! So many outstanding artists are in it. Also, I find it encouraging that the curator, Nancy Sokolove, picked one of my most recently completed pieces. And BTW, a big thank you to my friend Sarah Barr for posing for this painting!

I have been in a few museum shows before, but this is the first time a museum sent a preparator to pick up the piece. In the end because of some scheduling issues for the pick-up guys, I brought my piece over to the home of another participating artist's house nearby, my friend Elizabeth Wilson. The museum guys came up in a truck from North Carolina to get my piece so I didn't at all mind driving ten minutes to my friend's house to help them out. :-) I was so dorkily tickled by the whole experience that I documented it with my i-phone (I simply cannot act cool no matter how hard I would try, so, yeah, I just don't try, obviously! :-)

Paperwork! Liz signing and signing and signing...

My boxed up piece gets taken aboard.

The (very nice) guys getting ready to take off for the next pick-up spot

Liz makes me some French Press coffee for a little post-pick-up celebration!
Woo hoo!