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~ a romance with art and all things British

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Monthly Archives: December 2012

A New Year 2013

31 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by pat in Art, London, Sailing, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bath, Creative workshop

It’s always inspiring to start off a new year.  Such wonderful expectations of what it might hold.  And this year, we are hoping to spend more time in England during the summer months.  My Beloved Brit has his heart set on doing some sailing with his mates, and I am planning my first creative workshop in Bath for September (see the new heading above for workshops).  More information will come in mid-January on that.

So today we are just hanging out, waiting for the New Year to arrive.  Anticipation is lovely. Especially when it is served with a cup of tea.

At St. James Palace, London. Photo by me

At St. James Palace, London. Photo by me

Happy New Year to all!

Congo Bars and Sausage Rolls

26 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by pat in Food, Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Christmas dinner, Christmas Eve, Congo Bars, sausage rolls

Christmas just would not be Christmas without baking sweets in the kitchen for weeks before the actual holiday arrives. Since I was in my early 20s, I have baked for Christmas.  For days, and then for weeks. And one of my go to classics is something called “Congo Bars”, a sweet confection with brown sugar, walnuts and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

A view to the kitchen where Christmas magic is made. Photo by me

A view to the kitchen from the dining room where Christmas magic is made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made my last batch this year on Christmas Eve day to take to a gathering of friends that evening, and enough to take to another friends’ house to add to their Christmas dinner the next day.  I used to make huge batches of sweets before Christmas to give to my clients when I had my graphic design studio in Georgetown.  Many of my best clients got extravagant gifts from their ad agencies and other vendors.  I was a small boutique studio with a limited promotion budget starting out and couldn’t compete with Lalique Crystal and even TV sets.  So I made beautifully decorated tins of various sweets and delivered it to the art departments and creative directors the week before Christmas.  It became such a popular tradition I never gave it up.  Staff would begin asking me at Halloween if I was going to deliver the treats in time for Christmas, and I didn’t disappoint. There was almost applause when I came through the door with bags loaded down with tins, enough for every sweet tooth in the department.

Prep for Congo Bars. Photo by me

Prep for Congo Bars.

So now I continue the tradition for me and My Beloved Brit and our friends at Christmas.  And he’s added a few items of his own (sausage rolls is truly one of his favorite treats when we go to England). But for now, let’s focus on Congo Bars.  So easy, and perfect with a cup of tea.

Congo Bars/Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, and a pat to grease the pan

2 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups walnuts

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with butter, and then put a spoonful of flour in the bottom.  Shake it about, coating the bottom and sides, and turn over in the sink and pat the bottom to remove any extra flour. Set aside.

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Melt 2 sticks of butter in a small pan on simmer.

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In a large bowl place 2 1/3 cups of gently packed light brown sugar (you can also use dark, but I prefer the light).

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Stir in the melted butter. Add 4 beaten eggs to sugar and butter mixture.

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Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir until smooth.

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Sift together 2 2/3 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, Stir in to brown sugar mixture until it is smooth.

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Add 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips (if you lightly coat them with flour they will not sink in the batter, a trick I learned from The Barefoot Contessa), and 1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts.

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Pour into the greased and floured pan.

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Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.  Cool completely, cut in to squares, and store in a tin or zip-lock bags…or eat immediately!

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I love this treat, and luckily there are a few left over for us to share on this rainy Boxing Day (the day after Christmas celebrated in England).

Image 58

And now for the British side of the kitchen…

Sausage Rolls/Ingredients:

1 sheet of Puff Pastry, defrosted ( there are 2 sheets per box of Pepperidge Farm)

1 lb. mild or hot sausage, depending on your preference (we like the spicy)

1 egg, lightly beaten to brush the rolls

Flour for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

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Take one defrosted sheet of puff pastry, and roll it out on a floured board to 9 x 12.  Cut lengthwise in half.

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Take 1/2 of the sausage and roll it in to a long strand 12″ long.  Place in center of 1/2 of the pastry.

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Wet the edge lightly with water to seal. Roll pastry over the sausage, and crimp the edges closed.

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Repeat with the other half of the rolled pastry. Brush with beaten egg for a golden color.

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Cut slices, 12 or 24 per roll depending on how large you want the bites to be. We did 12. If you want to do 24 smaller pieces, reduce your baking time a bit.  Just watch until they turn golden.

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Place the pieces on the parchment lined baking sheet.

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Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees until golden. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

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They are lovely, and disappeared quickly at the party.

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Packed up and ready to travel.  I love this time of year! Happy Boxing Day!

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All photos by me in our kitchen, with great assistance from My Beloved Brit.

Sandringham at Christmas, and a Year to Remember

24 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by pat in The Royal Family, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Tags

Christmas, Norfolk, Sandringham

It was so lovely to see Sandringham this past summer when we were in England.

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It was just on the heels of the Jubilee Celebration in London, and we managed to visit one day ahead of the Queen, who was holding a very large garden party on the lawn the next day.

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With all the excitement over the Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy this Christmas season and will she or won’t she be at Sandringham with the Royal Family as tradition usually dictates,  it brought back memories of this beautiful place set in the Norfolk countryside.

This winter I can now actually visualize The Queen sitting with her family in the lovely drawing-room, perhaps working on a particularly tricky corner at her special jigsaw puzzle table. And I am hoping the Duke and Duchess get a chance to enjoy the cottage his grandmother gave him on the estate in honor of his 30th birthday. But perhaps this will be the year they spend Christmas with her family, and squeeze in a visit to the royal side of the family sometime over the holiday week. That is what the word is.

Still, when the English news shows the Royal Family walking to chapel on Christmas morning, I will remember it from last summer. When we were there, it looked so familiar from all the past Christmas photos. And this year the Queen did her Christmas message in 3-D…the old and the new.  Ever the modern Queen who also honors tradition.

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St. Mary Magdalen’s Church across the gardens and fields from the Queen’s Sandringham Estate. Photo by me

2012 was a year to remember, with not one, but two visits for me this year to England.  One in the late spring and early June, just in time for the Queen’s huge Diamond Jubilee Celebration in London.

The night of the Jubilee Concert at Buckin

The night of the Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace. Photo by me June 2012

And later in November to work on the creative workshop we are planning for next September in Bath.

The River Avon runs through Bath. Photo by me.

The River Avon runs through Bath. Photo by me.

In between was the Olympics (which I devoured on TV), and lots of happy news from relatives and friends on both sides of the pond (including my first grand-niece !!!!!).

And then of course, right before Christmas the announcement of the royal baby on his or her way.  Lovely that it will wear the crown either way–boy or girl. As long as the new future monarch is happy and healthy, what does it matter.

What an incredible year.

Kensington High Street Shops

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by pat in England, Fashion, London, Shopping, The Royal Family

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Duchess of Cambridge, Kensington, Kensington High Street, Zara

I love Kensington. Within easy walking distance are museums, and parks, and palaces…and lots of shops. With Christmas almost upon us, it seemed appropriate to visit one of London’s best shopping neighborhoods, if only by post.

A residential street in Kensington, around the corner from all the shops. Photo by me.

This is where young London goes to shop.  And it is such fun to see the different trends in the windows, even if I am not ready to buy.

The busy shopping center of Kensington. Photo by me

Around every corner are shops and alleys where treasures are sure to be found.

Photo by me.

The names are now becoming more familiar to women shoppers in America.  Many of these British stores are beginning to open shops in the US.

High Street, Kensington. Photo by me

They say it is the “Kate effect”, the influence of the Duchess of Cambridge who shops in this neighborhood, and often chooses fashion within an affordable range from the high street popular stores.

The Duchess of Cambridge has been known to wear the very reasonable fashions from Zara. Photo by me.

Another High Street favorite with young London. Photo by me.

After all her palace is right around the corner.

A few blocks from Kensington Palace. Photo by me

I would love having all this a few steps from my back door, cold and grey or not.

 

Art Basel in Miami

11 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, paintings, sketching, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Art Basel, Art Miami, Miami

‘Tis the season to be overwhelmed with art. December is Art Basel time in Miami. It certainly has become one of the largest art fairs in the world…and that’s good and bad.

On entering the tent, the room stared back at us. Photo by me

I always have mixed feelings about this massive art fair that has spread from Miami Beach web-like to art fairs all through the Miami Midtown/Wynwood Design District area.

A view from above…a happy perspective for me. Photo by me.

Actually the word on the streets this year is that the major focus has shifted from South Beach to Wynwood and midtown, the up and coming design and art district.

Art Miami in the Midtown near the Wynwood Design District. Photo by me.

I love seeing the new art all smashed in to one small area.

Big girl little girl. Photo by me.

It’s the only way I know to see such a broad slice of what artists are currently doing outside the magazine pages of the popular arts magazines. And art is always better up close and personal.

Art Miami. Photo by me

Miami is within driving distance for us. We love Miami’s energy even in the off times, so it doesn’t take much incentive for us to jump in the car and travel down I-95 to the Beach.

Into the wilderness. Photo by me

 

Bunny wedding. Photo by me.

 

The gentler side of nature. Photo by me.

Much of the massive art fair can seem so hyped and frantic.  So this year I decided to select a few of the relatively smaller venues and just try to let it wash over me gently.

Viewers young and old. And the art looks back. Photo by me.

It helped that I had my good friend from Virginia with me. When we walked into the Art Miami tent, husbands in tow, it’s all there.  And it is magic.  Just like Willy Wonka for art fanatics.

One of my best friends from college days joined me in Miami. Our beloveds followed close behind us. Photo by me.

The crowds swarmed through the streets, taxis honking, palm trees swaying.  And the warm tropical sun made My Beloved Brit a truly happy man.  He still seemed happy even inside the art tent and managed not to complain once.

Imagery. Photo by me.

There is so much art, it is difficult to see everything and keep it all in perspective. But it is thrilling.

Reflections in art. Photo by me.

The variety this year was interesting. But what I noticed after winding through the maze of gallery exhibitions was how much of it revolved around personal, human images.

Alex Katz, one of my favorite artists. Photo by me.

No matter which way we turned, the eyes seemed to follow you.  And the interpretation of the human face was as varied as the materials.

This was done as embroidery, and the artist showed the “back side” of the work. Fascinating. Photo by me.

Heads Up! Photo by me.

Some was calming, but much was frantic.  Is this the current human condition of uncertainty?

Wild art. Photo by me.

I’ll have to think about that.

“Cities” Begins

07 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, England, London, paintings, sketching, Travel

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Metropolitan Museum, Musee D'Orsay, Paris, Tate Modern, Tuilleries

At the end of the summer, I started a new series of paintings called “Cities”  It has been sleeping in my artistic sub conscience for a few years now, ever since I did “Metropolitan Spring” in 2009.

Metropolitan Spring, oil painting by me 2009

It resurfaced in 2011 with two small paintings…

Gallery View, oil painting by me 2011

… “Gallery View” and “The Taxi”, both the result of a visit to my sister’s in NYC and a wintry afternoon visit to MOMA.

Taxi, oil painting by me

As you may have guessed, I spend as much time as I can in cities and especially art museums. Although at the moment I live in a more rural community,  I am drawn to the urban environment and the museums, street scenes, parks and buildings that make them so vibrant.

Times Square, summer 2012, photo by me

After visits to Paris, London, and New York City all in the span of the past 12 months, I decided it was time to explore my three favorite cities that I return to again and again.

The lunch cafe at Tate Modern, London, photo by me

What makes them all so energized, what makes each unique and who are these urban dwellers that I feel so attached to?

The Louvre, photo by me

In the mountains of North Carolina this summer, I started sketching my first canvas. “A Game of Boules, The Tuilleries in Paris” came from a whole series of photos I took while crossing the famous park last spring.

Tuilleries evening-Paris

I sketched this painting months ago when I was up in the mountains but couldn’t quite decide where to go with it. That sometimes happens.

Over the past few months, it all made sense.

It’s only the beginning of the cities series.  I am in the studio every day now working away.  I am always at my best when I am deep in to a new series of paintings.  The energy is great fun.  Almost like being back in the cities that inspired these paintings.

The Victoria Art Gallery

03 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, Bath

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

The Victoria Art Gallery

Right down from the Abbey, and across from the Pulteney Bridge…

The Pulteney Bridge in Bath, over the River Avon. Photo by me

…is the imposing Victoria Art Gallery.

The Victoria Art Gallery in Bath. Photo by me

It is a modest museum inside, but lovely, and always seems to have things posted everywhere about some art activity that is coming up in the very near future. It seems to be totally accepted that the community will be very much involved.

The Victoria. Photo by me

I love how in Bath everyone seems to be somehow engaged in art.  Whether a museum or gallery or on the streets.

The Pulteney Bridge in Bath. Photo by me.

It just seems to be important to the entire community.  Was this the early Roman influence and the magnificent architecture?

The Roman Baths in Bath. Photo by me.

If you live with such man-made beauty every day, do you just want more?

A Bath resident engaged in his art. Photo by me.

I know I did.

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