Painting of the Week

Chapeau de Napoleon - Centifolia Cristata Rose

I especially love the detail in this beautiful watercolor...the various shades of pinks and greens.



Her passion is roses and painting. From the Paris region, French artist, Hélène Glehen, paints with oils and watercolors.
She credits her passion for painting to her great grandfather,
artist Hiplpolyte Jean-Adam Gide (1852-1921).


CLICK HERE to visit her website

Old Roses in a Blue Bowl
Roses anciennes dans un bol bleu
...softness...

Note: If any of her pages are in French, you can translate them to English in the top right hand corner of the page...that is, unless you do read French, which I do not!

Painting of the Week

Lost in Thought



This week I'm featuring talented Kentucky artist, Rhonda Hartis Smith. Rhonda specializes in portrait painting and figurative painting. Her beautiful ballerinas are my favorite. The piece above is called Lost in Thought. I love the airiness and fullness of the tulle. Rhonda enjoys traveling as much as I do and a lot of her work is inspired by her travels. Oh yes, and one more fact about Rhonda...she's family...a cousin of mine!

If you are interested in commissioning Rhonda for an oil painting, email her at
rsmithstudio@insightbb.com

CLICK HERE to visit her website.

FOR THE LOVE OF CUPCAKES

Lusciousness

Heavenliness

Yumminess

Miss Bee's Painting of the Week

When Life Gives You Lemons...

This delectable painting is by Delilah Smith, a Michigan artist. I came across her work by accident while searching for something on the web. I immediately fell in love with the colors and whimsy of her paintings...and of course, the bees! See them buzzing around that scrumptous-looking drink? I found each of her works to be happy and bright. Delilah trys to paint a work of art each day. I will feature more of her paintings in the weeks to come so watch for them.

If you are interested in this painting, CLICK HERE, or email Delilah at delilah@artbydelilah.com

Lemon Drop Martini Recipe

This drink is a sweet, lemony concoction to be served in a fun martini glass.


1 1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce triple sec
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
Superfine sugar for dipping
Twisted peel of lemon


The vodka, triple sec, sugar and lemon juice go into an ice filled shaker.

You need to shake sufficiently to fully dissolve the sugar but don’t shake so hard that you get pieces of ice when you pour the drink.

You want the sugar to completely dissolve in the shaker, so you must use superfine sugar, which dissolves instantly.

With a wedge of lemon, trace the rim of the martini glass leaving a thin wet film. Dip the rim of the glass in superfine sugar.

Pour your lemon drop martini into a martini glass and garnish with the twisted lemon peel. Enjoy!
Miss Bee says: "One is enough!"

Wedding Night
(a dream)

I see lanterns flicker upon flower-strewn cobblestones.
Dream weaver rocks me softly with lilting musical tones.
Periwinkle, lilac and lavender lull me to sleep.
Reverie comes to me whispering reflections sweet
of joyful scenes from a quaint village street.

Dream keeper paints a time abundant with grace.
A festive folktale wedding is in place.
Ribboned clad and in hand-me-down lace, a virgin bride fair
wears lemon flowers, olive leaves, and blossoms in her hair.
With a father’s tender farewell kiss, he gives her hand to her beloved.

My dream trails a wedding feast caravan adorned with turtledoves.
Young and old dance to merriment of accordions and violins.
The air is filled with chimes of the belfry carillon’s ring.
A gypsy woman of ageless beauty, lined face all knowing,
releases bevies of monarchs and nightingales singing.

Into an old wooden trunk she casts memories of this night
along with fairytale wishes to make all tomorrows bright.
A toast she raises –
“May your children and theirs be fair and strong as the willow.
May you grow old together on the same pillow.”

Copyright - Deborah - 2007

"Gypsy" - the very word conjures up romantic notions of brightly woven garments, carefree dancers swirling round a campfire to the sounds of tamborines and gypsy violins, colorful traveling wagons...images I have always been intriqued with. I have seen only three Gypsy wagons in my life. One when I was a child in West Virginia and one caravan of two several years ago in Wytheville, Virginia.



Where did these nomadic people originate?...perhaps, Romania, Poland, Persia, Spain, Yugoslavia, Germany,Russia, India or maybe Eygpt? While history is not conclusive as to their origin, tribes of gypsies, or Romanies as they would preferred to be called are found worldwide today.




Gypsy Woman - 1886
Nikolai Yaroshenko. 1846 - 1898 (Russia)


The term gypsy is a common term used to describe Romani people or Travellers. While their lifestyle and employment is said to be on the lower scale, knowns for their metalwork, ..... many have become famous authors, scientists, musicians and singers, artists, politicians, actors and actresses such as Charlie Chaplin and Michael Caine...among those, my favorite would be actor Yul Brynner.


Remember him in "The King and I"?

Wait, don't leave! It's me, Deborah!

Here's the latest buzz...

As you see from the blog header above, I'm trying something new. ...and as you can see from my blog header...I don't have it right yet! Still working on that - I think I might need some help with it.

I have a 'co-blogger' now - her name is Miss Bee. Miss Bee will be posting on some of her favorite subjects.

Why Miss Bee? My given name, "Deborah", means bee in Hebrew, so I thought it appropriate. I've always been in love with bees. I love that they spread the beauty of flowers. I love how cute they are with pollen all over their little faces and legs. I love how efficient they are - building hives, honeycombs and making scrumptious honey for us humans to delight in. I love the fact that they have their own queen (like Miss Bee) who is pampered and catered to - who wouldn't love that! ...and I've always been a 'royal watcher'.

So, if you will bear - bear?...no, if you will 'bee' (sorry!) with me while Miss Bee and I tidy up the header and get accustomed to our new name, we would so appreciate y'all's patience. Oops! A little of our honey-child southerness showing there.

We love visitors, so y'all come back and visit Miss Bee's Haven whenever you can.