To My Mom . . . Who is forgiven for not taking me to museums because she didn't want me to misbehave in public. (She was probably right.)
The post An Appreciation of Mothers and of My Mom appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Here’s to the mothers who are artists.
And to the mothers who raise healthy, informed artists who make the world a better place.
To My Mom
Who had almost no interest in or contact with art, but who nurtured it in me (and her father).
Who encouraged me when I drew that first cardinal and blue jay in oil pastels and thought they were masterpieces.
Who signed me up for oil painting lessons when I was about 8 years old.
Who found every extracurricular art lesson available in Oklahoma City and paid for me to go.
Who framed my art, gave it as gifts, and even kept that ratty ashtray on the end table long after smoking was acceptable or mushrooms as decoration were fashionable.
Who hung my paintings, stored my large life drawings, and stuck dried flowers in that coiled vase that had an accident in the kiln.
Who still argues with me when I tell her it’s okay to get rid of some of that stuff now. She knows I’d plan a bonfire if she gave it to me.
(Update 2024: She finally let me throw out the life drawings from undergrad.)
Who didn’t flinch when I declared an art history major.
Who stuck by me when I went to grad school for, again, art history.
Who traveled to Eastern Tennessee with me so I could write a review of a show; to Lawrence, Kansas so I could see a dance performance; to Houston with me to visit the Rothko Chapel; and to Ohio to listen to a keynote I gave to an artist group.
Who threw a 30th birthday party for me at an art gallery, invited 100 of my closest and lifelong friends, and who installed 30 years of my art, with Dad’s help, throughout the space.
Who attended all of the openings for the exhibitions I curated at the museum.
Who dug weeds at the museum when our budget was so small that we couldn’t afford groundskeepers.
Who is forgiven for not taking me to museums as a child because she didn’t want me to misbehave in public. (She was probably right.)
Who worried for me when I quit my museum job, sold my belongings, packed up a U-Haul, and moved to Denver.
Here’s to you, Mom.
And to all of the other amazing mothers who will read this. You have a huge job just being a responsible parent. I commend you for also nurturing your life as an artist.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Related Content
These episodes of The Art Biz focus on artists who are balancing their art with their roles as parents.
This post was first published May 11, 2014 and has been updated with original comments intact.
The post An Appreciation of Mothers and of My Mom appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Loaded with bourbon (and a tiny bit of rum) and everything not good for you, it's a once-a-year treat. A lot of work goes into it, but I promise your efforts will be rewarded.
If you like the stuff in the carton, you need read no further. This is nothing like that.
The post My Famous Eggnog Recipe appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Cheers to those who look forward my recipe for Bert’s Eggnog each year!
I’m a little like Susan Stamberg who annually recites her cranberry relish recipe on NPR and, despite its ghastly Pepto-Bismol coloring, swears it’s delicious. (I’ve had it and beg to differ! I promise I won’t do you that way.)
Not for the Feint of Heart
Anyhoo . . . I PROMISE my eggnog recipe is the nectar of the gods and goddesses.
I have converted many a declared eggnog-hater with this sweet concoction. Just read some of the comments from over the years. (There are even more on social media.)
Still, loaded with the good stuff, it’s not for the feint of heart.
My brother called a few years back to say that he had been wondering if he could find our Bert’s Eggnog recipe online. Of course, this blog post was the first thing that came up!
He had no idea I had been sharing this treasure with my readers for all of these years.
My brother-in-law used to call every year to ask where he can find the eggnog recipe. Every year, we gave him this blog URL. I think he’s figured it out now.
Do Not Put Sugar on the Rim
I share the top photo reluctantly. I have never been able to get a great photo of my eggnog because we don’t use fancy cups with What is that? Sugar on the rim? Don’t do that. I can’t believe it’s even a thing.
We use mugs like my IRL photo here because our eggnog is barely pourable. It’s thick, almost like softened ice cream.
If yours pours too easily, put it back in the freezer to thicken it up, as the recipe says.
And, lest you try to fool yourself by focusing on the health “benefits” of the nog, I suppose I should do the responsible thing and share this note of caution with you in advance. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
The Story of Bert's Eggnog
This recipe is for neither the faint of heart nor those who aren’t willing to make the effort. It’s a lot of work, but you’ll be rewarded in the end. Even people who think they don’t like eggnog fall in love with this sinfully delicious concoction.
My mother first made Bert’s Eggnog in 1959, the year she and Dad were married. But my Uncle Charlie had been making it for years.
No one knows who Bert is! Mom looked up the original recipe in Aunt Susan’s How-To Cookbook (1951) and it doesn’t give a clue.
This recipe has been a part of my Christmases for at least 35 years. We started making it in Crested Butte, Colorado and always on Christmas Eve.
After the batch was whipped up, we put it out in the snow overnight. The icy snow makes the nog thicken and the flavors are just that much better in the morning. If you don’t have snow or cold weather, I might suggest a few hours in the freezer.
Our fingers are crossed for a snow bank for this year’s batch.
Christmas morning just isn’t Christmas without Bert’s Eggnog. It’s a nice excuse for an afternoon nap, too!
If You Make This Recipe
Are you a part of the Bert’s Eggnog fan club? Have you made this recipe since I first posted it in 2005?
Please leave your name and your story in a comment.
Say a word of gratitude to Bert—whoever she/he is.
Download the Recipe for Bert’s Eggnog Here
No opt-in required. It includes the story of how it came to be in my life and how we imbibe
First published December 21, 2012. Updated with original comments intact.
The post My Famous Eggnog Recipe appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Skip the famous eggnog recipe at the end at your own peril. Merry merry!
Tech and Online Stuff
IPhone Class
Emil Pakarklis offers loads of info in his complimentary video tutorial for hacking your iPhone camera: 7 Hidden iPhone Camera Features That Every Photographer Should Use. I learned a ton and I didn’t even get to all of his lessons.
Later's IG Email Class
Later.com is an online service that allows you to schedule your Instagram posts. They also have a fantastic free e-mail course on using Instagram for Business and regular tips via email when you sign up.
It’s totally worth it to learn more about taking advantage of Instagram. Check out their blog, too.
Products
Seize The Year Calendar
You gotta have a wall calendar to see the rhythm of your year. I heard about this find via Jane La Fazio who I believe got turned on to it by Patti Digh. This wall calendar is uber functional and attractive.
The clincher is the way the months run into one another instead of being compartmentalized.
I also love that this calendar isn’t
The post My Favorite Things 2016 Edition appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>A few days before Christmas is the perfect time to share some of my favorite things with you: business and personal tips, recipes, online email classes, and products I love.
Skip the famous eggnog recipe at the end at your own peril. Merry merry!
Tech and Online Stuff
IPhone Class
Emil Pakarklis offers loads of info in his complimentary video tutorial for hacking your iPhone camera: 7 Hidden iPhone Camera Features That Every Photographer Should Use. I learned a ton and I didn’t even get to all of his lessons.
Later’s IG Email Class
Later.com is an online service that allows you to schedule your Instagram posts. They also have a fantastic free e-mail course on using Instagram for Business and regular tips via email when you sign up.
It’s totally worth it to learn more about taking advantage of Instagram. Check out their blog, too.
Products
Seize The Year Calendar
You gotta have a wall calendar by Neu Year to see the rhythm of your year. I heard about this find via Jane La Fazio who I believe got turned on to it by Patti Digh. This wall calendar is uber functional and attractive.
The clincher is the way the months run into one another instead of being compartmentalized. Oh … and the biggest twist of all: one side is vertical and the other is horizontal.
I also love that this calendar isn’t too stiff, which means that it uncurls easily when you take it out of the cylinder. I’ve wrestled with wall calendars previously for weeks trying to get them to lie flat.
Sharpie Pen Stylo
Oh, Sharpie fine point writing pens, how do I love thee?
We’re all familiar with the traditional Sharpies that come in multiple colors and tip widths, but I use these babies for everyday writing. I’m addicted. I’ve been addicted to other pens before (like this Sharpie), but I don’t see this love affair ending anytime soon.
I buy them in bulk, give as gifts, and make sure they’re everywhere I am.
Grapefruit Cleaner
Ever have something that made you want to clean MORE? Me either! Until I discovered Method’s grapefruit all-purpose cleaner.
If you like the smell of grapefruit, you’ll want to give those counters a good clean at least once a day – just for the aromatic high.
Frasier Fir Smelly Stuff by Thymes
Grapefruit is perfect most of the year, but for the holidays, it’s anything in Frasier Fir by Thymes. It started in the diffuser, but now I can’t get enough of it everywhere else.
Oils, sprays, and candles. I’m crazy for this scent!
Strange But True
I just have to share this one.
Oil Pulling
I used to bleach my teeth. No more. For at least three years I’ve been using this nutty ninja trick to whiten my teeth. It’s called oil pulling. <That article says it won’t whiten your teeth much, but I have had a different experience. It also makes my teeth feel dentist-clean.
A couple of times a week, on a good week, I put about 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil in my mouth and swish for 20 minutes (this is a great time to hop in the shower).
When you’re done swishing, spit the oil in the trash can so that it doesn’t clog the drain. Brush your teeth as usual.
Instructions will tell you to use 2 tablespoons, but that’s crazy unnecessary and may just make you gag.
Food
I’ve been gluten-free for more than ten years, so all of you GF people can count on these being safe.
Moosewood Cookbook’s Lentil Soup
My mother calls me “The Bean Queen” because I’m such a fan of legumes. Very little comfort food makes me happier than the lentil soup recipe from the original Moosewood Cookbook.
It says the herbs are optional, but do add them. I left them out for years and discovered that they’re a delightful addition.
Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Sauce
I came across this scrumptious cheesecake recipe in a Bon Appétit magazine back in 2005 and it is a true crowd-pleaser. The pecan crust makes it naturally gluten-free.
Drizzle on the bourbon sauce or skip the cheesecake and just inject the sauce into your veins. It’s THAT good!
Pumpkin Seed Tortilla Chips
After being on The Plan (bonus favorite thing!) this past summer, you’d think I’d be sick of pumpkin seeds, but I still say they’re magically delicious.
So, when I saw these tortilla chips at Bed Bath & Beyond, I grabbed a bag on impulse. Only later did I learn that they have honey. (I could swear my bag had cinnamon, but the ingredients list online doesn’t say that.)
Try them with plain hummus.
Bert’s Eggnog
I’ve been making eggnog converts out of my followers for years with this family recipe. You don’t have to believe me. Just try it.
This is what we sip as we open packages on Christmas morning. Yes. I said morning. Breakfast of champions!
Related Episodes
More of my favorite things.
The post My Favorite Things 2016 Edition appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>The post An Appreciation of Fathers and of My Dad appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>And to the fathers who raise healthy, informed artists who make the world a better place.
To My Dad
Who loves history and culture and encouraged this curiosity of the world for me.
Who paid for all of my extracurricular art lessons that Mom found for me.
Who praised my art.
Who paid for my undergraduate and graduate degrees in art history, even when I didn’t know what in the world I was going to do with them.
Who sent me to France for two weeks while I was in graduate school so I could see Paris and more.
Who lined up interviews for me with arts leaders as I was writing my thesis.
Who asked me nearly every day as I was writing my thesis, “How much did you write?” Without his nagging, I don’t think I would have finished. I didn’t want to disappoint him.
Who subsidized my original museum job‘s paltry salary.
Who got a big kick out of the art book I asked for one Christmas: Giotto and the Language of Gesture.
Who, for my 30th-birthday “surprise retrospective” of my art, wrote labels for the pieces. They were hilarious!
Who took drawing lessons in his 60s for the first time.
Who is the best museum visitor ever. He’s far better than I am – reading every label and soaking in as much as he can.
Happy Father’s Day!
The post An Appreciation of Fathers and of My Dad appeared first on Art Biz Success.
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