AmericanLifestyleM048C1ICM

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AMERICAN LIFESTYLETHE MAGAZINE CELEBRATING LIFE IN AMERICA

Compliments of Dan Shanner

Sandwich Sampler - pg. 28 | Cherry Blossom Festival - pg. 16 | Tailored Safari - pg. 6 | Honey, Honey: The Art of Beekeeping - pg. 22

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Dear Bill and Judy,

Welcome to American Lifestyle magazine!

I wanted to take the opportunity to connect and share this terrific gift as a thank you for your continued support through business and refer-

rals. American Lifestyle is a celebration of the flavor and flair of life in the United States, and takes the reader on a journey of the nations

sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. This 48-page publication features articles on interior design, travel, technology, restaurants, and culture.

Entertaining writing coupled with gorgeous photography makes this magazine a must read.

I hope you will enjoy receiving this magazine periodically and that you will allow me to continue to provide great service to you in the future.Please feel free to share this issue with friends and colleagues. I would love to hear what they think of the magazine too.

Thank you again for always keeping me in mind.

Dan Shanner

Dan ShannerThe Shanner Group

Toll Free: (866) 458-4226

Office: (610) 878-5000

Fax: (610) 878-2000

E-mail: [email protected]

www.remindermedia.com

The Shanner Group1100 First AvenueSuite 200King of Prussia, PA 19406

Dan ShannerToll Free: (866) 458-4226Ofce: (610) 878-5000Fax: (610) 878-2000



Front of Tear Out Card 1

Back of Tear Out Card 1


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CONTENTS

10

22

22

28

36

44

16

Tailored SafariTHE INTIMATE IN THE INFINITE

At Shambala Private Game Reser ve, a two-and-a-half- hour drive north o fJohannesburg, visitors can tailor their saf ari to their pe rsonal tastes.

Speed of AmericaTHE APPEAL OF HOT RODS

Article excerpted f rom Hot Rods by Alan Mayes (Motorboo ks, 2010).

Honey, HoneyTHE ART OF BEEKEEPING

After being introduced t o the beekeeping life style at thirteen years old,Ted Dennard has had a relentless passion for bees.

Field of CherriesWASHINGTON, D.C. CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

The Cherry Blossom Festival marks springtime in the nations capital,and represents the relationship between Japan and the United States.

Sandwich SamplerDELICIOUS PICKS FOR ANY MEAL OF THE DAY

Recipes excerpted from 400 Best Sandwich Recipes by Alison Lewis 2011 Robert Rose Inc. (www.robertrose.ca) Reprinted with permission.All rights reser ved.

Reality ShowTHE ART OF ADAM VINSONSometimes described as a trompe loeil painter, Vinson likes paintingelements like masking tape to further fool his audience.

Hip SophisticateANTIQUE AND VINTAGE IN A MODERN WORLD

Californian designer Rozalynn Woods creates a home that meldshearty and rough with elegant sparkle.

THE ART OF BEE KEEPING


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CErTAiN jOurNEyS, ChArACTErS, and

settings jump out as romantic because they

go ar beyond our everyday lives into the

worlds o our imagination. A South Arican

saariwith many exhilarating yet relaxing

optionseasily moves into that romantic

world o the imagination.

Its not just any South Arican saari that can

accomplish this eat: Some saaris are cookie-

cutter experiences shared by large numbers

o guests, set schedules, and game drives rig-

idly set or two or our oclock. At ShambalaPrivate Game Reserve, a two-and-a-hal-

hour drive north o Johannesburg, only eight

Zulu-style chalets exist or guest accommo-

dations, so you denitely wont be sharing

your experience with a crowd. Youll choose

the times you want your meals, whether you

want a game drive beore or aer breakast,

and whether you sit down in the evening to a

silver-service dinner or an open-air barbecue.

WiLDLiFE ViEWiNG

Shambala covers 30,000 acres o natural

landscape in South Aricas Limpopo Prov-

ince. Located in the picturesque central re-

gion o the Waterberg Mountains, where the

climate is sub-tropical and pleasant or most

o the year, it is home to Aricas amous Big

Fivethe leopard, lion, elephant, black and

white rhino, and bualo. Other wildlie in-

habit these grounds like numerous antelope

species, including the endangered sable an-

telope, black impala, and tsessebe, plus the

Cape mountain zebra, cheetah, spotted hy-

ena, hippos, eland, ostriches, and a unique

population o Nile crocodiles.

Te South Arican all (the American spring)

is the optimum time or seeing wildlie: Te

animals are more active when the weather

isnt as warm, and theyre more easily seen

when the grasses arent so high. While close-

up game viewing in a very small group, with

highly qualied, experienced guides and

game rangers, is the biggest thrill o Sham-

bala, visitors are not permitted to go on un-

accompanied walks among the many species

At Shambala Priv ate Game Reserve, a two-and-a- half-hour d rive north ofJohannesburg, vi sitors can t ailor their safari to t heir person al tastes.

T H E I N T I M A T E I N T H E I N F I N I T E

text:MARTHA STEGER photography:SHAMBALA GAME RESERVE

Tailored Safario wildlie roaming reely on the reserve, or

saety reasons.

Te elephants, on which Shambala guests

take early-morning game drives, were origi-

nally relocated here rom Zimbabwe, where

their existence was under severe threat. Tey

are trained and cared or by their experienced

trainers, with whom they have a close bond.

Each elephant responds to its name and has

its own personalitybut elephant-saari

manager Fritz Lichtenberg cautions these are

wild animals that spend the majority o everyday out on the savannah.

Count on seeing a ew animals that you might

never have heard o previouslyblesbok, dui-

ker, gemsbok, kudu, nyala, and steenb ok. You

will easily spot the tall, elegant girae, herds

o wildebeest, and troops o zebra, but bush

pigs are harder to see as they trot through the

underbrush with their sti, little tails point-

ing upwards. Caracal and large-spotted genet

are among the smaller cats, and you might

even be lucky and see a porcupine with its

quills erect, or a leopard tortoise lumbering

along. A guide will point out the conservancy

camp or raising various species o animals,

such as the wild dog, whose numbers have

greatly declined.

As or birds in this bushveld setting with the

Frikkie-se-loop River running through it,

you awaken to the plaintive calls o the sh

eagles, see the regal steppe buzzard and red-

winged starling among others during the day,

and go to sleep with the so trilling sound

o the nightjar, a relative o the seldom-seen

but oen-heard North American whippoor-

will. When youre out on a saari, youll note

the red-billed oxpeckers on the rhinos backs,

which remove insects as the large animal

kicks up dust in walking.

ArriViNG, rELAXiNG, DiNiNG

Along Route 33, aer the town o Vaalwater

but beore Shambala appears, purple lav-

ender grows in the native sandstone soil in

summer, as well as young peach trees and

Located in the picturesque

central region o the Waterberg

Mountains, where the climate

is sub-tropical and pleasant or

most o the year, it is home to

Aricas amous Big Fivethe

leopard, lion, elephant, black and

white rhino, and bualo.

TrAVEL

Martha Steger


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8 AL 9

vineyards. Youll take a slow drive through

shallow waters to the distinctive entrance or

Shambala, at once impressive or its thatched

Zulu-dome design and completely natural or

its surroundings that allow wildlie to thrive.

(Wire mesh covers all thatching throughout

the camp to prevent baboon damage.)

Its hard to resist an aernoons open, land-

cruiser saari upon arrival at Shambala; but

the schedule is completely tailored to you. I

you want a spa treatment or a rereshing dip

in the plunge pool rst, a driver and guide

will oblige you with the driving saari some-

time beore dinneror you need not take a

drive at all on your day o arrival.

A single or couples spa treatment including

extracts o the indigenous ynbos plant is a

luxurious way to wind down in the bushveld.

ake something rom the spas rereshment

bar out onto the wooden deck adjoining the

treatment rooms, and enjoy the views o the

riverbed, with the sound o the water as theperect backdrop or relaxing.

Te world-class ches here will seek your ood

preerences upon arrivala three-, our-,

or ve-course dinner o Arican delicacies

such as game, South Arican lamb, boere-

wors (spicy, South Arican armers sausage

seasoned with coriander and cumin)or

whatever your heart desires. Each course will

be paired with a wine rom classic vintages

o the renowned Western Cape wineries and

international wine estates. rying the tradi-

tional South Arican dessert (a milk tart, a-

vored with vanilla and cinnamon) is a must,

as is sampling Amarula, the South Arican

liqueur made rom a ermented, indigenous

ruit, distilled to get the alcohol content, and

then mixed with cream.

Aer dinner, enjoy your Amarula or some

other nightcap in the lapa (cooking/dining)

area, where a re is lit every evening to take

in the great Arican sky. Youll note Venus

higher above the horizon in the southern

hemisphere than it is in the United States.

Even a ew minutes in the Arican bush

under the Milky Way is magical; and, de-pending on the weather and time o year,

you can have a grand view o the Southern

Cross constellation.

With its own private entrance, each chalet,

decorated in chic Aro-French Provincial

style, is spacious, with a dressing room lead-

ing to a large bath and an enclosed outdoor

showera anciul experience where you can

hear the squawky Hadeda Ibis in the savan-

nah beyond as you shower. Te doors rom

the bathroom open out onto a wooden deck

with views o the surrounding bushan in-

spiring way to open a new day.

Your imagination gets many indulgencesat Shambala: A che will pack you a gour-

met picnic or an unorgettable lunch in the

bush. But thepice de rsistance has to be the

sundowner cruise on the Steyn Dam, where

you enjoy rereshments while the hippos irt

with you as their eyes bob up and down rom

beneath the waters suraceand the bush-

veld slowly turns to dark. Beore you depart

Shambala, arrange to drive by Nelson Man-

delas Centre or Reconciliation, which Mr.

Steyn had built or the Arican leader and

Nobel Peace Prize winner. Seeing it reinorc-

es the English translation o the ibetan word

Shambala: paradise on earth.

AL : : www.sambalagameeseve.com

Martha Steger is a Midlothian, Virginia-based member of theSociety of American Travel Writers.

South Arican Airways oers excellent service into Johannes-

burgs ambo International Airport rom the States.

Te Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas, and Spa in Johannesburg

voted the Worlds Leading Hotel every year since 2001

makes an excellent base or your stay beore and aer visiting

Shambala. Owned by the same major South Arican business

leader who owns Shambala (Douw Steyn), the hotel is located

on a quiet, tree-lined avenue in the Sandhurst suburb, close to

Sandton, the citys upmarket business area.

Originally designed in 1990 as a private residence or Mr.

Steyn, this idyllic spot with ten acres o gardens is where Nel-

son Mandela edited his best-selling autobiography, A Long

Walk to Freedom. Sta will arrange or your airport pick-up

and your transportation to Shambala. Premium Presidential

Suites and the Nelson Mandela Platinum Suite include the

service o proessional butlers, who are in attendance at all

hours. Te ull breakast buet and a ew hours at the hotel

spa are not-to-be-missed experiences. A well-stocked library,

decorated in Arican motis, is a haven o peace and quiet.

o make your South Arican journey complete, add two

nights in Cape own, a two-hour ight rom Johannesburg.

Plan to use Te Last Word Constantia as a very gracious, in-

timate, ve-star accommodation and a convenient base or

enjoying local vineyards, tranquil gardens (one o which is at

this hotel), and, o course, the scenic beauty o able Moun-

tain and Cape Point. Te hotel employs an excellent driver

who speaks very good English and knows his way around the

Western Cape or your personal explorations. I youre tired

and dont care to venture ar aer returning rom an active

day, Peddlars on the Bend, next door to the hotel, oers an

excellent, reasonably priced menu including British avorites

such as sh and chips.

www.saxon.co.za

www.telastwod.co.za

www.flsaa.com

BOOkENDS FOr A SOuTh AFriCAN jOurNEy

Joh ann esb urg and Cap e To wn:

above

An outdoor sitting area at the Saxon Boutique

Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa.

above

Pastries and cakes are served for high

tea at Saxon Boutique Hotel.

below

Judy Maconachie, the Irish gardener

at The Last Word, stops to admire a

flowering shrub on the hotel grounds.

below

Dining room tables set for mealtime at the

Shambala Game Reserve.

WiTh iTS OWN priVATE ENTrANCE, EACh ChALET, DECOrATED iN ChiC

Afro- French Provi ncial style , is spaci ous, with a dres sing r oom l eading to a

large bath and an enclosed outdoor shower.

Martha Steger

Saxon Boutique Hotel Saxon Boutique Hotel


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10 AL 11

Article ex cerpted fr om Hot Rods by Alan Mayes (Motorbooks, 2010)

T H E A P P E A L O F H O T R O D S

text:ALAN MAYES photography:AS NOTED

Speed of America

hOT rODS ArE CArS MADE by and or a

chosen ew. Not everyone has the personal-

ity or stamina to drive a hot rod. Tey are

extremely basic; little more than wheels, an

engine, a steering wheel, and a seat plus the

bare necessities required to hold those ele-

ments together in a unctional vehicle. Or, in

some cases, a dysunctional vehicle. Most o

them are noisy, they oen rattle, they may be

dusty, and sometimes they stink o gas and oil

and exhaust umes. Te prim and proper will

not like them.

Hot rods belong to America. Tey were in-

vented i n Americ a; the y were developed by

Americans, utilizing American cars and

American ingenuity. Tere are hot rods in

other countries, o course, but nearly all

o them are built rom American cars with

American engines and American speed

equipment. Even in Japan, New Zealand,

France, or Sweden, hot rods are American.

No oyotas, no Volvos, no Peugeots; just

Fords, Chevys, Plymouths, and Willys, with

ew exceptions.

Hot rods were the brainchildren o Ameri-can servicemen returning rom World War

II. Tese were restless men with extra money,

a lot o time on their hands, and a quest or

speed and power ueled by their experiences

in war. Well, thats the popular story anyway.

Tat story doesnt explain all the hot rodded

Model s that were running on tracks and

back roads in the 1920s and 1930s. Nor does

it explain the 1930 Ford roadster that has

been a hot rod since 1936, nine years beore

the end o World War II (and ve years beore

the United States even entered the war). Te

truth is, hot rods have been around in some

orm almost since the automobiles birth.

Ever hear o a guy named Henry Ford? He

and other early automotive pioneers were

building hot rodsstripped-down versions

o their production carsas early as 1901 in

order to create publicity and raise unds or

their edgling car companies. Tose were the

beginnings o hot rods, and early hot rodders

ollowed in that vein.

Te glamorous, sunny, and warm climate o

Southern Caliornia was the original hot bed

o hot rodding. Te areas dry lake beds o-

ered miles o wide-open, at spaces where

hot rodders could test both their mettle andtheir metal. Drivers worked on their cars

during the week and drove them back and

orth to work too. Ten on the weekend,

CuLTurE

aboveMake: 1929 Ford roadster (rat rod)

Owner: Lou Lewis

Builder: Gary Monday/Lou Lewis

Engine: 1973 Chevy 350

Craig Mayes


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12 AL 13

theyd drive out to the dry lakes and test the

weeks work. On Sunday, aer all the racing

was done, theyd go back home and start the

whole cycle again.

Caliornia was only one o many hot rod

hubs, though. Rodders in the East and Mid-

west were doing the same things but test-

ing their cars on the beaches o Florida and

South Carolina or on Michigans rozen lakes

or Kentuckys back roads. No matter where

they were, the procedures and results were

the same.

Stripping the non-critical partsenders,

running boards, extra seats, tops on roadsters,

bumperswas the same as buying horse-

power except that it was ree or a ew hours

o labor spent unbolting all those heavy parts.

aking o ten percent o the cars weight was

Plainly put, a

traditional hot rod

transcends time rames.

Even looking at its

details closely, it will

be diicult or

impossible to discern

exactly when it was

built. hats because

it will have a timeless

design and execution

that ignores all ads and

short-lived trends.

These were restless men with exta mone, a lot of time on their hands, and a quest forspeed and powerfeled by their experiences in war.

the equivalent to raising the horsepower by

ten percent. Lowering the weight not only

made the car go aster, it made it handle bet-

ter, and it stopped better too because the

brakes were slowing down a smaller mass. O

course, that mass was capable o going aster,

so it might have been a tradeo! More horse-

power was added by hopping up the existing

engine or swapping in a more powerul one

rom a dierent car.

Most guys did their own work and helped

their buddies do the same. Early hot rod

clubs, some o which have survived sixty

years, were ormed around this camarade-

rie. Tey shared tools, knowledge, and skills

to help ellow club members accomplish the

goal o all hot rodders: to go as ast as pos-

sible with what they have.

TrADiTiONAL hOT rODS

Te name traditional hot rod has been ban-

died about quite a bit lately, and not neces-

sarily with a lot o clarity. Its used to describe

everything rom old survivor hot rods rom

the early days to berglass street rods to rat

rods to 57 Chevys. Obviously, unless tradi-

tional hot rod is a vague term with all the

meaning o car, those are not all traditional

hot rods. Also obvious is that there is no o-

cial meaning o the term, but rather a gen-erally accepted understanding shared by a

majority o hot rodders.

Plainly put, a traditional hot rod transcends

time rames. Even looking at its details close-

ly, it will be difcult or impossible to discern

exactly when it was built. Tats because it

will have a timeless design and execution that

ignores all ads and short-lived trends.

raditional hot rods, as a matter o denition,

ollow traditionspecically the traditions

set orth by early hot rodders. Tose were

pretty simple. Basically, they took an early

car, usually a roadster or coupe, and stripped

it o every unnecessary part that didnt make

it go, stop, or steer. Ten they did everything

in their power (and budget) to make the car

go as ast as it would go in a straight line or

on a curvy road.

With one or two exceptions, most o these

cars seldom, i ever, see a trailer, and they

are driven quite a bit because their ownersbuilt them or that purpose. Tey rightly as-

sume that it is pointless to build a hot rod

that is not going to be driven. Wheres the un

in that?

ShOW rODS

Ah, show rods. What gearhead among us

does not have memories o attending a World

o Wheels, Autorama, Motorama, or Caval-

cade o Customs as a child, staring longing-

ly at the wild creations on the other side o

those velvet ropes? Show rods were the main-

stays and the drawing power to those indoor

car shows, oen held in colder climes in the

Far-out paint schemes;

unathomable driving

positions; crushed-velvet,

diamond-tuck, overstued

seats; tires wider than those

on any drivable street

veh icl e; and chr ome,

chrome, and more chrome.

Rolling antasies, thats

what show rods were.

top left

Make: 1934 Ford pickup (traditional rod)

Owner: Scott Karuza

Builder: Fred Stoke/Scott Karuza


right

Make: 1929 Ford roadster El Tiki (show rod)

Owner: John Cooper

Builder : Tom Culber tson

Engine: 1955 Oldsmobile 324 V-8

Mitzi Valenzuela

Craig Mayes


8/26

14 AL 15

winter. Tey also sold millions o model kits

or companies like Monogram and Revell.

Far-out paint schemes; unathomable driv-

ing positions; crushed-velvet, diamond-tuck,

overstued seats; tires wider than those on

any drivable street vehicle; and chrome,

chrome, and more chrome. Rolling antasies,

thats what show rods were. Tey still are.

Show rods are the result o artistic inspira-

tion. Ironically, they also serve as artistic in-

spiration or others.

rAT rODS

Cars dened as rat rods make up probably

the single most polarizing category to ever

enter the realm o hot rods. Teir wildre-

like spread and acceptance have taken the

rodding world by storm, pulling new ans in

and alienating some old-time hot rodders at

the same time.

Although some o the milder rat rods are sim-

ilar in appearance to what were once calledbeaters or jalopies, the more radical vehicles

are a game unto themselves. Te term rat

rod was originally coined as a derogatory

distinction, but it has since gained accep-

tance as a general term, though certainly not

an easily dened one.

Its somewhat humorous that several indi-

viduals claim to have coined the term or built

and owned the cars that started the trend. As

ar as the name goes, who knows? And how

would we be able to tell? As ar as the cars

themselves, the cars that some people claim

to have started the trend are no dierent than

cars that have been running around hot rod

circles or y yearsbare-bones, primered

cars with a little road wear, some dust, and

maybe a ew dents; in other words, hot rods

that have been on the road awhile and driven

hard. Look in any o Albert Drakes excellent

books chronicling the early days o hot rods,

and youll see the same cars.

Rat rods o today have transcended the tra-

ditional hot rod category and have become

somewhat o an art orm. Some owners

at one end o the spectrum think that any ve-hicle (even a 94 Chevy S-10) thats in primer

or rusty is a rat rod. Tose people are wrong.

Te other end o the range goes to great eort

to create a one-o-a-kind car that is sometimes

barely drivable. Open, ear-level exhausts; rust

(sometimes even helped along by applying

salt water to the bare body); severely chopped

roos; missing windows; oorboards ull

o holes; and uncomortable seats are the

norm at the radical end o the spectrum.

Mad Max would be araid to ride in some o

these cars.

AL :: www.motoboos.com

Lowering the weight not only

made the car go aster, it

made it handle better, and it

stopped better too because the

brakes were slowing down a

smaller mass. O course, that

mass was capable o going

aster, so it might have

been a tradeo!

hot ods belong to America. They were invented inAmerica; they were developed by Americans, utilizing American cars

and Americanngent.

top of page

Make: Fritz Schencks Outlawclone (show rod)

Owner: Fritz Schenck

Builder: Fritz Schenck

Engine: 1950 Cadillac 331

above

Make: 1928 Ford pickup (rat rod)

Owner: Rod Hadfield

Builder: Rod HadfieldEngine: 1948 Lincoln V-12

top of page rightMake: 1931 Ford roaster (traditional rod)

Owner: Roy Caruthers

Builder: Roy Caruthers

Engine: 1949 Ford flathead

above

Make: 1929 Ford roadster (rat rod)

Owner: Sammy Vildosola

Builder: Sammy Vildosola


Alan Mayes

Anna Marco

Alan Mayes

Anna Marco


9/26

16 AL 17

FLOWEriNG ChErry BLOSSOM trees have

become synonymous with springtime in

Washington, D.C., with the National Cher-

ry Blossom Festival acting as the unoicial

marker o the changing o seasons. People

worldwide gather at the nations capital dur-

ing the weeks surrounding the peak bloom-

ing period to watch the swarm o cherry

blossoms burst open and spread like wildire

across Potomac Park, raming the already

impressive landmarks and architecture in a

sea o pink and white. Although the natural

beauty o the budding trees takes center stage

at the annual estival, it is the historical story

behind the trees that has people gathering in

the irst place.

Long beore the blossoming trees graced the

Potomac banks, Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore

and Dr. David Fairchild began planting seeds

or the present-day ield o cherries. Inlu-

enced by the beautiication movement sweep-

ing through the nations capital at the turn o

the century, the renowned travel writer and

the agricultural explorer or the United States

Department o Agriculture (respectully) had

allen smitten with cherry blossoms during

visits to Japan, and bot h longed to transorm

Washingtons Potomac Park with the lively

oreign blooms. Scidmore spent twenty-ouryears pitching the notion to government o-

icials to no avail, while Fairchild used the

lourishing Japanese cherry trees he planted

at his Maryland estate to gain press attention

and popularize the plant. By 1909, the idea

inally began to take root ater a note to the

then First Lady, Mrs. Helen at, sparked ull

support rom the White House.

News quickly spread that the First Lady

wanted to adorn Washington, D.C., with im-

ported Japanese lowering trees, inspiring the

Japanese government to donate 2,000 cherry

trees in honor o the growing riendship be-

tween the two nations. Led by Dr. Jokichi

akamine (a world-amous chemist) and

Yukio Ozaki (the mayor o okyo), the git

intended to show appreciation to the United

States government or the kindness shown to

The Cherry Blossom Festival marks springtime in the nations capital, andrepresents the relationship between Japan and the United States.

W A S H I N G T O N , D . C . C H E R R Y B L O S S O M F E S T I V A Ltext: MARIE PENN photography:NATIONAL C HERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Field of CherrieshiSTOry

Although the natural

beauty o the budding

trees takes center stage

at the annual estival,

it is the historical story

behind the trees that

has people gathering in

the irst place.


10/26

18 AL 19

Japan during the Russo-Japanese war. Un-

ortunately, when the botanical shipment ar-

rived to the States in 1910, the trees suered

rom insects and disease, and had to be de-

stroyed in order to protect American growers

against oreign pests.

Undeterred by the setback, Japanese oicials

donated a second batch o 3,020 cherry trees

rom twelve varieties two years later, super-

vising the selection o trees to assure the

U.S.D.A. that the specimens were pest-ree.

Deemed to be ideal, the second reight wasgraciously accepted on behal o the United

States. On March 27, 1912, First Lady at

and the Viscountess Chinda, wie o the

Japanese ambassador, planted the irst two

cherry trees on the northern bank o the

idal Basin in West Potomac Park, solidiy-

ing the cherry blossom tree as the living sym-

bol o riendship between the Japanese and

American peoples.

he National Cherry Blossom Festival is

held every spring to commemorate this en-

during riendship. Considered to be one o

the nations greatest springtime celebrations,

the estival spans several weeks, straddling

March into April, and includes daily eventspromoting the beauty o nature and interna-

tional camaraderie. More than one million

people visit with riends and amily annually

to admire the blossoming cherry trees and

relish in the array o diverse entertainment.

ChErry-FiLLED CuLTurE

he estival kicks o with a ruitul display

o cultural excitementrom Family Day

and the Opening Ceremony to the peror-

mance stages that line the National Mall,

there is something or everyone to enjoy.

One o the largest spectator events during

the estival is the energy-illed parade which

bursts down historic Constitution Avenue in

a grand spectacle o music and showmanship.

Gigantic blossom-shaped balloons and Japa-

nese lanterns swarm the sky, accompanying

the two-hour procession o grandiose loats,

celebrity talent, and special production

numbers. Following the parade is an equal-

ly monumental aairthe Sakura Matsuri

Japanese Street Festival. As Americas largest

one-day exhibition o Japanese culture, both

contemporary and traditional elements are

represented throughout the marketplace, live

perormances, and hands-on demonstrationso Japanese arts and culture.

One o the largest spectator events

during the estival is the energy-illed

parade which bursts down historic

Constitution Avenue in a grand spectacle

o music and showmanship. Gigantic

blossom-shaped balloons and Japanese

lanterns swarm the sky, accompanying

the two-hour procession o grandiose

loats, celebrity talent, and special

production numbers.

More than one million people visit with fends and family annually to admire theblossomng ce tees and relish in the array of diverse entertainment.

Simon Williams

Ron Engle

Ron Engle


11/26

20 AL 21

BLOSSOMiNG ArTiSTS

he perorming arts continues to energize

the crowd throughout the entire estival,

using lively interactive entertainment to en-

hance the experience o being surrounded by

beautiul cherry blossoms. he daily eclectic

perormances on the Sylvan heater Stage

eature music rom soloists and bands, per-

ormances rom dancers and drummers, and

much more. he Cherry Blast: Art and Music

Dance Party is one o the many venues whereyou can delight in multiple displays o the

arts in one shot. hanks to the creative work

o D.C.-based curators in the realms o music,

FESTiVAL FOr FOODiES

Area ches know that nothing triggers com-

munity spirit quite like ood easts. So to

celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festi-

val, restaurants oer Cherry Picksalluring

entres, desserts, and cocktails that boast a

special cherry twistthroughout the sig-

nature springtime event. he estivals Pink

ie Party undraiser eatures an eight-course

progressive tasting menu geared aroundsome o these delicious cherry- and blossom-

inspired dishes, prepared by rising-star ches

who represent Metro D.C.s diverse neighbor-

hoods. Another popular culinary tradition

is the Gala Dinner Cruise aboard the Odys-

sey. While gliding along the Potomac River,

guests can take pleasure in a wonderul eve-

ning illed with great ood and entertainment

while drinking in the nighttime views o the

breathtaking cherry trees.

CENTENNiAL CELEBrATiON

As monumental as the estival is every year,event oicials anticipate the 2012 National

Cherry Blossom Festival to be an unprec-

edented and once-in-a-lietime celebration,

marking one hundred years since the histor-

ical git-giving o cherry trees. o honor the

beloved botanical treasures, and to celebrate

this living reminder o international riend-

ship and the beauty o nature, the centennial

estival plans to expand into an epic ive-

week spectacular, rom March 20 though

April 27, that will uniy and electriy the city,

the nation, and the world. Signature events

will be enhanced with creativity and innova-tion while ground-breaking programs and

new highlights, like a historical tree planting

reenactment, will be added to ensure that

this years exposition amazes and delights

the community with timeless traditions and

rich cultural experiences. he extravagant

production throughout the Centennial

National Cherry Blossom Festival is sure to

set the right tone or the next one hundred

springtime celebrations to come.

AL :: www.natonalceblossomfestval.og

visual art, and perormance, t he multimedia

event gathers the sounds o the latest bands

and musicians or people to enjoy while ex-

ploring an art gallery o display exhibitions.

While savoring all o the artistic experiences

at the National Cherry Blossom Festival, at-

tendees are encouraged to pick up a camera

and participate in the annual photo contest.

Participants are invited to submit images that

capture the essence o the estivalbe it thenatural beauty o the environment, the un-

paralleled entertainment, or the community

spirit that permeates through every event.

pArTiCipANTS ArE iNViTED TO SuBMiT iMAGES

that capture the essence of the festivalbe it the

natural beauty of the environment, the

unparalleled entertainment, or the communityspirit that permeates through every event.

David Luria David Luria


12/26

22 AL 23

After being introduced to the beekeeping li festyle at thi rteen years ol d,Ted Dennard has had a relentless passion for bees.

T H E A R T O F B E E K E E P I N G

text:ELLIE LAWRENCE photography:SAVANNAH BEE COMPANY

Honey, Honey

here were dierent colored

honey in dierent parts o the

ramekind o like how stained

glass looks. here was red honey,amber honey, and even green

honey. Youd put your inger in

one and taste it, and it would

taste dierent than the next one.

It was so cool to meits still

cool to me.

TED DENNArDS pASSiON or honeybees

is inectious. From his narrative descrip-

tion o how worker bees an their wings over

nectar-illed honeycomb cells to boost sugar

concentrations, to how he goes on and on in

great detail about the subtle nuances within

the varying types o honey, one cant help but

want to view the honeybee through the same

enamored perspective.

For a man who has ollowed honeybees his

whole lie, this ervent sentiment comes nat-

urally. ed was irst introduced to the liestyle

at thirteen years old when beekeeper Roy

Hightower approached the Dennard amily

in search o sites suitable or gathering honey

rom white tupelo trees. Ater receiving per-

mission to keep his bees on their one hun-

dred acres o orested property o the coast

o Georgia, Roy took the young boy under

his wing; and together, they would spend

their weekends in the swamps diving into the

hives. I never thought that much about bees

beore Old Roy came along. But once he did,

I was completely interested. I couldnt wait to

go out and look in a beehive, describes ed.

What I remember hooking me was just pull-

ing a rame o honeycomb out o the bee box,

and putting it against the sun. here were

dierent colored honey in dierent parts o

the ramekind o like how stained glass

looks. here were red honey, amber honey,

and even green honey. Youd put your inger

in one and taste it, and it would taste dierent

than the next one. It was so cool to meits

still cool to me.

And so a young apiculturist was born. ed

kept Roys bees throughout high school and

into his collegiate career. While attending

Sewanee, a small liberal arts school in en-

nessee, ed rented a cabin rom a retired

minister and ellow beekeeper, who taught

the student endless acts about bees while

they worked the hives. I learned the love o

Those few jars flew off the shelf,

and Dennards rich honey quickly

became a hot commodt.

NATurE


13/26

24 AL 25

honey through Old Roy, but I learned how

ascinating honeybees were rom this retired

minister, ed remembers, as he goes on a

act-illed tangent about queen honeybees.

(Did you know that the queen can lay 3,000

eggs a day?)

Ater graduating college with a philosophy

and religion degree, ed ollowed the insect

overseas to Jamaica where he taught beekeep-

ing to village armers or the Peace Corps.

here were over one hundred beekeepers

whom I visited, some more regularly than

others, and I taught about that many kids

in schools, recounts ed. I would be up in

some small, remote mountain community

teaching beekeeping, working with beekeep-

ers, building beehives, and climbing big trees

to cut hives down. It was beautiul and un

hard work. And at that point, I learned to

love the keeping o the bees and the actual art

o beekeeping.

Although deeply engrossed in the hobby, ed

ollowed every avenue except beekeeping

when it came time to start a career. When

I was thinking about what I was going to do

with my lie, I literally wrote down on a piece

o paper everything that I loved and was pas-

sionate about, and I just crossed out beekeep-ing, admits ed. I never wanted to do it or

money. I didnt want to ever adulterate that

love or bees and beekeeping. Instead, he

chose to juggle multiple miscellaneous jobs

to uel his pastimeoperating a wilderness

adventure company in Colorado, resurac-

ing countertops and bathtubs in the Georgia

heat, taking adjudicated youth out on week-

long wilderness therapy trips, and even mild-

ly lipping cheap houses with his brother.

When asked how the beekeeper, steadast

about keeping avocation out o his vocation,

ended up establishing a thriving honey op-

eration, ed answers truthully: I am one o

those people who backs into just about every-

thing they do in lie, and this business was

no dierent. I did not mean or it to startit

just happened. he beekeeper narrates the

ateul day back in 1999 when his roommates

held an intervention to convince the hesitant

salesman to sell his home-extracted tupelo

honey at a riends store in Savannah. hose

ew jars lew o the shel, and Dennards rich

honey quickly became a hot commodity.

In between his day jobs, ed would bottle

his honey in their kitchensqueezing the

honey out, spinning the rames in an extrac-

tor, iltering the collected honey through

cheese cloth into a bucket, transerring the

buckets contents into an iced tea pitcher, and

inally pouring honey into jars aixed with

hand-painted and color-copied, taped-on la-

bels. Ater two years o selling his product in

over twenty-ive high end grocery stores and

cheese shops, ed was ready to concentrate

on the business ull time.

I told mysel I am going to give this busi-

ness one year. I it is going to ail, I want it to

ail in the irst year. I am not dragging this on

anymore. I need to igure out w hat I am going

to do in this world, ed rationalizes. In 2002,

armed with his irst price sheet and no busi-

ness plan, he quit every other job and ocused

only on honey. en years and our Savannah

Bee Company retail stores later, ed has suc-

cessully expanded his reach to include tenvarieties o honey along with a line o natural

and organic body care products.

ThE ArT OF BEEkEEpiNG

Whether in the Caribbean mountains or

standing in the Georgia swamps, gathering

honey has always been more o an art orm

or ed. o harvest rare tupelo honey, or in-

stance, he takes his ew boxes o beeseach

stack o boxes being one colony, comprised

o one queen and up to 80,000 workersand

moves them to where the trees are about to

bloom. he tupelo tree only grows in the

rivers, along the banks o rivers where the

Cyprus trees grow, rom the South Carolina-

Georgia border down the coast and over to

West Florida, inorms ed, whose honey is

mostly derived rom trees rather than ground

lowers. So youre having to wait around in

In between his day jobs,

ed would bottle his

honey in their kitchen

squeezing the honey out,

spinning the rames in

an extractor,

iltering the collected

honey through cheese

cloth into a bucket,

transerring the buckets

contents into an iced

tea pitcher, and inallypouring honey into jars

aixed with hand-painted

and color-copied,

taped-on labels.


14/26

26 AL 27

the swampswhich has its own haunting

beautyas you watch and watch or the trees

to bloom. Once you see these lowers opening,

the bees start bringing in the tupelo nectar.

he bees have something called lower idel-

ity, so once the bees determine the best source

o nectar, that is where they go to until that

best source is no longer available. hen they

move onto the next best source o nectar. You

have to be really watchul, he continues. It

is a lot more o an art than a science. As soon

as they stop bringing in the tupelo honeyas

soon as you see those lowers dropping o orthe bees have moved onto a dierent source

o nectaryou take those honey boxes o,

isolate and separate them, and then extract

that honey together so that you pretty much

guarantee youre making pure t upelo honey.

he modern process o extracting honey uses

the same tried-and-true equipment that has

been in place orevera box with eight to

ten rames, a veil, and a smoker. he smoke

covers up the alarm pheromone, which warns

the other bees to be on the deense, while the

beekeeper removes the honey-illed rames.

Every hive has its own personality. You

might have one that is as sweet as pie, and

you might have another that will sting youright as you pop the top, explains ed. But

youll get stung no matter what when you are

robbing honey, as we call it. At some point,

you and the bees are just overwhelmed; and

the bees just quit stinging, and you stop car-

ing i you get stung anymore.

Even in the midst o this chaos, ed views

beekeeping as a zen-like activity. Similar to i

youve ever rock climbed or scuba dived, you

are not thinking about anything except that

moment. You just get lost in it, the southern

man illustrates. here is something almost

therapeutic and meditative about going in

beehivesthe colors o the bees, their little

shaking movement, their sound, and the

smell o the ripening honey. Youll think

youve been working the bees or an hour,

and it will end up having been our hours.

hey are just enthralling little creatures, and

the more you learn about them, the more you

appreciate them.

he same can be said about the variety o

honey available at Savannah Bee Company

the more types you taste, the more you are

able to appreciate the subtle characteristics

that make each one unique. Every honey

has its own lavor. he tupelo has a buttery

sweetness that you taste on the back o your

tongue where as the orange blossom honey

has more o a candy-like sweetness with a

hint o citrus. ed reports that the only ac-tor which determines the color, texture, la-

vor, and ragrance o t he honey is the lower

nectar. he sourwood nectar, or instance, is

collected rom sourwood trees growing in

the high elevation o the southern Appala-

chian Mountains and is light brown in color

with a slight purple tintthis darker honey

has a gingerbread-maple spice combination

o lavors that has won the World Honey

Show multiple times. he black sage honey,

on the other hand, is really light in color, and

is made rom sage bushes in the lower Sierra

Nevada mountains o Southern Caliornia

its mineral, earthy taste is almost polarizing,

and people either love it or dont like it at all.

When I look back at my lie, relects the api-

culturist, two things amaze me: irst, the act

that one little contact with honeybees at thir-

teen years old has expanded to become such

a huge thing to me; and secondly, the act that

it took me this long to igure out that this was

my calling in lie. But in the end, discerning

palates are thankul his meandering journey

panned out so sweetly. People nationwide are

enjoying Savannah Bees raw honeycombs,

beeswax hand creams, and every artisan hon-

ey in between, while the humble beekeeper

rejoices in being able to share his passion

with everyone he meets. Perhaps in doing so,

hell be passing along the liestyle to the next

generation o beekeepers, like Old Roy did

or him way back when.

AL :: www.savannabee.com

he modern process o

extracting honey uses the same

tried-and-true equipment

that has been in place

orevera box with eight to ten

rames, a veil, and a

smoker. he smoke covers upthe alarm pheromone,

which warns the other bees

to be on the deense, while

the beekeeper removes the

honey-illed rames.

ThErE iS SOMEThiNG ALMOST ThErApEuTiC AND

meditative about going in beehives

the colors of the bees, their little shaking

movement, their sound, and the

smell of the ripening honey.


15/26

28 AL 29

cooking instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F.

Inasmallbowl,combinemayonnaiseandgoatcheese.

Cover, and rerigerate until ready to serve.

Placesquash,zucchi ni,andtomatoesonalargebaking

sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

Place in preheated oven, tossing occasionally, or 20 to 25

minutes or until tender.

Spreadmayonnaisemixtureequallyoveronesideofbread

slices. op 4 slices equally with roasted vegetables, avocados,

sprouts, and remaining bread slices, pressing together gently.

Serve immediately.

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SANDWICHES. I LOVE THE SIMPLICITY OF GOAT CHEESE AND

MAYONNAISE AS THE SPREAD ON THIS COLORFUL VEGETARIAN SANDWICH.

CalifornianSERVES 4

ingredients:

Recipes excerpted from 400 Best Sandwich Recipes by Alison Lewis 2011 Robert Rose Inc.(www.robertrose.ca) Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

D E L I C I O U S P I C K S F O R A N Y M E A L O F T H E D AYtext: ALISON LEWIS photography:COLIN ERRICSON

Sandwich Sampler

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

1 1/4 cups thinly sliced yellow squash (about 2 small)

1 1/4 cups thinly sliced zucchini (about 1 large)

3 Roma (plum) tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 slices multigrain bread (1/2-inch thick slices)

2 avocados, thinly sliced1 cup alfalfa sprouts

FOOD


16/26

30 AL 31


In a small bowl, combine yogurt, 2 tablespoons o the lemon juice,

dill, and 14 teaspoon o the lemon pepper. Set aside.

Inalargenonstickskilletovermedium-highhe at,sautbeef,onion,

and garlic, breaking up meat with a spoon until bee crumbles, or 5

minutes or until bee is no longer pink and onion is tender. Stir

in tomatoes, Greek seasoning, remaining 2 teaspoons o lemon juice,

and remaining 14 teaspoon o lemon pepper. Cook or 5 minutes or

until heated through.

Placepitasonaworksurface.Spreadyogurt sauceequallyineach

pita. Place lettuce, bee mixture, and eta cheese equally in each pita.

THIS GREEk-STYLE SANDWICH IS A DELICIOUS COMbINATION AND IS SO EASY TO MAkE.

WE LOVE MAkING THESE ON bUSY WEEkNIGHTS.

Greek Pita PocketSERVES 4

ingredients:

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon plus 2 teaspoons juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper, divided

12 ounces lean ground beef

1/2 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon Greek seasoning

4 (6- to 8-inch) pitas with pockets1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

4 teaspoons reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese

To make your own Greek seasoning: In a small bowl, combine 14 teaspoon

each dried oregano, dried parsley, dried garlic powder, and salt.


17/26

32 AL 33


In a bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, and pepper.

Inamediumskillet,meltbutterovermediumheat.Saut eggs

or 3 to 4 minutes or until scrambled. Set aside.

Inalargenonstickskilletoverlowheat,combinebe ans,

tomato, olives, and red onion. Stir in salsa, and saut or 5 to

10 minutes or until heated and slightly thickened.

Placetortillasonaworksurface .Divideeggmixtureequally

in center o each tortilla. Arrange cheese, avocados, and

cilantro equally over top. Fold both ends over illing, and then

roll up tortilla. Serve immediately.

THE FIRST TIME I EVER HAD HUEVOS RANCHEROS WAS IN bOULDER, COLORADO, WHEN I

WAS IN COLLEGE. I ATE THEM EVERY SATURDAY MORNING WHILE I WAS LIVING THERE.

I LOVE MAkING THESE STILL TODAY.

Huevos Rancheros WrapsSERVES 4

ingredients:

4 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 can (14- to 19-ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small tomato, sliced

1/3 cup sliced black olives

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1 cup salsa

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 avocados, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Tip: Cilantro, also called Chinese parsley or coriander in its dried

form, has a pungent flavor and fragrance and is u sed in many

cuisines. Choose bunches with leaves that are bright and vibrant

with no sign of wilting.

Tip: Dont forget to drain and rinse canned beans to get rid of

excess salt.


18/26

34 AL 35


Inalargeskillet,heat2tablespoonsofthebutterover

medium heat until melted. Add apples, maple syrup,

cinnamon, and salt. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring

occasionally, or 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in pecans, and

cook or 2 minutes more or until heated through.

Inaseparateskillet,heatremainingbutteroverlowhe at.Add

tortillas, one a time, and heat, turning once, or 2 minutes or

until lightly browned.

Placetortillasonaworksurface .Divideapplemixtureequally

in center o tortillas. op with ice cream, i using. Fold ends

over illing, and roll up.

THIS TWIST ON AN APPLE TURNOVER DESSERT IS GREAT SERVED IN A WARM WRAP.

Warm Apple Pecan WrapsSERVES 4

ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, divided

3 1/2 cups diced apples (about 2)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup pecan halves

4 (6- or 8-inch) flour tortillas

Vanilla ice cream, optional

Tip: When selecting apples for recipes, 2 large or 3 medium apples

yield about 3 1 2 cups chopped apples.

Tip: I used Braeburn apples, but Granny Smith or Gala apples work

great, too.


19/26

36 AL 37

Californian designer Rozalynn Woods creates a home that meldshearty and rough with elegant sparkle.

A N T I Q U E A N D V I N T A G E I N A M O D E R N W O R L D

text:ROZALYNN WOODS photography:GREY CRAWFORD PHOTOGRAPHY

Hip Sophisticate

Accumulating meaningless

items deeats the purpose o

design, so I typically dont

insert elements into a home

or the sake o building up a

space. here should be reason

or each piecewhether it is

or comort or design or both.

Was there a distinct moment When you

realized that designing Was your passion?

My entrance into the eld o interior de-

sign came about unexpectedly. Shortly aer

graduating college with a double major in

public relations and music, I purchased and

decorated my rst house. I was immediately

drawn to the whole creative process that sur-

rounded interior design, and the end result

o my nished home le riends and amily

wanting me to decorate theirs as well. In-

spired by the encouragement, I began con-

templating a shi in careers.

While I possessed a natural knack or interior

design, I realized there was much to learn, so

I enrolled in the design program at U.C.L.A.

Upon graduation, I worked with a high end,

high style designer in Los Angeles, where I

acquired hands-on experience o the busi-

ness. I eventually became a partner in the

company and now have my own rm.

talk about the first home you designed

for a client:

Te home boasted a Mediterranean style o

architecture; and the clients, who were in-

spired by their requent travels, wanted the

dcor to reect more o an international eel.

So right out o the chute, we were buying

things rom all over the world, rather thanlimiting ourselves to just Los Angeles. We

bought a pair o lamps that were decommis-

sioned rom the Metropolitan Museum o

Art. We traveled to Portugal to purchase an-

tique Portuguese tiles; and there, in a remote,

o-the-wall antique store, we ound a poly-

chrome gure representing one o the Tree

Wise Men. We later ound out that it was the

missing piece to a well sought-aer set, worth

more than all o the urniture in their house!

It was a really great experience traveling to

so many places in search o unique items or

their home.

describe your style:

I would consider it to be a clean, sophisticat-

ed style that translates to many types o archi-

tecture and liestyles. My projects are highly

inuenced by both the clientswho they are

and what their liestyle is likeand the archi-

tecture. However, in the end, the house al-

ways tells me what it wants. At the same time,

I do not like period work, so I strive to bring

in a mix that not only reects the architecture

and the clients tastes, but also represents a

current point o view.

My style remains pretty unique in that I like

to incorporate dcor that has some intrinsic

value to it, by using antique and vintage piec-

es or unique original designs. Accumulating

meaningless items deeats the purpose o de-

sign, so I typically dont insert elements into

a home or the sake o building up a space.Tere should be reason or each piece

whether it is or comort or design or both.

DESiGN

What do you hope to accomplish

through your Work?


20/26

38 AL 39

My goal as a designer is to create an appeal-

ing aesthetic where my clients can eel good

in their space.

What Were the clients looking for When

they approached you to design their

home?

Te young couple wanted this house to unc-

tion in two ways: rst, it needed to be com-

ortable and unction well with a amily (they

have three young children); and secondly, it

needed to be stylish. Te clients also liked

to push the boundaries to create somethingunique and unexpected. Because they are

well traveled, theyve become very aware o

designand as a result, wanted their home

to reect something resh and new.

What Was the space like before you began

the project?

Te home was untouched, with nothing re-

markable or interesting about it, so the cli-

ents decided to do a major remodel that

would better meet the needs o their young

amily. Troughout the project, I worked

closely with the architect and the landscape

architect to ensure that my design decisions

coincided with the unction o their work and

vice versa. It was a really wonderul team.

describe the ambiance you hoped toachieve:

Upon entering the home, I want to engage

the owners and guests so that they are inter-

ested in their surroundings. I also want the

space to eel inviting, be comortable, and yet

hold an element o surprise. It is nice when

people experience an Ah-Ha moment as

they uncover the unique treatments and de-

sign eatures o a space.

sum up the theme that united the dcor:

Te theme we were trying to express can

be best described as hearty and rough, yet

elegant with a hint o sparkle. We used that

vocabulary to dictate most o our design

choices. It was really important that we cre-

ate the balance between these two elements

between the hearty and the rough with the

style and the sparklebecause a person loses

visual interest when you have one without

the other. Te combination o contrasting

textures supports the hearty/rough vocabu-

lary that we were trying to express, as does

the color scheme and scale o the urniture

in the living and amily rooms. Items like the

Alison Berger sconces on the walls in the liv-

ing room and the pendant light in the powder

bath strung with long ropes o cut crystals

create the necessary sparkle to balance the

darker, richer colors and heavier scale.

talk about the color scheme:

I learn something rom every project I work

on, and with this project, I learned how to

work in a completely dierent color palette

than I am used to. Te clients chose the color

scheme, which was a deep, rich aubergine

mixed with wonderul earth tones and some

oranges and reds. Troughout the home, we

Items like the Alison Berger

sconces on the walls in the

living room and the pendant

light in the powder bath strung

with long ropes o cut crystals

create the necessary sparkle to

balance the darker, richer colors

and heavier scale.


21/26

40 AL 41

transormed what would normally be just a

regular, dark eggplant color, into a color o

interest by using a gloss nish on the walls.

Tis was especially successul in the living

room because the gloss immediately added

lie to the space which prevented the area

rom becoming too dark and heavy. In places

like the kitchen, we were able to go with a

very dark stain on the cabinets as well as dark

countertops thanks to the abundant natural

light that shines through three out o the ourwalls. Te aubergine and earth tones were

reected throughout the house by using vari-

ous shades and hues in that color palette.

talk about elements in the living room:

Because there isnt a lot o pattern throughout

the home, we made a conscious decision to

layer contrasting textures in the same color

palette instead. On the couch, we mixed

two hand-printed Fortuny pillows with a

uy, Mongolian lamb pillow. (Although

the Fortuny pillows do have pattern, the

mostly monotone color scheme throughout

the room helps keep the impact subdued

and the design cohesive.) We also broughtin a metal coee table with a sexy shape

and a gilted Bergre chair rom the 1800s to

add dimension.

What inspired the tent-like Walls in the

pool house?

Te inspiration or the pool house circles

back to the clients desire to hire a designer

who would incorporate a resh approach

to design while still creating a comortable,

unctional space. Tinking creatively, I pon-

dered how wonderul it would be to create

a tent out o this room. I pulled some pic-

tures o late nineteenth century rooms that

had been completely covered in upholsteredstripes to show to my clients. Needless to say,

they loved the idea, so we bought yards and

yards o awning stripe linen and upholstered

ON ThE COuCh, WE MiXED

two hand-printed Fortuny pillows with a fluffy, Mongolian lamb pillow.


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42 AL 4342

the whole space. Te architect, who designed

the structure, added a really cool ladder to

give access to the lo bed, and also installed

a Murphy bed along the back wall. While the

space works as a guest room, it also unctions

quite well as a little pool housewe installed

a built-in, metal kitchenette with a rerigera-

tor, counter space, a microwave, and metal

shelves to house plates and glasses.

describe the elements of the dining room:

When I design dining rooms, particularly

when they are square shaped and small in

size, I like to envelope the guests in a cozy,

jewel box-like environment. Tis particular

dining room t those criteria, so we uphol-

stered the walls in a pale aubergine silk, and

in an eort to keep the palette pretty simi-

lar throughout the room, we surrounded the

dark, round table with ully upholstered din-

ing room chairs, done in a pale silvery-purple

(the same hue as the walls). Te chandelier o

y hand-blown glass bulbs incorporated a

touch o sparkle or balance.

talk about the kitchen area:

Te design vocabulary resonates through-

out the kitchenrom the bold, heartiness

o the dark cabinets with the old-world steel

upper cabinets (which is a modern spin on

a material used in the late nineteenth cen-

tury or kitchen countertops and containers)

to the glisten o the Alison Berger pendants

hanging above the island. Te rough, antique

ooring brought over rom France, juxta-

posed next to the black wood and metal cabi-

nets, adds visual interest. We also included

an antique Belgian breakast table with a zinc

top and some wonderul wicker chairs that

blend really well with the casual atmosphere

o the kitchen.

What inspired the headboard in the

master bedroom?

We decided to use antique Swedish doors or

the headboard o the bed, and then the de-

sign or the rest o the room ell into place. I

do not recall what initially inspired the idea

or the headboard; it just elt like the right de-

cision to make in order to create a space that

would work well with the rest o the house.

Everything alls into place aer you make

that initial decision in terms o a direction

or the room.

did it take a lot of convincing to get

the clients on board With your

unusual ideas?

Te clients were very receptive to most o the

unusual ideas that we presented. Tey loved

those unexpected design elements, like up-

holstering the whole area o the pool house

or using high gloss paint on the walls in the

living room. It was really un to be able to

work with people who were open to design

that pushed the traditional boundaries a bit.

Tey wanted a comortable home, but they

also wanted that Ah-Ha moment!

AL :: www.ozalnnwoods.com

When I design dining rooms, particularly when they are sqae saed and small in size, I like

to enveloe the guests in a cozy, jewel box-like environment.

We also included an antqe Belgian breakfast table with a zinc top and some wonderful wicker

chairs that blend really well with the casual atmosee of the kitchen.

Reality Show ArT


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44 AL 45

Sometimes described as a trompe loeil painter, Vinson likes painting elementslike masking tape to further fool his audience.

T H E A R T O F A D A M V I N S O Ntext:ADAM VINSON photography:ADAM VINSON

Reality Show

describe a memory that you attribute to

your passion for art:

Every kid draws; I think its a undamen-

tal aspect o a childs growth. I do remem-

ber my mother always encouraging my

interest in drawing by supplying me with

sketchbooks and pencils, and I remember

being totally elated when she got me a sub-

scription to American Artist magazine at

age eleven.

tell us about your journey as an artist:

I decided to pursue traditional painting im-

mediately aer graduating high school. I con-

veniently lived blocks away rom our commu-

nity college and knew o a reputable painting

instructor there, so the natural step was to

enroll in their commercial art and illustration

program. Aer nishing that curriculum,

I began studies with Anthony Waichulis,

a renowned trompe loeil painter, who had

recently opened a studio or the instruction

o draing and painting. Aer nishing theprogram at Te Waichulis Studio, I continued

my studies at the Pennsylvania Academy o

the Fine Arts in 2002.

describe for us your oil paintings:

In terms o materials, I paint in oil and pri-

marily on panel as opposed to canvas. Ive

always enjoyed the sturdy support rather

than the bounce o canvas. As ar as the im-

agery goes, Ive been reerred to as a trompe

loeil painter (trompe loeil meaning to trick

the eye), and although I do a air amount o

work in this style, I do also enjoy traditional

still lie and portrait work.

What is your motivation for creating

these pieces?

We all have things we enjoy doing above all

else. Tose things we look orward to. Paint-

ing is that or me. I love to do it, to look at

it, to read about it, and to talk about it. Te

motivation and inspiration comes rom being

engaged in it.

Why do you choose to use oil paint?

Oil paint is a traditional painting medium. It

has a long, rich history that appeals to me. I

like the way it smells and the way it eels, and

I like the versatility when painting with it.

What inspires you to achieve such a

photo-realistic quality in your paintings?

It seems Ive always been driven to recreate

what I see in an accurate way. Studying with

Anthony Waichulis gave me the ormal vo-

cabulary to achieve the aesthetic sensibility

Ive always wanted while also garnering the

ability to analyze and edit what I see so that I

can best translate it into a painting.

I can be nsed simply by seeing something that triggers an idea for a composition or a color t


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46 AL 47

hoW do you pick the subjects of your

artWork?

Inspiration seems to come in all shapes and

sizes. I can be inspired simply by seeing

something that triggers an idea or a com-

position or a color relationship, or I can hear

something in a passing conversation that in-spires a theme or narrative. Te re is no rhyme

or reason to the process, and I think that that

is true o any creative endeavor.

talk some about painting elements like

masking tape to enhance the subject of

the painting:

Since much o my work is in a trompe loeil

style and the ultimate goal is to ool the view-

er into believing that the painting is actually

depicting real objects, masking tape becomes

a handy tool to convey this illusion. Its at

and recognizable, and it holds objects up well

and believably enough to get the point across.

I do also use tape as a compositional element

to direct the eye around the painting.

hoW Would you say your art/your stylediffers from other contemporary artists?

Tere are many painters who work with the

same aesthetic intentions. Where we dier is

in what we choose to paint, how we paint it,

and what we want to say with it.

What is the most fulfilling part about

your Work?

In my experience, a painting has a surge to

it. Its by-the-book in the beginning, it re-

ally gets interesting when everything is being

eshed in, and then there are some exciting

moments beore the nish. Its those exciting

moments that are most ullling to me.

describe the process of creating a

painting:

Once the idea is set into motion, I need to

nd the best way to illustrate it in lie so that

I may translate it into a painting. My process

has denitely evolved over the past ten years,

but that is expected o any creative process.

My goal is to take the intangible idea, create

an armature in real lie, and then use cre-

ative editing to paint it.

I usually start with a drawing and workout compositional ideas; and when I begin

painting, I try to stay loose and think in ab-

stract and geometric terms beore rendering

the painting.

describe for us the atmosphere When you

are painting:

I use articial light when I work, so that a-

ords me the ability to work at any time o

the day and in any setting. I nd my most

productive times o work to be early morn-

ing and late at night. Its a solitary practice,

so I usually listen to the radio to keep up

on current events and sometimes music as

background noise. Other times, I just preer

silence when I work. I like to keep materials

airly orderly and clean. Im not a an o mes s.

talk about a moment Within your career

that you Will never forget:

Tere are many moments, but one that seems

to come back to me rom time to time and

one that helps me relax when the work starts

to become overwhelming is a memory o

being around eighteen or nineteen and just

learning how to work with oil paint. It was

oreign and new, but it was exciting. Remem-

bering the smell o the paint and the inno-

cence o thinking about its endless possibili-

ties is a real treasure to me.

What is your favorite subject matter?

I nd the human ace to be challenging and

exciting to paint. Its recognizable, and it can

give the viewer a sense o amiliarity. Te ace

is so identiably proportioned that when it

looks o, it really looks o. Terein lies

the challenge.

What do you find visually inspiring that

you cant Wait to recreate in your ar t?

Inspiration is the seesaw on which ideas bal-

ance. When I nd something that excites me,

I usually just go or it. For example, Ive been

thinking about painting a Japanese umbrella

or a while now, and I nally have the timeto take on that project. Maybe tomorrow I

might nd a trafc cone interesting, and Ill

le that away or another time.

What challenges do you face as an

artist?

Te biggest challenge is juggling the creative

appetite with the logistical and business as-

pects o advancing the work rom the studio

to the market. Aside rom dealing with the

mental ling o ideas and creative challenges

to actually bring a painting to ruition, there

are the sometimes laborious clerical and cus-

todial responsibilities to tackle as well.

if you Werent an artist, What Would you

be doing?

I dont even want to think about that. Some-times I think its the only thing I can do, and

thats why Im still doing it.

talk about your life outside of your Work:

Teres that saying that states i you love what

you do, youll never work a day in your lie.

So or now, I still love what I do. Its probably

my biggest passion. Aside rom that, I love

music, running, and spending time with my

amily and riends.

AL :: www.adamvnson.net

I ind the human ace

to be challenging and

exciting to paint. Its

recognizable, and it can

give the viewer a sense

o amiliarity. he ace

is so identiiably

proportioned that when

it looks o, it really

looks o. herein lies

the challenge.

relationship, or I can hear something in a assng convesaton that inspires a theme or narrative.

F t f T O t C d 2


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123 Main StreetKing of Prussia, PA 19406

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