AMERICAN LIFESTYLE THE 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 terrifi c gift as a thank you for your continued support through business and refer-rals. American Lifestyle is a celebration of the fl avor and fl air of life in the United States, and takes the reader on a journey of the nation’s 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 ShannerDan ShannerThe Shanner Group

Toll Free: (866) 458-4226Offi ce: (610) 878-5000Fax: (610) 878-2000E-mail: info@remindermedia.comwww.remindermedia.com

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

Dan ShannerToll Free: (866) 458-4226Office: (610) 878-5000Fax: (610) 878-2000www.remindermedia.com

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

Front of Tear Out Card 1

Back of Tear Out Card 1

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CONTENTS

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Tailored SafariTHE INTIMATE IN THE INFINITEAt Shambala Private Game Reserve, a two-and-a-half-hour drive north of Johannesburg, visitors can tailor their safari to their personal tastes.

Speed of AmericaTHE APPEAL OF HOT RODSArticle excerpted from Hot Rods by Alan Mayes (Motorbooks, 2010).

Honey, HoneyTHE ART OF BEEKEEPINGAfter being introduced to the beekeeping lifestyle at thirteen years old, Ted Dennard has had a relentless passion for bees.

Field of CherriesWASHINGTON, D.C. CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVALThe Cherry Blossom Festival marks springtime in the nation’s capital, and represents the relationship between Japan and the United States.

Sandwich SamplerDELICIOUS PICKS FOR ANY MEAL OF THE DAYRecipes excerpted from 400 Best Sandwich Recipes by Alison Lewis © 2011 Robert Rose Inc. (www.robertrose.ca) Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Reality ShowTHE ART OF ADAM VINSONSometimes described as a trompe l’oeil painter, Vinson likes painting elements like masking tape to further fool his audience.

Hip SophisticateANTIQUE AND VINTAGE IN A MODERN WORLDCalifornian designer Rozalynn Woods creates a home that melds hearty 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 far beyond our everyday lives into the worlds of our imagination. A South African safari—with many exhilarating yet relaxing options—easily moves into that romantic world of the imagination.

It’s not just any South African safari that can accomplish this feat: Some safaris are cookie-cutter experiences shared by large numbers of guests, set schedules, and game drives rig-idly set for two or four o’clock. At Shambala Private Game Reserve, a two-and-a-half-hour drive north of Johannesburg, only eight Zulu-style chalets exist for guest accommo-dations, so you definitely won’t be sharing your experience with a crowd. You’ll choose the times you want your meals, whether you want a game drive before or after breakfast, 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 of natural landscape in South Africa’s Limpopo Prov-ince. Located in the picturesque central re-gion of the Waterberg Mountains, where the climate is sub-tropical and pleasant for most of the year, it is home to Africa’s famous Big Five—the leopard, lion, elephant, black and white rhino, and buffalo. Other wildlife 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 of Nile crocodiles.

The South African fall (the American spring) is the optimum time for seeing wildlife: The animals are more active when the weather isn’t as warm, and they’re more easily seen when the grasses aren’t so high. While close-up game viewing in a very small group, with highly qualified, experienced guides and game rangers, is the biggest thrill of Sham-bala, visitors are not permitted to go on un-accompanied walks among the many species

At Shambala Private Game Reserve, a two-and-a-half-hour drive north of Johannesburg, visitors can tailor their safari to their personal tastes.

T H E I N T I M A T E I N T H E I N F I N I T Etext: MARTHA STEGER photography: SHAMBALA GAME RESERVE

Tailored Safariof wildlife roaming freely on the reserve, for safety reasons.

The elephants, on which Shambala guests take early-morning game drives, were origi-nally relocated here from Zimbabwe, where their existence was under severe threat. They are trained and cared for by their experienced trainers, with whom they have a close bond. Each elephant responds to its name and has its own personality—but elephant-safari manager Fritz Lichtenberg cautions these are wild animals that spend the majority of every day out on the savannah.

Count on seeing a few animals that you might never have heard of previously—blesbok, dui-ker, gemsbok, kudu, nyala, and steenbok. You will easily spot the tall, elegant giraffe, herds of wildebeest, and troops of zebra, but bush pigs are harder to see as they trot through the underbrush with their stiff, 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 for raising various species of animals, such as the wild dog, whose numbers have greatly declined.

As for birds in this bushveld setting with the Frikkie-se-loop River running through it, you awaken to the plaintive calls of the fish eagles, see the regal steppe buzzard and red-winged starling among others during the day, and go to sleep with the soft trilling sound of the nightjar, a relative of the seldom-seen but often-heard North American whippoor-will. When you’re out on a safari, you’ll 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, after the town of Vaalwater but before 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 of the Waterberg Mountains, where the climate is sub-tropical and pleasant for most of the year, it is home to Africa’s famous Big Five—the leopard, lion, elephant, black and white rhino, and buffalo.

TrAVEL

© Martha Steger

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vineyards. You’ll take a slow drive through shallow waters to the distinctive entrance for Shambala, at once impressive for its thatched Zulu-dome design and completely natural for its surroundings that allow wildlife to thrive. (Wire mesh covers all thatching throughout the camp to prevent baboon damage.)

It’s hard to resist an afternoon’s open, land-cruiser safari upon arrival at Shambala; but the schedule is completely tailored to you. If you want a spa treatment or a refreshing dip in the plunge pool first, a driver and guide will oblige you with the driving safari some-time before dinner—or you need not take a drive at all on your day of arrival.

A single or couples’ spa treatment including extracts of the indigenous fynbos plant is a luxurious way to wind down in the bushveld. Take something from the spa’s refreshment bar out onto the wooden deck adjoining the treatment rooms, and enjoy the views of the riverbed, with the sound of the water as the perfect backdrop for relaxing.

The world-class chefs here will seek your food preferences upon arrival—a three-, four-, or five-course dinner of African delicacies such as game, South African lamb, boere-wors (spicy, South African farmer’s sausage seasoned with coriander and cumin)—or whatever your heart desires. Each course will be paired with a wine from classic vintages of the renowned Western Cape wineries and international wine estates. Trying the tradi-tional South African dessert (a milk tart, fla-vored with vanilla and cinnamon) is a must, as is sampling Amarula, the South African liqueur made from a fermented, indigenous fruit, distilled to get the alcohol content, and then mixed with cream.

After dinner, enjoy your Amarula or some other nightcap in the lapa (cooking/dining) area, where a fire is lit every evening to take in the great African sky. You’ll note Venus higher above the horizon in the southern hemisphere than it is in the United States. Even a few minutes in the African bush under the Milky Way is magical; and, de-pending on the weather and time of year, you can have a grand view of the Southern Cross constellation.

With its own private entrance, each chalet, decorated in chic Afro-French Provincial style, is spacious, with a dressing room lead-ing to a large bath and an enclosed outdoor shower—a fanciful experience where you can hear the squawky Hadeda Ibis in the savan-nah beyond as you shower. The doors from the bathroom open out onto a wooden deck with views of the surrounding bush—an in-spiring way to open a new day.

Your imagination gets many indulgences at Shambala: A chef will pack you a gour-met picnic for an unforgettable lunch in the bush. But the pièce de résistance has to be the sundowner cruise on the Steyn Dam, where you enjoy refreshments while the hippos flirt with you as their eyes bob up and down from beneath the water’s surface—and the bush-veld slowly turns to dark. Before you depart Shambala, arrange to drive by Nelson Man-dela’s Centre for Reconciliation, which Mr. Steyn had built for the African leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Seeing it reinforc-es the English translation of the Tibetan word Shambala: “paradise on earth.”AL :: www.shambalagamereserve.com

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

South African Airways offers excellent service into Johannes-burg’s Tambo International Airport from the States.

The Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas, and Spa in Johannesburg—voted the World’s Leading Hotel every year since 2001—makes an excellent base for your stay before and after visiting Shambala. Owned by the same major South African 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 city’s upmarket business area.

Originally designed in 1990 as a private residence for Mr. Steyn, this idyllic spot with ten acres of gardens is where Nel-son Mandela edited his best-selling autobiography, A Long Walk to Freedom. Staff will arrange for your airport pick-up and your transportation to Shambala. Premium Presidential Suites and the Nelson Mandela Platinum Suite include the service of professional butlers, who are in attendance at all hours. The full breakfast buffet and a few hours at the hotel spa are not-to-be-missed experiences. A well-stocked library, decorated in African motifs, is a haven of peace and quiet.

To make your South African journey complete, add two nights in Cape Town, a two-hour flight from Johannesburg. Plan to use The Last Word Constantia as a very gracious, in-timate, five-star accommodation and a convenient base for enjoying local vineyards, tranquil gardens (one of which is at this hotel), and, of course, the scenic beauty of Table Moun-tain and Cape Point. The hotel employs an excellent driver who speaks very good English and knows his way around the Western Cape for your personal explorations. If you’re tired and don’t care to venture far after returning from an active day, Peddlars on the Bend, next door to the hotel, offers an excellent, reasonably priced menu including British favorites such as fish and chips.

www.saxon.co.zawww.thelastword.co.za www.flysaa.com

“BOOkENDS” FOr A SOuTh AFriCAN jOurNEy

Johannesburg and Cape Town:

aboveAn 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.

belowDining room tables set for mealtime at the Shambala Game Reserve.

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

Afro-French Provincial style, is spacious, with a dressing room leading to a large bath and an enclosed outdoor shower.

“

© Martha Steger

© Saxon Boutique Hotel © Saxon Boutique Hotel

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Article excerpted from Hot Rods by Alan Mayes (Motorbooks, 2010)

T H E A P P E A L O F H O T R O D Stext: ALAN MAYES photography: AS NOTED

Speed of America

hOT rODS ArE CArS MADE by and for a chosen few. Not everyone has the personal-ity or stamina to drive a hot rod. They 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 functional vehicle. Or, in some cases, a dysfunctional vehicle. Most of them are noisy, they often rattle, they may be dusty, and sometimes they stink of gas and oil and exhaust fumes. The prim and proper will not like them.

Hot rods belong to America. They were in-vented in America; they were developed by Americans, utilizing American cars and American ingenuity. There are hot rods in other countries, of course, but nearly all of them are built from American cars with American engines and American speed equipment. Even in Japan, New Zealand, France, or Sweden, hot rods are American. No Toyotas, no Volvos, no Peugeots; just Fords, Chevys, Plymouths, and Willys, with few exceptions.

Hot rods were the brainchildren of Ameri-can servicemen returning from World War II. These were restless men with extra money, a lot of time on their hands, and a quest for

speed and power fueled by their experiences in war. Well, that’s the popular story anyway.

That story doesn’t explain all the hot rodded Model Ts 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 before the end of World War II (and five years before the United States even entered the war). The truth is, hot rods have been around in some form almost since the automobile’s birth.

Ever hear of a guy named Henry Ford? He and other early automotive pioneers were building hot rods—stripped-down versions of their production cars—as early as 1901 in order to create publicity and raise funds for their fledgling car companies. Those were the beginnings of hot rods, and early hot rodders followed in that vein.

The glamorous, sunny, and warm climate of Southern California was the original hot bed of hot rodding. The area’s dry lake beds of-fered miles of wide-open, flat spaces where hot rodders could test both their mettle and their metal. Drivers worked on their cars during the week and drove them back and forth to work too. Then on the weekend,

CuLTurE

aboveMake: 1929 Ford roadster (rat rod)Owner: Lou LewisBuilder : Gary Monday/Lou LewisEngine: 1973 Chevy 350

© Craig Mayes

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they’d drive out to the dry lakes and test the week’s work. On Sunday, after all the racing was done, they’d go back home and start the whole cycle again.

California was only one of 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 of Florida and South Carolina or on Michigan’s frozen lakes or Kentucky’s back roads. No matter where they were, the procedures and results were the same.

Stripping the non-critical parts—fenders, running boards, extra seats, tops on roadsters, bumpers—was the same as buying horse-power except that it was free for a few hours of labor spent unbolting all those heavy parts. Taking off ten percent of the car’s weight was

Plainly put, a traditional hot rod transcends time frames. Even looking at its details closely, it will be difficult or impossible to discern exactly when it was built. That’s because it will have a timeless design and execution that ignores all fads and short-lived trends.

These were restless men with extra money, a lot of time on their hands, and a quest for

speed and power fueled by their experiences in war.

the equivalent to raising the horsepower by ten percent. Lowering the weight not only made the car go faster, it made it handle bet-ter, and it stopped better too because the brakes were slowing down a smaller mass. Of course, that mass was capable of going faster, so it might have been a tradeoff! More horse-power was added by hopping up the existing engine or swapping in a more powerful one from a different car.

Most guys did their own work and helped their buddies do the same. Early hot rod clubs, some of which have survived sixty years, were formed around this camarade-rie. They shared tools, knowledge, and skills to help fellow club members accomplish the goal of all hot rodders: to go as fast as pos-sible with what they have.

TrADiTiONAL hOT rODS

The name “traditional hot rod” has been ban-died about quite a bit lately, and not neces-sarily with a lot of clarity. It’s used to describe everything from old survivor hot rods from the early days to fiberglass street rods to rat rods to ‘57 Chevys. Obviously, unless “tradi-tional hot rod” is a vague term with all the meaning of “car,” those are not all traditional hot rods. Also obvious is that there is no “of-ficial” meaning of the term, but rather a gen-erally accepted understanding shared by a majority of hot rodders.

Plainly put, a traditional hot rod transcends time frames. Even looking at its details close-ly, it will be difficult or impossible to discern exactly when it was built. That’s because it will have a timeless design and execution that ignores all fads and short-lived trends.

Traditional hot rods, as a matter of definition, follow tradition—specifically the traditions set forth by early hot rodders. Those were pretty simple. Basically, they took an early

car, usually a roadster or coupe, and stripped it of every unnecessary part that didn’t make it go, stop, or steer. Then they did everything in their power (and budget) to make the car go as fast as it would go in a straight line or on a curvy road.

With one or two exceptions, most of these cars seldom, if ever, see a trailer, and they are driven quite a bit because their owners built them for that purpose. They rightly as-sume that it is pointless to build a hot rod that is not going to be driven. Where’s the fun in that?

ShOW rODS

Ah, show rods. What gearhead among us does not have memories of attending a World of Wheels, Autorama, Motorama, or Caval-cade of Customs as a child, staring longing-ly at the wild creations on the other side of those velvet ropes? Show rods were the main-stays and the drawing power to those indoor car shows, often held in colder climes in the

Far-out paint schemes; unfathomable driving

positions; crushed-velvet, diamond-tuck, overstuffed

seats; tires wider than those on any drivable street vehicle; and chrome,

chrome, and more chrome.Rolling fantasies, that’s

what show rods were.

top leftMake: 1934 Ford pickup (traditional rod)Owner: Scott KaruzaBuilder : Fred Stoke/Scott KaruzaEngine: 1966 Chevy 327

rightMake: 1929 Ford roadster El Tiki (show rod)Owner: John CooperBuilder : Tom CulbertsonEngine: 1955 Oldsmobile 324 V-8

© Mitzi Valenzuela

© Craig Mayes

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winter. They also sold millions of model kits for companies like Monogram and Revell.

Far-out paint schemes; unfathomable driv-ing positions; crushed-velvet, diamond-tuck, overstuffed seats; tires wider than those on any drivable street vehicle; and chrome, chrome, and more chrome. Rolling fantasies, that’s what show rods were. They still are. Show rods are the result of artistic inspira-tion. Ironically, they also serve as artistic in-spiration for others.

rAT rODS

Cars defined as rat rods make up probably the single most polarizing category to ever enter the realm of hot rods. Their wildfire-like spread and acceptance have taken the rodding world by storm, pulling new fans in and alienating some old-time hot rodders at the same time.

Although some of the milder rat rods are sim-ilar in appearance to what were once called beaters or jalopies, the more radical vehicles are a game unto themselves. The 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 defined one.

It’s somewhat humorous that several indi-viduals claim to have coined the term or built and owned the cars that started the trend. As far as the name goes, who knows? And how would we be able to tell? As far as the cars themselves, the cars that some people claim to have started the trend are no different than cars that have been running around hot rod circles for fifty years—bare-bones, primered cars with a little road wear, some dust, and maybe a few dents; in other words, hot rods that have been on the road awhile and driven hard. Look in any of Albert Drake’s excellent books chronicling the early days of hot rods, and you’ll see the same cars.

Rat rods of today have transcended the tra-ditional hot rod category and have become somewhat of an art form. Some owners at one end of the spectrum think that any ve-hicle (even a ‘94 Chevy S-10) that’s in primer or rusty is a rat rod. Those people are wrong. The other end of the range goes to great effort

to create a one-of-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 roofs; missing windows; floorboards full of holes; and uncomfortable seats are the norm at the radical end of the spectrum. Mad Max would be afraid to ride in some of these cars. AL :: www.motorbooks.com

Lowering the weight not only made the car go faster, it

made it handle better, and it stopped better too because the

brakes were slowing down a smaller mass. Of course, that

mass was capable of going faster, so it might have

been a tradeoff !

hot rods belong to America. They were invented in

America; they were developed by Americans, utilizing American cars

and American ingenuity.

top of pageMake: Fritz Schenck’s Outlaw clone (show rod)Owner: Fritz SchenckBuilder : Fritz SchenckEngine: 1950 Cadillac 331

aboveMake: 1928 Ford pickup (rat rod)Owner: Rod HadfieldBuilder : Rod HadfieldEngine: 1948 Lincoln V-12

top of page rightMake: 1931 Ford roaster (traditional rod)Owner: Roy CaruthersBuilder : Roy CaruthersEngine: 1949 Ford flathead

aboveMake: 1929 Ford roadster (rat rod)Owner: Sammy VildosolaBuilder : Sammy VildosolaEngine: 1968 Chevy 350

© Alan Mayes

© Anna Marco

© Alan Mayes

© Anna Marco

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FLOWEriNG ChErry BLOSSOM trees have become synonymous with springtime in Washington, D.C., with the National Cher-ry Blossom Festival acting as the unofficial marker of the changing of seasons. People worldwide gather at the nation’s capital dur-ing the weeks surrounding the peak bloom-ing period to watch the swarm of cherry blossoms burst open and spread like wildfire across Potomac Park, framing the already impressive landmarks and architecture in a sea of pink and white. Although the natural beauty of the budding trees takes center stage at the annual festival, it is the historical story behind the trees that has people gathering in the first place.

Long before the blossoming trees graced the Potomac banks, Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore and Dr. David Fairchild began planting seeds for the present-day “field of cherries.” Influ-enced by the beautification movement sweep-ing through the nation’s capital at the turn of the century, the renowned travel writer and the agricultural explorer for the United States Department of Agriculture (respectfully) had fallen smitten with cherry blossoms during visits to Japan, and both longed to transform Washington’s Potomac Park with the lively foreign blooms. Scidmore spent twenty-four years pitching the notion to government of-ficials to no avail, while Fairchild used the flourishing Japanese cherry trees he planted at his Maryland estate to gain press attention and popularize the plant. By 1909, the idea finally began to take root after a note to the then First Lady, Mrs. Helen Taft, sparked full support from the White House.

News quickly spread that the First Lady wanted to adorn Washington, D.C., with im-ported Japanese flowering trees, inspiring the Japanese government to donate 2,000 cherry trees in honor of the growing friendship be-tween the two nations. Led by Dr. Jokichi Takamine (a world-famous chemist) and Yukio Ozaki (the mayor of Tokyo), the gift intended to show appreciation to the United States government for the kindness shown to

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

WA 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 VA Ltext: MARIE PENN photography: NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Field of CherrieshiSTOry

Although the natural beauty of the budding trees takes center stage at the annual festival, it is the historical story behind the trees that has people gathering in the first place.

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Japan during the Russo-Japanese war. Un-fortunately, when the botanical shipment ar-rived to the States in 1910, the trees suffered from insects and disease, and had to be de-stroyed in order to protect American growers against foreign pests.

Undeterred by the setback, Japanese officials donated a second batch of 3,020 cherry trees from twelve varieties two years later, super-vising the selection of trees to assure the U.S.D.A. that the specimens were pest-free. Deemed to be ideal, the second freight was graciously accepted on behalf of the United States. On March 27, 1912, First Lady Taft and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the

Japanese ambassador, planted the first two cherry trees on the northern bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park, solidify-ing the cherry blossom tree as the living sym-bol of friendship between the Japanese and American peoples.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is held every spring to commemorate this en-during friendship. Considered to be one of the nation’s greatest springtime celebrations, the festival spans several weeks, straddling March into April, and includes daily events promoting the beauty of nature and interna-tional camaraderie. More than one million people visit with friends and family annually

to admire the blossoming cherry trees and relish in the array of diverse entertainment.

ChErry-FiLLED CuLTurE

The festival kicks off with a fruitful display of cultural excitement—from Family Day and the Opening Ceremony to the perfor-mance stages that line the National Mall, there is something for everyone to enjoy. One of the largest spectator events during the festival is the energy-filled parade which bursts down historic Constitution Avenue in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship. Gigantic blossom-shaped balloons and Japa-nese lanterns swarm the sky, accompanying the two-hour procession of grandiose floats, celebrity talent, and special production numbers. Following the parade is an equal-ly monumental affair—the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival. As America’s largest one-day exhibition of Japanese culture, both contemporary and traditional elements are represented throughout the marketplace, live performances, and hands-on demonstrations of Japanese arts and culture.

One of the largest spectator events during the festival is the energy-filled parade which bursts down historic Constitution Avenue in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship. Gigantic blossom-shaped balloons and Japanese lanterns swarm the sky, accompanying the two-hour procession of grandiose floats, celebrity talent, and special production numbers.

More than one million people visit with friends and family annually to admire the

blossoming cherry trees and relish in the array of diverse entertainment.© Simon Williams

© Ron Engle

© Ron Engle

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BLOSSOMiNG ArTiSTS

The performing arts continues to energize the crowd throughout the entire festival, using lively interactive entertainment to en-hance the experience of being surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms. The daily eclectic performances on the Sylvan Theater Stage feature music from soloists and bands, per-formances from dancers and drummers, and much more. The Cherry Blast: Art and Music Dance Party is one of the many venues where you can delight in multiple displays of the arts in one shot. Thanks to the creative work of D.C.-based curators in the realms of music,

FESTiVAL FOr FOODiES

Area chefs know that nothing triggers com-munity spirit quite like food feasts. So to celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festi-val, restaurants offer Cherry Picks—alluring entrées, desserts, and cocktails that boast a special cherry twist—throughout the sig-nature springtime event. The festival’s Pink Tie Party fundraiser features an eight-course progressive tasting menu geared around some of these delicious cherry- and blossom-inspired dishes, prepared by rising-star chefs 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 wonderful eve-ning filled with great food and entertainment while drinking in the nighttime views of the breathtaking cherry trees.

CENTENNiAL CELEBrATiON

As monumental as the festival is every year, event officials anticipate the 2012 National Cherry Blossom Festival to be an unprec-edented and once-in-a-lifetime celebration,

marking one hundred years since the histor-ical gift-giving of cherry trees. To honor the beloved botanical treasures, and to celebrate this living reminder of international friend-ship and the beauty of nature, the centennial festival plans to expand into an epic five-week spectacular, from March 20 though April 27, that will unify and electrify 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 year’s exposition amazes and delights the community with timeless traditions and rich cultural experiences. The extravagant production throughout the Centennial National Cherry Blossom Festival is sure to set the right tone for the next one hundred springtime celebrations to come.AL :: www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

visual art, and performance, the multimedia event gathers the sounds of the latest bands and musicians for people to enjoy while ex-ploring an art gallery of display exhibitions. While savoring all of 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 of the festival—be it the natural beauty of 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 festival—be it the natural beauty of the environment, the

unparalleled entertainment, or the community spirit that permeates through every event.

© David Luria © David Luria

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After being introduced to the beekeeping lifestyle at thirteen years old, 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 Gtext: ELLIE LAWRENCE photography: SAVANNAH BEE COMPANY

Honey, Honey

There were different colored honey in different parts of the frame—kind of like how stained glass looks. There was red honey, amber honey, and even green honey. You’d put your finger in one and taste it, and it would taste different than the next one. It was so cool to me—it’s still cool to me.

TED DENNArD’S pASSiON for honeybees is infectious. From his narrative descrip-tion of how worker bees fan their wings over nectar-filled honeycomb cells to boost sugar concentrations, to how he goes on and on in great detail about the subtle nuances within the varying types of honey, one can’t help but want to view the honeybee through the same enamored perspective.

For a man who has followed honeybees his whole life, this fervent sentiment comes nat-urally. Ted was first introduced to the lifestyle at thirteen years old when beekeeper Roy Hightower approached the Dennard family in search of sites suitable for gathering honey from white tupelo trees. After receiving per-mission to keep his bees on their one hun-dred acres of forested property off the coast of 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 before Old Roy came along. But once he did, I was completely interested. I couldn’t wait to go out and look in a beehive,” describes Ted. “What I remember hooking me was just pull-ing a frame of honeycomb out of the bee box, and putting it against the sun. There were different colored honey in different parts of the frame—kind of like how stained glass looks. There were red honey, amber honey, and even green honey. You’d put your finger in one and taste it, and it would taste different than the next one. It was so cool to me—it’s still cool to me.”

And so a young apiculturist was born. Ted kept Roy’s bees throughout high school and into his collegiate career. While attending Sewanee, a small liberal arts school in Ten-nessee, Ted rented a cabin from a retired minister and fellow beekeeper, who taught the student endless facts about bees while they worked the hives. “I learned the love of

Those few jars flew off the shelf,

and Dennard’s rich honey quickly

became a hot commodity.

NATurE

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honey through Old Roy, but I learned how fascinating honeybees were from this retired minister,” Ted remembers, as he goes on a fact-filled tangent about queen honeybees. (Did you know that the queen can lay 3,000 eggs a day?)

After graduating college with a philosophy and religion degree, Ted followed the insect overseas to Jamaica where he taught beekeep-ing to village farmers for the Peace Corps. “There were over one hundred beekeepers whom I visited, some more regularly than others, and I taught about that many kids in schools,” recounts Ted. “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 beautiful and fun hard work. And at that point, I learned to love the keeping of the bees and the actual art of beekeeping.”

Although deeply engrossed in the hobby, Ted followed 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 life, I literally wrote down on a piece of paper everything that I loved and was pas-sionate about, and I just crossed out beekeep-ing,” admits Ted. “I never wanted to do it for money. I didn’t want to ever adulterate that love for bees and beekeeping.” Instead, he chose to juggle multiple miscellaneous jobs to fuel his pastime—operating a wilderness adventure company in Colorado, resurfac-ing countertops and bathtubs in the Georgia heat, taking adjudicated youth out on week-long wilderness therapy trips, and even mild-ly flipping cheap houses with his brother.

When asked how the beekeeper, steadfast about keeping avocation out of his vocation, ended up establishing a thriving honey op-eration, Ted answers truthfully: “I am one of those people who backs into just about every-thing they do in life, and this business was no different. I did not mean for it to start—it just happened.” The beekeeper narrates the

fateful day back in 1999 when his roommates held an intervention to convince the hesitant salesman to sell his home-extracted tupelo honey at a friend’s store in Savannah. Those few jars flew off the shelf, and Dennard’s rich honey quickly became a hot commodity.

In between his day jobs, Ted would bottle his honey in their kitchen—squeezing the honey out, spinning the frames in an extrac-tor, filtering the collected honey through cheese cloth into a bucket, transferring the bucket’s contents into an iced tea pitcher, and finally pouring honey into jars affixed with hand-painted and color-copied, taped-on la-bels. After two years of selling his product in over twenty-five high end grocery stores and cheese shops, Ted was ready to concentrate on the business full time.

“I told myself I am going to give this busi-ness one year. If it is going to fail, I want it to fail in the first year. I am not dragging this on anymore. I need to figure out what I am going to do in this world,” Ted rationalizes. In 2002, armed with his first price sheet and no busi-ness plan, he quit every other job and focused only on honey. Ten years and four Savannah Bee Company retail stores later, Ted has suc-cessfully expanded his reach to include ten varieties of honey along with a line of 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 of an art form for Ted. To harvest rare tupelo honey, for in-stance, he takes his few boxes of bees—each stack of boxes being one colony, comprised of one queen and up to 80,000 workers—and moves them to where the trees are about to bloom. “The tupelo tree only grows in the rivers, along the banks of rivers where the Cyprus trees grow, from the South Carolina-Georgia border down the coast and over to West Florida,” informs Ted, whose honey is mostly derived from trees rather than ground flowers. “So you’re having to wait around in

In between his day jobs, Ted would bottle his honey in their kitchen—squeezing the honey out, spinning the frames in an extractor, filtering the collected honey through cheese cloth into a bucket, transferring the bucket’s contents into an iced tea pitcher, and finally pouring honey into jars affixed with hand-painted and color-copied, taped-on labels.

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the swamps—which has its own haunting beauty—as you watch and watch for the trees to bloom. Once you see these flowers opening, the bees start bringing in the tupelo nectar.

“The bees have something called flower fidel-ity, so once the bees determine the best source of nectar, that is where they go to until that best source is no longer available. Then they move onto the next best source of nectar. You have to be really watchful,” he continues. “It is a lot more of an art than a science. As soon as they stop bringing in the tupelo honey—as soon as you see those flowers dropping off or the bees have moved onto a different source of nectar—you take those honey boxes off, isolate and separate them, and then extract that honey together so that you pretty much guarantee you’re making pure tupelo honey.”

The modern process of extracting honey uses the same tried-and-true equipment that has been in place forever—a box with eight to ten frames, a veil, and a smoker. The smoke covers up the alarm pheromone, which warns the other bees to be on the defense, while the beekeeper removes the honey-filled frames. “Every hive has its own personality. You might have one that is as sweet as pie, and you might have another that will sting you right as you pop the top,” explains Ted. “But you’ll 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 if you get stung anymore.”

Even in the midst of this chaos, Ted views beekeeping as a zen-like activity. “Similar to if you’ve 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. “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. You’ll think you’ve been working the bees for an hour, and it will end up having been four hours.

They are just enthralling little creatures, and the more you learn about them, the more you appreciate them.”

The same can be said about the variety of 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 flavor. The tupelo has a buttery sweetness that you taste on the back of your tongue where as the orange blossom honey has more of a candy-like sweetness with a hint of citrus. Ted reports that the only fac-tor which determines the color, texture, fla-vor, and fragrance of the honey is the flower nectar. The sourwood nectar, for instance, is collected from sourwood trees growing in the high elevation of the southern Appala-chian Mountains and is light brown in color with a slight purple tint—this darker honey has a gingerbread-maple spice combination of flavors that has won the World Honey Show multiple times. The black sage honey, on the other hand, is really light in color, and is made from sage bushes in the lower Sierra Nevada mountains of Southern California—its mineral, earthy taste is almost polarizing, and people either love it or don’t like it at all.

“When I look back at my life,” reflects the api-culturist, “two things amaze me: first, the fact that one little contact with honeybees at thir-teen years old has expanded to become such a huge thing to me; and secondly, the fact that it took me this long to figure out that this was my calling in life.” But in the end, discerning palates are thankful his meandering journey panned out so sweetly. People nationwide are enjoying Savannah Bee’s 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, he’ll be passing along the lifestyle to the next generation of beekeepers, like Old Roy did for him way back when. AL :: www.savannahbee.com

The modern process of extracting honey uses the same tried-and-true equipment that has been in place forever—a box with eight to ten frames, a veil, and a smoker. The smoke covers up the alarm pheromone, which warns the other bees to be on the defense, while the beekeeper removes the honey-filled frames.

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.

“

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cooking instructions:• Preheat oven to 450°F.

• Inasmallbowl,combinemayonnaiseandgoatcheese. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. • Placesquash,zucchini,andtomatoesonalargebaking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Place in preheated oven, tossing occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. • Spreadmayonnaisemixtureequallyoveronesideofbread slices. Top 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 A Ytext: 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 sliced1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper2 tablespoons olive oil

8 slices multigrain bread (1/2-inch thick slices) 2 avocados, thinly sliced

1 cup alfalfa sprouts

FOOD

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cooking instructions:• In a small bowl, combine yogurt, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, dill, and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the lemon pepper. Set aside.

• Inalargenonstickskilletovermedium-highheat,sautébeef,onion, and garlic, breaking up meat with a spoon until beef crumbles, for 5 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, Greek seasoning, remaining 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon of lemon pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.

• Placepitasonaworksurface.Spreadyogurtsauceequallyineach pita. Place lettuce, beef mixture, and feta 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 juice1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper, divided12 ounces lean ground beef

1/2 cup diced onion2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes1 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 1⁄4 teaspoon each dried oregano, dried parsley, dried garlic powder, and salt.

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cooking instructions:• In a bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, and pepper.

• Inamediumskillet,meltbutterovermediumheat.Sautéeggs for 3 to 4 minutes or until scrambled. Set aside.

• Inalargenonstickskilletoverlowheat,combinebeans, tomato, olives, and red onion. Stir in salsa, and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes or until heated and slightly thickened.

• Placetortillasonaworksurface.Divideeggmixtureequally in center of each tortilla. Arrange cheese, avocados, and cilantro equally over top. Fold both ends over filling, 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 salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter or margarine1 can (14- to 19-ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small tomato, sliced1/3 cup sliced black olives

2 tablespoons chopped red onion1 cup salsa

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 avocados, thinly sliced2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Tip: Cilantro, also called Chinese parsley or coriander in its dried form, has a pungent flavor and fragrance and is used in many cuisines. Choose bunches with leaves that are bright and vibrant with no sign of wilting.

Tip: Don’t forget to drain and rinse canned beans to get rid of excess salt.

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cooking instructions:• Inalargeskillet,heat2tablespoonsofthebutterover medium heat until melted. Add apples, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in pecans, and cook for 2 minutes more or until heated through.

• Inaseparateskillet,heatremainingbutteroverlowheat.Add tortillas, one a time, and heat, turning once, for 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

• Placetortillasonaworksurface.Divideapplemixtureequally in center of tortillas. Top with ice cream, if using. Fold ends over filling, 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 cinnamon1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup pecan halves4 (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.

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Californian designer Rozalynn Woods creates a home that melds hearty 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 Dtext: ROZALYNN WOODS photography: GREY CRAWFORD PHOTOGRAPHY

Hip Sophisticate

Accumulating meaningless items defeats the purpose of design, so I typically don’t insert elements into a home for the sake of building up a space. There should be reason for each piece—whether it is for comfort or design or both.

Was there a distinct moment When you

realized that designing Was your passion?

My entrance into the field of interior de-sign came about unexpectedly. Shortly after graduating college with a double major in public relations and music, I purchased and decorated my first house. I was immediately drawn to the whole creative process that sur-rounded interior design, and the end result of my finished home left friends and family wanting me to decorate theirs as well. In-spired by the encouragement, I began con-templating a shift in careers.

While I possessed a natural knack for 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 of the busi-ness. I eventually became a partner in the company and now have my own firm.

talk about the first home you designed

for a client:

The home boasted a Mediterranean style of architecture; and the clients, who were in-spired by their frequent travels, wanted the décor to reflect more of an international feel. So right out of the chute, we were buying things from all over the world, rather than limiting ourselves to just Los Angeles. We bought a pair of lamps that were decommis-sioned from the Metropolitan Museum of

Art. We traveled to Portugal to purchase an-tique Portuguese tiles; and there, in a remote, off-the-wall antique store, we found a poly-chrome figure representing one of the Three Wise Men. We later found out that it was the missing piece to a well sought-after set, worth more than all of the furniture in their house! It was a really great experience traveling to so many places in search of unique items for their home.

describe your style:

I would consider it to be a clean, sophisticat-ed style that translates to many types of archi-tecture and lifestyles. My projects are highly influenced by both the clients—who they are and what their lifestyle is like—and 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 reflects the architecture and the clients’ tastes, but also represents a current point of view.

My style remains pretty unique in that I like to incorporate décor that has some intrinsic value to it, by using antique and vintage piec-es or unique original designs. Accumulating meaningless items defeats the purpose of de-sign, so I typically don’t insert elements into a home for the sake of building up a space. There should be reason for each piece—whether it is for comfort or design or both.

DESiGN

38 AL 39

What do you hope to accomplish

through your Work? My goal as a designer is to create an appeal-ing aesthetic where my clients can feel good in their space.

What Were the clients looking for When

they approached you to design their

home?

The young couple wanted this house to func-tion in two ways: first, it needed to be com-fortable and function well with a family (they have three young children); and secondly, it needed to be stylish. The clients also liked to push the boundaries to create something unique and unexpected. Because they are well traveled, they’ve become very aware of design—and as a result, wanted their home to reflect something fresh and new.

What Was the space like before you began

the project?

The 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 of their young family. Throughout the project, I worked closely with the architect and the landscape architect to ensure that my design decisions coincided with the function of their work and vice versa. It was a really wonderful team.

describe the ambiance you hoped to

achieve:

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 feel inviting, be comfortable, and yet hold an element of surprise. It is nice when people experience an “Ah-Ha” moment as they uncover the unique treatments and de-sign features of a space.

sum up the theme that united the décor:

The theme we were trying to express can be best described as hearty and rough, yet elegant with a hint of sparkle. We used that vocabulary to dictate most of 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 sparkle—because a person loses visual interest when you have one without

the other. The combination of contrasting textures supports the hearty/rough vocabu-lary that we were trying to express, as does the color scheme and scale of the furniture in the living and family 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 of cut crystals create the necessary sparkle to balance the darker, richer colors and heavier scale.

talk about the color scheme:

I learn something from every project I work on, and with this project, I learned how to work in a completely different color palette than I am used to. The clients chose the color scheme, which was a deep, rich aubergine mixed with wonderful earth tones and some oranges and reds. Throughout 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 of cut crystals create the necessary sparkle to balance the darker, richer colors and heavier scale.

40 AL 41

transformed what would normally be just a regular, dark eggplant color, into a color of interest by using a gloss finish on the walls. This was especially successful in the living room because the gloss immediately added life to the space which prevented the area from 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 of the four walls. The aubergine and earth tones were reflected throughout the house by using vari-ous shades and hues in that color palette.

talk about elements in the living room:

Because there isn’t a lot of 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 fluffy, 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 brought in a metal coffee table with a sexy shape and a gilted Bergère chair from the 1800s to add dimension.

What inspired the tent-like Walls in the

pool house?

The inspiration for the pool house circles back to the clients desire to hire a designer who would incorporate a fresh approach to design while still creating a comfortable, functional space. Thinking creatively, I pon-dered how wonderful it would be to create a tent out of this room. I pulled some pic-tures of late nineteenth century rooms that had been completely covered in upholstered stripes to show to my clients. Needless to say, they loved the idea, so we bought yards and yards of awning stripe linen and upholstered

“ON ThE COuCh, WE MiXED

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

42 AL 4342

the whole space. The architect, who designed the structure, added a really cool ladder to give access to the loft bed, and also installed a Murphy bed along the back wall. While the space works as a guest room, it also functions quite well as a little pool house—we installed a built-in, metal kitchenette with a refrigera-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. This particular

dining room fit those criteria, so we uphol-stered the walls in a pale aubergine silk, and in an effort to keep the palette pretty simi-lar throughout the room, we surrounded the dark, round table with fully upholstered din-ing room chairs, done in a pale silvery-purple (the same hue as the walls). The chandelier of fifty hand-blown glass bulbs incorporated a touch of sparkle for balance.

talk about the kitchen area:

The design vocabulary resonates through-out the kitchen—from the bold, heartiness of 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 for kitchen countertops and containers) to the glisten of the Alison Berger pendants hanging above the island. The rough, antique flooring brought over from France, juxta-posed next to the black wood and metal cabi-nets, adds visual interest. We also included an antique Belgian breakfast table with a zinc top and some wonderful wicker chairs that blend really well with the casual atmosphere of the kitchen.

What inspired the headboard in the

master bedroom?

We decided to use antique Swedish doors for

the headboard of the bed, and then the de-sign for the rest of the room fell into place. I do not recall what initially inspired the idea for the headboard; it just felt like the right de-cision to make in order to create a space that would work well with the rest of the house. Everything falls into place after you make that initial decision in terms of a direction for the room.

did it take a lot of convincing to get

the clients on board With your

unusual ideas?

The clients were very receptive to most of the unusual ideas that we presented. They loved

those unexpected design elements, like up-holstering the whole area of the pool house or using high gloss paint on the walls in the living room. It was really fun to be able to work with people who were open to design that pushed the traditional boundaries a bit. They wanted a comfortable home, but they also wanted that “Ah-Ha” moment!AL :: www.rozalynnwoods.com

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.

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

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

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Sometimes described as a trompe l’oeil painter, Vinson likes painting elements like 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 it’s a fundamen-tal aspect of a child’s 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 after graduating high school. I con-veniently lived blocks away from our commu-nity college and knew of a reputable painting instructor there, so the natural step was to enroll in their commercial art and illustration program. After finishing that curriculum,

I began studies with Anthony Waichulis, a renowned trompe l’oeil painter, who had recently opened a studio for the instruction of drafting and painting. After finishing the program at The Waichulis Studio, I continued my studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2002.

describe for us your oil paintings:

In terms of materials, I paint in oil and pri-marily on panel as opposed to canvas. I’ve always enjoyed the sturdy support rather than the bounce of canvas. As far as the im-agery goes, I’ve been referred to as a trompe l’oeil painter (trompe l’oeil meaning “to trick the eye”), and although I do a fair amount of work in this style, I do also enjoy traditional still life and portrait work.

What is your motivation for creating

these pieces?

We all have things we enjoy doing above all else. Those things we look forward to. Paint-ing is that for me. I love to do it, to look at

it, to read about it, and to talk about it. The motivation and inspiration comes from 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 feels, and I like the versatility when painting with it.

What inspires you to achieve such a

photo-realistic quality in your paintings?

It seems I’ve always been driven to recreate what I see in an accurate way. Studying with Anthony Waichulis gave me the formal vo-cabulary to achieve the aesthetic sensibility I’ve always wanted while also garnering the ability to analyze and edit what I see so that I can best translate it into a painting.

ArT

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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 for a com-position or a color relationship, or I can hear something in a passing conversation that in-spires a theme or narrative. There is no rhyme or reason to the process, and I think that that is true of any creative endeavor.

talk some about painting elements like

masking tape to enhance the subject of

the painting:

Since much of my work is in a trompe l’oeil style and the ultimate goal is to fool the view-er into believing that the painting is actually depicting real objects, masking tape becomes a handy tool to convey this illusion. It’s flat 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 style

differs from other contemporary artists?

There are many painters who work with the same aesthetic intentions. Where we differ 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. It’s by-the-book in the beginning, it re-ally gets interesting when everything is being fleshed in, and then there are some exciting moments before the finish. It’s those exciting moments that are most fulfilling to me.

describe the process of creating a

painting:

Once the idea is set into motion, I need to find the best way to illustrate it in life so that I may translate it into a painting. My process

has definitely evolved over the past ten years, but that is expected of any creative process. My goal is to take the intangible idea, create an armature in “real life,” and then use cre-ative editing to paint it.

I usually start with a drawing and work out compositional ideas; and when I begin painting, I try to stay loose and think in ab-stract and geometric terms before rendering the painting.

describe for us the atmosphere When you

are painting:

I use artificial light when I work, so that af-fords me the ability to work at any time of the day and in any setting. I find my most productive times of work to be early morn-ing and late at night. It’s 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 prefer silence when I work. I like to keep materials fairly orderly and clean. I’m not a fan of mess.

talk about a moment Within your career

that you Will never forget:

There are many moments, but one that seems to come back to me from time to time and one that helps me relax when the work starts to become overwhelming is a memory of being around eighteen or nineteen and just learning how to work with oil paint. It was foreign and new, but it was exciting. Remem-bering the smell of the paint and the inno-cence of thinking about its endless possibili-ties is a real treasure to me.

What is your favorite subject matter?

I find the human face to be challenging and exciting to paint. It’s recognizable, and it can give the viewer a sense of familiarity. The face is so identifiably proportioned that when it looks “off,” it really looks “off.” Therein lies the challenge.

What do you find visually inspiring that

you can’t Wait to recreate in your art?

Inspiration is the seesaw on which ideas bal-ance. When I find something that excites me, I usually just go for it. For example, I’ve been thinking about painting a Japanese umbrella for a while now, and I finally have the time to take on that project. Maybe tomorrow I might find a traffic cone interesting, and I’ll file that away for another time.

What challenges do you face as an

artist?

The biggest challenge is juggling the creative appetite with the logistical and business as-pects of advancing the work from the studio to the market. Aside from dealing with the mental filing of ideas and creative challenges to actually bring a painting to fruition, there are the sometimes laborious clerical and cus-todial responsibilities to tackle as well.

if you Weren’t an artist, What Would you

be doing?

I don’t even want to think about that. Some-times I think it’s the only thing I can do, and that’s why I’m still doing it.

talk about your life outside of your Work:

There’s that saying that states if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. So for now, I still love what I do. It’s probably my biggest passion. Aside from that, I love music, running, and spending time with my family and friends.AL :: www.adamvinson.net

I find the human face to be challenging and exciting to paint. It’s recognizable, and it can give the viewer a sense of familiarity. The face is so identifiably proportioned that when it looks “off,” it really looks “off.” Therein lies the challenge.

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

relationship, or I can hear something in a passing conversation that inspires a theme or narrative.

Dan ShannerToll Free: (866) 458-4226Office: (610) 878-5000Fax: (610) 878-2000www.remindermedia.com

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

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American LifestyleDan ShannerThe Shanner Group1100 First AvenueSuite 200King of Prussia, PA 19406

Bill and Judy Smith123 Main StreetKing of Prussia, PA 19406