Linda Blondheim Art Studio Newsletter September 10, 2009

Tree Trunks
5x7 inches
acrylic on Masonite
Bid on this painting at Ebay.com Type Blondheim Art into the Ebay search.


http://www.lindablondheim.com

http://www.lindablondheimlandscapeart.com

lindablondheim@gmail.com

Studio: 386.462.5726

Please forward my newsletters to your friends. I need to grow my business. I'll
reward you with a tiny abstract painting.
Don't forget that I offer 10% of the sale cash referral rewards when you send a
new patron to me who purchases a painting.
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September 10, 2009
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The Annual "My Yard" Series Begins


It's officially fall as far as I'm concerned. Henry and I did the first of the My
Yard paintings for this year. I guess I've been working on this series for about
five years now. I can't begin to describe how much I enjoy doing it each year.
I live in a rural part of the county. My parents bought the property when I was
about 15 years old. At the time it was parceled off from one large farm when the
owner died. His children sold it off piece by piece. It makes me sad when that happens.
All of the toil and years of work the farmer put into the land, only to have it
sold off for mini-ranches in the end. Don't get me wrong. I have loved living on
this land and having it all of these years, but I hate to see it taken out of farming.



We have six acres, most of it in woods and fields. We mow the area around the house,
but leave the rest natural to change with the seasons. That may seem messy to you
but I love the natural process of the land. I love seeing the grasses and weeds
change color gradually, seeing some sprout up and die only to have others replace
them. I have some wild sunflowers that grow tall each year at this time and soon
they will begin to flower. They are not like the big heavy sunflowers you traditionally
see at farmers markets. These grow tall and slender with small yellow blossoms and
have tiny brown fuzzy middles. They look similar to yellow daisies.



When I was a girl we had a red barn for our horses and stored hay there. I can remember
going to the barn late every afternoon, the smell of fresh hay, the smoky color
of the trees and atmosphere that you always see in the winter. We used to lay around
on the hay bales and just enjoy the scents of the barn and the coming evening. The
color, is amazing in north Florida in fall and winter. Not the in your face color
that you see in North Carolina, North Georgia and Tennessee. The color in Florida
is much more subtle and to my liking. Lots of smoky gray,blue,mauve, rust and wheat,
with startling spots of emerald green from the rye fields. I just soak it all in
while I paint and travel.


This year I got smart and planned ahead. In years past, I have booked all kinds
of events in the fall and have been constantly frustrated by being on the road and
unable to paint the beloved places I frequent. I have nothing booked on my schedule
after October 11th. Yippee!! You will find me in Evinston at the Wood Farm, the
Wood/Swink and at Fair Oaks Farm in mid October- December this year, as well as
my yard. Henry's dog condo in the back of the car is all packed and ready with his
non-spill water bowl, his toys and his carpeting. We are anticipating many happy
hours together on the farms.
It's cool now in the morning and afternoon. The Sycamore trees are unhooking their
skirts, letting them drop on the ground and snuggling in for their winter naps.
I'll be sharing the "My Yard" paintings with you as I evolve through the fall. I
usually manage to get at least four paintings before the leaves fall off the dogwoods.
They are scarlet every year.

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Notes From My Desk


I've been working hard with my webmaster David Johnson (A super star of the webmaster
world) to make my web site the greatest artist web site ever. His email is href="mailto:sales@landscapesartstudio.com">sales@landscapesartstudio.com
He gets my highest recommendation. I listen to what my clients like and need and
I try to make it happen for them. In my effort to make my site more user friendly,
I am planning to have a live chat feature installed, so that I can be available
to answer questions about paintings and any information you might need. I'm looking
forward to having you check in with any questions you may wish to ask or to get
help in selecting the right painting for your home. Once the chat is up and running
I will be available on Tuesday - Thursday 9 AM- 11 AM each week for your convenience
on Live Chat from my web site.


I have increased the return time for you to send back a painting to 10 days, although
that rarely happens. I have made payments available for paintings on the web site,
and have posted a step by step instruction for purchasing work. Please send me
more ideas for making my web site to your liking. I'm always willing to consider
them.


I'll be participating in a new Invitational Exhibit at

Melrose Bay Gallery

Small Works/Big ideas/Thinking Inside the Box
November 7- December 20, 2009
Reception November 8, 1-5 PM
Art Hop Gainesville Florida

The Art Hop businesses have put together an enticing, valuable Gift Certificate
Raffle and Florida's Eden is featured as the beneficiary.
Twenty businesses are joining together to create an evening of cultural fun, Friday
September 11,from 6-9. This creative district unites three adjacent shopping areas:
Thornebrook Village, Market Place and Millhopper Square and provides an easy way
to enjoy art, music, culinary delights and meet friends for some early fall fun
and shopping.

Here's the list of participants: Alternatives, Artisan's Guild Gallery, Bead All
About It, Collector's Cabinet, Do Art, Floating Lotus Spa, Gifts of Avalon, Hanks
Yarn and Fiber, Lost Art Gallery, McIntyre's Stained Glass Studio and Art Gallery,
Paddiwack Gallery, The Painted Table, Thornebrook Gallery, Thornebrook Optical,
and Wild Birds Unlimited.
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How About a Recipe?


Root Vegetables

I just love root vegetables. When I was a chef in my catering days, I used to grow
them in raised beds. I grew turnips, parsnips, beets, rutabagas and carrots. I used
them both for cooking and for food garnishing. These vegetables make incredible
flowers. There is nothing lovelier than a silver bowl on a tray surrounded by beet
and turnip roses. My years in art school served me well, not only in painting, but
in sculpture too and food design. As any true foodie knows, food is as much about
art as it is about eating. Most anyone can learn to do basic cooking, but truly
wonderful food needs an artist to create it. I always wanted to work in a test kitchen.
That would be so interesting to me to develop recipes for restaurants or the food
industry.


I would like to start teaching a foodie class again some time. I think restaurants,
cook supply stores and places like Fresh Market would be smart to have chefs come
in to teach cooking. What a great way to have people come into your business who
are already interested in your product. Once I was invited to do a cooking class/demo
for a kitchen cabinet shop. it was really great. They had a staged kitchen set up
and I went in to cook and do a tasting. It was great fun. I can't let my love for
cooking go, even though I am a full time artist. I love cooking and all things
foodie. Cooking is art after all.

I have shared with you my recipe for roasted root vegetables. It is a favorite at
my house and we have it about once a week.
Here is a different take on beets. Before you start making faces and rolling your
eyes, give this recipe a try.

Roasted Beet Salad
4 beets roasted at 375 degrees with 2 T olive oil in covered pan
Peel beats when they cool and dice
1 head of raddichio torn into bite sized pieces
1 cup watercress
½ cup toasted walnuts chopped
8 oz Gorgonzola cheese
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Toss it all together. Yummy!!
I love beets, steamed, roasted, and pickled. They taste sweet and wonderful when
they are slow roasted. They re also full of good nutrition. All for the root vegetables
are good for you.
Cooks Tip:
To keep your hands clean when handling root vegetables, wear the latex gloves Drs
use. Beet s stain badly, so this will prevent your messy red hands. Roast the beets
first and then peel them. It will be much easier.




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Choosing Quality Art


Art Collecting Tips
Buy art because you like it and because it moves you, and because it enhances your
life.

Visit as many art galleries as you can, gallery staff can be helpful guides in your
art education.

Get on gallery mailing lists so you'll be invited to openings and special events.
Visit and join your local Art Museums and Non Profit Art centers.Curators sometimes
give lectures on collecting art.


Attend National Art Expos and Art Fairs whenever possible.


If you know art collectors talk them and find out what they know and what they've
learned about collecting.


Read art and art history books or books on collecting art.

Subscribe to a few art magazines.

Once you've educated yourself and have fallen in love witha work of art.... buy
it, take it home and enjoy it.
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Out Painting



I'll be painting out in front of my gallery in Gainesville; Paddiwhack Gallery next
to Fresh Market on 16th Avenue. I'll be there on Fridays, unless I'm traveling,
from 11 AM-1 PM for the summer. In the fall, I may extend the time. It's a great
way for me to make new friends and show my paintings to others. Come by on a Friday
and chat with me.


Paddiwhack Gallery next to Fresh Market
On Fridays
11 AM- 1PM
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The River Styx



A reader asked me to write about the River Styx. There isn't a lot of material written
about the River Styx. I have painted it from the bridge a few times, and from reference
photos. Most of what I read about it comes from boaters.

I like painting the cypress trees that grow prolifically there.
In prehistoric times, when water levels were higher, this swamp was an arm of Orange
Lake. One of north Florida's oldest and most impressive mound and earthwork complexes
is located here. By 1539, when De Soto led his expedition through here, the nearby
village of Potano was the headquarters for the chiefdom of the same name which covered
the Orange Lake/Paynes Prairie area. The areas richness of a kind of rock called
chert, an excellent material for making tools and weapons, made the Potanos the
envy of neighboring tribes.


There are only a handful of river names in the world - the Nile, Amazon, Mississippi
- that share the mystique of The River Styx in North Central Florida, yet Styx is
only a few miles long as is more of a swampy creek than a formidable river. It connects
Newnan's Lake with Orange Lake, and passes through a superlative, high-quality cypress
swamp forest. The State of Florida has acknowledged the special quality of the
River Styx by naming it an "Outstanding Florida Water" (only 40 out of the 1,700
rivers in Florida have been so named - named as a result of their pristine qualities).


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This Week's Ebay Paintings


Opening Bid:$3.99
Retail Price:55.00
S & H: Free
No Reserve
Type Blondheim Art into the Ebay search window.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=blondheim+art&_sacat=See-All-Categories
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I'm looking forward to painting with several friends this Saturday for my last in
studio workshop for awhile. I've made the switch to virtual E-Classes for my students.
I love being able to teach friends all over the world while I'm in my own cozy studio
and they are in theirs. I'm even going to teach a couple of virtual plein air classes.

Linda Blondheim Newsletter July 30, 2009

Ormond By the Sea
12x16 inches
oil on Masonite panel
700.00 unframed
Available HERE

Landscapes of the South
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http://www.lindablondheim.com
lindablondheim@gmail.com
Studio: 386.462.5726
Please forward my newsletters to your friends. I need to grow my business. I'll
reward you with a tiny abstract painting.
Don't forget that I offer 10% of the sale cash referral rewards when you send a
new patron to me who purchases a painting.
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July 30,2009
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Feed the Birds


I have been struggling through my jungle of a yard for the past two weeks, trying
to trim back and clean it up a bit to discourage the snakes from moving into the
Blondheim Hotel. During this process, I've had some time to listen and observe
the birds around the yard and enjoy their sweetness. My friend, Mary Jane Volkmann,
fabulous painter www.maryjanevolkmann.com gave me a good tip on keeping the squirrels
away from your feeder area. She uses a suet laced with hot peppers. Evidently, you
can buy such a thing, so I am going to investigate this at Wild Birds Unlimited,
my new favorite store. She told me that people in Africa plant hot pepper bushes
around the perimeter of their yards to discourage wild animals from coming in. I
wonder if it would work with snakes ? I have also read that snakes don't like mint.
I have an old post outside of my studio and I'm on a mission now to find the right
bird feeder to hang on it. There are all kinds of bird seed and all kinds of feeders
available. I think the best thing to do is to go to a store like Wild Birds Unlimited
at least once, to get good advice on what is the best feeder for your garden. I
say this because my mother and sissy have tried numerous feeders in the front garden
and some have been unsuccessful.

You also have to consider the location, whether city or country. We get a lot of
gold finches, blue birds, black birds and such out in the country.
I remember that the city birds were different when I was a child living there. We
had a huge Mimosa tree in the yard, growing up beside the carport. I used to climb
up that tree, run across the roof and jump onto the roof of my play house. I wore
a cape and I had a sword that my Daddy had made for me. I was Zorro, a legend in
my own mind. I remember the Blue Jays and Mocking Birds would become very irate
when I climbed the tree with them. They would dive bomb me across the roof as I
ran. All of this great fun ended with a thud when my Daddy pulled into the carport
and caught me in mid air, jumping off the roof. My career as Zorro ended abruptly
with my sore bottom!!

I think it's a good idea to put your feeders where you can see the birds feeding
from your window and where the birds will have some protection from predators.
If your feeders are close to bushes or trees, they have a place to run and hide.
It's also good to have a little bird bath for them, especially in the summer when
it is so hot.
Here are some links to bird feeder, bird bath, and other bird watching products:
http://www.birdfeeders.com/


http://www.allbirdfeeders.net/articles.html


http://www.sideroad.com/Outdoor_Spaces/backyard_bird_feeder.html


http://www.surfbirds.com/bird-feeders/bird-feeder.html


http://www.articlesbase.com/bird-watching-articles/how-to-choose-bird-feeders-for-your-backyard


http://www.birdsforever.com/pg000004.html
-1073348.html


http://www.howtoattractbirds.com/

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/page.aspx?pid=1138
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Southern Bread


Bread is so much a part of our culture here in the South, just as it is around the
world. Globalization has brought many forms of bread to the South, but I'll address
our indigenous breads today.
When I was fresh out of art school, I went to work in a bakery. Naturally I was
broke, but I knew I could bake so I took the night shift. I was assigned pastry
making and it was fun. The men who owned the bakery were Swiss with heavy accents.
They barely spoke English. They were heavy drinkers and would go outside at midnight
and howl at the moon.

Later, I went to work for a commercial bakery. I learned a lot there too. All of
these baking jobs taught me a lot about the art of bread.

Cornbread is my personal favorite southern bread. There are literally thousands
of cornbread recipes here. My favorite is made with white corn meal. I love that
slightly bitter taste in white meal bread. My mother and sisters like yellow corn
meal bread the best because it is sweeter. This is an ongoing discussion in the
family. There is a small chain of grocery stores called Hitchcocks in the satellite
towns around Gainesville. The make the best cornbread in their deli. There is nothing
better. They sell it in squares with their boxed lunches. I love to go in and buy
a sack full, carefully hoarding it to use for my morning breakfast toast. Throw
a couple of slices of Wrights bacon on the griddle, add two fried eggs, a couple
of grilled tomato slices and cornbread toast and you have a meal to remember.
(Thank goodness my doctor isn't reading this)

Next comes the beautiful biscuits, golden brown, flaky, and crusty on the bottom.
Every serious southern cook brags about their own best recipe. There is a restaurant
in Gainesville who makes pretty good biscuits called the Mill Bakery and Deli. What's
a biscuit without sausage gravy? Theirs is good.

Here in the South, we make a lot of quick breads. I love to make cherry, pumpkin,
apple cinnamon, peanut butter, cranberry nut, and carrot. For many years, I supported
myself making bread, cakes, and cheesecakes.
What I love about southern, down home café's and restaurants is that when you order
your meal, the server brings a basket full of corn bread and biscuits. You know
you're in the right place!!
I'll cover the yeast breads in another newsletter.

http://books.google.com/books?id=m2MDbbzwXaQC&pg=PA216&lpg=PA216&dq=history+of+Southern+bread&source=bl&ots=wjIDPcVJYv&sig=c47J0lZdd8SA6pYQ4-19zsLl1pw&hl=en&ei=BvZuSvnsI9uBtge5k63QCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3
http://southerncuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/hot_water_cornbread
http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=southern
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How About a Recipe?

This is the corn bread recipe I like to use. it's really easy and good.

No-Stick Cooking Spray
2 cups Martha White® Self-Rising White Corn Meal Mix
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

2 eggs
1. HEAT oven to 450°F. Spray a 9-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square pan with
no-stick cooking spray; place in oven to heat.
2. COMBINE all ingredients in large bowl; mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. BAKE 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.


Cooks Tip:

I bag my leftover corn bread up and keep it in the refrigerator. It slices better
without crumbling to make toast.

You can dress this recipe up with all kinds of ingredients:

Green chilies
cheddar cheese
bacon
ham
thyme
rosemary with olive oil
sausage
onions
eggplant

Get creative with your corn bread.

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Art is Green


There is a lot of thought and emphasis on going green in our world. I think this
is a great movement in our society and long overdue. This got me to thinking about
how "green" art is, compared to other decorative elements in our homes. We never
have to replace a fine original painting. We can pass them down to others, or sell
them on the secondary market. As long as they are cared for, they will last for
hundreds of years. They don't fill up landfills the way worn out old couches, wall
paper and other objects do.

I have been going green over the last year by changing my supports to wood panels
for paintings. Wood is natural and beautiful. It will not deteriorate if cared for
properly. As long as it remains in climate controlled conditions, there is little
problem with warpage. Wood shows the grain, flaws, marks and interesting knots
in the surface and is just wonderful as a painting surface. It combines all of the
features of fine furniture and painting into one surface. The other advantage to
wood is that it can be wired with mirror hangers and hung without the cost of framing
if you wish. I recently showed an entire body of work on the wood panels unframed
and shown together. So many people loved the clean look of the paintings hung without
frames. It was a big hit.

I paint with gouache, casein, oils or acrylics on wood, so it is a natural ideal
surface for paint.

I've also gone green in my studio by using fluorescent bulbs, recycling old furniture,
and turning used copy paper into note paper for myself in the office. I use a substitute
solvent instead of turpentine and dispose of mediums and solvents responsibly. I
use my old dabs of paint to start my next painting, so there is no waste or paint
to throw away. I take older paintings and make small abstract paintings from them
to give to friends and supporters. Artists are recyclers.

Landscape painters value the land so much because we have a deep relationship with
trees, farming, and the rivers and ponds we paint. We are rooted to the land as
are the trees we love and we are ever aware and supportive of its conservation.
Make owning original art part of your "green" strategy. It will outlast you and
future generations.
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Out Painting

I've started painting out in front of my gallery in Gainesville; Paddiwhack Gallery
next to Fresh Market on 16th Avenue. I'll be there on Fridays, unless I'm traveling,
from 11 AM-1 PM for the summer. In the fall, I may extend the time. It's a great
way for me to make new friends and show my paintings to others. Come by on a Friday
and chat with me.


Paddiwhack Gallery next to Fresh Market
On Fridays
11 AM- 1PM
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Please Indulge me in a quick shout out for my daughters :>)


Sara Blondheim (left) is a super hair stylist at 716 Salon , 716 West University
Avenue Gainesville,Florida
352.226.8636
Sara's Services include:
Hair Cut and Styling for men women and children
Hair Color
Facial Waxing

Jackie Blondheim Tucker (right) has a new company:

Murray and Company


Custom Scrapbooks for:
Weddings
Anniversaries
Middle/ High School /College Band
College Sororities and Fraternities
New Babies
Sports
Clubs
Hobbies
Nature
Grandparent Brag Books


Blog:
http://murrayandcompany.blogspot.com/

E-Mail:
murrayandcompany@gmail.com [mailto:murrayandcompany@gmail.com]

ETSY:
MurrayandCompany.etsy.com

My daughters and I have been through so much together. They both finished high school
and college without ever getting into trouble and they are now young women to be
proud of. Thanks for letting me brag.
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This Week's Ebay Paintings


Opening Bid:$3.99
Retail Price:55.00
S & H: Free
No Reserve
Type Blondheim Art into the Ebay search window HERE.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for the encouragement I received from so many of you last week.
As artists, we sometimes put ourselves out into the community and open ourselves
to harsh criticism. It is safer not to voice our opinions about the world of art
because we open ourselves to controversy,however I have never been one to hide behind
banality or to play it safe. I can only express my opinions based on the experiences
I have over the last 30+ years. I don't expect that anyone will always agree with
me. I try not to take it personally when I receive irate emails. We have to take
the sugar and the lemon to make lemonade.
This is life!!


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12x16
acrylic on Masonite panel

August Special:
Is a "make an offer" auction for this painting. You must offer at least 10.00, and
be willing to pay sales tax and shipping, or pick up at my studio. I will post the
highest offer on the newsletter each week, and the offers will close on August 31
at 9 PM. To make an offer, email me at lindablondheim@gmail.com [mailto:lindablondheim@gmail.com]Write
"Make an Offer" in the subject line.


The winner will be notified on September first.