Christine N. McHorse

MOVING FORWARD
The Ceramic Art of Christine Nofchissey McHorse

"My parents and siblings, as my foremost teachers and influences, taught that there was an art to living and that life was art." Christine McHorse, Art New Mexico, 2000

I am reminded of the ceramic work of Georgia O'Keeffe as I view the vessels of Christine Nofchissey McHorse. They are dark, smooth, sensual and, seemingly, illuminated from a source within. Although it reminds me of O'keeffe's ceramic work, it has its own original and unique qualities - providing clues to the identity of its maker.

Ms. McHorse lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Born in Morenci, Arizona (1948), of Navajo parents, she migrated to Santa Fe at the age of 15. While at the Institute of American Indian Arts she was introduced to the micaceous pot making techniques of the local pueblo potters in the vicinity of New Mexico's Sangre de Christo mountains, learning techniques dating back hundreds of years.

"Untitled", by Christine McHorse, micaceous clay,

27.5" x 14" x 13",

Clark+Delvecchio, 2010.

She continues to use this shiny earth in her recent abstract, sculptural pottery, and although it is slightly reminiscent of the pottery of her ancestors, Ms. McHorse has broken from the past, eliminating function - moving intent, meaning and form into another realm.

Christine Nofchissey McHorse has received numerous awards and her work appears in many private and public collections, including the Museum of New Mexico, the Denver Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American Art of the Smithsonian Institution, among others.

She is represented by Clark+Delvecchio Gallery, Santa Fe.

Currently, an exhibition of her work (Dark Light: The Ceramics of Christine Nofchessey McHorse) is on display at the Nerman Museum of Contermporary Art, Overland Park, Kansas. The exhibition runs through May 26, 2013.  

Dark Light: The Ceramics of Christine Nofchissey McHorse

Christine McHorse, Nautilus, 2006 micaceous ceramic,
18.5 x 10.5, Collection Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Fashion Design

THE ACCIDENTAL FASHION SHOW

Recently, tuning into various Create TV channels, we came across the FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles) Debut Runway Show 2013. First, the music caught our ears, then the incredible expertise of young fashion designers caught our eyes. It's a "must see" if you are interested in any type of design. It's all here: color, composition, texture, and so many other creative decisions. 
Here's a sample of one video - Inaugural Gowns. More videos and photographs may be found on the FIDM Facebook page or FIDM Blog
Enjoy the work of these talented young designers!

Designer: Ahmad Murtaza

Tian

PROVENÇAL VEGETABLE TIAN

Here's a delicious vegetarian dish with savory Mediterranean flavors. It's easy to prepare and takes very little time. Best of all, it's healthy - and can be a meal all its own. Thank you Martha Stewart.com!

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed well (1 large leek)

1 Yukon Gold potato (8 ounces), sliced 1/4 inch thick

    Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small eggplant (12 ounces), trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 large zucchini (8 ounces), sliced 1/4 inch thick

3 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided, plus more for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Layer half the leeks in dish, then cover with half the potato; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Top with a layer each of half the eggplant, half the zucchini, and half the tomatoes; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Scatter with half the olives and half the thyme. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Repeat layering and seasoning with remaining vegetables. Drizzle with remaining oil, and cover loosely with foil.

Bake 20 minutes, then remove foil. Press vegetables down with a spatula, and bake until potato is tender and edges are well caramelized, about 45 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing.

Friday Already?

FOUR FRIDAY

Time flies when you're busy! One week ago, today, we presented recommendations - and here we are - Friday - and we present several more recommendations for you to enjoy as you enter your weekend.

Michael Pollan invites us into his own kitchen, where we "discover the enduring power of the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth" - with his new cookbook, Cooked. 

Then we move into sensuality of shape and color with Maia Ming's beautiful Bulb Kitchenware Collection as seen on Designboom.

And what could be better than a micro-loft in the Big Apple, designed by Specht Harpman?

Last, but not least, nothing is better than chocolate from a company with an appropriate name, Sweeteeth.

Laugh, this weekend. It'll do you good!

Fri 5

FRIDAY FIVE

From apparently soft sculpture to lively printed vintage shirts to displaced faux cities to photography in San Francisco - and finally - does any of it matter knowing the end may be near?

Today's picks from T2F:

Sculptures by Marela Zacarias:Contemporist

Hickoree's, Gitman Brothers Vintage Shirts!

You're not in Paris, anymore:Inhabitat

Garry Winogrand at SFMOMA

The Next Crisis:Inhabitat

Claes Oldenburg at MoMA

CLAES OLDENBURG:
The Street and The Store
Mouse Museum/Ray Gun Wing
April 14–August 5, 2013

Claes Oldenburg. Pastry Case, I. 1961–62.
Painted plaster sculptures on ceramic plates, metal platter,
and cups in glass-and-metal case,
20 3/4 x 30 1/8 x 14 3/4" (52.7 x 76.5 x 37.3 cm).
The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
The Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection. © 2012 Claes Oldenburg

From MoMA:

Claes Oldenburg’s audacious, witty, and profound depictions of everyday objects have earned him a reputation as one of the most important artists of the 20th century. This exhibition examines the beginnings of Oldenburg’s extraordinary career with an in-depth look at his first two major bodies of work: The Street (1960) and The Store (1961–64). During this intensely productive period Oldenburg redefined the relationship between painting and sculpture and between subject and form. The Street comprises objects made from cardboard, burlap, and newspaper that together create an immersive panorama of a gritty and bustling city. The Store features brightly painted sculptures and sculptural reliefs shaped to evoke commercial products and comestibles. In The Store, cigarettes, lingerie, and hamburgers all become viable subjects for art.

On view in The Donald B. and Catherine C. Marron Atrium are Oldenburg’s Mouse Museum and Ray Gun Wing. Created in the 1970s, these two architectural structures present careful arrangements of readymade objects alongside various tests and experiments from Oldenburg’s studio. Mouse Museum and Ray Gun Wing propose equivalence between collecting and creating, while dissolving the distinction between everyday items and museum treasures.
MoMA

Jonathan Winters

HE MADE US LAUGH
Jonathan Winters, 1925 - 2013

Jonathan Winters left us with a heart-felt memory.

Many years ago, as we walked into a local furniture shop, we spotted Mr. Winters, seated in an arm chair near the window. Knowing we saw him, he smiled and nodded. We smiled in return.

We went about our business carried away with the excitement of being in the same shop with the famous, renowned comedian.

Finishing our task, we started walking out the door, noticing that Mr. Winters was standing at the window. We made a sharp right and as we headed for our car, there he was - in the window - as if on a stage - smiling, making those little faces and waving one of his funny little waves - all meant just for us.

Not only did he greet us as we walked in - he also entertained us as we walked away. We smiled, then laughed and returned his waves. 

Looking back, I realize that we were invited to a private stand-up routine by one of the world's funniest men. Such an honor - and treat. Thanks for the laughs!

Jonathan Winters website
For a few wonderful videos, NY Times

Quick Stew

QUICK WHITE BEAN STEW
 A recipe from Joe Bastianich - Food & Wine

We knew we would like this recipe as soon as we began to read the ingredients: Cannellini Beans (one can), a bunch of Swiss Chard, Whole Stewed Tomatoes (one large can - we use San Marzano tomatoes), garlic (of course), olive oil and a dash of red chili flakes. What could be simpler? And it can be made all year round - a delicious, nutritious and easy to make dinner.

This spring we prepared this recipe twice - using our own home-grown Swiss Chard and Kale. We also added a bit of grated Parmesan on each serving. And at times we've added half a shallot (sliced thinly) to enhance and change flavor.

Some canned ingredients for simplicity, in addition to a couple of bunches of young, fresh vegetables from our garden, makes for a perfect meal!

The Recipe

Joe Bastianich

FoodandWine

Shangri-La

OUR SHANGRI-LA
Silver Lake Garden

Shangri-La is described as a fictional location in the novel, Lost Horizon, written by James Hilton and published in 1933. Mystical and peaceful, this lovely valley is an eternally joyous place, isolated from the chaotic, noisy and disharmonious world outside.

Urban gardens, whether large or small, may not shut out the noisy world outside them. They can, however, shelter us and provide solace from the city.

Each spring, we relish the outbursts from colorful flowering azaleas, wisteria and calla. The season is short, so we constantly watch and record, both visually and technically.

And while each flowering spring seems much the same as the last, we are not tricked into analysis, where feeling is lost to thought. Instead, we wrap ourselves in spring where all is fresh, new - electrically alive.

Enjoy our simple garden. We enjoy sharing it with you.

See our earlier story: Courtyard Kwan Yin

WedsPicks

WEDNESDAY'S PICKS

From spare, elegant bathrooms to a bicycle completely fabricated from wood to striped socks for men - to condom design, here are our recommendations for this lovely spring day in Los Angeles:

Kartell by Laufen bathroom
Ludovica + Roberto Palomba on Designboom

Yojiro Oshima's 100% wood bicycle on Inhabitat

Men's striped socks on The Urban Gentleman

Reinventing the condom - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation