Reconnect with artist Carolyn Hancock

 Above: Carolyn Hancock and her painting, "I Wonder."

I do much of my paperwork where I can gaze at a portrait of my daughter painted by Carolyn Hancock. The artist made an impression on me when she lived in Port Arthur and worked with the Texas Artists Museum in the wake of Hurricane Rita. Kind, creative and talented is how she rolls.

I got an e-mail that she was giving away a painting and people could enter to win it. Guess what? I won it!

“Monterey Morning” is a small pastel of the California Coast at Asilomar in Monterey, California.

Hancock lives in Richmond, where she says her golf course home glows with  paintings of people and landscapes, ranging from quiet serenity to vivid contrasts of color.

She loves figurative art and coastal paintings, ranging from the Texas bayous to the California coast.

 “And living on the golf course, surrounded by so much green, I couldn’t help but add golf course paintings,” Hancock said. “I play golf and throughout the day see so many unexpected colors hidden among the trees.”   

Hancock was honored in 2013 by being elected an Associate Member of the Pastel Society of America. She is President of the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas. Her work has recently been exhibited in Art of the Pastel 2014 in Clute and in Pastel Revisited at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts in Spring, Texas. Her painting “I Wonder” was purchased by The Woodlands High School Art Trust Foundation and is included in the permanent legacy display at the school. Dr. Joe Allen Rice chose her painting “A Technicolor Day” as the cover for his book.

She is also a website designer, blogger and author of the newsletter “Scrumble.” Her articles have appeared in Fine Art Views daily newsletter and the online magazine Artists on Art. 

I loved connecting with Hancock again. You can too, through her art blog and newsletter at carolynhancock.com

Local fun here now and on the way

This year’s Mexican Heritage Society Fiesta will include a car show, Gator Country visit, music from Las Fenix and Magia Loca, folkloric dancing, pageants and food on Sept. 12-13 at the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center.

Some pages to LIKE

Readers, I’d love you to LIKE the Port Arthur Texas Visitors Bureau Facebook page for beautiful images and good news of our city.

While you’re at it, The Texas Artists Museum page is another winner, so like that one.

For more Fiesta information, like the Mexican Heritage Society of Port Arthur Texax page. That’s right, look for the Texax.

ddoiron@panews.com

"The Producers" hit it big

 

“The Producers”

It’s true what the Port Arthur News reported, Mel Brooks can try to offend everyone, but you’ve just got to laugh anyways. “The Producers” offers so many surprises I can’t reveal. I will say, pay attention to the dancing pigeons. I love it when Port Arthur Little Theatre works with Lamar State College-Port Arthur to put on summer musicals. Pack the house to see your neighbors on stage. This comedy is about putting on a Broadway show that is sure to fail, but somehow gets rave reviews. Fun, fun and more fun.

Get your tickets for the show, July 25-27 and Aug. 1-2 at the Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center.

Trip to the Dead Sea

Feeling Biblical? Or like Celopatra? I am.

The Rosmarinus Officinalis smells divine. That’s rosemary leaf extract. But this smooth cream has more natural stuff and moisturizes while leaving skin looking and feeling radiant and helping diminish the signs of wrinkles, fine lines and pores. It’s Silk’n Dead Sea Mineral Cream and promoters say it’s a grait pearing with Face FX anti-aging treatment. It’s creamy and not greasy and soaks in for instant soothing.

Tracy Byrd headed to Isle

Tracy Byrd will make his debut on the Isle of Capri Main Stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30 in the Event Center.

Byrd’s songs include the No. 1 Hit “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo” and "Keeper of the Stars," which won the 1996 Academy of Country Music's Song of the Year award. Tickets for Tracy Byrd are only $15 with a Fan Club card and $20 without and can be purchased starting on Wednesday, July 30 online at www.lake-charles.isleofcapricasinos.com, at the Isle of Capri Banana Cabana Gift Shop or by calling 1-800-THE-ISLE. 

ddoiron@panews.com

Jivin' Gene wows 'em in Katy

Our own Jivin’ Gene Bourgeois made a Fifth of July appearance with the Liberty Opry, which went on the road to Katy, Texas. Of course, they loved him, along with the rest of the swamp pop, country and patriotic tunes played to raise money for A.A.R.P.

I attended with my aunt and other family members and we loved how several generations took it to the dance floor. We also loved the museum section of the VFW Post 9182, which featured a table set to represent Prisoners of War – Missing in Action. I’d never seen one of these before. There is a protocol, with symbolism such as a red rose, wine glass turned upside down, and salt and a lemon to represent bitterness and tears for those who are not at home to dine with loved ones.

Take Highway 71

I was taken by mention of mole bitters. I’m captivated by the chocolate and chile combo over chicken, so there’s no reason it couldn’t mix well with tequila. You can make or buy the bitters, but this is what you do with them, according to makers of Tequila Don Julio.

Cheers!

Highway 71

Created by NYC Mixologist Thomas Waugh

Ingredients:

1 ounce Tequila Don Julio Añejo

1 half  ounce Coconut Infused Sweet Vermouth

1 dash Chocolate Molé Bitters

Smoked Cinnamon Stick for Garnish

**To create Coconut Infused Sweet Vermouth:

Ingredients:

1 750 ml bottle Sweet Vermouth

1 cup Sweetened Coconut Flakes

Preparation:

Add sweetened coconut flakes to a bottle of Sweet Vermouth.

Let sit for 2 hours.

Strain out coconut and add liquid back to the bottle

Label and refrigerate.

Preparation:

Combine Tequila Don Julio Añejo, coconut infused sweet vermouth and chocolate molé bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir.

Strain contents into a rocks glass over one large piece of ice.

Garnish with smoked cinnamon stick.

Ideal Serving Glass:

Rocks Glass

Sauza Blue

This 100 percent Blue Agave has a flavor that penetrates whatever fruit you have on hand this summer.  Southeast Texans may already know a thing or two about what goes with Tex-Mex food, as well. But as many flavors as the contents of this bottle mix well with, consider sampling the nuances over nothing other than crushed ice.

ddoiron@panews.com

"Hellion" in Houston

 

Courtesy photo “Hellion” director Kat Chandler by Chris Castillo

“Hellion” in Houston

While I enjoyed fireworks, my husband, Chris, saw a Fourth of July screening of “Hellion,” filmed in Mid-County venues, at Sundance Cinemas in downtown Houston. He chatted with director and screenwriter Kat Chandler, who he met when she screened a film at Spindletop Lamar University Film Festival in Beaumont.

Three young lead actors from “Hellion” were part of a question and answer session with Chandler after the screening. My husband tells me the audience gave the film rave reviews and and noted that Nederland and Port Neches-Groves football team logos were featured.

Lagniappe

My word of the day from Dictionary.com was lagniappe, which is the “little something extra” phrase we know so well.  I was tickled by the phrase “chiefly southern Louisiana and Southeast Texas” in the description. Love it. Use this word today!

Tostada Regia

World Cup action was on the big screens at my first summer stop at Tostada Regia on Interstate 10 in Houston. I was soon back for another tostada de bistec, a gigante presentation of chopped beef steak, avocado, rich crema and other fare tucked between large, crispy tortillas. It looked like a sandwich, but I did spy others taking it apart and eating with a fork, so I did, too. Little pots of warm, dark and refreshing green salas come with very crispy chips. The next time I went there were pop videos on the big screen. I loved that tables with mom, dad, kids and grandparents fill the tables at this restaurant. There are several more in the Houston area.

ddoiron@panews.com