Red Bee Apiary Honey Tasting Workshops-2012

Honey expert, beekeeper and author Marina Marchese presents

Tasting and Pairing Italian Honey at

La Scoula EATALY - NYC

Here is a preview of Marina's

The American Honey Tasting Society's

2012 summer calendar of Honey Tastings

at Red Bee Apiary in Connecticut

Sunday, May 27 - East Coast Honey - Local Honey from Red Bee Apiary's perspective. A Taste of East Coast Terroir. Sweet and buttery blueberry blossom, dark rich tulip poplar, grassy alfalfa and fragrant goldenrod are a few favorites.

Sunday, June 3 - Italian Honey - Explore La Dolce Vita, Marina introduces you to the Italy honey experience. Light buttery acacia, dark bitter chestnut, nutty sunflower and aromatic eucalyptus are just a few you'll fall in love with...It's amore! Learn how to speak the language of honey in Italian too.

Sunday, June 10 - East Coast Honey - Local Honey from Red Bee Apiary's perspective. A Taste of East Coast Terroir. Sweet and buttery blueberry blossom, dark rich tulip poplar, grassy alfalfa and fragrant goldenrod are a few favorites.

Sunday, June 17 - West Coast Honey - A Taste of Honey Terroir from the West Coast. Delicate sages and fireweeds, desert cactus and wildflowers and dark avocado. Welcome to the wild west!

Saturday, June 23 /Slow Food MetroNorth Sponsors- Join us for a Taste of Local East Coast Slow Honey. We'll make Carlo Petrini proud as we learn how to speak the language of honey in Italian.

Sunday July 1 - Greek Honey - Learn about honey from one of the Ancient Honey Cultures. Camphorous thyme, forest pine and fir, healing chamomile all Mediterranean treasures.

Sunday, July 8 - Exotic and Rare Honey - Not for the Faint of Heart. Smokey Africans, bitter cherries, medicinal manuka and leatherwood from the land down under and rubbery ulmo from Chile. You'll learn that all Honey is not Sweet!

Sunday, July 15 - Local East Coast Honey - Local Honey from Red Bee Apiary's perspective. A Taste of East Coast Terroir. Sweet and buttery blueberry blossom, dark rich tulip poplar, grassy alfalfa and fragrant goldenrod are a few favorites.

Sunday, July 22 - Italian Honey - Explore La Dolce Vita, Marina introduces you to the Italy honey experience. Light buttery acacia, dark bitter chestnut, nutty sunflower and aromatic eucalyptus are just a few you'll fall in love with...It's amore! Learn how to speak the language of honey in Italian too.

Sunday, July 29 - Local East Coast Honey - Local Honey from Red Bee Apiary's perspective. A Taste of East Coast Terroir. Sweet and buttery blueberry blossom, dark rich tulip poplar, grassy alfalfa and fragrant goldenrod are a few favorites.

Reserve your seat now!

Are you interested in traveling for the ultimate honey tasting experience? Join Marina to the Settimana del Miele - The Honey festival in Montalcino, Italy. Renown for it's famous Brunello wine, this ancient Medieval town is also known as the City of Honey for the 50 different types of honeys produced in the Tuscan region. The Honey Festival is September 9, 10 and 11, 2012 and held in a castle with breath taking views of the local landscape.

For more information: Email redbee@optonline.net subject "Honey Festival"

Stained Glass Honey Ice Cream Recipe

...Just because it's not warm outside doesn't mean we can't indulge in ice cream!

Stained Glass Honey Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

500g (a little over 1 lb.) of the best ricotta you can find
2/3 cup (175ml) milk
1 cup (250ml) heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
pinch salt
1/3 cup (90ml) honey


Method:

Beat the ricotta, milk, honey, salt and lemon zest together until light and smooth.
Beat the cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form.
Fold into the ricotta mixture.
Taste for sweetness: keeping in mind that when frozen the sweetness will be a little muted.
Stir in either more honey (if you want that flavor more pronounced).
Pour into a freezer-safe container with a lid.
Freeze until solid (at least 6 hours), removing the mixture every hour or so to beat it a bit and break up the ice crystals.
Or, if you are one of the lucky ones, churn it in your ice cream maker.
Scoop finished honey into big bowl and smooth until top is flat.
Carve out honeycomb shapes with paring knife.
Or, if you are clever enough to make a honeycomb patterned mold, you can emboss the surface nicely.
Drizzle honey into every other hex for stained glass effect.
Enjoy!!!!!!

For more info visit www.redbee.com.

Blooming and Buzzing!

Our gardens are blooming and the bees are buzzing! It's finally June at Red Bee® and is it just me, or is everyone crazy for honey? Now more than ever, people are paying attention to where their food comes from and now...even their honey. Did you know that honeybees are responsible for pollinating 100 different fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, spices? My personal favorites that I could not live without are coffee, chocolate and the cotton for my blue jeans. Beekeepers nurture natures greatest pollinators while providing local honey at their source. They are the rising rock stars of today's green movement. We find ourselves here at Red Bee Apiary are busier than ever, educating the public on honey and beekeeping. People are reading labels too! They understand that what you put on your body is as important as what you put in it. With that said, our Rossape sustainable skin care products are getting attention too. Could bees and honey possibly be getting a little bit of respect?



So if your interested in learning more about the health benefits and the culinary delights of honey, join us at one of our workshops here at Red Bee Apiary. There are a few coveted seats left for our next Seven Flight Honey Tasting Workshop on Sunday, June 20th at 1:00 pm till 3:00 pm. Reserve your seat on our web site.


Learn how honeybees make this liquid gold we call honey, how location and nectar source determines a honeys color and flavor and how is harvested and extracted from the comb. Beekeeper and Honey Sommelier, Marina Marchese will show us how to taste and evaluate honey using the Honey Sommelier tasting guide in her new book HONEYBEE Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper.

Read: What Fairfield Green Food Guide says about our Honey Tasting Events!


If you can't make our formal events, our Honey Tasting and Bottling Kitchen is opened 12:00 noon till 4:00 pm seven days a week by appointment only. Honey lovers are invited to join us for a Tasting Flight of any seven honeys of your choice with accompaniments locally produced bread and goat or brie cheeses for $5.00 per person. Groups of six or more could reserve our veranda overlooking the apiary and gardens.

Red Bee® JUNE EVENTS

SATURDAYS •••••••
Farmers Markets have officially begun and Red Bee Honey can be found at the New Canaan and Fairfield Brick Walk markets.

JUNE 3
Ocean County Library Stafford Branch • 129 N. Main Street, Manahawkin, NJ 08050
Honeybee Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper Book Talk

JUNE 5
Sculpture Barn Art Center • Preservation Celebration • 3 Millltown Road RT39, New Fairfield, CT
Honey, Cheese and Wine Tasting

June 12
Centennial Bee Day Party • Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
Honey Tasting and Honeybee book signing

JUNE 20
Seven Flight Honey Tasting
at Red Bee Apiary

JUNE 25
Artisanal Cheese Center • Honey, Cheese and Wine
Beekeeper and Honey Sommelier Marina Marchese and Affineur Erin Hedley

Here is one of our favorite recipes It is so easy and elegant...
Honey Figs with Goat Cheese and Pecans Recipe

Goat cheese or Chèvre cheese is cheese made from goat's milk (chèvre is French for goat). In regions where domesticated goats are kept, many kinds of goat's milk cheeses are produced.
Caprino is a Italian goat's milk cheese and Castelo Branco is a Portuguese goat's milk cheese. So don’t be afraid to experiment.

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1cup pecans, finely chopped
3/4 cup of wildflower honey
6 oz log of goat cheese
12 fresh figs Calimyrna or black missions, halved
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper


Methods:
Place the finely chopped pecans in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Roll the goat cheese log in the pecans to evenly coat. Refrigerate log until firm. To serve, cut evenly into rounds. Divide figs evenly between 6 dessert plates. Top figs with a round of pecan crusted goat cheese. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of honey over each serving. Serve immediately.

Natural Remedies using Raw, Local Honey

The healing properties of honey have earned it a reputation as one the purest and most natural remedies. Honey has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of medical problems, including wounds, burns, and scrapes. When honey is used for wounds, inflammation, swelling, and pain are quickly reduced, and healing occurs rapidly with minimal scarring tissue. Honey local to your area contains minute particles of pollen from the local flora. By ingesting pure, crude honey that is produced by honeybees in your geographic locale, your body begins the process of desensitizing itself, and you build up a natural immunity to dust, mold, and pollen in the air.

Raw honey is a living food with unadulterated health benefits. The pH of honey is commonly between 3.4 and 6.1; the average is 3.9. This relatively acidic pH level and honey’s moisture-absorbing qualities prevent the growth of many bacteria responsible for infection. They also keep honey from spoiling. Honey is a predigested sweetener that is easily assimilated by the body, and it is an excellent energizer that can be used to enhance athletic performance and relieve low blood sugar. Honey supplies two stages of energy. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost. The fructose is absorbed more slowly, providing sustained energy. Raw honey still in the comb contains the most bee pollen and is high in vitamin C; it is excellent for your immune system. Raw honey has been proven to kill E. coli, staph, P. aeruinosa, and H. pylori, which causes many stomach ulcers. The enzyme glucose oxidase in honey makes honey a natural preservative and can create hydrogen peroxide to form an antimicrobial barrier. Honey has antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal, and antibacterial properties, and it contains antioxidants.

The Essential Elixir:

Honey is an all-round healing elixir, which can promote health and general well-being. I take at least a spoonful of honey on a daily basis, whether as a sweetener in drinks, spread on toast or sinfully by the spoonful. Cinnamon with honey is a natural match and these together help blood pressure.

Honey Cleanser:
Give yourself a daily boost with this cleansing tonic: mix a spoonful or two of honey and the juice of half a lemon into a cup of hot water and drink each morning before breakfast.
The Energy Provider: Next time you exercise take a spoonful of honey beforehand. Easily absorbed by the body, honey is a source of natural unrefined sugars and carbohydrates, which are, providing an instant energy boost with long-lasting effects. For this reason, many athletes take honey during training sessions.

Coughs and Colds:
Honey is a natural remedy for the relief of the symptoms of colds, coughs, sore throats and flu. For a sore throat, take it on its own or gargle with a mixture of two tablespoons of set honey, four tablespoons of cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. It coats your throat instantly making it feel better. This is the reason many singers use honey to protect their voices. A traditional drink made from hot water, lemon juice and honey will help to soothe cold and flu symptoms. Adding a little eucalyptus oil or root ginger will help to ease congestion and, to help enhance sleep, try a drop of whiskey in the mixture.

Cuts and Burns:
Honey used as an ointment can help to keep external wounds, such as cuts and minor burns, clean and free from infection and minimize scaring. By absorbing the moisture around the wound, honey, a mild antiseptic can help to prevent the growth of bacteria. Dry, flaky, skin? Honey wills sooth your skin by adding moisture. Honey has been used as a healing aid centuries and it continues to be used today in products for skin and hair care. Because of the hydroscopic qualities of honey, it absorbs water and causes the skin to hold moisture.

A Digestive Healer:
It was the Romans who first discovered the beneficial effects of honey on digestive disorders when they would prescribe honey as a mild laxative. Honey has also been used as a treatment for upset stomachs, gas, indigestion, diarrhea, stomach ulcers and constipation. The principle behind these theories is that honey is believed to help destroy certain bacteria in the gut by acting as a preserving agent. Honeys properties

Chronic sinus:
Honeycomb or crude liquid honey ingested can alleviate sinus infections. Mixed with a fine grained salt in warm water and poured through the sinuses using a neti pot is an ancient Ayurvedic technique. Neti, which literally means nasal cleansing with water in Sanskrit, where the practitioner uses a neti pot to perform the irrigation is a common practice in India and South Asia.

"Excerpted with permission from
Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper
by C. Marina Marchese,
published by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2009."

I Love you, Honey!

We are celebrating LOVE at Red Bee® this Valentine's Day! Romance and passion for all things sustainable and sweet...we're talking Honey, nature's oldest sweetener. Luscious honey that should be drizzled on your sweethearts breakfast waffles or in their evening bath. Honey is good for you inside and out...really! Sexy and sticky, honey is a romantic treat to be enjoyed by all true lovers.

Here are a few gifts suggestions from Red Bee® for yourself or your special Valentine। We have put together our favorite romantic products from our Rossape™ skin care collection to create a true spa experience. Light our pure beeswax candles and begin with a warm bath sprinkled with our European bath salts, chamomile flowers, buttermilk and honey, gently scented with lavender essential oils. Or would you prefer a massage with our sweet almond body oil or a lemon and peppermint foot rub worthy of any Queen bee?

To keep your skin perfectly smooth and hydrated spread our honeybee butter balm on elbows, knees, heels and even your face. You'll shine like silk and smell like divine rose oil. Our secret recipe includes coconut butter and grape seed oil for a deep hydration. A bottle of our artisanal honey is included...so use your imagination. Relax, unwind and rejuvenate body and soul. If you are a purest Rossape™ will be your passion.



Honey for your Honey, give the gift that keeps on giving...all year long! Our Honey of the Month Club is a spectacular way to say I Love You! Each month we will send one of our Red Bee® artisanal honeys to that special someone along with tasting notes and pairings। Blueberry, Clover, Goldenrod or Tulip honey, what could be more decadent? Choose 4, 6 or 12 months.

Join me at my next event

VALENTINE’S DAY HONEY AND WINE PAIRING EVENT AT CELLAR 58

February 14, 2010 at 7pm-9pm

Owner Maria Pezzella and Chef Andrea Tiberi of Cellar 58 is delighted to present a cooking demonstration with Red Bee artisanal honey. Joining Chef Andrea will be Marina Marchese, owner and founder of Red Bee Honey. Guests will be treated to a 3-course cooking demonstrating with Red Bee artisanal honeys with Chef Andrea. Marina Marchese will discuss details of her new book HONEYBEE and present a honey tasting and cheese pairing.

Space limited. Please register by Thursday, February 11, 2010

by calling 212-420-1300. Tickets: $35/per person. Special for 2: $60.

Includes three-course meal, honey and cheese pairings,

plus one glass of wine per person.

Red Bee’s signature honeys will also be available,

as well as Cellar 58’s extensive wine list.

So Bee good to yourself or your Valentine...everyday with a Red Bee® gift.

For more info visit www.redbee.com

Holiday Open House

Red Bee is opening it's doors for our friends! Come visit, enjoy a cup of tea and our own honey while sitting near a warm fire. We are offering a spectacular selection of our own products handmade here at our charming red cottages.

Your favorite olive and honey soaps, honey facial scrub mask, body oil, bath salts, lip balms our signature honeybee butter balm, rescue salve and lip balms. Pure beeswax candles dinner tapers and lovely pine cones and asparagus shapes.


We will treat you to a honey tasting of our our own estate and
limited harvested wildflower and clover honey and honeycomb.

Delicious blueberry, goldenrod, clover, alfalfa, buckwheat, tupelo and
orange blossom served with cheese and crackers.
This will be a special treat and a weekend not to be missed.

Come pick up a signed copy of my new book
HONEYBEE Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper!

RSVP...Let us know your coming!
redbee@optonline.net

Hungry honeybees...

The other day I thought it would be a good idea to take some new photos of my honey jars outside. So I set up a few props on a wooden table in my yard and styled them for a bee-utiful shot. My phone rang while I was arranging things so I ran inside to pick it up. I have no idea how long the conversation went on but it must have been close to ten minutes. When I returned to begin shooting this is what I found. Hungry honeybees enjoying the box of honeycomb. Some how they managed to open the plastic case and were happily dining on their own good stuff. After about an hour or so the plastic lid was moved a few inches as they polished off the last few nibbles bees wax and all. So I left them to enjoy their last bit of honey goodness and decided to shoot these photos anyway.


Accidental Beekeeper Lesson: Never leave your honey unattended even to answer the phone!

Blueberries, Honey bees and Coffee Cake

Yesterday I ventured out into the evening humidity to pick some blueberries for fun. After a long hike through the trails at Trout Brook Valley land trust, I arrived at the infamous gate that instructs visitors to turn right, go down the hill to the patch where the blueberries reside. Carrying my basket, bug spray and a bottle of Pellegrino in great anticipation of encountering fresh blueberries, I continued my quest downhill to a huge field. I arrived at a manicured field of bushes neatly lined up and each baring clusters of plump blueberries dangling for the picking. Without hesitation, I plucked the first and popped it into my mouth. A mini explosion took place as I crushed the berry between my tongue and roof of my mouth. Firm in texture, sweet and sour all at the same time, fresh blueberries are nothing like the ones you find at your corner store. And these wild blueberries are truly pesticide free, if you can believe that. The local honey bees love the mini white blossoms that give way to these fruits that range in color from ultramarine to violet. When honeybees gather nectar from the blueberry blossoms, beekeepers harvest blueberry honey! Yep! It's true, there is a blueberry honey and it is one of my favorites. Blueberry honey is light to medium amber in color. It has a smooth texture with hints of fruity blueberries and lemon and it is so buttery I love to drizzle it on my favorite blueberry coffee cake. Recipe below:

BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE

Ingredients:

• 2 cups freshly picked blueberries, rinsed and pat dry
  
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Red Bee® Blueberry Blossom Honey
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Method:

Place blueberries in bottom of greased 9-inch round cake pan; distribute evenly. Sprinkle with flour; drizzle with honey and lemon juice. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine honey, eggs, milk, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla; beat with folk until well mixed. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in melted butter; mix well. Pour batter over blueberries in pan; spread to cover evenly. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto large plate; cool.

Red Bee® Blueberry Blossom Honey

www.redbee.com

Honey Bee Open House

What’s Buzzing at the New Canaan Nature Center?
Honey Bee Open House
144 Oenoke Ridge
New Canaan, CT 06840
Phone: (203) 966-9577
Saturday, July 25, 2009
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Did you know that one third of our food is pollinated by honeybees? Did you know that we have lost 50% of our honeybees in the United States due to environmental stresses and a little known condition called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)?

Everyone is invited to our Honey Bee Open House to learn more about honey bees and honey, pollination, the amazing health benefits and the importance to our environment and ecosystem.

• 10:00AM Unveiling of the new honeybee observation hive in the Discovery Room
• 11:00AM – Noon Marina Marchese, owner of Red Bee Honey will share her experiences as a beekeeper and conduct a honey tasting to highlight different nectar sources that create each unique flavor profile
• Noon – 1:00PM Encaustics (beeswax) art demonstration with Silvermine Guild artist Elizabeth Back, Nash Hyon, Kari Englehart, Leslie Guiliani and Maria Marchese
• 1:00PM Wildflower walk & talk
• 1:30PM Honeybee costume parade - prizes will be awarded!

Peanut Brittle with Red Bee® Honey

Behind the Burner's host Divya plans a Perfect Summer picnic with easy recipes for a breezy bean salad, sumptuous sandwiches and perfect peanut brittle using Red Bee® wildflower honey! This recipe is so easy that I tried it at home and it turned out fabuloso! For those of you who are impatient the peanut brittle with honey recipe begins at three minutes into the video.

Signs of Spring-2009

As the first of our crocuses begin to pop their bright purple heads up from beneath the frozen ground, I spotted honeybees dancing around them. This worker bee in the photo was covered with bright orange pollen and as I watched her sipping nectar to bring back to her hive. Finally, spring has arrived but not without a fight. Here in Connecticut we were slapped with over a foot of snow on March 2nd and tomorrow will be April 1st- the ground is still frozen but the sun is shining. It was a long, bitter winter here and I have been in my own self imposed hibernation, reading and writing but not blogging-apologies.

I did manage to escape for a week with my honey to the deserts of Arizona and we hunted around for beekeepers and native honeys. There I discovered prickily pear and saguaro, two types of cactus honey and something called cats claw. Cats claw is an herb and it's honey is delicious with flavors of the desert. Catcus honeys are exotic and fruity. You must try them when you visit Arizona. These plants are unique to the desert and the bees are all over them. I was treated to an unexpected honey tasting by an artist who lives off-the-grid in a remote part of the desert. I had the pleasure to taste their local Rodeo honey which is a rare brand to find since the beekeeper has retired. Needless to say, I brought back one suitcase dedicated to just desert honeys.

The rest of the winter was spent researching and writing for my upcoming book where I share my experiences as a hobbyist beekeeper and my love of honey. Due to be released on September 1st stay tuned for details.


Red Bee ® has many events planned for this year, our favorites are presenting honey tastings at fundraisers for Share Our Strength which raises money for Childhood hunger. We will be returning to our local farmers markets and even hosting some events here at our apiary. Check our events page on our web site for details. www.redbee.com

Happy Spring-Beekeeping season has finally begun!



RECIPE

Camembert Grape Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

- Makes 4 servings -

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons orange juice
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
• 3/4 lb. seedless grapes
• 3/4 lb. sliced fresh figs, apricots, plums or nectarines
• 4 oz. camembert or brie cheese, cut into narrow wedges
• 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted
• 2 quarts salad greens

Directions

Combine honey, vinegar, oil, orange juice and poppy seeds in a jar. Shake well. Arrange clusters of grapes, fruit, cheese wedges and pecans on salad greens. Shake dressing and drizzle over salads. Refrigerate any remaining dressing.

Goddess Yogurt Honey Mask

Cleopatra was know to have beautiful skin because of her famous baths of milk and honey. This recipe is so simple and really does rejuvenate your skin.

Servings: 1
Prep Time: 1 minute
Shelf Life: None

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon yogurt, plain whole milk
1 tablespoon honey 1 drop Rose or lavender essential oil, optional

Directions:
Add all ingredients together at room temperature.
Pat this mask onto the skin for a moisturizing, penetrating,
hydrating, soothing application that will also help to clear
up skin problems. Leave on face for up to 20 minutes.
Rinse in the shower or with a warm clean face cloth.
Moisture as you wish.

Beekeeper as Artist Encaustic Beeswax Art Show

Finally, this September I will be having my first solo exhibit of my newest beeswax encaustic paintings. The show will be called appropriately "Beekeeper as Artist." I hope you can all come to the reception on September 17th from 5:30 till 7:30 pm at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford. If you've never seen this place it is a hidden treasure with fabulous gardens and an old cottage where my work will be displayed. I am extremely excited to be showing my work here. Of course, there will be a honey tasting for guest to indulge in, paired off with cheeses and my favorite picks of wines.

Some of you may notice that I chose to print up my invitation completely in Italian. Many of you may not be able to speak or write another language but I think the information will be pretty clear even if you are not bi or tri-lingual. This is just my way of continually embracing my Italian heritage and immersing myself in the culture of La Dolce Vita. I am hoping to have my next show in Rome sometime next year. Hope you can come! Afterwards, stay at my bee farm in Puglia. It is going to be a completely renovated agriturisimo meaning farm bed and breakfast. Details to follow.

Here is a sneak preview of my first self portrait in encaustic beeswax. I'm pretty happy with it and definitely my whimsical illustration style comes through here.
Below I am posting my artist statement:

I was unexpectedly drawn to encaustic painting 8 years ago when I first became a beekeeper; this highly provocative medium has its rich roots in the ancestral land of my forefathers, Italy, specifically the paintings at Pompeii. Encaustic, meaning “burned in” is beeswax mixed with pigments that is melted on a heated palette. It is applied to a surface to fuse the bees wax and paint together. The beauty of encaustics is the unpredictability and flexibility that gives the artist its own voice. To me, there is nothing more seductive than the smell of bees wax melting in my studio. Encaustic painting lends itself to my whimsical sense of color, texture and pattern that were my signature as a commercial illustrator. The works seen here are my personal attempt to translate my illustration style into unrestraint and freedom from art direction and manic deadlines!

A good time is guaranteed for all. Gradisca!

The Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens
151 Brookdale Road Stamford, CT 06903
Opening reception:
Thursday, September 18, 2008 5:30 till 7:30 PM
Vox: 203.322.6971
http://www.bartlettarboretum.org