burchfield penney

Buffalo landscape painted by Charles Burchfield

The new $33 million Burchfield-Penney Art Center opened on Buffalo State College campus on November 22, 2008 across the street from Albright Knox Art Museum. I received an invite postcard in the mail and have held on to it ever since intending to visit. Earlier this month I finally made the trip to see the new art center that concentrates on more modern works of art starting in the late 19th century through today. It features the largest collection of works by Charles Burchfield of any museum but is also home to 7500 works of art by more than 600 artists including Elbert Hubbard, Gustav Stickley and Frank Lloyd Wright.


Charles Burchfield inspired the creation of the original museum at Buffalo State College in 1966. Originally called the Charles Burchfield Center, the Burchfield Penney was formally created through the Buffalo State College Foundation Inc.


Ellicott Creek which runs right through my village and looks much the same today

Watercolorist Charles Ephraim Burchfield (1893-1967) is one of America's most original artists. Best known for his romantic, often fantastic depictions of nature, Burchfield developed a unique style of watercolor painting that reflected distinctly American subjects and his profound respect for nature. Burchfield was born April 9, 1893, in Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio. In 1921, Burchfield moved to Buffalo, New York, to work for the M. H. Birge & Sons Company, one of the nation's most prominent wallpaper companies. Fascinated by Buffalo's streets, harbor, railroad yards, and surrounding countryside, he adopted a more realistic artistic style. Burchfield's foray into realism lasted for several years. In 1929, the Frank K. M. Rehn Galleries in New York City began representing Burchfield, allowing the artist to resign from his job as a designer to paint full-time.


black and white polka dot vase

In 1983, the museum was renamed the Burchfield Art Center to support its multi-arts focus. Committing to a full range of visual expression, including craft art, architecture, and design, as well as fine art.


harp necklace

Between 1991 and 1994, the Burchfield Art Center received a series of gifts from Charles Rand Penney, Ph.D., including the largest private collection of works by Charles E. Burchfield; publications and hand-crafted domestic objects from the Roycroft community; and historic and contemporary works of craft and fine art.


black and white screen

The latest chapter of the museum’s history began in 1998 when William J. Magavern II proposed a new museum building for the Burchfield Penney with a significant lead gift. After almost 10 years of planning, fundraising and construction, the new Burchfield Penney Art Center opened November 22, 2008 on the campus of Buffalo State College.

A trio of naughty aprons


female reproductive system apron


fruit apron...banana and plums in pocket, cherries near the hem


gun totin' apron


ceramic vase light design


you tell me


ancient sea creature


This reminds me of The Clock of the Time Dragon in Wicked.


rack of specimen jars


wire something


sculptures


another sea creature


cicadas


winged creature made from old typewriter, cash register and adding machine parts

champagne and john mayer

Champagne + John Mayer = pleasant afternoon

Who says I can't get stoned?
Turn off the lights and the telephone.
Me in my house alone.
Who says I can't get stoned?

Who says I can't get stoned?
Plan a trip to Japan alone.
Doesn't matter if I even go.
Who says I can't get stoned?


champagne cocktail with hisbicus flower from Williams Sonoma on Thanksgiving Day

but today I'm finishing it off plain with John

gobble gobble

Jay and I made these chenille turkeys when he was around five or six years old. We were hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house and made one for each member of Bill's family as a favor at their place setting. We must have made around twenty of these although after the first couple I probably ended up making all the rest myself. I encouraged people to take them home with them and a few did, but we ended up with the majority of them. I have always kept them and get three out every year for Jay, Bill and I for our Thanksgiving table. Feeling nostalgic perhaps, Jay picked up one with a yellow head and said he was going to take it home with him. However, just as in that year long ago, this little turkey got left behind in my safekeeping. I love the expression on their little turkey faces. They look happy....most likely because they are not the ones making an appearance on our plates.

brody and tess

stripey Brody


spotty Tess


peek-a-boo

My little Thanksgiving visitors.

pan seared chicken

medallions of yellow squash starting to cook in chicken broth

Any time I ask Bill what he would like for dinner if it isn't his birthday, he always wants pan seared chicken. Wegman's came out with a product a couple years ago called pan searing flour. It is a very fine flour with seasonings added. I put a dab of olive oil and a dab of butter in the pan and heat it. Then sprinkle one side of the chicken with the flour, put it flour side down in the pan, sprinkle the top side and sear the chicken on fairly high heat until it is golden. then flip it over, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and let it cook until it is golden, tender and moist. This time I decided to serve it on a bed of spinach, arugula and radicchio with yellow squash.


chicken searing


spinach mix added to squash


moist, tender, golden chicken ready to serve



It's amazing how much spinach cooks down. I added a few dashes of Greek Vinaigrette dressing to the mix.


all served up

birthday dinner

Today was Bill's birthday and he always requests his favorite meal of meat loaf and baked potatoes for his birthday dinner. I was expected in Anatevka tonight so we had an early dinner. I myself hate meat loaf but I ate a slice of the one I made today and pronounced it pretty good. I never make it quite the same because I don't really follow a recipe. This one had lots of onion, green pepper and celery. I must have used a bit more Worcestershire than I normally use because I could taste it more strongly and I think this is why it tasted good to me. Since I am way more into the veggies than the meat I followed the progress of my green beans with dill butter and grape tomatoes dish.










The whole meal....meatloaf, baked potato, Mexicorn, green beans and olive bread.


pumpkin mousse

I found this pecan pumpkin butter in Williams Sonoma Saturday evening and dreamed up this dessert of equal parts pumpkin butter and whipped cream topped with cinnamon pecan pieces.

Then I headed out to Anatevka.

Soon I'll be a stranger in a strange new place
Searching for an old familiar face
from Anatevka

Anatevka, Anatevka
I belong in Anatevka
Dear little village little town of mine

Substitute New Holland-Middletown for Anatevka and this reminds me of recent Facebooking and meeting up with so many of the old familiar faces from those dear little towns of mine.

balancing act

Smudgie has always liked to to sit and walk on the stair rail. Once when he was a baby we heard a crash in the middle of the night and he had fallen off. After that he suffered from seizures that occurred about once a month until he was a year old. He has never had one since. And he is much more careful when he tight rope walks now.

bill

Happy Birthday to my husband, Bill. We had dinner at Biaggi's at East View Mall in Rochester last night. Bill enjoys the lasagna there. My favorite dish is the butternut squash ravioli. I always resolve to order this dish and then get lured away by the specials. Last night's special sounded good and involved pumpkin in some shape or form. So I was enticed by the pumpkin risotto with scallops which turned out to be a disappointment. The risotto was not creamy enough and could have benefited from a dash of Parmesan to add flavor. Jay had the duck sausage and chicken cassoulet with navy beans and Swiss chard. I don't know why I didn't order this dish. He let me taste and it was delicious. We were going to try the pumpkin creme brulee for dessert but we ate late in the evening and they had run out... fortunately for our waistlines.


I'm always trying to get a photo of my handsome son but he always foils me.



again and again



and again actually but at least this one turned out to resemble a smile

birthday loot

wool blanket from Deb

My birthday came and went and I am just now getting around to posting some pics of just a small portion of my birthday loot.


earrings beaded by Deb

looking forward to wearing these sweet little Christmas trees


pint ice cream container

A little hard to see in the photo but the writing is green and there is a green jewel in the lid of this container. I should get a lot of use out of this container because I buy my ice cream in pints.


I love these moccasins.


teapot pin cushion


beaded purses...one vintage, one meant to look vintage and the beaded vintage shoe I already owned just looked right here.


hula girl jammies


NYC ornament


my phone that I am still learning and can't seem to put down


one cup coffeemaker from Jay...perfect for me so I can have just a cuppa anytime I feel like it.