The beaver is a proud and noble animal
Notes from a bemused canuck
My pictures are in the whole world, in the private collections of some well-known people. I have exposed my work in many countries of the world. All my expositions had one purpose: love, friendship, charity. Each exposition in my country is dedicated to help the poor and I think to continue doing the same in future.
I am mother of 5 children and live in Berlin with my family.
It makes me happy that my art reaches so many people in the world! Art is what connects us all.
Bernard Saint-Maxent is self-taught, which allowed him to follow his own ideas in the choice of materials and to integrate all new kinds of elements into his creations. His current work revolves around the pranks of an omnipresent slender character with a joie de vivre. He gives movement and life to his sculptures. His inspiration comes from the burlesque scenes of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, from current events to advertising, from the contradictions of modern life and from his own delusions. Even if the subjects he addresses do not always make you smile, they are nevertheless treated with humor and joie de vivre.
He strives to attract attention and then reflection. Each sculpture is different and “unique” because there is no casting. They are created with a metal structure around which he models with resin and then applies a varnish. After a day he applies two coats of bronze paint and after another day he finishes with a patina that looks like bronze. Bernard believes that art should be light and should bring pleasure.
Bernard Saint Maxent has exhibited extensively in Europe. His work has been exhibited in the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Toronto and New York with Linda Blackstone, with whom he has been associated since 2008. His work appears to appeal to an international quirky sense of humor, and Bernard enjoyed selling out shows during this time.
Leo Manelli is an artist who merges classical paintings with anachronistic elements of art and luxury to create lively artworks that mingle times and cultures. Ace of realistic painting, the talented artist reproduces meticulously masterful paintings, often from the greatest museum collections, and takes them over to create a bridge between centuries. Manelli’s art meets a growing success with the art lovers anywhere in the world. Leo Manelli lives and works in the province of Firenze, Italy.
450g scallops
50g salted butter
Zest of 1 lemon
1 red onion, chopped finely
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
100ml cream
1 handful baby spinach
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Fresh ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese, for the garnish (optional)
Cook the pasta: Start a pot of well salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until it is just al dente. Start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside; usually around 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta. (If it finishes before the sauce, add it back to the pot with a drizzle of olive oil so it doesn’t stick.)
Brine the scallops (10 minutes): Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, mix together 4 cups room temperature water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Place the scallops in the water and wait for 10 minutes.
Sear the scallops: Remove the scallops and dry thoroughly. Lightly season with a several pinches kosher salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. If using a medium skillet, cook the scallops in two batches. Once the oil is hot, add the scallops and cook without turning for 2 to 3 minutes, until an even brown crust clearly forms on bottom.
Flip scallops with tongs. Cook additional 2 to 3 minutes on the other side, until a crust just forms on bottom and the center of the scallop is almost opaque. Remove the scallops from the skillet to a plate and turn off the heat.
Make the sauce: Turn on the heat to low. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the lemon zest, minced onion, ginger and chopped tarragon. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release flavor from any browned bits stuck to the pan.
Add the cream, pasta, kosher salt, and spinach and return the heat to medium; cook until greens are wilted. Return the scallops to the pan and cook for a few seconds until just warm. Add lots of fresh ground black pepper. Taste and add additional salt if necessary. Serve with drizzle of olive oil and if desired, grated Parmesan cheese.
In all his years of practice, the vet says he’s never seen a dog climb on a chair and sit in front of his desk like this.
And now that the weather is turning cooler, he’s spending most of the night in bed with us rather than just saying hi and bye and splatting on the floor, as he’s been doing over the summer. Boy is a bed hog.
Prepped the pin holes, heat treated (skating file tested!) and oven-normalised. Next steps: cleanup and final grinds.
360g all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
1.5 cup mixed green & black olives
375ml warm water
1 large shallot
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
coarse sea salt
Place flour, kosher salt, sugar and yeast into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the flour mixture. Slice olives and
place in the well. Pour warm water into the well and stir until a rough, shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk and bubbly, 6 to 8 hours or overnight in the fridge.
Finely chop shallot. Chop until you have 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper and turn the dough out onto it.
Sprinkle the dough with the shallot and rosemary. Fold the dough over onto itself 4 times to incorporate the add ins.
Flip the dough over and quickly shape into a round ball. Cover with a towel and let rise until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
About 30 minutes before the dough is ready, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and remove any racks above it. Place a large Dutch oven and its lid on the rack and heat the oven to 450F/220C.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Use the parchment paper as a sling and carefully transfer the loaf, still on the parchment, into the Dutch oven. If desired, slash or cut the top of the dough with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Cover the Dutch oven, place it back in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is browned and firm to tap, about 15 minutes more.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and use the parchment paper to transfer the bread to a wire rack. Cool at least 15 minutes before slicing the bread.
