We are beyond excited and honored to be collaborating with A.Gallo Watercolors @agallocolors on this ***SPECIAL INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY*** We are giving away two artworks by Pam Smilow and two of A.Gallo’s watercolor collections. The winner will receive: A. Gallo's full 48 palette watercolor set; an original mixed media Pam Smilow painting (choose among 3) measuring 20" x 16" on paper. One additional winner will receive: an A. Gallo Essential 6 pigment mini palette; and an 8" x 10" animal giclee print of your choice by Pam Smilow and Gert Mathiesen. ENTER TO WIN ON INSTAGRAM by following instructions at the bottom of this blog.

A.Gallo Watercolors 48 colors

Pam Smilow Collage with A.Gallo Watercolors

A.Gallo Essential 6 Watercolors

Animal Giclee Print: Orange Dog

three things we love

Many of you might have heard of Wayne Dyer, the American author of many books on self help and spirituality. I can't remember when I first heard his name but I have been following him for a while now and always find something to relate to in his teachings. I admire his totally unpretentious, down to earth, compassionate style. Dyer's film The Shift is in a way a primer to his life's work. It may at first seem slightly hokey but stick with it--this seemingly simple film is, I believe, intentionally so as to reach out to a large audience and is actually very profound. He was a regular contributor to public television and after his death (1940-2015), PBS produced a commemorative series entitled The Forever Wisdom of Dr. Wayne Dyer. In addition to his many books, many interviews and material can be found on the internet about him if you want to explore further. There is a lot of wisdom to be had...And if you want to start right away, here's a lesson I found particularly useful on forgiveness.

A.Gallo Watercolors made by hand in Assisi, Italy.

Alina Santa Gallo and her small production watercolor "factory" A.Gallo Watercolors, is a marvel to me. I have known Alina, the daughter of one of my best friends, literally since the day she was born and she has blossomed into an incredible artist and small business owner. She and her husband Giulio make their watercolors in an Italian artisan workshop in Assisi, Italy, poured by hand and wrapped in individually painted labels. Each palette comes inside a professional artist tin with a Tintoretto brush. These beautiful paints are crafted with such love, according to a traditional recipe of raw pigments, gum arabic, local honey and rosemary essential oil and mulled by hand on a glass slab. Honey is added to help the paints retain water and increase their longevity. The colors are exquisite, rich, and so heavy on pigment and quality. Their business is doing so well that they sell out within hours after releasing a new batch. Take a look at the full array of their products in their shop and know that their next restock sale begins on February 28th (mark your calendars so you don't miss out) or enter our giveaway this week for a chance to win a set.

Portrait of poet Mary Oliver by illustrator Gillian Gamble (www.gilliangamble.co.uk) from the Children’s really cool book Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints by Daneen Akers

I thought this Mary Oliver poem paired nicely with Wayne Dyer's message in his film The Shift.

The Journey
by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice --
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voice behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do
determined to save
the only life that you could save.

And for those who want to learn more, here is a good interview with Mary Oliver from Krista Tippett's podcast On Being.

Instructions to Enter Giveaway

Rules to enter the giveaway 1. Click on this link to go to: Instagram, comment on my giveaway post and Tag two friends who would LOVE to receive this new beginnings watercolor and artwork bundle! 2. Follow @agallocolors and @pamsmilow on instagram 3. Share this post on your feed for an additional entry (optional) Giveaway is open worldwide and ends on Saturday February 27th. Winner will be announced shortly thereafter. This giveaway is in no way sponsored by Instagram. No private accounts please. Good luck!

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen PAINTINGS and a favorite CHARITY

Gert Mathiesen Art

Pam Smilow Art

ArtSHOP Products

Southern Poverty Law Ct

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

I remember my first eureka moment about the internet. After years trying to reproduce (unsuccessfully) a cup of deliciously sweet Moroccan mint tea I had so enjoyed in Marrakesh many years prior, I discovered maybe I could look it up. Through my search, I found that I had been leaving out a key ingredient: green tea. Mystery solved after wondering about it for quite a few years! Sounds trivial but I am struck by how much we take for granted regarding access to information: we have a full expansive library literally at our fingertips 24/7. Technology has its good and bad sides, but for this endless access to resources, I am eternally grateful...

**HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY from me (and courtesy Jill Biden)**

three things we love

Without leaving my desk, I have spent the last few days with the great American writer James Baldwin. Two things I choose to share with you here are a letter he wrote to his nephew in 1962 and an interview he did with the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) entitlted On Being Black in America, both still, sadly, very relevant today almost 60 years later. For those who want to delve deeper, he has written many books and essays, and the internet affords many other opportunities to hear him in his own words, including a notable debate between Baldwin and William F. Buckley at Cambridge University in 1965.

Recipe for Challah Bread — Recipe for **Challah Bread**

"With bread, all sorrows are less" words spoken by the character Sancho Panza in the novel Don Quixote.

One of my favorite childhood memories was a bread "bake-in" I attended at the local library in Katonah, New York, where we built an outside oven and sculpted bread dough into animal shapes before baking. I made a snail. The pandemic seems a perfect time to try this again (minus the outdoor oven). Everyone should make bread at least once in their lifetime! Here is a SIMPLE RECIPE FOR CHALLAH, a good and easy place to start: Ingredients: 1 stick melted butter/1 pkg. active dry yeast/1.5 cups warm water/pinch of sugar/3 large eggs/1/2 cup honey/5-6 cups flour (1-2 cups of which can be whole wheat)/1 tbsp salt/1 egg lightly beaten with a little bit of water/sesame or poppy seeds (optional) Instructions: Melt butter in sm. saucepan, set aside to cool a bit/Pour approx. 1 tbsp butter in large bowl and swish around to coat sides/dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup water, add pinch of sugar and set aside. In large bowl, beat together eggs, honey and melted butter. Add remaining 1 cup warm water and mix well. Add yeast. Add flour, with salt, 1 cup at a time, blending well after each addition cup until dough is thick enough to work by hand. Spoon dough onto floured work surface and knead for several minutes. Add 1 cup raisins here (optional). Add more flour to make a smooth elastic dough. Rub top of dough in the buttered bowl , then flip dough over and nestle inside. Cover the dough with clean kitchen towel and place in warm place until doubled in size (approx. 5 hours). Divide dough into three pieces and roll each into a long rope. Braid them and curve into circle, pinching ends together. Or divide into two smaller braided loaves. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place again for 40 minutes. Brush top and sides of challah with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds (optional). Line a baking tray with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal. Bake in 350 degree preheated oven 30-40 minutes depending on loaf size, until golden brown.

There is a resurgence of interest in the game of chess these days, probably brought on by the popular series "The Queen's Gambit," which if you haven't seen, is well worth watching. Here I take you back to a family movie I enjoyed many years ago which is currently available on netflix, Searching for Bobby Fischer," about a young chess prodigy. It is a real New York story, full of wonderful scenes of Washington Square Park, based on truth and the life of Joshua Waitzkin. It is also a touching story about parenthood and misguided expectations we often have for our children.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow Pink Composition with Purple Ladder mixed media on canvas 54” x 80” approx.

My favorite pink painting which hangs in the entry of a beautiful home in Northern California. Perfect for this Valentine's Day.

“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.” — Dr Martin Luther King Jr

Below are links to our ArtSHOP, Smilow + Mathiesen PAINTINGS and a favorite CHARITY

Gert Mathiesen Art

Pam Smilow Art

ArtSHOP Products

Southern Poverty Law Ct