Maha Malluh's "Food For Thought"

On a recent blog post at TheMarthaBlog.com, Martha showcased a photo of herself standing in front of an art installation at the newly-opened United Arab Emirates Louvre Abu Dhabi gallery in Dubai. The installation is a grouping of enormous aluminum pots with their charred and crackled bottoms facing outward to reveal a beautiful tapestry of texture and pattern. They are part of a larger series of work by Saudi artist Maha Malluh called "Food For Thought - Al Muallaqat".

I was really struck by the odd beauty of these pots and the creative thinking behind the concept so I decided to learn a bit more about the artist and share more images from the exhibit here on Martha Moments.

The grouping of pots Martha is standing in front of is part of a larger, untitled installation featuring an entire wall of these pots.

The effect is striking.

The artist, Maha Malluh, shown above, was born in Saudi Arabia in 1959. It is where she lives and works. Most of her work is comprised of found objects that she re-purposes and reinvents into large-scale installations that speak to a larger theme or topic. The purpose of much of her work, she says, is to challenge the viewer to pause and think more deeply about the world that surrounds them and to see ordinary objects in new and unexpected ways. 

"I am interested in the systems of value awarded to material objects in our contemporary culture," she says. "I like to work with objects that are going to disappear from our life, in order to preserve our identity and our cultural memory."

In her Food For Thought collection, Malluh explores the beauty of everyday cookware by grouping pieces into mass installations, as she did with the aluminum pots. For this exhibit she also created enormous columns of bowls and serving dishes by fusing them together into towering pedestals.

To read an interview with Malluh and learn more about the symbolism and intent behind the work, click here.

Rowaida's Martha-Inspired Christmas Dessert Buffet

One of the best things about being a blogger is meeting so many great people from all over the world. Rowaida Flayhan, a reader in Kuwait, has visited Martha Moments every day for a few years now and she often sends me photographs of her very inspiring work, which I never hesitate to highlight on the blog. Last year, Rowaida sent me these amazing photographs of a dessert buffet table she set up for her Christmas party. The recipes for the cake and the Christmas-tree cut-out cookies are Martha's, of course, and she also made Christmas tree desserts using ice-cream cones that she filled with M&M chocolates and then iced to create a tree effect.

The extremely beautiful presentation is certainly "very Martha" but also "very Rowaida!" She stood the cookies in uncooked rice for a pretty snow effect and made a cute little cake-topper using wooden skewers and tiny ornaments strung between them. If you click here you can see how beautifully she always presents her baking. The recipe for the cake and frosting that you see in Rowaida's photos is this one from Martha's Baking Handbook. You can get Martha's recipe for the tree-shaped cookies with royal icing in Martha Stewart's Cookies book on page 241. The photos were taken by Rowaida's son Samo and I hope you enjoy them!

 



Setting the Table

Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve: between these holidays many of us will be setting quite a few tables over the next month or so. Why not try something unexpected and whimsical? With the approaching holidays in mind, I've gathered some of my favourite images of tablescapes from Pinterest, with a focus on seasonality and festivity. Each table provides a different dining experience - some formal, some more casual; some very grand and some very intimate. Have a look at the images below and tell me if you like anything you see! How will you be setting your holiday table this year? What colours will you use? What will your inspiration be?

A galvanized tray holds a grouping of pumpkins and gourds of various sizes, leafy vegetables and garden vines to make a striking centerpiece on this autumnal, Thanksgiving table. The palette is kept neutral in shades of grey with votives casually placed down the table for a pretty, light effect, adding some warmth to the cooler tones. (Image via: thedailybasics.com)

This Thanksgiving table capitalizes on a crafter's talent to great effect. Glass hurricanes are painted using the Martha Stewart Crafts line of specialty paints for glass with a pretty floral effect in gold. Gold, creams and browns are punctuated by hits of colour in the cut-out leaves that have been secured to a collection of beautifully gnarled branches that stand tall at the center of the table, creating a ''tree canopy'' over the diners. Each place setting is embellished with a gold-pumpkin place card and a printed menu. (Image via: Martha Stewart Living)

I love Ralph Lauren's dinnerware. It is so elegant and, like his apparel, can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Here, Ralph has set the table for maximum dramatic impact with lustrous blacks and golds, luminous glassware and silver serveware. The punctuation point is that hit of festive plaid in bold red and green, catching the flare of the bouquet of red roses on the table. It warms the composition and provides some casual cheer to an otherwise formal setting. (Image via: RalphLauren.com) 

A slightly more intimate gathering is kept elegant yet whimsical with gilded and silvered toy animals guarding each place setting. Clusters of small bouquets in mercury-glass vases are interspersed amongst taper candles in glass candle holders to create a linear centerpiece that visually lengthens the table. With its freshness and cheerfulness, this would be a beautiful setting for a New Year's Day brunch. (Image via: Stylemepretty.com)

Play around with napkin placement and placemat ideas. The linen napkin on the left is casually folded and cinched with a ribbon embellished with acorn tie-ons. The plate is sitting directly on the tablecloth, a decidedly modern style. On the right, the napkin is folded squarely and placed under an appetizer dish. The placemat is a piece of wood cut thinly into a square, adding rustic flare to a modern table. (Left image via: Martha Stewart Living; Right image via: Paloma81.blogspot.com)

This is a very grand table, indeed! It's also festive without shouting "Christmas!" from each and every angle. The plaette is stictly white with plenty of transparency in the glassware and glass candle sticks, bringing lightness to the woodsy room. Bowls of fruit and candlelight warm the setting. And how about those faux-fur chair liners! The modernity of the tablescape is the perfect complement to the rustic surroundings. (Image via: aesthetically-thinking.blogspot.com)

This modern, Scandinavian look is so beautiful in its bright simplicity and is actually one of the easiest effects to achieve. Keep the palette neutral and monochromatic, keep the shapes bold but clean and keep ornamentation to a minimum. The mostly grey and silver colour scheme is warmed by gold candlesticks and holiday greenery. Napkins are tied with Christmas-tree shaped gingerbread cookies. (Images via: blog.stylizimo.com)

Here is another example of a Scandinavian-inspired table setting that uses the same principles of monochromatic coordination. The light, neutral tones are extended to the single-stem Chrysanthemum arrangements that dot the tabletop. (Image via: Martha Stewart Living)

Sometimes during the holiday season it's nice to sit down with one or two good friends (or just your husband, wife and kids) to a casual kitchen dinner. I love the casual warmth of these two intimate table settings that are still elegant and beautiful without being ostentatious. (Left image via: breadandolives.tumblr.com. Right image via localmilkblog.com) 

Those of you in more temperate climates have the luxurious option of hosting your holiday gatherings outdoors! I love the drama this table evokes with its stunning 'runner' of collected mosses, antlers and flower arrangement of roses, ranunculus and proteas. The square glass dishes sit directly atop the bare wood table and the amber pedestal tumblers keep it casual. (Image via: ruffledblog.com)

Gathering Fancy Foliage

If anyone in north Toronto happened to see a man in a navy trench coat randomly snipping leaves from the city planters that line the sidewalks with his fingernails, I can assure you it was me. I've been noticing so many beautiful and interesting leaves lately - not above my head (autumn has yet to paint the trees in those striking reds and golds) but more or less at eye level. Toronto is lucky to have thousands of public planters along its sidewalks and streets to help liven up the sea of concrete. They are planted with beautiful and unusual specimens, some of which you can see below. I have yet to identify them, although many of them look to be members of the coleus (Solenostemon) family. It was Margaret Roach who trained my eye to appreciate unusual foliage and I'm ever grateful for that. The textures, patterns and colours of these leaves are marvelous to study up close. If any of you know what the specimens are, please indicate them in the comments section. {PROJECT: Rather than save the leaves, scan them as I have done and then print the image on semi-gloss paper and keep them in a folder or a scrapbook. Once you identify them, make a label with the names of the plants.}

 

Inclusion: A Special Thank-You to Martha Stewart

With Gay Pride celebrations happening in cities all across North America this week and the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to abolish the Defense of Marriage Act, which sought to prevent gay marriages from being recognized on a federal level, I see no better time to express my sincerest gratitude to Martha Stewart and her team for being important champions of gay rights.

It is no secret that Martha is a gay icon. Subjects like flower arranging, catering, baking, decorating and just general, all-round fabulousness are the cornerstones of Martha's gay allure. She has been captivating a wide gay audience since the early 1980s, sharing her creative vision with this curious and equally-creative demographic through her various media and merchandise. A substantial portion of Martha's male readers and viewers are gay (I certainly count myself among them!) and a relatively large percentage of her male colleagues are gay as well. Many of the male readers of this blog - the most vociferous ones, naturally - are gay and her influence on gay culture remains indelible, although it has never been accurately described or acknowledged

Just yesterday, to show their support for the Supreme Court's decision to abolish the Defense of Marriage Act, Martha Stewart Weddings posted this photo to its Facebook page, saying, "We support love!"

Evidence of Martha's support for gay rights abounds in the pages of her magazines and the archived episodes of her television shows. I can think of at least ten articles in Martha Stewart Living magazine that have proudly showcased the homes, gardens and businesses of gay couples in the United States. The fact that these couples are gay is editorially incidental, but the cultural impact of sharing their stories in a mainstream, internationally-circulated magazine is vastly important. Putting the ordinary lives of ordinary gay men and women under a title like "Living" is hugely meaningful - for the brand, for her audience (gay and straight) and for the much wider sphere of lifestyle media. Imagine a young man, perhaps confused about his place in the world, seeing people like him leading successful, happy lives together. Imagine the importance of seeing that positive image and how it may influence this young man's vision of himself in the world and his future goals of happiness.

The truly exceptional work, however, belongs to Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, which was the first mainstream American weddings magazine to showcase a gay wedding. That was in 2009. Since then, there has been a gay wedding featured in almost every issue, including the marriage of Martha's nephew Christopher to his partner Tim Long, which took place at Martha's farm in Bedford. Martha Stewart Weddings has been the leading pioneer in profiling gay weddings in its pages, widening the aperture of inclusion by featuring love - in all its forms.

To show my appreciation, I have written to GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) to suggest they nominate Martha Stewart for their annual Excellence in Media Award, which is presented to a new media personality each year. Former recipients have included Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Diane Sawyer, Billy Crystal, Harvey Weinstein and many others. I think Martha deserves to be on this list.

Thank you, Martha, and to all the editors of Martha Stewart's publications and the producers of her television shows for being inclusive, for being brave, for being so inspiring to me and so many other gay men and women.

A Visit With Brent & Josh In Sharon Springs

Last weekend I got the chance to catch up with my friends Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell in Sharon Springs, New York. I visited them at their home - the beautiful Beekman Farm near Cobleskill. The "boys" always have something on the go and they were both especially excited about the new location of their store, The Beekman Merchantile, which opens on Main Street Sharon Springs this weekend. It's a beautiful old building that they have refurbished and renovated. They will now have lots of space to display and sell their many products. One nice feature of the new location is an ice-cream parlour where they will be selling exotic flavors of their new Beekman Ice Cream this summer! Josh also showed me some of the prototypes for some of the new products they're developing. Very exciting!

 

Even though the day was extremely cold, it was still a fresh, spring day. The fruit trees were blooming and the gardens were turning green with new life. The goats are always happy to see smiling faces and all the newborn kids were keeping warm in the barn. Sharon Springs is such a special place and Brent's gentle prodding for me to move there becomes a little less necessary with each new visit. The town has cast its spell on me! Below are some photographs from my visit to their home, with special attention paid to some of the smaller details in its storied rooms.

 

A Spring Walk

I love living in a big, exciting city like Toronto. There is always so much to do and so much going on that you never feel isolated. And yet, I am a country boy at heart. I grew up in the country and being surrounded by nature was always a part of my life, whether it was at the cottage or spending time in my parents' backard or the big field at the end of our street. In big cities, you have to seek out nature, look beyond the concrete to find the green. Toronto is lucky to have so many beautiful parks, public gardens and miles of waterfront, all accessible by transit. I am lucky, in turn, to live right across the street from Alexander Muir Memorial Gardens, one of the nicest and largest parks in the city. I took a long walk there this morning with my camera and found beauty at every turn. Walking is what I do to clear my mind after a busy week. Taking photos of my surroundings helps me focus on the here and now, confronting what is right in front of me while also looking closer at some of the hidden beauty that might otherwise be overlooked. Spring is a beautiful time of year; May is especially wonderful here with its warm temperatures, sunny skies and blossoms. Spring was late this year and this was the first week of real spring we have experienced. By the end of next week, the leaves will have unfurled and everything will be much greener and in full-bloom. Enjoy these photos of the park!

Andrew Ritchie Photos