TroysArt

A Painting Party with John Palmer

: Artists, Entertainment: Written by Troy Broussard : 06-03-2016

John Palmer directs Shannon Watson & Cody Soutar during the Painting Party.

Regular TroysArt readers know how much I adore the blending of art, food, and booze—so it should come as no surprise that I must rave about the June Painting Party with John Palmer. I have known John Palmer since his first showings. (In fact, in the late 90s when I was the designer responsible for the restoration and conversion of the old Southern Pacific Building in downtown Houston into Bayou Lofts, I commissioned some large paintings by John for the lobby.) Since then I have come to know that anyone who loves art loves John; and anyone who loves a fun guy especially loves this one. John …continue reading

Please DO NOT TOUCH the Art

: Galleries & Museums: Written by Troy Broussard : 04-25-2016

Study for El Jaleo by John Singer Sargent [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Touch is an instinctive quality to gain information about an object and that ability to perceive sensations through touch gives our brain an abundance of information. It is understandable that the desire to touch is sometimes overwhelming. The colors and textures of a painting in a museum can be as alluring as candy; the urge to possess an actual artifact of history can be innately tempting. But the vast majority of museums on earth require that patrons DO NOT TOUCH the Art. But even with a no touching policy, museum visitors continue to do so, whether by accident, by ignorance, or by sometimes …continue reading

Art in Washington DC

: Destinations, Galleries & Museums: Written by Troy Broussard : 04-23-2016

Richard Milhous Nixon by Norman Rockwell, 1968, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; donated to the people of the United States of America by the Richard Nixon Foundation.

I was in Washington DC last week to visit a friend—I had not seen Elizabeth Arledge since we graduated high school, and having never been to DC looked forward to a tour of her stomping ground. When asked what I wanted to see I suggested a couple of monuments and a few wine bars; but I also hoped to see some great museums while there. And boy did we! I was asked upon my return how I liked the art in Washington DC. And I can offer a simile in answer to that inquiry: Art in Washington DC is like walking into …continue reading

The novel Gone with the Wind

: Literature: Written by Troy Broussard : 04-07-2016

No book has been so absorbed into American culture, especially Southern, than the novel Gone with the Wind. In fact, with over 30 million copies printed, a 2014 Harris Poll found it to be the second favorite book of American readers, behind The Bible. A year ago I made a blog post about a few of my favorite books (TroysArt – A few favorite reads) in which I included Margaret Mitchell’s classic 1936 masterpiece. The story chronicles the struggles of Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy Georgian cotton plantation owner, who uses all means at her disposal to claw …continue reading

TroysArt simple & elegant DIY Easter Eggs

: TroysArt: Written by Troy Broussard : 03-24-2016

You are never too old to paint Easter Eggs. But no matter the age, child and adult alike, the inner-artist yearns to break away from the traditional PAAS vinegar dip method for a more unique and sophisticated egg. In honor of Easter, this post is a TroysArt simple & elegant DIY Easter Eggs tutorial. You will need: Boiled Eggs Craft paints, or acrylic paint, including a metallic gold and/or silver Krylon acrylic (non-toxic) spray varnish A bottle of wine Using room temperature dry eggs select a bright color and apply a small amount of acrylic paint with your fingertips. Have fun swirling it …continue reading

Another exciting Best Friends Brunch benefitting aniMeals

: Entertainment, Lifestyle: Written by Troy Broussard : 02-20-2016

Troy Broussard & Delta Dawn, 2016 Best Friends Brunch benefitting aniMeals.

My dog should be an international socialite… Once again this year Delta Dawn rocked the ballroom of a fancy hotel! The occasion was another exciting Best Friends Brunch benefitting aniMeals on Wheels at Houston’s fabulous Hotel Zaza. aniMeals on Wheels, a division of Interfaith Ministries Meals on Wheels program, was conceived after Interfaith administrators for the Meals on Wheels program questioned drivers about what they were learning on their routes. Seems recipients were not finishing their meals in order to save portions for their pets. The aniMeals program was created to provide pet food so that home-bound seniors would not feel compelled …continue reading

Stumps are brightly painted at College Park Cemetery

: Destinations: Written by Troy Broussard : 02-18-2016

Sometimes it only takes a few hours to discover something interesting in your own backyard. For years I passed the overgrown and neglected parcel of land on the eastern border of River Oaks on West Dallas—always told that it was an ancient slave cemetery. I guess it is poignant that I visited the site a couple days ago, being as it is Black History Month. And I was particularly intrigued by the restoration and the folk art—all of the stumps are brightly painted at College Park Cemetery. College Park Cemetery is one of the three remaining African-American cemeteries from the …continue reading

Artists in Black History Month

: Artists: Written by Troy Broussard : 02-10-2016

William Tolliver, “The Runner”, courtesy of the Zigler Art Museum.

(As we all know, February is Black History Month. This post is a simplified and revised version of a feature article that I wrote about artists in Black History Month for the Lake Charles American Press; it was published with my byline on February 3, 2008. A version was also published on my original TroysArt blog February 2008. Photographic images were provided courtesy of the Zigler Art Museum in Jennings, Louisiana. Also, please recognize that art historians often use the description Black American in defining the group apart from Caucasians. This term embraces those of African, Caribbean, and Creole decent. While the inclusion …continue reading

Houston’s favorite BYOB Vietnamese: Huynh

: Food & Beverage: Written by Troy Broussard : 01-19-2016

Chargrilled Pork Spring Rolls with fish sauce at Huynh.

When I moved to Houston I found a world of cuisine that I could have never dreamed of before—growing up in rural Louisiana we thought that Mexican food at Casa Manana in Lake Charles was the bomb. And I had no idea that there was such a thing as Vietnamese cuisine—but I fell in love with it as soon as I tried it. Of course back at that time Kim Son was all the rage and seemed to be the pinnacle of Vietnamese cuisine in Houston. But lately I have a new restaurant obsession. My friends and I have rediscovered …continue reading

Chasing ghosts at Hotel Galvez

: Destinations: Written by Troy Broussard : 11-27-2015

A ghostly face in room 501, courtesy of Hotel Galvez.

My favorite nearby get-away is Galveston, Texas (TroysArt – Gung Ho on Galveston); and without question my favorite hotel on the island is Hotel Galvez (Troysart – The art of escape, the Hotel Galvez). This week I visited with Lake Charles gal-pal Courtenay Deats Guillory. And for as many times as I have visited the Galvez, this was the first time I ever heard of paranormal occurrences. That is how Court and I ended up chasing ghosts at Hotel Galvez. According to concierge Melissa Hall the most notorious spirit haunting the halls is a bride-to-be named Audra who stayed in room 501 …continue reading