“Ode to Escapism”, the result of my evening with John Palmer at Vallone’s.
Some events sound just too good to pass up. I recently received an invitation that interested me greatly—a painting party hosted by artist John Palmer at Vallone’s restaurant.
Buddy Kirk Longmire agreed to join me for the event (I had to find a participant not only willing but also able to pony up the $135 fee). Famed restaurateur Tony Vallone has made a reputation for Houston’s finest and most exclusive establishments. And having never been to the new restaurant in Memorial, Kirk and I drove out early last week to enjoy Happy Hour and for a tour before the paints came out! (Vallone’s has an excellent Happy Hour, btw.)
When we arrived we found John Palmer’s customized Mercedes Sprinter backed up to the door. Seems he was not only hosting an event but present also to install one of his latest creations above the fire place in the main dining room.
John Palmer is perhaps the hardest working artist I know. Over the last decade he has garnered international acclaim as founder of the Escapism art movement. Escapism enables the viewer to ease into abstraction through combinations of vibrant colors and brushstrokes with elements of realism. And he is absolutely one of the most gregarious persons you will ever meet.
Vallone’s Sarah Miller serving cheer, John Palmer directly behind the champagne flutes.
Ryan Lindsey, John’s partner, checked-in the evening’s participants and Sarah Miller, Vallone’s private party specialist, passed cabernet, pinot grigio, and champagne as we donned our protective aprons. Unlike Pinot’s Palette or Painting with a Twist, this event was not BYOB. Seated at our table—which came to be known as the loud table—were mortgage bankers and art collectors Taff & April Weinstein (even though adult beverages were passed, Taff & I still managed to rack up significant bar tabs for mixed drinks) and celebrity photographer Dalton DeHart (Dalton, if you see this blog post, I could really use some proper photographs).
The table is set for art instead of food at Vallone’s, with Taff & April Weinstien, Kirk Longmire, & me.
Also unlike Pinot’s Palette or Painting with a Twist, there was no set painting design for participants to replicate. Rather John encouraged us to just pick up a pencil or a paint brush and find a place to begin. That wasn’t an easy direction for me.
Kirk turned and said, “Well you’re an artist, you should know what to do.”
But I was not there to make a swamp painting or a pet portrait; I was there for a John Palmer experience, to twist my brain a bit and escape. And I did escape—the cocktails made certain of that.
Throughout the evening Sarah passed platters of food, each bite served on its own individual porcelain easy grip spoon. Everyone’s favorite seemed to be the Corn Raviolini, a most magnificent mélange of Texas corn and sage truffle essence!
Vallone’s, 947 Gessner in Houston
Once our paintings were complete we left John Palmer with all the messy paint brushes and Kirk and I joined the Weinsteins for dinner in the fabulous main dining room, just feet away from the new Palmer creation above the fireplace. April loved the Corn Raviolini so well that she ordered a whole plate of it. And allow me to just say despite several serious service snafus, the interior décor and food certainly lived up to the quality that one expects from one of Tony’s establishments.
Regular readers of my blog know how much I adore the combination of fine art, gourmet food, and booze! So kudos to John Palmer and Vallone’s for such a fantastic event.
In fact, John has planned a few more similar events. January 21st, February 18th, and March 18th he will host a painting party at his studio in the Heights; January 27th and March 10th he will attempt to repeat his successful evening at Vallone’s. He can undoubtedly be contacted through his website below. Not only is it a real hoot but you will have a work of art to forever commemorate your evening with gourmet food, booze, and a famous artist.