A Little Love for LOVE, INC.

Yvonne and I are excited Love, Inc. is on the nomination list for the Young Adult Library Association’s (YALSA’s) Teen’s Top Ten.

For those in the know, this is like the People’s Choice awards for teens who read. In other words, cool teens.

Okay, take another look at the list.

Notice that Yvonne is rubbing spines with Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games series.

Notice that Love, Inc. is one of very few books on the list that’s not paranormal or dystopian.

Notice that... my name is missing.

Ah well. I suppose it beats being called “Sally” Rideout (after the astronaut, Sally Ride), which happens a lot.

Details aside, we couldn’t be happier that there’s room for a romantic-comedy on the YALSA list. Read as many of these books as you can this summer and place your votes Aug. 22 through Sept. 16.

In the meantime, check out some recent reviews of Love, Inc.:

...Through Love, Inc., the girls discover their own strengths and work with them to understand the confusing world of relationships, including their own. Several subplots keep the book flowing and interesting. The three main characters are well-developed, each with her own quirks and fortes, and the supporting cast members are also refreshingly multidimensional. Not necessarily a quick read, but still a worthy one for teens wanting a book that is fun while still containing some substance.
-- School Library Journal

.. This is a breezy read with strong appeal for those looking for something "clean" to enjoy.
-- VOYA

Quick Q&A with Yvonne

Q: How do you feel about Love, Inc. being described as “breezy” and “clean?”
A: It’s kind of like a shampoo commercial, but it beats “flat and greasy.”

Q: Does the word "substance" give you a bit of a head rush?
A: I’m still on a high. We’re more used to seeing the word “fluffy” in reviews. As if fluff were a bad thing! Obviously, we believe that fun and substance can co-exist in fiction.
Q: What did you have to do to get Sandy’s name lopped off the list?
A: Every librarian has a price. (Sally is a bit of a deadweight anyway.)

Q: Are you burying the worst reviews?
A: Duh. What author—er, co-author—wouldn’t? There’s one that said Love, Inc. reads like a travel... Well, never mind. It’s there for anyone who cares to look for it.

Q: After 9 books, aren’t you beyond caring about reviews?
A: Hahahaha. No.

F-Arty Friday – Sandy Confesses to AIC (Art Inferiority Complex)

Yvonne has written about art with confidence in her recent series of F-arty Friday blogs—a confidence I know she’s gained from visits to many galleries and perusing her extensive collection of arty-books. And possibly from the source of all wisdom, Wikipedia.

The signs of her passion were obvious long ago. Very early in Yvonne’s career, she chose to invest her meager savings in a couple of Henry Ranger paintings that spoke to her (not literally). At the time, I believed that money would have been far better spent at Banana Republic. But now I realize that the clothes she might have bought would be in a dump site, whereas the art continues to adorn her walls.

























I’ve never had Yvonne’s comfort level in galleries. In fact, I live in fear that the art police will recognize me as a poseur and throw me out.

This fear is not entirely unfounded. Once, during one of our many road trips to Buffalo, Yvonne and I took a break from what I consider culture—specifically cross-border shopping—and hit the local Albright-Knox gallery. While we were basking in the glow of some great work of art, a security guard accosted us for the heinous crime of... chewing gum. He followed us to the trash can and watched as we spit it out, an expression of supreme contempt on his face. Then he followed us from room to room, making sure we didn’t break any more rules.

Yvonne recovered quickly but my Art Inferiority Complex sticks to me like, er... chewing gum. I overcome it in other countries, and recall visits to galleries in London, Paris and New York City quite fondly. But at home, I’d rather appreciate Starbucks than art.

Still, when Yvonne’s husband uttered the magic words “free admission” recently, I was happy to join him at the Art Gallery of Ontario. It had been many years since I’d last visited and a renovation has turned it into quite a spectacular site.

We were lucky enough to catch a special exhibit on the work of David Blackwood, a Canadian printmaker whose art explores the struggle for survival between humans and nature in Newfoundland, one of the most exposed and hostile environments on earth.

I got chills standing in front of some of his pieces—and I don’t mean figuratively. His depictions of snowy Newfoundland really draw the viewer in.

The only thing that would have improved the visit for me was a tour guide. I learn more by listening, but spare me the headphones. Because the major benefit of a tour guide for someone with AIC is that being part of a crowd makes you feel like you belong.

So my advice to fellow artophobes is to visit galleries with friends, keep visits short, and join a tour when you can.

And never, ever chew gum. Also, touching the art? Bad idea. But that’s another story.

F-arty Fridays: Yvonne thinks Gaudi Designs Buildings that Rock!

One of the things I like most about traveling (apart from the “Holiday Calories Don’t Count” rule) is discovering new artists and designers. During a trip to Barcelona, Spain, it was architect and designer, Antoni Gaudi, who wowed me. His work spanned the late 1800s and early 1900s, and left a unique stamp on the entire city.

My visit just happened to coincide with the 100^th anniversary of Gaudi’s death, so many of the private buildings he designed were open to the public. Gorgeous curves, bright mosaic tiles, and artfully tangled ironwork made these buildings irresistible, and I made it a point to see as many as possible.

Both admired and criticized in his own time, Gaudi’s goal was to create structures that integrated with their surroundings. He often achieved this by also designing the elements that adorned them, like stained glass, mosaics, ceramics, and wrought iron. Even chimneys and doors became works of art.

Casa Milà &

Casa Batlló

The philosophy of integrated design was popular with the Art Nouveau movement that sought to make art a part of ordinary life. Art Nouveau rejected traditional, rigid art forms in favor of the

flowing, organic forms of nature.

Gaudi was influenced by Art Nouveau, and is also considered a forefather of the Catalan Modernisme movement, which embraced a bohemian attitude toward society. Its followers either set themselves apart, or attempted to change it.

However, Gaudi remains difficult to categorize as his work was also influenced by gothic art, oriental structures, medieval French architecture and other designers of the time. All of this resulted in a style was as unique as Gaudi himself.

Here are just a few of my favorite Gaudi creations:

Park Güell

The failed housing site ended up as a public space, where broken pieces of ceramics from local factories were used in the mosaics and cutting down trees was strictly forbidden.

Casa Milà (La Pedrera)

Also known as La Pedrera (The Quarry), this amazing apartment building (see chimney's above), does not contain a single straight line. Instead of load-bearing walls, it rests on pillars and arches.

The balconies on the outside resemble undulating waves and in order to allow light into all the rooms, the units are arranged around two central courtyards.

Casa Batlló

Both interior and exterior of this building feature a mix of expressionist and Art

Nouveau styles.

Sagrada Familia

This grand cathedral is probably the most famous of Gaudi's creations. He took over the project from another architect in 1883 and continued to work on it until his death in 1926. When Gaudi was run over by a tram, people mistook him for a vagabond and few stopped to help. Yet when he died from his injuries a few months later, thousands lined up to pay their respects as the procession made its way from the hospital to a crypt in La Sagrada Familia.

Since Gaudi’s death, a variety of different architects have continued his work on the project and the building remains under construction today.

F-arty Friday – Yvonne takes you outside of the gallery

People often tell me they don’t like art and when I ask why, they usually say it’s because they get intimidated or bored in stuffy galleries, especially when “museum fatigue” sets in after the first hour or two.

Even the most ardent art fans feel this way sometimes, because there’s only so much visual information your brain can absorb at once. I recall a visit to Madrid’s famed Prado museum where, after a few hours of taking in masterpiece after masterpiece, I wept openly—not at the magnificence of Rembrandt, but rather at the splendor of green sign pointing the way to the museum’s café.

I learned an important lesson on that art-heavy trip: museums and galleries are best taken in small doses. What works best for me is to take in one special exhibit, and a few choice picks from a permanent collection. Better yet, I like to spread my visit over a few days. Luckily, a lot of galleries have clued into this fatigue phenomenon and sell tickets that are valid for more than 24 hours. At home in Toronto, I solved the problem by becoming a proud member of the AGO where I can visit any time I want. My hubby and I often drop in for less than an hour to see something specific.

But if galleries still cause you to groan mentally, some of the best art can be enjoyed outside, and for free. For example, a gallery-phobic friend of mine recently returned from a trip to Grenada raving about the underwater sculptures of Jason de Caires Taylor she saw while snorkeling.

A few years ago, I worked on a film in Vilnius, Lithuania, where I visited a sculpture forest called Europos Parkas. It was one of the most peaceful and magical places I’ve ever seen.

Speaking of magical, I’d love to visit Fogo island, off the north-east coast of Newfoundland, where The Arts Corporation offers residencies for artists and workshops that anyone can join. To me, the island itself now looks like a work of art, with its new studios and renovated traditional buildings.

For now, I’m getting my outdoor art fix closer to home. In Toronto, there are some amazing sculptures scattered around. Some of my favorites were created by Douglas Coupland.

Here’s my dog enjoying one of Coupland’s recent pieces.

And then there’s the new Sugar Beach, which has transformed an old parking lot in one of the city’s former industrial areas into an urban beach on Lake Ontario, attracting people to an area that was formerly forgotten.










If you find yourself with some free time this weekend, why not head outside and find something beautiful in your own home town?

Yvonne’s Magazine Dive Uncovers Culinary Treasure

Magazines tend to pile up around my house when I’m working, but every once in a while, I give myself an afternoon to catch up. I make a pot of tea, curl up on my sofa, and sift through my favorite glossies, happily tearing out articles that inform, photos that inspire (especially home design ideas, much to my hubby's chagrin) and recipes that make my stomach growl.

One recent magazine dive produced gold in the form of a sweet potato soup recipe. It sounded nutritious and economical, looked delicious, and best of all, called for ingredients I already had on hand.

We often sing the praises of the Barefoot Contessa here but it’s high time we shared the love with Lucy Waverman. Over the years, I’ve tackled many of her recipes and they always get rave reviews.

So if you want whip up a bowl of something fabulous tonight, try this:

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup
By Lucy Waverman (from Food & Drink magazine (LINK TO RECIPES SECTION), Autumn 2010) 



Ingredients
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil

1 cup (250 mL) chopped onion

1 cup (250 mL) chopped carrot

3 cups (750 mL) peeled and chopped
 sweet potatoes

1 tsp (5 mL) chopped ginger

¼ tsp (1 mL) chili flakes

½ tsp (2 mL) cinnamon

½ cup (125 mL) red lentils

5 cups (1.25 L) vegetable stock

¼ cup (50 mL) whipping cream* 

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup



Garnish* 

1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil

¼ cup (50 mL) sage leaves



1. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add carrots and sweet potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes.



2. Add ginger, chili flakes and cinnamon and sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add lentils and stir to coat with oil. 



3. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are very soft and lentils have exploded. 



4. Purée soup in food processor or with hand blender. Return to pot, stir in whipping cream and season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice and maple syrup. Reheat when needed.



5. For garnish, heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat and fry sage leaves for 30 seconds or until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Place on soup.



Serves 6



*For a fast and healthy dinner, skip the cream and the garnish. I did and no one complained!


Yvonne shares Love for Charley Harper

“Minimal Realism” is a term coined by the humble, charming and talented Mr. Charley Harper to describe his art, which reduces his subjects—usually birds and animals—to the simplest possible visual terms.

Charley loved a good pun, and claims that much of his work was inspired by the caption first.

























Love From Above



Catnip












Born in 1922 in rural West Virginia, Charley hated farming and couldn’t wait to move on. His typical humor shows in his description of choosing an art school:

“…I sent away for folders from various art schools that I found down in the hills. And there was one that came from the Art Academy of Cincinnati that had a self-portrait of a beautiful young girl on the front cover. And I thought, “Well, this is as good a reason to pick Cincinnati as any.” So I came here. And after I got here, she was an upperclassman, and she never paid a bit of attention to me. But I met Edie. My future wife.”*

Although Charley and Edie were married for 60 years, it wasn’t love at first sight. Their friendship developed in art class, and in Charley’s words, “we just became accustomed to each other.” Perhaps not the most romantic beginning, but years later, Charley still called Edie his best friend.

Two years into art school, Charley was drafted in the Army. The chaplain in his Division offered to carry Charley’s art supplies in his pack, thereby allowed the young artist to continue to draw, which helped him deal with the horrors of wartime in Europe.

After the war, Charley graduated from art school and married Edie. Their four-month honeymoon along the West Coast of the US to Florida inspired what Charley considered some of his most important work.














Grand Canyon














Visiting national parks continued to inspire Charley, and his posters for these parks are familiar images to many of us today. In fact, during my own honeymoon in Costa Rica, my husband and visited this park and fell in love with this poster.

Years before I knew who Charley Harper was, his work graced my wall. It continues to amaze me that this picture takes all the of the best elements of that magical place, and boils them down into such a deceptively simple collection of images.

When asked to describe this unique visual style, Charley said:

“I don’t see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures. I regard the picture as an ecosystem in which all the elements are interrelated, interdependent, perfectly balanced, without trimming or unutilized parts; and herein lies the lure of painting; in a world of chaos, the picture is one small rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe.”

Thank you, Charley Harper, for making my universe more beautiful!


*From Charlie Harper, An Illustrated Life -- Todd Oldham