TroysArt

I ate Portland, Maine

: Destinations, Food & Beverage: Written by Troy Broussard : 11-08-2016

Steamed lobster and clams, classic Maine fare, from J's Oyster Bar on Portland's Historic Waterfront.

When I was a kid Alka-Seltzer coined the popular slogan, I can’t believe I ate the whole thing. And my recent trip to Portland, Maine, leaves me with the same sentiment because I ate Portland. Who knew that Portland was such a foodie town? But when lobsters, clams, fish, and shrimp pulled freshly from the Atlantic are mixed with the plethora of New England grown produce and locally-raised dairy and livestock, it results in what Bon Appétit has called America’s Foodiest Small Town. I have visited Portland before and ate myself silly. But this last trip afforded me quite a …continue reading

Hildene, where you visit the Lincolns

: Destinations: Written by Troy Broussard : 11-07-2016

Hildene in Manchester, Vermont, was the summer home of the Lincolns.

Hidden in the picturesque mountains of western Vermont, just outside the village of Manchester, is a house museum called Hildene, where you visit the Lincolns. And a house museum it is, indeed. House museums under the TroysArt Destinations tab are usually highly recommended to get a sense of the cultural and societal influences of an area. But the summer home owned by the heirs of Abraham Lincoln is not only a house but also a shrine to one of the country’s most significant presidents. Robert Todd Lincoln was the oldest son of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln; and the only …continue reading

I read Ethan Brown’s Murder in the Bayou

: Literature: Written by Troy Broussard : 10-30-2016

"Murder in the Bayou" by Ethan Brown. Who killed the women known as the Jeff Davis 8?

I lived in Jennings, Louisiana, a few years back and the hottest topic in town was the unsolved murders of eight women in what has become known as the Jeff Davis 8. Over the past few years I read that an investigative journalist named Ethan Brown set about writing about the killings. His recently published book is the result of years of public record searches and interviews. So without doubt I was very interested to read Ethan Brown’s Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8? “As Jackson peered deeper into the Grand Marais Bayou, he spied the …continue reading

There are problems with parking in Galveston

: Destinations: Written by Troy Broussard : 08-11-2016

Regular readers know that I have been very kind to Galveston. My posts such as Gung Ho on Galveston or Chasing Ghosts at Hotel Galvez are two examples; type Galveston into TroysArt Search and the plethora of posts pop up. But the recent occurrence of getting a parking ticket has me flummoxed. There are problems with parking in Galveston. We all know that the recent parking situation on the Seawall is ridiculous. In 2012 Galveston instituted a pay-by-phone system and on several occasions it has taken me up to twenty minutes trying to register my car by phone in order, …continue reading

In memory of Mother on her 70th birthday…

: TroysArt: Written by Troy Broussard : 08-06-2016

This is a repost of the blog a year ago celebrating Miss Sandra’s birthday. Not a day goes by without my thoughts of this wonderful woman who was taken too soon. Today would have been her 70th birthday. Note: Some of the photos and my blog layout did not translate well, so please forgive me. Search her name on my blog to see the original post as well as the beautiful comments that followed. August 6th, 2015 – Today would have marked the 69th birthday of my mother Sandra Fay Prather Broussard. This special TroysArt post is dedicated to a life that touched so many and a …continue reading

Easy DIY Cigar Jewelry Boxes

: TroysArt: Written by Troy Broussard : 07-28-2016

Readers who know me personally know that I have a weakness for cufflinks—I wear them daily. For years I kept my cufflinks in a drawer, some of them had their own individual boxes, some were just loose. But it became a problem rooting through dozens of cufflinks in the morning not only deciding which ones to wear but finding a matching pair. A few years ago I came up with a solution to my cufflink storage and display needs by making easy DIY cigar jewelry boxes, which I also call cufflink keepers. This craft project is so simple, it’s almost …continue reading

Whoever coined “the customer is always right” was an idiot

: Furniture & Design, Goods & Services: Written by Troy Broussard : 06-12-2016

Done as a principal with Edward J. Perrault Design Associates, a bedroom in Pebble Beach, CA, featuring custom designed furniture with an antique Japanese screen.

It was the one year anniversary of Mother’s death and it was a quiet day at work (as explained in previous posts I do design work for a major American furniture company which also entails assisting any Tom, Dong, or Jugdish who wanders in off the street). Most of the design staff sat around the office that day wondering if the doors were unlocked. And I was grateful to make it through the day with calm and grace. It was also the night of the week that I am key holder charged with locking up. And evenings mid-week are rarely eventful. …continue reading

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