TroysArt

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

Remember that time I was on TV? The Big Switch

: Entertainment, Furniture & Design, Lifestyle, TroysArt: Written by Troy Broussard : 11-22-2015

Troy Broussard of The Big Switch, cover of OutSmart Magazine, November 2002.

Does anyone remember that time I was on TV? The Big Switch was a home design challenge sponsored by Houston PBS KUHT, Houston Chronicle, OutSmart Magazine, and Bassett Furniture. Emmy award winning Ernie Manouse hosted the two day challenge in which designers Jennifer Lowe and myself transformed the interiors of neighboring Habitat for Humanity homes. Not only did we have two days but we had a budget of $1,500, part of which we had to use at least one piece of Bassett furniture. The Big Switch was the most watched original program in the 2002 Houston PBS broadcast season. Incidentally, …continue reading

Photo Friday: Roxanne Lasage

: Photo Friday: Written by Troy Broussard : 11-13-2015

Bayou Nezpique by Roxanne LeGros Lasage.

Once again the TroysArt Photo Friday featured pic comes by way of Roxanne LeGros Lasage of Jennings, Louisiana. Roxi is an avid outdoorsman, amateur photographer, and animal lover–readers might recall her beautiful mallard drake featured back in March (TroysArt – Roxanne LeGros Lasage). Today’s beautiful snap occurred on Bayou Nezpique! Thanks for another great photograph, Roxi!

The art of yachting Puerto Vallarta

: Destinations, Lifestyle: Written by Troy Broussard : 09-26-2015

Kirk Longmire, Troy Broussard, & Kristy Phillips on a yacht in Puerto Vallarta.

Paraphrasing Carly Simon, I walked into the party like I was walking onto a yacht… and I was walking onto a yacht! It was a party too. TroysArt readers know that I recently spent time on the west coast of Mexico and this as promised is the second of two posts about the adventure (see: TroysArt – Our swank soiree in Sayulita) specifically dedicated to the art of yachting Puerto Vallarta. But first a refresher of our cast of characters. We were all guests of Rob Taylor and Kristy Phillips celebrating Rob’s birthday in Sayulita. Also present were Rob’s son Trey …continue reading