Finding Time: Landscapes Painted in Stolen Moments

In the Surf by Jeremy Mallov

by Lisa Freeman 

What in the world does “en plein air” mean? 

I graduated from the School of Fine Arts at Indiana  University/Bloomington many years ago with a concentration in 3-dimensional arts; jewelry design, specifically. As I focused on designing, forming and constructing metals, I never held a paint brush or used a palette knife during my college years.  

“En plein air” I discovered, means “in the open air” or “painting outdoors.” 

The Impressionists are responsible for the popularity of this style of painting.

Aritst Jeremy Mallov has been painting impressionistic en plein air and studio landscapes for over 12 years, primarily using oils as his medium. He uses a palette knife almost exclusively to not only mix his paints, but to apply the paint to the canvas. 

Mallov captures the essence of what he is seeing by exaggerating and manipulating colors. He selects his subject matter for meaning and metaphor: the Jamaican seascapes double as reflections on marriage; Venetian canals symbolize freedom found and lost. Each landscape captures not only the look and feel of the location, but also the deeper meaning of what he was experiencing at the time and what the place symbolizes to him. 

For Mallov, capturing the truth of a scene has taken priority over capturing its reality.

Mallov creates art and exhibits in the Indianapolis area, including at the JCC Art Gallery beginning March 4, when he is not teaching art in the public school system. He, his wife and three beautiful daughters are residents of Fishers. 

Please plan to stop by, meet Jeremy and join us for an opening reception and light refreshments at the JCC Art Gallery on Sunday, March 9, from 2 to 4 p.m. 

More about Lisa Freeman

Setting Goal Targets for Maximum Results

by JCC Association and Club One

Remember back one month. 

You were just two weeks into your New Year’s resolutions, passionately pursuing new and lofty goals.

In the weeks since, have you lost momentum on the journey?

It’s been said that a goal properly set is halfway reached. Can that be said of your 2014 goals?

Setting goals that have a clear focus helps us create motivation, accountability & direction to meet what we want to achieve.

Here are some tips for properly setting goals.

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE:  Determining your objective will keep you motivated, & help you decide if your lifestyle & activities align with your goals.

REMAIN REALISTIC & ACHIEVABLE: Goals that are difficult to attain are a sure-fire way of failure. Come up with a goal that you can fit in to your everyday routine.

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS:  Write down things that’ll help you reach your goal. If you fail, don’t get upset, instead list reasons you didn’t attain your goal. This allows you to be aware of the challenges in your way.

REWARD YOURSELF: Set up a personal reward system. When you reach a goal, be happy & reward yourself on your hard work.

An Astronomer’s “Aha” Moments

by Thomas Steiman-Cameron

A couple of years ago, I shared dinner with a high school friend that I had not seen in many years.

At one point during the evening she asked me “what do you do?”

I have no memory of how I responded but have thought a lot about her question ever since. It intrigues me. What is a very simple question could involve a complex response.

Simplicity and complexity describe human existence and the universe in which we live.  

As a scientist, my goal is to understand the complexity of physical phenomena and, in the process, reveal the underlying simplicity of how nature works. 

Those “aha” moments, when things become clear and everything fits, bring a joy that is difficult to describe.

Scientists live for these moments.

The extreme weather we have experienced this year has absolutely delighted me. A lot of physics underlies weather and its connection to the green house gasses and climate change. In this sense, it is complex. 

However, the phenomena we call weather can be broken down into a number of individual physical processes, each of which is simple and familiar to essentially everyone. 

Thus, uncovering the physics reveals an underlying simplicity. Given an understanding of the physical processes at work, we see that everything works exactly as one might expect! 

I find joy from the fact that we are able to decipher how the universe works and understand it in terms accessible to anyone.

There truly is beauty and harmony in how the universe functions. It is no accident that universities combine “arts” and “sciences” into one school; at the most fundamental level, the two merge.

Guest blogger Thomas Steiman-Cameron, also known by his students as Dr. Dash, is Senior Scientist in the Astronomy Department at Indiana University Bloomington. He will be teaching The Green House Effect, Global Warming andGoldilocks Planets at the JCC on Feb. 20 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

5 Ways to Cook with Your Kids

by Katherine Matutes, Ph.D.

While it may seem easier to plop the kids down in front of the TV when you cook dinner, doing so can be a missed opportunity to teach your kids about nutrition and have some special bonding time.

It is true that working with kids in the kitchen may require a little extra patience and energy, but it pays off in the long run.

One of the most powerful teaching tools for developing healthy habits in children is to model healthful behaviors. The ingredients and cooking methods you use in the kitchen can show your children how to be healthy. Empowering kids with a say in the menu planning, shopping and food preparation makes them much more inclined to taste something.

You also can take advantage of your child's interests outside the kitchen to keep them engaged. Ask a child who likes art to compose a colorful salad or a child who loves technology to look up a good recipe for parsnips on the Internet. Keep the interaction light and fun, so it doesn't feel like a chore. Their natural curiosity will get the better of them.

Studies show that families that cook and eat together consume more fruits and vegetables and have lower incidences of obesity. Here are 5 easy ideas to get the ball rolling in your house:

1. When planning meals out for the upcoming week allow your child to pick at least one dish they like and have them help you shop for and prepare that item.

2. At the store, encourage your kids to pick out something they've never tried in the produce section. Explain that if they try it you’ll buy it, giving them a sense of adventure and allowing them to control one ingredient selected.

3. Under your supervision, allow your child to prepare as much of the recipe as is age appropriate. This sets the stage for ownership of the final product, which develops your child's sense of accomplishment and encourages a repeat performance.

4. Start a notebook that keeps every family member’s favorite recipes and make it special with notes, drawings or even pictures.

5. Stock your bookcase with a few children's cookbooks to encourage their culinary exploration. A few fun examples are The Star Wars Cookbook: Wookie's Cookies, and Chop, Chop, which is a new kids cooking magazine that features kids preparing the recipes.

For a hands on experience, join us at the JCC for Family Cooking Together on Thursday February 20th 5:30-7:00 p.m. Families are encouraged to bring their 3rd-6th graders along to this event.

More About Katherine Matutes, PhD