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February 2023 PUBLISHER

Kali McNutt | kali.mcnutt@citylifestyle.com EDITOR

Denise K. James | denise.james@citylifestyle.com

LIFESTYLE LETTER

Local Love is About Connection February is the month I was born – shout-outs to my fellow Aquarians! — but of course, Valentine's Day and the notion of romantic love have permeated the 28 (or 29) days for as far back as I can remember. So this year, Kali and I decided to think outside the thematic box for February (we're good at that, aren't we?) and welcome all of you to our local love issue, about the nonromantic ties that bind us across the Magic City. Peruse this issue and you'll see that love is not just for couples – it's also for thriving communities. Inside these pages, we'll explore artwork that reminds us how endeared we are to the city; we'll discover dessert artisans whose homemade sweets can't be beat; we'll review books penned by writers from the great state of Alabama; and we'll feel passion for nonprofits that keep Birmingham's heart beating. When I initially moved to Birmingham in 2018, I met people who would become my lifelong friends. Now, I feel more connected than ever, thanks to this publication and all of you, our loyal partners and readers. Kali and I appreciate how well-connected this city is and how we lift each other up in business, creative endeavors and philanthropy. We love Birmingham, and we can tell you do, too. This year, let's celebrate the love we share for our fair city. Yours,

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Kali McNutt, Denise K. James CONTR IBUTING PHOTOGR APHER

Mary Fehr

Corporate Team CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell AD DESIGNER Matthew Endersbe LAYOUT DESIGNER Antanette Ray

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Proverbs 3:5-6 Birmingham Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Birmingham area’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Birmingham Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but

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inside the issue The Local Love Issue

F E ATU R E D

D E PA RTM E NTS

14 Homemade Sweets in the ‘Ham

Lifestyle Letter

Business Monthly

Locally Sourced

Locals Only

Gift Guide

Giving Back

Inspired By

Culinary Creations

These staple treats share the special ingredient of love

20 Art for All

Meet four creatives whose work adorns the Magic City

28 Where Talent Blossoms

Meet Ray Jordan, honorary chair of this year’s Alabama Ballet Pointe Ball

34 Rooms of Their Own

Two Birmingham artists in their creative spaces

O N T H E C OV E R

Photography: Mary Fehr Artist and entrepreneur Morgan Jones Johnston at home in her creative space.

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business monthly A round-up of exciting news from local businesses. New work from artist Amy P. Collins at Canary Gallery For Amy P. Collins, art has always been vital. She incorporated her artistic skills into a professional career as a medical illustrator for more than three decades. Today, Collins concentrates her career on oil painting. Her art was recently honored at the American Impressionist Society’s national exhibit in St. George, Utah, and new works will be shown at Canary Gallery this month. Opening reception February 23. Follow her on Instagram, @amypcollins.

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Start Your Month on the right foot at Workshop Local Workshop Local in Homewood is offering “fresh start” mornings this month and next. From 9 until 11 a.m. on February 6 and March 6, gather with other driven individuals to get organized and inspired for your next project.Workshop owner Katherine Thrower will facilitate a time of intentional planning. You’ll have a large desk space to spread out materials, coffee and snacks to keep you motivated, and you’ll receive a custom Workshop journal. Visit workshoplocal.com.

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Abeona Wealth now affiliated with Navigate Wealth Management Abeona Wealth is pleased to announce a new affiliation with Navigate Wealth Management, an SEC-registered Investment Adviser located in Birmingham. While the core values and services that Mary Meadows provides will remain the same, she is now able to bring more robust resources to her clients and help them reach their goals through this partnership. Pictured here are Mary Meadows Livingston, center, with Navigate Partners Caleb Hopkins, left, and Johan Grahs, right.

Photography Sam Evans / Rhythm Creative

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Underwood’s grandchildren help out with the marketing

LOCA LLY SOU R CE D | L IF E + CULTURE

ARTICLE BY DENISE K. JAMES

HOMEMADE IN

the ‘Ham THE PROOF IS IN THERE: NANNA’S PUDDIN' Anthony Underwood describes himself as a true connoisseur of banana pudding. Growing up, his mother, Momma Ruby, made the best home-cooked banana pudding that he knew of, the homecooked part being of utmost importance. During our conversation, he fondly reminisced about that long-ago scene: his mother, standing over a piping hot stove, “nurturing” the pudding until it came out just right, then asking her son to clean out the pots after the dessert was complete – a part of the process Underwood realized was a privilege. Later, after he grew up and left home, Momma Ruby would faithfully make Underwood’s favorite dessert every time he visited. No other pudding was ever the same. When Momma Ruby passed away in 1997, Underwood found himself craving her iconic banana pudding and not knowing how to create it himself. He scouted a number of restaurants, taste-testing their iterations, but he would always come up disappointed. “I realized so many puddings are fakes,” he admits. “And if it’s not cooked, it’s not real.”

These staple treats share the special ingredient of love

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Her signature item, the honey cake, is an authentic Ukrainian dessert and is now the namesake of her blossoming business. One day, he confided in his wife about his search, and together, the two of them decided what had to happen: He would recreate Momma Ruby’s pudding himself. First, he interviewed a handful of older relatives who “told him as best they could what they remembered.” Finally, he ventured into the kitchen to prepare his first-ever batch of banana pudding, and something wonderful and unexplainable took place. “It was like my mother’s spirit came upon me,” he says. “I spent hours in that kitchen, and it finally came together and ended up amazing. I let my wife try it, and she said it was the best she had ever tasted.” After a crowd at church affirmed the pudding’s magic with their own rave reviews, Underwood got busy making more Nanna's Puddin.’ “I never expected banana pudding would become a business,” he says. “I just want to enjoy the flavor of the good old-fashioned home-style pudding my mother used to make. But when someone offered to pay for the pudding, I started to believe.” One woman bought a large batch for her family’s Thanksgiving, then came back and told Underwood it was the best part of the meal. Underwood was touched — he knew his mother would have been happy to make her specialty dessert for a family gathering. Today, Nanna’s Puddin’ is served in select restaurants — including Back Porch in Bessemer, Bre’s Gourmet and Good Games in Atlanta – and is shipped nationwide, as well as appearing at farmers markets and pop-ups. Now a family business, Underwood’s grandchildren help out with the marketing. Everyone who samples Nanna’s Puddin’ raves heartily about their first bite, consisting of equal parts cookie, pudding and banana, then realizes each subsequent bite is just as delicious. “My mother set the standards, and we continue them,” Underwood says. “I often hear from people that they taste the love in our pudding.

I believe that if you care for something, people can feel that love.” Visit nannapuddin.com.

LIFE IS SWEET: CAKE HONEYS As a child, Ukraine native Vasilisa Strelnikova spent a few years living in the United States while her parents worked in Birmingham, Alabama. While she loved those years, she never thought the American family they connected with would figure prominently in her future – after all, the internet did not exist, and keeping in touch was more difficult. Fast-forward to when the Russo-Ukrainian war began, and, like many other Ukrainians, Strelnikova and her family hoped it would pass swiftly enough that no drastic plan would be needed. Ultimately, this hope proved incorrect. “It started becoming problematic to find food or withdraw cash,” she shares. “We realized we would have to move somewhere safer. For all of us Ukrainians, this was unexpected and shocking.” First, she and her husband and teenage son moved out of their city and to the western side of the country — but soon, they realized it was not enough of a change. Strelnikova knew she did not have many choices, and, although nothing can replace home, she knew of at least one spot that would come fairly close: Birmingham, Alabama, where she had lived comfortably during those childhood years. “The internet helped me find who I needed to find,” she says. “I remembered the family with warmth and love, so I wrote them a letter.” After the move back to the U.S., while waiting on her documentation to legally start working, Strelnikova felt idle. In an effort to busy herself as well as show appreciation for her host family, she began baking and cooking. “I started making and sharing things, and people really liked them,” she says, beaming. This encouragement was enough for Strelnikova to continue. She’d always loved baking, and she CONTINUED >

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Vasilisa and Kiev Strelnikova, with their son and dog, in Lviv, Ukraine.

LOCA LLY SOU R CE D | L IF E + CULTURE

decided to start with items she knew many locals hadn’t tried. Her signature item, the honey cake, is an authentic Ukrainian dessert and is now the namesake of her blossoming business — but many other sweets are on her menu, and many more are to come. “Whatever I know, I make, and I’m always working on new things as well,” she says. “I just learned to make homemade caramel, which I used in the layers between a cake. We just tested it, and it’s delicious.” She considers her culinary prowess a special gift — interestingly enough, she did not learn it from her mother. In fact, when she asked her host, Ellen, if she could prepare food for the family, Ellen politely declined, recalling Strelnikova’s mother’s subpar cooking skills. “She said, ‘We didn’t like what your mom cooked.’ But then I said don’t worry; I didn't like her cooking either!’” Strelnikova laughs. “I have a feeling that I might have cooked and baked in a previous life,” she adds. This feeling that things are being taken care of in mysterious ways is not new to her; she says she maintained a special faith even in the darker times before leaving Ukraine. “I really had a feeling, when everything was happening, that everything would turn out fine,” she says. “I felt like something bigger than me was happening in my life – something removing me from that horrible situation I was in.” Newly branded as Cake Honeys, her baked goods have taken off in terms of markets and pop-ups, with Strelnikova maintaining high hopes to open a coffee shop or storefront sometime in 2023. She has daydreams of a cafe where good coffee is served alongside homemade sweets, and connections are made, much like the one that has turned into her new life in the United States. “A place where people can chat and be happy,” she affirms. “I believe when you do something from your heart, it has to be successful.” To order or learn more, email honey22cakes@ gmail.com.

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Art for All

M E E T F O U R C R E AT I V E S WHOSE WORK ADORNS THE MAGIC CIT Y

ARTICLE BY DENISE K. JAMES

Birmingham's beauty is the result of many contributions, including public works of art from these four artists whose love for the city clearly shines. We sat down to learn a little more about them and their work. We encourage our readers to take a stroll or drive around, view their artwork, and feel inspired.

SAMUEL FISHER Woodworker

A Samuel Fisher bench in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Samuel Fisher

Background and Inspiration I have always loved using my hands to create and tinker. My love for the craft was sparked while studying, designing and building furniture in Taiwan. I then spent almost a decade in New York City honing my craft, as well as a year in Pennsylvania apprenticing at George Nakashima Woodworker, one of the founders of the Mid Century Modern Furniture movement. I look to the masters of the craft for philosophy and processes while trying to blend sculptural forms with architectural elements. What made you decide to create art for Birmingham? The Botanical Gardens are one of the many treasures that Birmingham has to offer. Life is very fast now, sometimes frighteningly so, and the Gardens can provide much needed relief. I grew up going to the Gardens regularly with my mother and attending their summer camps as a child. I now enjoy visiting with my daughter and am honored to be a part of the long legacy. Please say a few words about the work(s). The Japanese section of the Botanical Gardens is fascinating, and I was always

LOCA LS ON LY | A RTS + CULTURE

intrigued by the layout and the beauty. When I was contacted by Jane Underwood from the Friends of BBG — a contact made through my talented friend, Holly Carlisle — to build these benches for the bamboo grove boardwalk, I was humbled. My goal for this design was to feel as though they belonged in the environment and had always been there. They are made from Ipe, a South American wood known for withstanding harsh outdoor environments and rated to last 70 years without any treatment.

Nelson Grice

Miss Fancy the Elephant, a life-size sculpture by Nelson Grice

What inspires you about the city? Where else can you see such diversity and successful talent in a relatively small city? Birmingham has the history that drives artists to create, and the community here supports those artists. It is exciting to see so much talent and even more exciting to dive in and contribute.

NELSON GRICE Sculptor Background and inspiration I have always thought of myself as an artist, even as a young child. However, as many adolescents do, I shied away from it in my early teens until a high school teacher, Soon Bok Sellars, put me back on track in 12th grade. After college at the University of Montevallo, I taught art at Hoover High School for 25 years. Being immersed daily in the art of young people allowed me to not only sharpen my skills but expand my imagination. What made you decide to create public art for Birmingham? When I found out a few years ago that the Council family wanted a sculpture in Avondale park, I immediately got in touch with Martha Myers Council to let her know I wanted to be considered for the job. Please say a few words about the work(s). Miss Fancy was a main attraction in the Avondale Zoo back in the early 1900s. When the zoo fell on hard times and had to close, Miss Fancy was sold. There are tales of her wandering through Avondale at night. The story is, children would look out of their

“Benchscape” by Jan Jander, Birmingham Museum of Art.

“Being immersed daily in the art of young people allowed me to not only sharpen my skills but expand my imagination.” - Nelson Grice windows and see her in their yards. She is a delightful part of Birmingham's history. I feel quite lucky to be the sculptor who was chosen to create this wonderful characterization of Miss Fancy. What inspires you about Birmingham? When I moved here in the 1980s at the age of 14, Birmingham was very different. Over the years, I’ve been encouraged by the growth and progress of our city. CONTINUED >

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Jan Jander and the late Dr. Edward Osborne Wilson

I am inspired by the positive changes that are taking place, but many people are not aware that this city is stacked with talent. There are so many great artists in this city.

JAN JANDER Sculptor Background and Inspiration I have always been drawn to nature, form and light. In high school, the late Birmingham architect Richard I. Pigford showed me a barn he had recently built near Birmingham Country Club. The roof, windows and

LOCA LS ON LY | A RTS + CULTURE

doors were salvaged from an old structure in France, and he used board formed concrete which allowed a honeycomb effect for the walls. I was inspired by the depth of expression he achieved with the material; it had an enduring character that is usually achieved only with age, like lichen encrusted stone. I made my first concrete piece for a sculpture class in college and continued exploring the medium in graduate school, where my work caught the attention of my first patrons, leading me to show with Terrence Denley Gallery in English Village and then at the International Furniture Fair in New York.

Fetch says this mural, located on the West End, is one of his favorites.

What made you decide to create art for Birmingham? My first museum commission was for a bench honoring the two founders of the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art with their seat impressions. When I was invited to submit a proposal for benches at the Birmingham Airport, I saw an opportunity to honor notable Alabamians with their seat impressions. Please say a few words about the work(s). My largest Couture Benchscape to date, shown in the Contemporary Gallery of the Birmingham Museum of Art, has three seat impressions, and was a museum purchase with funds provided by the Friends of American Art in memory of Dr. Bill Mason with contributions by David Hogg, Richard I. Pigford, Lin Emery and Marcia Rubens. This is the only Benchscape to feature my reddish orange fractal pattern. This Benchscape is currently on the upper level, overlooking the original museum lobby. What inspires you about Birmingham? One of the reasons we are known as the "Magic City" is because of our soil's abundance of limestone, coal and iron ore to produce iron, but for me and my family, it’s the kindness and warmth of the people. My mom was born in the Philippines and my dad in Germany. I was born here, and my parents always mention the warm welcome they received from their neighbors, all of whom have remained life-long friends. I have lived abroad and in a few other cities and can confirm that the 'Ham is unique with her open arms of Southern hospitality.

MARCUS FETCH Muralist Background and Inspiration I first got into branding and design work in my 20s while building a nonprofit here in town called Redemptive Cycles. To help revitalize the area, I started painting murals in the back alley. Around 2017, I started a small creative agency with a couple friends and went into creative work full time. Word spread about my murals, and people kept calling so it

Marcus Fetch

One of Fetch's first murals, inspired by a client's daughter.

“Murals make everyone happy and make our city unique and fun to live in. I’m honored to contribute to what makes Birmingham special.” - Marcus Fetch became my primary source of income for a while and it was a blast! What made you decide to create art for Birmingham? I’m just in love with large creative projects, and I see so much untapped potential in the empty walls around our city. Murals make everyone happy CONTINUED > FEBR UARY 2 0 2 3 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/BI R M I N G HA M

and make our city unique and fun to live in. I’m honored to contribute to what makes Birmingham special. Please say a few words about the work(s). The mural I painted on the west end of a girl playing a flute is one of my favorites. While she plays, vines, flowers and wildlife bloom from the magic of her music. I wanted to capture the moment of being in a creative flow and inspire kids to pursue the arts. The mural of a girl with a rabbit jumping out of her head, was the first mural I painted that was really out there.

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It was of my client's daughter and her stuffed animal rabbit and he really let me get outside the box with a crazy mural design that ended up being one of my most popular pieces! What inspires you about Birmingham? Birmingham has always been an underdog city with lots of potential. I’ve had big dreams for this city since I moved here 10 years ago, and I believe murals have a huge impact in drawing new people and the younger generation to live and build here.

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ON THE SAME PAGE Alabama-based tales for your bookshelves

Distracted by Alabama

Angel of Greenwood

This Isn’t Going to End Well

by James Seay Brown

by Randi Pink

by Daniel Wallace

Samford University history professor James Seay Brown weaves together threads of Alabama waterways, history, folkways and more in this exploration of a state rich with natural resources and historical change. Alabama’s unique traditions, from handicrafts to food preparations, are explored in a great book for transplants looking to understand their new home, or lifelong Alabamians looking to deepen their appreciation of the Yellowhammer State. Photo provided by University of Alabama Press.

This historical YA novel takes place in the shadow of the Greenwood Massacre in Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, an event that has reverberated for a century. Birmingham author Randi Pink tells the story of a rebellious young poet and a studious loner who fall in love against the backdrop of racist turmoil in 1920s Oklahoma, illuminating a too-little-told story in American history.

Wallace — who wrote the acclaimed novel-turned-film Big Fish — went to school in Birmingham, and his parents and siblings are from Birmingham. Though he now lives in Chapel Hill, he is still considered a local author and well respected novelist. Now, for the first time, he has written a nonfiction book, autobiographical and set in the Magic City.

Available at Thank You Books

G IF T GU ID E | ARTS + CU LTURE

Available at Thank You Books

Available at The Alabama Booksmith (April 2023)

100 Things to Do in Birmingham Before You Die

The Wife Upstairs

The Father Goose Treasury of Poetry

by Verna Gates

by Rachel Hawkins

by Charles Ghinga

Believe it or not, there’s more to do in the Magic City besides indulging in the exceptional food scene. Longtime reporter, author and educator Verna Gates “features the best of the ‘Ham, from high cuisine to gas station BBQ; from opera to hiking and from history to hipster.”

Think back to the first time you read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, savoring the novel’s gothic setting and its passionate characters. Now, imagine that one of your all-time favorites has been retold in a modern setting: right here in Mountain Brook, Alabama!

Father Goose, also known as Charles Ghinga, lives in Homewood and recently penned a new book of poetry. This must-have Treasury of Poetry for any budding reader includes 101 whimsical poems from one of America’s most beloved children’s poets.

Available at Little Professor Bookshop

Available at The Alabama Booksmith (April 2023)

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Photo by Eric Lucky Photography

Meet Ray Jordan, honorary chair of this year’s Alabama Ballet Pointe Ball

G IV IN G B AC K | ARTS + C ULTURE

Ray Jordan Photo by Daniel Hardman

WHERE TALENT BLOSSOMS ARTICLE BY DENISE K. JAMES

Important messages and heartfelt sentiments are not only conveyed with words or actions; they are often conveyed with flowers. And for the dancers of the Alabama Ballet, their dedication, talent and poise are often lauded with the beautiful bouquets from FlowerBuds, a floral boutique owned by Ray Jordan. As the honorary chair for this year's Pointe Ball, Jordan takes pride in providing the Alabama Ballet with robust blossoms for events and performances. “It’s been 18 bouquets this season,” he shares, smiling. Throughout his involvement with the Ballet, Jordan has seen many projects come to fruition — including adult tap lessons. It all started when a close friend of Jordan’s, who served on the board along with him, was teaching a tap class, and the Alabama Ballet suggested collaborating to make adult tap part of their program. Now, not only is Jordan himself a student, but the collective enthusiasm has paid off. At this point, the Ballet’s adult tap classes regularly involve between 75 and 80 students, who can opt to be part of a recital at the end of every April. Jordan confesses that his favorite part of being involved with the Alabama Ballet is watching the process and development of a performance.

“I’ve always loved the arts, including theater and dance,” he says, “and I go early to watch the rehearsals of the dancers. They are incredibly talented, and they work so hard – I love watching them develop the shows.” He’ll often be part of the show himself and has performed the role of a character in more than one ballet. “I love being on the stage with the kids and getting a glow from their talent,” he adds. Still, Jordan remains humble about his contributions. “I think they made a mistake making me the honorary chair for 2023,” he jokes — but of course, he relishes the opportunity to be part of this key event for the organization. The “magical evening,” as Jordan puts it, includes a theme corresponding with one of the ballets (this year’s is Rooster, featuring the iconic tunes of the Rolling Stones), a “teaser” performance from the dancers, plus an incredible dinner, drinks and dancing — with everyone wearing their Pointe Ball best. The event raises vital funds for four major performances, outreach, development, costuming and salaries. Naturally, floral accents for the evening are courtesy of FlowerBuds, a task Jordan takes immense pride in. “The flowers are based on a theme

2022's reimagined Pointe Ball was an Andy Warhol-themed Spring Soirée. Photo by Eric Lucky Photography

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Photo by Mo Davis Photography

— this year is Rooster, and one year it was Sleeping Beauty, which was more like a garden, and when we did Blue Suede Shoes it had a nightclub vibe,” he says. This year’s Pointe Ball will be held at The Club on March 10 at 6 p.m. Jordan looks forward to seeing the dancers together, and notes that their creative chemistry is a large part of the success not only for the fundraiser but for the Alabama Ballet as a whole. “I love that about the Ballet,” he exclaims. “Despite many different personalities, the dancers always work together to accomplish their goal.” For tickets and to become a corporate sponsor, visit alabamaballet.org/pointe_ball.

G IV IN G B AC K | ARTS + C ULTURE

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The journey to mend his heart led Qua was born with tricuspid atresia that required a series of open heart surgeries as an infant. But as a teen, his health took a dramatic turn. Qua’s pediatrician and cardiologist recognized something

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wasn’t right with his heart and sent him to Children’s of Alabama. Our team was standing by when he arrived by helicopter, and within two weeks he received a new heart. He rebounded quickly and was back at home a few weeks later, thanks to the expert heart team here at Children’s of Alabama.

Learn more at ChildrensAL.org/heart

Qua

Heart Transplant Survivor

FEBR UARY 2 0 2 3 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/BI R M I N G HA M

Morgan Jones Johnston

Rooms of Their Own Two Birmingham artists in their creative spaces ARTICLE BY KALI MCNUTT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY FEHR

MORGAN JONES JOHNSTON Entering Morgan Jones Johnston’s artist studio is a full sensory experience. Just steps from the communal family space she shares with her musician husband Duquette Johnston and son Tennessee, she has created her own world. It’s a layered world, brimming with books, candles, family heirlooms, stacks of dried palettes and boxes of past work. It’s also, as we come to find out, the living diary of a prolific artist. Today, fresh pink peonies, dozens of flickering candles and Palo Santo give the space an ethereal, almost spiritual vibe—but spiritual in a cozy, springtime, feminine way.

“There is a scene in Sleeping Beauty where the fairy godmothers shrink themselves down and fly into a jewelry box. That imagery made a lasting impact on my life. My studio, currently, is the full, grown-up expression of that jewelry box,” Johnston laughs. Johnston’s love of color wasn’t always so obvious. Less colorful—some might say “goth”— teenage years were followed by a decade of life, work and love, but little painting. “We were all born creative, but we get separated from that,” Johnston states, recounting how the birth of her son and the illness that followed planted the seeds for a creative blossoming. CONTINUED >

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Browsing through a stack of dried paint palettes from the past five years, Johnston can recognize the final art created— along with time and place—for many of the palettes. The paper dinner plates are themselves works of art.

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Every year, Johnston finds time to crank up the tunes and flow through the creation of her “Channeled Landscapes,” series—landscapes depicting moods, formed in the mind.

Today, it’s a different story. “I just make art all the time. Yes, it’s a practice and a business, but it’s just what I do,” she says. Looking around, it feels as though her artistic energy knows no bounds. While many works find immediate homes with collectors, Johnston keeps a sizable body of work for her son as mementos of their shared experiences. “Not all art needs to be shown or sold.” Johnston removes a box from a nearby shelf. “These works have never been seen,” she says, flipping through small works on paper created during the pandemic. Depictions of friends, a Manhattan hotel room and a family beach trip can be found within what she’s dubbed her “In the Field” series. What’s next: This spring and summer, Johnston will be traveling to New York, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans, conducting portrait sessions. She’s also working on a children’s book “Little Miss Honey,” which takes place in Paris. A documentary film — shot over two years during the pandemic and depicting the creation of the large-scale triptych now hanging in the Johnston living room — is set to be released imminently.

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“We are all born creative but we get separated from that,” Johnston says, recounting how the birth of her son and the illness that followed planted the seeds for a creative blossoming.

Caroline Gray

Ongoing: In addition to managing acclaimed lifestyle boutique Club Duquette, which she owns alongside her husband, Johnston has a collaboration with Serena & Lily, as well as her yearly “Channeled Landscapes” series. Words to remember: “The muse is not a real thing. You show up every day, change your scenery or read a book if you need to reinfuse yourself—but show up to the practice every day.” Inspired by: English artist and designer Luke Edward Hall, Italian fashion designer Alessandro Michele, American artist Joan Mitchell. Supplied by: Alabama Art Supply (where she’s been going since her days at Alabama School of Fine Arts). Follow Morgan Jones Johnston on Instagram, @ruggedandfancy, and be sure to follow Birmingham Lifestyle on Instagram for a Valentine’s playlist curated by Morgan and Duquette Johnston, @birmingham.lifestyle and on her website, ruggedandfancy.com.

CONTINUED >

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Blurry images from road trips provide inspiration, while other landscapes are painted en plein air, from memory or from imagination.

CAROLINE GRAY Like Johnston, Birmingham native Caroline Gray makes painting her daily practice. Surrounded by black and white family photos, coffee cans full of paint brushes, completed oil paintings and Herman, her one-year-old English cream dachshund, Gray has an idyllic artistic space. Located in her parents’ guest house in Mountain Brook, the airy, light-filled English Tudor cottage is cozy enough for a Nancy Meyers film, down to the slate roof and creamy shiplap interiors. After completing her undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt, Gray sought out a place to study traditional technique. Local art collector and attorney Michael Straus recommended The New York Academy of Art in Tribeca, a school founded by artists, including Andy Warhol, to teach figurative and representational art. There, Gray continued to hone her craft, achieving her MFA in painting in 2019. Back home in Birmingham, Gray creates landscapes, figurative portraits, still lives and commissioned pieces. Predominantly working with oil, she also enjoys watercolor. “When I’m stressed out with a figurative painting, I go to a landscape. They are more natural for me — I can take more liberties; they’re easier,” she states. Blurry images from road trips provide inspiration, while other landscapes are painted en plein air, from memory or from imagination. Gray’s demeanor is casual and lighthearted, our conversation peppered with

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self-deprecating humor. Humble about her talent, she is clearly not finished learning. This spring, Gray will be spending three months in Manhattan, taking classes from her favorite art school professor, Amy Weiskopf. Inspired by: Mitchell Johnson, Euan Uglow, Cristina Weaver, Amy Weiskopf, Xico Greenwald, Susan Jane Walp and Sydney Licht. “I’ve studied under Amy and Xico in Italy and love both of their bodies of work,” she notes. Antidotes to artistic ruts: Hiking, being in nature, visiting museums. Ongoing: Gray continues to take commissions—pet portraits have proven a hit, as well as watercolor portraits. She is enjoying utilizing old black and white family photos as inspiration for largescale, colorful figurative paintings. Gray will also be the featured live artist at the 38th annual ArtBLINK Gala, on February 4 at The Kirklin Clinic. What’s next: Teaching. Gray plans to teach color theory and oil painting to aspiring artists in the Birmingham community. Find her: Chairish, Well + Wonder, Design Supply. “Promoting myself makes me cringe, so it’s great to have partners who can market my work!” she says, laughing. Follow Caroline Gray on Instagram, @carolinengray_art, and be sure to follow Birmingham Lifestyle on Instagram, @birmingham.lifestyle, for more local artists and art we love. This is the first in an ongoing artist series. We’d love to know who you’d like to see featured.

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Love the Wine You’re With FEBRUARY’S WINE OF THE MONTH

Celebrate the love in your life and do something nice for your heart with a beautiful bottle of J.L. Chave Mon Coeur Cotes-Du-Rhone, vintage 2020. The phrase mon coeur means “my heart” in French, and what could be more apropos than a wine made for toasting the romance of your life? The namesake of this elegant selection pays homage to Jean Louis Chave’s affection for Syrah grapes, which the bottle consists of entirely. While Jean Louis Chave — a 16th generation winemaker of the Northern Rhone Valley in France — creates some of the most luxurious wines on the market, this 2020 Mon Coeur is wonderfully affordable, priced at just $21.69 per bottle, according to Josh Terrell of Classic Wine Company in Homewood. This wine features dark, fruity plum notes paired with the classic Syrah pepper. The nose offers savory olive and fresh game, while the palate is medium-bodied and the finish is smooth, with a touch of acidity. This bottle of wine is ideal after just 20 minutes in the refrigerator for a light chill and goes well with a variety of dinners for two, including barbecued chicken, fresh venison or grass-fed burgers.

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