Ladies and Gentlemen...Ms. Amy Weiskopf

Within the last week, independent of each other two friends asked me for New Orleans restaurant recommendations as they were both going there for business conventions. Needless to say, they were not disappointed and I, of course, was jealous. Particularly my friend Christine who opted for the cuisine at Emeril's Delmonico. One of my all-time favs. She noted both the exquisite fare and the elegant, yet understated decor of the restaurant. Most notably in her observations, though, were the paintings on display both at the bar area and at various parts of the dining portion itself. In what was a seemingly deja vu encounter, it donned on her that the paintings were somehow vaguely familiar, though she had not been to Delmonico before. Things that make you go....hmmm?

.

As it turns out, she has previously viewed the work of Amy Weiskopf at the Hackett-Freedman Gallery in San Francisco some time ago. Viola !! The fog began to clear. When the restaurant was renovated in July of 1998, the current owner wanted stunning paintings to hang in the restaurant, so he commissioned the world-renowned still-life artist to paint oil paintings that showcase the classic elements of Creole Cuisine. Weiskopf's paintings are noted for their visual acuity and tightly controlled compositions, wherein daringly arranged foodstuffs, seemingly poised on the edge of collapse or out of context, push to the forefront of the picture plane. According to the artist, her "paintings are more visual than narrative. They are about opposites, contrasts of tonal structure, color values and varying depths of space, creating a complicated visual experience within the precise format of still life." A unique style but very cool...
.
Work Out Report:
.
Friday: 5 mile run
Sat: Gym in morning (some people just cannot get up on the weekends...) and 28 miles cycling later in the day
Sun: 34 miles cycling

Mon: Walk 5 miles; Then ran 10x, 200 yard sprints w/ 200 yard active recovery in between

Tues: 6 mile run, at Wm.son County Park w/ Coach Bill's Clan

Wed: Gym and spin class, 20 mile equivalent workout...that spin class instructor is tuff!!