Winter 2015
Inside
Historic home captures couple’s hearts Antiques add personality to historic home Cabin filled with hunting mementos
muskogeephoenix.com
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Contents
6 Feel the call of the wild as you enter a cabin of adventure on Tenkiller Lake.
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A home with history comes with responsibility. This homeowner says she is a “caregiver” for her stately home.
40 Antiques & Vintage: Bright ideas are the key to the trend that gives vintage items new life to light our homes.
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Wonderful Wine: It is the season for comfort food. Try these dishes and the wines that accompany them to ward off the winter’s chill. 4
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Discover the unique stone house in the Kendall Place Historic District that a Muskogee couple have made their home.
34 Renovate & Restore: This couple treasures their 1908 home’s grandeur and are lovingly restoring it to its former glory.
42 Art of the Matter: Meet an award-winning artist and educator who works in both watercolor and in oils. He has also created a number of murals around the area.
59 The Cook’s Pantry: This Muskogee woman is the reigning princess of soul food.
facebook.com/greencountryliving Winter 2015
STAFF
Publisher editor Advertising Manager ADVERTISING SALES Layout & Design
Issue 39
Jeff Parra Jerry Willis Rhonda Overbey Angela Jackson Jim Reily
Green Country Living is published quarterly by the Muskogee Phoenix. Contents of the magazine are by the Muskogee Phoenix. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of the Muskogee Phoenix. Green Country Living, P.O. Box 1968, Muskogee OK 74402. email jwillis@muskogeephoenix.com - Editorial: (918) 684-2932 email adjackson@muskogeephoenix.com - Advertising and distribution: (918) 684-2813
on the cover Greg Archer’s cabin on Tenkiller Lake is a shrine for his many hunting and fishing trophies. The entry opens on a beamed ceiling framing a large open space. Photos by Mandy Lundy
CORRECTIONS `` The Virgil R. Coss home was incorrectly identified on Page 12 of the holiday edition. `` L.R. Kershaw should have been listed on Page 14 of the holiday edition as owning the Patterson House from 1943 to 1973. Kershaw did not run cattle on the property. `` The painting on Page 54 of the holiday edition should have been identified as “Alpha.” `` The painting on Page 57 of the holiday edition should have been identified as “SouthEastern Style.” `` The third place award MaryBeth Nelson won at the Southeast Arts Show and Market, listed on Page 58 of the holiday edition, was for “SouthEastern Style.” `` The Cherokee clans listed on Page 58 of the holiday edition should have been: bird, wild potato, wolf, deer, long-hair, blue and paint.
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Greg Archer’s trophy heads are often displayed with accents that indicate the animal’s original habitat.
A stone fireplace keeps things warm and cozy in the trophy room of the Archer home. Sofa and chairs from McL ain Furniture in Muskogee sit on a tiger-striped bamboo wood floor in the trophy room of the lake home of Greg and Christine Archer. The furniture is covered in cowhide and leather.
cabin of
Greg Archer tries to escape to his cabin on Tenkiller Lake almost every weekend he’s in the area. Below, Tenkiller Lake is across the way from the Archer family cabin in the woods.
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adventure
Lakeside retreat reminder of hunts worldwide
Greg Archer’s trophies include exotic fish landed in faraway lands.
A warthog trots along a ridge in the trophy room.
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reg Archer and his group were making their way back to their four-wheelers after 17 days in Alaska without killing anything. Then, they happened on an 81/2-foot-tall brown bear eating salmon in the river. Now the giant bear is the centerpiece of Archer’s trophy room in his cabin on Tenkiller Lake. The “cement block cabin” on two lots is 4,000 square feet with a screened-in front porch, trophy room, living room, kitchen, three bedrooms and two baths. He and his wife, Christine, also have their home in Fort Gibson. He owns Archer’s Cleaners in Muskogee, and she is a financial planner. He comes to the cabin every weekend that he’s in town, he said.
Left, an 8½-foot-tall brown bear eats salmon in the river in Alaska before Greg Archer made him a trophy in his Tenkiller Lake cabin. Below, a mixed bag of birds strut across a table in a display in the Archer cabin.
By Leilani Roberts Ott Photos by Mandy Lundy Green Country Living
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The granite counter on a pass-through and kitchen counters is called “snake brown.�
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The living room and kitchen area are open with a central fireplace for warmth.
An avid hunter, he didn’t have a place for his animals at his Muskogee home. His lake house has a cathedral ceiling with beams, a giant antler chandelier, a fireplace, tiger-striped bamboo wood floor, and plenty of wall space for his collection. Every piece has a story. There are moose from Alaska; caribou from Alaska and the Arctic Circle, north of Queb ec; sheep from New Zealand; Lord Derby eland from Cameroon, Africa; a steinbuck in the claws of a leopard; and even a blue marlin reproduction like the one he caught in Panama. His scariest story is about a leopard f ro m Z i m b a b w e that was wounded while Archer was hunting at night. He and his hunting A hippo rises from a display in the Archer guide were sitting cabin. in a hunting blind with a zebra they had caught serving as bait near the blind. They sat quietly and listened to the leopard crunching on the bones of the zebra before they shot him. Archer said his biggest challenge was tracking and capturing a leopard he wounded in the tall grass. He spent 28
The outdoor kitchen sports a thatched roof outside the Archer cabin.
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One bedroom has a headboard made of cedar driftwood similar to a bed Greg Archer saw at the Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri.
Pheasants are mounted in flight above the bed in one of the guest bedrooms. In the master bedroom of the home is a bedroom group redone by Raylene Nichols with zebra skin and nailheads.
days in Tanzania — just himself and a guide. Other camping trips have included 30 people staying in tents just taking care of him and the guide. “I can’t say I was roughing it,” he said. They ate what they killed or gave it to the tribes to eat. “Nothing went wasted,” he said. Sometimes, his adventures include friends Roger Richter and John Griffin. Richter is who Archer went to Africa with the first time. He also helped Archer design the trophy room. Near the tall windows with a view of the lake in the distance is a hand-carved table bought in Africa. The “big five game,” which refers to five of Africa’s greatest wild animals, are carved in wood under glass as the tabletop. The five are the lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. Archer found just the right sofa and chairs for the trophy room at McClain Furniture in Muskogee. They are covered in cowhide and leather. Archer, Page 13
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Animal prints on towels and rugs echo the theme created by the hunting trophies and skins displayed throughout the cabin.
The master bath has a sunken tub and sauna with a radio. It includes a spa shower, and the granite floors are heated.
archer, from Page 10 On one side of the trophy room is the master bedroom. On the other is the living room/kitchen. The granite counter on a pass-through is called “snake brown.” “It is unique,” Archer said. In the master bedroom of the home is a bedroom group redone by Raylene Nichols with zebra skin and nailheads. “I loved it,” he said. A shelf above the bed features a bobcat from Oklahoma. Other collectibles on the shelf are a rifle and shotgun, duiker, African mask and more. It all is accented by animal skins — sable, bushbuck, reedbuck and impala. The master bath has a sunken tub and
sauna with a radio. The granite floors are heated. On the opposite side of the house are the other two bedrooms. One is similar to a bed Archer saw at the Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri. The headboard is made of cedar driftwood. The living room décor includes a 22-pound peacock bass caught in 2010 in the Amazon River while Archer was on a one-week trip with 14 people floating down the river. The china cabinet in the living room is full of collectibles from trips. Some of the unique things are a whale’s penis from Alaska bought from a local shop, a small bird from Africa, a warthog tusk, an
ostrich egg from Africa and an animal tail bracelet. An outdoor kitchen is in the back of the home with a tiki bar and space for outdoor entertaining. A family cookout for their children, Colton Archer, 25, of Muskogee; Carsen Archer, 23, of Oklahoma City; and Fallyn Cannarsa, 16, of Fort Gibson, may include wild hog on the grill one night and fried alligator the next, Greg Archer said. Archer said it was his father, the late John Archer, who sparked his passion for hunting and fishing when he taught him to quail hunt in Ketchum and to fish on Fort Gibson Lake. His mother, Lynn Archer of Muskogee, encouraged him, too. “That’s what I like to do,” he said. 2 Green Country Living
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Bonnie Pierce and Gay Guthrie are passionate about each other and their home.
Homeowners passionate about stone home in Kendall Place By Leilani Roberts Ott • Photos by Jerry Willis
Bonnie Pierce and Gay Guthrie’s 3,000-square-foot home in Kendall Place Historic District was built with Carthage limestone.
Love at first site
“It
had me at hello,” Bonnie Pierce said of her house in Kendall Place Historic District. She found it online while planning her move from California to Oklahoma to work at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical 14
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Center. She works in patient care services. Pierce and Gay Guthrie are passionate about each other and the life they are building in their 3,000-square-foot Carthage limestone home at 229 Kendall Blvd. Her house in Los Angeles was 900 square feet, so she bought most of her furniture in Muskogee.
Bonnie moved to Muskogee six years ago and met Gay while he was walking his dog, Lance, an Australian shepherd. They married about a year and a half ago. He is from Pittsburgh, went to college at Duke University and was employed as an attorney in Denver when he moved to Muskogee to be
Gay Guthrie’s favorite room is the parlor just inside the front door of the home he and Bonnie Pierce share. They both love the room’s dark walnut woodwork, salmon colored walls, beamed ceiling and the cozy fireplace.
A new table with eight chairs commands the formal dining room. Above the mantel is a Thomas Kinkade painting “The Chapel in the Woods.” Left, the wood floors are installed on the diagonal in the Pierce/Guthrie home. The home has a number of interesting and unusual architectural and design elements.
the assistant U.S. attorney. A nurse for many years, Bonnie was born in Enid and moved to Southern California. They have a post card photo of the house from 1912 and would like to know more about their dream home. It was redone by the previous owners, but Bonnie has done a bit of remodeling. The bath had a plumbing issue, so the wallpaper was taken down. It
was on wood. When the wood was taken off, they found beautiful black and white tile with the date 1924 on the back. “That was kind of fun,” Bonnie said of the find. “Supposedly, there’s a secret hiding place and secret access drawer.” For now, it’s still a secret. Gay’s favorite room is the parlor just inside the front door. They both love the
room’s dark walnut woodwork, salmon colored walls, beamed ceiling and the cozy fireplace. Gay likes to sit in the parlor and listen to his stereo. “It’s a great place to sit and de-stress,” Bonnie said of the parlor. While he likes the parlor, Gay said his favorite part of the house is the “woman that lives in it.”
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The upstairs bath is done in black and white tiles with towel racks and accessories in a wroughtiron look.
The dark wood stairs and banister lead to four bedrooms and a bath on the second floor. Gay Guthrie made the Navajo stained glass that hangs on the windows above the landing.
The walls and one window in the living room are curved to match the line of the turret. Bonnie Pierce found a curved antique couch to match. A vintage television set is also right at home in the room.
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Gay and Bonnie are also in awe of the leaded beveled glass in many of the windows. From the parlor, there is an arched entry to the living room where the corner window is curved to match the shape of the turret. It offers a view down the street. “We like being able to look out,” she said. She found an antique curved sofa for the curved wall and knew it was made for her house. On their honeymoon trip to Alaska, they bought two narrow original paintings by Linda Le Kinff that hang above the sofa. Bonnie said Le Kinff is the only French female artist to get a postage stamp. The bright and vivid acrylic colors pop on the khaki walls trimmed in white crown molding. The pictures of women are titled “Lady in Red” and “Lady in Yellow,” Gay said. “We fell in love with them,” Bonnie said. Another prized possession is an 1860s antique nursing rocker in the living room. On the wall near it is a piece of artwork that shows the “energy highway of the body.” Bonnie is an instructor of Qigong, an ancient Chinese practice of aligning body, breath and mind for health along with the study of healing touch. In the formal dining room is a new table with eight chairs and a Thomas Kinkade painting called “The Chapel in the Woods.” The oldest piece from her childhood in the home is a piece of pottery by Van Briggle owned by Bonnie’s mother. It is kept in the china cabinet with other collectibles. Guthrie, Page 21
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Rediscover Downtown
Muskogee
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Green Green Country Country Living Living
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Above, A variety of keepsakes and collectibles are displayed on the window shelf in the dining room. Right, Bonnie Pierce displays her “Star Trek” plate collection on one wall in the upstairs landing. She is an avid fan of the science fiction series.
Guthrie, from Page 16 The nearby sunroom has red tile flooring that looks old although not original to the house. The kitchen has the dark wood and built-in bookshelves. When the family comes to visit, there is plenty of room with four bedrooms and a bath accessible from the second floor landing. The family includes Bonnie’s daughter, Janee’ Austin of Edmond, and Gay’s children, Ann and David Ensenat, and Paul Guthrie of Muskogee, and their four grandchildren — Kaden Austin, 7, Sydney Austin, 4; Kaienta Ensenat, 13; and Sofia Ensenat, 6. The grandchildren like running in circles with the home’s layout and going up and down the stairs. Gay made the Navajo stained glass that hangs on the windows high in the landing. At the top in the landing is a curved wooden banister
and Bonnie’s art gallery, as her brother, Larry Pierce of Estes Park, Colo., calls it. There are a couple more Kinkade paintings, “The Heart of San Francisco” and “Snow White Discovers the Cottage.” Another wall holds her “Star Trek” plate collection. Bonnie is a big “Star Trek” fan and even had the Klingon dialect memorized, she said. Her friend, Denise Cain, sent her a “Star Trek” tie signed by actors Leonard Nimoy and Denise Crosby. Bonnie’s brother Harry Pierce of Cozad, Neb., said the house is a good house to sing in because it has “great acoustics.” Bonnie’s parents, Nolan and Barbara Pierce, moved from Cozad to Muskogee last summer. They have their home, their jobs and their church, First Presbyterian Church. “We’re happy about finding each other,” Bonnie said. “I’m bonkers for Bonnie,” Gay said. 2 Green Country Living
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Among the special features in the parlor are an antique Hoosier cabinet, a lighted china cabinet displaying one of Gay’s favorite glass collections and an old bedstead refurbished as a comfortable daybed.
Eclectic elegance
defines Myers home
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Gay Myers love for history and heritage is expressed throughout her stately home built in 1906 in Muskogee’s Founders’ Place Historical District.
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ay Myers calls herself a “caregiver” of all things vintage. That love for history and heritage is expressed in every room of her stately home in Muskogee’s Founders’ Place Historical District. Built in 1906, the home had seven owners before Gay and her husband Nelson purchased it 40 years ago. It took only one visit to say “yes” to a home that is now a labor of love. “The front door sold us on the home,” Gay recalls. “It caught my attention immediately. Its beveled glass panels
sparkle like diamonds.” Gay loved how the home was characterized by architectural and design history. Each owner made alterations that enhanced the home’s character or improved its livability. Joe and Josephine Teaff were the previous owners. “They eliminated the porte-cochere and kitchen stairs leading to an upstairs landing,” Gay said. The driveway is still shared with nextdoor neighbors. Beyond the inviting front door, guests encounter a treasure trove of Gay’s
By M.J. Van Deventer-Shelton • Photos by Jerry Willis
The living room is painted burgundy and filled with a comfortable and eclectic blend of furnishings.
Gay’s beloved Ruby, her 12-year-old golden retriever and shepherd mix, is the mistress of the house. She is as attuned to the home’s character as her mistress is.
The dining room table is flanked by two pairs of chairs — antique hunting finds — that don’t match in style, shape or upholstery. One pair is covered with an antique gold brocade; the back features a charming rabbit print, revealing Gay’s love for rabbit motifs as a design theme. The dining table is also one of Gay’s favorite places to display her tablescapes. Her shopping adventures often yield unusual items to feature in these seasonal and special occasion vignettes.
“antiques and junktiques.” She is an inveterate shopper and has a keen eye for furnishings and accessories that will embellish the Victorian aura that prevails throughout the home. “The hunt is half the fun,” she says. Gay has created a spirit of eclectic
elegance that is charming and comfortable. Accessories reflect Gay’s love for unusual and whimsical accessories. Color is the key to much of the home’s appeal. “I’m not afraid of color,” she says. “I love
An oversize butcher block is placed purposely near the kitchen sink and counter for ease of working in the kitchen. The legs were hand painted by Hope Farmer to replicate a McKenzie Childs motif.
green, yellow, burgundy. And I do love red.” Many of the color accents are seen in the stained glass art Nelson created and hung in special places to reflect the sunlight. The entry hall is pale pink and ushers guests into a historical design journey.
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Burgundy walls accent the living room, which reflects Gay’s love for heirloom memorabilia. Ask the lineage or provenance of an interesting piece, and Gay relates its historical importance to her family. One of Nelson’s stained glass pieces is a transitional feature between the living and dining rooms. Originally, pocket doors separated the two rooms. “I’m considering opening the pocket doors again,” Gay says. Doing so would restore a touch of architectural history to these rooms. The color story continues in the dining room with a pale gold hand-painted wash by artist Hope Farmer covering the upper walls. A plate rail houses colorful collectibles. Burgundy and white toile wallpaper lines the lower walls. A Tiffany-style chandelier hangs from the soft blue coffered ceiling, illuminating the dining table, where Gay displays elegant tablescapes. “I love to create these,” she says. These vignettes are also used in smaller settings, providing another visual surprise. A dining room bay window seat, typical of vintage homes, is accented by draperies Gay designed, mixing patterns, fabrics and textures. Similar draperies are featured throughout the home. In the cozy kitchen, once three tiny rooms, antique dishes add colorful accents. “Most of my dishes tell a story of where I bought them or who gave them to me,” Gay says. A countertop supports a large marble slab; a perfect place for rolling out pastries or cooling cookies. It’s a historic piece, having once resided in Gay’s grandfather’s candy store in Natchez, Miss. “The kitchen cabinets are dated, but with so many it would take a long time to paint them,” Gay says. “I love the kitchen. It’s so easy to cook in here.” Gay loves a small nook by the kitchen; a great setting to read or watch television. “It’s my favorite place,” she says. “I live all over the house, but I spend a lot of time here.” This is also a home where it’s as important to look up, especially at the high ceilings, as it is to look down at several unusual floor treatments. All of the floors are original to the home, but the living and dining rooms have maple plank, chevron-style floors. The original 24
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The spacious entry hall is accented with period white columns, high ceilings and a crystal chandelier. A double antique secretary, bought in the early 1970s, ushers guests into a design journey that is as historical as it is surprising. The entry to the Myers home is set with beveled leaded glass.
One of the most eye-catching displays in the living room is an oil portrait of Gay’s parents. Nearby, a table reveals historical photos of her parents on their wedding day and in their later years. A priceless heirloom is the beautiful hand-written note Gay’s grandmother wrote to her daughter’s suitor, August 27, 1937, granting him her approval to marry her daughter, Sarah.
A plate rail runs along the walls of the dining room below a hand-painted wash by artist Hope Farmer on the walls. Burgundy and white toile wallpaper lines the lower walls. A special feature is the built-in buffet with a window overlooking the backyard. Three beveled stained glass works of art accent the buffet. This artful trio was a surprise when the Myers purchased the home.
marble entry floor was replaced with a linoleum pattern resembling marble. The cheerful parlor, adjacent to the entry, is a departure from the brighter colors of other rooms. Its white walls are accented by a hand-painted gold harlequin pattern on one wall by artist Rayleen Nichols. In this room, Gay treasures a framed Mary Emerling poster stating: Cracks are a mark of character. They let the sunshine in. “No old house is perfect,” Gay says, pointing to meandering cracks in the dining room and entry hall’s plaster walls. After 40 years of residency, Gay says, “I know my house well. I know its sounds. I even love the creaks I hear when I walk on the floors.” For Gay, this 40-year love affair with her historic home shows no signs of waning. She always hopes guests will enjoy the feast for the eyes she has designed. As its resident caretaker, Gay continually nurtures and embellishes the home. “I’m the caregiver of this house,” she says. “It’s my job to care for it, to entrust it for the next generation.” 2
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scene and be seen
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scene and be seen Garden of Lights 5K The Garden of Lights 5K and Fun Run was Dec. 13 at Honor Heights Park. Proceeds from the charity run support veterans’ programs at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center.
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scene and be seen
OMHOF induction
Five pioneers of what is known worldwide today as the Tulsa Sound were inducted Nov. 1 during a ceremony with a collection of local dignitaries at the iconic Cain’s Ballroom as part of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame Class of 2014. Photos by Mandy Lundy
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scene and be seen
Barney Christmas party Sean Barney and Kevin Igert served as hosts to a large gathering of friends Dec. 7 for their annual Christmas party. Photos by Jerry Willis
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scene and be seen
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scene and be seen
Port of Muskogee Christmas party Local and regional dignitaries and officials gathered Dec. 12 for the Port of Muskogee Christmas Reception at Three Forks Harbor River Center. Photos by John Hasler
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Renovate & restore
Phil and Linda Sapienza are restoring their two-story home in the Kendall Place Historic District.
Forward to former glory Couple lovingly restore 1908 home
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inda Sapienza loves old houses and older neighborhoods. She and her husband, Phil, would like to see the deteriorating homes brought back to life and neighborhoods revitalized. They remodeled an English Tudor revival home, built in 1929, at 15th and Elgin streets. “Everyone knew the red brick house with arches. That’s us,” Phil said. “We moved three blocks and back in time,” Linda said. Their two-story home in the Kendall Place Historic District on 13th Street is a beauty. With the help of carpenter and painter Gustavo Huerta, they are restoring their home to its grandeur of 1908 when it was built.
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“It hadn’t had any love and care on the outside,” Linda said. They bought the house almost two years ago. Huerta has scraped, caulked and replaced rotten wood on the outside of the house. He has repaired the bases of the pillars on the front porch. He is replacing the old beveled cedar siding with new. It is original to the house. “He has a good eye,” Phil said. It is being painted “Mark Twain House Ombra Gray.” Under the shutters, the paint was Renovate & Restore, Page 39
Carpenter and painter Gustavo Huerta paints a primer coat under the eaves of the home and on fish scale siding in the gables of Phil and Linda Sapienza’s home. Green Country Living
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Discover Fort Gibson “We have got a lot going on”
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Gustavo Huerta caulks along fascia and soffits as he restores Phil and Linda Sapienza’s home in the Kendall Place Historic District.
Renovate & restore, from Page 35
The Sapienzas and their carpenter are ensuring that historically appropriate woods are used to replace damaged siding and trim.
a greenish gray, Phil said. The trim is white. “It’s been awhile since it has had a good coat of paint,” Phil said. In the gables, the fish scales are painted “Ocean Storm,” a darker gray. Eventually, the front door and side door will be painted bright red. Phil is pleased with Huerta, because he went through every inch of the house looking to see what needed to be done. “He is very meticulous,” she said. On the inside, Linda has patched all the plaster with drywall, primed and painted the living room. “I like doing stuff like that,” she said. “It’s trial and error.” Phil said he sat and watched her do it, and he can’t see where the cracks were, because she did such a good job. She did the breakfast room first because it was a smaller area and “not so scary.” Then, she moved on to the living room. “We have acres of plaster to be done,”
she said. They said previous owners have done extensive work including piers under the home, remodeling the kitchen and making one of the four bedrooms into a walkthrough closet and full bath. There are still three bedrooms upstairs. Earlier, the couple had a new roof put on by another company. Huerta has found issues. He’s going to put molding over the flashing to make the water roll off the roof and away from seams. “He’s done work on two or three houses one block south,” Phil said. “That’s all I needed to see. He’s reasonable and straight up. He has a good eye and is a fantastic carpenter.” Linda said Huerta even painted on Christmas Day. “He’s that dedicated,” she said. “He works on our house like it’s his house.” When Huerta is done, the outside will be like a brand new house. Linda said they will keep restoring until they run out of house that needs repair. 2 Green Country Living
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Above, Del Buckmaster created a chandelier from a wagon wheel, antlers and bottles. Right, Kenny Eaton repurposes various items into lamps.
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Antiques & Vintage
Bright ideas Trend brings vintage items to light
Let’s shine a light on the subject of repurposing. Francie Wright describes it as upcycling, which makes it better, not recycling, which means you use it over and over. Wright and others have found the beauty
in new lighting fixtures made out of unusual things like bed springs, fire extinguishers, fishing poles and even a large commercial mixer blade that Del Buckmaster turned into Wright’s kitchen light fixture above the
center island. “I own it and love it,” she said. “It just makes a statement.” Wright helps organize Frost on the Pumpkin, an annual arts and crafts show at First
By Leilani Roberts Ott • Photos by Jerry Willis
Del Buckmaster mounted a wine crate to his ceiling then hung a pot rack and four old mason jars to make a light fixture.
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United Methodist Church in Muskogee. The mixer blade in Buckmaster’s booth at the show caught her eye. He describes it as a 4-foot stainless steel blender he found at a junk store. She said it looks like something you would use to mix bread dough. He told her he could make it into a light fixture. Buckmaster came and measured the space. When he saw her husband had a few things related to duck hunting, he tied the décor together by using an old rustic ammunition box on the ceiling that the light fixture comes out of. “The batter blade reflects the light on the ceiling,” Buckmaster said. It replaces the can light. Everyone asks about it when they see it. “It’s brushed stainless steel,” she said. “It’s kind of trendy. I don’t have a whole house of antiques. I have a mixture of things. I like mixing new with old. I love anything with a story.” Buckmaster said he works four 10-hour days as a land surveyor at his regular job and just messes around with woodwork,
A decorative collander provides interest as a lighting fixture by projecting shapes onto the ceiling in Del Buckmaster’s home.
animal skulls and making light fixtures on his days off. He calls his hobby of seven years “Ridiculously Creative Recycling Co.” on Facebook. “My grandfather grew up in the Great Depression and worked for the WPA and didn’t want to waste anything. My father was along the same way. He didn’t waste woodwork. I’ve been raised in two generations of what you can take and make.” Above his own kitchen island, he has hung a wine crate with a pot rack and four
A minnow bucket becomes a hanging lamp. Sherry Wilks has several items that have been repurposed into lamps at Hattie’s House, her shop on Main Street.
old mason jars to make the light fixture. “It’s all refurbished stuff with lighting, and I have a place to hang my pots and pans,” he said.
In his entry, he turned a straining colander upside down for a light fixture. The holes put a pattern on the ceiling. The garage light fixture is an old wooden wagon wheel with 42 different colors of beer bottles and 46 shed antlers from deer, elk and caribou. He finds them with his job as a land surveyor. His friends bring him things he uses to repurpose also. “My mind never stops. What can I make out of that? I’m just not one to throw stuff away,” he said. Neither are Kenny Eaton or Sherry Wilks. Eaton makes lamps out of old lighting fixtures and repurposed items. No two are just alike, he said. He buys old light fixtures for parts, sometimes picking up four or five for $10. He has a man who cuts bases and posts from cedar for him. He’s repurposed things like shotguns; copper or black pipe; oil lanterns; golf clubs; deer and caribou antlers; fishing poles, reels and lures; and more. “You pull the fish and the light comes
Francie Wright’s kitchen light fixture is a large commercial mixer blade that Del Buckmaster repurposed to shine above the center island.
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Sherry Wilks has several items that have been repurposed or reborn as lighting fixtures at Hattie’s House.
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on,” Eaton said, demonstrating one of his creations. One of his favorites is a copper fire extinguisher he combined with a red globe and the Muskogee Fire Department insignia. “If I see something, I think how can I use that,” Eaton said. His projects are usually in the middle of the living room floor. He’s been tinkering for a long time. His friends call it “Hobo Lobby.” He’s even had booths at flea markets and antique shops. In addition to lamps, he also buys old signs and pictures, especially of roosters, that he cleans up and resells. “If I can make a lamp out of it, I’ll do it,” Eaton said. “Most of my stuff is old or rustic.” Wilks has rustic or vintage things in her business, Hattie’s House, 200 S. Main St. She has several items that have been repurposed into lamps including a set of old bed springs done as a chandelier, minnow buckets as lamps and more. She bought the building four years ago and opened 31/2 years ago. The “repurpose” trend has
A number of pieces Kenny Eaton has created have a distinct Western flavor, such as this post made into a floor lamp that includes horseshoes, tools, a lasso and antlers.
been going on for a long time, she said. It has been catching on with younger people who like using vintage items in the last couple of years. She believes they see the beauty in it and appreciate the affordability. With computers, they can see the how-to. “We use everything,” Wilks said. “We don’t throw anything away.”
Kenny Eaton repurposes a rooster figurine by giving it a stone base and turning it into a lamp. He also gathers old lamps to provide the globes, shades and parts he uses.
Wilks is in business with Holly Johnson, who has a new clothing line. There are 20 other people who have things to sell in the store. The items are throughout the store and not set up like
A set of vintage bed springs becomes a chandelier when strung with lights and draped with lace in Hattie’s House. The shop offers a variety of items repurposed for lighting and decor.
booth space. “My mom was a collector,” she said. “I’ve always been around
it. My great-grandmother had to live with this stuff, and we get to love this stuff. I feel like
everyone has a creative side. You just have to be brave enough to tap into it.” 2
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Lance Hunter sits at his easel with an oil he is working on. Hunter’s studio is above his home
Art of the matter
Lance Hunter
Artist, educator seeks to connect through his work “Octopi,” oil, 36x48
A
rt work above Lance Hunter’s couch features octopus tentacles and human figures. “The octopus is considered in some cultures with a positive and negative symbol of directions — what you can obtain,” Hunter said. “At the same time, it can be very negative, so its duality is very interesting to me.” Hunter’s paintings go beyond simple landscapes, still lifes and portraits. The Tahlequah artist and art instructor says he seeks “to have more than that going on.”
By Cathy Spaulding Photos by Jerry Willis Green Country Living
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A detail from the Northeastern State University Centennial Mural in Tahlequah.
“Cricket,” watercolor, 19x12
“The most successful work is the piece that a person really relates to — that touches them either emotionally or 48
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conceptually in a place that maybe they haven’t gone before or gone in a long time,” Hunter said.
A detail from the Gaddy Drug Mural in Muskogee.
“Seeing Red,” watercolor, 18x18
Hunter often is commissioned to do paintings and murals. However, even paintings he does not do on commission end up having meaning. “A lot of times, in my studio work, I’m doing something that certainly has a lot of relevance to my life,” Hunter said. “I had a piece in a show this summer, and a lady contacted me, said how much the print meant to her.” The depth and detail of Hunter’s portraits lend an intimacy with their subjects. For example, a portrait of Hunter’s grandmother shows a grizzled face and warm, inviting eyes. “It’s based on a black and white photo of her,” Hunter said. “She told me that I painted her too wrinkled.” Hunter said he painted the portrait with oil. However,
Hunter is skilled with other media, including acrylics and watercolor. “Oil has a more saturated color and you have the option of revising it,” he said. “Its a more naturalistic color base than acrylics.” Created around World War II, acrylics are a plastic-based paint and became popular in the modern movement, he said. “Almost all the pigments are synthetic, so it has the more funky modern feel to it. I like it for some things but can’t stand it for others. When I am trying to do a more natural skin tone its not very good.” Watercolor is more fluid, he said. “I really think its the medium most successful in capturing water, which I’ve done Art of the matter, Page 51
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“Preparing the Nets: Kypros,� watercolor, 22x15
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“Against the Wall,” oil, 20x30
Art of the matter, from Page 49 frequently,” he said. “A lot of people don’t like it for this reason.” Artists need patience with watercolor. “If you mess something up in oil you, can let it dry and do it again. If you mess up in watercolor there are adjustments you can make. But you cannot go back to ground zero in that same painting,” he said. “There’s a tension sometimes with watercolor. If you are three-fourths of the way through, there are some things you can do that would ruin the 20 hours that went into doing it. That’s not true of oil. I have a piece that, right near the end, I tapped the brush on something and my arm kind of slipped. It got some pretty strong drips where I never intended.” He said his solution was to splatter more paint on the piece. Some paintings blend multiple techniques. Going back to
the octopus piece, Hunter said he painted it with oil, but used “kind of a watercolor technique to the background.” “All the parts in the background that are runny and dripping down are from the turpentine wash effect,” he said. “I drew out all the images then painted the octopus in.” Hunter grew up in far southeast Texas. “I found out early on that I could draw better than my classmates,” he said. He took art classes during middle school and high school. “I took private lessons for about six months or so and quit to play football,” he said. He attended Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. “I did several billboards, did several ads for the Beaumont Enterprise. The first mural I ever did was in Nederland, which is near Beaumont,” he said. Hunter earned his Master’s of
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“Net Worth,” watercolor, 20x26
Fine Arts Degree from Stephen F. Austin University. O ver the years, he has exhibited paintings and drawings in Europe and the
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United States. He received more than 26 awards in regional and national juried art exhibitions. He came to Northeastern State
University in 2001 and now is associate professor of art. Hunter also has painted murals in California, Oregon,
Kentucky and Texas, as well as Oklahoma. Murals he painted in Lufkin, Texas, received the President’s Award for Best
“Catch and Release: FT IV,” watercolor, 16x22
Public Improvement Project from the Texas Downtown Association in 2001. His Tahlequah and Muskogee murals are familiar favorites. “Our Future” — which features children as a musician, doctor, graduate and firefighter — graces the side of Green Country Behavioral Health’s
Youth Central, 301 N. Sixth St. in Muskogee. He also painted the smiling soda server on the side of Gaddy D rug, 1126 W. Broadway, in Muskogee. Near the drug store, a huge Doberman rises above a garage door. Hunter painted that, too. “That gentleman came up
while I was working on Gaddy’s D rug,” Hunter recalled. “He pulled up and said ‘I really want to have my dog painted on my garage, can you do it?’ I said ‘I’m capable of it, but I’m not cheap.’ He goes ‘I really like my dog. Cost is not an issue.’ I said, ‘Let me give you my card.’”
People aren’t likely to see many landscapes among the Dobermans, children and octopi Hunter has painted, however. “If you ask some of my students, they’d say I have almost a pathological dislike for green in my work,” he said. “It’s difficult to do landscapes without having green in them.” 2
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food & drink
Sunday suppers, comfort food pair well with wine Wonderful Wine Valarie P. Carter These short, dreary days are the perfect time to enjoy comfort food that might be too rich and heavy at other times of our year.
Roasted Red Pepper Mac-N-Cheese 4 ounces butter 4 ounces all purpose flour 3 cups whole milk 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 (12 ounce jar) roasted red peppers, well drained 1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling 1 pound rotini pasta Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan until foamy. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until flour is well incorporated and bubbly. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes to cook out the floury, starchy flavor. Gradually whisk 54
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in milk and add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. After mixture comes to a boil, cook 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat. Pour béchamel sauce into a blender and add roasted red peppers. Puree well. Alternatively, use a food processor or immersion blender. Return mixture to pan and stir in cheeses. Taste for seasoning. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray or grease with butter. Cook pasta as directed, except you’ll want to drain the boiling pasta about 2 minutes before indicated on package. (You want the pasta to be undercooked so that it is still al dente after it’s baked.) Stir drained pasta into sauce. Mix well. Pour into greased pan and sprinkle with a little more grated Parmesan cheese. Bake about 10-12 more minutes or until mixture is bubbly and the top is lightly browned. Serve immediately. Serve with:
Butternut chardonnay $15 William Hill chardonnay $16 Dreaming Tree chardonnay $15 Mer Soleil chardonay $23
Orange Olive Chicken Cacciatore 1 pound bacon cut into 1/4 inch pieces Olive oil 8 chicken thighs, you may use boneless, skinless or bone-in with the skin
Flour for dredging 1 large onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups white wine (or 1 cup white wine and 1 cup dry vermouth) 1 red bell pepper, small dice Zest and juice of 1 medium orange 1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes 1/4 cup whole grain mustard 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon dried oregano
food & drink
1 teaspoon ground cumin Pinch of cayenne pepper 1 cup green (Spanish) olives — optional 1 (14 ounce) can chick peas, drained — optional 1/3 cup golden raisins — optional Over low heat, brown bacon well in a large Dutch oven. Remove and reserve bacon. Add a little olive oil to the pan if necessary and maintain a medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper
and dredge in a little flour. Shake off excess flour. Brown chicken well on b oth sides. If you are using chicken with the skin on, make sure the skin is golden brown and crispy. Remove and reserve. You may need to do this in several batches as to not crowd the pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to remaining fat and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Do not brown.
Add wine and reduce until almost dry (au sec). Add b ell p epp er, orange zest and j u i c e , t o m a t o e s , m u s t a rd , b a y l e a f, oregano, cumin, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer. Return chicken to pan. If using, add olives, chickpeas and raisins. Either: cook on stovetop over low heat, (just a lazy bubble) or uncovered in a 300 F oven for about 2 hours or until chicken is very tender and until most of the liquid has
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food & drink evaporated. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with crumbled bacon Serve with:
La Joya carmenere $12 Chateau Julien gew端rztraminer $11 Josh Cellars Legacy red wine blend $14 Hahn GSM red wine blend $11
Beef Stroganoff Olive oil Salt and pepper Flour for dredging 2.5 pounds beef stew meat (or cubed chuck roast or top sirloin) 1 pound crimini (baby portabella) mushrooms, quartered or sliced 1 large onion, diced 6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced 1 (750 ml) dry red wine
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2 heaping tablespoon dry herbs de Provence 1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes 2 quarts good quality beef stock 1 cup sour cream (not low fat) Sliced scallions for garnish optional Liberally salt and pepper beef cubes and sprinkle with flour. Heat a large D utch oven over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the b ottom of the pan and heat until shimmering. Add half of the beef and cook until well browned. Remove and repeat with remaining beef. Remove beef from pan and set aside Add another thin layer of olive oil to pan and increase heat to high. When oil is shimmering and very hot, add half of
food & drink Wine Tasting WHAT: 12th annual Bedouin Shrine Flying Fez Wine Tasting Festival. WHEN: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 14. WHERE: Bedouin Shrine Temple, 201 S. Sixth St. COST: $20 includes souvenir wine glass. Gourmet Italian food is available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ETC: All proceeds directly benefit the Bedouin Shrine Temple. Participants include: Plain View Winery Whispering Vines Winery Summerside Vineyards Stableridge Winery Woods & Waters Whispering Meadows Wakefield Winery Pecan Creek Winery Oke Ozark Winery Blue Coyote Winery Oak Hills INFORMATION: (918) 682-2761 or (918) 839-7923.
the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. Add remaining mushrooms and continue cooking until all mushrooms are golden brown. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes. Return beef to pan and add wine, herbs, tomatoes and stock. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove the brown bits. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Partially cover and cook about
1 1/2-2 hours or longer over low heat or until meat is fork tender. Reduce liquid it barely covers meat. Reduce heat to low and stir in sour cream. Taste for seasonings. Do not bring mixture to a boil once sour cream has been added. Serve with buttered egg noodles and sliced scallions. Serve with:
Predator zinfandel $17 Sixth Sense syrah $18 Katherine Goldschmidt cabernet sauvignon $17 Folie a deux cabernet sauvignon $25
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Lawrence fries up chicken gizzards “so tender you could take your teeth out and eat ‘em.”
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The princess of soul food
Lawrence’s signature is her fried chicken and gizzards, but she can also prepare other Southern favorites.
Candace Lawrence presides over Linda’s Kountry Kitchen Catering and Kingdom Chikken
The Cook’s Pantry By Melony Carey
Candace Lawrence learned to cook from the best, her mother Linda Goff. Goff, who owned Linda’s Kountry Kitchen in Okmulgee, was the undisputed
queen of soul food, having taken the grand prize at Muskogee’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Soul Food Cook-Off each year from 2006 to 2009.
Goff, who recognized her daughter’s culinary talent, wanted Lawrence to go up against her in the competition, but her untimely death prevented it. Instead, she
Photos by Mandy Lundy Green Country Living
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Part of the secret is the process for battering the chicken, which entails dipping it in specially seasoned flour, egg mixture, and then back in the flour. Lawrence marinates the gizzards in a special secret process before deep frying.
Lawrence’s mother, Linda Goff, who won the Soul Food Cook-Off grand prize each year from 2006 to 2009, passed on her inspiration and secret recipe to her daughter.
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handed down a cooking legacy that earned her daughter the keys to the soul food kingdom. In 2013, Lawrence took first place in the cook-off, amazing everyone with her secret recipe fried chicken. Lawrence did not always like to cook. As the youngest and a self-proclaimed spoiled child, she shied away from the responsibility. But once she started helping her mother, Lawrence realized a talent and a passion she could not get away from, even if she tried. She found she was a natural at fried chicken, creating a style that surpassed her mother’s. “My mom told me that God had anointed my hands and they knew what to do,” Lawrence said. “A lot of people would study my every move, but still couldn’t produce the same texture and flavors.”
That unique talent was made public when Lawrence faced her fears, stepped out on faith, and entered the Muskogee challenge. Her first attempt in 2012 earned her the third place prize, but the next year she came back determined to carry on her mother’s tradition and took first place with a heavenly fried chicken that attracted long lines and immediate fans. That recognition was delivered by former NFL football player and cook-off circuit judge, Joe Horn. As soon as the judging was over, he rushed over before the official announcement and offered Lawrence $10,000 for her recipe. That recipe will remain secret until Lawrence has built a chicken empire of her own. “I would like to start back up what my mom was trying to do. She envisioned putting a few items on the market, like her dressing, corn bread muffins and barbecue sauce. I call my brand Kingdom Chikken to draw attention to the fact that my chicken is different and my talent is inspired by my strong faith in God.” Lawrence is currently catering special events and private parties. Items on the menu include bone-in fried chicken, wings, drumsticks and gizzards. The gizzard recipe is a highly-prized family secret that produces meat “so tender you could take your teeth out and eat ‘em,” as her mother used to say. Lawrence can also do other Southern cooking staples on request. Unfortunately, we will have to wait for the recipes to be revealed, but in the meantime, Lawrence can be reached for catering at (918) 777-0472 or via email at kingdomchikken@ gmail.com. Sp ecial thanks to Praise C e n t e r Fa m i l y C h u rc h i n Muskogee, pastor Stephen Wiley, for use of their kitchen for this story. 2
Candace Lawrence may be known for her fried chicken, but she also is adept at other soul food favorites including red beans and rice.
FYI The Martin Luther King Jr. Soul Food Cook-Off in Muskogee traditionally draws more than 2,500 visitors. Cassandra Gaines, director of the cook-off, ensures that winners have the ultimate opportunity to participate in national events. The next Muskogee cook-off is scheduled for January 2016.
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Calendar Concerts
GALAXY OF STARS, 7:30 p.m., Northeastern State University Center for the Performing Arts, 605 N. Grand Ave., Tahlequah. Box office: (918) 458-2075. Tickets can also be purchased at www. nsuok.edu/si. 2014-15 lineup: Jan. 27, Ryan & Ryan; Feb. 23, The Great Gatsby; March 31, Junior Brown. Information: (918) 458-2075. MIRANDA LAMBERT, Feb. 28, BOk Center. Tickets are available at the BOk Center, all ticket outlets and at www.BOkcenter. com or by calling (866) 726-5287. NICKELBACK, April 7, BOk Center. Tickets are available at the BOk Center, all ticket outlets and at www.BOkcenter.com or by calling (866) 726-5287. WINTER JAM, March 1, BOk Center. Tickets are $10 at the door.
Events
2 HIP CHICKS ROADSHOW, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., April 11, Muskogee Civic Center. Vintage-Boutique, Shabby Chic-Bling. $4 entry. 12 and under free. Information: (612) 888-3002. HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS, Feb. 6 & 8, BOk Center. Tickets are available at the BOk Center, all ticket outlets and at www.BOkcenter.com or by calling (866) 726-5287.
Festivals
Azalea Festival, the festival runs the entire month of April, with special events throughout. The event centers around Honor Heights Park and the bounty of blossoms there. Azalea Festival Parade, 11 a.m. April 11, downtown Muskogee. Muskogee kicks off a big weekend of Azalea Festival fun with a parade. Information: (918) 684-6302.
Theater
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MUSKOGEE LITTLE THEATRE 20142015 line-up: “Dearly Departed,” Feb. 6-14; “CASH Ring of Fire,” April 10-18. 325 Cincinnati St. Information: www. muskogeelittletheatre.com or muskogeelittletheatre@gmail.com. “THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME,” Feb. 13-15 and 20-22, Armory Municipal Center, 100 N. Water Ave., Tahlequah. Presented by Tahlequah Community Playhouse, Inc. This is a romantic-comedy for teens and adults with mild adult themes. Cost: Dinner with show ticket $25, Show only $15. Reservations required for dinner. Tickets available at A Bloom, Morris-Cragar, The Music Room, or online at www.tcpok.com. Information: (918) 822-4440.
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