Imerge Magazine Nov 2013

Only one word that could possibly describe the work of Juan Alcantara



Grace 8 Mums the Word 85 Around the Table 10 What’s In the Cornucopia 86 Breaking It Down 18 Center Pieces 88 Healthy Eating is a Way 22 Juan Alcantara of Life 40 Rita Jackson 92 finding a home workout 44 Gott Fashion “Hats” 94 Take the Challenge 50 Fierce Fashion: Fall Essentials 96 around the table 56 Summer into Fall 98 The Walkers way 62 Getting Rid of Raccoon Eyes 100 Virtual Vickie running 66 Picture Perfect 106 1o tips to a good thanksgiving 69 Diva Fierce: Beauty Spot 110 thanksgiving flip 70 Stationary Nails 116 how to now stuff yourself 73 Diva Fierce: Beauty Spot 118 The 4 B’s of Turkey 74 BlinG Bling Extravaganza 124 Black Friday hints 78 Amanda Cahoon 80 Around the Table 82 Under the Hood

Grace 8 Mums the Word 85 Around the Table 10 What’s In the Cornucopia 86 Breaking It Down 18 Center Pieces 88 Healthy Eating is a Way 22 Juan Alcantara of Life 40 Rita Jackson 92 finding a home workout 44 Gott Fashion “Hats” 94 Take the Challenge 50 Fierce Fashion: Fall Essentials 96 around the table 56 Summer into Fall 98 The Walkers way 62 Getting Rid of Raccoon Eyes 100 Virtual Vickie running 66 Picture Perfect 106 1o tips to a good thanksgiving 69 Diva Fierce: Beauty Spot 110 thanksgiving flip 70 Stationary Nails 116 how to now stuff yourself 73 Diva Fierce: Beauty Spot 118 The 4 B’s of Turkey 74 BlinG Bling Extravaganza 124 Black Friday hints 78 Amanda Cahoon 80 Around the Table 82 Under the Hood

Editor In Chief: Kathleen Capossela Managing Editor: Glorren Boteler Assistant Editor in Chief: Janet Lynn Smith We are presently looking for the follow- Fashion: Anja Miletic and Jeanne Quillin ing : crafting articles, How To Articles Beauty: Mimi Wright with illustrations, Original Recipes with pictures. All submissions are consid- Fitness: Nicola Johns ered donations and credits are applied. Food: Holly Mitchell Home and Hobby: Chad Johns Special Consultant: Bob Baker Diva Fierce: Melissa Latham Photos of Snow Activities and Vacationing Kids Interest: Joanie Cull spots now being accepted. Jenny Jacoby: Marketing [email protected] Sarah Kohlman: Creative Advisor Beauty Writers: Janette Vorster, Lola lynch Fashion Consultant: Judi Gott

If you know an artist, poet, musician that you would Editor In Chief: Kathleen Capossela like to see featured in our magazine, please let us know. [email protected] Managing Editor: Glorren Boteler Assistant Editor in Chief: Janet Lynn Smith We are presently looking for the follow- If you are interested in Fashion: Anja Miletic and Jeanne Quillin ing : crafting articles, How To Articles submitting your story Beauty: Mimi Wright with illustrations, Original Recipes with for consideration to be pictures. All submissions are consid- Fitness: Nicola Johns ered donations and credits are applied. published in our maga- Food: Holly Mitchell zine, please send a detailed email describ- Home and Hobby: Chad Johns ing your overcoming Special Consultant: Bob Baker story to Kath- leen@Imergemagazin Diva Fierce: Melissa Latham e.com Photos of Snow Activities and Vacationing Kids Interest: Joanie Cull spots now being accepted. Jenny Jacoby: Marketing [email protected] Sarah Kohlman: Creative Advisor Beauty Writers: Janette Vorster, I want to thank the many talented photographers at Lola lynch Morgue for allowing us to use their photographs, morguefile.com and on Facebook. I would also like to Fashion Consultant: Judi Gott thank Free Digitalphotos.net for their contributions.

How many ways can you say thanks in the season of thanksgiv- ing? We know we’re supposed to bow our heads and give thanks for the food but what about the other stuff? The people in our day to day lives, the ones who are there for us, keep us going, re- mind us of the sunrise and the sunsets and the glory thereof? What about our family? It’s easy to take them for granted, they are always there, sometimes they give us grief, sometimes they disappear and are even non-existent, they ignore your emails, don’t answer your phone calls, run the other way . But some- times they are the one constant in your life that you know you can depend on, they are there for you through it all in spite of everything, for them, we’re thankful. For the friends who inspire us, invoke us, awake us, support us, are there to listen to us day in and day out we offer thanks. And what about the blessings, the ones we count every day, the ones that line out lives and make us smile with endless gratitude? Thanksgiving is some- thing that should not be saved for a prayer spoken around a ta- ble with family and friends once a year, it should be lifted up dai- ly.. Thank you for reading my magazine. It is truly a labor of love and I am blessed to work with such gifted people doing what I consider to be my Bliss. Kathleen Mary



I do not think there is a more beautiful time of the year on the highways of rural America than Autumn. Mums are plenty with their vibrant fall colors—bright yellows, pinks, oranges, ma- roons and purples and they go so beautifully with the freshly picked pumpkins lying on either side of them. If you’re lucky you can find bushels of freshly picked apples that are as sweet and crisp as the fresh fall air that surrounds them. All over the

country Moms and Dads are loading up the family cars for a weekend drive into the countryside to see the beauty of the changing leave and the awesome exhibit put on once a year right before Thanksgiving time when all is ripe and everybody is thankful; thankful for the fresh food upon the table, thankful for the beautiful land of ours and the farmers who bring it safely to us. Thankful for the beautiful flowers and the time of the year that makes us bow our heads and re- member just how blessed we are to be living in such a won- derful place surrounded by friends and family.



A lot of Thanksgiving is about the harvest, the fresh pro- duce brought in from the fields in the famous symbol we are used to seeing here, the cornucopia. But how many of us get past the green beans and the green peas? Do we see more than mashed potatoes or corn at the table? Just thought I’d challenge everyone to take a look into the horn of plenty offered to you at the produce depart- ment at your super markets this year and get daring. Why not try something new this year? On the pages that follow we have given you a twist on a few season favorites, Pumpkin in a savory sauce with noo- dles a delicious way to get your pumpkin in. We have also introduced you to a couple of vegetables that are often overlooked like oven roasted ruby beats, these vegetables are wasted in the can, once you have had them fresh and roasted you won’t want them any other way. Finally Fresh Brussels Sprouts with bacon simply roasted but so deli- cious you’ll never want to buy them frozen again. Pay at- tention, we’re going to make you want to buy fresh vege- tables all year round and actually eat them!

This can be served as a side dish or as a main dish for a dinner party for Holiday guest who won’t be disap- pointed. Ingredients 1 small pumpkin carved, cut into cubes roasted 1 pint cherry tomatoes, roasted 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion 1 tablespoon of garlic 1 cup evaporated milk 1 tablespoon cornstarch 11/2 cup of whole wheat pasta, cooked accord- ing to package directions

(1)Prepare Pasta (2)Roast Pumpkin and cherry tomatoes in 350 oven for 45 min after spraying with cooking spray (3)Olive oil in saucepan, saute’ onions and garlic, (4)then add cherry tomatoes and pumpkins (5)Add cornstarch to milk while cool and stir well before adding to pumpkin mixture, as it heats, (6) It will thicken and bubble, when heated through take off of heat. Serve over pasta with parmesan cheese

If you buy them in the can you might like them, but if you roast them, you won’t recognize them, they are an entirely different flavor and richness you won’t recognize. Ingredients 2 pounds of Fresh Beets Cleaned and Peeled Salt 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (1)Clean the Beets, wash well, (2)then pour oil over them and salt. (3)Place on baking pan and roast in 400 degree oven til ten- der.

(4)When beets are cool, slice them and place in bowl and drizzle dressing over them. Dressing: 2 Tablespoons Olive oil 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar 2 Tablespoons Honey Salt and pepper Parmesan Cheese

This recipe is so simple, yet turns this usually boiled and usually overcooked vegetable into something you’d expect to get at a 4 Star Restaurant. You’ll want to make this all year long, I promise. Ingredients: 1 pound of fresh Brussels Sprouts 1/2 pound of bacon Salt and pepper Parmesan cheese

Clean the sprouts well, then slice in half and spread out over a baking sheet. Cut bacon into bite size pieces and spread over sprouts, salt and pep- per to taste Place into a 375 degree oven and roast for twenty minutes, pull sprouts out and stir and check for dryness, if they are dry, add a drizzle of olive oil, stir and return to roasting. Continue to do this until sprouts are ten- der. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle parmesan cheese over warm sprouts and serve.

It can turn your table from a drab every day come sit down and eat dinner to an “Oh, look, it’s a holiday” atmosphere. I’m talking about a centerpiece and aptly paced, a colorful centerpiece will do wonders for a family gathering at the holidays. At Thanksgiving the easiest centerpiece is made from the things from the harvest, fruits and vegetables as seen to the right, just stack them up in the center of the table and it says Harvest Time giving your Thanksgiving Table a wonderful feel. Or you could just place a few ears of Indian Corn, some gourds and smaller pumpkins in the center of the table for a lovely and very attractive seasonal piece.

On the next page you’ll see a larger pumpkin centered between 3 smaller pots of colorful mums that will do any table proud for a simple center piece or you can go with a single pot of mums and a smaller pumpkin decorated with straw ribbon I could not be easier than to just take some apples and place them inside of a pretty seasonal basket or if you want to get fancy, you can buy an array of colorful and decorative gourds and mini pumpkins and make an arrangement of them in a beautiful glass container as seen in the last photograph. Whatever you decide, be sure to al- low enough room for the food and make sure the center piece is not so high that you cannot see the person on the other side of the table.







I have always loved art, I am constantly trying to understand how and artists take what they see in their minds and then transfer that onto paper or canvas. I myself cannot draw a straight line, so it is a good thing for me that my love for writing allows me to express my creativity. As I grew, both in size, and age, my fascination became BBW art, or the Big Beautiful Woman as the subject of a piece of artwork. I look at the way an artist captures the softness and sensu- ality of the curves, folds and creases of a large woman’s body, and I see myself in a different light. I see me on that canvas or sketch, and I am transformed into the beautiful, sexy, desired, woman that is looking back at me, in that moment, in my mind I am the artist’s muse. In my search of art, and artists that create such beauty, I found one artist that stood out, he is amazingly talented at capturing every nuance of the large, luscious woman’s body. His name is Juan Car- los Alcantara, he is a wonderfully talented artist, if you have not had the pleasure of seeing his work, I am happy to introduce you to the man and his art. Juan Carlos Alcantara was born in Havana Cuba in 1958, he moved with his family to the United States in 1963. Juan studied art at the Miami Dade Community College, and then later studied un- der expressionist artist, and sculptor, Ramon Lapayese, who is from the beautiful city of Madrid Spain. During his life he has worked as a comic book illustrator, a graphic illustrator, and in mag- azine publication. Juan Alcantara was gracious enough to allow me

to interview him recently and over the next pages I will share our interview along with pieces of his artwork in the hope that you will enjoy the incredible beauty as much as I do. Janet) How old were you when you realized you had a love of art, and what is your earliest memory of a piece of art that you felt inspired by?

Juan Alcantara) Art is something I have done and enjoyed all my life. Comic books in general were a big influence when I was young. The idea that you could tell a story with pictures really appealed to me. This more than any- thing inspired me to learn how to draw better. In my early teens I spent a whole summer learning to draw anatomy from a book my brother gave me. I remember all the prac- tice coming together a couple of years later when I got my hands on a medical anatomy book. Everything made sense when I saw where all the muscles in the body were and how they work. I've been practicing ever since. Janet) Are there other artists in your family, and, How does your family feel about what you do? Juan Alcantara) My family has always been supportive of whatever I do. There are other artist in my family, I'm told my aunt before she pasted away painted beautifully, I un- fortunately never saw any of her artwork. My mother has painted all her life as well, she made it a second career af- ter she retired from teaching, she is ninety years young and though her pace has slowed down a little in the past couple of years she paints most every day. Her mind is clear and I attribute that to her painting. As in chess where you constantly have to be thinking a few steps ahead, painting is the same, it keeps your mind active.

Her name is Dominica Alcantara by the way, just in case you want to Google her. Janet) Do you have a studio or workspace where you work, and do you seclude yourself while you are working? Juan Alcatara) I have a workspace in my home and yes I prefer to work alone with only myself to talk to and my music to listen to. The real reason is I don't want anyone to have to listen to me sing and watch me dance when I take small breaks to stretch and clear my head as I work, It's not a pretty sight. Janet) Are you emotional or temperamental when you are working on a new piece of artwork? Juan Alcantara) No, I'm neither, I don't get angry or frus- trated when I paint. If I'm unsure I like how a particular piece is going, I step away from it, hide it and come back to it with fresh eyes later on. While I try to finish one piece at a time, sometimes I end up with two or three thing being worked on jumping from one to the other until they get fin- ished. Janet) What is the most important artist tool, and is there any- thing specific you cannot be without? Juan Alcantara) The most important tool an artist can have is their imagination and for me what I cannot do without is

coffee and soda. I have to have my caffeine and sugar rush… everyone has their vices, I'm not proud. Janet) Do you set aside time to work or do you do it spontane- ously when you feel inspired? Juan Alcantara) I do both, depending on what I'm working on. If it's a commercial assignment I set time aside until the work is done. When I'm doing my own projects I still try to set time aside but I allow myself a lot more flexibility

which encourages spontaneity. I usually can see the fin- ished painting in my mind but I always leave a little bit of room for the unexpected to take me in a totally different direction. It makes painting a lot of fun when there is room to try something different than what you originally had planned. Janet) Do you work with models or from imagination? Juan Alcantara) I rarely use models, I know the anatomy of a woman pretty well, I've had years of practice. Most of the pencil sketches and illustrations are from my imagina- tion, though a few are from people that I see on the street or in photos that strike me. The paintings start out mostly from photos though they never end up looking the same as the original photos, I do this on purpose, it gives me more freedom of expression. Janet) Is there one piece of your artwork that you are particu- larly proud of? Juan Alcantara) \"Bottoms Up\", this painting was originally done in 1990 and I did it for no one other than myself when I first realized I should paint things I wanted and en- joyed to paint instead of things I thought I should, there's a big difference. Later, there was a time that I did not paint at all for a few years, when I picked up the brush again my views on painting



had changed. I was looking through my old paint- ings and decided to revisit this work with my new found perspective \"Bottoms Up (Reprised)\" was created. I am very happy how it came out, adding more paint and using different techniques yet able to retain the same basic lines of the original. Janet) In your drawings of plus sized women you truly capture the softness and sensuality of them, is there a reason you feel you are able to do this so beautifully? Juan Alcantara) Well, first of all, thank you I'm glad you see my drawings in that light. That is how I meant them to be seen, full of confidence and sexu- al energy with a love of self, unhindered by pres- sures from outside. I try to convey this attitude with the titles as well. I wish plus sized women could see themselves through my eyes because all I see when I look is beauty. It should be obvious that I prefer plus sized women, always have, always will, and I love illustrating them. I have been doing so since I was a teenager, the pencil sketches and the inked





drawings have always been personal It's only recently that I decided to share them with people on Facebook and to be honest I didn't expect the continuous outpour- ing of love for these images, for that I'm grateful. Janet) Is there one particular artist you feel you identify with? What artists do you enjoy the most? Juan Alcanatra) I don't identify with any particular artist but my influence's when I was young and I sometimes still look at for inspiration are Frank Frazetta, the great- est Fantasy artist of all time, he fueled my imagination. Patrick Nagel, I learned how to paint women in a very sensual way from him with very simplistic lines. I tried to take from Alphonse Mucha, his sense of design work which is second to none and of course there is Pablo Pi- casso. I learned a lot studying his work, go figure. I know it's an eclectic bunch and I wouldn't presume to draw like any of them, but there you go. Janet) Today, with almost everything being online including books and magazines, how do you feel art fits into the com- puter age? Juan Alcanatra) It fits rather well in my opinion, for artists it has opened up many new venues to showcase and sell their work. For the art lover, it's a treasure trove, being able to see works of different artists from one end of the

spectrum all the way to the other at their finger-tips is amazing. For the average person that wouldn't think of, or have the time to go into a gallery and enjoy art it ex- poses them to it very easily, and sometimes inadvertent- ly hopefully with a positive experience sometimes changing their views of themselves and the world around us. From my own experience I've had women tell me, and I'm extremely flattered by this, after coming across my illustrations/paintings that their perspective had changed for the better in terms of their own body image. After all if someone can see themselves as such beauti- ful sexy sexual beings why shouldn't they. I've had guys thank me as well, not just because they enjoy seeing il- lustrations of plus-size women, though that happens as well, but also because of the positive reaction from their wife or significant other to the artwork when they show it to them. If my illustrations of plus size women can make a person feel confident in themselves, that's a good thing. Confidence is a very sexy and attractive thing in a person. I have been overwhelmed and I'm thankful by the positive response my artwork has re- ceived. After this interview I have to admit I enjoy the artwork of Juan Carlos Alcantara even more. He is able to open his



mind to see and appreciate the beauty in women society tries so hard to cast aside, or make to feel ugly and ashamed of their bodies. He very obviously has a heartfelt connection and appreciation of women of size. Please enjoy the pieces of art that Juan allowed Imerge Magazine to use in this article, and to see even more of his pieces you will find them at the URL’s below, along with in- formation as to how you can own your favorite work of art.

Facebook page: http://facebook.com/JuanAlcantaraArt Etsy page where some of his original drawings and some limited prints: http://www.etsy.com/shop/JCAlcantaraArt

FineArts America page where you can get different types of prints, from Post cards to Giclé's: http://juan- alcantara.fineartamerica.com



How did you get into this kind of artwork? I have been sculpting since I was 4 years old, and was introduced to clay when I was 15 by some people that hired me to babysit their son. That began a life-long love affair with ceram- ics! I hand-build sculptures made from stoneware clay. I don’t use a wheel or molds, choosing instead to sculpt fig-

ures and items using my hands as tools. I sculpt year round themes, and holiday art as well. My son Ben also sculpts. What do you like most about doing it? I love interpreting life around me…creating my own little world as I see it. It is fun miniaturizing the world in clay making little vi-

gnettes and scenes. I enjoy playing with color and capturing the real thing I am trying to create. Rita has been sculpting since she was 4 years old but got serious when she was 15 and the people who hired her to babysit for them introduced her to clay and introduced her to a lifelong love affair with ceramics! She has hand built sculptures made from stone- ware clay and does not use a wheel or molds but chooses instead to sculpt figures and items using her hands and tools. She sculpts year round themes, holiday art, interpreting life and creating her own little world as she sees it. She enjoys color and capturing the re- ality of her creation and has done a splendid job for 45 years now. You can find her work at www.ritabunny.com

gnettes and scenes. I enjoy playing with color and capturing the real thing I am trying to create. Rita has been sculpting since she was 4 years old but got serious when she was 15 and the people who hired her to babysit for them introduced her to clay and introduced her to a lifelong love affair with ceramics! She has hand built sculptures made from stone- ware clay and does not use a wheel or molds but chooses instead to sculpt figures and items using her hands and tools. She sculpts year round themes, holiday art, interpreting life and creating her own little world as she sees it. She enjoys color and capturing the re- ality of her creation and has done a splendid job for 45 years now. You can find her work at www.ritabunny.com

Judi and I have been wearing did not. Of hats, off and on, since we course, I always liked Ju- were little girls. Back in the di’s outfit better than my own 1950’s, hats were a “must” for and she always looked cuter in proper Easter attire and every her hats. She still does. spring we looked forward to Hats were not just for shopping for our new holiday dress up; we also wore either clothing. Mother would take us a hat or a scarf throughout to downtown Indianapolis on the winter. I did not appreci- the bus and we would shop for ate head coverings at the time dresses, hats and jackets. and wished with all my heart Some years Mother dressed that I could be brave enough us alike and some years she to defy Mother and leave my

hat by the road- In college I discovered the side somewhere but I never hooded maxi cape; did. Since I never went hat- less, I had no idea how much warmer I was because I was wearing a head covering. Now I know and I cannot go through an Indiana winter without a variety of hats and hoods. At high school football games in late autumn during the 1960’s, we discovered the benefits of a stadium jacket with a hood. The hood kept the cold wind off of our necks and it was attached to the jacket so it could not be lost without losing the entire coat.

I thought I looked like a ro- mantic heroine in a medieval novel. The long skirt of the cape kept my legs warm and the deep hood was cozy and myste- rious. It was completely im- practical and drafty around the arms; it squashed my hair and hid my eyes but I loved it! Years passed, Judi and I married, had families and we focused on keeping our children menting me on my earrings. It warm, with hats and hooded was summer and I refused to jackets. Somehow we all turn wear a scarf or a wig to cover into our mothers when we be- my shiny and then stubbly come mothers ourselves. And scalp; I just wore bigger jewel- then, suddenly, the children ry. But then fall came and let were grown and we could focus me tell you, hair makes a big on our own needs again. I con- difference in your comfort lev- tracted an unfortunate dis- el when the temperature starts ease, underwent chemo therapy to drop. So, we went shopping and became bald for a while in for hats. And of course, if I the process. Judi was right was going to buy a hat, I want- there with me, telling me that ed Judi to buy one, too. She I had a pretty head and compli- did.

I have kept my hair fairly brutally honest friend. Hats short because I love the sim- that look adorable on a mani- ple care: wash, towel, go. Ju- kin or someone else may make di, on the other hand, has you look like you have a huge longer hair and it requires a nose, no forehead or a moon little more work. The length face. And, sad as I am to re- of your hair makes a differ- port it, younger people can ence when you wear or buy a pull off a look that can make hat. Some hats seem to exist an older woman just to ruin your hairdo; other look….well…..eccentric. Here hats enhance your are a few things, pro and con, look. Never, ever buy a hat to think about. without trying it on in front Balance and shape are im- of a mirror, preferably with a

portant. Your silhouette Baseball caps are great on an- should be wider at the top yone in the gym, on the base- than the bottom. If your hat ball diamond, on children, most makes your chin look wider men and young women in pony than your forehead, something tails and athletic wear. Ladies, is wrong. we can do better. A baseball A hat that is pulled too low on cap does nothing for your hair the forehead and over the and it rarely flatters your ears may be warm but it face. If you need to shade makes the face look out of your face and eyes, a soft proportion. A higher crown will cloth hat or a straw hat in a elongate the face. A hat that flattering shape will look so frames the upper part of the much better. And if you make face will elongate and call at- it a red hat or any other color tention away from the mouth that flatters, you will instant- and chin. A hat that is circular ly look confident and interest- and widest at the middle of ing. Add some great earrings the face will minimize the for extra style or an interest- nose. ing pin to the crown or brim. A hat will keep your head warm and make you more com- fortable when the cold winds blow. Beyond those things, a hat can give you your own spe- cial look and style. A hat can take you from average to fab-