Art – Page 2 – Aubrey Up Close

March 27, 2015April 15, 2015

My VIP Tour of Raymond Vineyards

I recently embarked on my first ever wine-tasting outing in Northern California’s “Wine Country,” and it was so much more than I could’ve ever imagined. I went with a group of ladies, as we were all celebrating my sister Adrienne’s upcoming wedding, so it was a girls getaway bachelorette weekend of sorts. Like I said, I had never been wine tasting, so I asked around for recommendations before finally settling on a VIP Tour Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena. The contact who booked gave me a heads’s up that it was a non-conservative and atypical of a traditional winery..whatever that is. Honestly I was just expecting a plain room in the middle of a huge field of grapes on a vine and wine barrels. I couldn’t have been more wrong in “stereotyping” a vineyard/winery. This was anything but boring, typical AND oh so perfect for our occasion!

I instantly fell in love with our VIP host Gina, she was a complete doll! As soon as she saw our group, we got our glasses and popped the bubbly. Then she proceeded to take us for a short tour of their grounds, with beautiful gardens, farm animals and even a “Doggie Winery” if you will. She explained to us that they create their own energy and do their best to be “green.”

From there, the party started! We went into an indoor facility where they make the wine and this place is almost indescribable, you kind of have to experience it for yourself. It has sexy mood lighting with several Vegas showgirl-like outfitted mannequins…it had a Moulin Rouge feel…lots of “French” influence! There were elaborate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and lounge music pumping through the room..and of course we were surrounded by wine!

From there we went to another outdoor area where we had an impromptu photo shoot on picturesque white lounge furniture before being ushered in to the “JCB Lounge.” JCB standing from wine maker and owner Jean Charles Boissant. The JCB Lounge is all-gold EVERYTHING! There’s also a huge projection screen and just a very rich, very high end vibe. My first thought was this is the perfect backdrop for a hip hop video! LOL!

Our last stop on the VIP tour was the private Red Room. Think velvet and leopard fabrics…it was out of this world, the room just sucked you in and invited you to relax. Gina was even kind enough to let my sister pic the Beyonce Pandora station to provvde our soundtrack for the room. All in all, I was blown away by this place..and I’m sure when I return there’ll be so much more to take in that I missed this time around. We may not have went to Vegas for this bachelorette, but Raymond Vineyards made us feel like that’s where we were..and the wines were amazing too! It couldn’t have been a more perfect VIP Tour of the Winery or for my sister’s special outing. We are so thankful we had the opportunity to visit it.

I would highly recommend this as a stop for anyone’s next jaunt into wine country. It’s nothing short of amazing and didn’t disappoint..both of which I never expected to be saying about a winery.

March 7, 2015March 7, 2015

Grape Stomping

In late January I participated in the Coastal Virginia Wine Fest “Grape Stomp”…and my competition was a Nathan James of iHeart Media. At the time I didn’t really consider that the weight and (foot) size difference might give him the advantage..but in hindsight…grrr!! All in all it was lots of fun, and I finally just found some photos and a video of it to share! For the record, it was my first time EVER doing something like this and I stomped out about 16 ounces…which I thought was pretty good! Nathan on the other hand had done this once before and he trumped my with something like 22 ounces?? Sheesh!! Enjoy the pictures and video below…

And — YES, I did take a taste of my stomped grapes…since I was on the losing end!! :/

Check out this video below for a quick glimpse of the competition… stomping is from about 1:20- 1:50

March 4, 2015March 4, 2015

Read Across America Day

This year I had the honor of reading to 2 classes in celebration of “National Read Across America Day.” And in my case, it was days, as I read to a 2nd grade class at one school on March 2 – Dr. Seuss’ actual birthday, which spawned the reading event, and on March 4 with a pre-K class. Read across America Day is an annual event to promote reading and literacy for everyone. Thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, adults and books for the occasion.

I read a Dr. Seuss book to 2nd graders at Poplar Halls Elementary called, “If I Ran The Rainforest.” That was fun, I had never heard of that ‘Cat in the Hat’ book before, but they enjoyed it and were a very captive audience!

The Pre-K class I read to was at James Monroe elementary. This class was very festive – I mean they are 4-year olds! Their teacher was even dressed like a fantasy storybook character… 🙂 I didn’t read a Dr. Seuss classic to them, but instead one of my all-time favorites, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

And — in honor of my reading efforts, I received a nice certificate along with popcorn in the school’s colors!

February 4, 2015February 5, 2015

ACHI Magazine Cover Girl

I was lucky enough to be asked by the great folks at ACHI Magazine to be their “cover girl” for the Jan- Mar issue (they are a quarterly). We did a day long photo shoot and I was styled in many gorgeous outfits, with great jewelry and we can’t forget I got pampered by with beautiful makeup and hair! The digital edition of the fashion magazine will be online if you want to see more pictures from the photo shoot. I’ll leave you with a couple other snaps below!

January 26, 2015

ACHI Magazine Cover Shoot – Sneak Peek

I recently did a photo shoot for ACHI Magazine. I was very flattered that they wanted to capture this mug for their fashion magazine…and not only that, but I’ll be on the cover of their January issue! The magazine is published quarterly online…

ACHI “Strength in Sisterhood” is a Fashion and Life Style Magazine focusing on women’s interests. ACHI Magazine is “For Women That Want It All.”

On January 31, 2015 at the First Annual ACHI Magazine NFDC they will unveil the January-March issue, featuring me!

Click play below to watch a quick behind the scenes look at my shoot!

November 23, 2014November 23, 2014

Troy Simmons at Context Art Fair

I couldn’t be more excited for Troy Simmons and his solo show at the Context Art Fair. I met Troy some years back through his wife who is also in the TV biz and since then I’ve become more familiar with his art, and it’s just so impressive how far he has been able to take his craft through his hard work and dedication. And – early December in Miami is kind of a big deal in the art world when Art Basel sets up shop and the world’s focus on art shift to the spotlight on South Florida. Congratulations to Troy and I wish him continued success!!

See the official press release below.

Local artist Troy Simmons has immersed himself in his latest artwork, exploring the evolution of urbanism and nature’s persistence to coexist. A consistent theme, which echoes true to his intense fascination with nature and modern Brutalist Architecture.

Under the direction of JanKossen Contemporary Art Gallery in Basel, Switzerland, Simmons will showcase his new concrete work during a solo show at CONTEXT Miami Art Fair December 2nd-7th at booth #E75. He will also have several pieces on display at SCOPE Art Show Miami Beach.

His massive, large-scale concrete canvases are a mix of acrylic paints and raw materials. At first glance, the magnitude of his work is clearly realized. Most of his pieces weigh more than 100 pounds. A rough and raw relationship often described as a cataclysmic illustration of urbanism.

Simmons calls his work a “re-incarnation of the Arte Povera genre” where the inclusion of simple natural elements, such as wood and soil takes an integral part in the creation of the art. His intended goal is to create a playful mix of the hard and soft, expressing the ideological perceptions of binary relationships.

Rochi Llaneza, Former Executive Director of Hardcore Contemporary Art, curated his first show in Miami in 2009. She says, “Creating an algorithm of inspired imagery, Simmons’ connection to his ecological charged pieces is clearly reflected in his use of re-purposed materials.”

The inspiration behind his latest collection evolved after a recent trip to Germany. He spent time with his wife’s family exploring Baden-Wurttemberg in the southern part of the country. The postwar architecture is a fragmentation of Germany’s traditional heritage mixed with simple modern construction.

Simmons currently works as a full-time artist, but his educational background is in Architecture and Environmental Science. He studied at Sam Houston State University and worked as an Environmental Lab Technician in Houston, Texas. He later went on to Oklahoma State University and earned a degree in Architectural Design.

Simmons is a Resident Artist at the Bakehouse Artist Complex in Miami’s Wynwood Art District. Sample of his current work at www.TroySimmonsStudio.com.

July 29, 2014July 30, 2014

CoVa “Best Of” Event

Last week I attended the “Best Of Gala” for Coastal Virginia Magazine. It was held at the Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center in downtown Norfolk, VA. It as a fun event with lots of food tasting opportunities with various “best of” restaurants from around the Hampton Roads area being represented!

T and I were able to get a caricature of us made….however in the collage above, it’s actually my TV Co-Host. Chris Reckling, who jumped into the artists’ seat when he went for a break! He did a great job, right!?!?

Chris and I were actually there to present the award for “Best Of People’s Choice” for the night, and that went to Chef Scott Simpson at Swan Terrace. All in all a fun night out!

T and I enjoying the party, you can see our “real” caricature drawing that was done, in my hand…

Me with The Hampton Roads Show Executive Producer, Stephanie.

And — with Face of Fox 43…Andria Lea

April 11, 2014April 11, 2014

Time is Illmatic

Time Is Illmatic, a documentary film that explores Nas’ 1994 debut album, Illmatic. The film is set to debut at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 16 and will hit theaters shortly after. This documentary was Directed and Produced by a friend of mine, One9, and pretty much since I made his acquaintance he has spoken about this project.

As a hip hop fan (the 90’s was my era), I can’t wait to watch the film and for my friend, I am thrilled and excited for him to finally get to share his hard work, dedication and passion for “Time Is Illmatic” with the world! Watch the trailer below…

Time Is Illmatic is a feature length documentary film that delves deep into the making of Nas’ 1994 debut album, Illmatic, and the social conditions that influenced its creation.

Twenty years after its release, Illmatic has become a hip-hop benchmark that encapsulates the socio-political outlook, enduring spirit, and collective angst of a generation of young black men searching for their voice in America.

Time is Illmatic tracks the musical legacy of the Jones family, handed down to Nas from his jazz musician father, Olu Dara. It also examines the social conditions and environmental influences that contributed to Nas’ worldview.

Along the way, Time Is Illmatic shows how Nas—with the support of his Queensbridge neighborhood crew, the loyalty of his younger brother Jabari “Jungle” Fret, and sacrifices of his mother, Ann Jones—overcame insurmountable odds to create the greatest work of music from hip-hop’s second golden era.

With support from Ford Foundation & Tribeca Film Insitute.