Juicy! The tasty new art exhibition from artist Florence Houston

Juicy! will run from Wednesday 1st  to Tuesday 7th November 2023 at the J/M Gallery, 230 Portobello Road, London W11 1LJ

It's an amazing show, combining food and art, nostalgic objects and the ultimate fetishes, Juicy! is the inaugural solo exhibition by classically-trained contemporary artist Florence Houston. Hosted by the J/M Gallery this November, Juicy! will be set to spark an interesting conversations about the intersection of art, history, and gastronomy.

Juicy! offers an experience that engages all of the senses, showcasing a collection of monumental and dramatic paintings centred around the enchanting theme of Victorian jellies. Mysterious yet captivating, Juicy also features a selection of still life paintings depicting pills, flowers and plastic bags filled with colourful fruit.

Taking place in the heart of London for a limited time only, this unique exhibition will transport viewers into a bygone era through a contemporary lens. 

Celebrated for her whimsical paintings, Florence Houston’s array of luscious and elaborate jelly designs capture the essence of Victorian elegance and extravagance. Through vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and nostalgic charm, Juicy! explores the fascinating history and cultural significance of these gelatinous delights.

Both comic and monstrous, giant and miniature, these painted jellies were specially designed with food stylist Lou Kenney to capture the different characteristics of each jelly based on its size, colour and shape. With extremely meticulous attention to detail, Houston’s series of stunning paintings will be paying homage to the Victorian era's obsession with jellies as both a culinary delight and a symbol of social status and standing.

Connoting something sexy in today’s pop culture, “jelly” in Victorian times had a very different meaning. From the opulence of royal banquets to the creativity of home cooks, Victorian jellies were not only a culinary delight but also a symbol of sophistication and status. 

Victorians created these incredible wobbling, gleaming jelly sculptures that they used as centrepieces on a table. By exploring this unique aspect of Victorian culture, Florence Houston invites viewers to reflect on the ways in which food and art intertwine to shape our collective history and identity.

Commenting on Juicy!, Florence Houston says: “Juicy is a word I’ve always used to describe something that excites me as a painter, its a colour or a texture or a brush stroke, even the paint itself as it comes out the tube. It’s a primal feeling that guides me from subject to subject and that unites this body of work. 

"I really enjoy taking something that feels disregarded or unimportant and painting it seriously, really cherishing it. There’s something comedic about it but I also want to show how beautiful those things can be. It’s very satisfying painting a plastic bag or a jelly using exactly the same material and technique that’s been used to paint centuries of Kings, Popes and other pomp and glory. All my work focuses on beauty, I feel very sensitive to it, finding it and recreating it in my paintings feels like my ultimate goal”.

Juicy! will continue online until the end of November via www.florencehouston.com

Peanut Butter Milk Stouts

This is another of my Home Bargains beer purchases. These beers are brewed by the Tailgate Brewery of Nashville, Tennessee. https://www.tailgatebeer.com.

I love peanut butter. I particularly like peanut butter whiskey, but especially with properly hot Jamaican ginger beer. Not ginger beer, but ginger ale.

But on to the peanut butter milk stout, plain and with strawberry jelly/jam.

Peanut Butter milk stout. There was definitely a strong peanut butter aroma from the beer. And it did have a peanut butter like colouration.

There was a peanut butter taste plus a strong, malty taste and a somewhat bitter aftertaste.

The Peanut Butter and Strawberry milk stout had a similar colouration. It tasted very similar to the peanut butter milk stout, but there was also a slightly sweet undertone that I attributed to the strawberry jelly content. 

However, tin my opinion, the strawberry flavour was not strong enough to make any real headway through the stronger peanut butter flavour. If I were brewing this stout I'd certainly consider adding more strawberry jelly to the recipe because of this.

I'd have to point out that, although these beers are interesting and well worth seeking out, that they are not really to be considered as milk stouts, to be completely honest.

However, they are intriguing enough that I'll certainly be looking out for beers from Tailgate Brewery in the future.  

To check out the beer range at Home Bargains use their store locator service https://storelocator.homebargains.co.uk

Or you can visit your website at https://home.bargains

From memory I think I paid about £1.49 a can.

There's "Bean" a new way to say "I Love You!"

For those who want to say I-love-you with great taste, Jelly Belly have created a beautifully romantic Valentine wrap for their ever popular 10, 20 and 40 flavour gift boxes. Decorated with elegant hearts and heartstrings they make the perfect Valentine present.

Jelly Belly are also available in individual flavours - over 50 in all - and each one can convey its own personal message. Lovers can create their own special story using their favourite flavours.

For instance:
I think you are totally, gorgeously sexy - Sizzling Cinnamon, You're the best - Top Banana, Your place or mine? - Cappuccino, I fancy you - Very Cherry or Tutti-Fruitti, You are totally delicious - Strawberry Cheesecake orJuicy Pear, Let's run away together - Island Punch, You're the apple of my eye - Green Apple or Red Apple, I've got a crush on you - Crushed Pineapple, You're my peach - Peach, I feel comfy with you - Chocolate Pudding, Let's stay in tonight - Toasted Marshmallow, Let's stay in tonight and watch a movie - Buttered Popcorn, You add spice to my life - Chilli Mango.

Each Jelly Belly jelly bean contains just 4 calories and is free from fat, wheat, nuts, gluten, dairy and gelatine. They are certified OU Kosher and are suitable for vegetarians.

www.jellybelly-uk.com

Jelly Belly beans are available nationwide in Sainsbury, Waitrose, Tesco and all the best department stores and confectionery shops in the UK.

For nearest stockist call freephone 0800 018 4416

A range of Jelly Belly product can be purchased at www.jellybelly-uk.com

PRICE LIST

30g fliptop box 61p

50g box £1.01

100g loose £2.04

100g assorted mix bag £2.24

The Big Bean £2.55

100g tube £2.66

150g assorted Window Box £3.22

20 Flavour tin £3.47

200g tube £5.11

200g Can £5.31

Cocktail Classics £5.36

Hello Kitty £5.36

10 Flavour Gift Box £5.36

300g assorted mix bag £6.38

350g Can £7.66

20 Flavour Gift Box £9.09

40 Flavour Gift Box £15.27

50 Flavour Gift Box £22.98

Petite Jelly Belly bean machine £23.48

Gold Jelly Belly bean machine £70.47