by J. Bueker
    A number of truly talented artists have played a significant role in the cultural evolution of Joan De Arc Avenue. The paintings and woodwork of Bill Mitchell come immediately to mind, as does the impressive artistic contribution that Susan Bueker made when she decorated the box in which the Bueker's pool table had arrived in 1969. Yet the artistic output of a certain JDA student/housewife in the 1960s remains unmatched to this day in terms of overall artistic quality and prolific output of product. More exciting still, this artist has of late begun once again to produce her unique paintings, sparking a renaissance of interest in her entire oeuvre. Local connoisseurs of the fine arts will be thrilled to learn that Barbara Stewart has reentered the studio, and that the results so far have been nothing less than outstanding.
    Barbara Bueker Stewart began her journey of artistic greatness in a peculiarly humble way, taking Parks and Recreation art classes with Bill Mitchell in 1963-64, where she made her first crude attempts at composition on her trusty easel between household chores and the maintenance of a growing family of four children. In spite of some unsolicited (and unflattering) criticism from a Shamrock milkman, Barbara was encouraged enough by her early efforts to take the next step and enroll in art classes at Glendale Community College in the mid 60s, steadily developing her technique and rubbing elbows with other up and comers like Vince Furnier, who was destined to abandon art school for a somewhat more successful career as a rock star named "Alice Cooper," or some such.
     Ms. Stewart's earliest works were predictably simple attempts at still life compositions, as epitomized in a series of flower arrangements painted in 1963-64. These early efforts featured a decidedly pastel lightness and clearly demonstrated the artist's emerging control of the fundamentals of line and color. Stewart's work became more bold and assured as the 60s unfolded, with her controversial nude portrait "Consuelo" and beautiful blue and white abstract "Flowers," both executed in 1967.
    The artist's career was largely put on hold for about 20 years as she devoted herself to a very successful career teaching art to children, primarily in the Glendale Elementary School District. Stewart rapidly developed a reputation as a an exceedingly versatile and dedicated art teacher in the face of disinterest and neglect among her administrative supervisors.
    Upon her retirement in 1996, Stewart returned to the palette, and her mature work reflects a refinement of artistic vision and purpose that doubtlessly evolved from her long years of creating imaginative art teaching techniques along with a natural progression of her refined artistic sensibility. She had expanded her media during the 90s to include the painting of furniture and clothing accessories, but only in the last few years has she made a serious return to the canvas, the results of which she now whimsically signs "StewArt."
    The excellence of Barbara Stewart's recent work is exemplified by "Grandma Garner's Pitcher" (2001), a dazzling still life painted on wood and depicting a simple blue and white decorative pitcher resting upon a tablecloth and containing a variety of brightly colored flowers. The vibrant colors are masterfully balanced across the canvas, and the artist constructs an exceptionally interesting perspective, with the vanishing point of the picture lying off of the right edge of the image, while the pitcher itself is positioned slightly off center and presented directly facing the viewer. The blue of the pitcher is repeated with just the appropriate degree of restraint on the tablecloth below, and also in darker tones strategically placed in the lower background above the table. The brownish red background is echoed in the tablecloth as well, but expertly offset by the shimmering reds, whites, oranges and yellows of the bouquet. Arguably, the artist's masterpiece to date.
    The launching of a web site has created a renewed demand for the artist's work, one that Stewart is struggling valiantly to satisfy. "Now everyone in the family wants one," she laments. One may only hope that she finds the inner strength necessary to satisfy the renewed hunger for her artistic vision.
    Perhaps even that misguided Shamrock milkman, wherever he may be, is now ready to fully appreciate the joys of "StewArt."
    The art of Barbara Bueker Stewart may be viewed online on her web site at www.barbarastew-art.com.

by J.Bueker
    The 1960s will be remembered throughout history, among other things, as a time of cultural experimentation second to none. This for instance was the decade when food companies first started creating imaginative variations on their familiar and highly successful food brand names. Sometimes it is easy to forget how this marketing strategy, which so permeates the food business these days, was a fresh new approach to expanding a company's market share and allotment of space on grocery store shelves.
    In 1969, the good folks at General Foods introduced a bold new variety of their extraordinarily successful "Jell-O" gelatin mix. Legend has it that "Jell-O 1-2-3," the Jell-O that would separate into three distinct layers as it chilled, was discovered quite accidentally by a product research worker who was experimenting with different combinations of "Cool Whip" (another GF product) and Jell-O. Although the Cool Whip was easily combined with the gelatin mix and hot water to form a sugary sweet solution, the two products were found to naturally separate upon cooling. The interesting part of the process was that the Cool Whip would remain partially emulsified with the Jell-O as it rose to the top of the concoction during chilling. The ultimate result was three separate and contiguous layers of Jell-O: pure gelatin on the bottom, a fluffy chiffon in the middle, and a creamy layer on top.
    To perfect the separating process, the company substituted hydrogenated vegetable oil, soybean lecithin and "polyglycerol esters of fatty acids" as emulsifiers in place of the Cool Whip. While rendering the separating process significantly more effective, these ingredients were perceptibly less flavorful than the Cool Whip, a product that has remained popular to this day. Perhaps this is where the entire concept of the dessert went a bit astray.
    Jell-O 1-2-3 enjoyed a modest success during its first few years on the market, but sales steadily declined and the product was discontinued by General Foods in the late 70s. The dessert mix was reformulated and given a second run during the mid-90s, but then disappeared again and is currently not being produced by Kraft Foods (the successor to General Foods).
    As with all Jell-O products, Jell-O 1-2-3 found its greatest popularity among kids, who were as intrigued by the magical separating process of the colorful liquid  as they were attracted to the tart and sugary flavor of the unique concoction. However, adults enjoyed the treat as well, and this is evidenced by a petition currently on the Internet urging Kraft to bring it back for a third run. There are also recipes available on the Web for homemade Jell-O 1-2-3, made of course from regular Jell-O and Cool Whip.
    For this writer, Jell-O 1-2-3 was a favorite snack food gimmick of childhood. While preferring the lime flavored variety, I also enjoyed the other flavors-- cherry, orange, strawberry and raspberry. The contrasting textures of this sugary dish actually presented some interesting challenges for consumption, such as attempting to eat the chiffon layer completely without touching the gelatin. Such are the whimsical ambitions of childhood.
    It was left to Carl Bueker, however, to have the first and last word on this innovative dessert treat of yesteryear. Shortly after trying Jell-O 1-2-3 for the first time, he was heard to remark, "Hmmm... Jell-O 1...2...3... Throw up."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________JDA