New Painting

I've finally finished a new painting, please forgive the crappy photo.  I'm happy with it, it was done from a photo I took years ago on Boston Common.  

I have a new one started...do stay tuned!

Mossy Slope

One of my necklaces was chosen to be in another Etsy Treasury called "Mossy Slope".  It is a beautiful treasury, check it out!

Vermont Open Studios

Over Memorial Day weekend, the girls and I went to Vermont to enjoy the clean air and check out some artist's studios.  It was also the "at long-last" grand opening of my brother's studio.  

  

He had a successful weekend, made lots of friends and connections, and some money as well!  He did demonstrations on the pottery wheel, so I *finally* got to see him throw a pot after all these years!!  I love his work, and he gets better all the time!  If you are ever in the Rutland area, make sure you stop by and check out his stuff! 

           

Pit-fired hand-burnished pots

Cups

 

On our journey we saw tons of pottery and jewelry, some painter/printmakers, a couple of galleries, a wonderful woodworker, and a lady who was as cute as a button named Nancy Benoit . She makes beautiful shoes by hand in a cute little tiny workshop.  

There was also a woman who painted and sold Equine art, so you KNOW C and I had to check her out.  Her name is Terry Lindsey .  She not only paints and sculpts horses but its also a dealer for some wonderful Equine artists.
 

Racing Dreams -  Oils

A new one I discovered was Katie Upton  I couldn't afford one of her prints or paintings, but I bought a calendar you can use every year.  Her art is great!
                                            

White Horse # 40  

Our last visit was at the Torak Studios.  They are the nicest couple, they both are very talented and successful painters, they make their own paint! I felt I could of sat down with a bottle of wine and talked to them all night.  They were so enthusiastic, and very encouraging. It was the highlight of our trip.  

                          Sunny Side up  -  Oil on linen   Elizabeth Torak 

                         Silent Symphony - Oil on linen  Thomas Torak

We did manage to enjoy the gorgeous outdoors as well, we hiked "White Rocks" in Wallingford, quite the hike up, but what a view! 

It was a great weekend, I've been inspired to pick up my brush again and start one of my "waiting list" paintings.  Also, a big thanks to my friend C who drove us all over creation and back again!

ETSY

One of my necklaces was chosen to be in an etsy treasury called Sunset Over Butterfly Gardens

                                   Fruity Pebbles

Cool!
                                 

Citrus and Lilacs

This past Wednesday night was the last one of the month, so no models at the MFA.  Christine and I decided to continue with our own still lifes...  Since C hosted the last one, I was up this week.
  
I don't have any cool skulls lying around the house, so it being lilac season I decided we'd start with some lilacs from my community garden sitting in a pot my brother made.  I added the last bottle of limoncello Tim and I had brewed this past holiday season, some oranges, grapefruit, limes (also in a pot by D.) and a coconut.  Also a pewter tray that was my grandmother's.

Not a bad little still life, although those lilacs are a bitch to draw!  Didn't think of that ahead of time....

We also did a color sketch with some colored pencils

I'm not as happy with this one, I'd much rather paint it than use colored pencils, I'll add it to my long list of  "to be painted". 

For snacks I made a batch of Kale Chips.  These things are so yummy, and good for you!  I just love them.  I'm going to try and make beet chips next.






While we were drawing, Tim was smoking up some BBQ ribs and chicken with the delicious Kentucky Bourbon bbq sauce I received as part of my swap gift from Katherine They came out SO good!  We also had collards and cole slaw, and T's famous chocolate bread pudding with marshmallow sauce for dessert. 

OH YUM!

Missing model at the MFA

Another Wed. night live model drawing at the MFA.  Arriving early once again, this time I perused the Chinese and Japanese areas.  It's been awhile since I wandered in these areas of the museum, and I spent some time chillaxing (...I still haven't taken that meditation class yet)  in the Bhudda room until a bunch of very noisy children came in.  Damn vacation week. 

Our model was running late, so naturally I started sketching some horse statues while I was waiting.  Some of my fellow artists posed for 1 minute sketches, but it became apparent our model was pulling a no-show.  The gallery we were in was dark and very crowded, with many children...
...Damn vacation week.  
The guy sitting next to me had a rather pungent emanation, and he drew VERY LOUDLY.  Even the woman in front of me was shooting him looks, it's not just me!  He also was sitting way too close, bumping my arm.

We weren't feeling the love, so we decided to take our creativity in another direction.  Instead of trivia night and beemos at the Squealing Pig,   we headed downtown to the ladder district.  A new restaurant named Stoddard's recently opened that I've been wanting to check out, and was glad when C's friend suggested it.   It used to be a cutlery store dating back to the 1860's.   The hardwood floors and walls are from the 1800s, the mezzanines (c. 1912) have been salvaged from the old Filene's Basement and the bartenders (dressed in era-correct attire) manned an old-timey handmade mahogany bar.  With the old gas lamposts, tin ceiling, and upstairs platform, it has a wonderful ambiance.  I didn't really get the corset art when you walk in, perhaps it was hailing from the burlesque days in Scollay Sq. which was down the street?

I wanted a cider, but alas, there was none.  (but it is coming soon according to our super-friendly waiter).  He did suggest a delicious beer called Ephemere, from the Unibroue brewery in Canada.  It was sort of like a cross-breed beer and cider.  Delicious!!!  We enjoyed it very much with the fondue plate.

I'm looking forward to our next venture...

Sweet Spring Swap

I just love reading creative people's blogs.  Foodie blogs, crafty blogs, I love them all.  This past winter I took part in my first 'swap'.  Jen from The Gregarious Homebody hosted it.  I had to spend exactly $25 on the "Winter Gastronomy Swap" no more, no less.  Obviously, these crafty people create many of their gifts to stretch their dollars, plus it makes it all the more fun!  I enjoyed it so much, when Laura from A dozen Eggs  decided to host a "Sweet Spring Swap" I had to join in!

I was paired with Katherine, an amazing cook and baker.  She owns and runs The Yellow House Cakery   in Kentucky.  If you're ever in Kentucky in need of a cake, she's the gal to go see!

For Katherine's package, I found some cute flower shaped silicone baking cups.  (She makes amazing cupcakes!)  and some cute pink polka-dot cupcake papers.  Some spring cookie cutters, and candied pink and yellow grapefruit. 

For the creative part, I made her one of my custom slates with her logo on it.  I've made quite a few slates in the past, my brother used to work in a stone quarry and they had a bunch of slate shingles from an old church.  Sadly, I'm almost out.  

I packaged it all in springy tissue and some shredded purple paper.

Yesterday, I received her swap gift to me, enfolded in a mass of sparkly spring tissue, I found a whole bunch of spring booty!  Very cute plates, napkins, and tissues with my initials on them.  (I am oddly very excited about these tissues...)  A very pretty journal with my beloved paisley, and some bath confetti. :)

Some cute springy ramekin bowls, 

..and my favorite gift was some Kentucky Bourbon BBQ sauce, and some sweet pepper jelly from her own garden.  I think, via her suggestion, I will slather this yummy jelly on a block of cream cheese and eat it with some crackers, yum! 

We are both thrilled with our gifts, and I've made another friend. 

 Can't wait for Tim to stoke up the giant smoker and make me some ribs with my new sauce!!!

Model Wednesdays

After our successful trip to the MFA to draw on Wednesday, Chrissy and I decided when there aren't models available we could create our own still lifes to draw... and, I must say, our first still life came out fantastic!!  

We took a page from our man Melendez (see previous posts), and constructed a kickin' display with wet, lucious grapes, some nice, crusty bread (which went well with dinner later), some wine, and a really cool deer skull J had found in the woods a couple of weeks ago.  

We were trying to work on our light and shadow..I only brought pencils, and my sketch is for now unfinished.  But I plan to paint this too, its such a great display!  

I just love the skull!!

Summer Rolls

Sunday afternoon we attended our friend R's birthday party.  I decided to make summer rolls.  Whenever Tim and I have made these for a party in the past, they are always requested again and again.  They are easy to make, but a bit time consuming!  Tim does all the slicing and dicing of the ingredients, which in Sunday's rolls included: Thai basil, radishes, cabbage, carrots, scallions, and grilled seasoned chicken thigh.

Oh, and of course the rice noodles...

I, with my nimble little fingers, then roll all the yumminess up in a rice paper wrapper.  We usually use the big ones, but for this fancy party we used the cute little size.  Cute and little, but much more tedious to make.

Here are a couple of them finished, note how the pretty colors shine through.

I wish I had taken a picture of them on the platter with the dipping sauces, they looked so nice, but at that point the food was out, and I was all business.  Trying one of everything.  Or two.

I also make R a cute pair of earrings for her birthday, this was about the extent of my creativity this weekend since I spent most of Saturday trying to take decent pictures of earrings and bracelets for my etsy store.  I'm afraid photography isn't my forte.   

Hopefully some pics will make it up on the Etsy site today!

Etsy store is now open!!

So, at long last, my Etsy store is now open for business.  So far I have only managed to put up necklaces, I still have loads of earrings and bracelets to get up there as well, but I already made two sales so I figured I had better just go with it!  

The photos put a kink in my timeline...I found it very hard to get the lighting just right.  (Especially with my cheap little camera)  Finally, I had to wait for the nice weather because the best light is the natural, outdoor kind. 

So, next up is the earrings...no idea how I'm going to go about that...but we shall see.  

Do stay tuned...

Live model drawing at the MFA

I recently discovered through my good friend Christine  that the Museum of Fine Arts has free live model drawing on Wednesday nights.  How convenient, since Wednesdays are free (with a donation requested...)

It is held in different spots throughout the museum each week, which I think is great!  I've added some of my sketches here...now, keep in mind I haven't sketched live models since probably art school, and that was AWHILE ago!

I arrived early so was also able to catch the Durer exhibit, fantastic prints!  Also, I viewed the "Bharat Ratna" Jewels of Modern India exhibit, Toulouse Lautrec's  "Cafe and Cabaret" and the Luis Melendez exhibit, which was *amazing*...although it made me hungry!  I've added the Globe review of the Melendez show after this post.  I also wandered around checking out all the new parts of the Museum, and some old favorites.  We were evacuated at one point, so I was also able to experience the Babyheads out back.  They are VERY cool!  I wasn't able to snap a picture though, we had to BACK AWAY FROM THE BUILDING!                                                                
All in all it was a fun night, I will definitely go back, and cudos to the MFA for offering this as well as free supplies should people need them.

I love this city!

In the hands of Meléndez, food comes to life - The Boston Globe

In the hands of Meléndez, food comes to life - The Boston Globe

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If you can get over to the MFA, check out this exhibit, it really is worth the trip!!!

Spring is coming!!

As you can tell from the few pitiful posts here, I have not been too creative lately.  I blame the long winter, after the holiday season my creativity sort of fizzles out.  I walk the dog in the cold, dark morning, and come home in the dark as well.  The couch and a good book then claim me. 

 However, the other day on my walk to work down Commonwealth Ave. in the Back Bay I spied some Snowdrops and Crocuses in a front yard.  I felt the first stirrings of creative energy in awhile!  I went home that night and started the seeds for my garden.  

I've started some Collards and Kale, San Marzanos, thai and jalapeno peppers, dill, basil and thyme, Morning Glories and Sunflowers.  Right into the dirt will go my sugar snap peas, carrots, spinach and radishes.  Hopefully my lavender, chives, and some Perennials come back again.  I can't wait!

The garden is a little forlorn at the moment, but that will change soon enough!!

 
 All of this Garden preparation and planting of seeds has jump-started my creative energy.  I've registered my etsy store to start selling my jewelry, put away and organized my new beads, and have some new ideas for paintings to add to the list of paintings I still haven't started.  I have grand plans to start those paintings as well, but maybe I shouldn't get too ahead of myself AS usual....

Carioca

This past weekend was my Mom's 65th birthday and she had a great party to celebrate.  The theme was tapas, my favorite!  Tim says I'd eat anything if it was in appetizer form...I think he's probably right.

 I made delicate little crepe cones, filled with smoked salmon, julienned carrots and celery, and a filling made up of cream cheese, sour cream, cream, chives, gerkin pickles, lemon, tobasco, and capers.  There was high drama when I realized I forgot the smoked salmon back in Boston, and panic ensued when there was only 1 wee little package to be found in all of Scituate.  D saved the day driving out to Cohasset, of COURSE they had it!  Sadly, after all this, I forgot to take a picture, but they were very elegant and tasty.  A success!!

Tim made my Mom a wonderful "Carioca" cake from Pierre Herme's dessert book she bought him a couple of years ago.  It had 3 layers of genoise soaked in an espresso syrup, with alternating layers of dark chocolate mouse, finished with bittersweet ganach and glazed almonds.  It turned out delicious!  However, I do think next time we might add more of the espresso syrup, it was so strong we were worried it would overpower the the delicate genoise, but this was not the case.  

While Tim made the whole cake himself, including his home-made cake rings, I commandeered all of the decorating.  (after having my wrists slapped for testing too many glazed almonds...)  I think it came out pretty nice, no? 

Creative weekend

So I just spent a very fun weekend with a bunch of creative friends and loved ones in VT, at the home of my brother and his wife.  Being the potters Stone  

Last year for my birthday they gave me some porcelain clay to try making my own beads with.  Clay and I do not work and play well together, so I waited until I could be up at his studio for some expert help.  Sadly, the clay had gotten too hard to work with due to my neglect, so while D makes it better I practiced with some other clay he had on hand.  

I had my assistant, Sugar there to provide comic relief when the clay started making me crazy!   She thought it might taste good...

I did end up having some success, I made a bunch of beads for D to practice some glazes on, and see how they fire up.  Sadly, I couldn't hang around in VT for the final product...that real job thing dragged me back to reality.

I'm excited to see how they turn out...

Do stay tuned!!