No Apology

So, it has been almost a month since I have posted on either blog.  Without apology.  The end of summer vacation was a stronger draw than the uncomfortable office chair in our warm and stuffy office.  Plus, I have found that if I blog with the sense of obligation, it will feel like a job, a duty, a chore, a chore worse than doing laundry.  So, I blog without obligation, without apology. 
The end of summer was filled with bike rides, a trip to Elitch Gardens Amusement Park, trips to the farmers market, back to school shopping, afternoons at the local pool and making s'mores.  No regrets.
But, I am back.  To share more art, more recipes, more about my little town.

I found this little man of an eggplant at the Isabelle Farm Stand at Thomas Open Space in Lafayette, Colorado.
I asked the farmer who grew the eggplant, how he got "arms" to grow.  He told us he talks to them.  That made me smile, thinking of this young man stooping over to cajole the eggplant into growing appendages.  I am going to have a hard time cutting this one up.  I think he's so cute with his two arms and little hat. 

My favorite way to prepare eggplant is to slice it and grill until soft.  I usually salt the slices and let them sit for a few hours before grilling, that will take out the bitterness.  Grilled eggplant is decadent served with a smear of goat cheese and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  But, I like it plain, too.

I may just have to start with the two Japanese eggplant and save the little man another day!

It's all in the details...

Details added to the side of the collage.
You can see the "before" in this post.

I guess you could say I am a detail oriented person.  At least, I like to think I am.  I make an effort to be attend to the details when I am throwing a party, wrapping a gift, or planning an event.  Even the little things pop into my mind, like menu cards, coordinating colors, or finding the right cocktail napkins.  It may not matter to everyone, but it matters to me - and I know that I will appreciate my details, even if no one else notices.
When I started taking my collages to The Purple Poppy, I decided I needed to step up my collages a little bit.  The collages needed hangers on the back, no problem.  But as I flipped each one over to attach the saw-tooth hanger, I discovered that the backs were ugly.  Now, I know you're thinking, who cares? It is the back after all.  But, it bothered me. 

The back of a collage,
with paper, vintage stamp and sticker.

First, each flat, hard canvas board received a wooden box, rather than a frame, to elevate it.  I built these boxes using scrap wood, and attached them with wood glue.  Then I was able to add a saw-tooth hanger to the back.  The boxes also allow the collage to sit, perhaps on a book shelf or end table.

I also decided to add some details. I felt that each collage (on hard canvas) needed to be backed in some kind of patterned paper. Then I also added one or two tiny details, a vintage button, an old postage stamp or a little word.

With this collage, I added coordinating paper as well as wrapping
collage elements around the edges.

Adding the box behind the canvas also meant that I had to continue the collage around the edges.  For some, this meant continuing the painting, for other it meant adding a complementary paper to the sides.  With others, I continued the elements of the collage around the edges.  This wrap-around collaging has allowed more space to add details. 




The end result is that each collage is now a complete piece. I am so pleased with the results.  Now, each of my collages is created with all the details in mind.

Once a flat canvas collage, this now has depth and dimension. 
It feels and looks so much more complete.

Collage - Have Heart

Art Chix Studios is hosting a recycled art challenge on facebook - the deadline is today.  I thought I would put something together to enter in their challenge.  Then, I started looking at the pieces I had recently made.  Most of my art has at least one recycled component, usually more than one. One of my most recent collages- Have Heart, is a perfect example.

The chimney is made from a discarded clothes pin hinge.  I built the wood box, behind the canvas, with scrap wood from our shed.  The paper covering the house is a wrapper from a fine bottle of liquor - a friend gave me the wrapper, not the bottle, because he knew I liked interesting papers. (too bad I didn't get the bottle also!)

The "H" is from a yard sale scrabble game.   The foam core, that forms the house are scraps left over from my daughter's school project. The old buttons are from the button jar. The roof paper and the floral in the background are scraps from my paper box.


"Where there is love, there is life."



All in all, not bad for a piece of "recycled" art.

Collage - Flower

This collage was an experiment - it is one that sat, partially finished, for months.  I liked it, but wasn't sure how to finish it. It is feels so different from some of my other work.

I experimented with paint and color

With materials and technique

With words and composition

In the end, I like the overall effect.  I like the use of words, the overall theme, the brightness and color.  But this one seem more of a struggle for me.  I don't think it's really my "style." 
It was bugging me that it sat unfinished for so long, I couldn't totally abandon it.  So I added the back, used more brightly colored patterned paper on the sides and call it complete.
Now, I can move back to some of my other work.  Stay tuned for more collage...

Quote of the Day-

I always like to look on the optimistic side of life,

but I am realistic enough to know

that life is a complex matter.

-Walt Disney

We had a fabulous time on our spring break trip to Florida.  Here's a shot of two very tired girls waiting for the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom castle.  Disney's empire in Orlando is quite amazing!  The scope and range of parks and themes has changed since I was their age.  The size and sprawl of it has grown immensely, I daresay, insanely.  I don't think that even ole Walt himself would have dreamed it could grow to such epic proportions.

I must say, we had a "magical" time.  It will be one that will go down in our personal memory books, as my daugher said, "The Best Vacation, EVER!"

And as everyone who works there says, " Have a magical day!"



Collage - Home

Another collage in a series of Home collages.  This one is created from a vintage sewing pattern, paint and papers.  I used some rusty hardware and an old decorative button.  Again, an odd assortment of letters to spell out the simple word, HOME.  The quote is from one of my favorite poets:

Dwell in possibility.

-Emily Dickinson

So, why am I making all of these collages?  I guess I am not really sure.  It might be some sort of compulsive behavior.  I have oodles of materials.  I am lucky enough to have a designated space.  But, I have not been to art school.  I am not an artist.  I do not show in a gallery or sell at a boutique.  And, for most of these collages, the only people who have even seen these are you (and there aren't many of you, dear reader) and my husband.  So, what in the world am I doing with these?!?  It is a question I keep asking myself. 
I find that if I let the materials sit, if I don't go into the studio, I feel antsy.  I get ideas about what to make, I need put them together.  So I do. 
What am I doing, however?  I guess I dwell in possibility.  I dwell in the possibility that I may someday be able to show them somewhere.  Maybe sell on-line.  or at a coffee house.  I consider the possibility that I may give one as a gift to a friend.  I need courage to make these leaps.  I need to consider myself an artist.  I consider the possibility that I will refine my craft and make them better and more interesting....
Until then, I make more.  I wait for courage.  I dwell in possibility.

Recipe - Beer Braised Chicken and Chicken Chili

I cook a lot of chicken.  I am always looking for new and inventive recipes so that chicken dinner isn't boring.  This one was fabulous.  I adapted it from a Rachael Ray Week in a Day recipe.  My whole family loved the flavors in this braised chicken dish.  Instead of potatoes or rice, I served barley as a side; that was a big hit, too.

(We ate all the chicken,
we ate all the chicken chili-
this photo will have to suffice)

 
Beer-Braised Chicken

Ingredients
4 pieces bone-in, skin-off chicken thighs
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (12-ounce) bottle lager beer
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
hot sauce (optional)



Pat the chicken, and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the chicken and brown on both sides in 2 batches.
Remove the chicken to a plate and add the bacon. Brown for 2 minutes and then add the onion, celery, pepper, garlic, and thyme, and saute, for about 10 minutes over medium heat.
Add the flour, stir 1 to 2 minutes, and then pour in the beer and let the foam subside. Stir in the tomatoes, stock, and hot sauce. Let the sauce thicken a bit, and then slide the chicken into the pot and simmer to cook through, or at least 30 minutes to let the flavors marry. Serve with barley, rice, potatoes, or crusty bread, and a big salad.

***********

Then we had leftovers.  Always a dilemma at our house: how to reinvent the leftovers so that it doesn't feel like the same meal again.  This was a great dish to re-invent.  I made a Chicken Chili with the rest of the Braised Chicken and served that another night with tortilla chips and a fresh salad.  Perfect! 
The Chili used all the leftover chicken and sauce as well as the barley I had served as a side.  Everyone loved it - so much so, we ate all of it!

(Leftover) Chicken Chili

Ingredients
Leftovers from Beer Braised Chicken
1 can (14-ounces) Great Northern Beans
1 can (14-ounce) diced tomatoes
1- 2 cups cooked barley
2-4 cups chicken stock
Place vegetables and leftover sauce in pot over low to medium heat. Dice chicken into bite sized pieces. Drain and rinse beans. Add beans and tomatoes (with juices) to the pot. Add barley. Add enough broth to increase the volume, and cover the vegetables.  Simmer for 15 – 30 minutes until heated through.

**************

This was the perfect way to use what was left and we all enjoyed the "new" meal.  What do you do with your leftovers?

Art with Hearts - another collage



"An understanding heart warms all that are graced with its presence."

 Another collage with a prominent heart, paper mounted on foam core to add elevation.  The piece is on a flat canvas, but I didn't like the flat look, so I built a box from scrap wood and placed that behind the canvas.  I painted the wood to mimic the design on the paper.  I also used metal objects, shiny red brads, a Chinese fortune, and a wooden piece with the words "care more"

Side view - showing you my handi-work with the painted wood behind the canvas.

Project - Collage Freebie

Are you making Valentine's Cards this year?  I wish I was, but what a busy week... and my studio is too cold with our temperatures below freezing again.  I always have the best intentions to make cards and mail them out.  Another year, perhaps. 
This is one of my fun, quirky images - from a vintage postcard.  They look a little awkward, don't they?

It would be a cute one to use in a collage or on a card, the postmark on the front reduces its collectible value, but makes it more interesting in a piece of art.  This one is vintage, but was mailed to me in the 80's. To borrow this image for your own art or craft usage, right click and save to your computer. Personal use only, please. Feel free to use it for your collages and Valentine's cards. 
For more post cards, check out my other blog: Postcards, etc.

Menu for Book Club

I love cooking.  I also love planning.  So, the natural marriage of these two is menu planning. I love planning menus.
Strange. 
Perhaps.
A little thought into a menu can go a long way towards making your night as a host(ess) and your guest's night in your home so much more comfortable and relaxed.

This week, I am hosting book club.  We have been together for three years.  There are seven of us.  Things to keep in mind as I plan the evening.  Our standard is that the hostess makes appetizers and a dessert, while the rest of the group brings wine.  Usually the appetizers are on the substantial side, we're not talking a bowl of Cheetos for these ladies.  Sometimes, if the book merits, there is a full blown dinner in the works.  My Life in France, Hindi Bindi Club, and Heat resulted in fabulous and elaborate dinners. 

This month we read Comfort Food, by Kate Jacobs.  We'd read another of Jacob's books before, Friday Night Knitting Club.  That one had recipes included.  This one, the book about food, does not.  We do not have a "Book Club Rule" that states the food has to match the book.  In most cases it does not.  In most cases it would be too difficult. 
Tonight, however, I want comfort food.  Perhaps it's our sub-zero weather.  Perhaps it's that cozy feeling that comes with curling up to read a good chick lit book.  To plan the menu, I started thinking of my favorite comfort foods.  Warm soup, hot dips, gooey fruity desserts.

I recently received two Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks.  I absolutely love them.  And since the main character of Comfort Food, Gus, reminds me of Ina Garten, I turned to these books to search for recipes for my menu.  In her cookbooks, Garten offers sage advice for planning and hosting.  Choose items you can make ahead of time.  Make things that will appeal to all your guests.  Keep it simple and good.  She is a wise woman.
For a soup, I chose Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup.  It's a thick, rich looking soup, without a drop of cream, so it's on the lighter side, right?  To balance the sweetness that will be in the soup, I chose a crisp salad with sharp flavors, Endive with Stilton and Walnuts.  Rounding out the meal, I am making Rosemary Polenta Triangles.  I want to start and finish the meal with something warm.  Let's start with the tried and true Hot Artichoke Dip (add some chopped spinach to make it different). And for a finale, this Caramel Pear Cake looks divine.

The Menu:

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

2 kinds of cheese

Crackers

Olives

Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup with Homemade Brioche Croutons

Winter Greens Salad with Stilton and Walnuts

Rosemary Polenta Triangles

Caramel Pear Cake with Homemade Spiced Whipped Cream

What I learned in my reading and planning:

• keep it simple. (I am showing HUGE restraint in only making one appetizer - I tend to follow the "more is better" motto.)
• make as much as you can ahead of time.
• use flavors that appeal to a lot of people.
• cook with what's in season.
• choose flavors that complement the others. 
• also incorporate a culinary variety - salty, sweet, creamy, smooth, crunchy, acidic, spicy.
• repeat flavors to create harmony in the menu.  But don't go overboard.  (I added some rosemary to the croutons to echo the rosemary in the polenta, but I am not also making rosemary artichoke dip, rosemary squash soup and rosemary pear cake.)

I am breaking one big rule:  don't try out new recipes on a special event.  I have four new recipes on board for tonight.  But, who better to try out something new, than your girlfriends?  I will let you know how it goes.

Resolutions

I am not good at making New Year's Resolutions.  Or should I say, I am not good at keeping New Year's Resolutions.  I suppose I am like most of the crowd in that way.
I like to take a different approach.  Make lots of them, then there's a chance that I will meet some of them.  I took this approach with my friend Kerry several years ago.  We made 30 resolutions, together.  I think that we kept most of them.  Well, truth be told, most of them were easy - many even silly.  But actually it was fun to make the list and have something to shoot for - even if it was silly. 
Maybe I will take a more serious approach - ok, somewhat serious approach as I compile a long list of things I want to do this year.
In the year 2011, I want to:

1. make more artwork.
2. hang some of my own art in my home.
3. try new and different recipes to expand my cooking horizons.
4. eat less cheese.
5. exercise on a regular basis - and not get frustrated with the scale.
6. sew some things to use in my home.
7. drink less wine.
8. use up some of the art supplies and fabrics left from our business.
9. be positive.
10. have my daughters do some art projects in the studio.
11. use the things I sew on a more regular basis.
12. not argue with my daughters about the little things.
13. not complain about doing the laundry.
14. find a way to take calories out of cheese.
15. be kind.
16. spend less time on the computer.
17. spend more time in the studio.
18. save money by not shopping.
19. get better at taking, posting and/ or printing photographs of my family.
20. eat more good cheese.
21. find great deals by shopping the sales.
22. send more letters and cards, in the MAIL, to the people I care about.
23. make the cards I send and use.
24. spend more time with extended family.
25. spend more time with special friends.
26. put art into my daily life.
27. be grateful.
28. use special things, everyday.
29. share art.
30. drink more wine.
31. walk with friends often.
32. gracefully handle the fact that I have a middle school aged child.
33. travel.
34. appreciate the people and things around me. And tell them.
35. sell at least one piece of art.

Ok, so it is not a lofty list.  But if I do these things I will improve the quality of my life.  I could also improve the quality of life for my family.  It is not lofty, but it is meaningful.  Isn't that what a resolution should do: be meaningful and improve your life or the life of another? 
So, my goal is to make my world - and that of my family and friends - a kinder, gentler, more artful place.
Happy New Year!