Rosemary and Onions

Thank God for Baked Ziti.

Are we paying attention?
Do we really look at the everyday things around us? A year ago I was having my classes paint a series of themes. They could pick what they wanted to do for eight weeks, and really pay attention to that theme. It makes us aware of the everyday things around us - our food, doorways, barns, chairs, shadows, figures. Our everyday life enhances our art - our art enhances our everyday life.

I don't think a painting starts with a sketch. It starts with observing and appreciating. It starts with the way you see and feel everything around you. Nothing is too trivial to stop and appreciate - whether it's a handful of paint chips just because you like them together, or rosemary and onions on the cutting board just because you like the way they look against the wood.

Tuesday night I made baked ziti - enough for an army. The next day I was very involved in a project that really wasn't going all that well, and I just wanted to keep working on it. Thank God for baked ziti. It's the simple things in life, isn't it? And the ziti.

Can You Take It?

Can You Take It? One More Journal?

After spending the time and money on the workshop, I wanted to be sure I could make these on my own, and I wanted to make sure I could figure out how to use watercolor paper in them.

My friend Karen (we took the workshop together) came over bright and early this morning, and we started bookmaking. The text block is easy, the covers are easy, but putting it all together is the tricky part.

It is pretty labor intensive - it took all day, and we had so much fun, I can't fix dinner now. I think we're going to have to go out. Pity.

Journals

More Journals

We can't stop making them.

This afternoon I went to my friend, Cathy's, where she was helping some friends make journals. I love to see the variety of colors and patterns every time anyone gets together to make journals. The possibilities are endless. I am not showing the end papers/fly leaves in this picture, but they add even more color and pattern.

I haven't taken the time to make another journal since the Ann Arbor workshop, and I am afraid I will forget if I don't do it soon!

What a great "art day" this was. In class this morning, I had my students working on focal points/center of interest. We were looking through art books and finding the focal points of paintings and discussed how the artist arrived at those focal points - what did they decide to leave out. "Leaving out" seems to be a big part of it. Leaving something out can make a big statement - and be a big decision.

After class, I went to join the girls making journals, and of course we talked art all afternoon. We had a delicious dinner prepared by one of the girls. We sat in Cathy's cozy dining room and talked more art. Relaxing and inspiring.

I'm fired up - so many things going through my head - journals, paintings, drawings, workshops. . . .

My Desk

Cozying Up For Winter

Spellcheck says there is no such thing as "cozying", but we know there is, don't we? Especially those of us who live in Northern Michigan.

A couple of months ago, I moved a lot of my art supplies into this desk. I wanted it useful and colorful. It makes me happy every time I come in the room, or see it from the back door. I left the file a little larger than I usually do, so if you want to click on the photograph to enlarge it so you can take a closer look, go ahead.

I spent most of the day clearing up a couple of projects so I can move on to whatever is next. I have lots of things that could be next, it's just a matter of deciding where to start. Maybe I should put all my plans and ideas in a jar, pull one out and work on it until it is finished and . . . Okay. It's clear to me now. WORK ON IT UNTIL IT IS FINISHED.

Food Blogging Again

A Huge Breakfast the Morning After Having Nothing to Eat but Potato Chips and Milk for Nearly 24 Hours.

We really know how to live, don't we?

This is one of those "quantity" not "quality" posts that I squeeze in when I'm doing the "Blog Everyday For the Month of November", or whatever it is. The chips and milk story may be useful toward the end of the month, so I'm not saying any more.

I tried to show some things I'm working on, but nothing seems to be working out just right tonight.

In class today we worked on laying in the shadows in Manganese blue (everything that wasn't going to be left white) and then filling in the colors and details. The class did a great job with it! My brain is too fuzzy to explain right now, and it would make a good post someday with a little step by step demo.

As I was plowing through my to-do list today after class, I found out that I have to have my summer schedule (part of it at least) turned in SOON for publication. OK, I can do that.

I'm heading for bed now. Who's going to remind me to do the step by step demo?

Moss Covered Tree

Moss Covered Tree in the Jack London State Park.
Glen Ellen, CA

Mentally I am still in California, and yes, I am still obsessing just a little bit over Jack London.

There was moss EVERYWHERE and on EVERYTHING in the woods here. It covered the houses, the trees, the rock that marked Jack and Charmian London's grave . . . . the pathways were muddy, rocky and and a little slippery . . . . and it was verrrry verrrry quiet. I even started thinking about Charmian living here in one of the big stone houses alone for forty years after Jack died. Not my problem. Besides she had an affair with Houdini, so I guess she wasn't moping around back here in the spooky woods by herself.

For the third year I have signed up for the "blog Every Day in November Challenge" so you can expect quantity not quality. As you can see already.

Painting in California

Sketchbook Journaling Along Highway 1 in California.

We have just returned from a great trip to California. While we were staying in Glen Ellen in the Sonoma Valley for a couple of days, we drove over to the coast and up Highway 1 because we had never done that. I do prefer the valley to the coast - just because I like cozy spaces, not wide-open spaces. However, there were some magnificent views!

I will post some of my sketches as soon as I get settled in a little at home - a trip to the grocery is first on my list. Wishing we had a Trader Joe's here . . .

More food blogging.

Food Blogging

Of all the things we have been doing in the past few days, I'm posting food pics. Can you believe these "sandwiches"?! They were great!!! We spent the day at The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village and these were ALMOST the highlight of my day.

The previous day we rallied at the state capitol for the Michigan libraries. A lot of people from all over the state turned out. I must admit that I have never "rallied", and I was pretty excited about this. Dull story - no one got arrested. We did cram a lot of fun into that day - had lunch at the hamburger joint where we went on our first date, visited the Lansing Art Gallery, went to the Historical Museum, the MSU gardens, the dairy store on campus, ate dinner on the sidewalk at a Mexican restaurant . . .

Now I am sorting and filing and getting ready for a new round of classes. It is still good sketchbook weather. I need to paint a little faster to fill up all those journals I have been making. I know - I should be painting instead of eating.

Persimmon
I never bought a persimmon before in my life, but when I went to the grocery store with a friend today and we came upon a display of persimmons, I just had to take one home.

The check-out girl said, "So what is this, some kind of tomato?"

Me: "No. It's a persimmon."

C-O girl: "What do you do with it?"

Me: "I don't know."

Friend:"She's going to paint it."

C-O girl: "Paint it? What do you mean paint it?"

Me: "You know - paint it - as in a still life."

C-O girl: "Couldn't you just get a tomato or somethin'?"

My friend thinks this is hilarious because she saw how crazy I went over the display of persimmons. You had to be there.

Persimmon "art" coming soon. This photo was all I could manage tonight.

Big Baby

With a face only a mother could love.

I think this is a baby (!) rose breasted grosbeak. He is just beginning to get his rose colored feathers.

The bird feeder yesterday looked like a Marjolein Bastin illustration (I would link to her book, but I would rather you buy my book). There were chickadees, a cardinal, gold finches, a downy woodpecker, and Big Baby. The cardinal and Big Baby got into a little tiff, and Big Baby had to wait his turn.

He and his sister are slow and clumsy, and another sibling has already met with disaster. I wish they had some parents here to look after them! As interested as I am in their welfare, I'm not stepping up.

The End of an Era

Clark and Catherine
My Mom and Dad, October 16th, 1937

My mother died a few days ago. I think she and my dad are dancing once again to the music of Benny Goodman.

Now I need to get back to real life. Well, I guess it is all real life, isn't it? Today felt like spring - I even sat in the sun. A new season. Time to move on. It's time to finish some commissions, plan some classes, get out there with the sketch books . . .

Lunch

I know this isn't a food blog, but look at those colors!

This was lunch one day last week in California. I couldn't pronounce the name of the restaurant, and I don't remember what the dish was called - it was a vegetarian "bowl" with a very flavorful, spicy peanut sauce. It contained soybeans, sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, carrots, zucchini, rice . . . The yellow cubes on top of the crispy tortilla are pieces of very sweet mango. As Rachel Ray would say, "Yummo!" I thought I could carry the flavor around in my head and try to duplicate it when I got home, but it is gone. It is like trying to match a color from memory.
Speaking of food - I really do need to make a grocery run. We have been back for several days, and really need to get back to normal. I keep blaming my lack of routine on jet lag, but I guess that excuse is only good for so long, and I think I am beyond it.

Edited after Amy's comment to direct you to the colorful website of the restaurant. It describes the flavors as from the Southwest, Asia, California, and Latin America. I think every one of those was represented in the bowl I had. So if you are heading to California to try the Aqui restaurant, I suggest you don't lay over in Chicago unless you have a couple extra days to spare.