Don't Choke Arti...

Doodle Doodle...

Red pen, black pen...

Ta Da I Tried It Thursday...

...This week, mixed media art play.  I'm trying to quit listening to my left brain tell my right brain what to do and just live in my right brain for a while. It's happy there. haha  I actually tried several projects that got me inspired and in create mode.  I made 2 lace books like these by Scrappin Happyxo for friends over the past week or so. Each took several days for me to do solely because of not being able to make a decision on how the fronts should look. Rearranging them over & over.  Just Click on her name to watch her video.  I'm not going to share mine right now because they are in the mail as I type. Maybe a post for another day.  I will say that I really had a lot of fun constructing these with paper like her, however, I put cereal box cardboard in mine on front & back covers & pages to make them sturdier, a little more functional.  The more you create the better you will be at it.  It made me want to learn how to do different bindings & make lots of art journals to play with.  Honestly I have never painted an art journal. I have many many spiral notebooks with notes, lists of things to do, sketches, ideas, plans, etc... but never have really painted "art journal".  While I was daydreaming of starting one & looking for some inspiration & helpful tips, I came across this video by Alma Stoller. Painting on a magazine page.  This was a fun & partly a major fail project so I am going to share this one.  

As soon as the video started I knew I had to try this! I bet you want to now after watching and I hope you do!  I "needed" to try this because I feel like my backgrounds just got boring.  In 2008 I sold mixed media paintings (not glued paper though), very folk artsy, incorporating sand, but somewhere along the line I just got too simplified, or out of touch.  Anyway, I found an old Fine Cooking Magazine, I must have been saving it for some reason. After doing my first pages I decided to use it as a funky art journal. (I did end up ripping 1 page out but the rest will be left in tack)  I feel the need to explore new products & try new techniques. I almost feel like burning everything and starting all over.  Reinventing myself. I actually know of an artist who did just that - but then spent a little time in the hospital if you know what I mean. Happy to say she is back to work but she is also back to creating the same art. So can we ever really reinvent ourselves?
Doing this project/exercise, I found out that I love painting on magazine pages with acrylic paint! It turns the stiff paper into a fabric like texture with a matte finish almost suede like.  I love the feeling of it. Could it be varnished with acrylic & then sewn on? hum...

 I also learned that it doesn't adhere to canvas very well or I'm a bum gluer.

My first pages...

I started off having so much fun, no plots, no plans, then all of a sudden I am painting food! hahaha

 There was a pea pod on this page upper right corner -  I call this "Minding my Peas & Q's". haha

 I ripped out a page  (see below) so I looked to the next page for inspiration.

I left the backs of the painted pages unpainted for now but may end up painting over them. 

I love tomatoes.

The words on this page are  from the collage sheet in my last post. I'm glad I saved this magazine. :)

This portrait page I cut out to put on a canvas...  Also realized that since it's a cooking magazine that I will leave all the paintings food related.  I do like to paint some food. Love kitchen art.  (Sushi paintings & veggie paintings are in my Etsy Shop)

Major Fail. This canvas turned out to be a hot mess, I don't even want to show you how it ended up but I will.  I used Golden medium to adhere it to the canvas but as the magazine paper dried it began to lift off. Then as I started to paint over it, it began to wrinkle & bubble.  Perhaps next time I will gesso the canvas first, or use a different glue. 

 I have to admit I did feel a twinge of guilt for spending so much time on a go nowhere piece but I have to admit that I think it was worth learning what I did, and I must say that the background isn't boring! Some of these might find their way onto a canvas in my Etsy Shop.

I hope this inspires you to try something new.

Create a Great Day!

Chop Chop Chop...

... I love chopping it's the best thing about cooking. Oh I love to slice & dice too. That's why I was so excited to see the huge bag of garlic my hubby brought home. I chopped & chopped & peeled & peeled! I keep a little bowl of water to dip my fingers in when they become too sticky.  I decided to make him some potato salad which he loves with lots of garlic & black olives, a little reward.  

I chopped until my heart was content!

 

Garlic Olive Potato Salad

6 boiled potatoes cubed

3 large cloves of garlic

1/2 Fresh Parsley - I used curly type

3/4 C Mayo

2 small red Bell Peppers

1 small White Onion

2 Stalks of Celery

I can of Jumbo Black Olives sliced

1 tbsp. dried basil

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Hubby was happy! He loves garlic.  The whole house smelled like a wonderful garlic garden. 

I input the recipe into SparkPeople's Recipe Calculator and for 1/2 Cup Serving it has 152 calories. 

I put some whole cloves into olive oil & placed in the frig to use later and I will be using that oil when all the cloves are gone.

I decided to keep some unpeeled cloves in my cute garlic holder. It's so full when you lift the top they tumble out.  Doesn't it look like it's smiling? :)

 

So inspired by this gift of delicious stinky garlic; & my love of  chopping, slicing & dicing; I had to go paint this little ACEO...

"Love Stinks"

(To purchase this piece just click on the painting)

 

It may even smell like garlic! hahaha 

 

Why Didn't I Think of It?...

... Nom Nom Nom! I feel silly!

My son invited me over for dinner a few weeks ago

 and served "Sushi Bake". (Did you just hear Angels singing? If it wasn't them it was me. haha)

He had told me about this recipe after a trip to San Diego where it was served at a party. I really didn't get it until I saw & tasted it!  Then I really did feel a little foolish that I had never thought of making something so simple! Especially as much as me & my family love sushi! It's hot outside today & we went to Hop Sing Palace (best Egg Fu Yung ever) for lunch in Old Folsom so Sushi Bake is perfect for a light & easy dinner.  The recipe calls for baking it; hence the name; but I actually popped it into the microwave for 10 minutes and it's just as good.  The recipe can be tweeked with anything that you like on top.  Tonight I substituted the recipe for 1 can of crab & 1/2 package of imitation crab and on one side of dish I used canned salmon.  Here is the recipe I normally use:

***

2 C uncooked short grain white Rice

approx. 1/2 jar Furikake Rice Seasoning

1 C Sour Cream

1 C Mayo

2 Tbsp Sirracha (can use more of less depending on how hot you like it)

Roasted Nori - individual pieces - **

2 cans of crab meat or 1 pkg of imitation crab shredded 

1 C cooked Shrimp chopped or baby shrimp

Tobiko ( orange tiny fish roe) approx. 1/4 c  aka Masago

2 Green onions sliced thinly

1 tbsp Sugar

approx. 1-2 tbsp Rice Vinegar to sprinkle over hot rice

9 x 13 baking dish 

 Cook rice.  Mix mayo, sour cream & srirracha. Reserve 1/2 c to use as topping sauce.  Add crab & shrimp to remaining sauce. When rice is cooked, fluff with 1/4 container of Furikake, sprinkle with sugar & vinegar.  Mix well. When cool enough press evenly into bottom of baking dish. Evenly spread crab & shrimp mixture over rice. Sprinkle again with even layer of Furikake. Then evenly spread or sprinkle on Tobiko. Top green onions. 

Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Serve warm or at room temp (it's good cold out of the frig the next day too)  

Spoon mixture into pieces of Nori & top w/ sauces if you like.

"Just Roll With It"
Click HERE to purchase my sushi art!

 

Dim Sum vs Sushi

"I Dreamed I was in Fresno Last Night"

There is a quaint little place on the way to L.A. that I insist on stopping at every time go. It has the best produce, cheeses, nuts & a gift shop that has really cool & crafty things. I have to drag myself out to get back on the road. Maybe it's time for another road trip!

Impress My Friends?...

...Why yes I would like to impress my friends with these at my next dinner party! Those little rat bastards aren't too hard to make!hahaha LOL Rat Bastards is my favorite cuss to say. I'm not proud, it just slips out. Those who know me are laughing their butts off about now. I had to share because honestly who wouldn't like a cute little rat garnish instead of a tired radish standby, the rose? Keep playing with your food Chef Justin! I love it!

I Need More...

... well... lots of things but fruit is definitely something I don't eat enough of! Videos like this one doesn't help any, it just makes fruit a little creepier for me. haha I won't even get into Fruit of the Loom or California raisins. Whenever I do eat fruit, I love it, and I think to myself, dang! I'm going to eat more fruit, but it never works out that way. It's so sweet and I am not a big sweets person. I get my sweets in the form of bread, noodles, potatoes, etc... My Mom came out and stayed with me for a few months after my brother died and after a month or so she asks me if I ever eat fruit! haha I ate some that day & washed it down with a little guilt. ;) I do buy it, (mostly apples & bananas) but if the guys don't eat it, it just gets thrown out to the squirrels & other varmints around here. I like to buy apples because those last the longest & look so pretty on my tiered fruit plates. I eat them with my eyes. ;) Maybe I'll make a big fruit salad & keep it in the frig? Got a good recipe for me? Do you eat your daily servings of fruit? Hope your day is "fruitful". ( You know I couldn't resist that right?!) haha


A Big Shout Out goes to CynArt for featuring my Spring Garden Angel in her lovely Etsy Treasury! Be sure to check out her shop full of her wonderful watercolors!

On A Roll...

* ***
..."on a roll" *groan :)* ok I know that's really cheesy but I said it anyway. haha I am on a roll though, having a blast painting these little sushi paintings. I am selling the original but plan to frame prints for myself. These are 4 x 6s. I have also done some ACEOS as well. Check out these cool sushi projects at Cut Out + Keep ! I think you will like this really fun craft site. New Sushi prints listed in my Etsy shop today.

What A Wonderful Way...

...to start this week! I woke up to find that one of my paintings was featured on the Christian Artist Team Blog . What a sweet surprise and a wonderful post in which to be included in. Thank you! One of my Angels was also featured in this eye-popping Etsy Treasury made by Angelpupscreations. I love her nail & wire crosses.

This weekend I worked on a crocheted baby blanket for my niece. She's having a girl and this is not the typical pink baby blanket. I feel bad I didn't have it finished in time to mail for her baby shower, but better late than never. You know how I love bees..... I searched for a bee pattern but couldn't find any that I thought would work so I had to make this one up. I think they came out pretty cute if I say so myself. I'm thinking it needs a few flowers here & there as well. The blanket itself is made of black & white strips that crochet up really fast. I am pleased how this is turning out and I hope she likes it. In May there is a Bee Gallery Opening/Benefit which I plan to be participating in. If I have time I may make another one for that show as well as a painting & my bee zines.

I ate oriental food all weekend. Just craving it. I even stayed up late last night painting this piece! I am selling prints of it in my Etsy Shop. Looking at this piece today makes me want to eat some more! I treasure my memories of living in Japan, although as a child I didn't eat sushi. My favorite thing was the animal shaped pancakes filled with sweet red beans that they had at every festival. I had so much fun painting this that I may paint some more. In addition to craving oriental food on my plate, I'm craving sage green on my palette. Maybe it's the weather, gray skies, wintry muted colors? Don't worry I'll snap out of it. haha

It's OK to Play With Your Food!

Only Elvis...

... could make Cheetos a tastier snack!

One More Reason to Hold The Fries!