Finally Creating Art Again

I haven't created an "actual" fine Art piece since before I came to California. Sure, I've done lots of crafty stuff but I have been completely devoid of fine art inspiration.

Since my illness, though, I have had to begin thinking about what I will be doing with my life if I continue to get seriously ill on a regular basis. I don't feel like I can take on the responsibility of being a therapist if I cannot be sure of being reliable for my clients... and so Art might just be the secure career to fall back on :)

In concentrating on Art I have been developing an idea of where I want to go with my work right now. I guess you could say it is a mix of abstraction and realism. Figurative/portrait work (since I am most interested in people as subjects of all creative work) but it is imposed on a backdrop of geometric patterns. I was inspired by the beauty of quilts that women have been making for hundreds of years-- works of such craftmanship and beauty that they should have been acknowledged as the works of Art that they are, but have never been seen as Art-- they are always relegated to the halls of "craft" just as other womens' work has been so long ignored and dismissed.

I hope to speak to the beauty and importance of the work of so many talented women of history by referencing their creations in my own work. I believe that this will be one of the recurrent themes that I will work with as my own body of work evolves and grows. I really hope that I will be able to make work that can speak to the lack of respect so many talented women have endured in the centuries before we were free.

A Poem for my brother

We came from the same spool

for my brother Jon

We came from the same spool.
Fibers connected in fireside ghost stories,
cardboard castles, daisy chains, mud pies, trees climbed.
There is no before you; there should be no after.
Always we shared a special glimpse of
what we might have been if a different day
was conception.

Our threads in one canvas,
weaved filaments of moments and time;
kicking each other under the table, your first crush and mine, heights on a door-frame.
I am not me without you.
I always imagined a woody porch to
rock on while we laugh and correct our versions
of yesterday.

Together we built a tapestry
shaped and driven by separate paths:
Romances, rebellions, moves, marriage, sorrows, serenity.
We begin each other.
Our unique sameness and difference
mapping out the landscape of those who came before
and after.

Snipped from that spool,

our very ends carry the other.
They hum alive, no matter how vast the canvas becomes.
In this tapestry we are intertwined irrevocably.
Touching forever

at the junctions of our souls.

Birthday Lunch For Grandma Dayle

We have been lucky enough to have a visit from Eric's parents and brother for the last week. It's been wonderful to see them and since Dayle's birthday is the 29th, I had the chance to get a little creative and make a nice birthday lunch and cake. Everything was super yummy so I thought I'd share my menu and recipes for these somewhat eclectic dishes :)

Menu:

Cold cucumber mint soup

A summertime favorite that is light and refreshing on a hot day.

BLTA's

A nice light accompaniment to cold soup for summer lunch

Mother's Chocolate-Maple-Bacon mousse cake

This is one of my creations, mixing three of my favorite flavors. This produced a well-balanced and rich cake that I intend to make over and over again.

Indian-style tea

Great hot or iced, the subtle spice and richness is always a yummy treat!

Cucumber-citrus water

A great refreshment when it gets hot. The cucumber and citrus blend adds a pleasant floral note to the water and eating the cucumbers out of the water is one of Lily's favorite treats.

Cold Cucumber-Mint Soup

1 large cucumber, skinned & chopped

2 cups Buttermilk

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 chopped fresh mint

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in blender, blend until mostly smooth. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with mint leaves or cucumber slice.

BLTA's

2 strips of bacon for each sandwich, cooked and cut in half

2-3 slices of tomato per sandwich

3-4 slices of avocado per sandwich

Spring mix as lettuce

whole grain and nut bread, toasted

Mayonnaise

We arranged all of the ingredients on pretty platter and let everyone make their sandwich as they liked it.

Mother's Chocolate-maple-bacon Mousse Cake

Cake

2 oz semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 c butter

1/2 c buttermilk

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c strong brewed coffee

1/2 c maple syrup

1 egg

1/2 tsp. maple extract

1 c flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. bacon cooked and diced

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. melt chocolate with butter in small pan, let cool.
3. in a large bowl, combine sugar, syrup, coffee, and buttermilk. Stir in egg, maple extract, then chocolate.
4. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture into wet ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add 1/2 c. of diced bacon into batter and stir well.
5. Pour batter into lightly greased 8" round cake pan (springform works best) and bake for 25 mins. or until toothpick in center of cake comes out cleanly.
6. Let cake cool completely, preferably in fridge.

Mousse:

2 c. Heavy whipping cream (divided- 2/3 cup + 1 1/3 Cup)

2 1/3 tsp. maple syrup

8oz semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (or chopped)

1/2 c bacon (to garnish)

1. bring 2/3 cup of heavy cream to boil in small pan. In heat-safe bowl combine chocolate chips and maple syrup.
2. Pour boiling cream over chocolate/syrup and let stand for 1 minute. Stir well then add in other 1 1/3 cup of cream. Stir completely.
3. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Mix with hand mixer until mix has a fluffy, mousse-like texture.
5. Ice cake with mouse then top with reserved diced bacon.
6. Refrigerate before serving

Indian style tea

3 black tea bags

6 cups of water

8 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

1 tsp. sweet curry (Cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric mix)

1/2 c. evaporated milk

Bring tea, water, and spices to boil in medium saucepan. Remove teabags and cardamom pods with slotted spoon and add evaporated milk to boiling tea. Turn off heat and stir well. Allow to cool for a few minutes and add sugar to taste. You can serve this iced, but be sure to add sugar before pouring over ice.

Cucumber-Citrus Water:

1 cucumber, sliced

1 orange, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

water

Combine ingredients in pitcher and add water to fill. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Serve over ice.

If any of you make any of these I'd love to hear about how they worked out for you. I don't cook often but when I do I usually like to experiment and make something new (at least to me). I am currently thinking about making rice pudding in hollowed-out citrus as bowls. If I can figure out how to get them to work correctly I will post a recipe for all interested parties.