new neighbor

We have a new cute neighbor.

Actually, we have a few neighbors and I love each and every fuzzy one of them!

Get Your Paint On - Week 3

"candy"

So, here it is... Week 3 already! Our class is just zipping by! This week was all about color. The assignment was to use 4 colors. I struggled a bit with a subject to paint, and then I finally decided on some retro candy. There's a great candy shop near our house that is loaded with retro candies! I came home with a bagful for inspiration and finally settled on a few pieces for the painting. In case you're wondering what the white blobs are, they are the Brach's nougat candies with fruit-flavored gummies inside and the round green candies are Appleheads, even though they look like giant peas! It's been a busy week so this is a small one.



Gouache • illustration board • 5x5"

Get Your Paint On - Week 2

Our second painting assignment this week from Get Your Paint On was to find another artist that we love and that something from that artist/painting as literally or as figuratively as we like. So my inspiration was from Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co.

I love her gouache paintings! What I love about Anna's work for one is that she paints in gouache. But, what really intrigues me is her simple, opaque shapes. I like all of her work, but I really like her flowers, and perhaps because it's springtime I really felt compelled to paint flowers. That being said, I really struggled with making simple shapes and not a lot of detail. I feel like it's less like Anna's work and more like my own which is more detailed. I guess while I was working on it, I just felt like I couldn't go with less detail. I don't know if that even makes sense. Perhaps it's because it's just my style to be more detailed. I don't know... Since typically I paint in traditional watercolor I also struggled with what to do in the vase with the stems. While I was working I knew exactly what I would have done with translucent watercolor, but I felt with the gouache it was more of a challenge. I do like how the piece turned out overall, but I stressed a lot.

Gouache on cold press illustration board

Get Your Paint On : Week 1

Our first assignment of Get Your Paint On is to draw inspiration from Gee's Bend quilters of Alabama.

In our class we could choose between gouache or acrylic. I painted with gouache "a little" in a college and from time to time I paint with that medium still so I decided to go with that for my first painting.

I really wanted to use a color scheme that was something that I wouldn't normally think of. I was inspired by a selection of colors in a Pantone book, called Woodland colors. I really liked the woody tone mixed with hot and bright colors too. It was really fun to do something geometric and with really no planning, which is so not me. I really enjoyed it. :)

Can't wait for our next assignment on Monday!

get your paint on 2012

I have to tell you about something that I'm really, no REALLY EXCITED about. I'm taking an online painting class (Get Your Paint On), per a recommendation via my friend Nicole (also, another illustrator - Sloe Gin Fizz). The class isn't just any ol' painting class, it's taught by the super talented and cool illustrators Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough. If you haven't heard of them, check 'em out! I love their work!

Okay, so some people may wonder, why are you taking a painting class? You know how to paint. Yes, I do know how to paint, but I feel like continuing education is always a good thing. I'm hoping to open myself up to new ideas and gain some artistic freedom from this course. I love the whimsical styles of both of the instructors so I'm hoping a little of that will rub off on me. :)

Yesterday I went to the art supplies store and picked up a few items that I needed for class. Our first class starts tomorrow. Each week we're given a bit of a reading assignment and inspiration then we paint and post our paintings to a private Flickr site for everyone in the class to critique. I'll post my paintings here though, so you can see them. It reminds me of art school again and I just loved being in art school.

More to come on this soon!

Nutty Butters

Nutty Butters

My Mom came over for dinner yesterday and while she was over we were looking at the April issue of Martha Stewart Living and we both oohed over this recipe. So we jumped up and made them!

These cookies will remind you of the ol' Nutter Butter cookies without the cream filling! You can make them with peanuts, almonds or cashews, just be sure to match up the same kind of nut butter with whatever nut you choose.

Nutty Butters - Makes 24 cookies
(from Martha Stewart)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 c. old fashioned oats (not quick cook)
1 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. coarse salt
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 c. nut butter
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Melt 1/2 stick butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add oats, and cook, stirring until toasted, 5 to 7 minutes or until oats are golden brown. Spread oat mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet; let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat together remaining stick butter and the sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add egg, and beat until combined. Add nut butter, and beat on a medium speed until well combined.

Add oat mixture and chopped nuts, and beat on low speed until combined. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined.

*Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place cookies 1-inch apart on 2-parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until golden 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets. Cooking can be stored in an airtight container for 1 week.... but they won't last that long!

*Note: I didn't actually roll my dough. I used a small 1 1/2-inch scoop and then just plopped them onto the sheet. They still turned out perfect and they were all the same size. Be prepared the dough will be sticky if you do want to roll them. You could also roll the balls in some granulated sugar before baking them. :)

wonton soup

Wonton Soup - Serves 4-6

(based on the recipe from the Williams-Sonoma - Soup of the Day cookbook)

For the wontons:

1/4 lb. ground pork, chicken or shrimp (or a combination of all three)

1 1/2 tsp. peeled + grated fresh ginger

2 T. chopped water chestnuts

1 1/2 T. chopped green onion, white part only + 1 green onion, green part only, diced (reserved)

1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 T. soy sauce

1 t. rice vinegar

1 egg

salt + ground pepper

24 wonton wrappers

5 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed + thinly sliced

6 c. chicken broth

1 c. baby bok choy leaves (on the bigger leaves, thinly slice)

1 carrot, peeled + cut into small, thin matchsticks

To make the wontons, in a food processor, combine the meat and ginger and process to a smooth paste. Add the water chestnuts, green onion (white parts), cilantro, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and egg. Season with salt + pepper and process until a smooth paste forms.

Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time, place it on a work surface and moisten any 2 edges with cold water. Place 2 tsp. of the filling in the center and fold in half into a triangle. Press the edges firmly to seal, then fold the two outer points across the top of the mound and pinch the edges together. If they do not stick, moisten with a little water. Repeat until all of the filling is gone.

To prepare the soup, bring the broth to boil in a large pot over medium heat. Once boiling, add the filled wontons. The wontons are fully cooked in about 3 minutes, or until they begin to float. Add the bok choy leaves, carrot and mushrooms and simmer for 2 minutes. Salt + Pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the diced green onions you reserved earlier. Also, I made some chili oil and put a few drops of chili oil to garnish as well. It added a nice little bite to the soup, but you could certainly omit this part if you don't like spicy dishes. You could also use a few dots of Sriracha sauce in a pinch or as an option.

Chili Oil:

This will seem like a lot of chili oil for a few drops in your soup, but we use it for many things at our house. For just a few ideas: Try it for oil for fajitas or brush it onto homemade pizza dough before baking on your pizza stone. Mmmm... delicious!

Bring 1 c. of extra virgin olive oil to a simmer. Remove from heat and add 1/4 c. crushed red pepper flakes. Stir, let cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Oil will congeal, so bring it out of the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using. ;)