Eatting Leafy Greens

We went to a BBQ at a friend's house over the Memorial Day weekend.  Bring something to share was the only request from the hostess.  Fresh wild salmon on the BBQ, cooked on cedar planks - that was the main course. 

I don't know about you but salad is my usual safe bet for contribution at a pot luck.  Its my fall back, my comfort zone and easy I might add. 

Keeping on track with my break from the HBZ (Half Baked Zone) and my intent to step it up in my life... I went outside the box and prepared a kale salad rather than my ususal green salad.  It was beautiful in its dark leafy green-ness.  A real hit with the party goers (not a spoonful left to take home).  And, a nice add as a side for salmon.  It not only has kale, but also chard and wild rice amoung other flavors like lemon and fennel.  Yummy to say the least, easy and good for ya too.

Kale and Wild Rice Salad

1 cup uncooked organic wild rice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 bunch organic kale

1/2 bunch organic chard

1/2 diced red bell pepper

1/2 diced yellow bell pepper

1/2 thinly sliced fennel bulb

1 bunch green onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Salt the water (if desired) and add rice. Bring back to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 60 to 65 minutes. When the water is absorbed, remove from heat and let cool.

Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. When the rice is cool, toss with dressing.

Remove tough stems and ribs from greens and chiffonade. Combine with peppers, fennel and green onion. Just before serving, toss veggies with dressed rice.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Classic Still Life, Self Portrait, On the Floor, Lines and Fresh over at Scavenger Hunt Sunday. 

Classic Still Life


Over the years I have managed to collect a lot of stuff.  I've been trying to be good about culling out the things that I no longer need or no longer suits me.  But, why is it that sometimes, it just seems like its not quite the right stuff?  I then of course, take that as a prompt to go shopping!

Self Portrait


Tulli is my companion.  I am grateful she is part of my every day.  Self portrait can be taken to mean more than just a photo of myself - but also what makes up me.  Couldn't think of a better way to self portrait than to include another part of me.

On the Floor


Taken on the floor... literally.

Lines


The sun was streaming in on this morning.  It is so nice to see.  I feel a little deprived these days - the weather has been so pukey for May.

Fresh


Whenever I make tacos for dinner, I always think about how fresh are the ingredients that go into this meal.  Seems like it is my favorite dinner to make just for that reason.  It is so full of fresh.



Barcode Birthday

Breaking free of the HBZ

So, my husband had a birthday.  A milestone, of which I won't divulge.  I decided that I wanted to make him his present this year.  Something to hang on his wall at work.  He is in the barcode industry, so this does all make sense. 

This is where I had a Revelation..  It came to me like a whack in the head.  Its time to step it up.  To start taking what I do more seriously.  To yes - leave what I fondly call "the Half Baked Zone" (HBZ).  I realized that I have been hanging out in the HBZ for some time - years actually.  Its the place where c+ to b- work is all I really do.  Its OK, not great, not bad.  Rarely finished professionally or nicely.  Just done.  When I vowed to leave the HBZ as I was walking the dog...  I realized how the HBZ had crept into many aspects of daily life and not just creative life.  Wow!  I've got some work to do.

I had recently been to the studio of a friend, another encaustic painter.  It was my first visit to her house.  She shared with me some techniques for mounting prints to cradled panels.  She shared what she does... finish her work beautifully.  Perfect timing for my whack in the head regarding the HBZ.  

So I tried it.  I used her technique and made these for my hubby. I was careful, I was precise, I took my time, I finished the edges perfectly.  I loved the results.  I smile every time I walk by these on my way to my studio. 

I had told him that I had made his present.  I could see in his eyes, he was a little apprehensive based on the other things I have produced... all very much part of the HBZ. 

When he saw them, he liked them.  In fact he was pretty excited about them.  Not just in that "she made these for me so I have to be excited about them" way.  No, this was the real thing, he was excited.  They will hang in his office because they are nicely finished and broke free of the HBZ.

They are the barcode for Titleist golf balls - Pro V to be exact. I decided if there was to be subliminal advertising in his office during the day it need to be other than the barcode for Cheezits.



Back

I've taken a bit of a break.  I've been sick, but on the mend and feeling better every day.  But really, that's just been this past week.  So other than that, I really don't have an excuse nor do I really have a reason. I just kinda put the camera down.

I just took a break I guess... Lost motivation, moved from this spot in my life... not sure what really happened, but I just didn't feel like it.  So, guess what?  I chose to take a break and let it sit for a while. 

Why do these things happen?  Why do we let go of something we love?  Is it a natural process?  Do we get bored with it?  Do we lose the creative mojo? Or perhaps we just get busy and have to let one thing go to fit in another. I'm really not sure.

Thankfully I signed up to do Creativity Boot Camp over at madelinebea.com  Its been a gentle CBC this year.  Not a frenzied photo fest like last year.  I think its what I needed.  A gentle coaxing back into the fold.  Among other things, Maegan asked us to take self portraits. Selfies are kinda fun, I enjoy them.  I've never figured out why the person I see in the mirror in the morning - to me... is much more beautiful than I can capture in a photo.  I hope that if I can actually take enough selfies, that maybe I can capture that which I see when I look in the mirror. 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Scavenger Hunt Sunday this week is••  SOOC (Straight Out Of the Camera), Sprouting, Isn't it Ironic, Lazy and Smells Like Spring.

SOOC
A nice sunny afternoon drew me outside to click off a few photos of the apple tree in our yard.  Apple blossoms are always a sign of spring for me.

Sprouting

With the cold spring we have had, everything is a little behind.  Still sprouting, still coming out, still waiting for warmth.

Isn't it Ironic

Isn't it ironic that sometimes when we take a photo we really don't see everything it has to offer?  Each little raindrop on my windsheild has a tiny reflection of the telephone pole in it.  They are all upside down.  I didn't even notice this detail until I was checking out my photos of the day.

 Lazy

I've gotten lazy... this is where I started - one speed, coaster breaks, and chrome.  As kids we used to coast down hills and push our bikes back to the top for another go.  We had tassles on the handle bars, clickers in the wheels and maybe even a cool white basket with plastic flowers mounted on the handle bars or a banana seat.   Now I have 27 speeds, carbon fiber, speed clip pedals, and shimano shifters.  I can't even imagine riding with just one speed anymore.

Smells like Spring

Nothing smells more like spring to me than lilacs.

IKEA for Mounting Encaustic Paintings or Photos

I've had an amazing April.  So busy it seems.  The highlight was a four day encaustic painting workshop here in Seattle put on by R and F paints.  Daniella Woolf was our instructor.  I learned so much that my head was bursting by the time I left on Sunday evening.  12 people from as far as Canada, the midwest and Nova Scotia.  Great group, great class - so much to try now.

Above is a group of 3x3 paintings on 3/4" birch plywood.  They are done with India ink and mono print.  I wanted to display them somehow other than stacking them on a shelf.

When I was at IKEA cruising the aisles looking for whatever...  I came across their magnetic stainless steel wall mount knife rack.  $8.99 - I got two.  I mounted one vertically on the wall.  it does not come with screws, so you do need to get some in order to complete this project.  

 Next I put a cluster of 4 thumbtacks on the back of the painting.  The thumbtacks work fine, but next time I will try supergluing a large flat round washer from the hardware store.  The paintings hang nicely - a little off center and some wanted to hang a little catty wompus  - has something to do with the magnets in the knife rack.  I like the way they stack kind of like building blocks but they can be stacked straight too.  

This method can also be done in reverse with a metal bar on the wall and magnets on the backs of the paintings.  

I haven't tried it with photos yet, but I think I will use flat round washers to hold the photos in place on the rack.