Collage week 3 - Misty's workshop

Mixed media, collage, acrylic

This was supposed to be a little one hour freeing up exercise for my class and instead ended up being 5 day, evenings, and nights. Done at last.

Painting day

What a great day I had today. Great walk out in the snow with my dear friend Sue and kee-ray-zee Kilala husky dog, worked on my class with Misty Mawn all the rest of the day, painted and posted a painting that 3 people commented on! Yes someone actually commented. I am not alone! I love this class. I feel like I've grown so much and it's only the beginning of week 2. And I even did the writing assignments. I also posted my first drawing on Flickr along with the painting above and the painting below. Jeez Ricky I feel good!

Where is January going?

This started out to be a self portrait but really doesn't look much like me.
Taking the snow doggie out for her walk (or should I say MY run) She thinks that I am a sled that she's pulling throughth the snow.

My Studio

I just couldn't give you a real impression of my studio with a photo so here is a little movie that I made. My old house is narrow and long with lots of small rooms. Everything in my studio area has to be compact and alot of it is movable. Unfortunately the front door is here so it makes it crowded when people come in the door. But it's what I've got and it's warm with the wood stove!

Some new jewelry on my new Etsy site!

My Etsy Shop - Star Dance Design

Art on a Cart

Update

My goal of writing something every day (or almost) has definitely flown the coop! Mostly because it takes quite a while to write and do the photos, etc. Then there are never any comments left. And I know people read my blog but when it's always zero comments, I feel like why bother, I have other work to do.

So enough of that. But please leave a comment! so I know someone is out there!

It's summer

Monday, the first day of summer the longest day of the year was a wonderful day. I am working on four paintings that will go together to become one. Each panel is long and narrow and represents a season. Kind of my own mythology is making up each one. I was working on winter. Each one will have it's own symbols: animals, birds, constellations, and a round object. So on the summer solstice, I started the summer one. Very exciting for me.

I finally chose a new camera and ordered it. It came today. It's amazingly great. Kilala and I went down to the lake so that she could swim and I took pictures and a movie! We also went on Monday and she swam and splashed and played as hard as she could for almost two hours. Just like a little kid. She was so incredibly happy. And where can you go to such a beautiful lake and there aren't any people? Wild and free!

Beltane! May Day! May Day!

Thousands of people turned out to watch the pagan-inspired spring rituals at the annual Beltane Fire Festival

One piece

One piece that's part of a new spring collection. Sterling, cut crystal, fresh water pearls. Best photo my camera can take. Hopefully that will be different soon.

science friday

This is the second stage of a project for letting my creativity be more spontaneous.

Lemon Custard Cakes
Serves 6

Ingredients
• Unsalted butter, room temperature, for custard cups
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest, (1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place in a dish towel-lined baking dish or roasting pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light; whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then milk and zest.
3. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently with a whisk (batter will be quite liquid).
4. Divide batter among prepared custard cups; place baking dish in oven and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups. Bake until puffed and lightly browned (but pudding is still visible in bottom), 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

Some thoughts and ideas

Molten Chocolate Cakes Serves 6

•4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
•1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
•3 large eggs
•1/3 cup all-purpose flour
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
•Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
•Whipped Cream , for serving

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.

3. Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.

4. To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

nests

I have three birds nests made with the fur/hairs of the animals that I've had as an adult.
These nests are one from Donawee, my pinto horse, made from her tail or mane. The next is from Misha's fur (my malamute dog) and the third has fur from Kilala my second and present dog.
This seems like an odd coincidence but as we know, there are no coincidences.

I once found a tiny little nest that I walked over and over and scuffed aside a bunch of times.
Then realised that it was in fact a teeny little hummingbird nest made tightly with some
soft fbers and then covered with lichens. As many times that I had walked over it, the nest
still held together super strong.

Updates

December 23

Working on some presents. Kilala "helping". Listening to Louie Prima, "Big Night".

On the Eve of the Winter Solstice

Happy Solstice! And I so envy all of you that have had the blessing of tons of SNOW!
My big news is that I have a dog sled coming to me for my sweet husky dog Kilala. Here she is looking out our front window at 14! ducks by our front steps driving her keerazy! (Snacky time!)


Some new jewelry orders:

Photos

Malabar X - Seneca Falls

Malabar X passing the Statue of Liberty

I finally got some photos posted from last summer when the Malabar X was in Seneca Falls to go through the locks on the canal. My final farewell.

Self portrait

I'm participating in my first self portrait day that Misty Mawn has been doing. Actually the first art participation that I have done.

Beautiful day today. It's actually hot and not raining for a change. Been outside in my new little ankle support that fits inside a shoe. So much better than the Frankenstein walking cast. Hopefully I will get the pool worked on more this afternoon.

But now I'm taking a break from outside stuff to work on finishing two paintings and getting two new ones gessoed. Then back to the jewelry bench.

Still deciding if I can possibly make it walking around Grass Roots Festival and besides how can I go and not dance? Check out the schedule.

Courtship By Numbers - mixed media