Egg, Ham, and Red Pepper Brunch Casserole--Our Christmas Eve Day Family Celebration

     After searching in vain for an egg casserole recipe for our Christmas Eve Day brunch (I had certain flavors in mind), I decided to create my own. I relied on existing recipes for egg/milk proportions and included the ingredients that sounded good and that our family would like (I hoped--and they did!). Of course, you will vary the recipe below in any way that suits you and your family or guests. Our younger son would have liked it hotter; since he is alone in that, he'll need to use hot sauce on top. But you may want to use more cayenne pepper or to include chopped hot peppers. I think this casserole could take almost any cheese you like; this time we used Swiss cheese.

     I wish I had taken a photo of the whole brunch, but didn't. We also had Martha Stewart's buttermilk French toast, a rich tasting and yummy version with pancake syrup and blueberry syrup, bacon I made in the oven, and the fruit salad you see pictured (there were egg casserole and fruit leftovers available for their photo shoot another day). We did not have green salad for brunch; the photo shows my plate of leftover casserole for supper another day. I have been searching for the French toast recipe on-line and can't find it--sorry. I had hoped to provide you with a link. I probably have the title wrong on my recipe card, but it was definitely a Martha recipe, modified a little.

     The bacon left me wondering why I had waited so long to make it in the oven--fear of messy splatters, for one thing. It did not spatter at all, but baked up uniform and flat. My husband was kind enough to get the pans ready while I was doing other things. He placed the bacon strips on racks that were set in parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheets. It took 2 10" x 14" pans to bake a little over a pound of quality bacon (it's best if the strips don't overlap). The only caution is that it would be easy to burn it--it goes fast in the last couple of minutes. About 20 minutes at 400 degrees was perfect.

     The fruit salad was fresh pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and some fresh pomegranate seeds (which come all prepared in a plastic container from Pom Pom--saves lots of trouble wrestling with the whole fruit to get the seeds out). It was a delicious combination and looked festive in a cut glass bowl.

     OK, the casserole recipe, made the day before serving:

                    Ham and Swiss Overnight Egg Casserole

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

3/4 cup chopped red pepper

2 cups cubed deli black forest ham from a thick slice

1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies

8 eggs

2 cups skimmed evaporated milk

3/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. black pepper

generous dash cayenne pepper

2 cups shredded cheese (delicious with Swiss)

3 cups crusty bread (Cuban bread is yummy in this) torn or cut into about 1/2 inch pieces

     Saute onion and red pepper in about 2 tsp. butter; add ham and green chilies and saute 1 more minute. Let cool a little while making the egg mixture.

     Whisk eggs and skimmed evaporated milk together well; whisk in seasonings. Stir in about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, the bread, and the ham mixture and mix well. 

     Pour into a 9" x 13" buttered or sprayed casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Cover well with foil and refrigerate overnight.

     In the morning, leave the foil on and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more until it is set (it will firm up a little more as it stands).

     A word about the skimmed evaporated milk: I have found it to be an excellent substitute for whole milk or even cream in many recipes. It lends richness and flavor to your dish with many fewer calories and less saturated fat.

     I have posted other recipes; you will find a listing at the recipe index post.

Question of the Day: This is a new tradition for us; the family has traditionally joined us for an appetizer supper on Christmas Eve Day. However, this year we needed a schedule that left time for our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter to have a nap before they attended the Children's Christmas Eve service. How have your family's holiday traditions changed over the years--or do some things stay the same for you?

Blue, Green, and Aqua Impressionistic Hand-painted Silk Scarf

     This impressionistic blue blend scarf is a new favorite--in fact, one I plan to keep for myself. It is especially pleasing that it is a rescue of a scarf that went wrong (see earlier post about that mistake). The white and misty aqua background that was left after I removed the messed-up gutta seemed perfect to re-do in a scarf with a blue, green, and aqua swirling print.

Close-up of one end

Close-up of other end

     After choosing the palette and blending the colors I had tested and wanted to use, I wet the entire scarf well. Then, with a soft brush, I swirled the colors on in a sort of "planned random" way with a bit of unpainted area between many of the swirls so that the hues would flow together without too much mixing. I didn't want the colors to muddy each other or to blend too much. Once that looked satisfactory, I deepened some blue areas and quickly sprinkled kosher salt over while the areas were still quite wet. Using salt on wet French silk dyes works a kind of magic as the scarf dries, producing jagged lines, star burst effects, and concentrated darker spots. Sometimes, I do further modification of the colors or pattern after I see how the scarf looks dry. It would have been a mistake to tamper with these results; in my opinion, it is lovely just as it is. Now it's getting hard to wait to wear it; five newly hand-painted silk scarves are ready to be steam-set. One more, and I can load up the steamer and complete the finishing processes.

Close-up of center

By the way, I will have one or two more posts about our trip to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, but took a break to show you this newly painted scarf.

Question of the Day: Do you prefer defined patterns on silk, such as tulips or starfish, or a more abstract or impressionistic look?

Westward Ho! Part II. Exploring the Southern Half of Yellowstone National Park

Anticipating sunrise over Yellowstone Lake

A doe elk spotted in a meadow at a scenic turnout

     Driving north from Jackson, WY and through the Grand Tetons again was as impressive as before. See my Part I post about our first travel days here. Because of the vast size of Yellowstone National Park, we stayed at two different locations in the park. First, we stayed two nights by Yellowstone Lake in the south. The main road through the park forms a figure eight, and our location at one of the lodges in Grant Village was the perfect base for exploring the lower loop and for making one side trip. We settled in and walked along the beautiful lake side and into the lodge pole pine forests in the area.

One gathering of bison, part of a larger herd in Lamar Valley

     The next morning, we drove north on the loop and then east to the Lamar Valley and beyond--almost to the eastern edge of the park. The broad valley lived up to its reputation as the best location for watching large herds of bison and spotting other large mammals. We did not stop where a cluster of cars surrounded a bison on the shoulder; some people were much too close to the powerful animal. Further on, the valley gave way to towering peaks and rugged cliffs. Here, some kind Yellowstone enthusiasts invited us to look through their high-powered scopes at snowy white mountain goats, one almost skipping along where the rock face had only the narrowest possible ledges for its hooves. My husband also saw some pronghorns bounding from the grasslands into the trees, but they went by too fast on the wrong side of the road for me to see.

The smell of sulphur and steam rising reveal a thermal feature

     On the way back west, we stopped for food at the insanely busy Canyon Village (I was glad we had not chosen to stay at the lodge there). Then, we followed a couple of short trails to overlooks at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The Upper Falls area was closed to visitors that day, but we enjoyed seeing the more dramatic Lower Falls. 

Boiling mud at Dragon's Mouth Spring

     I joined my early-bird husband for a walk before sunrise the next morning to watch the color change in the sky over Yellowstone Lake-- a gorgeous display, followed by a stunning sunrise. Then, a breakfast buffet at the Lake Restaurant overlooking the water before checking out on our way to our cabin on the north loop. Although we were not yet in the area with the most thermal features, we stopped at turnouts and parking areas to walk on the boardwalks over bubbling hot mud pits, hot springs, and steam vents called fumaroles. Dragon's Mouth Spring, pictured here, hissed and made thumping and crashing sounds as steam puffed out and mud at the entrance bubbled. It was easy to imagine a dragon inside that lair.

Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Question of the Day: Have you been to Yellowstone National Park? If yes, what did you particularly enjoy there, or if no, what would you like to see?

Westward Ho, Part I. Journey to the Grand Teton National Park

Along the Snake River, Grand Tetons in view

     We recently returned from a wonderful journey west to the Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. I have been planning for it for more than a year--especially once I learned (from kind travel bloggers) that lodges and cabins in Yellowstone needed to be reserved a full year ahead in most cases.

     Traveling from flat, hot coastal North Florida to cool, dry mountains was a treat. We love our home, but a change of scenery and climate at the end of the summer was (immensely) refreshing. It is difficult to find words to describe these breath-taking national treasures, as you know if you have visited there. And photos cannot begin to convey the magnificence of the mountains, valleys, meadows, and animals we saw. However, I'll try to share some of what we experienced.

     We landed before noon in Jackson, WY on a chilly, rainy day, tired from getting up at 3 AM (1 AM mountain time!) for our flight. I had booked a room north of busy Jackson, but we first headed into town for lunch and exploration. Extra-large crowds of people clogged the streets, partly because we happened on a major--and delightful--art fair, and partly because it was too nasty a day for most hikers and outdoor explorers, so they came to town. 

     Foggy, but gradually clearing weather cheered us in the morning, and we drove north on US 89 into the Grand Teton National Park. Low clouds hugged some of the highest peaks, while others stood proud in their jagged glory. For our first day, we drove north as far as Moran Junction, then west to the sparkling, bright blue Jackson Lake (I'll post photos of Jackson Lake in Part II), and south again along the lakeside, past Jenny Lake, and on back toward our Jackson room for one more night. We stopped whenever we wanted to at one of the many overlooks and just drank in the crisp, fresh air and awe-inspiring views.

     Finally, we stopped at a trail head to do some hiking. Our Lonely Planet guide included the distance for each trail, and sometimes the elevation change. The trail we chose was fairly challenging, and we found exertion at that altitude exhilarating, but tiring. I loved using my Pacer Poles for walking--very helpful for my back problems--and was able to walk further than I would have without them. The trail wound through meadows, forest, along and over a rocky, bubbling stream, past a park horse and mule corral, and up some steep rises. It was all too lovely for words. The first full day of our adventure was simply amazing. Stay tuned for more.

Question of the Day: What journeys have taken you to a very different place from home?

"Castaway Island Afternoon", an Acrylic Landscape Painting

     One of the many preserves in our coastal North Florida area is relatively small, but is a favorite of mine. Castaway Island Preserve is on the Intracoastal Waterway with residential neighborhoods on both sides. It's an easy drive from our home and has yielded lots of painting reference photos over several visits. Part of the preserve is salt marsh with raised walkways that allow visitors to access the wetlands. I love it there and have made several paintings from Castaway scenes; I'm sure there will be more to come.

     "Castaway Island Afternoon" is a 24" x 18" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, designed to be hung as is or to be framed--either way looks great. Apparently my camera was tipped a bit when I took the photos (the reason the cedars look as though they are slightly leaning toward each other). Whoops. Since I have now signed the piece and given it a protective coating (for which I use a combination of matte and gloss acrylic medium), it is more difficult to take a good photo. Now it shows a bit of a sheen in photos, so I'll be content with the one I have.

     There is more than a little artistic license taken here. The hues are punched up from the actual scene, and, as usual, I had to clear out lots of vegetation and plant debris from the exuberant growth we see in coastal North Florida. So, the initial planning of the composition was crucial and involved several tonal sketches (using a range of artist's grey-scale markers) and various arrangements of the elements in the scene. 

     I also experimented with a few possible palettes and finally chose: cerulean blue, ultramarine blue, Paynes grey, lemon yellow, yellow oxide, Indian yellow, burnt sienna, burnt umber, buff (unbleached titanium ecru), and titanium white. The result is lighter and brighter than some of my other Castaway Island paintings, such as "Castaway Island Cedars" and "Castaway Island Palms". A side note on those two: although I used the same palette and canvas size so that they could be hung as companion pieces, they have ended up apart--which is just fine, too. The smaller cedars piece turned out to be a personal favorite and hangs in our home, while the palms piece was a perfect fit for the home of our older son and his interior designer wife. I was honored when she requested the painting and happily made a gift of it.

Question of the Day: Do you have favorite places in nature that you revisit to recharge or for creative or spiritual renewal?

     

Hand-painted Tropical Leaf Silk Scarf with Varied Greens on Blue Background

Tropical Leaf Silk Scarf in Varied Greens on Blue Background

     The idea of painting a design of tropical leaves on a silk scarf has been in the back of my mind for awhile. Recently, I completed this 60" x 11" scarf in blue and varied green hues after a number of sketches finally resulted in a design I liked. I blended several shades and hues of green for the leaves, because I wanted to make the scarf more useful, more likely to look nice with different outfits. The leaf designs were inspired by photos of plants in some of my husband's botanical books and from direct observation of plants in our coastal north Florida neighborhoods.

One end of tropical leaf scarf

     I don't know why I draped the scarf on this old couch for its photos, but have decided it doesn't look too bad there. The final steps to finish the work-- steam-setting the dyes, removing the gutta outlines in a naphtha soak, washing and pressing--are not yet done. However, I thought you might like a look at it anyway.

Other end of tropical leaf scarf

     All the colors, including the blue background, are blends of liquid French silk dyes. I love experimenting with colors and color combinations and am rarely disappointed with the results of the blends I've planned--although it can take some "tinkering" to get the shade where I want it. 

     I painted a very light, watered-down blue on the entire white scarf blank first, then outlined all the leaves and stems with gutta resist (more information on using gutta in the third paragraph of this post). That way, the outlines have some color, rather than just being white. The lighter leaves are a pale green painted over with yellow (which tends to push other colors away and creates a nice variegation in hues). The large philodendron leaf is several layers of olive. The smaller vine leaves are a blend of greens, again layered until the depth of color seemed right. The heart-shaped larger vine leaves are a blend of green and blue. I gave each of the leaves one coat before "drawing" the veins with gutta resist; that way the veins would have more color, rather than just retaining the light blue of the first coat of the background. Last, I finished the final coat or two of the blue background, randomly stroking a true blue over aqua, then blending them for a watery, varied appearance. Now this will join a couple of other scarves in the studio closet until I have enough for a steamer batch to set the dyes.

Question of the Day: What sort of scarf design would you like me to try next?

How to Create Depth in Landscape Paintings, Part III--Perspective in Skies

"Clouds Moving In", 14" x 11" acrylic painting

One of my worksheets for "Clouds Moving In"

     For Part III in this little series of posts about perspective, we will consider sky (especially clouds). Obviously, the painting of a large field with various trees both near and far, for example, will demand careful creation of depth in the ways we have discussed in Part I and Part II. But what about the sky in that painting? I do know that skies seldom appear just one monotone hue from the horizon on up and so often shade my painted sky from cobalt, ultramarine, or even slightly purplish blue at the top of the canvas to a slightly more aqua and lighter tone toward the horizon. This suggests distance in the sky.

     But I hadn't considered cloud perspective much until my painting mentor, Linda Blondheim, was providing feedback on a work in progress. She pointed out that clouds usually appear larger when they are closer and are smaller (and often flatter) in appearance toward the horizon. Linda encouraged me to make a grid with a vanishing point at the horizon to refer to as I painted a cloudy sky. Sounds obvious, I guess, but I was not observing the principle consistently in my work.


     I used that tip in the 14" x 11" acrylic piece, "Clouds Moving In", pictured above. I wanted to show clouds building over the Atlantic from the Northeast, as they often do here in coastal north Florida. So, the vanishing point is left of center (north) in the reference grid at the top of my worksheet (pictured above, left).

"Spring Breeze",  24" x 18" acrylic painting 

"Sea Oats", 16" x 12" acrylic painting

     Of course, real clouds are various sizes at various distances, but I have realized that my painted skies are most convincing looking when I follow some logical perspective rules for clouds. The 24" x 18" piece, "Spring Breeze" illustrates the principle as does the 16" x 12" painting, "Sea Oats".

     Rather than more words today, I will simply share some of my photos that include clouds. Some are from my home area, some were taken for painting reference (not necessarily because they are stunning subjects in their own right), and some are from places we have traveled. Of course, you can click on any photo to enlarge it. You can draw your own conclusions about perspective in actual skies and how to create realistic depth in paintings that include clouds.

Jacksonville Beach, FL photo

Hanna Park, Jacksonville, FL photo

John C. Campbell Folk School, NC photo

Nova Scotia, Canada photo

Nova Scotia, Canada photo

Region of Tuscany, Italy photo

 Question of the Day: Have you ever thought about how clouds appear as they recede into the distance?

How to Create Depth in Landscape Paintings, Part II--Tips and Techniques

"Summer Reflections"

     Our previous post discussed some principles of atmospheric perspective. This time, a few tips about achieving it in a landscape painting and other techniques for creating the appearance of depth. You may be surprised by the degree to which careful planning and analysis can be involved in painting.

     One technique I learned from my painting mentor Linda Blondheim is the use of glazes. I think glazes are particularly useful in acrylic painting because acrylic hues are usually quite sharp and clear. Distant elements in a scene should look hazy, a bit "fuzzy", and have a pale, cool hue. 

     Although I try to begin with appropriate soft tones in the background, they often need to be pushed further back visually. Acrylic glazing liquid is useful for this. Depending on the size of the area that needs to be modified, mix a puddle of acrylic glazing liquid with just a touch of blue, purple, or even soft aqua paint. After mixing it well, use a soft brush to stroke it across the area that needs softening, blending out the edges a bit so as to avoid an obvious line. Don't worry if it looks too muted or cloudy; it will usually be fine when dry. Let the area dry well (this will take somewhat longer than normal acrylic paint drying time). You can repeat the process with another layer or two until you are satisfied with the result. 

     The far background of the painting " Summer Reflections" was treated this way, and the tree just to the left of the center was also pushed back, but less dramatically (just one layer was enough to help that tree recede). The painting I showed you last time, "Look to the Hills" was painted before I knew about glazes. I remember finding it difficult to handle the distant hills, probably scrubbing on bluish purple mixed with lots of titanium white to produce that hazy appearance of distance. 

A study of a marsh scene

     The relative size of objects in a scene also helps define distance. Your eye may be better than mine, but I have discovered that I sometimes tend to make far away objects larger on canvas than they should be. Since I work from reference photos, I sometimes actually measure something on the photo, then use a proportion (oh no! math!) to translate that to my canvas. For example, if the photo is 4" vertically, and my canvas is 16" vertically, a far line of trees that is about 1/4" tall on the photo would only be about 1" tall on the canvas if I wanted to keep precisely the same proportions. 

     Of course, I do not duplicate the reference photo and am not bound by precise numbers and proportions. The exercise of measuring simply serves as an aid and a suggestion as I work, which is open to change if the result doesn't look right. A study of a marsh (pictured here) which I painted early in my art journey was a combination of a little measuring and lots of free-styling. Artistic license is alive and well in my studio--alongside some analytic thinking.

Question of the day: Do you think that planning, analyzing, and measuring are compatible with creativity?

     

How to Create Depth in Landscape Painting, Part I--Atmospheric Perspective

"Look to the Hills",  demonstrating atmospheric perspective

     Atmospheric perspective in landscape painting is one tool artists have to create the illusion of depth on a flat surface. Using this tool well requires careful observation of subtle differences in color, contrast, and sharpness of objects as we see through the atmosphere from near to far. 

     No, it is not really complicated. Think about a time you could see a great distance into a scene with hills or mountains. The furthest ridges appeared bluer (or maybe a bluish purple) compared to near ridges as well as having softer edges (looking "fuzzier"). In general, colors become cooler as distance from the viewer increases, dark/light contrast lessens, and edges soften. A landscape artist needs to consider all these qualities carefully.

     I almost always paint from my own photos (as well as using field notes and sketches), but I have discovered that photos seldom show atmospheric perspective well. It is up to me to create that perspective as I paint. Merely copying a photo is unlikely to be effective in creating depth.

"On the Jones Creek Trail"

     Also called aerial perspective (although it has to do with looking through the air and whatever is in it, not at all with a bird's eye view), atmospheric perspective rendered well will make a stunning difference in your work. To create realistic looking depth, artists often exaggerate these effects.

     I am absolutely not an expert, but will show you a few paintings to illustrate my efforts at creating depth. "Look to the Hills", shown top right, pictures a favorite place near Warwick, New York with a long view into the distance. Notice that even though the distant foothills are heavily wooded, they don't look very green. Rather, they are a neutral sort of bluish shade with minimal appearance of contrast. Also, the far side of the valley is blurred and muted in color and tone, becoming a bit brighter and more defined nearer to the viewer. The trees, chair, and grasses closest to the viewer have sharper edges, more intense color, and greater light/dark contrast.

     "On the Jones Creek Trail" presents a different sort of challenge; the viewer cannot see very far because of heavy foliage. Here, you can see that I have definitely exaggerated the effects of atmospheric perspective to create several visual planes and to avoid a flat look. In my next post, I will describe some specific techniques I use with acrylics to paint landscapes with the appearance of depth.

Question of the day: Are you interested in descriptions of artists' techniques? What else would you like to hear about perspective?

When Art Projects Go Wrong--Silk Scarf Mistake

     Recently, a silk scarf I was working on took a bad turn. All artists (I imagine) experience this on occasion with a project. Sometimes, there is a way to fix the situation and move on; sometimes it cannot be saved. In this case, I  could not fix the mistake, but was able to make the not-quite-ruined scarf reusable.

First stage--the background

Background from the other end

     The two photos of a scarf on a stretcher show the intended background for the piece. Painting wet-on-wet on a blank white scarf, I had made a shadowed pale aqua and blue ground on which I planned to paint large tropical leaves in various green hues. My original patterns--see photo of the design for one end of the scarf--were already sketched on heavy paper. The next step was to "draw" the design outlines on the scarf with gutta, a rubber-based resist. That's when it went wrong.

Design outline for one end of the scarf

The gutta and applicator 

     The gutta is applied with a small squeeze bottle through a metal tip with a small opening (see photo). The metal tips come in various sizes, and I think my mistake was using one with a medium opening at the top (it's still really tiny). The gutta flowed too fast and puddled, covering areas I intended to leave open. Every area covered with gutta would resist the French silk dyes and remain the background color. Using the metal tip with the smallest opening would have produced a thinner line of gutta and may have prevented the mess I ended up with. In some designs, this would not have mattered much; the design simply would have looked a bit different from what I'd intended. In this case, the leafy fronds on the left would have had undesirable aqua patches.

The gutta outlines, with messy overflow

     Even when the gutta is still wet, it cannot be wiped off, so I let the piece dry. What to do? I decided to start over and used the same dye blends in the same concentration as in the first scarf (glad I keep notes on my colors). Making no effort to duplicate the original background, I painted on the pale aqua and swirled in some blue. If all goes well this time, I hope to post the new, corrected version in the future.

Close-up of the messiest area

     Once all dye has been painted on, the finishing steps for a scarf (when using French silk dyes) are: steam setting the piece for an hour or more (I do several at once), soaking any scarves with gutta in naphtha to remove the resist (dry cleaning also works), then washing and pressing the scarves. 

     As an experiment, I soaked the original scarf in naphtha even though the dyes were not set. What's the worst that can happen?, I thought--the color will wash out or drastically fade, but the scarf might be reusable for another project. To my surprise, the color faded much less than expected. Now, I have two versions of an aqua/blue medley background to work with. Stay tuned.

Question of the day: Along with success stories, isn't it sometimes helpful to hear about a day that things went wrong for someone else?

How I Prepared for the Holiday Pop Up Shop for Art and More

Hand-painted silk scarves on display

     Preparing for our Holiday Pop-up Shop was simpler than preparing for my own in-home studio open houses had been (index of those posts here), but it still required advance work and lots of lists. As I mentioned in my previous post, my neighbor initiated the pop-up shop and hosted it in her home this past November. We talked several times on the phone and in person a couple of months ahead and did some of the planning together, but she did the heavy lifting of clearing space in her spacious living/dining room and the attached office/studio, setting up tables for our displays, and purchasing nice cheeses, crackers, and fruit.

The paintings on the mantel

     My display space in her office/studio was well-lit and pleasant--as were the areas for her own art and the wares of other sellers participating in the larger living area. I brought my own tablecloth as a softer background for my hand-painted silk scarves and some smaller acrylic landscapes. There was room on a mantel behind me for a few larger paintings. So, how did I prepare for this event?

Smaller paintings on the display table

INVITATIONS:

Some of the supplies for the Pop-up Shop

     For my solo open studio receptions in the past, I had special invitation postcards printed and mailed them about 3 1/2 weeks before the event (one example; another example). For the Pop-up Shop, our host had requested us to limit our invitations to about 20 apiece so that her home was not overwhelmed--also so that she could post a general invitation at our neighborhood bulletin board and put up signs inviting passers-by to stop in. So, I purchased standard invitations to send, making sure that the information I wrote inside was complete and likely to attract interest in attending our event. The invitations were designed to arrive about 2 weeks before the event (Given the timing, I didn't want to go earlier and compete with Halloween for any one's attention).

     
OTHER PREPARATION DETAILS:

Close up of a painting's price tag

     Rather than plain price tags, I found pretty gift tags with room for the titles and sizes of paintings or the specifics of each scarf. It's surprising how much time it takes to do something as simple as to write out and attach price tags. The scarves were all freshly pressed, and the paintings wiped clean of any dust. I also had enough small bills to make change for cash customers and my receipt book ready. Small peach-colored gift bags with bright white tissue paper would hold purchased scarves and a roll of brown paper would wrap paintings to go home with customers. I used a pottery business card holder (visible in the photo of paintings on the table) and had flyers about my journey into making art ready to offer. 

     
SET-UP:
     Beginning set-up about an hour before our opening gave me plenty of time to take a few photos of my display and to meet the other sellers, who were each delightful and creative. Although I ended up wishing I had started a few of the prep tasks a day or two earlier (which seems to be typical for me :), my lists and the advance work I did paid off and all went smoothly. 

Question of the day: Are you typically well-prepared for things ahead of time, or are you a last-minute person? Or, like me, a bit of both that somehow works out?

In-home Holiday Pop-up Shop For Art and More

My display at the Holiday Pop-up Shop at a neighbor's home

     In early November, I participated in a Holiday Pop-up Shop at a neighbor's home. I offered landscape and seascape paintings and hand-painted silk scarves for sale. The event was my neighbor, Cheryl's, idea, and she had invited me some weeks before to join her and other sellers she knew for the one day event in her home. Although the price point of my paintings made selling them in that setting unlikely, I thought it would be a way to connect with some new people. Since my scarves are in the $60 - $70 range, I thought a sale was possible, but was quite ready to make the effort and to enjoy the experience--sales or no sales.

     Your response to previous posts about Open Studio Receptions I have held at our home (those posts are perennial favorites for visits) means I expect many readers to be interested in the planning, process, and set-up of the Pop-up Shop. Cheryl, our host, who has begun creating lovely watercolor/calligraphy greeting cards and other items recently, said that remembering those receptions at our house was one of the sparks for her pop-up shop idea. 

     With all the information I could cover, I'll write more than one post about our Holiday Pop-up Shop. Today, I'll begin at the event itself and back up to the details of preparation(that post here) at another time. Besides Cheryl and me with our art works, the sellers were a portrait and family photographer, a Younique makeup representative, and a woman who sells Paparazzi jewelry. The group provided a nice variety of offerings, and our guests/customers very much enjoyed the event. Many of them spent a fair amount of time circulating, chatting, and enjoying water or coffee with cheese, crackers, and grapes as well as shopping. 

A guest asking about my painting process

     The photo above shows my area, with a table provided by Cheryl, my own tablecloth and some paintings displayed on a mantel behind me. Oh, and by the way, I did sell a few scarves. More important, I think, is that I met wonderful people. Cheryl had encouraged us before we opened to focus on people and on our interactions with them more than on sales. She was right; we and our guests had a very enjoyable few hours, and sales did flow for each of us. Also, many people who spent time with me took my card and may contact me for paintings or scarves in the future.

Question of the day: Aside from on-line purchasing, what is one in-person holiday shopping experience that you especially enjoyed or gift purchase that felt extra satisfying?