Savoring--A Refreshing Summer Salad Recipe with Peas and Carrots

Although I often plan meals carefully, some dishes and menus come about sort of accidentally. I hate to waste food, so track our fresh fruit and vegetable supply in order to serve foods as close to their peak of freshness as possible. A few weeks ago, a bag of fresh, peeled, petite carrots proved very disappointing--not very sweet or appealing. So, I had planned to lightly cook and season them, but cooked carrots did not fit well into the next few nights' meal plans. Planning to enjoy BLTs with some yummy tomatoes and a partial pack of bacon left from making something else, I went on-line to search for carrot salad recipes.

The most promising recipe, Pea and Carrot Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette sounded nice, but shallots aren't a staple in this refrigerator (and I had no intention of running to the store). After several other changes to the recipe, I came up with a salad Mark and I both enjoyed. The amounts are approximate and can be adjusted to your family's taste preferences. If you are interested in the original recipe or in the nutrition facts, go to www.foodfit.com.

Pea and Carrot Salad

2 cups raw baby carrots, chopped in 1/2" chunks

3 cups frozen petite green peas

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tblsp. lemon juice

2 Tblsp. red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/4 - 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 Tblsp. olive oil

1 Tblsp. snipped fresh parsley

dash of salt

generous grinding of black pepper

1. Steam (or boil) chopped carrots for about 3 minutes, until slightly tender, but still crisp. Stir peas into same pot of hot water just enough to thaw them and drain off water immediately (the peas will taste very fresh and sweet this way).

2. Whisk the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar together. Stir in chopped onion, then whisk olive oil in, mixing well. Stir in snipped parsley and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

3. Gently toss the peas and carrots in the vinaigrette and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Question of the day: Do you tend to follow recipes, read and then adapt them, or make up your own dishes without a recipe?

Growing--Painting Process--Using a Limited Palette

When I first started painting, I used whatever paint colors I thought would best mimic the actual landscape that was my subject or sometimes used my "artistic license" to attempt to improve on nature, choosing whatever colors I wanted. Although this approach can work, and some of those pieces turned out well, I have been more pleased with the results of using a so-called "limited palette" approach. That means using just certain selected paint colors throughout one painting. Two happy results of this change were that the pieces seemed to have better internal unity and were more pleasing to the eye (in my opinion) and secondly, that I discovered a tremendous power and range in color blends. Even a limited palette can produce amazing variety in color and tone. Rich neutrals result from combinations of opposites on the color wheel, like producing an earthy, warm brown from mixing red and green (which can be varied with different reds or greens from the tube) or like the range of lively greys emerging from purple/yellow or blue/orange combos. Alternatively, one can use the opposite (complementary) color in small amounts to soften a tube color. For example, a too-strong blue for painting a realistic sky color can be knocked back with the right orange, or even with a few drops of burnt sienna.

The painting in today's photo shows early spring wildflowers at Jacksonville Beach against a white fence, photographed near an oceanfront home. A dear friend purchased the painting at my Open Studio Reception this past November, so I visit it often. The other photo shows some of the palette experimentation and notes that led to the palette used for the piece. Other color combos I tried and rejected for this particular painting are saved in a file for possible future use. The colors used here are cerulean blue, paynes grey (which is also bluish), sap green, cadmium red deep, burnt sienna, Naples yellow, buff, black, and white, with a touch of orange added later for bright highlights in the flowers. This May, I started a second painting from the same set of beach photos, one which includes a nearby bridge over the protected dunes down to the beach, and am using this identical palette again. If some of you are interested in this topic, I will include palette details in an occasional future post showing paintings. Please let me know what you think.

Question of the day: I think I have asked this before, but can't resist again--where would be without color in our world?

Learning--Turkish Connections--Ramadan

We absolutely loved our journey to Turkey in the fall of 2003. All aspects of our time in Turkey were memorable--the art and culture, from ancient civilizations to the present; the beauty of the land, from the abundant harvest and fertile fields, to the mountains and the sparkling, aqua waters of the Mediterranean; and, most of all, the gracious, welcoming Turkish people.

Recently, I was privileged to enjoy two events presented by our local Amity Turkish Cultural Center. We, our son, and his wife joined with a church group in a Ramadan style evening meal, a treat given by the Cultural Center. Since Ramadan falls during our calendar's August this year, daylight is long. Observant Muslims eat something before sunrise and then do not eat or drink until after sunset each day of the month of Ramadan. So, rather than their usual practice of sharing an actual Ramadan meal with others in the community during their celebration, they took pity on us non-Muslims by bringing us a typical meal last week when we all could eat at 6 p.m.

After a brief introduction to the meaning and purpose of Ramadan, they invited us to a buffet with Turkish style macaroni and cheese, rice with vegetables, meatballs and potatoes in sauce, a huge salad, and Turkish baklava--all very delicious. But the best part of the evening was that some of the local Turkish Cultural Center members joined us at each of our round tables and freely answered any questions we had about Ramadan, their faith, or their lives in the U.S. It is hard to describe just how friendly, gentle, and gracious they all were and how open both to sharing and to listening. They truly embodied the mission of the Amity Turkish Cultural Center, which is "building bridges for peace."

In a future post, I'll tell you more about the second of their events that I enjoyed. Telling you about our experiences on that amazing journey to Turkey will also come later (otherwise this post would be verrrrry loooooong :>). This photo from our time in Turkey shows one of the minarets of the magnificent 16th century Sulaymaniyah Mosque in Istanbul, associated with the great Sultan Sulayman.

Question of the day: What cross-cultural experiences have been meaningful for you?

Savoring--Favorite Baked Beans Recipe

For the Fourth of July gathering at our friends' home, we were asked to bring baked beans because all our friends love our family recipe. My sister-in-law gave me this recipe years ago (thank you, Betty), and my husband, a connoisseur of baked bean dishes, prefers it to any other. Since it calls for canned beans, it is relatively easy.

If you try this recipe, I know you will probably end up modifying it to your family's taste. We have made a few changes to Betty's (also yummy) original recipe. We leave out the 1/2 pound ground beef that the recipe said to brown with the bacon, and instead of partially draining the cans of beans, I fully drain them and even rinse them in a colander (except for the pork & beans). This will eliminate a lot of the salt--we think it also eliminates some of the sulfur compounds that build up in the can and make canned beans extra gassy.

You can use between 3 and 5 cans of beans in the amount of sauce given. Of course, fewer cans of beans make for a juicier dish. And you can use your family's favorite types of beans. For nice variety in size and color in the dish pictured, I used 5 cans total--one very large can of pork & beans (a 2# can, I think) plus 2 one-pound cans each of butter beans and black beans.

MIXED BEAN BAKE

1/2# bacon, cut in pieces (I use Gwaltney's 40% lower fat bacon--it's delicious.)

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup ketchup

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. mustard

2 tsp. cider vinegar

3 - 5 cans of beans, including one large can of pork & beans, partially drained

and 2 - 4 other types, well drained and rinsed

Brown the bacon, adding onions once the bacon starts to crisp. Drain well on paper towels when done to your liking.

Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and vinegar in a large bowl and mix well. Add all beans and mix well. Finally, stir in bacon and onion and turn into a large casserole (3 quart size if you are using 5 cans of beans).

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven until hot and bubbly (from about 40 minutes for 3 cans of beans to about 50 minutes for 5 cans.).

Enjoy!

Question of the day: What are your favorite summer party side dishes?

Learning--Planning Stages of Painting Process

Last post promised some details of my planning process for paintings, so here is a fairly simple example, a 9" x 12" study of a sanderling skittering and feeding at the edge of the surf. The original reference photo shows the bird on the right side of the scene. In another photo, you see doodling and notes on printer paper. Sketches explore possible compositional arrangements and combinations of darks, lights and in-between values. These rough sketches are in grey-scale markers in 5 tones from lightest to darkest--depending on the subject, I sometimes sketch in soft pencil or colored markers instead.

I have misplaced the original messy experimentation with paint colors for this piece, but in the lower right corner of the paper, you can see the results--stripes of the tube colors I chose: cerulean blue, burnt sienna, Paynes grey, black, and white. Then beside the paint colors are a few of the possible mixes that provide a warmer grey in the foreground, gradually going cooler and bluer in the background. Those of you who paint know what interesting greys you can make by mixing a brown (here, burnt sienna) with any blue or bluish color (cerulean or Paynes grey), plus white for lighter versions.

Another photo shows the usual set-up at my easel. On a large foam board, I tape the reference photo(s), a larger scan of the reference photo in black and white to aid in planning tonal balance, the sketches, notes, and palette plans (basic colors and a few important mixes). All are right above the painting I am working on for easy reference. Finally, you see a photo of the completed study, which was a good learning experience for me.

Since I have written about this study previously (enter "sanderling" in the blog search box above for earlier posts), I'll stop here for now. Please let me know if you enjoy entries about the painting process and what aspects in particular you would like to hear about. Since my painting personality tends toward a combination of some planning and some discovery and revision as the work emerges, there are varying bits of preliminary work on the shelves from each work I have completed.

Question of the day: Would you enjoy an occasional post like this one? What other topics would you like us to discuss?

A Quick Hello and Answer to a Painting Question

I am planning some posts to answer some reader questions about my painting process. In particular, I will show you some of the stages of planning a composition, choosing a palette, and other details of preparing to create a coastal North Florida landscape painting. Artists differ greatly in their approach to the early stages of a work. For me, some time spent planning on paper helps the painting process. Believe me, I've learned that the hard way by thinking I had a workable concept and jumping in too quickly. Fortunately, acrylics allow for painting right over all the ""whoopsies" and "what was I thinking" areas. Even with careful planning, there is still a fair amount of revision as I go along with many adjustments for some of the pieces, while in other works, the plan works out more quickly and smoothly.

That's a preview to one or two posts coming soon. Today, I need to devote most of my on-line time to presenting this week's works in progress to Linda Blondheim for her e-critique services.

So, I will quickly post a photo to answer a question a few of you have e-mailed to me, "What is gallery wrap canvas?" I like the contemporary look of well-finished, unframed pieces. Some prepared canvases are stapled to their stretching boards along the sides so that a frame is necessary to cover the stapled edges. Gallery wrap canvases are more neatly stretched and are stapled to the boards on the back. I like to continue the scene right around to the sides of these canvases, as in the above photo of the autumn marsh scene. Of course, buyers who prefer framed paintings can still frame these works. But I finish the backs and wire them so that they can also be hung without a frame.

Keep those questions coming! I enjoy the conversations we have.

Learning and Growing--Painting of a Salt Marsh

This painting, on 12" x 16" gallery wrapped canvas, has been a long time coming. I have felt stuck and put it away a few times. As I worked on it in May, it reached "near completion". Yet, I was uncertain about the best solution to a couple of issues. The foreground grasses were problematical, sometimes seeming too bland; then a change would overdo the variation in tone and color. Bland wasn't good, but I did not want the foreground to distract from the egrets (intended to be a focal point) or from allowing the viewer's eye to move about the scene. You may want to enlarge this image to get a better view of the egrets and other details.

Knowing that I would be working with my painting mentor Linda Blondheim again in June, I waited for her advice. I mentioned her e-critique service for painters in two February posts, the last time we worked together. Between her suggestions and some experimenting on my part, the piece is now in a good place. There will still be minor color adjustments with transparent glazes on the lightest grass tips and perhaps on the tree mass furthest forward on the right. These will be subtle enough that they will not show much in a photo. So, I decided to go ahead and show it to all y'all.

Although the reference photo was taken one January, that was a mild winter (unlike this year!), and the salt marsh did not look completely winter-like yet. Also, some of the color changes I made to pump up the visual interest of several areas slanted the scene toward a late autumn in look. We have hiked the wooded and marshland trails in Fort Caroline National Monument several times, both on our own and with family members visiting from other parts of the country. Every trail turn reveals new natural beauty in this park, part of an immense preserve spanning thousands of acres near the mouth of the St. Johns River here in Jacksonville, Florida.

Question of the day: Isn't it interesting how some creations seem to come together in a flash (not only for painters, but for all creative individuals), and others unfold slowly?

Grieving--Suffering and Loss in the Gulf

It's hard to say precisely why it has been so difficult for me to write a post this past week. Somehow, when I begin writing anything, the devastation of the oil leak in the Gulf comes to mind and makes my topic seem trite. Although the present locations of oil coming ashore are quite far from us, and although we live on the Atlantic Ocean rather than the Gulf, it all seems very near and threatening when our sea birds fly overhead.

So, today I will express my grief and utter frustration with this ongoing disaster although I cannot offer any new insights. My sympathies are with the families of the workers killed in the initial explosion. The threat to marshes, shoreline, and all the life that flourished in this rich ecosystem before this accident is immense, with no end in sight. The destruction of the livelihoods of countless families is severe and ongoing. What more can any of us possibly say? We pray, but wish we could somehow do more.

The news footage of oil-soaked brown pelicans is particularly heart-breaking, as they cannot possibly understand their own suffering. Although not the most beautiful of birds, they are amazing creatures, graceful in flight and precision in motion diving for food. To me, they seem symbolic of all the loss and suffering that has occurred and that will continue for years, possibly decades. The healthy brown pelican pictured here proudly refused to yield an inch of its chosen territory on Jacksonville Pier when we walked out there several months ago. It is a magnificent bird. Considering the larger picture of human and natural devastation, I feel my share of responsibility as a consumer of oil products and can only mourn.

Growing--Landscape Painting Experiment--Tranquil Creek Bend

I first showed you this painting about six months ago and am repeating that post for newer readers. Two photos show portions of the painting for more detail (and as always, you can click on a photo to enlarge it). Once again, the location is a spot that many people would walk by without stopping to look. A small bridge on Hogan Road crosses Little Pottsburg Creek near our home on the south side of Jacksonville, Florida. On the lookout for scenes with water features, I pulled over to explore and was especially taken with the view in one direction, where the creek widened and curved out of sight around a bend. A thickly wooded bank on one side was countered by oddly charming, spindly trees rising above bushes on the other. The trees reminded me of children experiencing a sudden growth spurt practicing in dance class, somehow combining awkwardness and grace.

This is the second painting to emerge from photos taken that day. I decided to push myself away from my favorite palette and began with a pinkish sky. Although the sky was actually a pale overcast grey, the pink tones somehow captured the bright, warm haze of that morning--the kind of light that requires sunglasses in spite of pervasive cloud cover. One painting goal was to let the sky set a certain mood and to continue experimenting with a limited palette of ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, Paynes grey, cadmium red deep, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, and white. All greens, browns, and blackish tones are mixed from these colors. The second painting goal was to try to evoke the tranquility of the moment and the feeling of mystery as the creek glided around a bend and out of sight. The reflections in the water seemed central to portraying the stillness of the scene.

As usual, pursuing the goals of this piece gave me fits along the way, and it was even more difficult than usual to decide when to stop revising and to declare the painting finished. For some reason, I continued to tinker with small details, to wish it looked a bit different (but not knowing precisely what to change), and to put it away repeatedly to pull out days later for more tinkering. Of course, this can be the ruin of a decent creation, and I finally had to exert some self-discipline and just STOP. Have you seen news features about chimps, elephants, or other non-human animals who paint amazing abstracts? One commentator remarked that the unseen co-artist is the person who pulls their work away and gives them a fresh canvas. Left to themselves, they would happily continue slapping on more and more paint--producing, presumably, a less interesting result. I can definitely relate to the chimps who might not be the best judges of when to stop painting. However this piece, now signed and finished with a light coat of medium, has been declared officially complete and has hung on our bedroom wall for a few weeks. And, as it catches my eye in lamplight or as morning brightens, it has definitely grown on me. Update since the first time I posted this: This painting and several others are now available at a lovely local shop in the San Marco section of Jacksonville, Trends Home Decor. If you visit there, you will be amazed at the variety of distinctive art, home accessories, and furniture at affordable prices.

Question: What experiences have you had with the art of knowing when to stop?

Exploring--A St. John's River Park in Jacksonville, Florida

I hope you enjoy seeing scenery in and around Jacksonville, Florida, because this post has more :>). Since both our super sons and their wonderful wives were busy on Mother's Day, Mark and I enjoyed a quiet afternoon. The weather was so spectacular, clear and pleasantly warm with a light breeze, that we decided to take a walk in a park we had seen only briefly before when we were house-hunting seven years ago. The Lyons Club Park (that's the way the map spells it), lies on the western edge of a point of land along the St. John's River just before this north-flowing river makes its last winding turn east to empty into the Atlantic Ocean several miles from the park. After a delightful walk, we took a peek at a second lovely park, a preserve area just across the main road on the north edge of the point. Always on the lookout for "paintable" scenes, I took some photos as we walked in Lyons Club Park. One shows typical vegetation along one of the well-kept paths. Another looks back at the way we had come, a park boardwalk along the marshy river bank. The third shows the industrial port views across the river at this point, an interesting contrast to the parks and preserves that line some of the river bank, the lucky riverfront homes, and to the city skyscrapers and urban river walk downtown. We continue to be grateful that we chose Jacksonville for our home in this semi-retirement phase of life (and beyond, we hope). The variety of wetlands, wooded areas, beaches, and extensive preserve lands--the varied habitats and ecosystems are amazing. What a super home for a landscape and seascape painter! Exploring and discovering new areas of natural beauty are an important part of creative living for us.

Question of the day: What are the best natural features of your area?

Learning--Painting a Sandpiper and Studying Value Balance

On April 3rd, I showed you a photo of a sandpiper at the edge of foamy surf at Jacksonville Beach, a scene I wanted to try to paint. Here is that photo again and the current work-in-progress (looking a bit darker than it is "in person"), a study in acrylics on a 9" x 12" canvas board. Click on the photo to enlarge it if you wish. The painting was challenging because of the relative lack of color in the photo, but that was an advantage in using the scene to study balance in tonal values. For non-artist readers, by "values" we mean the tonal range of darks and lights (and all the in-betweens) regardless of color. The aim was for most of the painting to fall in a mid to mid-light range with a secondary emphasis on the brightest light tones in the foam and highlights on the sandpiper. That way, I reasoned, the darkest areas, on the bird, the shadow edge of the foam, and the weeds washed up by the surf, would stand out and draw the viewer's eye. On the whole, I am pleased with the way the tonal balance has worked out.

When I put this piece away for awhile a few weeks ago, I thought that it needed major work. However, a few added touches brought it to this point, and it seems (possibly) near completion. As I've mentioned before, knowing when to stop working on a painting, when further "fussing" might make it worse rather than better, is an art in itself. For now, it is perched on a small easel on a nightstand for contemplation :>).

You can see some changes from the photo, the main one being to reposition our feathered friend so that she did not run out of the composition. The line of foam is tweaked a little in shape. Originally, I had planned to change that line of foam somehow because it is so thick that it almost looks phony. However, at this point, it follows the look in the photo and seems pleasingly whimsical. To give a touch of perspective, I used warmer grey tones in the foreground, bluish greys in the mid-ground, and more or less straight greys mixed with white in the background. Almost none of the grey tones are simply mixes of black and white although some are variations of Paynes grey, a wonderful deep bluish grey. From the foreground to the foam line, most of the grey tones come from a mix of burnt sienna with either cerulean or ultramarine blue, lightened with white. Any grey or brownish neutral that results from mixing complementary (or near-complementary) colors is livelier and more interesting than a mix of black and white.

Some of you readers are avid bird watchers and may wonder precisely what variety of sandpiper this is. Answering that is well beyond my level of bird identification skills. Even our small guide to field identification of birds lists a couple dozen varieties of sandpiper, a daunting number of them found on Florida's coast. The dark legs narrow down the possibilities, and it seems most like a sanderling to me in size (about 6 or 7 inches long), beak shape, and coloring. The sanderling, like many Florida shorebirds, is brown and white speckled in summer, more black and white in winter. My photo, taken a few years ago in October, seems to show the winter plumage coming in.

Question of the day: Isn't it fun to tackle challenges--like painting a scene with little color?

Growing--Visiting a Quaker Meeting and a Peaceful Campus

Sunday, I decided to attend a local Quaker First Day meeting, something I have been wanting to do for awhile. This is the week I gave my shy self a push to "just do it". The members were welcoming and kind, making sure I felt comfortable among them. The experience of quiet reflection and prayer, with a few thoughts offered by participants, was meaningful and lovely. I felt renewed and refreshed.

The group meets in the library of a local private school with a truly beautiful campus. I had brought a camera in case I wanted to go hunting for painting subjects after the meeting and was glad I had. A calm stroll all by myself continued the meditative gratitude and peace I felt after worship. Behind a small building labeled "Latin", a feeder stream to the St. Johns River flowed by. The bright sunshine on spring-green leaves, the chorus of bird-song, the tree shadows on the grass, the caress of a warm breeze--the entire morning was a gift.

Question of the day: What recent experience has refreshed your spirit?