Autumn Fungi – original encaustic

Well, I have gone and done it!  Yes, I have listed as for sale this painting entitled Autumn Fungi in my Artfire shop.

I decided to include the picture showing how I got my inspiration for this subject matter.

Inspiration!

Result!

ACEO Series - Tulips

Since, like so many others, I am getting tired of the cold of winter I thought I would turn my attentions to the garden.  Amazingly, several of my plants are showing signs of life.  Many have buds and my Mountain Ash (Rowan Tree) even has a couple of leaves starting to unfurl!

This brings me nicely to my latest ACEO entitled ‘Mauve Tulip’ series.  I thought I might do a series so do watch out for the next instalment!

A Lunar Landscape…

Scientists talk about sending man to the moon but supposing there is some form of life as we know it already?
Imagine, giants and ghosts living in their very own castles in a lunar landscape? I am sure some of our well known giants from fairy tales of long ago would fit into this description!

I listed this ACEO in my Etsy shop entitled Lunar Castles.

An English Autumn Scene

I am slowly returning after the Christmas/New Year celebrations when I was totally laid up with flu!  Great!

Then as I was getting over that, I got another cold.  Now, over all that and trying very hard to get on with everything again.

And so, my friends, I have listed this encaustic painting in my artfire shop entitled ‘An English Autumn Scene’.

Autumn always incorporates some of my favourite colours, so warm and bright as nature gives a final blast before she beds down for the cold winter.

You may remember that this was actually one of my entries into the First Annual Autumn Arts Painting Challenge and Competition on Facebook.

Hopefully, this will be the start of my muse coming to work again!

Food, Food, Glorious Food!

Well, we all know about that at this time of year!  Although many of my US friends will have had their big meal on Thanksgiving, we in the UK will have ours at Christmas.

I grew up with the tradition of celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve since my parents where from ‘abroad’ but nowadays, since I settled in UK many years ago, we celebrate on Christmas Day.  We start with the obligatory Buck’s Fizz, plenty of nibbles to keep the hunger at bay whilst we unwrap the pressies from under the tree and catch up on all the family gossip.

Before all the pleasantries comes all that preparation, angst, sorting, tidying to make way for more jumble, sorting or thinking up a new twist to the tradition menu, judging how many family will actually appear etc etc all for a few hours on the Day itself.  We then sit looking at each other stupefied having eaten so much food that we can’t move and vow to ourselves, never again!  So, what happens the next year?  We all do it all over again!

This year I am planning, well I have just about planned my menu.  We were supposed to be going to my daughter’s house but some of the family want to come here so she will be entertaining her in-laws for the first Christmas dinner!  Panic!!!

So, what is on my menu?  Well, we will be five adults with one very pregnant lady who will not be allowed to eat any shellfish.  Her husband is really strict on that, our #son who has firm ideas on the subject.  So, have you ever tried putting together a menu knowing that you should not use a certain food?  Why does fish always appear everywhere?  I have settled on making some homemade potato and leek soup to be served in a demitasse (small teacup!) whilst on the saucer will be placed a couple of small pieces of toasted baguette which has had olive oil and grained mustard spread on it.  This will be rather nice to dip in the soup.

Next, comes la piece de la resistance!  The TURKEY!  This year I was going to  serve just the crown of the bird since most of us like the white meat but for a change I am going to have  a whole turkey.  I noticed a lovely recipe whereby you lifted the breast skin to smear a mixture of mascarpone cheese mixed with friend pancetta, herbs and onions.  Not only will this infuse the bland turkey meat with wonderful flavours but also keep the meat beautifully moist.

I shall make a gratin of Brussels sprouts, since that can be prepared in advance, along with carrots cooked in brandy, butternut squash pureed and roast potatoes in goose fat.  The usual extras such as homemade cranberry sauce made with orange and port, bread sauce (might take a rain check on that one since hardly anyone really likes it!) and turkey gravy.  Since I will have the whole turkey I will have the giblets to make up the gravy.    Oh, did I mention the stuffing?  Yes, that will be homemade with special sausage meat, grated apple, chopped up chestnuts and herbs.

Another tradition that I started years ago and know the kids have continued with their families is to have a small gift placed at their places at the table.  Usually, something inexpensive but fun to open.  This year I decided that I shall do a couple of lottery tickets each…. with the proviso that a commission is paid to us on any winnings … did I just say that?????

The last serving on our groaning dining table will be the desert.  Always, everyone asks for Christmas pudding.  Now, I used to make my own but since we all only want a spoonful I now buy in that commodity.  In addition, I will serve a mango trifle and produce the small cheese board with grapes for those who still have the space to indulge.

After this feast, a quick clean up, chat, and off we all walk around the corner to my daughter’s house to continue the festivities and…. eating!

Did I tell you what she will be serving?  Some of Mum’s soup starter, followed by turkey (cooked by mother in law), a ham and all the usual additions including my cranberry sauce!  For desert she is going to try her hand at a delicious looking Irish Cream cheesecake followed with cheese and biscuits.  And then, the other members of the family from around the corner descend!

Happy Christmas!!!!

Tatting – a dying art

I remember trying my hand at tatting.  My, what a laborious skill.  The trouble is these days we are all wanting instant satisfaction that often machine worked pieces are preferable to hand worked ones.  If only, because of price!

According to Wikipedia, ‘Tatting with a shuttle is the earliest method of creating tatted lace.’ 

To make the lace, the tatter wraps the thread around one hand and manipulates the shuttle with the other hand. No tools other than the thread, the hands, and the shuttle are used.  Some of the shuttles were made of bone and slipped easily through the loops.  Later, a tatting needle was introduced whereby instead of winding the cotton around the shuttle the needle had to be threaded.  Older designs, especially through the early 1900s, tend to use fine white or ivory thread (50 to 100 widths to the inch) and intricate designs. Newer designs from the 1920s and onward often use thicker thread in one or more colors. The best thread for tatting is a "hard" thread that does not untwist readily.

Well, I did try and still have the instruments for a rainy day!  Meanwhile, I inherited some old, antique lace from my late mother.  She lived into her 90s as did her mother.  So, some of the antique lace which in its day must have sat on lady’s collars etc seems to sit in a box in a cupboard.  As much as I can take out the pieces to ooh and aah over them, they always return to the storage in the cupboard.  This seems such a shame!  So, I am going to list some of these pieces in my Etsy shop and trust some buyer will come along who can fully appreciate the workmanship and beauty of them.

For instance, this tatted triangle is a fine example of the art of tatting and openwork.

PQ

It’s been so long!

I know, I know!  It has been an age since I wrote on this blog.  Well, I did have the best excuse in the world!  My little girl got married at the end of August and it got a little frantic towards the end trying to bring together all those last minute details but eventually we did!  Even though she was really unwell due to the stress of the wedding planning and the enormous stress at work we got through it and had the most wonderful day!

So, after all this time I decided to start selling some of my mother’s vintage items which often border on the antique.  First off is this delightful Japanese paper and bamboo fan.  Ideal for those days when you just want to move some cooler air around you but still stay ladylike!

 Here you see the fan displayed open.  The front shows a pretty bird looking over its shoulder at the flowers whilst the reverse is plain.

In fact when I pulled open the fan initially I did see some Japanese writing.

 

 

I promise not to leave it quite so long until I post again!

Pat