St. Mary's Basilica, Covington, KY - Sketchbook

A couple weeks ago Christina and I went to Kentucky to sketch the St. Mary's Basilica in Covington. From the outside it is totally amazing, but then you go inside and you can't even believe your eyes!  The amount of stained glass is mind boggling and it is crazy-beautiful.  Not to mention the intricate wood carving and the Duveneck murals.  If you are ever in Covington it is well worth it to visit.

I have really enjoyed these sketching outings with Christina.  She is so talented and I learn so much from her every time we sketch.  I love to watch how she begins a drawing and it has been really helpful to see how she depicts texture and shadow.  Not to mention I love how she paints her skies.  You can see her sketch of this same building here.  Thanks so much Christina for getting me out there - you're work inspires me to keep at it!

Shitake Log

My friend Margot gave us a shitake log a few months ago.  We left it outside and nothing much happened with it.  But a couple weeks ago we went to her house and saw that she had a crazy motherload of shitakes.  It turns out you have to soak the log for 24 hours for it to develop.  We soaked the log last week and now we are in business!  The first night George cooked them in butter and I do believe they were the tastiest mushrooms I've ever had.  I don't know if it was the butter or the mushrooms, but I am loving the log!  Thank you Margot!

Screen Porch/Pergola Addition

I've been excited to post this project for a while now.  I helped my dad design and plan a screen porch addition, outside patio, pergola, and fireplace.  It all started with what my dad likes to refer to as "varmints."  His old wood deck had "varmints" living under it and he wanted to get rid of them.  The deck was pretty old so I suggested he add a screen porch like I did.  I did a mock-up in Photoshop (below) of what I thought it should look like last spring.  He showed it to his talented contractor, Jeff Boos.  And last fall Jeff built it in about 2 weeks!  I can't recommend him enough.  Not only was he on budget and on schedule, but he does beautiful work and has a great sense of design.

I have been waiting to write this post because my dad had the landscaping done this summer and I wanted the grass to grow in.  And this past Sunday the final touch was installed... the pagoda.  We had been looking for a while for a pagoda and we found the perfect one at Aquatic and Garden Decor in West Chester.  It felt really good to put it in place and call the job done!

Trumpet Vine

I know it's August when the corners of the driveway start to disappear in trumpet vines.  Last week I decided it was time to take the driveway back and when I got out there I couldn't bear to throw the flowers away.  I wasn't sure how trumpet vines would do in a flower arrangement but I was pleasantly surprised.  Their saggy heads looked beautiful all together and they lasted about three days before dropping to the floor. 

At times I think the vines in my back yard will be the end of me and when I read this quote by Abraham Lincoln I thought it was appropriate, "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"  Even though I was literally trying to destroy them, I do feel a bit friendlier towards them now.  I think we may even have a peace treaty - I give them the driveway for a month and then I cut their heads off for a nice flower arrangement...and everyone is happy.

Elm St., Cincinnati, OH - Sketch

Christina and I went to Washington Park to sketch a couple weeks ago.  If you don't live in Cincinnati and you ever come to visit you should definitely go downtown.  The architecture is really beautiful and many of the old buildings are now being renovated.  The buildings in my sketch are on Elm St. just next to the park.  Christina sketched in one direction (you can see her sketch here) and I sketched in the other. It's always interesting to sketch outside in a public place.  There were not only colorful buildings, but a few colorful personalities, as well as a biting fly that tortured us.  But in the end it was great fun and hopefully we will go again this week!

Bitter Melon

Last week George and my neighbor John took a trip up to Jungle Jim's with the express purpose to go and buy weird food.  "And did they succeed?" you ask?  I'll let you be the judge. 

They came home with 5 kinds of extremely bitter beer, burro bananas, stinky blue cheese and the bitter melon you see above.  When I saw the melon I was intrigued by its green, knobby body and when George cut it open I loved the pattern created by the seeds inside.  But I let its beauty fool me into tasting it and I can only describe it as incredibly hideous.  This melon activated every bitter taste bud on my tongue and I immediately had to drink some water to rid my mouth of the overwhelming bitterness.  Of course, George happily ate his and stir fried it for dinner.  I will never understand his affinity for the bitter.  As they say, "De gustibus non est disputandum!" - "There's no accounting for taste!"

Wabi Sabi Desert Plants

One morning when we were in Santa Fe we woke up early and went for a walk.  George's goal was to look for birds and mine was to photograph anything that caught my eye.  It is amazing what you can see if you walk slowly and really take time in the desert.  At first it might appear like endless junipers and dry arroyos, but if you stop and really get up close there are incredible things to see everywhere.

When I got home and looked at my photos I realized the majority of them were of dried out seed pods.  This always make me think of my favorite wabi-sabi books so I pulled them out and found this nice quote to end with from "Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets, & Philosophers" by Leonard Koren:

"Though things wabi-sabi may be on the point of dematerialization (or materialization) - extremely faint, fragile, or desiccated - they still possess an undiminished poise and strength of character."

Museum of Contemporary Native Arts - Sketch

When we were in Santa Fe I went into town one morning with the intention to sketch the cathedral.  When I got there the sun was coming up behind the cathedral and the front was in shadow.  When I turned around to see what the sun was shining on I was greeted with this view of the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.  Seeing how I am absolutely mad about adobe architecture, I think it was a stroke of great luck that the sun made me turn around that day.  This building is absolutely gorgeous!  I love the portal, the vigas, the curved walls, the balcony and towers, and the enclosed patio gardens.  And this is just one example of the amazing architecture downtown.  Santa Fe truly is one of my favorite places to visit and I already can't wait to go back.

(click image to enlarge)

Bird Scissors

When I saw the booth of Sayfullo Ikromov and Salimjon Ikramov at the International Folk Art Market I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn't believe what I saw...could it be hand-crafted bird scissors?  How awesome is that?  As you know I like to collect bird-related everything and I had never seen this before!  I stood at this booth a crazy long time just examining all the birds.  There were flying birds, perched birds, male and female birds, and what appeared to be woodpeckers and herons.  Not only were they beautifully crafted but they also cut really well.  And in addition they would write any name on the scissors that you wanted (George's name is on the pair above).  It is so much fun to shop at a folk market like this and find something truly unique and beautiful that really speaks to you.  Thank you to the Ikromov's for bringing such wonderful objects into being. If you would like to contact the Ikromov's you can email them at raisa@salomtravel.com.

International Folk Art Market - Santa Fe

Last week George and I went to the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We had never been to the market before and this year we planned our trip around it.  It is the largest Internation Folk Market in the world and it did not disappoint!  It was truly a feast for the eyes (and ears, stomach, fingers and nose!)  I loved seeing the incredible work from people around the world.  The craftsmanship was amazing and it was truly a delight to meet the artists.  I also loved the variety...figurines woven from horsehair, the most-incredibly intricate gourd carvings, beautifully crafted jewelry, finely woven textiles, crazy musical instruments, scary masks, huge brightly-colored paper flowers, baskets woven from pine needles with amazing designs, Scandinavian wood carvings with lovely folk designs...I could go on and on!  Needless to say I had a wonderful day and will post soon about the artist whose table I couldn't leave.  (A big thanks to G for having lots of patience with me while I oohed and ahhed and fretted over what to buy!)

Peach Haiku

When I was looking in my folder of free Dover clipart for this post I came across the following a haiku I liked by James Kirkup:

Haiku should be just

small stones dropping down a well

with a small splash

I loved this haiku but I found it strange because it was given as an example of the 5-7-5 syllable rule for haiku.  But after I read it and counted the syllables it appeared to me the last line is only 4 syllables.  George thought maybe you could make it work by pronouncing splash as two syllables.  Anyway, it reminded me that you needn't always follow the rules.  I struggle with this concept because I am a rule follower.  And I really struggled with it when writing the poems for Zen Kitty and Zen Birds.  In the end I decided to write "haiku-like" poems (meaning I used however many syllables I wanted) for both those books.  I made this decision after reading a great book one day in the bookstore.  (I wish I knew the name of the book but it was just something I randomly picked up one day.)  The book stated that many of the haiku written by famous Japanese poets did not follow this pattern and most definitely don't follow the pattern when translated.  It went on to encourage the haiku poet to just use as few words as possible to get the idea across and to not obsess about the number of syllables. That was all this rule follower needed to let go.  And even though the above haiku does follow the "rules", I now feel completely happy to walk on the wild side when writing haiku.  If that means I am now a rogue bad-ass haiku writer (or just a bad haiku writer) then so be it. 

Pretty Peachy

Last week the peach tree in my Dad's back yard was chock full of beautiful peaches.  Everything about them has the essence of softness...from their fuzzy coat to the way the color gently fades from yellow to orange to pinky-red.  And the shape is so crazy adorable!  I love the way the two cheeks are separated by a valley on one side that ends in a miniature peak.  There couldn't be a much more pleasing object to hold in your hand.

When I went out to pick them with my Dad I had to run back to the house to get the camera because the light was perfect and they were practically glowing!  He just called me last night and told me he picked 60 more peaches and was asking what to do with them.  I told him he should make jam and found this great website about how to do it.  Hopefully next time I see him he will have some pretty peachy jam for me to sample... I will let you know how it turns out. 

Bee-utiful Purple Coneflowers

I was excited to zoom into this photo and find such a nice focused honey bee.  I always try and photograph them but they move on me. Lucky for me this one took a half second rest from his busy-bee purple-coneflower-checking schedule. 

I took this photo at my friends' house in Yellow Springs last week. They have a beautiful yard with a large section set aside for native wildflowers and the bees (and I) love it. Their house is close to John Bryan State Park and it is always such a treat to sit on their back porch and listen to the birds and have dinner with them.  Thanks Jyoti, David and family for such a lovely evening!

Round Folk Tablecloth

This tablecloth was another great find at the Springfield Antique Extravaganza this past May.  As you know I collect vintage folk tablecloths and I couldn't believe my luck when I came across this one... I have never seen a round tablecloth in this style!  When I got home and tried it out on my entry table I was also happily surprised that it fit my entry table perfectly.  It did however have the same problem as the round tablecloth that I designed for Valentinte's day - it shrank more in one direction so it was no longer a circle but an oval.  I tried to ignore it but every day when I came down the stairs my eye went right to that uneven hem.  So I finally broke down and hemmed it  (again, breaking my rule of not buying things that need fixing).  But I love these adorable yellow characters and the charming Pennsylvania Dutch design makes me happy every time I see it.  So in the end it was worth it breaking the rules. 

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Fava Bean Salmon Pasta Salad with Carrot-top Pesto Tapenade

Last week we weren't sure what we were going to have for dinner.  George said he would make the fava beans we got from Hazelfield Farms and he would scrape something together from the leftover salmon we had from the night before.  In my head I thought, "Oh great, leftovers."  But when I saw what he came up with I felt like we were eating at a five-star restaurant! 

Not only did he find half a portabello mushroom in the fridge, but he decided to make use of the carrot tops and garlic scapes from our CSA to make pesto.  I have to give full credit to my friend Jennifer who gave us the idea for carrot-top pesto, and Julie for garlic-scape pesto.  We weren't so sure about using carrot-tops to make pesto but they work great all by themselves (or you could mix basil in if you wanted).  After trying this recipe you will no longer be able to throw those carrot tops into the compost pile!

CARROT-TOP GARLIC SCAPE PESTO TAPENADE

Carrot-tops from about 10-15 carrots
5-10 garlic scapes (you can use 1 or 2 cloves of regular garlic if you don't have scapes)
1/2 cup almonds (or pine nuts)
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
olives or capers (if you have them)
dash of salt

Cut carrot-tops off of carrots and wash.  Wash and chop garlic scapes (you can use the entire thing, it is just easier to chop it into smaller pieces to fit in the food processor). Combine all ingredients in a food processor and mix until well blended.  Add olive oil until all ingredients are moist.

FAVA BEAN SALMON PASTA SALAD WITH PESTO

1 salmon fillet
pasta (we usually make 1/2 -2/3 box)
fava beans
mushrooms (pick you favorite kind - we used portabello)
green olives
chick peas
pesto
olive oil

Prepare salmon according to directions (we have been using frozen fillets and baking them in the oven at 325 for 30 minutes).  Cook pasta timed to finish when salmon is done.  The fava beans require a bit of prep which can be done earlier if desired. Pre-heat skillet with olive oil.  Add mushrooms and cook until they release water (maybe 4-5 minutes).  Then add all other ingredients to skillet if you want to serve warm.  If you want to serve cold, mix all ingredients in bowl and refrigerate.

Fava Beans - How to Prepare

I thought this post was just going to be about how to prepare fava beans but when I went to decide on the images for the post I couldn't decide between the above and below photos.  So let me know via comment on the blog, facebook, or email which is your fava-rite (pun courtesy of hubby George) and I will post the results in the comments next week.

Now to get down to business. We have been getting Fava beans from Hazelfield Farms at the Hyde Park Farmer's Market and I just can't get enough of them. They are super delicious and in my opinion one of the most beautiful beans around.  The pod itself is large and beefy and the color of the bean is a soft, dreamy green.  They do require a little preparation but it is well worth the effort.  Here is how George prepared ours:

1. Open outer pod and take out beans. (It helps to have a knife because the pod can be strong).  Admire their beautiful soft green bodies.
2. Boil the beans for 2-3 minutes.  This helps soften the coat.
3. Put beans in an ice bath.  (Probably not totally necessary, but it helps to cool them off).
4. Peel the outer coat off beans.
5. Eat raw or saute with olive oil or butter or add to a salad.

Check back soon because I am going to post a fava bean recipe that George came up with that blew me away!

Sketchbook - Historic Office at Spring Grove Entrance

Last Saturday Christina and I walked at Spring Grove and then sketched what I thought was a church at the entrance.  Apparently the building was actually the old administration building and is now referred to as the "Historic Office."  It was built in 1863 by a prominent Cincinnati architect named James Keys Wilson and the east addition was done in 1955 by India Boyer, one of America's first female architects (source here).

I thought it might be fun to show the progression of this sketch from start to finish.  It was a nice day so we sketched for about an hour.  I usually only get my pencil sketch done in that time but Christina has often inked her's in at that point.  We then typically take a photo and finish at home.  Some might be purists and say you should stop when you leave, but I find it super relaxing and fun to finish up at home.  If I don't like the sketch I may never finish it but that's OK too. (You can click on the images below to enlarge.)

Pencil Sketch

Ink

Watercolor

ADDENDUM: After I posted this Phil Nuxhall, Spring Grove historian, sent me some additional information he had on the building so I thought I would post it because there are some interesting tidbits (i.e. the building cost $30,000 to build!).

Originally, the main offices of the cemetery were downtown at 215 E. Fourth Street for 55 years. In 1938, the offices moved to 212 East Sixth Street, in the Gwynne Building. Then the present building in Spring Grove, by James Keys Wilson, was constructed in 1863. Originally there was a pump and a horse trough at the entrance prior to the erection of the administration building. A letter in the archives dated June 22, 1882 from builder Charles Farnan states: "…propose to furnish material and labor for the change of windows in the public waiting room and office, all made of black walnut, inside blinds all complete for the sum of $45.00". Another letter in the archives dated May 1871 from John B. Mahoney offers to repair decay of building! Schoenenberger recommended white walnut. On the outside of the front door to the front room/chapel is an electrical box that was connected to a bell to alert visitors & employees to closing time, etc. The addition was done in 1955 by India Boyer, first female architect in Cincinnati with AIA. The administration offices remained downtown in the Gwynne Building on 4th Street until the addition was constructed around 1955.  From The Commercial Tribune 1867: “The edifice at the south entrance, built in the Norman gothic style, and completed in 1863, cost about $80,000. As the building on the other side of the gate will be soon commenced, it would be well to select a better quality of stone, and have the work done in better style than previous undertakings of this character. This lodge will contain but one room, and cost about $15,000. There is another entrance on the east side of the cemetery, which is used during high water, when the south entrance is submerged."  Also from The Commercial April 14, 1867: “Old Admin. Bldge was $30,000 and the carriage house was $15,000".

Flea Market Armoire

This past May my mom and I attended the Springfield Antique Extravaganza where I came across this armoire with the most amazing painted paneled doors.  The armoire itself was made of what appeared to be a high-quality old wood and had square flat-head nails, hand-carved door stops, iron hinges and funky drawer pulls.  But what I liked the most were the hand-painted designs on the door panels.  I love the orange and green color of the flower motif and the way the wood grain interacts with the design.

Whenever I like something this much at an antique show I get nervous because I know I really want it but I may not be able to afford it.  So when I asked the vendor how much it was and he responded $200 I was surprised.  In my head I thought, "There has to be something wrong with it." 

Well, when I opened the doors I quickly discovered it did indeed have a major flaw - there was a huge hole where someone had cut out the back to accommodate a TV.  In my head I was thinking, "You remember the rule...no more purchases where I have to do something to the item when I get home.   This includes clothing that need to be hemmed or altered, items that need to be framed, and most certainly furniture that needs huge repairs."  The vendor could see I was struggling with this issue and he then dropped the price to $160.  Without hesitation I said, "I'll take it."  It was like the words came out of my mouth before my mind had time to realize what had happened.

So for the past month my husband and I have been slowly re-building the back of the armoire and adding shelves.  After several trips to the lumber store, running out of stain three times, bugging my neighbor Mark to help shave off a hair here and there (twice) and several cracked shelf supports, the project is finally done and I couldn't be happier. 

This armoire may not be a "fine" antique but to me it is priceless. Not only am I am crazy about all of it's wabi-sabi character but it is already chock full of memories.  I will always remember what a great time I had with my mom that day.  Plus my dad had to come help pick it up because, of course, I didn't drive my truck that day.  A huge thank you must also go out to the strong group (Frank, Tim, Dad, and George - and Amy for moral support) who risked bodily harm to carry this incredibly heavy hunk of wood up to my second floor.  I also want to thank my neighbors Mark and Mary for putting up with me bothering them with my wood-cutting needs.  I now no longer need a hammer to put the shelves in and the doors now close.  And of course a big thank you to my husband George for his forced-carpentry and patience with my crazy projects.  Oh, and John for his moral support and design consultation.  Wow, you would think I had won an Emmy or something!  In the end I have a kick-ass armoire plus a beautiful reminder of all the great people I have in my life.    

Sweet Peas

I know it's summer when we start to get sweet peas from Hazelfield Farms.  I have to admit I am not a huge sweet pea lover, but I did discover I love photographing them.  It doesn't happen very often, but some times every thing happens just right in a photo shoot.  I barely fussed with the composition of the peas.  I dumped out a few, cut one open to show the peas inside and then sprinkled a few peas around and everything just sort of fell into place.  Then the lighting was starting to fade but it was just enough to shoot wide open and get a nice forefront focus and soft background.

When I uploaded my photos and looked at them seeing these sweet peas just made me smile.  I love the way the light makes the pea bodies look so soft and green.  It made me want to nestle right up next to them in that pod.  When I think about it, this is why I do this blog.  It brings me such joy to take note of the small things in life that are so friggin' amazing and that are around us all the time.

Being part of the Hazelfield Farm CSA has not only broadened my palate and made me healthier, but it has opened my eyes to the incredible beauty of the food we eat.  Seriously, next time you are eating say a carrot, or a strawberry, stop for a second before you eat it and take a look...it will blow your mind if you let it. (Click photo to enlarge).

Sketchbook - Cincinnati

After Illustrator Lunch last week Christina, Jeb, and I crossed over to the "other side" and sketched Cincinnati from Riverside Drive in Covington (that's Kentucky for all you out-of-towners).  It was a beautiful day and we got right down to work.  Christina sketched the Roebling Suspension Bridge while Jeb and I sketched the Cincinnati skyline (check back soon because I will link to theirs when they post them).

This was not one of my favorite sketches and at one point I considered not posting it, but I think it's important to accept not every one will be a masterpiece (unless, of course, you are Christina).  After I added the watercolor I felt it turned around a bit and I started to even like its "naive" illustrator look.  I have begun to understand that that is the look that comes out of me.  It is what happens when I put a pencil in my hand without the aid of Illustrator or Photoshop and it may not be perfect, but it is apparently "my style".  And I love when I see other people's imperfect styles, so why not love mine?