Love-in, Lovin', Le Vin?

Fab Feb is here! The sun tells me winter is waning, but with the frigid temps we're experiencing it can't happen fast enough. Thankfully, 'tis the season for love, lovers and all things romantic and lovely - that helps to warm my heart, as I scheme elaborate dreams involving rose petals, strawberries, chocolate, and other fanciful things. If only I could host a body paint event with different shades of chocolate, like some living sepia photograph composed of luscious mocha tones -- even if the art had a brief "shelf life", think of how fun the clean up would be! I've been to spas where they do chocolate beauty treatments (mani-pedis, body wraps etc.) and I've witnessed toddlers finger painting with chocolate pudding, so surely art and beauty could meet somewhere in the middle this Valentine's Day? Hmmmm....

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays...

Two of my children are February babies -- so this adds to the Feb love-fest and helps to banish the winter blahs, blues; what-have-you... I never tire of finding ways to make their special days memorable. To this end, like a lesser star in deep space with plans for supernova greatness, I am attracting some interesting edibles in my pantry orbit: chocolate chili and pumpkin spice flavoured pastas are two especially inspiring recent additions. Now I am sleuthing to find interesting ways to prepare these exotic items and pair them with some lovely vino - pure, joyful fun :)

A lot of the recipes I am finding are for chocolate dessert pasta, and I was considering a more savory approach, so I may just have to "wing it"! Nothing like experimenting on the taste buds of one's friends and family...will keep you posted on the outcomes!

Oh Cupcake - Come to Mama!

For B-Day One, I am considering an Arnold Palmer cupcake experience - there's something about the mingling of lemon and black tea flavours that intrigues me. Here is the recipe, courtesy of the fabulous Paula Dean - I love her no-fuss, no-fear approach with simple, everyday ingredients; she always manages to find a new twist with old favourites:

Arnold Palmer Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup milk

5 black tea bags

1 cup unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 Tbsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

Arnold Palmer Frosting - recipe follows

METHOD:

Heat milk in a saucepan and steep the tea for 15-20 minutes - do not boil. Remove the tea bags, squeezing to release the tea essence and allow the milk to cool to room temp. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Beat sugar and butter together in large bowl until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each additions. Gradually add the tea-milk mixture, along with the lemon juice and zest - reserve 1/2 cup of the tea-milk for the Frosting recipe.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients; then add gradually to the wet mixture, stirring just to combine. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from tins and allow to cool on a baking rack. When completely cool, pipe or spread on Arnold Palmer Frosting.

Arnold Palmer Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup tea-milk mixture (reserved)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

METHOD:

In a large bowl beat the butter, gradually mixing in the sugar alternately with the tea-milk mixture. Stir in the lemon juice and mix to form a smooth, creamy consistency. Ice the cupcakes and serve.

My Dude xo

More Toscana... my little guy just had a blast! He now compares everything to the Italian experience, having had "the best of the best"!

I Dream in Colour!

Had some time today to go through my photos, in between errands and loads of laundry - felt so wonderful to dive into the Tuscan landscape; I could feel the sun and smell the air. I was wishing I had the time to go to my studio and paint today, but that was not the case - the yellows, greens, and coral colours were all calling to me.

Surreal Beauty

When you land in Firenze you are struck by the velvety green folds of the landscape - personally, my breath caught in my throat, it was so amazingly lovely, and a rich loden green unlike anything I have other seen - that is Toscana!

Driving north to Pisa, and then to the coastal city of Livorno, peaches, pinks and brighter yellows used in the buildings brighten the landscape. Here are a few of my favourite photos from my March 2010 trip to that glorious place - hope you will enjoy and feel the Italian sunshine xo!

Apples, Chicken, Comfort, Art

So very very cold this weekend - really makes me want to hibernate! No excuse not to get my laundry done, I suppose; standing by that hot clothes dryer and dreaming I am near the Mediterranean in the summer.... hmmmmm.... I can work with that -- thank goodness for my over-active imagination!

I am also thinking it is a good day to roast a farm chicken and to actually sit down and dine with the kids. There have been too many gobbled meals and far too much nibbling while standing/noshing in the car! I feel like a "wanted woman" ((...and, no, NOT in the romantic sense, btw)) -- just grubby, pasty, distracted; on-the-lam-from-joyful-living with a Tim Horton's ham & Swiss in one hand! It's a "get 'er done" kind of life, what can I say?

Homage to C. Dukes
Highlight of the week for me last week was definitely the visit to Caroline Dukes' art studio - so amazing to see everything in place years after her passing, and to see some of her major works in their birth place. Strange to think that in a few months those canvasses will be in other spaces, including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Also tremendously encouraging to see another female artist beginning to make use of Caroline's space. What a great view from that atelier/lucky gal -Winnipeg looks so European from those windows! Brought me waaay back to long afternoon hours spent in figure drawing and painting studio sessions -- my student life seems so luxe and indulgent to me now LOL :) Can't imagine having that time on my hands - just surreal; fantastic! I am so grateful for that experience in my life.

I still can't quite believe I have a couple of C.D.'s rough sketches from the Apple Pickers period -- can still remember visiting her studio with all of those big canvasses, freshly painted and glowing, around tiny Caroline. They were dynamic, vibrant and summer-like on that cold winter evening; what an extraordinary treat.

So today I am thinking that I will make some classic baked apples for my kids and fill the house with cinnamonny and savory chicken goodness. A hearty, heart-felt gastronomic celebration of thanks for the influence of a gentle artist on my somewhat grey little life.

Pam's Baked Apples

Ingredients:
4 Granny Smith Apples, cored
4 teaspoons butter, portioned
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash cloves
Dash nutmeg
Few grains of salt
1 Tbsp. real maple syrup
2 Tbsp. finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup water or apple juice

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Core the apples, but do not remove the core right through to the bottom -- you need to have a little "cup" to hold the filling. Place apples close together in a oven-proof baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, spices and nuts. Spoon these evenly into the cored apple cavities. Evenly drizzle the maple syrup inside each apple and top each apple with a teaspoon of the portioned butter. Pour the water or juice into the dish, around the apples. Loosely cover with foil and bake 35 - 40 minutes. Apples will be tender,but not mushy when ready. Serve as-is, or with a bit of cream, whipped cream or ice cream. A nice breakfast paired with oatmeal, a side with dinner, or homey dessert.

Quick, easy and delish xo!

Heart of Influence

I read a notice in the local papers this week about the selling off of the works of Canadian fine artist, Caroline Dukes and my heart sank and soared at the same time - I have thought of Caroline many times over the past years, and had not realized she had passed away in 2003.

Apparently, I have missed a retrospective exhibit of her work at the Winnipeg Art Gallery - where the hell was I? Under some mushroom of busy-ness no doubt and not listening attentively to the messages of my heart.

You see, I had the privilege of visiting Caroline's studio in the Exchange District of Winnipeg in the late 1980's when I was a young art student and Ms. Dukes kindly invited our class to her atelier. At the time I was polished on the surface but raw with sorrow inside due to the recent lost of my first baby in pregnancy. My visit to Caroline Duke's studio that evening was a profound experience that soothed, delighted, and inspired me.

Gentle Generosity
Caroline was completing her Apple Pickers series - glorious, loosely painted, large scale, figurative pieces. She was physically delicate and pale - a quieter woman who was warm of spirit, focused on her work and yet very humble of her achievements - a lovely, lovely individual and fine artist! I recall how she offered us all a selection of teas and tinned biscuits, like we were her family or close friends - and how welcome to students who didn't have much on a cold, winter night.

Her generousity, kindness, fresh painting style and resilience influenced me greatly (Caroline, born in Hungary was a Holocaust survivor) - I was also working on allegorically themed artwork, and favoured a loose, scribbly, dreamy style to stark realism. I felt ((and often still feel)) more connected to my artistic inspirations by expressing myself in this manner.

Thank you Caroline for touching my heart and teaching me to open my heart to art and through art.

((http://www.ccca.ca/artists/artist_info.html?link_id=143)) see more works of Caroline Dukes

Impeccable With Your Word

My best friend is reading the New York Times bestseller, The Four Agreements written by Don Miguel Ruiz right now. As I am already reading two books ((The Snowball (bio of Warren Buffet) and The Love of Reading by Robert Adams)), but I AM quite captivated by what I have heard about Ruiz, I have asked her to give me updates, and she is very kindly obliging my interest! The ideas the author promotes are said to be based on ancient Toltec teachings - teachings which allow us to eliminate patterns of self-sabotage and thus enjoy richer, more rewarding lives. So the ideas of personal empowerment and balanced living appealed greatly to me!

The Four
Also, as my mantra this year is EMERGENCE, any support that nudges me along my creative path is welcome. There is much more to the Ruiz book I am told, but for starters the four agreements are as follows, and they are to be repeated each day after the phrase "I choose to honour the Four Agreements".

1) Be impeccable with your word
2) Don't take anything personally
3) Don't make assumptions
4) Always do your best

I don't know about you, but if you have been disappointed enough in life and in business, number two will be the toughest area to re-train! ("number two" indeed! LOL). Particularly for creative people as we tend to pour every cell of our person into what we do each day.

Creation, Creation, Creation
The word EMERGENCE came to me in the last few hours of 2010 and immediately inspired images of a woman completely submerged in dark blue water swimming upward, toward the light. It was at once peaceful and exciting; quiet but with the buzzing anticipation of the surface-breaking splash and the raucous sounds of life above, in the sunshine.

For many years I wished that I could be different and felt quite guilty about my twin urges: to create art and to write. Society and even close family and friends are not always appreciative or understanding of artistic souls! The artist's vocation can be seen as low in value and frivolous/flaky.

In recent years, through the support of three dear girlfriends (Wendy, Gail and Carol - all wonderfully creative women!), I have come to appreciate that this is simply "who I am", and that the world needs people like me too - just like the world needs doctors, accountants, mechanics etc... (Thank you, my girlfriends, for loving me as I am and encouraging me simply to be and to enjoy my state of being!).

Vrooooooom!
So, needless to say, I am really revved up for a year of productivity relating to my art. Whatever inspires you, I hope you will trust in the path and follow it with great joy and an open spirit. We aren't meant to fight life all the time; life is truly for the living. To be continued :)