Tag Archives: Painting

Paintings

Creativity in Cooking and Painting

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Paintings
Little paintings
Soup
Homemade soup

What do these two images have in common? I see both as a form of artistry.

The paintings are self-explanatory. I think it’s safe to say that everyone views paintings as art. Above are small two-inch paintings that took me approximately an hour each to complete. I can now say I’m much better at blending colors, particularly blues, than I was. My palm fronds and suns are also improved since last week. Not perfect but heading in the right direction.

See the two seascapes above? They are the same painting. I wasn’t happy with it, so the next day I went back and redid it. In the first version, I intended to paint waves, but I couldn’t decide if it looked like mountains or waves. I painted over the bottom half then made a different horizon and new waves. Then I added the palm branches in the foreground to give the illusion of depth. (Thank you, YouTube videos!)

So, how does this all relate to soup? Well, I don’t generally cook with recipes, I just create and make adjustments as I go. I started with homemade broth. I keep a “soup sack” in the freezer that I add to whenever I have anything that I think would make good broth. The first ingredients I added to the soup pot were onions and celery. I decided to also include minced garlic to add another layer of flavor. Always use fresh garlic, never jarred. There is a world of difference. I added white beans, minced red skin potatoes, and spinach-ricotta dried raviolis. Just as in the painting that wasn’t quite right, neither was the soup. In went a can of diced tomatoes. Then it was time to add the details, the spices. Salt, pepper, and thyme. Still not right. I added a mix of marjoram, oregano, basil, and garlic powder. You may think the minced garlic would have been enough. The powdered garlic gives another level of depth. Just like painting where all shades of blue are not the same, neither are forms of garlic.

I think that cooking and baking are art forms. You can cook for subsistence, or you can cook a thing of beauty. The beauty may be in the taste or the presentation or both. In art you can make shapes and figures to get your point across or you can go in for the details. The details can elicit emotion, show beauty, or both. The level of involvement is up to you. There is a place in this world for both things.

Of course, when creating you are never likely to come up with the exact same thing twice. When painting, this is a good thing. When cooking, I’m not sure. When someone asks me for a recipe for a dish I have made, or even what it is called, I am at a loss as to how to respond. This usually results in said person looking at me like I have two heads until I just start reciting a list of ingredients. Oh well, such is life!

An Artistic Journey

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Watercolor
My first watercolor.

“What is there to do but strive, and seek, and find, and not to yield.” Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

I was looking for a meaningful quote this morning and came across this one. It spoke to me as I realized that I have been subconsciously living this quote in the last couple of months. We are living in tumultuous times, and it has not gone unnoticed by me that I am spending quite a bit of time pursuing a new hobby that allows me a bit of escape. I am searching out an artistic path even though I do not know where it will take me. And I guess that is the point of searching. The not knowing where you will end up. The possibility of discovering magic you did not know existed.

I have taken up painting after not having picked up a paint brush since elementary school. For some reason in high school the art classes were at the same time as the college prep classes that I needed. For now, I have started with acrylics and will focus on these for a while. I also tried watercolors yesterday and will try oil paints in the near future. Over the weekend I made a sketch with watercolor pencils. I rather liked them because they gave me a sense of control. Giving up control is hard for me. That is why I feel I must try all the mediums. In case I am missing out on something because of my need for control and structure. And what if there’s one thing I don’t try, and it was the thing I would have loved and benefited from most of all?

Watercolor pencil sketch.

I tried a totally different art form last month. I went to a local library and took a short class on collage. I didn’t care for the particular project they were working on, but I did like the process. I tend to like the look of multimedia art, so this is something I plan to pursue at home in other forms. It is so versatile. I can make projects as simple as bookmarks or go for more complexity. Art journaling really appeals to me. And you can make quite complex “paintings” by collaging. I think the whole process just screams fun.

I have done embroidery, cross stitch, and needlepoint since I was young. In high school I completed a few latch hook rugs. My brother still has the Cookie Monster rug to this day. I have designed and made felt ornaments and pictures for years. I suspect I will be getting one of my “learn how to knit a scarf” kits out of my large tub of future projects. I want to try it all.

Acrylic painting of our wonderful Baxter.

Art is such a unique thing. It allows you to escape from the world and add something to the world at the same time. And hence by making art, we can strive, and seek, and find, without yielding. Our art can make a difference to others, but more importantly, it can make a difference in ourselves.

Peace to you.

Fall beauty

Fueled by Fall

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Fall beauty
The view this morning.

“Autumn is my season, dear; it is, after all, the season of the soul.” Virginia Woolf

Recently, I read a list of quotes from another blogger’s site that spoke to me so much that I saved the list. (See her post here-https://katiegilley.com/2024/10/09/quotes-from-september-2024/) I decided to start my own series of posts, each on just one of the quotes I found to be meaningful. When a writing strikes emotion in me, it makes me feel a connection to the author and want to read more of their work to see if we really are of like minds. Maybe they have captured more of my feelings and put them into words. The first, by Virginia Woolf, is above.

For many years, I did not like fall. It reminded me of going back to school. School meant homework, discipline, and being indoors all day. It wasn’t that I disliked school. I just liked being at home better. Being at home had a certain freedom that I didn’t have at school. Years later as I was enjoying the beauty that is fall, I decided it’s time to get over that negative association with fall, grow up, and move on. Autumn has been my favorite season ever since. I love fall.

The vivid and varied colors in the trees and plants are glorious. I used to see red, yellow, orange, green, and brown. Now I see so much more. Red leaves so dark they are carmine. Coral leaves with yellow specks scattered over the surface. Salmon colored leaves that fade into peach and coral, all on the same leaf. What little jewels that sparkle in the sun! Where I live the majestic old sugar maples put on some of the best shows. The gold in the birch leaves changes hue when the trees release them, and they flutter to the ground. One thing that has helped me to appreciate these colors in greater depth is that I have recently given painting a try. I don’t just pick up a tube of yellow paint and begin painting yellow leaves. I have a simple set of paint tubes with limited colors. Even so, do I use medium yellow, lemon yellow, deep yellow, yellow ochre, or cashew? And of course, you mix colors, giving you limitless other shades to choose from. I will still never capture all the shades that Mother Nature has created. Painting has opened my eyes to see more than I did before. The greater depth was always there, I just didn’t see it. What other areas of our lives does this hold true for?

Another reason for my love of fall? The air is crisp and refreshing without the cloying heat of summer. It is the perfect weather for hiking. Fall is jacket time, and they are easily shed when you get too hot on the trail. Then you are quite comfortable and can concentrate on the beauty all around you. We often hike near bodies of water: lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. The photo above is from our hike this morning. I requested we hike on this particular trail this morning for the color contrast between the leaves and water that I knew would be there. It did not disappoint. (Wild Cherry Trail, West Branch State Park, Ohio) The trail is only one mile long, but I always think it seems farther. There are ups and downs, many tree roots popping up in the trail, and so much to see. I would rate it as moderately difficult. Our dogs had a blast as did we. Shelby stayed home but the other four went along. Cassius the greyhound and PeeWee the tiny sheltie is just in front of my husband. Zekie and Claire walk with me. Zekie was wearing his new llama sweater as his fur has thinned with the Cushing’s Disease. I think he rocks it!

Autumn hike
Dogs on the trail.

Homemade soups are something else that I enjoy in the fall. They say comfort to me. I never have a recipe when I make soup, so people are forever asking me, “What kind of soup is this?”, to which I invariably respond, “Umm, I don’t know…” and go on to list the ingredients. The soups you can make are endless and no two are ever the same. I think the key to making the best soup is to make the broth from scratch. I have a soup sack in the freezer for this purpose at all times. I make soups and stews often enough that sometimes I do have to use boxed broth. It is still a satisfying meal to have on a cool evening. With leftovers for lunch and maybe longer!

As for the opening quote, I do feel that autumn is the season of my soul. Most people see New Year’s Day and the beginning of a new calendar year as a time for starting over. I have never felt this way. I used to mock the idea in my own way. When someone would ask me if I had resolutions for the new year, I would respond with something such as “I plan to eat more chocolate.” I have since decided that if the turning of the calendar gives someone inspiration to make changes and better themselves, more power to them. It is not for me, however. I see it as just another day. New inspiration comes for me as fall arrives. The cooler temperatures rejuvenate me like a breath of fresh air. I have newfound energy and freshly inspired ideas. If I make changes to my life or take up a new hobby, it is going to be in the fall. I feel like I come alive again. My mind resumes functioning after the shutdown from the heat of summer. Once I’m done planting, weeding, watering, etc., there isn’t much left of me. (Can you tell we don’t have air conditioning?)

Woodland
Woodland view from the trail.

Oh, and when it comes to hiking in the fall, let’s not forget those crunchy leaves. What is your favorite part of fall?

Life Moves On

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I was out lunching recently with two former coworkers. As you may or may not remember, I retired about four years ago. One of the ladies has gone on to another job, and the other still works for my former employer. I worked with one for many years and the other for only about 3 or 4 years. Doesn’t matter. We are all friends who enjoy seeing each other and doing things together. We are three very different people. That doesn’t matter either. We care and appreciate each other, support and cheer each other on. We all need such friends. And it’s even better when they know us and like us anyway!

During my career I earned and maintained three professional certifications that allowed me to operate Class I Drinking Water Treatment Plants, Class III Wastewater Treatment Plants, and do laboratory testing for such plants. These are not easy licenses to get and require many hours of experience and study in addition to continuing education every year. I recently let the last one expire. The cost of maintaining them was too much when I wasn’t using them. My friend that I have known for decades, asked how I felt when I let them expire. The question alone, tells me that she gets it. My response was, “I felt sad”. For one, I worked hard to get those certifications. I would have to take the state tests again if I wanted to be re-licensed. The second and for me, more important issue is that by letting them expire, I am acknowledging that this part of my life is over.

For the longest time after retirement, I still felt that part of my identity was who I had been at my job. I suppose this is what happens when you work at the same place for 32 years. It has only been recently that I felt brave enough to let all of that go. I am still the same person as I was then, even without the licenses. I reached a point where I felt like I couldn’t move on while I was still holding onto this part of my past. And so, I let the licenses go. I am unlikely to work in the water treatment industry again. That is ok. Thirty-two years of working with water and wastewater is enough. There are lots of other things out there, and it’s time to move on. Even though I haven’t been using those certifications, they were taking up space in my head. While I was still grasping onto them as a safety net, I didn’t feel free to take up something new. And now I can.

I think we are all like that without realizing it. Just because we aren’t using or thinking about something doesn’t mean it’s not occupying space in our brains. This is the basis of what some therapies are built on. Memories and experiences that are not forefront in our minds affect how we feel and what we do. Some things have to be dealt with and come to terms with before we can move on.

What my new path will be, is yet to be determined. There are so many things to do. I feel like I should try them all. Where do my strengths and passions lie? Writing, painting, craft sales, dog training, more gardening? I’m even looking into canine massage to see if that is something I would like to do. And I can decide to work on multiple things. I am my own boss now and if I want to paint in the morning and do something else in the afternoon, no one is going to tell me otherwise. Ok, maybe the dogs will protest when it is time for a walk!

I suspect many people go through the feelings that I have experienced. I had no idea that it would take me so long to get where I am though. Well, now I have arrived. I am curious to see where the rest of life takes me. Onward!