T Stands for Fruity Smoothie

 Hi Everyone!

I have tried to write a blog post for the last 2 days. Everything I wrote seem stupid or not read worthy.  However, before I get started here I want to send healing energy to Elizabeth who had an accident and will have to have surgery on her eye. She holds T for Tuesday so please go over and give her a blessing.

So here it is Tuesday and I am going to try T stands for Smoothie, leather and big.

Everyday I try to drink a fresh fruit smoothie. I always add fresh fruit I have on hand and then I have blueberries that Mr. M. and I pick every year that I freeze. Yesterday, it was apple, banana, fresh strawberries and the blueberries. I add ice and blend it all up. Sooo good and refreshing.

 The above photo is very boring so I thought I would show some older leather art that will fit in for this post. Most of you know I work with leather and some day I will blog about my history with it. For today the next two photos are floating objects with leather feature.

 These are just 2 pieces of leather art that was 

featured in our Library art gallery a few years ago.

The big part of this post is my potato plant.

 OMG! I hope all this means I have a big harvest.

Oh yes, it's overcast and getting ready to rain. What's new for my area. LOL

Make your day the best you can.

Nicole/DVArtist

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Sunday Post Fresh Bread

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday I kind of had an easy day. I got up at 5AM. opened all the windows to get the "wind" ocean breeze through my house. Did all my morning things then made a loaf of bread. I wanted to try this recipe given to me by one of my Oregon friends. All I can say is Wow! This is the easiest loaf of regular bread to make. It is an Amish recipe at the end of the post.

It easily mixes by hand into a very nice dough

 Only after an hour it more than doubled in size.

 Punch it down knead to get a good shape, 2 or 3 minutes

Again the rise on this dough is amazing. This is after 30 minutes

Baked for about 30 minutes

 Right out of the oven

Could this be more perfect? 

OK, I am not bragging, just so darn proud of this loaf. LOL

 I did allow it to cool, uhhh about 1 minute. LOL 

click on the photo to see the texture. It is excellent.

 Leave it to the Amish for an easy, perfect loaf of bread.

 The recipe. For the flour I just used  Bob's Red Mill all purpose flour, 

 so any kind will work.

Click on this to see it better.

 

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Saturday Morning

Hi Everyone!

It's early Saturday morning. The sky is overcast, the wind is blowing, and the rain is about to fall. My garden is covered, the plants waiting for a sunny day. Yesterday, before the winds came up I took some photos to show my landlord. I am so fortunate to rent from a man that has a heart of gold and shares that gold with me. Hopefully I will get a bounty of veggies so I can leave some on his door step.  So here's what I got.

I made a platform for the containers to sit on

All companion plants. They are a bit crowded 

but seem to like it cause they are growing.

Oh I forgot to mention that all plants are from seed.

 We found some PVC pipe in the barn and made the hopes so 

I can cover the plants when the weather is not so compliant. 

I am the kind of person that if you tell me, "I can't" and I think I can

Welllll I am going to give it a try.

I found this old sink, put a plastic container inside

and planted peanuts. I have another container 

that goes on top for a mini green house.

 Peanuts are growing just fine

Someone also tole me I couldn't grow anything 

in the sand we have here. REALLY?

and some of them are producing.

I can't believe I am gardening and now flowers too!

I am hooked.

Because I don't want to bend over, I put more containers on these old selves

on my deck. Mr. M. suggested putting the tops on to help protect the plants

It works for me. The tops come off easily when the weather is nice and when not

The tops go on and coveed with mesh fabric. Everything is producing.

 I also took an old table that I used when I was doing shows

and made  use of it.

Poor Mr. M, he has  no place to grill. He never

complains and just rolls the grill over onto the yard. 

I have tried to utilize what ever I have on hand to grow.

These are one of my potato plants. I used a canvas bag I got in Mexico a few years ago.

Yes there are plants everywhere. The ones on the deck are to get away from the wind.

I have learned so many things about gardening, and next year, I will do things a 

bit differently. For now I am having so much fun.

Do you garden?  What are some of your tips and tricks?

Enjoy your day.

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Paint Paty Friday June 25

Hi Everyone!

Here it is time for Paint Party Friday. I didn't have much time in the art room today but I have a few items. Thanks to Eva and Kristen for hosting PPF. 

This is such a cool muted piece. 

Still working on it.

 The darn paper buckled and the light hit this wrong when I shot it,  

but there is a creepy face in there.

The rest of these I did this week.

Now for those of you who follow me, you know that I have been telling you about the shortages on food we have here in Florence. Part of the problem is that the two major stores we have in town don't only take care of my town of 8,000 but also smaller coast towns that don't have shopping and the people come here. However, Mr. M. and I ventured over to Safeway/Albertsons and found that their shelves were pretty well stocked and the meat department had more meat than in the last month or two.  The butcher, who knows me, saw me coming and said I have it in the back for you. Mr. M. eats ground beef, but I refuse to buy that stuff in the tube or the repackage stuff from the tube. The butcher said he just ground the burger so I got fresh market ground burger, also pork chops, 2 steaks, sweet sausage, chorizo, and cod.  OMG! I thought I was in a dream. Also they don't ration any longer at this store, anyway not the meat. 

Other items yes.

The flash frozen cod is sooooo good and very inexpensive. 

Hey we buy what we can now days

I hope all of you are doing well, keeping safe and wearing a mask when you 

venture out.

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

TAD with Rain

Hi Everyone!

Today is Thursday Art Date with Rain. This week the theme is "Heat Wave"  I was born and raised in a hot and humid CA. city. When I was quite young I moved to S. Tahoe, from there to a cold and snowy NV. Then off to AK. From there N. ID. Right on the MT border and then here to OR. Now, in between all of that I lived in and loved AZ. The heat so high that the black of the street would melt. I loved hiking the desert, finding, arrow heads and crystal deposit. Going out and shooting not only my bow but target with a gun. (I am a crack shot with both) There is nothing like sitting out at night when the flaming day cools to some 20° and it is still scorching. The fragrance of the desert is so clean, the sky so black with millions of stars. The Coyotes singing to one another echos through the canyons. I thrive in that heat, in that desert, in that barren beauty. My heart lives in AZ. One day I will tell the story of why we had to leave. For now the memory of it brings me joy.

I told you all of that to say, heat waves haven't been in my world for many years. So painting them or creating some kind of heat wavy picture isn't fluid for me. 

This is my abstract "Heat Wave"

Painted today 

 One of my bead patter designs.

 and here it is beaded

 This is a wall sculpture I made several years ago. 

 It is highly coated and very shinny

It is 3-d and very heat wavish. LOL

The next 2 photos are close up of the thick and deep texture.

One of many glass cabs that I make

 This is a photo of the high desert here in OR.

This is a painting I did that made me feel the desert.

 I hope you enjoyed the "Heat Wave" 

Stop by Rain's to see what other artists have contributed to this weeks theme TAD.

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Another day

Hi Everyone!

I can hardly believe it is Wednesday. I have a lot to do today but still want to make time for the art room. I tried to do some sketching yesterday and found with my sight was having trouble so painted instead. Today I will spend time in the garden. I really am surprised at how much I enjoy gardening. Oh, and harvest is so much fun. I have taken two beautiful summer squash. Ohhhhhhhh so good. I will try to get some photos today of the garden.

Well I better this day going. What ever you are doing today make it the best.

Playing with fire and ice.

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

T is for ???

Hi Everyone!

Today T is for a new way of life. 

I had to make a run to the grocery store yesterday, ya know at 6:30AM.  It's so different now, I shop for what I can get rather than what we need. Ohhhh and prices! I don't know if you are experiencing the price rise but here it is staggering. Prices always go up in the summer for the tourist, but this is  different. With rationing, no paper goods, VERY VERY little meat, and hit or miss on everything else. I was able to finally get tomato sauce, and the last jar of yeast. 2 bags of pasta and 2 bags of rice. I wish I would remember to take photos when I go shopping. LOL I did get flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and oil. All rationed. Anyway...... this is our new life and surprisingly we are really doing OK.  How are you doing? Are you still staying inside or have you decided that going out is the way for you? Let me know. 

Mr. M. has a sweet tooth. Ya know he is one of those guys that can eat any thing and not gain a pound. This is for him spice coffee cake with a crusty spice topping and a cuppa coffee.

I am linking up with Bluebeard and Elizabeth for

T for Tuesday. 

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Playing in the art room

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday I actually played in my art room. This is a piece that the background was already painted on some kind of paper that I am not sure what it is. Not very thick. With some acrylic paint I topped the background with birch trees and a bit of foreground. It was not as easy to make the trees on paper but, I was just having fun. 

I am off to the grocery store so I need to get going. It opens at 6AM and I want to be there just after opening.

Have a great Monday.

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Sunday taking time for me.

Hi Everyone!

I am feeling pretty good today. My body, mind and spirit. It feels safe today for some reason. I worked in the garden this morning, vacuumed the throw rugs and cleaned up a bit. Now, the rest of the day is for me. I don't have anything planned and art seems to work better for me that way. I finished this just 5 minutes ago. Different style for me. It is more like my Grand mother's style. I guess that happened because I have been restoring some of her art. Wish I would have learned more from her. Haa hindsight. 

This is a small canvas 12x9", acrylic paints.

 

Hope all of you are having a great day.

Nicole/DVArtist

 Honor and integrity in art, in life.

PPF 6/19/20

 Hi Everyone!

Before I even get started I have to tell you I am so tired I could sleep right at my desk. Up early to take care of things and then head into Eugene for an eye doctor apt. (100 miles one way) The road to town is dangerous. We have several fatal wrecks in the summer time.  Today was no different. A Century Link truck decided to make an illegal left turn but there was traffic coming so he had to stop. The 2 cars in front of us almost collided into him but managed to pass him in the inside. We had come to a full stop and Mr. M had his foot on the brake to alert the truck behind us. He was coming so fast that we knew this was the end. MR. M. pumped the brake and then decided to move. He saw that the truck was moving the same was we were so Mr. M. adjusted. The truck went off the road to on our left and he managed to stop inches from a tree. I rolled down my window as did the truck driver and asked if he was OK. He said, "Yes, but what the hell?" Century Link was still sitting there seemingly oblivious to what has just transpired. We made sure the guy off the road was OK and could start is truck to get out of there and then we passed Century Link on the left. If the truck had hit us I would not be here to write this blog.
We made a stop at Lowe's. Not many people in there and everyone with masks and being carful of distance. Then to the eye doctor. Very clean, everything sanitizes as it is used. I was happy. Sooooo my right eye has lost so much sight from a cataract that I will be having surgery on July 7. We talked about my previous surgery and the scaring on my eye. Of course this doctor can't give me any promises and I didn't expect any. We are just hoping for the best. Sooo wish me luck and send positive energy for that. I was really shocked at how much sight I have lost. I knew I was having problem but wowow.
So no new art for Paint Party Friday. I hope you don't mind seeing some old things and a bit of how I draw.

Have a great weekend!

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.