Monthly Archives: August 2019

A walk through the yard

Posted on August 25, 2019 | 1 comment

After weeks of oppressive heat and no rain, we finally had a few storms blow through here earlier this week. Not only did the yard and garden receive a beneficial watering, but the temperatures have dropped to actually pleasant for late August. The windows are flung open and I can’t help but want to play outside.

Chicken in the Woods fungi. Such a beautiful color and shape. This is supposed to be edible but I’m not too fond of wild mushrooms.

This evening the dog and I took a walk around the yard to see what was going on. The first thing to catch my eye was a spectacular Chicken of the Woods mushroom. It grows in about the same place every year. It’s supposed to be edible and is highly sought after, but I’m not much for wild fungi.

Garden sunflowers about a week ago. Some of these beauties were over twelve feet tall!

Sunflowers down after the big storm blew through here earlier this week.

This sunflower seed head is already being harvested by the little critters.

And here are two photos of my giant sunflowers. One from a week ago. And the other from a few days ago, after the storm knocked them down. Well, all is not wasted. Apparently the critters are already feasting on the seeds. Enough flowers are still standing for the hummingbirds and finches, too.

Wild Joe Pye weed is a perennial which grows throughout the Midwest. The butterflies love it and it’s supposed to have been valued for its medicinal properties by the pioneers.

Our yard is surrounded by fields and woods. There are banks of Joe Pye weed and Jewel-weed. So pretty for summer bouquets.

We planted this peach tree over thirty years ago. It blew over many years ago but has managed to survive and even provide some of the sweetest peaches I’ve ever eaten….if I can get to them before the animals do.

And here is an old survivor, a thirty year old peach tree which still produces.

Damage to cedar bench from wood bees (Carpenter bees), and the wood peckers who went after their larvae.

As a little sidebar, I am showing you the damage to the cedar benches we refinished a couple of years ago. The wood bees (Carpenter bee), digs a hole into the wood and lays her eggs. This only causes a little round hole but the inside is eaten out like a honeycomb which weakens the wood. The real damage you see are from the pileated woodpeckers who are going after the larvae. Gggggggggggrrrrrr.

The last lily of the season. I’ve drawn and painted this one many times.

Here is a photo of the last lily of the summer. It is a beautiful peach color with a yellow interior. I’m not sure what variety this is but I have painted it several times over the years.

Beautiful large hosta blooming in late August. Variety Plantaginea Aphrodite.

Finally, these large white hostas (Plantaginea Aphrodite) are just coming out. They’re the last of my hostas to bloom in the garden. They have large white bell-shaped flowers and a heavenly perfume. I especially like the whorls of flowers. They’re very hardy and need little care.

So, this is just a walk though my little corner of the world. I hope that you have someplace where you can enjoy a bit of the outdoors, to reflect and just admire.

In every walk in nature, one receives far more than he seeks.

John Muir

1 Comment

Posted in country living, garden, landscape

Tagged country living, flowers, gardening

Exodus

Posted on August 18, 2019 | 3 comments

Exodus, Intimate Spaces – Beach Series, acrylic on linen, 50 x 34, Kit Miracle

When I first planned this series of paintings back in January, it was in order to drill down and challenge myself to sticking with a theme. In this case, Intimate Spaces – Beach Series, was meant to depict how people seem to stake out their territories at the beach, and then to presume that they are invisible to the outside world. They aren’t, of course. The Artist’s eye is one of observation, especially of the human animal, and how we go about our lives in public spaces.

There are sixteen paintings planned in this series. I planned each one back in January, including doing preliminary drawings, NOTAN studies, and approximate sizes. Some are fun or humorous, some relay my quirky sense of humor in observation, but some are more serious.

I am painting each work in the order that I’ve planned them. However, as I drew closer to working on the painting Exodus, it seemed as if my thoughts turned to more serious matters. That is due in part to the turmoil that our country has faced in recent months regarding the influx of people seeking sanctuary here. This led me to reflect upon the Bible and the story of the flight of the Israelites from Egypt. (Exodus is the second book of the Bible.) Even up to the past few centuries when our country was populated by people seeking a better life than where they were from. My mother immigrated to the United States when she was only nineteen. I can’t begin to imagine the courage it took to leave everything and everyone she had ever known for the promise of a better life. It still gives me pause to think about.

Exodus – Intimate Spaces, Beach Series, detail 1, Kit Miracle

So while this painting actually depicts a family leaving the beach at the end of a long day of sun and surf, with the young boy looking back wistfully at the ocean, it seems to hold so much more meaning.

Exodus – Intimate Spaces, Beach Series, detail 2, Kit Miracle

The actual painting is 50 x 34, the largest of the series. No faces are revealed except that of the young boy. And the family seems to be marching off into the sunset.

The sky ended up with multiple layers and the beach sand is heavily textured. However, the figures are meticulously painted in a manner reminiscent of Renaissance religious paintings. Even the children have slight halos. I haven’t totally examined all my reasons for choosing such a method of painting but I’m sure it will dawn on me later.

To actually view the step-by-step painting of this piece, click on this link or go to the tab marked Artwork and scroll down to Exodus.

Thanks for stopping by. Your comments are always welcome.

3 Comments

Posted in art, contemporary impressionism

Tagged acrylic, art, Bible, contemporary impressionist, kit miracle, painting a series

Thick Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage

Posted on August 14, 2019 | 2 comments

Thick Kale Soup served with crusty multi-grain bread. Great any time of year.

We often think of soup as being a cold weather food but actually soup is great any time of year. You can just go “shopping” in your fridge or garden and come up with a variety of tasty and healthy options. After my recent post of my Corn Chowder recipe, I had a request for the Kale soup recipe. So here goes.

This soup has been a family favorite for years and we’re likely to make it any time of year. It is often a little thicker than soup (stewp?) but it is hardy any way you make it.

Ingredients:

· 3 tablespoons olive oil	· 1 large bunch of kale, deveined, chopped
· 1 pound smoked sausage, cut up	· 2 quarts chicken broth
· 1 large onion, chopped	· 2 cans white beans (northern, cannelloni )
· 4-8 cloves of garlic,diced	· Cracked pepper
· 4 large potatoes, cubed	· Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a 6 – 8 quart soup pot. Add the chopped smoked sausage. You can use any kind of smoked sausage – regular, light, turkey, or even Polish kielbasa. Stir and brown.

Add the chopped onion and stir until clear. Add the minced garlic. Keep stirring so they don’t burn.

Kale soup – Step 1. Brown the cut up sausage, add the onions and garlic.

Meanwhile, wash and strip the tough veins out of the kale. Rough chop and add to the mixture, stirring until wilted. Add the chicken broth and cover. Bring to simmer.

Step 2. Add the chopped kale and wilt in pan.

Wash and dice the potatoes. Sometimes I leave the peel on just for added texture. Add to the pot after it comes to a slow boil. Cover and bring back to simmer.

Step 3. Add the chicken broth, bring to simmer. Add the cubed potatoes and cover. Cook for 20 minutes.

When the potatoes are cooked (about 15-20 minutes), use an old fashioned potato masher and rough mash them in the pot. This just helps the soup to thicken.

Then add the two cans of beans (drained). Frankly, I just use whatever white beans I have available. I’ve even added butter beans and it works fine.

Add the cracked pepper to taste. You probably won’t need any salt as the sausage is pretty salty, but suit yourself.

Serve with crusty bread for a filling lunch or dinner.

2 Comments

Posted in country living, garden, recipe

Tagged country living, gardening, kale, soup

Corn chowder

Posted on August 11, 2019 | 2 comments

Sweet corn, bi-color. Peaches and cream variety.

It’s that time of year for those of us who grow gardens. The produce is coming in and we have to scurry like squirrels to put it all away. Fresh green beans and new potatoes. Juicy sliced tomatoes or sweet cherry tomatoes popping in your mouth. With the vagaries of the weather this summer – buckets of rain in June and the beginnings of a drought now – I feel lucky to be able to pluck anything at all from the garden. But we always say that. Some years it’s too many zucchinis. This year, none. I even had to replant the green beans. We can never quite predict what the bounty will be.

With all of these fresh veggies, we’re making soups -vegetable, minestrone, and fresh tomato. Sometimes Thick Kale soup with smoked sausage. But this morning I picked the first batch of sweet corn. I think this variety is peaches and cream and it’s so so good. We’ll put most in the freezer but I made a triple batch of one of our favorite soups, Corn Chowder. I thought I’d share this family favorite recipe with you. You can use canned corn but fresh is better.

Ingredients

· ½ pound bacon cut up fine	· 2 cups milk
· 1 small onion, cut fine	· 3 tablespoons cornstarch
· 1 – 2 potatoes, cubed	· 1 ½ teaspoons salt
· 1 cup water or chicken broth (or both)	· ¼ teaspoon fresh grated black pepper
· 1 ½ cups corn cut fresh off the cob (or canned)	· Couple of dashes of garlic powder

In a large soup pot (6 -8 quarts or larger if you increase the recipe), saute bacon until soft and half cooked. Drain the fat. Add chopped onion and stir. Cook until soft. Add cubed potatoes and stir. Partially cook (about 5 minutes). Add water or broth, corn, spices and bring to low boil. Stir in milk. Bring back to simmer. Make a slurry of the cornstarch (mix it with a little water), then slowly pour in while stirring. This will thicken the soup. Simmer until potatoes are done, adding additional milk or broth to thin. Serves 6 -8.

That’s pretty much it. You will want to double or triple this recipe because it is sooooo good. Serve with fresh hearty bread or cornbread.

Mangia!

2 Comments

Posted in country living, garden, recipe

Tagged corn chowder, country living, gardening

Alley View, Plein Air Painting, Jasper, Indiana

Posted on August 4, 2019 | 4 comments

Alley View, Plein Air Painting, final, 16 x 20, acrylic, Kit Miracle. This shows the final view of the scene. I might tweak it sometime later after I live with it for awhile, but so far, I’m satisfied.

Although I do a fair amount of plein air painting, I don’t do too many competitions. Today I participated in a local event which is always fun. I’m familiar with the area so it’s always a challenge to find new and interesting things to paint. Yesterday I scouted out a few locations. I don’t like to do what everyone else is doing but seek to highlight a vista that might make people see their own space in a new way.

Alley view, initial scene, very early in the morning.

So this morning found me sitting in an alley. I was drawn to this blue garage and the alternating light and shadows as I looked up the alley. It was very peaceful on a Saturday morning at daybreak.

Alley View, 1st step. Using a red-toned canvas, I painted in the basic shadows and main shapes.

Alley View, second level. Here you can see more added colors. This is the point in a painting that everything looks like a real mess. But I’ve learned to just keep pressing on and it will come together.

As you can see, I started with a red-toned canvas, 16 x 20. First I blocked in the main shapes and the darks. Then I started to lay in the markers for the greens. The last colors to go in were the lightest colors – whites, off whites, and the sky. I don’t always work in this order but usually.

Alley View after two hours. Notice how the shadows have changed. Usually 2 – 3 hours is the most time I have for a plein air painting.

Despite the heat and humidity, my acrylic paints kept drying out quickly. I didn’t bring a retarder with me so I kept having to spray the paint and add layer after layer.

But I enjoyed the peace of the scene. A few dog walkers, a couple of interested passersby, the occasional bunny rabbit, and inevitably, the Saturday morning lawn mowers all created the peaceful atmosphere.

I might review the painting later to see if I need to tighten it up, but actually, I like the feel of a warm summer morning. How about you?