Monthly Archives: October 2023

The value of sketching

Posted on October 29, 2023 | 2 comments

I was tinkering around in my studio this week in between starting some new work when I pulled out a sketchbook. Well, one of many. I have sketchbooks of all kinds and sizes. Some fit in a pocket or purse, others are what I call vacation sketchbooks where I record scenes, thoughts and ideas while traveling. There may be more than one vacation in a book. Some I will start and finish completely, while others I pick up as needed. One of my favorite sketchbooks is a handmade Japanese book with thick deckle-edged paper. I don’t remember where I got it but it is so beautiful that I choose carefully what I put in it. Most other books, I write in the back the maker and particulars. And my name and contact info in the front.

Found objects, present from my son. Praying mantis egg casing and three blue jay feathers.

I find sketching to be very relaxing but I’m not obsessed with it. I try out new ideas. Make notes of the materials I’ve used. Or I might write the name of a book that I heard about while listening to NPR. They’re my sketchbooks and I can do what I want. There really aren’t any rules. I might cut swatches from a favorite article of clothing before I put it in the rag bag, or add a post card. Or how about that sticker from that wonderful chocolate shop I visited in Paris. I would never remember the name of that again.

If you looked through my books, you might find some pressed flowers or leaves, lots of four leaf clovers (artists are good at finding those). A favorite quote from a Chinese fortune cookie.

Typical found birds nest waiting to be captured in my sketchbook.

Many of my sketchbooks are devoted to nature or natural elements. I have plenty of subject matter out here on the 90 acres. Plus, one of my sons would (and still does) leave interesting things on my drawing table. A birds nest, some feathers, a praying mantis case. I’ll hang onto these items until they become too ratty and disgusting to have around. But the drawing will last much longer.

A messy robin’s nest. See if you can spot the secret code in the drawing. Notice the thumbtack shadows.

One of my oldest sketches (not in a book but just loose paper) was of a very scruffy robin’s nest which my son brought me one day. I did a fairly large drawing, added some (imaginary) eggs, and scanned it electronically. I’ve used that drawing for many years. I’ve even printed it off on watercolor paper and painted it so I have two versions. Unfortunately, I have seen my drawing pop up on the web elsewhere under someone else’s name. Ha ha. What they don’t know, is that I added a secret code to the drawing so I know it’s mine. I kept the original drawing on my bulletin board in my studio for years until the paper yellowed but you can see the thumbtack marks in the corners. Yeah, those artists are violating copyright laws but I have neither the time, interest nor resources to pursue the matter.

Box of found objects. Birds nests, acorns, chestnuts, magnolia seedpods, etc.

Back to the point. I highly recommend keeping a sketchbook or two or four. They’re so great to relax, record your life, your thoughts. I’ve used pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, colored pencils and markers. I don’t use charcoal much as it tends to be messy and it smears but you can use what you want to in your book.

A dead bird. Anything can end up in the sketch book.

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Posted in art, country living, painting instruction, pen and ink

Tagged art, contemporary impressionist, drawing, drawing instruction, kit miracle, painting instruction, sketchbook, sketching

Soup and art

Posted on October 22, 2023 | Comments Off

Painting of the soup for lunch from my Food We Eat series. Served with homemade rye bread. Yumm.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/768213998/hot-soup-cold-day-original-painting-food?click_key=da66bb4eb481aab6e58af5f42436aeb49e12fe6c%3A768213998&click_sum=655420f4&ref=shop_home_active_9&pro=1&frs=1

Cold weather seems to bring on an appetite for hot soup. We make a variety of soups here on the farm not only because they are tasty and filling, but it’s also a good way to add those veggies into the diets of some people who claim they don’t like vegetables. We never make small batches of soup around here either so this is as small as it gets (an eight quart pot). Plenty to eat for a couple of days and plenty to share.

The other day I made one of our favorites, Thick Kale Soup. Don’t like kale? You will love this soup. My granddaughter says this is her favorite soup. I actually posted this recipe a few years ago but it bears repeating.

Simple ingredients: smoked sausage, onions, garlic, kale, potatoes, white beans, broth and spices. That’s pretty much it. Got company coming? Add more broth, potatoes and another can of beans.

Cut the smoked sausage into bite-size pieces.

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.

Strip the kale from the stalks with your fingers. Much faster. Then rough cut.

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

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.

Breaking down the potatoes with my very old, inherited potato masher. This helps thicken the soup, too.

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.

This is the final kale soup should look like.

Add the cracked pepper to taste. You probably won’t need any salt as the sausage is pretty salty, but suit yourself. I often use a couple of bouillon cubes to add salt, plus always some garlic powder.

Serve with crusty bread for a filling lunch or dinner.

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Posted in art, country living, recipes

Tagged country living, food painting, kale soup, kit miracle, recipe, soup, vegetable soup

October update

Posted on October 15, 2023 | Comments Off

Still gathering produce from the garden this autumn.

Autumn is my second favorite season (spring is my favorite). I think it’s due to the brilliant colors, all those reds and oranges and yellows. The garden is winding down but I’m still extending the season. Frost was predicted last week (didn’t happen) but I covered the vegetable patch anyway. Still getting some tomatoes and peppers. They’re small but we’ll miss that fresh and juicy taste when the last one is gone. I started a new crop of lettuce and spinach. The spinach isn’t doing well but the bib lettuce is coming along. We should be eating fresh lettuce in a week or so. I know it doesn’t seem like much to most people when you can just go to the store and buy fresh lettuce, but still there’s the pleasure of picking my own.

Covering the vegetable patch to prevent frost damage.

We lost all the peaches due to a late freeze this year but we’ve had a bounty of pears. My husband has the patience to sit and process them for the freezer. Future pies and cobblers. I get the fun job of picking them with my long handled fruit picker, with the aid of my grandson who thinks it’s pretty special to dodge the fruit as it comes down. The persimmons are also ripening. I don’t particularly like persimmons but a lot of people around here do. As do the deer and other night creatures. If you don’t know, you have to have both female and male trees to pollinate them. Just a fun fact.

The Kieffer pears just do not want to give up. We don’t spray so, no, they are not perfect. But they make great pies.

The potted flowers haven’t given up yet either but they’re getting pretty straggly. I like the roses that still put out an effort and a few late blooms. And I did take a grandchild to the library to paint pumpkins.

I returned from our trip to the Smoky Mountains last month inspired to paint many of the beautiful scenes that we saw. Sunrise in the Smokies, mountain streams, just so many awesome vistas. After a few small paintings, I printed some cards and painted some holiday scenes for a local gift shop and one of my Etsy shops. Tis the season and most artists and craftspeople are busy this time of year.

Smokey Mountain Sunrise, Acrylic, 10 x 20

Mountain stream in the Smokies. Acrylic, 10 x 20.

And, hey, it’s fall break this week, too. Hummm….guess I’ll cajole the grandkids to help me do some chores, like cleaning out the greenhouse and the shop. Both of those tasks have been on the list all year. Maybe pick up some walnuts for replanting. I picked seven gallons of redbud seedpods which we’ll sow in the woods. If you don’t have this beautiful understory tree in your area, I truly feel sorry for you. A good excuse for a walk in the woods with the kids.

Anyway, I hope that you can get outside to enjoy the final warm days of the season wherever you live.

Traditional Arts Today in Ferdinand, Indiana

KitMiracleArt – one of my Etsy shops

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Posted in art, country living, garden

Tagged autumn in the country, contemporary impressionist, country living, fall break, fall gardening, gardening, kit miracle, pears, persimmons

Great Smoky Mountains in Autumn

Posted on October 1, 2023 | Comments Off

A watercolor / pen and ink sketch from our cabin.

We were able to get away to visit the Great Smoky Mountains this past week and meet up with some old friends. The cabin we rented had an unbelievable view but the park itself was well worth the trip. I haven’t visited it for years. Of course, the towns outside the park had grown a bit (A LOT!) but the natural beauty of the park is still impressive.

Morning view of the mountains from our cabin.

As the most visited National Park in the country, it’s amazing how well-maintained it is. We took a ride through two parts of the park during the week and were able to get out to enjoy the views and visit some historical buildings. I would have loved to just park and paint the scenery but I’m sure our friends wouldn’t appreciate watching me paint for a couple of hours. Well, maybe next time.

The Ephraim Bales cabin (and other buildings).

We took the Newfound Gap Road tour first and had a picnic lunch by the river. Since we had plenty of time, we then drove down to Cades Cove. That was an adventure. Although we avoided the weekend crowd of leaf-lookers, we got stuck in a miles-long traffic jam of cars inching forward. The road is one lane and one way. There was no indication of what was causing the delay. People were getting out of their cars and walking past us. We came to find out that there were supposedly some bears in a tree up ahead. Although we didn’t see any of those bears, we did see a mama and cub run across the road in front of us before we got to the traffic jam. There was also a plein air painting event going on, too. Added to the people who were trying to spot the bears in the tree, it was a little chaotic.

Cades Cove, Smoky Mountains. We had plenty of time to view the scenery since we were stuck in a traffic jam.

Anyway, it was a beautiful day for a drive and a picnic.

Although not the oldest national park, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, admission is free and there are plenty of activities for people of all ages. But I wouldn’t recommend approaching any wild bears. They’re not pets and they can move very quickly. As my granddaughter remarked when we told her about the crowds of bear watchers, are you kidding me?!