How to capture a moment.....(or "giving equal time to "pears", after my post on "indigo"...)



Step one, buy a handmade pottery pitcher from a local artisan.
Step two, roam the yard/garden searching for somethin lovely to fill the new container.
Step three, arrange everything on the new table runner.....and add a pear!




Step four, grab your camera to record this from a couple of different angles. Trying to hold the camera steady, but it is not too important as these photos are just for general reference when I (hopefully) start doing a watercolor based on this moment.

Step five, wait a day or two....the pear is getting ripe! Still no time to paint. Grab sketchbook and make a loose pencil drawing directly from the still life, not the photos....(go over this sketch with India ink pens when the pencil drawing will not scan properly for this post!)

Step six, eat the pear for breakfast.....perhaps pausing to sketch it after slicing,.... or NOT.

Hope for time to get out the watercolors while the arrangement is still on the table....

Dessert in progress......

and finished!

Ready for presentation!

You can find the recipe here on an earlier blog post. I think one reason I like pears is because they come in season in the fall when Mom and I have our birthdays.

I had lots of help from Mom in slicing the pears for this dessert! I made a double recipe since the almond paste comes in 8 oz cans and using prepared pie crusts, which come in boxes of 2!

A day off from work!

I've done my errands, attended yoga class, watched a British mystery DVD (while crocheting a granny square or two!), tidied the house (it was even warm enough to leave the garage open and clean a bit out there), planned Easter sewing for the grandkids! I am now contemplating doing some art work with this bowl and pear. Maybe a watercolor, or at least a sketch for a 5x5 acrylic painting. I have some heat on down in the studio and hope to get down there soon!

I'm so thankful that I have a camera to capture this idea just in case I run out of painting time today! I even played a little in Adobe photoshop with "splatter" and "pastel strokes" just to see the "look" I could get... soft and fuzzy, that's what!

Down to the studio now....or I'll never make it!

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Later---I did find a few minutes for a watercolor sketch! Yeah!

Remember the pear in my watercolor still life?

It is now on top of this "Warm Pear and Walnut Cake", just out of the oven, delicious! [Do you see the "pear" towel in the background?]

The recipe can be found in this book, "Enlightened Cakes" by Camilla V. Saulsbury. Written to encourage the use of less sugar, but not sugar substitutes. Her recipes are wonderful!

Warm Pear and Walnut Cake (with my modifications)

nonstick baking spray

3 T. butter

1t. vanilla extract

2 oz. walnut pieces (about 1/2 c.)

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 c. whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached flour

2 large eggs

1/4 t. salt

2 medium or one large ripe pear -cored and sliced thin (do not peel)

2 t. turbinado sugar (for sprinkling over the top before baking)

Preheat oven to 425 and spray the pan (8" is large enough) with baking spray.

In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat, cool slightly. add vanilla and set aside.

In the bowl of a FOOD PROCESSOR process the walnuts, brown sugar and flour until the nuts are finely ground.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and add salt. Fold in the flour/nut mixture, then the butter mixture. Spread batter into prepared pan. Arrange pear slices evenly over the batter and sprinkle with turbinado (raw) sugar.

Bake 22-25 minutes until cake tests done. Cut in slices and serve ( vanilla yogurt might be good on this...I used some Devon cream...yummm!]

Baking (and raking) on Sunday, again!


Above, the baked crumb crust and the fruits for the pie. Below, the finished pie!

~~~~~~~~~The recipe I used~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pear Cranberry Yogurt Pie
1 baked pie shell*
2 eggs
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 T all Purpose Flour
12 oz Plain Yogurt
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
Ripe Pears and Cranberries




Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place sheet pan in oven. Place eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk together. Add flour and mix with whisk until smooth. Mix in yogurt until smooth. Pour into pre-baked, cooled pie shell approximately 3/4 to the top. Add thinly sliced, peeled and ripe pears neatly and decoratively on the top. Add cranberries on top. Place in oven for 35-40 minutes or until it is fully baked. It will puff up and there will be no jiggle. Refrigerate over night and serve.
* Toasted Almond Crust
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. almonds, toasted and finely chopped
3 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt
Mix well with hands until pliable. Press into bottom and sides of pie plate. Make the top edge as attractive as you can, and bake at 400 degrees 10-12 min. or until golden. Cool completely.

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This recipe was from Claire Murray's newsletter in September. It was impossible to find fresh cranberries here at that time. I found them yesterday. Of course, they add a pretty red touch to the pie, but I wonder if they will be TOO TART!...(groan about the pun...) We have yet to taste the pie which is still cooling. I did glaze it with a little apricot (apple jelly would work too) jam after taking it from the oven. [NOTE: (later) this was delicious! The cranberries were fine, and one could even use a little less sugar. It would still be good!]

It is a cloudy, cool day with light rain from time to time. I will be out raking leaves today (wearing those new boots) to work up an appetite for the pie.

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Mr. Pear is very mobile for having had knee surgery less than a week ago. He is doing great (unless he is supposed to be taking it easy....), he keeps showing off by walking around without the walker or crutches. Of course the pain medicine probably makes him feel invincible!

He walked out to our mailbox, using crutches, yesterday.

Two cards....

This watercolor postcard came yesterday. Lizzzie made it to thank us for our hospitality last week. I love the indigo and really like the stems on the pears too!

Wonderful work Lizzzie!

I wonder what the saying means....????? [Should we tell Santa? it is signed "ELF"]

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The next card is one that my daughter requested I do for her....[I guess there aren't many limits on what I will do for her!]

She wanted and original caricature style Christmas card drawing of her family and dog in front of their home. Now this was a challenge as I had to work from assorted photos and just group them on my own. Besides, I do landscapes and still life, not cartoons or portraits! I kept thinking of the Caroline's Crayons blog while I did this...it was not a fast undertaking!

postscript....the granddaughter wants her skirt to be green. I think I can do that! Back to the colored pencils now!

ABC WEDNESDAY

"I" is for "INDIGO"....of course!

It is also for "Impermanent"......













And for "Infinity".....(collage by lila)




********************************And for "Inspire"....(collage by Gemma)


















Find more "ABC Wednesday" at Mrs. Nesbitt's!

I have to share this pear....

Today we (Mom and I) visited a univesity art gallery and viewed etchings and woodcuts by Albrect Durer and Rembrant. This illutration by Albrect Durer, done in 1511,

is called "Virgin and Child with Pear". In the middle ages, everything in the natural world came to have symbolism for Christianity...the common person would be familiar with most of these symbols...even as the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment were approaching.

The pear (which Mary is holding in her right hand) symbolised Christ's love for humanity. The small photo shows the wonderful range of value which makes the Virgin's clothing almost shimmer....the larger photo shows the pear in Mary's right hand.

Report of this weeks activities....

Art Center of the Ozarks silent auction of 5X5 paintings was last night! Mr. Pear and I attended and had a lovely time. It is a fund raiser for the art center for which local artists donate a 5" x 5" painting or artwork.



This painting of a zinnia bouquet was my donation this year. It had several bids then Mr. Pear put in a bid on it, so of course it ended up coming home with us! [I'm really kind of glad to have it back.]

I bid on and won another which has similar colors....it is of a fleamarket in Mexico by Janis Gill Ward.

I couldn't resist, I picked up Jan Karon's latest novel while running errands yesterday.


I have started it and am enjoying it, mostly because having read this entire series(the Mitford series) the characters are like old friends. Hers are books about peaceful and ordinary lives but with loads of charm and grace.






This is another "project" I have going right now...trying a new experiment in "paper quilts". One for each season of the year.
This is the winter quilt. My Bernina sewing machine rebelled at quilting these and is now going in to be repaired. I am VERY CAREFULLY finishing the quilting and bindings on my old Singer Featherweight!
Not much time to visit blogs, as I have deadlines for the upcoming show!

My contribution to Daisy Lupin's "Poems we loved as children"....

What is Pink?

by Christina Rossetti

What is pink? a rose is pink

By the fountain's brink.

What is red? a poppy's red

In its barley bed.

What is blue? the sky is blue

Where the clouds float thro'.

What is white? a swan is white

Sailing in the light.

What is yellow? pears are yellow,

Rich and ripe and mellow.

What is green? the grass is green,

With small flowers between.

What is violet? clouds are violet

In the summer twilight.

What is orange? why, an orange,

Just an orange!

Looking back, I realize just how much I have always loved color! (And there is

a pear again, in her visualization and description of lovely things to paint!)

I can't believe I found this....I also can't believe that it "IS"...that it exists!

Indigo Pears ©2004 Elaine Hickey, West Falmouth 46x46. Includes hand dyed indigo and hand painted fabrics. Hand appliquéd, machine pieced and quilted.

I found this quilted wallhanging photo while working on my daughter's computer...trying to get to my blog!

It just goes to show that there really is nothing new under the sun...and maybe we quilters tend to think alike...I named my blog for indigo which I love..including indigo fabrics and for pears which turn up in many of my watercolors.....

Elaine Hickey obviosly love indigos too! I like the still-life arrangement...including how she has broken out of the square frame on the left with a pear "shadow"...the soft stripe used for a curtain behind the blue shapes.....this was in an on-line quilt show.... I'd like to see more of her work, and get in touch with her!

Oh!... and here are more lovely fabric pears!

Still Painting Pears!



Here is today's effort as is is currently...I scan the paintings, then can often "see" things I need to change after the image is up here!

This painting is called "3 O'Clock Saturday" because that is what time it was when I was working on the clock face!...I think I will brighten some of the foreground...especially the small pitcher. and add some texture detail on the table cloth...maybe a lace-type texture. I will also down-play the wicker -like arches in the background...make them into twig furniture?
This palette is very pink and purple...just a bit of yellow on the apple up front...maybe I can repeat the yellow somewhere....and I'll try to make sure that my "center of interest" (usually the place where the lightest light meets the darkest dark) is in a good place...right now, it may the dark green leaf with the torquoise accent....
More later.....

This is the painting I am working on today....the scanner only picks up the center...but that may be the best part anyway!

It is based on a photo of a peony in a bluegreen glass vase....from Better Homes and Gardens February 2007...and a couple of pitchers from my collection, and some pears, purchased yesterday,( which I will soon make into a salad with baby lettuce,walnuts, blue cheese, and balsamic viagrette dressing....)