As I grow older in life I think about this more often. In my younger life I designed and built three homes at different locations, learning something from each design. At this point in my life, I live in a home I did not design. It is a wonderful little California Bungalow on a main street in a fairly large city. My other homes had been on waterfront or the beach. Planning and building another one at this point in my life is not viable.
Setting goals is important at any age. We all need to dream a new dream to have something to look forward to doing. I’ve had an art studio for years. They have been all different sizes and shapes and locations. I dreamed of being able to spend more time painting in my studio. Now that I am retired, I am living that dream. I need to find more places to actually sell the art I am creating. I guess that is a goal!
Today I finished this 10 x 20 inch painting of a nearby vineyard. I find painting grapevines more challenging than many other things that I paint. While there are always rows and rows of grapevines, how do you make them beautiful and interesting?
With so many rows, mostly the same, where is the “Focal Point”? That brings up a good point in the design of painting. I was taught that you always have to have a focal point in any painting. I see many famous paintings without one. It makes me question: “Do you have to have a focal point in your life”? When I was younger, it was my family and work and art sneaking in occasionally. Now that my sons are grown and all successful, I don’t have to worry about them as my focal point. I’m not working anymore. Although I would love to find a part-time job, I no longer have work as a focal point.
My art is my main focal point. It is hard to focus on something you love if you can’t find places to sell your art. Do you have to find something else to dream about? Do you have to find another goal to set?
I dream about going to Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. I want to go before I am not capable of travel and really enjoying it. This is why I set a goal to work out four times a week. Additionally, I try to walk 10,000 steps a day. Here’s a funny fact. I am the oldest member of Kaia Fit in the city where I live. I keep up with everyone in the class. (Maybe my weights are a little lighter than those in their thirties. )
Here are some questions for you:
How many goals do you need at any given time in your life?
Do you put them in order of importance? Do you have a list?
What is your dream? Do you share it with other people?
Teddy wandered into our neighbor, into our lives and into our heart. When he first showed up, he was not friendly, but he kept coming back. My neighbor across the street started feeding him, as did a few other neighbors. He was reticent, like most cats that do not know you. We never knew where Teddy came from. He was not a young cat when he started “hanging out” on our street.
Our neighborhood has a Friday night get-together and he started joining us. He did not have a glass of wine or a Margarita. We were starting to see he was starting to enjoy the company. Every Friday when our neighbors hosted the party, Teddy arrived. He watched from a distance at first, but slowly moved closer and closer.
We live on a main street so the journey there for a cat be treacherous. He managed to cross streets, climb fences and enjoy life in our neighborhood. As time passed he decided that the house directly across from ours was “home”. He became their lap cat. First he enjoyed lap time on the porch, but as time went on he was invited inside.
Slowly he began allowing the porch crowd to pet him. I never heard him purr, but I am sure he was purring silently with the new attention. I enjoyed seeing him grow fonder of everyone joining us on Fridays.
He was getting tricky too, and learned how to open the screen door all by himself. He decided watching sports on the lap of my neighbor was a good pastime. They took him to the groomer and his coat began to shine. They took him to vet to make sure he was healthy. Teddy grew more appreciative of all the attention. He reciprocated with rubs on the leg or by laying on the floor next to you. Given the opportunity he loved sitting on any chair on the porch.
When the neighbor left town in the winter he was seen sitting up on the chairs and trying to see in the window. How could they leave me behind? Every time they returned, he was there waiting for them. In their absence more than one neighbor fed him.
I’ve always had a cat, but my husband does not like cats. I was thrilled to have a friendly cat in the neighborhood that liked to receive pets. We all knew that Teddy was getting older. We all noticed he was getting thinner. He disappeared for a couple of days and was found in the basement of a house close by. Our neighbor got him and took him to the emergency vet in the morning. Teddy was limp as a rag and quite thin by the time they found him.
Initially they did not even find a vet to take him to, so they went to the emergency veterinary clinic. It was obvious the cat was not going to be fine. Earlier, we were told he was thirteen or fourteen years old. This age is a good life for a cat. The vet insisted on running tests, even wanting to transport the cat to another vet for an ultrasound. At that my neighbor said: “No”. Teddy had to be put to sleep. To have him cremated he had to be transported to Napa from Vacaville.
$5000 later, our neighborhood has lost our cat. Our neighbor is left with the legacy of having given our cat a good home. They now have a major veterinary bill. Here is my question: “Why would a vet, knowing that the cat is dying, charge so much?”
I never thought of working in my studio to be dangerous. I am beginning to think twice about that now. Last week while working on a new painting, I was concentrating on the painting. I wasn’t concentrating on where I was. I wasn’t focused on what I was sitting on. As a result, I “missed” my stool when sitting down. I work in a remodeled small garage in a 1915 Craftsman home. The floor in my studio is concrete, which is normally just fine. I have a thin carpet over it, with no padding. (Mistake # 2). Mistake # 1 was using the rolling stool.
As I slightly missed the stool, I lost my balance and bounced to the floor landing on my derriere. That was okay. Still, I kept on going down. I bounced off the concrete on the back of my head. My glasses went flying and I was not only feeling a little stupid, but my head hurt like hell. So now, I’m laying on the floor, my Apple watch is screaming: “Have you fallen? Do you need to call 911?” I can’t see well enough without my glasses to find the button. I can’t turn off the emergency call to 911. I am thinking an ambulance is soon to be on its way. I am really going to be embarrassed. After a few moments, I managed to put on my glasses. I turned off the emergency call on my Apple Watch and tried to get my act together. I know nothing is broken, but my humility. Luckily no one but my husband is anywhere nearby, so the embarrassment factor was limited . Entering the house, more like stumbling into the house, I found an ice pack and sat down. This is how to have an instant headache and ruin a lovely day of painting in my studio.
This all happened on a Friday afternoon. I did not do much the rest of the day. The next day we went to Saturday Market. I had at least a #5 headache and a very stiff neck. Additionally, I admit my backside was indeed sore. But it was not enough to keep me from going to Farmer’s Market and chatting with friends. I took Advil and headed out.
Sunday we went on a Mural Tour and out to lunch with a friend, but my headache persisted. I took Advil again (Mistake #3) and enjoyed the tour as much as one can with a lovely headache. I do highly recommend the Fleet Street Mural Tours in downtown Sacramento. There is a variety of amazing talent expressed in the over 600 murals. We only saw about twenty, but I enjoyed each and every one of them.
Monday (boy this is getting long), I went to my exercise class. I felt a little weak. I “still” had the headache. After talking to my oldest son and receiving a slight lecture, I called the Nurse Line at Kaiser. They wanted me to make an appointment to come in to have a CT Scan.
The nurse laughingly told me something interesting when I talked to her on the line. Her husband said she should get rid of the rolling stool in her craft room. He was afraid she would fall off and hurt herself. He bought her a stool that did not roll. We laughed as I told her, now she had the opportunity to share a real life example.
I waited for the callback and waited for the callback and finally decided to go to ER.
No way to spend the afternoon you can have been in the studio. We were treated well, even though the waiting room was packed. One of my acquaintances from my Friday painting group arrived in a wheelchair. She had been out “boarding” with friends, and tripped on a rock. She was having her leg checked to make sure it was just a sprain. She said the boarding at Lake Berryessa was worth the pain. She was still waiting when we left. It always amazes me where you run into people you know. Last year, while I was waiting to get a prescription at Kaiser, I ran into the mother of a friend. I had not seen her in at least fifteen years.
Back to the ER. Three hours later, I found out I had an acute concussion and a mild whiplash. Luckily I did not have “Brain Damage”. I was told not to take Advil, as it can cause more bleeding. Tylenol has since become my good friend. On the way home from ER, we stopped and bought an non-rolling chair. I put the rolling stool by the trash in the alley. It was not there this morning, and I don’t think that I will miss it.
I went to the gym this morning, as the doctor said it was fine. I did use lighter weights than usual, and am trying to laugh about the situation. Fortunately I did not long term damage to my head. It did make me stop and think about the dangers of painting.
I enjoy Plein Air painting; but I have had a Black Widow spider crawling up my back. Luckily someone noticed it and knocked it off. I have had a skunk walk by in close-proximity, but was not sprayed. I have gotten more than one terrific sunburn. I have dropped at least one painting in the dirt. My umbrella has blown away and my allergies have asked what I was doing in the middle of a field. Friends of mine have had bears come visit, but I don’t go that rural.
I considered my studio a very safe environment, until it was not.
This was the painting I was working on, and I will always think of it as “Falling Off”. It is not done, and will not be for a while.
Painting is not for sissies. I think about the lack of ventilation when varnishing my work. I consider reaching and hanging paintings above my head. These are among the many perils of doing art.
Enjoy art you see. Enjoy art you produce. Remember to try to be careful working in your studio and out painting Plein Air!
And it’s finished. (For now)
I was not happy with the colors when I looked at the painting online. Colors always look different online or in a photograph than how they look in the studio or in natural light. I could see that the tree was not quite the focal point and that is what I had hoped to achieve. In working on the painting a little more, I softened the mountains in the back, brought more lights to the tree, simplified the foreground and think it works better now.
On another note, my headache from my concussion is finally gone and I feel great. I have a new chair in my studio with no wheels and will be painting like crazy as I feel great again!
“Cell in the Sea” was painted with my fascination of when and where you find people on their cell phones. I took this photo which I painted in beautiful Puerto Vallarta earlier this spring. The original photo was pretty simple, so I tried to keep that simplicity in the painting. I did leave out the latte cup, but found it humorous that this is how some people might spend their vacation. Maybe they are sharing a story, or maybe she is being a bit nosey and trying to see what is so important to him. If it were my husband, he would be checking a football, baseball, basketball, soccer and or etc. score, depending on the season. I have learned over time that it is more important to know that score than to have a possible conversation.
We all use our cell phones for different purposes. I use mine to talk to family and friends, to take photos (like this one) that I might paint in the future. I don’t play Suduko, Wordle or Angry Birds as I just find it a waste of time and loss of brain-power. I don’t discover anything new by spending a lot of time on my phone. I do use it to text family and confirm appointments, as it now seems that is the only way available to do it anymore. I attempted to make the woman without a cell phone look sad, which is not happening in the photo.
Another painting I did a while ago was from a photo taken at Domaine Caneros, which is a lovely winery with a gorgeous view. The couple I painted has no interest in the the view or each other. Why bother going?
When we were traveling in Europe I chanced upon people often together and not together: Barcelona Bench below was one of those moments that I captured, and feel sorry for the family. Our language is becoming a series of txt’s, our conversations seem somewhat limited.
What do you think? I think it is time for me to go back to painting landscapes, flowers and fun stuff. This cell phone addiction is too depressing to me.
I first learned to drive on a Johnny Popper, as my grandfather used to call ours. When I was small I would sit on my father’s lap and he would let me pretend to drive. I have wonderful memories of being out in the orchard among the walnut trees building “checks” to get ready for irrigation. Years later, he taught me how to shift gears. My brother learned the same way I did, but either he was more adventuresome, or more careless. One day, my father turned around and my brother was about to attempt to climb a tree while seated and driving our John Deere tractor. I watched as my father sprinted to the tractor, jumped and somehow got the tractor out of the tree. A few minutes more and my brother might have flipped the tractor and be crushed under it. My father did not use cuss words often, but I learned a few that day. My brother was not allowed to drive the tractor for quite a while.
I’ve always been fascinated by John Deere Tractors, but never really looked into their history. I have painted a few old ones over the years. I one above is not in use anymore, but beautifies a farm not too far from Winters. California. I was in a Plein Air paintout and when I saw these, I knew I wanted to paint it. It was the second full day of the event, so I was a little tired and had completed a landscape scene earlier in the day. A couple other artists were painting the tractor, so I decided to join in. It was a warm day and I got a good start, but did not finish in time to turn it in. Actually I finished it in my studio today.
At the event, both the Artist’s Choice and the People’s Choice were paintings of this tractor! I think people like tractors. I decided to do a little research on the history of the John Deere Tractor:
The history of the company began in 1837 when John Deere, a blacksmith, invented a steel plow that was successful in the sticky soil of the American Midwest. In 1843, he formed a partnership with Leonard Andrus, to produce more plows to meet the increasing demand for them. The company eventually expanded to include tractors, harvesting equipment and other farming tools. Deere & Company incorporated in 1868.
In the 1910’s the company expanded, entering the tractor and harvesting equipment business and acquired other companies to build a “full line” of farm equipment. In 1912 Deere preferred stock debut on the New York Stock Exchange. In the 1950’s to 1960’s Deere & Company became a global sales leader in agriculture and industrial equipment, focusing on innovation and expansion. They continued to grow, focusing on larger-scale farming equipment and expanding into construction, forestry and turf care. To this they remain a global leader in agricultural and construction equipment, while continuing to innovate and expand product offerings.
John Deere’s mission statement, “We Run So Life Can Leap Forward”, focuses on creating intelligent, connected machines and applications that help revolutionize agriculture and construction, enabling life to leap forward. This mission is supported by eheir core values of Integrity, Quality, Commitment, and Innovation. They strive to sustain lives and livelihoods everywhere, deliver purpose-driven technology, and run with nature, while prioritizing sustainability and ethical business practices.
I love their tagline: “Nothing Runs Like a Deere”.
John Deere’s first tractor was the WaterLoo Boy, introduced in 1918. This tractor, initially designed for large farms, was a result of Deere & Company’s acquisition of the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company. The first tractor to bear the “John Deere” name and be built, marketed, and named by John Deere was the Model D, introduced in 1923.
John Deere has come a long ways since this first tractor.
Our John Deere Tractor on the farm in Colusa, California was more like the one pictured below. I don’t know whatever happened to our farm Johnny, but assume it was sold when my father died at age 53. My mother sold the farm, and bought her first ever new car, and cute little house in a new housing development not far from town. I left that year to go to college and only go back for an occasion class picnic and now as I have grown older go back for more “Celebrations of Life”, (funerals) than anything else.
Not that it has much to do with this post, but the next car I learned to drive was our 1956 Willy Jeep in bright yellow. It had no cover, so when not being used on the farm I would drive it to High School. Lots of great memories.
Butterflies are declining seriously in most countries. Climate change, habitat loss and insecticides tend to work together to weaken butterfly populations. Without butterflies, plant biodiversity would decrease, leading to disruptions in food chains and potentially impacting human food systems. Butterflies are important pollinators and their decline can negatively affect crop yield and the overall health of ecosystems.
Butterflies are a food source for many animals, including birds, bats and other insects. A decline in their population could negatively impact these animals and disrupt the delicate balance of food. While butterflies are not as well-known as bees, they are important pollinators for certain crops, contributing significantly to agricultural productivity. From what I’ve read the greatest threats to butterflies are habitat change and loss due to residential, commercial and agricultural development.
The two paintings are for the Vacaville Art Gallery Benefit Art Auction taking place June 19th to June 28th this year. Each painting is 12″ x 12″ and will be available for sale at the Art Gallery. One of my friends is a fantastic insect photographer, and I used the photos from Kathy Keatley Garvey, entomologist.
To help save butterflies, you can create butterfly-friendly habitats in your yard by planting native milkweed and nectar-producing flowers. Avoid using pesticides and herbicides, which can harm butterflies and their caterpillars. Plants that help butterflies include Milkweed, butterfly bushes (Buddleia), Coneflowers (Echinacea) and Asters, as well as plants from the mint, rose and vervain families. A few more plants that butterflies enjoy are Verbena, Sage (Salvia), Zinnias, Phlox, Lantana, Sweet Joe-Pye-weed (Eutrochium), Butterfly Weed, Monarda, Goldenrod (Solidago), Egyptian Star Flower (Pentas), Marigold, Ageratum, Coreopsi, Zinnias, Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Blazing Star (Liatris), Button Bush (Cephalanthus Occidentalis), Catmint (Nepeta), Fase Indigo (Baptisia), Floss Flower (Ageratum), Hollyhock (Alcea), Lavender, Shata Daisy, Snapdragon, Stonecrop (Sedum), Sunflower, Yarrow, and Bee Balm (Monarda).
To protect Larvae plant Milkweed (Asclepias), Dill and Fennel, Pipevine (Aristolochia) and Native California plants. Allow plants to grow to their full size to provide ample nectar and host plants. Choose plants with different boom times to extend the butterfly feeding season. Plant a mix of flowers to attract different butterfly species. Remember many butterflies prefer sunny locations.
One of more interesting pieces of information I discovered as that butterflies see more colors than humans. They seem to prefer red, orange, yellow, purple and dark pink. A large, colorful garden is easy for butterflies to find and encourages them to stay longer. Each butterfly has a favorite nectar and needs a specific host plant where is will lay eggs.
Here is a list of Host Plants and the Butterflies they attract:
Host Plant
Butterfly
Willow (Salix spp.)
Red Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
Hop Tree (Ptelea trifoliata)
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Senna (Cassia spp.)
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
In case it is easier for you to read a list of butterfly attracting plants, here is one I found online which may include a few more than I listed above, and may out a few:
Common Name
Scientific Name
Goldenrod
Solidago sp.
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Beebalm
Monarda fistulosa or Monarda bradburiana
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Egyptian Star Flower
Pentas lanceolata
Ironweed
Veronia baldwinii
Joe-Pye Weed
Eupatorium purpureum
Lantana
Lantana camara
Indian Pink
Spigelia marilandica
New England Aster
Aster novae-angliae
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Blazing Star
Liatris spp.
Vervain
Verbena spp.
Zinnia
Zinnia elegans
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
Beardtongues
Penstemon sp.
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Blue Sage
Salvia azurea
Blanket Flower
Gaillardia sp.
Golden Alexander
Zizia sp.
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Mountain Mmints
Pycnanthemum sp.
Culver’s Root
Ceronicastrum virginicum
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Rose Mallow
Hibiscus lasiocarpos
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
Royal Catchfly
Silene regia
Phlox
Phlox sp.
Downy Skullcap
Scutellaria incana
Happy planting so you can enjoy your butterfly friends!
My cooking group decided we should have a Vegetarian get-together, so I made this the other day from America’s Test Kitchen Vegetarian Cookbook. It was delicious! I added a couple layers that made it even more yummy! The recipe looks very long and complicated, and it is; but it also very easy if you go step-by-step. I added a layer of cooked sweet potato (1 potato) and a layer of fresh cooked spinach.
Be sure to put your springform pan on a roasting pan and cover it with foil so it will be easy to clean later. I made it for dinner and took the rest to our neighborhood Friday get-together. It was a huge hit!
Gather Your Ingredients
Vegetables
3 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each), halved crosswise and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, outer thin slices of skin from each half discardedkosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional oil for brushing wire racks
1 medium head garlic, outer papery skins removed and top third of head cut off and discardedGround black pepper
2 medium red bell peppers (about 8 ounces each)
2 large tomatoes (ripe), about 8 ounces each, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices4 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces each), cut on steep bias into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Crust
4 slices white sandwich bread (about 6 ounces), torn into quarters
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus additional softened butter for greasing pan
2 ounces Asiago cheese, grated on fine holes of box grater (about 2/3 cup)
Custard and Garnish
3 large eggs¼ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon
3 ounces Asiago cheese, grated on fine holes of box grater (about 1 cup)2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves
Measuring Spoons
Before You Begin
To prevent sticking, the eggplant slices are roasted on wire racks set over baking sheets. Alternatively, they can be roasted directly on well-oiled baking sheets; after roasting, use a thin spatula to carefully remove the slices. Hard Italian Asiago is too mild for this recipe–use a domestic Asiago (available in supermarkets) that yields to pressure when pressed. The torta is best served warm or at room temperature. See below for make ahead instructions
Instructions
1.FOR THE VEGETABLES: Sprinkle both sides of eggplant slices with generous 1 tablespoon kosher salt; transfer salted eggplant to large colander set over bowl. Let stand until eggplant releases about 2 tablespoons liquid, about 30 minutes. Arrange eggplant slices in single layer on double layer paper towels; cover with another double layer paper towels. Firmly press each slice to flatten and remove as much liquid as possible.
2.While eggplant drains, adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 450 degrees. Set 2 wire racks on 2 rimmed baking sheets; brush both racks with oil. Place garlic cut side up on sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle garlic with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; wrap foil tightly around garlic and set aside.
3.Arrange salted and pressed eggplant slices on oiled racks; brush slices on both sides with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with pepper.
4.Brush peppers with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and place 1 pepper on each baking sheet with eggplant. Place baking sheets in oven; place foil-wrapped garlic on lower oven rack alongside baking sheet. Roast vegetables until eggplant slices are soft, well browned, and collapsed, and peppers are blistered and beginning to brown, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating baking sheets and turning peppers over halfway through baking time. Transfer peppers to medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside; allow eggplant to cool on wire racks. Continue to roast garlic until cloves are very soft and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Set garlic aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
5.While vegetables roast, arrange tomato slices on double layer paper towels; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Let stand 30 minutes, then cover with another double layer paper towels; gently press tomatoes to remove moisture.
6.While vegetables roast and tomatoes stand, sprinkle both sides of zucchini slices with generous 1 tablespoon kosher salt; transfer salted zucchini slices to large colander set over bowl. Let zucchini stand until it releases about 1/3 cup liquid, about 30 minutes. Place triple layer paper towels on large, microwave-safe plate. Arrange a third of zucchini slices on paper towels; cover with another triple layer towels, pressing to remove moisture. Repeat, arranging remaining zucchini in two additional layers separated by triple layer paper towels, and placing triple layer paper towels on top of final zucchini layer. Place another heavy, microwave-safe plate on zucchini stack; press firmly to compress. Microwave stack on high power until steaming, about 10 minutes. Using potholders, carefully remove stack from microwave and let stand 5 minutes; remove top plate.
7.When peppers are cool, remove skins. Slit peppers pole to pole; discard stem and seeds. Unfurl peppers so they lie flat; cut each pepper lengthwise into 3 pieces.
8.FOR THE CRUST: Pulse torn bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about ten 1-second pulses. With machine running, pour butter through feed tube and process until combined, about 4 seconds. Add 2/3 cup Asiago and pulse to combine, about three 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to bowl. Do not wash food processor.
9.Thoroughly grease 9-inch springform pan with softened butter. Measure out 1 cup bread-crumb mixture and sprinkle in bottom of springform pan; using flat bottom of measuring cup, press crumbs into even layer. Holding pan upright, press additional 1 1/4 cups bread-crumb mixture into sides of pan, forming thick, even layer that stops about 1/4 inch from top of pan, (see illustration below). Reserve leftover bread-crumb mixture.
10.FOR THE CUSTARD: Squeeze garlic head at root end to remove cloves from skins. In small bowl, mash cloves with fork and place in food processor; add eggs, cream, thyme, and lemon juice. Process until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.
11.TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: (See illustrations below.) Arrange single layer of eggplant on top of bread-crumb crust, tearing pieces as needed to cover entire bottom surface. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons cheese. Arrange single layer of zucchini and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Repeat with another layer of eggplant and cheese. Layer in all red pepper pieces; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Pour half of custard over vegetables; tilt pan and shake gently from side to side to distribute evenly over vegetables and down sides. Repeat layering of eggplant and zucchini, sprinkling each layer with 2 tablespoons cheese (about 4 more layers). Pour remaining custard over vegetables; tilt and gently shake pan to distribute. Arrange tomato slices around perimeter of pan, overlapping to fit, then fill in center with remaining slices. Press tomatoes gently with hands. Sprinkle torta with 3 tablespoons reserved bread-crumb mixture; discard any remaining bread crumbs.
12.Set torta on baking sheet and bake on lower-middle rack until tomatoes are dry, bread-crumb topping is lightly browned, center of torta looks firm and level (not soft or wet), and torta registers internal temperature of 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 75 to 90 minutes. Cool torta for 10 minutes on wire rack; run thin-bladed knife around inside of pan to loosen, then remove springform pan ring.
13.TO SERVE: Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen. Let stand 20 minutes longer (to serve warm) or cool to room temperature, sprinkle with basil, and cut into wedges.
14.TO MAKE AHEAD:The eggplant, garlic, and peppers can be roasted, cooled, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before assembly. Or the torta can be assembled, baked, cooled, removed from the springform pan, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated overnight. Allow the torta to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving
When asked: “Why do you make art” what do you say? I think all artists wrestle with the why of it? I, myself know I have to do it to be happy. Working on a painting or a pen and ink drawing in my studio makes me happy.
The making of art is a tradition that has spanned the entirety of human history. I’m always interested to know what is art’s purpose, if it has one! When asked, what do artist’s say about their compulsion to create? Camille Henrot said: “I don’t think art has any inherent duty; its not “good” for anything innately.” What best describes an artist? Is too much expected of art? She went on to say: “Art is good for representing and defending a space for complexity, nuance and exception. I love this explanation.
Rose B Simpson stated: ” So much art caters to the intellect, tickles the wit and hold the key to an inside joke.” The cost of art is know what you paid to go to art school, and what you owe. What we need to remember is that art ventures in the magical, driven by a deep desire to know something beside disconnection as to become fluent in the poetry of the supernatural. Art is about findg our way home to our humanity. As we take many wrong turns each one is a teacher.
What I often wonder, is the question of why people question why we have to make art. Why is art a part of our soul? Why do we wake up thinking about what we can create next? Is it because we are creative souls, or are we artists just a little crazy! I don’t have an answer to this yet.
I know I love to paint and draw. I love the companionship of artistic people. I painted this years ago, and it sold right away. It is 2′ x 4′ and happily installed in a happy client’s home. Think about why you enjoy art, be it contemporary or old world, flowers or landscape or a million other venues. I hope you are enjoying it in your life!
How do you feel about donating your artwork to non-profit auctions and events. Donating art to charity should be a meaningful way for artists to give back to society, support causes they believe in, and gain exposure for their work. It can be a rewarding experience for both the artist and the benefiting organization, offering a unique way to contribute to the greater good.
I found this article online about the advantages of donating artwork:
Why Donate Art?
There are numerous benefits to donating art to charity:
Supporting Causes:
Artists can directly contribute to organizations working on issues they care about, whether it’s environmental conservation, animal welfare, children’s health, or community development.
Raising Awareness:
Art donations can help charities raise awareness for their cause by attracting attention to their fundraising events and campaigns.
Community Engagement:
Donating art fosters a positive relationship with the local community and demonstrates an artist’s commitment to social responsibility.
Potential Tax Benefits:
In some cases, artists may be eligible for a tax deduction for the fair market value of their donated artwork. It’s crucial to consult with a qualified accountant to understand the specific tax implications.
Exposure and Networking:
Charity events and auctions can provide artists with valuable exposure to potential buyers, collectors, and gallery owners.
The question comes to my mind: Is it really worth it to donate art?
Often artists feel used. All fundraisers ask you to donate your art for free. There is no profit going to the artist. There is only the promise of becoming recognized or a little more well-known in the area. In my life experience the name recognitions or promise of exposure has not been worthwhile. I have had few , if any contacts that buy more artwork from me in the future.
There is no real tax-donation for the artist. It’s said that your donations are tax-deductible, they are, but not for the artist. If you bought a piece of art for $500. and you donate it to a charity, you can write $500 off as your tax deduction. If the artist donates his artwork, he or she can deduct only the cost of art supplies used to manufacture the piece. The deduction sum doesn’t include the artist’s labor, level of expertise, tuition loans, years spent learning, etc. Therefore, when the artist donates, he or she gives it away for real, which looks unfair to the artist at times, because the institution seems to “make money” using the artist. Few organizations that sold my art sent a “thank you” note to me. None of them shared the information on price the price it sold for, or who bought the piece or pieces.
Many artists feel that a donation of your art devalues your work, as it can be sold for any price and you have no control over it. Many artists may feel that it makes you look weak as an artist, because you are donating art, not selling your art.
The only reason to donate art is because it makes you feel good that you might be helping others.
One article I read suggested that you set the base auction bid and require half of that base price as a payment to you if your art sells. How many organizations do you think are willing to do that?
If you are a professional artist, you are likely already deducting your supplies expenses for your business. The IRS never allows “double-dipping.” This means that you already deducted that supplies expense, and you can’t deduct it again when you donate that work to charity.
If you deduct your supplies expenses as an artist (and I hope you do!), then you don’t get any deduction for your donated artwork. None ever!
How should you proceed with deducting those art donations?
Here’s what is recommend, to help you be generous without feeling exploited:
Create a donation budget.
Decide what is a reasonable amount of artwork for you to donate each year. It might be zero. You get to decide. When you’ve donated your full budget for the year, say to the next organization that asks you to donate, “I’ve already met my donation budget for this year, but you can ask me next year.” This keeps you in control and helps you avoid feeling exploited.
Talk to the organization that’s asking you to donate.
Tell them that artists do not get a deduction for donating artwork. The organization should be aware of this, and they should never solicit artwork donations with the promise, or even suggestion, of a tax deduction. I would like it if they stopped sending out letters to artists listing the retail value of the work—it is very misleading.
Ask the organization if there are other benefits they can provide to donating artists.
Publicity? Use of materials or facilities? Introductions to collectors? Even better, a share of the proceeds when your work is sold.
I have donated artwork for many years, and I always wondered why I never received a “Thank You” note even once in all that time. I have never been informed of the actual sales price of the piece I donated. Often I have attended the event and received an oral thank you from the buyer of my artwork. I have noticed that unless it used as a live auction item, it never sells for anywhere near what I would sell it for normally.
This year I offered a nice piece to a local non-profit as I am on the Board, and I was not contacted, so I assume they did not desire to have my art as a live auction item. I won’t offer any art to this group in the future. It would have been mannerly to at least tell me they were not interested in my free donation of a substantial piece of art. I’m starting to think I love painting and will “donate” my art to family, friends and local businesses that I enjoy!
Artists paint for many different reasons. I love to paint, so maybe someone will enjoy seeing something that could be mundane in a beautiful way. I like to express my feelings through my art. I dreamed about making a living by my art, but gave up on that a long time ago. I like what I do, and the satisfaction that maybe others will enjoy it!
Happy painting! Paint for your own pleasure. not because you think you have to please or appease anyone else.
I often have ideas for projects, that sound so great when I start them, but become tedious as I start working on them. I thought it might be a fun idea to do sketches in a notebook on all the different flowers in our yard. I quickly realized that we have a lot of different flowers!
So far I have completed these two and have started three others. I think I might have to take the time to count all the different flowers in our yard? Yikes! Humm, then do I include my herb garden. I started it as kind of a joke, as my husband can never remember the names of any of the flowers. I’m not sure on the other hand if he would ever look at this book? Ha Ha
I’ll keep you updated as I add more drawings, and see if I can complete this notebook this summer while all the flowers are blooming. It sounded like a good idea when I started.
