The art of growing food

I feel growing food is more an art than a science, but I'm also an ameteur at it. My tiny plot of suburbia is less than 5000 square feet, but I have plenty of spaces to stick herbs and tomatoes to thrive in. Although I primarily focus on growing flowers, growing food and herbs has proven to me that it is extremely rewarding. 

Now that we are in late July, my basil and cherry tomatoes are at their peak. Yes, the scents and flavors of this abundance of basil and cherry tomatoes are delightful.

Since December of this past year, I have converted to a mainly plant based diet with the occasional salmon or tuna on special dinner occasions. It's been 7 months since I've eaten any sort of poultry or mammal meat, and I feel so much better. Not just physically, but also mentally! 

With all that basil grown on my patio, I turned it into freezer pesto. Two cups of fresh basil made about 6 servings of pesto-I'm freezing five tonight.

For dinner tonight, one of those six servings will be fresh on spinach and cheese stuffed ravioli served with a side of salad. Those tomatoes in the salad are also home grown.

I won't normally post dinner photos on this blog, but the art of growing delicious food warrants a mention this time. Bon appetit!

A new start for my dad

My dad will turn 70 in a couple of weeks. He 'retired' 8 years ago, but still found himself doing odd jobs and projects for others instead of enjoying his new freedom. For many years he worked for the NC state prison system. Needless to say, this job wore on his psyche which also led to health issues. Today, he's healthy and happy because he finally found his homestead in the mountains.

This month he and his lovely wife will close on a 3 acre property in Floyd County Virginia. Here is a general idea of his view:

His new home will be in Floyd County, an area known for the arts, music and a slower pace of life. I'm very much looking forward to visiting them in their new home with their new life on the farm. He has expressed interest in raising miniature donkeys as pets. Have you seen how cute they are??

For his birthday, I painted on Arches 100% cold pressed watercolor paper with M. Graham paints an image of his 1950 Chevy truck he lovingly restored by hand. His new pet donkey is happy to also come home with him. In the background are the lush green hills of Virginia.

My dad is one of the most interesting and vibrant people I know. His new life on the farm is a culmination of his experiences of gardening, his appreciation of the simple life, and his amazing diverse talents to do and make just about anything. To see someone you love achieve their dreams is one of the best feelings (love you Dad!).

Sunset Surf in Santa Barbara-in gouache and watercolor

My oldest daughter recently requested a new painting from me, and I was honored with her request. She loves the beach, Hawaii and Santa Barbara are her favorites (she has great taste!), so naturally I was inclined to paint her a beach scene. The idea of surfing and a Willy Jeep Wagon came from an image on a vintage post card from Santa Barbara while searching online. This is a 10x12 gouache and watercolor on treated canvas board, and will soon be hanging in my daughter's apartment.

Pashima Stole in cashmere

Sometimes you just need to surround yourself in cashmere because you deserve it. For 3 months, I have knitted and purled on this beast, thankfully it was pretty mindless. It has stripes of spring and summer, and is the perfect weight for cool summer nights. The pattern is called Pashima Stripes, but should be called Pandemic Stole as it will always remind me of this pandemic we are currently in. The yarn was a mix of (in green) Flying Goat Farm Zephyrette and Lux Adorna Knits for the other 3 colors.

Now I can move on to a new project, I thought I would never finish this one!

California Quail

In the last 3 months, we humans have fretted over toilet paper shortages, complained about not getting haircuts, wore masks, stayed six feet from each other, and now riots are currently embroiled in major cities across the US. Meanwhile, it makes me wonder how animals are seeing our current world. National parks and forests have been closed, and there have been less cars on the road, which we can assume has been beneficial for them, right? After all, they were here before humans invaded their spaces.

Here is a bird that has adapted quite well to the invasive species of human beings, and is the California State bird. It has been over a year since I opened my bird journal. Hearing and seeing the finches early in the morning in my yard has renewed my admiration for birds. What would it be like to just take off and fly if you need a change of scenery? Painted on 100% cotton paper in watercolor and ink.

Frankie the Koala

My heart was breaking while reading news stories on the koala bears suffering from the Australian wildfires. I've never seen one up close, but I find them sweet, kind and adorable. This painting represents my admiration for these sweet marsupials. Painted on treated canvas board 10x14 in watercolor.

Canals in Belgium

It's easy to think about Venice when you read or hear about canals in Europe. Recently I discovered there are also canals in Bruges Belgium. This is a view on my bucket list some day. Painted on paper in watercolor.