Painting Up Date: Quail & Baby Love!

Hey You,


So in my last blog I alluded to the fact that I was inspired by the artist I featured, Rob Sandidge, and did some painting when I got home. The tree pictured is a dwarf Meyer Lemon that I got myself as a late birthday present.  (Yeah I'm that goofy... they don't really keep citrus trees in stock around January, gotta wait till late March or April.  So I gave myself a rain check for my birthday.  )  The quail... are California quail.  No, I haven't seen any in my yard yet, but when I was a kid I'd see them at my parent's all the time. 

If you've never seen quail they have this cute habit of traveling in a covey (to be technical) and one always stands watch while the others eat and they take turns like this and they alert each-other if they see any danger. That's good team work if I do say so. 
That was Sunday. 

On Monday I had declared an art day with one of my cousins. We decided to work with 4" gallery wrapped canvases.  I cannibalized a few old ones I had started and lost interest in and created  what you see here.  I have lots of empty wall space in my home (for an artist that's probably odd) and I was just given this adorable framed photo of my son, so I decided it was high time to make a "red wall" to go with my "grass cloth green" walls and so far I'm digin' the whole red white and green theme :) I might carry it on in my kitchen as well!  We'll see.

Here's a tighter shot of my favorite panel.  I love love love hand and foot prints right now! I'm obsessed with these precious toes and I want to savor their cuteness for ever. It took me three tries for the first foot and two for the second.  I'm getting pretty good at it. This is probably my fourth panel with his feet. Patience is key, like with anything.

As always, feel free to say hi in the comments because you are beautiful and significant :)
siC
Laura Carpenter

Ah that's taken care of, now back to painting!!

Inspiring Art: Robert Sandidge

Hey You,

Ok so I've driven by this art gallery quite a bit, there's a few good restaurants and some friends of mine out in this neck of the woods.  I've even stopped to see if they were open a time or two when they were closed. 

But today when I was eating lunch (well, ok, breakfast for lunch, lets be real, I had cinnamon roll french toast.) I noticed they were open and it kept nagging at me.  
I make it my business to go to all the local art galleries.  Last year I visited at least 4 or 5 on a monthly basis to try to catch all the gallery shows. I've never been to this one. So I mentioned to those in my company that perhaps we should go over there when we were finished and they happily agreed.

I'm so glad we did!

Oh my goodness this guy, Robert Sandidge, is truly phenomenal!  Now I'm sort of a snob when it comes to art, I must confess, scenic themes aren't normally my thing, not only not in my art but in most others as well. Yeah snobby right? All I mean to say is they aren't usually my favorite. Ironically I've been painting them lately so maybe I'm maturing and I just don't know it yet. So yeah, there I was just stepped in the gallery I started looking at the first painting on the wall to the right and worked my way around the room then I realized the guy who was telling these young men (ok school boys) about art was not only an artist but the artist and we were in his gallery.  He was explaining the importance of a focal point and how lines in the painting need to lead the eye around the painting to the focal point. Not only was it an important rule I had forgotten about (and will remember as I continue to make art! )  but I realized all his work was very smartly planed art and he intentionally led your eyes exactly where he wants them in his pieces and held your attention, much like looking someone in the eyes.   All of the paintings were captivating.  Riveting. 

I would be remiss if i didn't mention another reason why these paintings were special to me.  They are of my home town, a lot of them any ways. these grape vines and these hills with scattered trees around them are what I'd see on my way to my grandma's house.  He truly captured the beauty of California.  From the cows and chickens in the rural counties to the trollies and San Fransisco and the cypress trees along the coast, he captured it perfectly and in turn it captures you. 

He and his wife were so incredibly welcoming. They came over to us to see my son and we got to talking and, honestly I liked them immediately. Jackie took us all through their home to show off the studio, different pieces and, good grief, I fell in love with this humungous koi triptych. Any ways, Beautiful work and just about the nicest people you'd want to meet. If you're ever in the area I recommend you check 'em out.

I made a new painting today inspired by his work.  I'll post a blog about that one some time this week :)

Check out Robert Sandidge here: http://sandidgegallery.com/

Be inspired.
siC
Laura Carpenter

Oatmeal Crust Apple Pie

Hey you,
Ok so... I really have no vision to make this a food blog (unless it involves coffee) but I love takeing recipes and making them my own and today in my frustration I some how cobbled together something so amazingly delicious I surprised myself.  Since I want to remember what I did for future reference and I'd be happy to share it with you i figured I'd document it.  I took two recipes and blended them together and tweaked them based on reviews and my own tastes. The crust and topping came from THE SPICE HOUSE http://www.thespicehouse.com/recipes/apple-pie-with-oatmeal-crust-recipe (that website looked really cool, i wonder if they carry Haitian vanilla?)and the filling was more inspired by Betty Crocker... because Betty Crocker can do no wrong.  I don't know if its a pie or a strudel or a cobbler or what but its worth repeating, so without further adieu:

Oatmeal Crust:
1 cup oats
3/4 cup flour
1/4 ground flax seed
1/4 tightly packed brown sugar
a dash of sea salt
a stick of melted butter
a tablespoon of honey (because it needed more liquid)
and some water maybe a bit over a table spoon... I wasn't paying attention, it was just a healthy splash alright?

Topping:
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
cinnamon and allspice to taste, perhaps a teaspoon each
a handful of chopped pecans, optional but highly recommended, these things taste so good when you toast em like this!!!

Filling: 
4 or so apples cored and thinly sliced (firm green apples of coarse! peel em if you want but I left the skins on, I think skinning them is pretty unnecessary)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup ground flax
a few dashes of cinnamon
a few dashes of allspice
3 tablespoons butter (not melted)

Preheat oven to 425 (Fahrenheit)

Whisk together the dry ingredients for the crust. Add in melted butter whisk a bit more then add in water and honey.  Make sure all ingredients are just incorporated. I guess over mixing pastries is a sin of some sort.  Pat into a crust shape in your pie pan forget the rolling pin, that never does me any good, your fingers like getting all sugary and buttery anyways.

For the Filling: Stir together brown sugar, flax and spices pour over apples and make sure they are well coated.  dump into pie pan.... um if its not making a mound over your crust you don't have enough apples.  just sayin, those babies cook down.shave your butter with your all important butter knife and spread the shavings all over the top of the pie.  This is called dotting.  I think.

Ok make the topping first mix the dry ingredients, add melted butter, pecans mix well spread evenly over apples. You know the drill, look at you go, you pro cheffy you. 

Put it in the oven, like a boss. for 40-50 min. I checked on mine after 20 min and found the crumbs to be dark brown which is excellent because that's how I like LOVE my pecans... toasted well.  but I did cover it with foil for the last 20 and kick the temp down to 400 degrees.

It was pretty good I feel like the crust I modified came out perfectly... its not "pretty" but its so darn tasty I don't see why you'd care. It did brake a little but that's not something I worry about I'd rather it be delicious than serve nicely.  

Oh yeah let your pie cool before you cut it. Then put it in your mouth and enjoy it because that's where it belongs.  And feel good because you got your healthy fiber full and amino acid rich flax for the day.

Feel free to say hi in the comments because, you are beautifull and significant.

Peace be with you.

siC,
laura

I'm as Free as My Hair

Hey You,
As you may or may not know I have been taking Kelly Rae Roberts creative business class.  Last week she started by addressing our fears and personal hang ups.  One of the ways she recommended overcoming them was to begin with doing something you didn't think you could do.
For me an easy thing that I've never done that I have always wanted to do is dye my hair a funky colour.  I know its odd and probably wont have a direct effect on my art but its something I wanted to do for a while.  I'm really in to self expression.  I feel like getting dressed and putting makeup on is an art and should reflect what I want to feel.  If I've had a terrible day doing my make up can make me feel better. If I'm going to an interview it helps me pull myself together because in the process of choosing colours and applying the makeup I decide how I'm going to be.  Its a good way to refresh my brain. Hair is an extension of that.
As a commitment to be fearless in my creativity and art I bought some red passion manic panic hair dye, made an appt. with my bestie that's a cosmetologist and committed to hot pink low-lights in my hairs.  (I must say its really nice having a bff that went to beauty school.  I love her for who she is but seriously I've got good connections for occasions such as these, and yes, I did manage to get through high school  without ever dyeing my hair while she was in beauty school and beginning her career in hair design.  Strange, but true)
I guess I always put it off because I wanted to maintain the cleanest image possible so I could be hired and then when I did get a job I was afraid it would make my employers like me less. Well. I'm 22. I'm committed to being a stay at home mom.  Who am I trying to impress now? Other moms at bible study?   They're sweet but I'm the obnoxious one by a long shot any ways.   Might as well cement that.  My hubby thinks its cute that I want to play with my hair (yay!!) so why not?  So yesterday, in honer of being braver, more creative and true to myself, I got a portion of my hair dyed "red passion".

"I'm as free am my hair." Lady Ga Ga

On that note, I started another painting last night.  I have two in mind but i finished the first one today.  It was inspired by my mom's living room, a bible verse my mom gave, a suggestion from Sam and that propelled my into a birch tree forest. enjoy :)

So wile I won't claim to be in the easiest place in life, Lord knows what kindof insanity's going on down here. I am about staying positive, being myself, being creative and allowing myself to be brave :)
You are beautiful and significant and I'd love to hear from you.  Till next time, peace be with you :)

Greetings & Salutations!

Hey You,
I have been wanting to start a blog for some time and I've been having a hard time coming up with a concrete topic or theme.  I want to write about lots of things! Art, coffee, my favorite places, my favorite artists, my favorite places to get coffee. I'd love to showcase my new and captivating art that I keep finding on the net. I want to goof off and be myself.  I want to share recipes, thoughts, make up ideas, perhaps teach some art techniques... organizing my thoughts is like herding cats! Good.  Stinkin.  Luck. 
I've noticed a common thread and I think I've got the theme finally (drum roll please!)
Inspiration. or more specifically, things that have inspired me and things I have been inspired to make or do. 
I'll try to come up with a schedule and make sure I have re-occurring themes so there's some form of consistency.  I've got a mountain of ideas and a cute baby in my lap to distract me... hello handsome, did you wake up?

I suppose I should properly introduce myself.
My name is Laura Carpenter.  I am 22 years old.  I am a wife and mother.  I am a christian and I am addicted to art and coffee. And we can be friends because you are a beautiful and significant person!  Feel free to say hi in the comments :)

siC 
laura