Eventide

This is my latest painting.... Eventide, 12 x 24x 1.5". Sailing across the dreamy sea..... as always, if you are interested in anything you see please drop me a line.

I've decided to start a little newsletter.Sign up if you want to be part of the "in" crowd hehe.I will probably be sporadic with it and  every now and then there might be a special update. News, events, some special sales ONLY for subscribers, the occasional recipe, general chat, and who knows what else you might find in it...this is a work in progress.  Click on this link and away we go:) (P.S. I won't share your address with anyone else)

Curried Lentil Use What You Have Soup

Well there's a blizzard blowing outside so why not make soup! I haven't posted a recipe here in a long time:) Heck, I haven't really posted ANYTHING here in a long time, so I hope you enjoy:)

This is a make it up as you go  soup. There is really no recipe, just use what you have in your house. Here's what I used today... 1 large chopped carrot, 1 large onion chopped (not in above pic) 4 cloves garlic minced, 3 Tablespoons curry powder, 1 bay leaf, 2 kaffir lime leaves ( I got a bag of them at a local Indian grocery store, they impart a lovely flavour but not necessary), 3 cardamon pods, 1/2 cup of red lentils, 1 cup of lentils rice and bean mix ( they were in a bag together), 1 Tablespoon grated ginger, 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies, 6 cups of veggie broth.

First I sauteed the onions in my new Christmas present cast iron pot, you can use oil but I don't...I just stir them and as they start to stick I add a bit of broth to unstick them. When they are golden, stop.

Next step is to just dump in the rest of the ingredients,  and add the rest of the broth

Throw in a handful of mixed frozen veggies. Of course you can add some fresh veggies, anything goes. I just didn't have anything on hand today.

Add some grated fresh ginger and simmer for about 40 minutes. If you are lucky enough to find some coconut milk in your cupboard you can add that too:)

Et voila!! So yummy !! I am slurping on it as I write this post. Enjoy.

January 12

Well it's been a crazy month and it is only January 12! We have had the most extraordinary weather, from -30 with howling winds and snow, to freezing rain ice storms with skating rink conditions to warm windy rainy nights...Quite invigorating really, I suppose I could say demoralising but we won't go there. Luckily I've got a membership to an indoor facility with an enormous track so the weather has not hampered my ability to get some exercise.

I've been working hard. 2 larger commissions and lots of ideas for new paintings. The problem is finding the time. Isn't it always! Running your own art business requires lots of mundane activities that eat up the hours....things like, purchasing supplies, ordering supplies, packaging, running to the post office, answering emails, printing, marketing, posting facebook updates, trying to stay on top of social media, research, fixing things when they don't work, accounting, banking, delivering art, .... etc. then finally once can get to the business of making art which also takes time. Priming, sketching, resketching, painting, cleaning up the spills, hunting for colours, fixing mistakes, starting over again haha, varnishing, creative brainstorming etc... So, always busy.

Loving the early morning sunrises from the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market. In January the sun has swung round to the southeast as far as it can go and is slowly moving North again. I'm only there on Saturdays this month and then back to Sundays in February. If you want to hear more

about my activities, I post much more frequently on my Facebook Page. Click & have a look:)