erika

The beginnings of fall

You can certainly feel fall today.  It's grey and breezy with a chill in the air.  The weather has prompted me to make stew and soup.  Middle picture is chickpea and chicken tagine.  I found this beautiful clay pot in a thrift store a couple of years ago and it's been so useful. By the way, have you ever added cinnamon to a savory dish?  Magic happens, I suggest you try it.  I made up the recipe based on recipes that I have mulled over in the cook book From the Land of Figs and Olives.  A loose recipe for Chickpea and Chicken as follows:
5 or 6 chicken drum sticks
8 cloves of garlic -crushed
1 white onion - chopped
2 Tb olive oil
1 Tb cumin
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tb red wine
1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas
water/kosher salt/butter (I only buy unsalted) as needed
preheat oven 375'
Heat on med high heat olive oil in cast iron pan.  Add crushed garlic and onions till sweating.  Add salt and wine.  (now, salt is a personal thing, I like a good bit, some people can't eat it at all- it's up to you!)  Let cook down.  Add cumin and cinnamon- stir all together and let coat.  Add chicken - cook until brown on all sides, but not cooked through.  Put drained chickpeas into the bottom of the tagine.  Lay cooked chicken, garlic, onions and spices ontop of chickpeas.  Add water- about a cup and a half - doesn't seem like a lot, but that's the beauty of the tagine, you don't need a lot. 
Cook for about 30 mins.  Take out- move contents around so doesn't brown on one side, add about 2 Tb butter in the middle.  Replace lid- put back into oven for another 30 mins.  Now, you're chicken should be falling off the bone moist.  If it isn't put back into oven until it is.   
E-mail me pics if you try it, I would love to see if people actually try my recipes through my blog!  :)

Pattern Makers

Above images taken from this book You'll be so inclined to open in up and start looking right away at all of the amazing pattern, but don't.  Take your time and read through the beginning.  The book has amazing information about the printing techniques used and these samples of "swatch books" are so good. 

A visit to The Design Library in Wappinger Falls, NY would be such a treat.

Something that I have been thinking a lot about lately is the cross-over I'm experiencing from "fine-artist" to "graphic-artist" and the un-conventional aspects in the learning process for me.  I am both at a loss and benefit from my education and up-bringing.  Now that I am researching pattern, and the paths that one takes to arrive at a pattern of their own, I am both fascinated and intimidated.  I really like the sub-chapters of the book called "The Ghost Artist" and "The Recycling Wheel"  excerpts I found that spoke to me...

:::The countless images that wrap our bodies and decorate our homes are in fact seen so often that they take special attention to be seen at all::: - from The Ghost Artist

:::Nothing disappears, and nothing appears out of nowhere:::- from "The Recycling Wheel

and this post from a fellow blogger/designer- Lena Corwin - seems just right. 

With all the crazy things going on in the world, I find it comforting to know that there are so many interesting, talented good people out there...no matter what happens with wall street and the bankers, and the investors.  The human spirit is so much greater than this chaos.

-image of the Blue Blouse Theatre group 1925-26

from the book Russian Avant-Garde Stage Design 1913-35 published by The FIne Arts Museum of SF

"China Design Now" poster for China's first graphic-design exhibit.
Like it a lot.
via Elle Decor October '08
Cincinnati art museum - exhibit October 18th- January 11th

Summer snippets

Do you see the kittens?  They were so cute.  Sophia and I were walking at Pastorius Park, and saw them poking their heads above some fencing that was around a baby tree.  We took them home and kept them for a week, then found them homes.  We couldn't keep any because I'm allergic to cats (even though we have two) and those little ones sent me sneezing into oblivion.  But we sure did have fun with them for that week. 

Also,a photo above of chef Chris, my former boss (hi bossman- if you're reading this) that was a photo that i took to get some ideas going about their cookbook.  The restaraunt has since closed and this weekend marks the first weekend without Citrus for me.  I miss them already!

And what graced our very own yard about 3 weeks ago?  A double rainbow.  We had some lovely folks over for some food and home-made beer (thanks Ian!) It was so lovely.  There will be plenty more of that in the future now that I have weekends back. 

And finally, a trip to the Norristown Zoo.  A really tiny zoo tucked away in Norristown- right in the middle of a neighborhood.  They have bison, and jaguars, and about 10 bald eagles.  It's of course hard to see the animals, but at the same time- fascinating!  Our good friend Anne- and her family - treated us to a speacial evening there.  You can sleep over there in this field near the elk- thought that would be fun.

 

Pictures of the new studio (no longer there)

photos by Mike Cramer

As promised here are the photos of the new studio.  A friend of mine, Mike Cramer, came to take pictures when I first moved into my new space back in late April, or was it early May? (Thanks again, Mike, I really appreciate it!)  I knew that when I moved in there that I wanted to get some photos of what it looked like raw- before I was settled- so that in the future I can look back at where I was in the beginning.  The space doesn't look too much different now.  It's down on 3rd street between Race and Arch on the East side of the street.  The exact address is 154 N. 3rd St.  Currently there is a sign on the door that says Indigo.  That is the name of the shop that used to be there.  That store is now closed.  The building is now called Spirit House and inside the entire building is being rented out to artists.  Currently there is a Jewler, Devi who also makes soap, candles, does healing, and sews- a stained glass artist, Emily - who recently moved there from The Mills- another artist Marlene - she is also a jeweler and just graduated from the University of the Arts majoring in painting.  There are plenty of spaces left, so if anyone who is reading this is interested, please feel free to e-mail me!  I'm on the fourth floor, so the only way to get up there at the moment is to call me.  E-mail if you'd like to visit- I'm up for visitors any time.