Tag: creative lifestyle blog

Work in Progress–Pink Miltonia Orchids

Pink Miltonia Orchids in Watercolor by afternoonartist.wordpress.com

Here’s a peek at my latest painting. I hope to finish it this evening. I’ve been so busy with spring cleaning and home improvement projects that I’ve had little time to paint. I have several interior decorating projects underway, porch and deck makeovers in progress, a massive yard cleanup, custom curtains to sew, and a few painting tasks to complete–some involving plenty of spray paint (you know how much I love spray paint). Oh, and lots of fun shopping with my mom. I can’t wait to finish all these projects and share the results with you.

I hope you’re enjoying the warm spring weather as much as I am.

Baby Fairy in Watercolor

Purple Baby Fairy in Watercolor2 Small

I painted this baby fairy during our last mother-daughter painting session. She was a quick study on darker skin tones . I’m particularly pleased with her curly hair, which I painted with quick strokes and in a much looser style than I normally paint. This painting is based on a tutorial in Barbara Lanza’s book, “Enchanting Fairies: How to Paint Charming Fairies and Flowers.”

Spiced Pork Chops with Fried Cabbage and Onions

Spiced Pork Chops1

The first time I made spiced pork chops with fried cabbage and onions (or haluski as my Polish grandmother called it), my boyfriend fell asleep early and I couldn’t wake him for dinner, so my daughter and I ate without him. The meal was so good that we finished our portions and ate his, too. Hey, you snooze you lose, right?

I found the recipe for spiced pork chops in Taste of Home magazine years ago and I’ve made it countless times. It always gets rave reviews and it’s one of my daughter’s favorite meals. Get the recipe here. I got the recipe for haluski from my grandmother. Normally I serve it over egg noodles but I didn’t have any on hand so I improvised and used bow tie pasta instead. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make fried cabbage and onions:

Ingredients:

  • 1 head cabbage, core removed and roughly chopped
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 stick butter (don’t substitute margarine)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • hot cooked egg noodles prepared according to package directions

Instructions:

  1. Melt butter in a large fry pan (I used a wok)
  2. Add cabbage, onions, salt, and pepper
  3. Fry over medium heat until the cabbage and onions are golden brown
  4. Serve over egg noodles

This side dish isn’t fancy, but it sure is delicious.

 

 

New Addition to My Artist’s Toolkit

Martin Universal Design Fusion Leak-proof Watercolor PaletteMartin Universal Design Fusion Leak-proof Watercolor Palette2

I can’t wait to use the latest addition to my artist’s toolkit–Mijello’s Fusion Leakproof Watercolor Palette–a gift from my sister. This palette can be used for either oil paints or watercolor paints. It has removable trays for easy cleaning and the container is airtight, so my watercolor paints will say fresh and free of debris like dust, bugs, and dog hair (a big problem since I share my home and studio with five dogs). You can purchase this handy watercolor palette at dickblick.com. Thank you, sissy, for such an awesome gift.

Santa Cruz Waldorf School May Faire

Santa Cruz Waldorf School May Faire Poster

Santa Cruz Waldorf School May Faire Poster Final

Bryce Eberhart, Director of Advancement at the Santa Cruz Waldorf School created these gorgeous posters for his school’s upcoming May Faire using my rose petal fairy watercolor painting. I can’t wait to frame these as poster-sized prints and hang them in my home. You can follow Bryce Eberhart on Pinterest. If you would like to use my images on your school’s posters, flyers, or other items, contact me for licensing information at afternoonartist@gmail.com.

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