art and memories

shaggy forest study, 8.5 x 4 inches, cps on sanded pastel paper, copyright Teresa Mallen

I really like how memories can be triggered by a song, or the smell of a certain dish cooking or even art. This little study triggers a specific time and mood memory for me.

 

The time was early last December and my mood was playful and indulgent. I had just worked my fanny off preparing for a Studio Tour, held the last week of November. I had spent a week moving studio furniture, putting all sorts of stuff away, got my display grid walls up, my art that was for sale unpacked and hung, Paypal buttons set for all of the items so that I could accept credit card payment easily, etc. etc.

 

Following this week of preparation, plus two days of smiling until my mouth was sore and talking about and demonstrating cp techniques until my brain felt scrambled - well I was cooked.

 

I remember the effort it took to put my studio back into a working studio setup, versus a gallery. Art was packed up, grid walls stored away, the floors mopped...

 

And then I found myself wandering around the studio, feeling lost, unable to even think of working on something 'real'.

 

I decided to play. I got a small section of olive coloured pastel paper (the sanded, toothy stuff). I grabbed my pencils and I quickly started creating a shaggy forest. :-)

 

Alright, so I don't name my work for sale in quite such goofy terms but seriously the shrubs in this quick bit of fluff makes me think of a shaggy animal's coat, like a long haired yak, you know the gorgeous beast that people get fiber from for spinning?!!?

 

So plain and simple, this was a joyous, recovery piece. Nothing serious, no lengthy time considering perspective and composition or, or, or anything. Just lots of fun stroking down lines of colour.

 

Every time I come across this little study, I quickly get hit with the memories of that week following the Tour weekend and how I really needed to mess about and do something freeing and fun. No expectations, it didn't have to be 'good' or worthy of framing or something someone would buy. I get a warm, positive feeling when I look at it. Maybe I should leave it out so I can remember to connect with the shaggy side of me. :-)

 

What art memories do you have? 



funky, little Fall landscape

a funky little Fall landscape, 6" x 2", coloured pencil on sanded pastel paper, copyright Teresa Mallen

It has been awhile...I am excited to be back posting work and this time I am sticking around. Even blew the dust off of my FB page and well, let's just say that is a big deal cause I have always been rather allergic to all things FB. :-)

 

So was I sitting on a beach reading novels all winter? Umm, no. (couldn't bear to be parted from my goats). I was working on my biz behind the scenes.

 

To start with, I took part in a three month biz development program so I could learn how to take Teresa Mallen Studio in the new directions I have always dreamed of - offering courses and workshops on-line! As well, I have been reading countless marketing books and participating in on-line biz webinars etc. (my new addiction apparently). 

 

Things are coming together slowly, but surely, and the time has come to get visible again. I have been here, drawing when I got the chance and I have a few things to show you over the coming weeks. AND of course there will be shout outs of all new developments. 

 

I am committed to not letting the dust gather anymore. It feels good.

Motivation Monday

 

"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."  Henry David Thoreau

Friday morning on the farm

 

After chatting about apples yesterday, I thought I would try to get a photo of my apple loving goats. In the end, I got a lot of blurry shots of excited creatures. In the picture above, Noah is standing on a ledge in the wall of his stall (treat time was happening just before the goats were let out of the barn to enjoy the day) and I think he is wondering why I am pointing a camera at him instead of giving him a slice of apple! 

There was a cold north wind this morning. After being let out of the hen house the chickens spent a fair amount of time scurrying around looking for bugs and worms. Eventually they took a break from the wind and napped in the shelter at the base of a large thick pine tree.

Have a great weekend, I am off to pick more apples...

apples

coloured pencil on Stonehenge paper, 5" x 7", copyright Teresa Mallen



The sheer number of apples this year is simply staggering. I have never seen anything like it. Ever tree, from carefully tended orchard varieties to scrappy, unpruned old trees in farm fields and road side ditches are loaded with fruit beyond belief.

Goats love apples. My husband and I pick apples off the old scrappy tree in our backyard and the goats are given apple slices as treats throughout the day. Spoiling goats is an absolute highlight of my day, they so love this special attention and really what's not to like about apples?



the view from underneath one of our old apple trees

tomatoes

Tomatoes, coloured pencil on Pastelbord, 8" x10" copyright Teresa Mallen

Tomatoes, tomatoes and more tomatoes...that is what has been occupying my spare hours these past weeks. Harvest time is busy for me but I love it. One of the reasons I grow food is because I love the connection to the land and the seasons that this work gives me.

In recent years I have been shooting for getting in around 75 to 100 tomato plants (in addition to the other veggies we grow, I don't just plant tomatoes :-) ). This year with the gift of a dozen or so plants from a neighbour and with the self sowing of a few plants from compost seeds, I ended up with 95 plants made up of different varieties. It is a long journey from the planting of seeds in tiny seed pots in the house in late February to now, the end of the harvest.

So what do I do with all of these tomatoes? Well what we don't eat fresh in the fall months, I use to cook with over the winter. These tomatoes turn into homemade pasta sauce as well as a base for sauces in soups, stews and chili. I have also created an annual late autumn tradition of turning lots of green tomatoes that have been patiently waiting in the garage into our year's supply of salsa.

Tomatoes are not only fabulously versatile in the kitchen, they also make great subject matter for art! I loved the look of these just picked tomatoes (still with a bit of stem), as they sat in a basket in the early morning light. I decided to capture the moment. This piece was done on an 8" x 10" board with a sanded surface (made by Ampersand, called Pastelbord).

I have been blogging in fits and starts this year. I would muster up some great intentions and then life would bring surprises. We lost a much beloved goat this summer. Her various health issues were my priority but alas in the end there wasn't anything that could be done, she simply had a heart that was done its job. Losing an older animal, even when they have had a great life is still not easy. Fortunately I was able to spend oodles of quality of time with her last months and that was wonderful.

So the harvest is just about in and I have been really busy in the studio. I have some new things to show you...I just need to snap some pics first.

Finally, here is a use for all of those green tomatoes that are left in our gardens when frosts come and there is no more time for ripening...Green Tomato Salsa. I have included a recipe here, it comes from Farmgirl Fare.

 

 



Farmgirl Susan's No Sugar Green Tomato Relish/Salsa 

 

Please note my recipe changes mentioned at the end of Susan's version.

 

Makes about 3 pints. Recipe may be doubled; increase cooking time by 10-15 minutes.

 2 lb. green tomatoes, cored and chopped

1 lb. white or yellow onions, chopped

3/4 lb. sweet red peppers, cored and chopped

1/2 lb. tart cooking apples, such as 'Granny Smith', cored and chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup 5% acidic organic raw apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon kosher or sea salt

4 jalapeno peppers, cored, seeded if desired, and finely chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

Combine the tomatoes, onions, peppers, apples, garlic, vinegar, and salt in a large, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about an hour.

Stir in the jalapenos, cilantro, and cumin and simmer for 5 more minutes. Carefully purée the mixture using a stick blender or in a traditional countertop blender (in batches if necessary) until still somewhat chunky.

If canning, return the puréed relish to a boil, then ladle the hot mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Store in a cool, dark place.

10 calories, 0g fat, 60mg sodium, 0g fiber, per Tablespoon

My changes to the recipe: I chop up the tomatoes, onions etc. using a food processor at the beginning, before putting into the pot. That way I am able to skip the hand blender step or putting it into a blender at that later point. If you don't have any organic raw apple cider vinegar, just use the apple cider vinegar that you find at your grocery store. Also, garlic powder can be used to replace the fresh garlic.

 

I also don't wait to add the jalapenos, cilantro and cumin. Not sure why you would add these ingredients for just five minutes.The cilantro and cumin add wonderful flavour! I add a lot more than the required amount of cilantro.

 

I always double the recipe and it does work well that way too.

Finally, I took the recipe and using some conversion charts, I converted the weight measures to cups. I found this easier to relate to.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Congruency...say what?

So what does a picture of plant tags and Virginia Woolf books have to do with congruency? Good question! Quite simply, I am currently on a bit of a mission to make things in my life more congruent. Yup, say what?

This all started about a month ago. I read somewhere about the concept of how in order to really, radically move forward in life and to shift blocked energy one must seek congruency - i.e. one must let go of things, mindsets, habits etc. that are not congruent with who we currently are and who we wish to be. Well I wasn't feeling particularly blocked but I was intrigued at the thought of examining my life to see if I could locate areas where I wasn't congruent.

First up, I realized my studio was in need of a good sort out. If you have been reading previous posts, you will recall that I have spent some time in recent months 'exploring'. It was time to tidy up some of the mess created whilst exploring! Seriously, you don't need an article on congruency, you simply need to brew up a pot of tea, load up a tray with milk and mug and such and then find that once you have climbed the stairs to the studio that you do not have a clear surface anywhere to set down the tray! I started to tidy things up immediately. While I wouldn't say that I was feeling blocked, once my studio was cleaned up I did experience a burst of enthusiasm and energy, along with a desire to roll up my sleeves and really dig in to some fresh art and some business things that I had let slide...

Next up, I spied some shelves in our family room that needed a bit of sorting. On one of those shelves, I discovered a gardening file that I had forgotten about. In the file I found meticulous notes and plans for my landscaping projects along with plant tags from shrubs and perennials that I had purchased. But was this file congruent with my current life? Quite simply no. All of these plants were happily growing at a home we no longer owned! :-) Purging this from my life was a no-brainer!

Then I got congruent about our bookcases. I knew I had books that I no longer wanted to keep but every time I thought of tackling this sorting job, I felt overwhelmed. Ah but this article on congruency was starting to burn a fire in me...those books 'artfully' displayed on the floor of our living room needed to go on the shelves, 'on the floor' was not congruent with who I wanted to be. 

In recent years our farming endeavours has led to the purchase of many how to books - how to raise chickens, care for goats, keep bees and so on. This was congruent with my new life but many books in our home were not. So I dove into the project. I am happy to say that my energy is no longer at risk of being blocked by Virginia Woolf's Orlando! What on earth was I hanging onto the Collected Novels by Virginia Woolf for? No offence to fans of her work but gosh this is one writer I never did get. Two large bags of books were donated to our local library for their used book fundraising project and the farming books have a new home...

This getting congruent feels wonderful! And yes the whole deal is about a lot more than sorting and getting rid of material goods. I am also examining how I think about things and looking at what I have been focusing on, what I have been spending my time on...all of that good stuff! I highly recommend it...sometimes I think we need to question if drifting along with the status quo is really working for us.