My Daily Paintings & Cannoli Cheesecake - Oct 5, 2010

A Painting a Day, Is It Possible?  Why not!  Can Do!:  What a challenge, but what fun.  It is possible and I have started and completed a daily painting in my studio.  The challenge is staying focused and working quickly. I use small canvases and choose subject matter to create a series within that theme.  One advantage of painting small works is to be price the art affordably.  The customer can't say, "I really don't  have a place to hang this wonderful art."

Living is coastal Delaware with access to the sand and sea is a blessing, especially when choosing beach scenes to paint.  I am also fascinated with the many colors of sky and formations of clouds, dawn and dusk variations of color.  There are days I just drive and stop along the way to take photos of cloud formations, sky colorings and many other scenes we normally are to busy to focus on.

Here are two of my daily paintings:

                                             "Blue Sky Cloud"                    "Autumn Sky Beach"

  Two of Maria's Daily Paintings

   

Plein Air Painting:  Another similar quick style painting is Plein Air Painting:  Plein Air is a French phrase that translates "in the open air". Plein air is pronounced plan air or sometimes plane air. This term is used to describe artworks that have been created chiefly outdoors, rather than in the studio. Photo reference is not used.

The roots of plein air painting

Are found In 19th-century Europe John Constable and the Barbizon group near France. With the invention of portable pigments artists took their sketch books in hand and travelled outside to paint and draw nature on site. They're efforts combined laid the ground work for the Impressionist Giants, Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Winslow Homer, Camille Pissarro, and John Singer Sargent. Who challenged and revolutionized the truth of the eye, form, light and color.

     Plein air's popularity has been aided by the development of easily portable painting equipment and materials

Plein Air Tuesday:  My friend Donna called to ask if I would like to travel off to the Easton, MD area to join one of the Plein Air-Easton Groups.  A location is previously arranged where artists will meet to paint on location as guests of the owner of the property.  Everyone paints from 9 am to noon then gathers together to compare and critique the art.  It is very interesting to see the the comparisons, compositions and painting technigues. 
     But on Tuesday morning we decided it was too wet, after 2 days of raiin.  After all we would probably end up with our ankles covered in mud.  Maybe next Tuesday???????????

Another Recipe from Weight Watchers & Maria:  If you love cannoli and cheesecake you will love this recipe.  Easy to create, but allow enough time for it to firm up.



No-Bake Cannoli Cheesecake

16 amaretti cookies, coarsely crushed

1/4 cup unblanched almonds, toasted and chopped

1 envelope unflavored geletin

1/3 cup cold water

1 (8 oz) pakage fat-free cream cheese

1 (15 oz) container part skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup thawed fat-free whipped topping

1/3 cup mini simisweet chocolate (I used 1 square of baking chocolate grated)

Spray a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick spray.

Mix together the cookies and almonds.  Reserve 2 tablespoons.  Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the bottom of the pan.  (I added 2 tablespoons melted butter, pressed into the bottom of the pan and baked for 5 min at 375)

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small microwavable bowl, let set 5 min.  Microwave on high 45 seconds, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With an electric m ixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth.  Add the ricotta, sugar, yogurt, orange zest and vanilla beating until blended.  Beat in the gelatin.  Refrigerate the mixture 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Fold in the whipped topping and chocolate chips.  Spoon over the cookie mixture and smooth the top.  Refrigerate until set, at least 5 hours or up to overnight.  Sprinkle the reserved 2 tablespoons cookie mixture of top. Decorate with thin orange slices and mint.

Per serving:  1/12 of cake:  191 Cal, 4 Points

From:   Hit the Spot recipe book by WeightWatchers

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Another artful day comes to an end!

Best to all,

Maria L B

An Artful Weekend, Sept 17 & 18, 2010

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Artists Submit Entries:  Saturday, a day artists are submitting entries for the Food, Farm & Foliage Exhibit sponsored by the Holly Branch of the American Pen Women (of which I am Pres).  Waiting for the entries at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and talking with fellow artist members is always special.  Subject matter like our latest framing nightmare, and will our paintings dry in time is the buzz.  The essence of being with other artists and discussing where we create and how we create is good for the creative soul.  Meeting the artists submitting their entries does make all the work of coordinating an exhibit worthwhile.  Answering questions about pricing their and framing their pieces along with boosting the self-confidence of the new artist is a very worthwhile part of supporting creativity. And when an artist thanks you for organizing such an exhibit that the public can enter.   I am amazingly humble.  Thanks to them for wanting to be a part of this creative world.   

Time to Finish:  It is another great day of sunshine and as I was inside the museum's South Gallery most of the day.   To soak up the sunshine I carted all my paints, tabletop easel and supplies upstair to the porch.  Wow, natural sunlight to paint by.  How good is that?  So I worked and  worked to almost finish the painting, "Vegetables on a Windowsill".  It is looking pretty good. Stay tuned!

The Framing, Part 1:  I usually frame my paintings and matted prints with gold finished gallery frames which is sort of a trade mark.  2 weeks ago while walking Winston, I noticed a wonderful large barnboard frame appeared by a neighbor's home for trash pick up.  I went back and carried it home to add to my frame collection.  I new my husband, the magnificent wordworker, could use it to make a frame or two.  Last week I asked nicely  if he could infact cut it down and make a frame for one of the paintings I have been working on with a deadline he could handle.  Stay tuned!

Tomorrow's Dessert:  My husband has asked his daughter over for Sunday dinner and a movie.  (Maybe they will watch Julia & Julie.)  My chef is preparing:  BrocaelI with all natural ingredients.  I volunteered to handle dessert.  Searching through my many recipes as well as on-line I though a light carrot cake would work.  Light because I have been indulging in too much yummy food lately.   The recipe calls for carrot juice in addition to grated carrots.  A great purpose for the my juicer appliance used only twice in 5 years  Here is the Weight Watchers recipe and image of my creation of Weight Watchers Carrot Cake with a Lemon  Glaze:

http://signup.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/index.aspx?recipeid=218901

Maria's Creation of

Weight Watchers Carrot Cake with a Lemon Glaze

16 servings, 3 points each