*Friday Dance*

"God and other artists are all a little obscure" -Oscar Wilde

The past week or so has been an artsy whirlwind.
I hardly picked up my paint brushes all summer and now I don't want to put them down! I probably look exhausted at work because I have a really hard time going to sleep early. Too many project possibilities floating around in my head. Currently I have no pieces in progress for other people, which is rather nice. I'm getting back to the basics of painting and drawing and producing--although I miss the purpose, structure, and deadlines that come with a commission. So here is the past week or so, in a photographic nutshell!

One of my best friends and fellow artist, Mara, got two pieces in an art show at Gallery West in Old Town Alexandria. This piece got Honorable Mention! So proud!!!


The very next day, Mara and I convoyed up to Maryland Institute Collge of Art (MICA) for their grad school info session. I am hopefully going to appy for the Low Residency MA which is a program for "artist/ teachers" so they say. You spend two summers on campus for 6 intense weeks of studio and ed classes and then complete the rest of the work online during 1 academic school year. It seem pretty exclusive and rather pricey but amazing! We'll see...

And then I began these flower postcards a few weeks ago. While sifting through old art supplies I found a set of blank watercolor paper postcards. They even have the lines on the back for addresses. So I began a mini series of flower paintings! They are sealed with matte medium which makes them sturdy and waterproof but I'm thinking they might be too nice to send through the mail.....

I'm also trying to take better photographs for Etsy so I tried some different set ups around the apartment...I like that my favorite Berenstain Bears mug snuck into this one.

The afternoon sunlight is lovely! Does this one show off the painting enough?

And while my garlic bread was defrosting on my radiator last night, I began the 4th and final one--the red tulips in the bottom right hand corner here...still taped down. Not sure of the background color but so far, I think it's coming along nicely!

Happy Friday!!!

Crock Pot Comfort Food

In the teacher's lounge last week, while heating up some leftover potato cheese soup and adding the bag of toppings I prepared at home, I realized that I take food a little more seriously than most... I think I am a foodie! When eating, I am thinking ahead to my next meal--what am I going to make? How can I spice it up? And more importantly, do I have the ingredients? I get markedly depressed if I bring a boring lunch to school, although now and then a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with raspberry jelly really hits the spot (See! I had to specify what type of jelly)...No l*ean cuis*ine's in the freezer or take out menu's in my kitchen. I mentioned to someone how cooking is my therapy and in that case, it seems I am in need of therapy on a daily basis!

:-P

I already know what I am making tonight for dinner BUT I am already equally excited to smell this potato soup cooking on my day off tomorrow.

• 8 cups diced potatoes ( I used small red potatoes and didn't peel them which made it a little more chunky)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth ( Speaking from personal experience, make sure your can opener works so you don't have to punch a whole in the top with a pair of pliers....)
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted (I actually bought cream of mushroom instead and it was just as delicious!)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

Add first five ingredients to the slow cooker... and, if you're anything like me, add some (A LOT) garlic... and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. THEN add the cream cheese, stirring until it melts! I actually used a pastry masher to smooth it out before adding the cream cheese but that wasn't really necessary.

Goes REALLY well with bacon bits, green onions, and cheddar cheese on top. MMMMM.


ENJOY!