bee creative

reading, or I love books

I was at the bookstore to pick up a book I'd ordered and took a peek at a book that Hazel recommended to me.

It came home with me and it's lovely.

It's a non-fiction picture book explaining how rocks are formed.

I also found a cookbook that I couldn't resist, The Secret of Cooking by Bee Wilson.  It's as much essays as recipes.  This was made following the technique for "Magic Pasta."

My version has olive oil, onion, pasta, water (4 extra tablespoons because I didn't use any other liquids), a good pinch of salt with herbs, dehydrated peppers, artichoke hearts and some of my dehydrated tomato sauce.  Topped with parmesan reggiano. It was ready in 15 minutes!

This is a perfect after work meal.

And...I am playing with the settings on the camera again. 

This was taken early in the morning.

 

looking

This morning...

The colors on or of the rocks caught my eye.

And then the shapes; the way they were stacked and the way they have been formed.

On the other end of the park; the color of the water, the reflection of the light and the piers, where the light is absorbed.  

The table is cleared off again, ready to quilt again.

But still, just looking today. 

so much color

I was able to come home early today and spent some time in the garden.

There is snow/rain mix in the forecast for next week but also signs of spring everywhere.  Pulmonaria (lungwort).

After I was done working in the garden, I started playing with the pigments...

The alder pigment is almost done and the lichen is soaking in water.  I think this type of lichen is Usnea.  It should make a brown, yellow or orange shade. 

After doing some research I've learned that some lichens will make purples, pinks and reds.  They need to be fermented with ammonia.  Not sure I want to do that.

I've been saving some indigo pigment made from indigo that I grew.  I decided it wasn't really enough to make a baby vat so I've made it into watercolor. 

Very glad that there is indigo seed on it's way so I can make more...

 

research as play, play as research

Alder: I haven't made it into a lake pigment yet but did dye some fabric. I was hoping for pink (as seen in my copy of Wild Color/Jenny Dean) but it's a soft yellow brown.

I am going to collect more cones (lots of them in the parking lot at work) as a supply for tannin and more experiments.

Playing with paper and colors.

Not quite done with this one, I'd like to draw lines across the windows.

I am still reading Interaction of Color, Josef Albers. One section had me going to listen again to an interview with Yo-Yo Ma on On Being.

Albers writes, "Our concern is the interaction of color: that is, seeing what happens between colors.

Yo-Yo Ma says, "You look at the sky and you start wondering: where are we? How do we fit into this vast universe? And to Casals saying that within the notes that he plays, he’s looking for infinite variety to Isaac Stern saying, the music happens between the notes. OK, well what then do you mean when you say music happens between the notes?"

Found in the garden today. 

I'm just going to let these be...I think.

four things

one

two

three

and four

becoming other things

Following up on the squash:

There was soup, equal amounts squash to broth.  And garlic toast, Mom shared some bread that she'd made.

The rest of the bread was used for bread pudding.

The pizza I want to recreate was made with blue cheese, bacon, dates, arugula, and balsamic syrup. 

Today's attempt was tasty but ugly.  I was missing the balsamic syrup and the arugula.  I will try again another time. 

The train I was planning for the "Peace and Plenty" blanket is becoming a truck.

I had a lot of help today, all three cats took turns as pattern weights.

wandering

Pomegranate lake pigment, maybe influence by madder. I'd have to try a batch of plain pomegranate to see.  It will happen sometime.

I was off work today and went wandering with my mom and dad. 

Behind the dike is a slough, and beyond that a field and then the beach and the Salish sea. And then Fidalgo, Hat and Guemes Islands. 

There were bald eagles in the trees, snow geese in the fields and ducks here and there. 

I had one of the best pizzas I've ever had and brought home more yummy foods from a farm stand that amazed me with the selection given that it was not attended by anyone.

Trust.

Roasted squash (kabocha), pasta (local, hooray!), olive oil, and thyme (from the garden, still looking good).  I added the cooked pasta to the frying pan that the squash was roasted in to coat it with the olive oil. 

There will be squash soup tomorrow (I think) and pizza this coming weekend...

seasons

A perfect spring day, mid winter. 

The fabric that I dyed with snow and pomegranate and madder.  I can't get a true picture of this. It's brighter, but still gentle soft pinks and yellows.

The colors make me think of roses.

I am making a lake pigment with the leftover melted snow and should be able to share that tomorrow.