Some little bits of summer, so far

From a visit to Philly, last month (above and below)

Multnomah Arts Center's ceramic studio, entrance.

Where I was lucky enough to spend my July 4th--Lake Trillium, in the shadow of Mt. Hound.

Detail shot of a damned sweet mural in Eugene, Or. 

Off-brand Barbies at the Goodwill outlet--$1.59 a pound, if you need any.

Pretty textures, of late

Carding, Spinning, and Metal-working. 

Setting the twist, hardcore

Deep dish pizza, in a cast iron pan

So, I take no credit for this idea--I'll direct you over to a Beautiful Mess for that, and for thorough advice and instructions. 

Their version was a bbq pizza; we went a bit more traditional, with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and marinara sauce. Our big addition was smoked mozzarella, which we created with a stovetop smoker, and the application of hickory chips. Success! It was really tasty. It's a stuffed crust, so the cheese was nice and plentiful. 

Source

A couple pieces of advice, in case you try this project or any variation of it at home: 1. mix smoked and plain cheese, or it will get a little over-powering; 2. use a light hand with sauce, and/or use a thicker and non-watery one. 

This was a very tasty experiment. Highly recommended. 

Studio details, of late

It is apparent that my Appalachian Ugly Face and my thrifted Alabaman owl mug do not really trust each other. Sadly, that mug lost it's tongue somewhere in my many moves...I still love it, though. It's in the studio in part because Peter banned from the apartment.

Green olive bowl, holding onto some freshly plied yarn in a boldly graphic sort of way. I didn't make the bowl, but I do appreciate it heartily. 

Don't read into it. It's from a New Orleans trip, several years ago. I haven't felt the need to use it yet. 

Today, to Seattle!

I-5 North between Portland and Seattle, you hold many wonders. Riot Grrl tourism is by far the best. 

I've got a busy few days ahead of me--so, I shall write more once I return. 

"The Craftsman"

The Craftsman, Mark Rothko, 1938-39

I love this painting, for obvious reasons. 

There was a retrospective on Mark Rothko at the Portland Art Museum last year, and I snapped a photo of this painting there...and then promptly forgot about it, until I went absent-mindely searching through my iPhoto albums today. And then I remembered it.

Edith, by Mark Rothko (1930s); Source

So-- Mark Rothko was raised in Portland, OR. He's probably the most famous artist our city has produced. And, evidently, he married a jeweler/sculptor, named Edith Sachar. This painting is presumed to be of her; the marriage didn't work out. That's about the only information I can find about this work online, to be honest.

What a bright little glimpse of the creative process, though. If I ever had a portrait painted, I would be perfectly happy if it came out like "The Craftsman."

Something that I accomplished today.

Productivity!

In anticipation of fall/winter, and because it's what I do, I have been knitting hats (like crazy). I'm hoping to do a thorough photo session and etsy shop listing later this week, flooding the shop with knits.

However, my model, a humble styrofoam head, was looking sad and sorry--moving between Seattle and Portland, home and studio, had not suited her very well.

So--an updated look was in order. It was super simple, too. I bought a wooden plaque at the local crafty superstore ($2.99), and painted it. I then mixed a little white glue and water together, and applied small, ripped up pieces of tissue paper to the foam, until I was more or less satisfied. It might still need some evening out--I'll have to see what it looks like when it's dry enough to put a hat on.

Ta Da!

And, a before shot, for your reference. A little battered, no? I'm thinking it's significantly better, now. 

I didn't know that I had a dream car...

but, I totally do! Check out this beauty, care of the auto-body place across the street from my new studio.

I am overtaken with wanting to drive this truck. 

On beer, and the brewing there of

One of the things that Peter and I missed, while abroad, was American craft-brewed beer. China doesn't really seem to have an interest in micro brew, at present--certainly, nothing like the obsession with such that you'll see in, say, Asheville NC or Portland, OR (though, side note: the town's respective slogans on this are equally, embarrassingly silly--Asheville went with "Beer City USA" and Portland likes to call itself "Beervana." We couldn't do any better, Chambers of Commerce?). After a summer of multiple outdoor beer festivals, and a lot of microbrew evaluation, I'm feeling that craft beer itch well and truly scratched.

Oregon Brewer's Festival 

Zoo Brew! at the Oregon Zoo

And yet...Peter has been quite interested, for some time, in trying his hand at brewing his own (the darker and smokier and richer the better).

So, look what we (mostly Peter) finally did!

A raspberry vanilla stout is, at present, conditioning in the bottles in the lower reaches of our kitchen cupboards. We tried a bottle yesterday, and while it is assuredly not ready yet (not enough head), it is well on its way to being really delicious. Awesome.

I'm pretty damned proud of us (mostly Peter).  The beer, for which we're still perfecting naming and labeling choices, should be ready to drink within a week.

Electric Bread!

Lookit what I made. 

I have a longstanding fondness for bread machines--I feel like maybe I'm a holdout here, like they had their moment, and it is now past. At least, I base this assessment on how very readily one can find a new/near new machine at thrift stores across this great land of ours. 

A fine 5$ bread machine; An excellent set of recipes (both easily thriftable)

Foolishness. A bread machine is a great cheater's way to have fresh baked goods, which means: to save money, to have your house smell awesome, and to feel more proud of yourself than you have a right to. Also, homemade pizza. 

I think I've made my point.

Oh! But the main trick is, don't actually bake the bread in the machine, if you can help it. It comes out much better from the oven (nicer crust, no weird hole in the bottom of the loaf from where the mixing paddle sticks up). 

Random collage, take three

Two things that scare me, a little:

1. Squirrels on power lines. Jebus, but I don't like when they cross right over me while I'm standing on the street. There's always that chance, you know: falling and scratching and rabies. I don't know anyone this has happened to. But I could.

Also, sometimes they electrocute themselves. Or, bring down the power grid. Or, in Scotland, sometimes they do both. Just a menace.

Source

2. Small, crowded spaces. And thank you, Beijing, for making me confront and semi-conquer that fear, over and over again. 

     

Left: line for one of my teaching jobs, elevator. Left: line for the subway, transfer, rush hour.

In the Random and Just for Pretty category

Just some pretty textures and details, of late. This is what happens when I'm bored.