Tonight, Mike and I are making "Grilled Ginger Habanero Shrimp" - September's recipe in 2011's "Cooking with Friends" calendar.  This is from our "wild and crazy" friend Brian Pitts - who's also a great cook!  We learned a new culinary "trick" (well, new to us) - how to get the juice out of a coconut.  Oh how nice to have the internet to research these things.  Brian had some ideas - but I wonder - does he really use fresh coconut juice???  I don't think so, but I'd never tell him that . . .

2011 was our 3rd calendar.  "Our" refers to me (the painter) and my pal and partner Holly Bikakis (the graphic guru).  Each month has a recipe from a friend plus a painting I did to "interpret" the recipe, and Holly puts it all together in a colorful, fun calendar.  Our 4th calendar (2012) is at the printers now.  So - after 4 years, I've added 52 yummy new dishes to my personal "cookbook!"  (Each calendar has the January of the following year - so a bonus recipe!)  And I've built up quite a collection of "food-related" art!!!  

You can check out the 2012 calendar on my website.  Here's a sneak preview of the calendar cover - 


                    

2012 calendars are available ~ Oct. 11.  Of course you may order now!!  These are in a limited edition of 500 - we sold out last year.  Great little gifts, and a collectors item! 

Okay - I'm off to paint while the shrimp are marinating.  Hope your day is as beautiful as we have here in Kansas City!!!  Enjoy -

p.s. in case you're wondering about the flamingo - check out the Pitts front yard!!  Did I say "wild and crazy"?

                                
                                    

I'm really happy to kick off a new part of my art world - "products" with images of my art.  There's a great website called CafePress where I've set up a store to sell aprons and tote bags featuring my paintings of veggies and other art.  As you know, my other passion in life is cooking and these are a combination of my love for cooking with my love for painting!

The first images I'm featuring are veggies because I think they soooo relate to cooking.  And because it's time to start digging in the garden and doing some serious outdoor grilling - wearing an apron of course!  I also have these images available on tote bags - perfect for taking to farmers markets opening soon in our area.  Here's an example.  Can't you see coming home from the market with this bag filled with all kinds of fresh garden goodies!! 



If you have a favorite painting that you'd like to see on an apron, bag, mug or lots of other things, let me know.  Check out my Cafe Press store to see what's available now and to order if you're interested.  It takes about 2 weeks to get an order - fyi.   

Here's another fun product with the image of my Chinese New Year Rabbit - dreaming of potstickers!!  My friend Cathy Bennet gave me the potsticker recipe for the 20111 Cooking with Friends calendar.  And - the rabbit's kinda cute for Easter!! 


Oh I can see lots of fun with these new products!  I hope you enjoy them too!!  Hope you're having a beautiful day!! 

If you're in the Kansas City area, stop by Rm 39 at Mission Farms and see my big yummy veggie paintings!  I love this trendy restaurant, known for using fresh and local ingredients.  It was so fun painting for this particular space!  I wanted my theme to fit in with their "mission" so decided to do these very large paintings of fresh vegetables.  Work will be shown through April.  Hope you'll stop by to see it! 

The weather in Kansas City is finally feeling like Spring.  We're working with a young landscape architect to get plans to spruce up our yard. Can't wait to see his ideas.  We're still learning about plants that do well in this area.  So far we've been cleaning things out in all the beds.  Our yardwork last summer was minimal at best - with Mike's two knee replacement surgeries and my broken ankle . . .  So we have some pent-up desire to work in the dirt!  We'll grown our own veggies - at least some of them.  And we plan to do a straw bale planting - something new to try!  We're blessed with lots of clay so we're anxious to check out this alternative approach to growing in soil.  Will keep you posted.  I can't wait to be able to cut fresh herbs again!  So far the sage, mint, and thyme are about big enough to pull off a few sprigs, and soon I'll be able to plant basil - and I'll be a happy camper!! 

Until I can harvest my own vegetables and herbs, I'll just enjoy painting them.  Hope you have fun with them, too!  Have a beautiful day -



p.s. - thought I'd end with some funky chili peppers!!  Enjoy -

               
"Carrots" - 36" x 48"                                                      "Onions" = 36" x 48"

Belated Happy New Year everyone!!  This time of year is usually very slow in my art life.  Not so in 2011.  Several big events coming up in February and I've been painting away getting ready for them.

These two paintings will be in my show at Rm 39 - a great restaurant in Leawood, Ks that shows the works of local artists.  My art will be there for 3 months.  I've had so much fun building on my "food" series - started when I began my food and art calendars 3 years ago.  This combines my passions for cooking AND painting!!  I didn't intentionally set out to be a "painter of food" but I've sort of evolved into that.  Fun!   The art will be hung on Feb. 8 - still have 3 large paintings to go.  "Stay tuned."  

Other places I'm showing:  

  -   Stoney Broke, Ltd  - a beautiful interior design store.  20 pieces of art were delivered last week, including originals and framed prints.  These people are so talented in interior design - I'm very honored that they want to display my art in their show rooms.  

  -  Invitational Exhibit  at Art at the Center - Tomahawk Ridge Center - Overland Park.  Reception is Feb. 14 - chocolate and art!!  I'm exhibiting with 10 other local artists who do amazing work and am proud to be part of this group.
  
  -  annual art auction at Kansas City Artists Coalition  - Sat, Feb. 19.  I donated a piece for this annual fundraiser.  I'm also on the board for KCAC and am organizing all the volunteers - whew!!!   This is a fun, fun event - big happenings this year - will post more on that later.

  -  Ice House Gallery - Bakersfield, Ca.  This gallery always has some of my prints and originals.  It's also the best framing store in Bakersfield - in my opinion.  

So - as I said - this year's starting out in a big way - both in terms of art events and the size of some of my new paintings!!  It's been good to upsize to this larger format.  I'm anxious to see these in the restaurant - and all the other places.  Thanks to all who're representing my art!

I hope your year is starting out "big', too!  Here's to a beautiful and happy 2011!!
                 

It's been a LONG time since I've posted to my blog.  I don't know how many of you are on Facebook - that's where I'm doing most of my "postings" and I've been seriously neglecting my blog.  And here I go with an "ad" for my return - hmmmmm.   But I do want to share with those of you who're still shopping.  A gift of art is really such a fun surprise!!!  If you're interested in giving art but aren't sure which piece to select - you may give a gift certificate and let your friends and family pick something they really love!!  These are available in any amount you want - just contact me.  I'll make your shopping really easy - will send the gift certificate to you or to whomever you want.  AND - for those really into the last minute shopping thing, I can send you a copy of it to print.  You may browse my shopping cart  to see some of my current work that's available - and to get ideas! 

We're almost finished decorating and shopping, and have most of our shipping ready to go - yay!!!  Our goal is to have a couple of weeks of quiet time to truly enjoy the spirit of the season. 

My wish to all of you is a beautiful holiday!!! Merry Christmas -

    

                                                                            


Okay - I felt a little guilty when I realized I was painting so many apples.  Lemons will ALWAYS be my favorite fruit!!!   So, to make peace with my lemon friends, I did these little paintings.  They're on their way to California "as we speak."  I'll be meeting them there in just 4 days.  Yay!!!  A little lemon reunion in such a beautiful state.

Whew -

5" x 5" - now showing at Younger Gallery in Bakersfeld, Ca

I've had more fun painting these crazy little apples - and they're finding lots of new homes!  Do you think people are looking for  a litle "fun?"   I know I am!!! 

Had this "aha moment" when I was painting more of these little cuties for a show at Graveyard Vineyards .  We are soooo influenced by our environments - sometimes we don't even realize it.  When I lived in Bakersfield, one of my favorite painting subjects was lemons.  I've always LOVED lemons - their tart flavor with a little salt, and especially with Fritos!!  (Strange - but true.)   When I started painting, the simple shape of a lemon just fit my style.  AND - we had a huge lemon tree in our backyard that poduced the largest and most delicious fruit I've ever tasted.  Tons of visual inspiration!!!  Ocassionally an apple would show up in a painting, but it was not the "main character" by any means.  Well - that's changed - and I finally got the connection.  We now have 2 huge apple trees in our backyard in Kansas City!!!!!   Isn't life interesting -  

Speaking of Graveyard Vineyards - I'll be there with my art during the Paso Robles Wine festival - May 21-23.  If you've never visited there, you're in for a real treat!!  Beautiful setting - top of a hill overlooking miles and miles of rolling hills covered with vineyards.  Oh yeah - you pass a tiny, historic graveyard as you turn to head up the hill . . . .  Paula and Rob are the perfect hosts!  Fun, fun, fun.  Stop by if you can - we can visit and you can chill with a glass of their delicious wines and enjoy the scenery.  Bar-b-que on Sunday.  Reservations required - they do sell out.  You'd love it and I'd love the company!

Gotta go paint - and get outside a bit to enjoy this gorgeous Fall day.  Oops- it's Spring- but it feels like Fall.  Makes my mouth water for some of those beautiful apples .  .  .

          

White Flower Miniatures - 5" x 5"

Okay - here's something VERY new for me!  Some "quiet" paintings!!  Quiet in terms of color, that is.  I'm doing a few miniature paintings for the show in Bakersfield, Ca next month.   These little paintings are a great way to experiment.  This time I'm going for almost a "monochromatic" painting - where the interest is in the texture instead of color.  Paint is very thick on these little canvases.  I felt like I was sculpting the paint to create the flowers.  How fun is this!

Most of my art is done for the show.   Mike has it boxed and ready to ship in a couple of weeks.  Exciting!  Now - tax time . .. . 

It's kind of a yucky, rainy day outside, but I'm gonna make it a beautiful day for me.  Hope you do the same!!!