Baking Diversions

"Bananas"
Graphite, Watercolor and Acrylics on paper

One of the best parts about having a child is you always have a partner who is ready, willing and able to bake with you if the urge strikes! Once and a while my son and I both get the bug to bake something and when bananas go bad in our house all bets are off...those suckers get smooched into muffins or bread. Can you guess who the smoosher is?

Of course, the little mice were there in my brain yesterday poking about and at one point they went completely "Ratatoullie" on me. I captured two images from my head as quickly as I could before real work drew me back in. I thought it would be fun to share this recipe. I've had it since I was a teenager and learned how to bake from my grandma. It's an easy recipe with very little ingredients and the spottier the banana, the sweeter the bread/muffin.

So all around, this turned out to be a delightful diversion.

Eberl draft foal in progress

"Bread"
Graphite, Watercolor and Acrylics on paper


Banana Bread (or Muffins)

3 Very Ripe Bananas
1/3 cup Veg oil
1/2 cup Brown Sugar (I've used regular sugar too)
1 1/2 cup Flour
1 /2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Mash bananas. Mix sugar and oil till smooth. Pour mushed bananas in the oil mixture and add flour, salt and baking soda. Mix well. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

What's up

Peasant Stomper in silver bay

Hello!

Well, this week came and went fast. I've been trying to get online and get bloggin' for days now and it just hasn't happened. Every time I tried I was interrupted. Also being without my little pocket camera has made capturing images rather difficult, which, in the end puts my desire to update the blog at an all time low. I really need to get a new battery for that camera. Jump starting the dead battery with a 9-volt didn't give it enough juice to make it work properly.

China painted porcelain egg

As you can see things have been movin' and groovin' in the studio. From commissions to painted porcelain pieces I've been rather busy. I guess not being online is a good thing in retrospect. Anyhoo, the Peasant Stomper was a commission. I ruined one side of his magnetic base and decided to create a nice wooden one for the owner. I just felt badly that I ruined the original base. I rather like the way he looks on his new ground.

I've also been working hard on china painting. I began experimenting with my little kiln "Spanky" (the Quickfire from Paragon) and I LOVE the results I'm getting when I china paint small things. I can fire up in 15 minutes and the colors stay. The blending is smooth and nothing comes out with a matte look. It's all shiny like it suppose to be. From these kiln tests I was also able to begin testing some new painting techniques that feel more at ease with my illustration style. I honed in on a water color look and feel this works very well for florals and organics. I just love how this teapot is coming along. My idea transferred perfectly from sketch to porcelain. From here on out I'll be doing more sketching before I approach a larger piece of porcelain. Having that guide was totally beneficial. I know better than not to use a sketch but some days it's just easier to skip this step. Lesson learned.

Sketch for porcelain painting

Painting on porcelain teapot for one

Mini Talk

I almost didn't want to post today cause I was really enjoying those two shots of summer from yesterday, but work really does go on and there is exciting stuff happening in the studio despite the slight blue feelings that pop up here and there.

Mini Scarlett in progress

I wanted to share with you one major piece that is almost near finish in the studio. It's a Mini Scarlett in dappled bay. As my space becomes sparse here in the house and studio the more I am loving the smaller pieces. This mini was a commission slot offered as a "send me your bays" deal.

I get on these jags were I just want to paint one color. I'm happy customers like the colors I want to paint too! Once I paint the color that has been nagging I then I have to paint another color. Right now I'm sorta feeling the need to paint up a black and tan with a few tan dapples along the barrel. Hmm...one of those Mini Doodlebugs that were just released would look smashing with such a color on. Hmm....I need to quiet my mind I think and just finish all that I have started in January. Hard to believe it's almost February. But....after February i'ts March and that means spring and I love the sound of that word!

Dreaming

Dreaming...

Sometimes when I complete a horse I just sit and daydream about him. This newly painted guy would be amazing waiting for me in a stable stall. The little gold plaque on his stable door would read, "Domino Roll". Oh, how I would love to own a real horse like this.....sigh.

Day dreaming is fun.

Freshly painted Appaloosa for sale