Hats for my Mom

So I've found this system that works. It is easy to say look I'm done once you have a set of three, (a triptych always functions pretty well). But there is much much more to be explored. Can't wait. Lovin' hats

Hats

I have a whole list of hats to choose from now, it is just a matter of pairing the right hat with the right person.

This list is taken directly out of my to do list book I refer to as my "Things" book

HATS

Bread Hat

Crow Hat

Cat Hat

Dog Hat

Snake Hat

Rat Hat

Horse Hat

Rat Hat

Lawn Hat

Fence Hat

Spatula Hat

Milk Carton Hat

Shoe Hat

Toys Hat

Goggle Hat

Underware Hat

Wire Hat

Bra Hat

Hey, This compass works!

not sure if this is done

but

it is a start to something new. All compass needles are finally facing North and I think my direction is some what clear. I mean, at least my compass is working.

It is funny to look back at what I have done, those drawings in my sketchbook that seemed meaningless. This was a drawing I did during a hung over road trip back to Colorado after a weekend at Momma and Poppas in New Mexico. I think this triggered something in me that I didn't even recognize until a couple days ago.

Embroidery Obsession

Guys, I'm hooked. Even my drawings now, which I put so much time and effort into before, are simply sketches of ideas for embroidery.

...8 months later...

It has been eight months since my last post. I was recently informed by my teacher that he ran accross this blog and I felt some guilt for my blog neglect. So, here is the abridged version of eight months.

crow man (the short hand of my s

ummer working with 7-9 year olds)

sketch book sketch book ideas ideas

embroidery

you know... senior thesis type stuff. (whatever that means)

And what am I most into cooking right now? Bread! Lo and behold I've become a baker!

Simple White Bread:

2 cups warm water (warmed up about a minute and a half in microwave)

2 tbspn Yeast

5-6 cups flour

2 tbspn Sugar

2 tbspn salt

2 tbspn olive oil

2 tbspn honey

Combine your water and yest. Then add 2 cups of your flour and your sugar, salt, olive oil, and honey. Mix this aggresively with a spoon until you get your 'sponge'. This is a very special bread making term and you can impress all your friends by knowing it. After you have your sponge (it should look like a liquidy sponge with some bubbles here and there from the yeast) begin adding the rest of your flour, one cup at a time. Combine this first with your spoon. Make sure you're gettin all that flour down in there.

Once you have added about 3 additional cups of flour to your sponge, you should have a pretty solid mass of dough that can be handled without sticking all over your fingers. Tranfer this dough to a cutting board cover in more flour to prevent sticking. Knead this baby, punch it down and pull it up, until you have your dough to about the consistency of your earlobe. No sticky stickies.

Pop this back into your bowl with a dizzle of olive oil and cover it with a damn (not wet) towel. Put in a warm place to rise for about an hour/ hour and a half

So now you dough is nice and fat. Punch it back down and kneed it on your cutting board as you did before (with more flour on your kneading surface) after a minute or two of kneading, take a chunk about 3/4 of the dough off and begin kneading that separately. So you will now have a smaller batch and a bigger batch of dough- the smaller with be your bread roll and the larger with be your bread loaf. Shape your larger bit into a loaf shape, seam side down, and pop it into a loaf pan. If you don't have a loaf pan, a baking sheet is fine.... but I suggest that loaf pan. Take the little guy and put him in whatever shape and whatever baking apparatus you have on hand (I use my cast iron pan). Drizzle these both with Olive oil, prehead the oven to 375, and cover your loafs with a towel. Let the rise however long it takes for the oven to preheat, and then just pop 'em in! Bake for about 20-25 minutes. And now, you have fresh bread- YUM!

Beet Soup! (with Cilantro Pesto)

This soup has the most beautiful color I've ever seen.

Carrots
1 sweet onion
Celery
Vegetable Stock
Beets
Salt and peppah
A pinch of Oregano

Cilantro Pesto:
Cilantro
Garlic
A brick of parmesan
Yogurt
s and p
a squeeze of lemon

Sweat your onions, carrots and celery in the bottom of the soup pan with a couple pats of butter and a Dash of olive oil (you can do this all with butter but I like the flavor of a bit of OO) While this is cooking down, slice up your beets (the smaller the chunks the faster they will cook.) Add the beets and vegetable stock until the stock comes about a half inch above the beets. Bring to a boil and cover. Turn down the heat as needed but do not bring it down to a simmer. Cook the beets for about and hour/ forty five min. (until the beets are soft) and add your seasoning. Pour this whole mixture into the blender and puree. YUM! now for the cilantro sauce

This sauce is good to make while you are waiting for the beets to soften. It tastes best when its been refrigerated for a bit. Chop up your cilantro (this can be a rough chop) and add it to the blender or food processor. Add a couple cloves of garlic and grate in some parmesan cheese. Your parmesan to yogurt ratio can change according to what kind of a parmesan punch is desired. Add your yogurt (about a cup or a lil more) and blend that baby together. YUMMMMM

When all the components are done, put them together for a delicious meal!

Cat Art?

I don't even like cats.
4 x 5 ink and watercolor on illustration board.
building my "image lexicon", if you will.
blah blah blah.

Preparing for my lame little baby of a show "My Mickey Mouse Shoes."
up for a week.
KCAI printmaking gallery.