Spark #1- The Book Book

Before I moved to the suburbs of Long Island I taught art classes to 1-5 graders three times a week. I miss molding young minds and the inspiration it brings, therefore I have been playing with many different ideas and have decided to begin interactive inspirational posts (I'll call them Sparks) on the blog. You can participate or not- mostly it's just food for the soul.
My first prompt is taken from the Book Book by artist Sophie Benini Pietromarchi. I found this book in a round-about way via one of my favorite blog's, Julia Rothman's Book By It's Cover. I went to Tara Books where I found a diverse range of very artistic books from all over the world. While I'm on the topic of multicultural books, my friend Nathalie would like you to sign this.

The Book Book nurtures ideas and it's always a treat opening it up.

In chapter 2 Sophie states "There are No Rules!"
In chapter 2.1 Sophie show's a collection of things inside her pencil case...

In chapter 3.1 is the prompt for...
Massaging Your Imagination

Describe:
A Maze
A place to hide
Your favorite prince
Your favorite princess
Your house
Your castle
Your hero

Feel free to post your sparks in the comments...and if it's a visual spark, please link to the image!

Hope For Haiti Now

I can only imagine what it's like in Haiti right now. I experienced the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake and it's something you never forget. If you add all the fallout that you get in a 3rd world country where there are no building codes, the devastation is far worse. It makes me happy and sad that it takes a huge disaster for the world to come together. Above are drawings I created while watching last night's Hope For Haiti Now concert.

A Small Structure in Inverness

A fantastically interesting building. Another what were they thinking? And I'm sure there is a completely logical answer to creating a building with no windows in the shape of a tunnel. The murals are probably worth more than the actual structure, but then again, who knows?

Confined and Confounded

Here's another one for IF. My New Year's resolution is to pump out one painting a week (if not more) and here's a warmer-upper. I'm playing more with gouache and it was confounding me, if only because I was in a cranky mood. Probably because the sun was shining through my window and blinding me. Or possibly because my stomach was rumbling and I couldn't eat the cupcakes.

Power by Numbers

I love window shopping- not only is it free, but it can be quite inspiring. I wonder what some of the window stylists are thinking when they create the themes for their windows. Over New Years I walked passed these windows at Shotwell in San Francisco and couldn't pass up the photo-op. Any ideas? My only idea was power by numbers.

Pavlova Heaven and My Thoughts on Hosting

My theory on cooking is that if you are going to spend time doing it, it better be good aka phenomenal. I don't particularly like to cook, I prefer to bake, but since I hosted Christmas this past year (2009) I had my first dinner party of 11 at my new house, and it included all of the above. Appetizers, entrees and desserts. My mother-in-law said it was her favorite Christmas Day ever, and I said it was my WORST. I sat for maybe 5 minutes plus dinnertime. The rest of the evening I was in the kitchen while everyone else was in the living room drinking my favorite Pommery champagne. When the 2 bottles were kicked (nobody else thought to bring champagne) I was an unhappy camper. (I had had a total of one glass). Show's you how much people remember the cook.

At one point during the evening, I looked in the fridge and remembered I needed a salad. OH CRAP. Just then my sister-n-law walked in and saved my Christmas (and my sanity, I just couldn't make one more thing).

"Uhm, M, would you do something for me?"

"Yeah, sure, what do you need?"

"Do you mind whipping up a green salad?"

"No problem."

Twenty minutes later, VOILA, she had done the dirty work and a beautiful salad was made.

Thank God for sister-n-laws. And Ina Garten.

My menu was based solely on her cookbooks. I like recipes with a few fresh ingredients and that's how Ina rolls.

I decided to make a Pavlova for dessert after I found a scrumptious picture of it in her cookbook, barefoot contessa at home. She had me at the first sentence, "I'm always looking for easy fruit desserts". Done.

This dessert was heaven to eat. I had two servings during dessert time. Then everyone left and it became my favorite part of the day because I was alone and ate a 3rd piece in peace.