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Yesterday the second sketchcrawl of 2010 took place. I missed out on it because I got ill after doing some gardening on the balcony. To make up for it—because I really wanted to do it—I did a mini sketchcrawl on my own today. Perhaps even during May 15th somewhere on this planet still...
I drew some plants, some of which I've drawn before. I also drew my flowerpress, which I've also drawn before.
The other cucumberplant-drawing I refer to and the earlier flowerpress drawing:
Tasty salad Today I made another salad, a great way to let of some steam creativity wise. I read somewhere salads look (and taste) better if they have more colours, so I added some yellow and red and brown to my greens.
I've grown some lettuce (cut-and-come-again variety), and today I started eating it. I cut off about 15 grams of it, and added some arugula and garden cress for flavour. I also tossed in a sprout mixture of fenugreek, mustard, daikon and horseradish (last three all fairly spicy). I found some leftover sweet bell pepper (yellow) in the fridge, along with a few cherry tomatoes. After I added those I still felt it needed some more. I chopped up some shiitake mushrooms and grilled them with a sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil (very tasty by itself btw).
When the mushrooms cooled down a bit, I plopped them on the salad and used the small oven-dish to mix up some more soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar. I used this as a dressing over the salad, preparing it in the used oven-dish gave it a bit more of a grilled taste, very nice!
I have sown plenty of salad-greens and decided I could use a challenge (oh yes, another challenge!). I want to try my best at not buying any salad greens in the store until at leas way into autumn. This excludes eating out, but includes all salads at home :D
I should get my box of shiitake mushrooms started soon too. It will take a while before I can use my own tomatoes and peppers in my salads, however, I have a lot of greens already. I like salads, I should manage to pull this one off :)
p.s. recipes for salads and dressing very welcome
A few days ago Michael Nobbs released his two booklet (Start to draw your life and 75 ways to draw more, previously released as make-it-yourself-booklets) as a combined updated and free eBook. Naturally I downloaded it.
And almost just as naturally I didn't draw.
Today however I decided to take action. After putting dinner in the oven (courgette filled with quinoa, tomatoes, spring onions and some cheese) I grabbed my moleskine—somehow I wanted to draw in that instead of my regular book, so I went with the flow and used it—and drew my mini cucumber plants. Not only will the plants stay mini, they'll also produce mini cucumbers. I like mini plants, and mini fruits and veggies.
I then popped out on the balcony, drew a lovage leaf, and a recently sprouted mustard-plant (at least, I think it'll become a mustard-plant, but with brassicas, you never know...). After that I drew one of my bok choy plants, also the mini version (with a small balcony you have to work as space-efficient as you can). I like how it turned out.
And dinner only burnt a little bit.
I haven't drawn in a while, even though I want to. I can't seem to muster up the will or the courage, or whatever. I have also spent more time gardening, the season started again after all.
I've sown plenty of plants and herbs, some didn't work and some I killed. Others seem to do fine and I'll put them out as soon as possibly.
I've channeled my few creative juices towards making myself salads, yesterday and today. I even went as far as buying a plate for the purpose. Salads look so much better on a white plate than on a blue-grey one.
Although the balcony has yet to produce a complete salads, I have used bits of balcony-plants to make my salads. I've sown a lot of salad-related plants, so guess what I'll eat a lot of ;)
The first one I made today, with mixed lettuce, arugula, cherry tomatoes, pickled onions and an egg from the store, drizzled with a blendered tofu dressing mixed up with some olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and herbs from the balcony (chives, spring onion, garlic greens and leaf celery). It got a bit chunky, like mayonnaise, so I blopped it on. I then sprinkled some salt, pepper and spicy paprika over the dish.
Tasted great.
The second one I made yesterday, with the same mixed lettuce, arugula, pickled onions, and cucumber. I threw a few pieces of quorn filet on it and drizzled it with a mixture of yo-fresh (mayonnaise made with yoghurt), mustard, honey and balsamic vinegar. The lighter and small green leaves on the edge of the plate came from the balcony, and I added a few tiny sprigs of balcony-arugula.
Still working on those salad skills...
I spent the morning in the hospital, getting my iron-IV. My haemoglobin levels have dropped slowly since surgery and my iron supply has fallen well below normal levels. This probably plays some part in my ongoing fatigue and my doctor decided that instead of pills, I'd get two iron IVs. Today I had my first, next week the second.
I expected to have to wait a while and brought my drawing book, and then drew the IV several times.
I've drawn my IVs before, once when I had to get a CT-scan for my lungs (in the beginning of getting ill) and then when I had surgery and they had to give me a new one every two or three days because it kept clogging up.
I crawled around a bit today, trying to hoover under the sofa.
Today the first sketchcrawl of 2010 also took place, so I also did some drawings. I didn't crawl during the sketching though, not good for the knees...
I have this thing about art supplies. I get all happy and giddy when walking into an art supply store. I don't necessarily have to buy anything (although I wouldn't mind), just seeing all the colourful paper and the paints, and smell the paper makes me happy.
Every once in a while I do like to buy supplies though. Last week I went out to get a tube of China White waterpaint, and I purchased a better paintbox. Back at home I ordered a few things online, including a Derwent Safari Journal, several small canvases (5×5cm and 10×10cm), one Winsor & Newton Artist watercolour half pan (finally checking myself if it's worth it or not) and a small paintbox. The paintbox I accidentally found in that online shop for 1 euro, and it holds 12 half-pans (oh, I finally figured out the difference between half-pans and regular, I have half ones = square, and regular = rectangle).
I like the small paintboxes (I bought several cough), very light and easy to open / close.
I also like the feel of the Derwent journal. The paper feels nice and smooth, but not too smooth (like the Moleskine sketchbook). I've read that it doesn't do to well with classic watercolour, however, I use pen and a watercolour wash mostly and I think it'll do just fine (unlike that Moleskine ;) ). I like how the outside cover feels nice and soft. Now to think of something to draw in it...
This morning I drew my washing up brush. It has a compartment for the liquid and when you press the button on the top, the liquid comes out a bit. I bought a bunch of them when I found them, because I quite like them. They feel nice in my hand and comfortable to use.
Earlier I drew my toy mini car. When I grow up I want a real mini. Yes, with these colours!
I found a new paintbox for my watercolours. My previous one, though not really broken, annoyed me. Every time I would toss it around or hold it sideways or upside down, they pans would fall out and everything got messed up.
With this new one, the pans sit firmly between two metal bits, and I have enough space for two small tubes (black and white) and my (water)pensils.
I used one of my hemp sproutingbags to store some sweet potatoes. They liked it so much they started to grow.
I made the first drawing in August of 2009, of my precious toy. The second one I made today. Months and months of not drawing...
Michael Nobbs' latest book!