Friday, July 31, 2009

Join me at
Nadi's Studio
41838 Sierra Drive, Three Riv
ers, CA.
the 1st Saturday of each month
from 12:00 to 2:00
to taste my latest vegan recipe.


August 1st
Potato Soup
Blueberry Scones with Irish Whiskey Spread
Blueberry Iced Tea



Special Musical Performance by
Jesse and Fabi Belman

To see how I painted the picture and created the recipe card,
scroll down to read blogs below.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Lughnasadh Painting: Day 7, Yay! It's done!


Well here it is finished. And just in time. Tomorrow I will bake my Blueberry Sun Bread again, set up a still with this in the background, and take a picture for my recipe greeting card. Then I will order cards that will arrive barely in time for my Nadi's Table event which I host at my studio every first Saturday of the month. You are all welcome to join me to try my bread and blueberry tea from 12:00 to 2:00.

SEE YOU there!

DON'T FORGET to check out my Lughnasadh painting on prints, shirts, cards, mugs, and more on Cafepress!
Click on title of post above.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Lughnasadh Painting: Color! Day 5


I LOVE color! Today I painted in solid colors, not really thinking about the variations of color that will go on top. I'm mostly concerned with the balance of light and dark, and also blues and golds. Don't forget this painting is 36"x48", so there is a lot of ground to cover. This took about 6 hours.

I SHOULD finish this by Tuesday. Then I will bake the Blueberry Sun Bread and set up a still-life with the bread and the painting for my recipe greeting card.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Lughnasadh Painting: Black Lines, Day 4

I DECIDED to wing it tomorrow at the Fowler Library reception. If I give it too much thought, I will freak out. I figure if someone asks a question I can definitely answer it. So I worked on another watercolor this morning and then I spent most of the day working on this.

THE DANCERS had to go. I wasn't happy at all. It seemed unfair that some were dancing and some still working. It didn't work both ways, so I picked the workers. I liked the composition better this way, but I did struggle. And I'm still working on Renny's eyes. Actually, it looked a lot like Renny – not what I intended though.

BACK TO the easel. I have two hours before I have to get ready for Canasta.

See you Sunday, Nadi

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Lughnasadh Painting: Day 3

I WAS HOPING that I would get the black lines on my canvas finished today, but I worked on a watercolor at home while watching 4 episodes of Project Runway this morning. So I got a late start. However, I started this as a daily post, so I guess I have to show you how much I did today. I will finish lines tomorrow – then color! I hope you are enjoying this- I have to say, it is pushing me to get this done. Thank you! 'Til tomorrow – ciao! Nadi

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Lughnasadh Painting: Day 2, The Design

I HAVE my idea, now I need to pick the elements I think will tell a good story and also be fun to paint. Right off the bat, I know I am doing blueberries. Great color and shape, and because of their size I will put them in the foreground so I can enlarge them. The color will bounce off nicely with the complimentary oranges and golds of the wheat, which will be my main theme. (I'm thinking blueberry bread of some sort at this point for the recipe card.)

SCOURING my reference files, both hard copy and online, I find images that represent what I'm seeing.
I WANT a woman picking the berries, not sure where she is looking yet. Maybe at the raven. A WHEAT field can go in the back. I like this one with the sea behind.THE RAVEN is too small. Since he represents Lugh, the sun god, and has made all this possible, I am going to have him interact with the woman, who is happy for his generosity. I find a face (my daughter Renny) that has the look I want. The raven now continues the circle of the blueberries and I like this.A CELEBRATION needs to be happening – the harvest is almost finished. RENNY needs some Irish clothes and maybe a headdress. It would be hot in the sun in August, picking berries.MANY, MANY changes took place as I went along. I just gave you the basic process. I'm pretty happy with this design. The beauty of Photoshop, which is the program I use, is that I can enlarge or reduce, flop, and change position of each item at will. I tried the woman facing the other direction, I tried the dancers bigger and in other areas. I kept coming back to this. I will make a black and white copy of this now and transfer it to my 36"x48" canvas that has been painted bright orange.

SEE YOU tomorrow!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Lughnasadh Painting: Day 1, The Concept

I THOUGHT it might be fun to show everyone how I create a painting- from concept to signing. It's really fun. I am very organized; I have binders and binders of ideas and starts of projects, and that is where I generally begin. But not always. Point in case – this week's painting. I wanted something different for my August recipe greeting card that I will have ready for my Nadi's Table event on August 1st, where I serve the recipe to anyone that wants to try it.

SO WHAT is celebrated in August? Nothing makes me happier than to search for info on the internet! I learned that August is National Golf Month, National Picnic Month, and Romance Awareness Month. We celebrate the birth of the internet on August 1: Vertumnalia, the festival of Vertumnus, the Roman god of seasons, gardens and orchards, is celebrated on August 13th (which is also Blame Someone Else Day). We have Ice Cream Sandwich Day, Toasted Marshmallow Day, Pony Express Day and, my favorite, Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night (August 8).

BUT WHEN I read about Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-na-sa), the Celtic festival of the first harvest, I knew I had my painting – and my recipe.

LUGHNASADH is the gaelic word for August and is named for Lugh, the Irish sun god, who is associated with the raven, light, and agricultural fertility. On August 1st, Lugh celebrated the death of his foster-mother Tailtiu, the last queen of the Fir Bolg. Tailtiu died from exhaustion after being forced, by her enemy, to clear a forest for planting. Festivities centered around the grain harvest, which was needed to get the tribe through the winter months.

FARM FOLK picked the first wild blueberries, and sang when the crop was abundant, for a good berry crop meant a good wheat crop. There was dancing in the field, and sometimes a wagonwheel was set on fire and rolled down a hill. It was the day for handfasted marriages, where a couple could marry for a year and a day, until next Lughnasadh, when they would either commit or stand back to back and walk away to dissolve the marriage. People gathered to exchange news and settle disputes, to sell wares, to tell stories, and to compete in games and horse races. There was great feasting, with the baking of bread an important ritual.

TODAY, Lughnasadh reminds us of the importance of belonging to a community, of working and playing together, of achieving success through group effort. It is a time to share your bounty with those less fortunate and to help friends and neighbors. It is a time to let go of things no longer fruitful in your life and open up to the bounty of things to come.

TOMORROW I will show you how I get started.

'Til then – Nadi