An artist's date at a grocery store

I went to the store last week to buy groceries and had the most delightful time. I know, my life is exciting, right? Well, this wasn’t just any store. It was Uwajimaya, an Asian specialty grocery store. If you like food places, it’s a WOW! one. There is so much there to appreciate and enjoy on so many levels.

My daughter had asked me if I would make mabo-dofu (a spicy tofu dish) sometime soon. “Sure,” I said, “but I need to go shopping first” and so put together my Uwajimaya shopping list. It’s been months since I’d been last. I was amused to see that over half of my list was in Japanese even though I don’t practice it much any more. Clearly not when it comes to food though!

a recent shopping list

My trip to Uwajimaya was a bit like an artist’s date with myself as recommended by Julia Cameron in her book, The Artist’s Way. I enjoy the memories from living and traveling in Asia as well as soaking up the ambiance and inspiration that comes from being in that market.

The variety and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables on display is remarkable. I often take pictures in the produce section so I can draw from them later. I usually plan to get some of the Asian greens because they are so fresh as well as being my favorite kind of vegetable. This week I’ll be making mu shu pork with my Chinese cabbage, regular cabbage, bok choy, gai lan, you choy sum and daikon that I was tempted by.

Past the produce section and the artful displays, further in, the next aisle has prepared fresh and frozen meals to grab and go, mostly Japanese-style. This area brings memories and associations with people I’ve had meals with in the past. I always look for onigiri (rice balls wrapped in seaweed) which bring back memories of Japan where I had homemade ones on picnics. Some what strangely, but happily, paõ de queijo (Brazilian small cheese bread rolls) are found here too. I was introduced to them by a Brazilian friend and grab them whenever I can find them and think of her each time I make them.

Then it’s onward through the bakery section which is small. This is another memory area for me. I remember all the Japanese bakeries I’ve been by and the tempting goodies on their shelves. Here at the store I occasionally get the shoku-pan (thickly sliced bread) but pass up it most of the time.

The frozen section is full of Japanese, Chinese and Korean dumplings of various sorts. Never go here hungry. There are too many varieties to tempt with. One of my wish list items of things to draw are gyoza.

The next aisle over is where I find miso (soybean paste) for miso soup. Again, there are so many varieties of miso to try. I visited so many food factories during my 3 years in Japan but don’t remember seeing how miso is made.

Next up are where the ramen and canned drinks are. So many choices of ramen and instant noodles. It’s hard not to be tempted. Facing the ramen are canned drinks: coffees, teas, milky drinks, juices and soda. It’s a bit of a game to see how unusual of a drink can be found and then have a tasting at home.

And then, and then, and then… So much yummy goodness in the store. It brings back memories of when I lived in Japan, provides me good food and ideas for meals to have, and offers so much material for artistic inspiration. I left Uwajimaya in such a happy mood. I had an outing and without going very far felt like I had traveled the world. I went home and cooked.

Do you have a local place that you go to and get inspired by?

At the end of this shopping trip, I did get the seasoning for the mabo-dofu that was the reason for my outing, but forgot to get the tofu. Oops!

100 Days of Drawing Daily

Day 100. Progress on drawing Westerkerk in Amsterdam.

Today is the 100th day I’ve been working on my Drawing Amsterdam Dailies! I’m very pleased with myself to have done this. To celebrate, I’ve made a video with all 100 days of progress:

https://youtu.be/ItOoUG-008E

There’s a lot that can be accomplished by repeatedly showing up, day by day, little by little.

I challenged myself to draw for at least 30 minutes a day using photographs I took on a trip to Amsterdam last year with the additional goal to try to use something from every photo. I’ve been mostly successful with using every picture, but some have been more challenging to figure out how to include. Those few I’ve skipped over I’m keeping in the back of my mind to perhaps use later.

I plan to keep on showing up daily with this but if I miss a day, it won’t be the end of the world. I’ve really been enjoying this and seeing the drawings and spreads develop. I’ve spent a lot of time drawing but haven’t gotten very far geographically from where I started. The last drawing at Westerkerk is about a 20 minute walk from Amsterdam’s Central Station where I started from on Day 1. I like to look at details. :-)

Have you ever worked on a series or creative project and deliberately showed up daily for it? What kind of project was it?

Music in the video is Gypsy Caravan by Vendla.

Thanks and a rest

Rowan, the snow dog after a walk in the first snow of winter

If you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! If you are a solstice lover, here in the Pacific Northwest, near Seattle, we actually got snow on the first day of winter. It was beautiful with big, fat flakes and it came down in the evening, so it was extra lovely going out and seeing the snow with Christmas lights on. It always feels special when the snow first start coming down. Our dog was pleased to enjoy it too - but she’s camera shy and seems to always know we’re trying to take a picture of her.

As Christmas approached, I started thinking more and more about this next and final week of 2020. I’ve recently been part of conversations on the topics of gifts, reflection, and breaks. Yes, the giving and receiving of presents is an immediate image that comes up with Christmas, but there are also the gifts of attention and time to and with one another. There is also the gift of taking care of yourself - however that means to you.

Taking a break from the regular day to day activities and to-do’s is calling me. I don’t often take breaks and it’s something I’d like to try more of in the future. Making them guilt-free would be a plus too. I’m looking to sleep more and take a creative and work break for this next week. Pausing and stepping away is as important as the doing and making.

I’m also looking forward to reflecting on this past, very strange and stressful year. There have been positives that have happened too and I want to remember and acknowledge them and then plan for next year.

My holiday seasonal wishes for you are are peace and connection with those close to you, and time and rest for yourself.

What is calling to you to do at the end of this year?

'Tis the Season

Mandelschnitte, ink and watercolor

I have another holiday cookie recipe to share with you this week. Mandelschnitte.

It is a friends’ family recipe from my junior high school days. Cinnamon and cloves. So fragrant. I loved the smell and the taste of these cookies and looked forward every year for a chance to have them again.

Life happened and my friends and I moved to different places. The cookies became just memories until years later when we reconnected. I asked for and got the recipe. The first time I made mandelschnitte using their recipe, it took me back to when I was a young teenager in their kitchen. It had been over 30 years since I had had them last. It still makes me so happy to have this recipe. I make it and pecan balls every year now for Christmas. Let me know if you try it and what you think.

Do you have a recipe you only make this time of year? What is it and what’s its story?

Following Inspiration

A Giant Pacific Octopus

There’s a lot to be said for developing a creative habit and setting to work every day even when you don’t want to or what you’re doing doesn’t seem like much. There’s also a lot to be said for allowing time for your mind to wander and explore new things – going for a walk, exploring a new neighborhood, meeting people, reading, watching movies, listening to podcasts, etc. Seeing or hearing something new can spark curiosity and inspiration can come. 

This past week I started listening to a book that a friend recommended, The Soul of an Octopus, by Sy Montgomery. She said that the audio version was read by the author and was really good. I agree! The author is passionate and very curious about octopuses and how they live. With her enthusiasm, she has piqued my interest in the marine world.

While octopuses are the stars in The Soul of an Octopus, there are lots of other marine creatures mentioned that I don’t know much about. I now want to learn more of and draw some of the various marine life mentioned in the book. It seems like a great place to start learning from. I seem to tend towards lists and collections, so I’ll be making a list of animals to draw.

This is now the second book I’ve been inspired to do drawings from. Last year I read Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I loved all the animal references but realized that there were a fair number that I didn’t know what they looked like. So, I made a list and have been drawing my way through it.  

Writing this reminds me of Gerald Durrell, the British naturalist who wrote various stories of the animals in his childhood. Rosy is my Relative was one of my favorites. Rosy was an elephant. Another possible place for ideas.

Various octopus trivia to leave you with:

• The plural of octopus is octopuses not octopi. Latin endings aren't supposed to be added on to Greek words (even though we try!)

• An octopus has no bones. The only hard thing is its beak which means it can fit into tiny holes and cracks that the beak can get through. A giant Pacific Octopus can fit through a hole the size of a quarter.

• Octopuses can change the color and texture of their skin and do it repeatedly in fractions of seconds. While it’s good for a picture, when they’re red, they are not happy.

Where did you get your last bit of inspiration from and what are you doing with it?

Noticing

This week my thoughts have turned towards noticing and paying attention.

I started a different kind of travel journal at the beginning of the month using photos from a trip to Amsterdam last year. My self-imposed creative challenge and restriction is to somehow use every single picture that I took during my trip. And no, I don’t plan to draw all 1000 photos in their entirety. However, I do need to take something from each and use it somewhere in my travel journal. 

Some of my pictures are wonderful, but others really aren’t. 

A view of construction and some buildings across the way from Amsterdam’s Centraal Station.

What’s very quickly emerged from this challenge is the sense of fun and adventure that I hadn’t expected. I study every picture to see what element I can take from it to work within my creative parameters. Each less than wonderful photo becomes really interesting. What bit of detail can I find in it and use to add to my story? It’s become a game. Everything I notice in one photo then makes it easier to spot in the next. I begin to notice more and more.

I chose to draw the cupola from the above street photo.

As I was drawing this domed building, I realized it was where the cupola I drew earlier resides.

What also happens with spending some time and paying attention, is that I end up liking whatever I’m drawing more and more. The object, not necessarily my picture. It becomes more interesting as I look at it and try to replicate some aspect of it in my sketchbook. In art, most things become more beautiful the longer you spend with it.

If you are interested in reading more on the subject of noticing, I have two books to recommend. One is On Looking: A Walker’s Guide to the Art of Observation by Alexandra Horowitz where she takes walks with eleven different experts.  She shows how differently we all see the same areas based on our experience and interests. The other book is The Art of Noticing: 131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday by Rob Walker. This book is full of ideas to re-examine the regular and ordinary to find new and interesting things. 

What have you noticed recently? What have you put your attention towards? 

Surprise Growth

Rooting celery

Today’s thoughts come from me as a kitchen gardener.

One of the things I’ve been doing this strange, stressful year, aside from learning how to make sourdough bread, has been taking various vegetables from the kitchen and seeing if I can get them to grow.

I saw a video a few months ago showing how “simple” it is to root produce that ordinarily would be tossed into the compost after using. I like to garden outside but I’ve never been very successful growing food. I was curious to see if it would work for me.

I started with green onions. They seem pretty obvious since they usually come with roots. I stuck the ends of a bunch of scallions in a glass of water after I finished using the green parts. It wasn’t long before new roots grew. I felt so proud like I had accomplished something major instead of nature taking its normal course and having a lot to do with it.

After the green onion rooting success in water, I moved them to pots with dirt. They still survived and are thriving. I’m so proud of my scallions. I looked in my pantry and inside the fridge’s produce drawer for my next challenge. I thought I’d try an onion since that also has obvious roots. I was successful in creating rot. That was not a horticultural triumph!

I then tried a wilted bunch of celery. It had gotten limp in the fridge and since some herbs recover if they are put in glasses of water, I thought I’d try that with the celery. It works with cut celery. My bunch of celery was not happy. Maybe it was too far gone, but it was not happy and like the onion began to rot.

I left things for a while and turned my attention to the enjoyment of the success of the green onion growth planning how to use all of the ever growing bounty. I did come across another bunch of celery which was smaller than the last one so I stuck it in a jar of water to see what would happen.

Again I left things sit. I changed the water every few days but nothing really seemed to be happening. It wasn’t rotting but it wasn’t seemingly doing anything either.

Then one day I noticed there was something different. The celery looked bushier and greener than it used to. I took it out of the water and nothing there. No roots. And yet, day after day it looked more and more lush and bushy. Who knew celery could be that happy? And then one day after never seeing any roots, they had grown. My celery sprouted roots! I was so surprised it worked!

The surprise growth of roots reminded me that there are times when some creative ideas and projects need to be started and just left alone to sit and do their thing. To be left unbothered and un-poked, until one day the idea is ready and the puzzle’s been figured out. For ideas to develop they need the right conditions. It’s different for each idea and sometimes things have to be tried a few times to see if they’ll work.

Have you had any success with any projects or ideas by just letting them sit undisturbed?