Illusion Delusion

I have a new painting. It has an illusory quality. There appears to be a cube at times, but really, there are no connecting lines. Do you see any connecting lines?

Thanks Maggie Sue

Okay, so this was posted in December, but I just saw this today. Thanks Maggie Sue for including me on your blog! I also want to say that I really am digging this eco coffee cozy. Check it out!

http://www.maggiesuedesigns.etsy.com/

The Rose Garden at Dusk

One of the best places to be in Berkeley when the sun is setting! Even though there were no roses, the garden is quite green and lovely. I'm posting two of my favorite pictures I took while I was up there.

Took some pics

Ah, spring is in the air. This is my favorite time of year. I went for a lovely long walk to Indian Rock in Berkeley this afternoon and took some photos along the way.

It's Time to Dry

Fresh new linocut! I finished this one up last night and have starting my printing process. So far I have a couple I like drying out. Hopefully I can get some good pics taken tomorrow so I can upload some to my etsy site. I just love using bright contrasting colors!

Out and about

Yay, it's spring! I decided to go for an extended walk today to get groceries so that I could enjoy the gorgeous springtime weather. The birds were chirping like mad and the aroma from the budding flowers filled the air. I feel so lucky to be living here in Berkeley. I feel even luckier that my allergies have not returned and I am able to enjoy it!

A few doors down from my apartment is this really awesome toy store called Mr. Mopp's. It's the type of store where all the toys come alive at night... I just know it! This is a picture from one of their windows. This lion has seen better days! You can see how the tree reflected is starting to get it's leaves back. Even though my street is very busy, it's tree lined and I love it.

Allergies suck

I have been suffering from some of the worst allergies I have ever had. I didn't even have allergies last spring! Oh well, I'm just very happy to feel more like myself and able to finally get back to what I love to do! I have a new linocut and have whipped up some new prints. Here is my test print from the cut. I usually do the first in black, but ran out. I have been experimenting with color combos and started using acrylic paint for the background. I'm really excited about my new prints! I'm hoping for some sunshine tomorrow so I can get a photoshoot going... I'd like to get some of these new prints up on my etsy shop tomorrow. From now on, I'm going to try to have a new linocut a week!

Popping the blogging cherry

Hello people of the universe.

I am the other half of strawberry people. I reside in a tiny little armpit of New Jersey right off the Garden State Parkway, also known as Bloomfield.

First things first...
I want to share my very first print that I have created in printmaking class. The image scan is slightly warped in some parts.

This class has been really inspiring and also really scary. A few days ago, a kid in my class got his finger stuck in one of those metal printmaking rolling machines. Seemingly, the finger was crushed and the nail was lost... i'm thinking something of a bursting sausage. There was blood all over the floor and a pool of it sat on the counter where he rested his hand for a minute. So all in all, printmaking is very dangerous, chaotic, and bloody, but I really love it!

I'll be posting more prints soon. Hopefully I will NOT have anymore finger crushing stories...

A sort of etsy mystery and some mustard and ketchup

So I guess I missed it. This painting (above) had more than doubled its views in one day! I am assuming it made it to the front page.... and I am SO glad it did! This is one of my favorite paintings. I keep it on my fake fireplace mantle in my apartment. That's where I keep the paintings I am favoring the most (at the moment)!



At the top of the fireplace are two paintings my boyfriend likes because they remind him of Wonder Woman and he has a thing for her. He also refers to them as mustard and ketchup. I have to agree with him this time...

Eyeball vibrations

I have been working hard on this painting for some time now and have mixed feelings about it. I love using gouache, its matte, looks chalky/velvety, dries super quickly and the colors are really saturated. I also like how it looks sort of like origami paper. Well it still needs some touch ups before its finished. I think I'll step away from it for a day or so and then I'll be able to look at it with fresh eyes.

Cornbread and Grapefruit

For breakfast this morning I made cornbread and grilled grapefruit. I have been eating scones from a local favorite in Berkeley, the Cheeseboard Collective, that are made with cornmeal. As with everything from the Cheeseboard, their scones are so delicious! So I thought I could try to make my own similar creation with cornbread. I found a simple recipe and added dried cranberries and topped it with some carob chips. The recipe is almost vegan (I used an egg). It came out super yummy and was so easy to make! Now I have a delicious treat to have with coffee!

Grilled grapefuit? I have never heard of such a thing! I have a fantastic vegan cookbook by the Candle Cafe (an awesome restaurant in NYC) and this is the last recipe in their book. You take some freshly minced ginger and add it to suger and put it ontop of a grapefuit cut in half. Then you place it under the broiler for about 5 minutes or so (until the suger/ginger carmelizes) and its ready to eat. I wasn't sure what to expect, since I have never had warm grapefuit. The first bite was so delicious! The grapefruit mixed with the sugar and ginger tasted so sweet. I will definitely make this again.