Summer Blossom

And now for something completely different.

 Rather than using oil paints on stretched canvas, why not acrylics on a cotton onesie?

You don't have to be able to walk to have a stylish buzz.  

Carol

New Medium

It's easy to forget that creating art should be fun.

I uploaded a sketchbook app to my Kindle Fire and wanted to share some images that were fun to create.

Nothing else, no expectations, no pressure, just fun.

Enjoy the day.

Another Page

One of my favorite beetles.

Unbound - An Insect Book

I've been entranced by the process of creating books. I've learned the coptic stitch and have two books partially finished for the Unbound show that will happen in Woodstock.

Here's a first look. This wee book is only three inches square.

A second page.

I'll post more, when there is more to see.

Carol

Working on a Book

I'm creating a sample chapter for my BOOK! Although I haven't settled on a title, I have ideas for size and format as well as a clear idea of where I'm going.

An exciting part of this project is that there will be many opportunities to include patterns as well as paintings of food and food related images.

New Images

It's been a long dry spell....

Perhaps that's beginning to change.

I pulled out my wonderful box of oil pastels and tried to capture some of the color around me.

Art of Blogging

I was invited to do a guest post about my paintings and how I use them on my food blog by Alisha of The Ardent Epicure. Here's what I said:

I like to make food that tastes good and the way things look is as important as how they taste. Perhaps that because I am a painter who cooks and I am a cook who blogs…

I use my watercolor paintings to illustrate my blog. Sometimes an image has a direct connection to a recipe I post as in my post Buttermilk is Cool,

and sometimes it's a whimsical choice. as in my post for Linguini with Fresh Tomato Sauce.

Recently I found a cookbook published in Vermont in 1954. It's filled with recipes and hints that reflect what was happening in kitchens in the 1950s. I have been combining selections from this cookbook with my paintings to create posts. Here’s one for a Peanut and Bacon Sandwich.

I also design bookmarks, labels and notecards that can be downloaded and printed for free. I call these PIN’s and PIN means Print It Now. When you visit my blog you'll see PIN - Print It Now in the column on the left under the basket of blueberries. I hope you find something there you like.

The words that are in bold are all links that will take you to my food blog and the the post that is referenced.

Carol Egbert

Summer Bird

I rediscovered this image when I was searching through digital files.

This began as a drawing down with a quill pen. I scanned it and used Photoshop to make a 'digital sandwich' with about twelve layers of color. I cut through layers, digitally, in a manner similar to that used to make molas in the San Blas Islands, to create this image. So there you have my complex explanation for a simple image.

Bright Colors - Asian Design

A bold look from my studio.

I needed an image for a post about an adventure in China on my food blog www.CarolEgbert.com. Creating art that works with posts is fun and sometimes a challenge.

Cow Takes a Turn

I was creating a post for my food blog and I needed a new image for it.

I created this whimsical, green cow with a watercolor painting and photoshop.

Art as an Incentive - A Free Fathers' Day card & more....

In order to increase traffic to my food blog I offer a new design in a series of free cards, bookmarks and more that can be downloaded and printed at no charge.

This week I created a card for Fathers' Day that can be download here.

Painting and Graphic Design

Creating art? Hmmm.

When I don't have a brush in my hand am I creating art? Definitions can be confusing.

I have been writing, creating new recipes and do photography and writing.

My artistic efforts at the moment.

I am combining watercolor paintings with text and graphic design to create a series of eBooks.

Some of the inside pages of The Carrot book can be seen here.

it all comes together

I had no idea that a blog would change my life. It has changed what I do, where I do it and who sees it all.

In less than a year I have gone from being a nearly full-time painter to being a nearly full-time writer. I have learned to deal with a camera and use my paintings and photographs to illustrate what I write in newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites.

My writing has brought me to Siracusa in Sicily where I cook and have a table that overlooks the Mediterranean where I paint. The fava beans in the photo were the featured in a recent post on my food blog, CarolEgbert.com.

--Carol Egbert

Warm Wishes for the Holidays

With snow and cold air I offer this painting as a warm holiday image.

Merry Christmas!

Carol

Feeling Silly

-Carol

Primrose at the Library

Most of my oil paintings are spending the holidays on the walls at the Norwich Library.

Seeing thirty six paintings gathered in one place brought some things into focus for me. My first thought, after dealing with the details of hanging the show was, "Wow! I've done a lot of work."

I was struck by the warmth of color and to see the range of my palette. I began to paint with oils because I wanted to paint dark, it seems that I also wanted to paint warm.

My show is up until the end of December and hope that lots of people take the time to see it.

Carol Egbert

Late Autumn Colors

This series of designs was inspired both by East European folk art and the reds and oranges that tint my world this week. These images are a combination of water colors and Photoshop magic.

I replaced the white with black and resulting design has a richer feel.

More orange - less yellow for a third look.

I am using these designs on my food blog Carol Egbert.com in a series of posts about sweet potatoes.

--Carol Egbert

On the Wall at the Norwich Library

Being an artist is so much more than form, color, design, execution, editing, framing, matting, stretching, pricing, hanging, selling, etc....it also involves dealing people, coordination, face-time at the computer, etc.

Charles and I arrived at 10:30 to hang the show at the Norwich Library, in Norwich, Vermont, and because of a mix-up we couldn't get in until 1 and we had to be out by 3 on the dot. Two stomach wrenching hours of fiddling with fishing line and hooks we managed to get everything up.

Today, I will spend a couple of hours at the computer to create labels, a price list, etc. and the go back to finish setting things in place for the opening reception, Friday, November 6, from 5 to 7.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you there. The show will be up until the end of December so if you can't make it to the opening I hope you will have time to stop by and see it. - Carol Egbert

Painting Eggplant

My recipe for painting eggplant is pretty simple. Begin with Arches 140# hot press paper. Draw simple out line of vegetable. Paint eggplant with water, being mindful of contours. It is a good thing if the eggplant has some dry areas. Then, using a variety of blues and purples, drop in color without fussing. Put down the colors and walk away. I use a combination of ultramarine, cerulean, cobalt and Windsor blue along with mineral violet and another purple who's name I've forgotten.

Paint the leaves after the eggplant is completely dry.

Carol Egbert

Eggplant - Help

My blogging life has intersected. I have found that it is easier for me to paint eggplant than to cook it.

After a trip to Sicily, I tried to make the classic Sicilian dish, Pasta alla Norma. I made an acceptable version of this simple combination of pasta, tomato sauce, eggplant and cheese, but I was not happy with the eggplant. It was oily and the skin was tough.

I need help. I would love to hear how you cook eggplant so that it is creamy and not too oily. What do you do about the skin? Do you salt it or soak it in salty water? What's your favorite variety. Please leave a comment or a question and if you want to know my 'recipe for painting eggplants'.

I'm confident that you have wisdom to share.

Ciao! --Carol Egbert