Classes

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Plans need room to grow

As with all good plans mine apparently needed growing room. It's all well and good to set out a daily list, but sometimes I just don't get to the list. Today - however - I unknowingly stuck to the program! YAY for me! Today was supposed to be website day, and I did indeed work on my website!  WOW.

So I managed to post a whole new page where I can put up 'sets' that I work on... mostly ceramic tile sets, but some will be mini canvas sets. Here is the page in case you are interested...


So I did manage to get that page created, and pictures put up on it... the whole 9 yards. I even made some changes to a couple other pages.

Here is my most recent...
4" ceramic tiles
painted with acrylic paint
sealed and varnished complete
with felt feet on the backs.


Whew... now, I think I'll take time out for breakfast!

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Artful Tribute to America's Independence






An Artful Tribute to America's Independence


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Somehow didn't get published for July 4th

The Pink Lady

Well according to my chart, today is Blog day!

Monday - Instagram  --- @ruth.inman (check it out) 
Tuesday - Youtube --- "Ruths Art"
Wednesday - Blog --- brushwithmanycolors.blogspot.com
Thursday - Website --- BrushWithManyColors.com
Friday - Etsy --- Ruths Art Gallery

Today I want to share with you a technique I learned last week and taught last week! It's one used by Picasso himself! Tricking the brain based on what the eye sees.

So let's say you have a photograph of someone you want to draw. It can be difficult to not take in everything all at once and try to get it all "right" in the drawing.  So we learned that if you take the picture and turn it Upside Down... then your brain can't seem to 'take in' what the full overall picture is and it allows you to just draw what you see... line by line, area by area.

First I'll show you a picture Picasso drew, and in our 1st lesson, they passed out copies of this and asked up to turn it upside down and then try drawing it on a pad of paper.  No Tracing... just draw what you see.



The first one is the original, and the 2nd is someone's version of it upside down.
I intended to share MY version but I left it at home and I'm currently at a local coffee shop working.

However, I picked what I thought was a less intensive drawing for my group on the next day
Also a Picasso, I have here the Original, The Original turned upside down, and then my version which I painted before taking a picture (oops). 


 

She looks a bit stand-off-ish, but ... there she is...

The Pink Lady.



Monday, July 2, 2018

New "Fat Bomb" Recipe

For any of you who are following a KETO style eating plan, you have probably heard of "Fat Bombs". They are delicious little treats to help us get more good fats into our daily diet.

I looked everywhere for a coffee flavored recipe. Each one I found, there was something I didn't like about it. One added a cup of crushed pecans... I can't eat nuts. One took several hours to make.. good grief, most fat bombs are made in less than 10 minutes, and "set up" in about 30 min in the fridge.



So my husbands says, "Why don't you just create your own." Hmmmm GOOD idea!  So i did.

I have a recipe I like, so I started with that one and adapted it. Below is the final recipe, and some notes. Enjoy!  I sure did... they are so creamy, they melt in your mouth, you might want to keep them in the freezer, instead of the fridge.

Coffee Flavored Fat Bombs

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup almond butter
(melt these together in microwave 1 min)

Add to melted mixture:
2 Tbl baking cocoa powder
2 Tbl sweetener of your choice (I used coconut sugar)
1 capful of vanilla extract
Stir well until all dissolved.

On the side, combine:
2/3 cup hot tap water
2 heaping tablespoons Instant coffee

Once the coffee is completely dissolved, add liquid coffee to the other mixture. Stir well. It should be a thick liquid.
Pour into silicone mold or silicone mini cupcake mold.
My batch made 15.
Yummm.
ps - if you don't have almond butter, you can also make these with peanut butter. I just didnt want the peanut flavor taking over the coffee flavor, but it would be interesting.  Next time.

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Finding myself... and my art

I love early mornings, maybe Sunday mornings especially. No one is up except me... and the cat. Even the dog has gone back to sleep after being let out for a few brief moments. I grab a bottle of water and anticipate the cup of coffee I can have after I finish this bottle; that thought makes the water go down faster... meanwhile I stumble onto some article to read. There are millions of them out there, and where my cursor lands no one knows...  

This morning I read an account by a woman named Amy. It somehow popped up in an email and caught my eye with a title of "7 lessons I learned While Finding Myself". This intrigued me as I feel lately like I am rediscovering or re-finding MYself. So I read on... it was enlightening, and encouraging. So I will continue to rediscover myself and know that is a good & healthy thing to do (in case I had forgotten that).

While talking about finding myself, I have to include my artwork. That is the biggest step I have taken lately toward determining just who *I* am after all these years. After 35 years of being a Computer Geek (in all facets of that industry) and 13 years of being an Accounting geek, I finally had reached my limit of Left Brain activity, and acquiesced to the pleadings of my Right Brain to come out and play! I've stayed semi-active in arts and crafts over the years but never REALLY gave it the amount of time I'd like to... there was always that pesky job that got in the way. Well, it's time.

I have been painting now for over 2 years ... acrylics... watercolors... mixing the two, and adding "alcohol inks", "watercolor inks", pen, and markers; Basically any and all types of other fun things.  I have found, too, when you make art...you have to share it. You just HAVE to... otherwise, it's like seeing a sunrise and not having anyone sitting there to share it with...so... on to a website, and a Facebook page, and Instagram - all sharing with different people. Oh, there might be a few overlaps, that's ok too... but I have 'met' people that I would otherwise not have and for that I feel happy.

Yesterday I worked on rearranging my website in an attempt to organize the different styles of art I have been creating. I have noticed I like abstract and impressionism the most, so that is what I do. Feel free to take a peeks. You might have guessed the web address already:  
No, you don't have to put in the Capital letters, I just do that for readability. 

I try to create (or work on) something everyday... yesterday I hooked up a drawing tablet my husband gave me 2 years ago. It was a thoughtful gift on his part, but I wanted to create with Real Things... not the computer. I think I was trying to break away from the computer and that just didn't seem to fit my plan... so it sat in a drawer, .. until yesterday. It took most of the afternoon to find the drivers for it, get it going and then try to download the software that was supposed to come with it... but in the end I was able to make at least a graphic I was happy with.. It will likely be my July 4th Cover picture on Facebook this year.  Here's a peek:




I love the little bursts I learned to create! But I don't think I'll be creating "art" with this device, I guess it technically is digital art, but my preferred type of art still comes out of a tube and is applied with a brush.


Wednesday, June 20, 2018

What's in a Week?

Well, in the past week I survived my husband being out of town for the weekend, responded to an urgent call for taking over our Friday watercolor group for one week, enjoyed the 1st Farmer's Market of the season, attended a webinar for building my business on Instagram, and painted...a lot.

None of which are outstanding enough to expound on in a blog post, but yet here I am faced with the white empty page that expects to be filled with something clever, witty or at least helpful.

I think, instead, I will post pictures of what I have painted in the past week, it might be more interesting.

Thanks for Visiting!


Acrylic
9x12















Samsung phone case






His Eye is on the Sparrow
16x20



Acrylic
12x24



One Fish, Two Fish



Alcohol Inks on Ceramic Tiles
4x4


Acrylic Painted Deep Space
Ceramic Tile Coasters
4x4



Water Color study of
Ocean Waves
6x8
 Water Color study of
Cactus, 2nd attempt
6x8


Water Color study of
Cactus, 1st attempt
6x8

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Watercolor Techniques

Expect the unexpected ...

This is a little city scape I did to practice a few different techniques in watercolor. You have to be ok with it doing some unexpected things...

NEW Coconut Butter attempt!

Attempt #2 at making Coconut Butter

THIS time... I opened a bag of UNSweetened Coconut Flakes... dumped it in my Ninja Food Processor and let 'er rip... here we are at 3 minutes in. I only had 1 small bag and it isn't the recommended 6 cups... so we'll see.
 It's getting more toward creamy in 5 minutes!

It DID get runny and I put it in a jar, it would have probably been smoother if I had let it run a bit more but I needed to leave so it is at this stage and I put it in the refrigerator.


PS - this was a Salsa jar... so one Small bag makes this much.





A Good Day! and a PLAN

Sorry, this was from Yesterday... and I just saw it sitting in "Drafts" !!

Better late than never?

You know it's going to be a GOOD day when you wake up with NO back pain!  YAY!!! Even the rain won't get me down, at least I slept through the reported 'storm' of 4:30 this morning!  (More YAY!!) So this morning, I have the goal of setting up a schedule, a routine I suppose, of which days I will Instagram, and then Blog, and then there is Youtube, and my website and Etsy!... oh my!  How do you DO it all? I'm not sure but I'm going to try. Maybe I should just try it in that order!... Let's see:

Monday - Instagram  --- @ruth.inman (check it out) 
Tuesday - Youtube --- "Ruths Art"
Wednesday - Blog --- brushwithmanycolors.blogspot.com
Thursday - Website --- BrushWithManyColors.com
Friday - Etsy --- Ruths Art Gallery
OK that's a start!!  Now I have a brain flash, so I have to go PAINT!!!  (that needs to be in the routine too!!)



Hugs All,

Ruth

Coconut Butter

I have been following this Keto eating plan for a couple weeks (and losing weight) and learning new recipes all the time. Also learning that some of the ingredients for these recipes I don't normally have in my kitchen, AND then can be a little pricey in the store. So this morning I decided to make one of the ingredients at home ... Coconut Butter. It's very pricey in the store $9 or $10 for a jar but this recipe assures me I can make it at home for 1/3 of the cost. All I have to do is put some coconut flakes or shred in a food processor and blend until I can't hear anymore!  So here it is, and while I'm typing this I hope my phone doesn't ring as I won't be able to hear it. LOL

We are going on 10-12 minutes at this point, with a couple stops to scrape it down and once to add the 2 Tbl Coconut Oil. So far, it's Very very moist, but it is supposed to get creamy, then runny... still waiting.  I am pretty sure I can come back and update this with pictures, if and when it ever gets there!  Stay tuned!

...So we are 40 minutes in... and I'm hoping we aren't going to burn out the motor in my Ninja! The coconut is very hot and steamy but as you can see, it is NOT creamy nor runny...yet...
Well I think I found the problem....

"You don't need a recipe for coconut butter. ... The flakes often turn into a smootherbutter than shredded coconut does. Do not use desiccated, sweetened, reduced fat or fresh coconut. Tip #2: Both a food processor and a high-powdered blender (like a Vitamix) can make coconut butter..."

So apparently, this is all you will ever get out of sweetened coconut... 
but I have to think there is something i can make with this?? Its so yummy...

I'm starting a new batch, using UNsweetened coconut...
check the next post for the results!



Sorry Ninja... All that work for nothing!




Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Turkey Burgers!!

Turkey Burgers!!

A few days ago, I said to my Mom... " we should change our eating habits and try eating healthy"
She said, "Ok"
Me: "Really? Will you do that? CAN you do that?"
Mom: "Sure I can do that, I'll do it as long as you do."
Me: "OK!!! We'll put some menus together of things you think you'll like... I already have breakfast and lunch worked out for me. I have a mean turkey burger I like to make and then I have it every day for lunch!!"
Mom: "Oh, that sounds good!"
Me: "OK... I'll get you the ingredients so you can add to your shopping list then on TUESDAY when the kids are back in school, we can make the burgers together over Skype!"
Mom: "OK!"

So I texted the list of ingredients to Mom the next day when she told me she was going out shopping. It was getting closer. I was excited!

Yesterday she texted and asked "How much broccoli do I shred for this? I'm doing it now"
Me: "WHAT?!?! I thought we were doing it together Tuesday??"
Mom: "Well, I went shopping and had it all so I need to do it now."

Oh, well... when I got home that day I had the ingredients also so I threw my batch together and cooked my burgers, so I'll share that with you all here, and it's a good place to keep the "recipe" so that Mom can find it for her next batch! Also, she omitted the spices, ...the onions... and the garlic... so next time she makes it, she's in for a Flavor Treat!!! here goes... give it a try! 

INGREDIENTS

1 - lb ground turkey
1 stalk fresh broccoli
2 long carrots or about 10 mini carrots
1/2 small onion
3-4 cloves garlic
2 Tblsp. dried* Terragon
2 Tblsp. dried* Thyme
salt & pepper to taste


Put the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Use food processor or other tool to finely shred broccoli and carrots and onions and garlic. Add to mixing bowl. Then if you want to add grated mushrooms, you can but now add your seasonings. Mix Well.

Use ice cream scoop to portion out meat mixture and form into patties. Patties should be about the size of the palm of your hand. Flatten and put a small thumb depression in the middle on both sides; this prevents it puffing up into a ball. Cook in lightly sprayed skillet until JUST done and turn off heat.

 

When you are ready to eat one:

1. Take 1 burger from ziplock bag and put on small (microwavable) sandwich plate. Microwave for ONE minute, turn it over, (if your rolls are frozen, now is the time to add the roll to the plate) and  do ONE more minute.  (DO NOT assemble the burger inside the roll, it will just get soggy!)

2. If your rolls were NOT frozen, obviously you don't need to microwave them so just get your toppings ready... ketchup, mustard, whole grain mustard, avocado, etc...

3. When done, THEN you can assemble, and add condiments and Enjoy!!

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

February?? Really? What happened to January!?

Well I've heard the expression but I certainly hope it is Not true about "the road to hell being paved with good intentions"...because my January was Certainly paved with Good Intentions! 

I wanted to have designed and created Valentine cards by now! Ok so I'm here to tell you how this happens, at least for me... 

I open my laptop this morning intent on finding a You Tube video I wanted to finish watching from yesterday that will inspire me with tons of ideas for Valentine cards. On the way to the video, I start closing unnecessary tabs in my browser, that's when it happens.. I find a page that has unique cards on Etsy and I remember a friend who was looking for these, so I copy the URL and open my email to send it to her so i can close that tab! Oops once my email is open I see a few I can delete, but then this one tells me there are 20 lifestyle posts I "Must Read Today"... so I do... and of course that leads me to reading about the perfectly grilled steak, how to arrange a perfect kid's breakfast on Valentine's Day (ooh! I must send this link to my daughter!, so I do) now back to the email... my home can reach a "new level of clean" ?  Really... let's look at that! (and I do) and the phone rings... make an appointment for that person, and back to the email. I Must know what the Single Biggest Mistake I could make on my resume is, so I get lured into that one! Halfway thru it, the recruiter that wrote the article tells how she made up her own format of a resume that gives everything at a quick glance. Well! I just have to try adapting MY resume to that format, just for kicks, not job hunting. So I open Publisher and hunt up my resume and start formatting away.  WHAT???!!!

THIS is how my life goes. Does any of it sound familiar to you? (pleeeeez say Yes!) So, midway thru formatting my resume, I remember... I started a BLOG POST (yes, this one) that I need to get back to and there it hits me... I was going to make Valentine Cards! (I will pause here... to really go and try to find that video) . . .


Thursday, February 1, 2018

New Year Resolution?


Some people come up with resolutions each year of things they want to achieve, I on the other hand have had only one throughout the years... To NOT make a resolution!  And for the most part I have been able to KEEP that resolution.  Until Now. I saw a resolution that someone else listed and I liked it. I think we should be learning new things all the time thru our lives, and I think I do.. keep learning that is... but, just to be sure, I want to Learn SOMETHING NEW EACH MONTH!



That sounds reasonable, right?  In fact I like to think that I learn new things each week! This would just be a good way to make sure I know what it is!  I could log it here!! ... Only problem is, today is February 1st! So ... January just slipped away and I have to do some thinking about what I might have learned new "last month". 


WOW Where did January Go???



Well, I know one thing I learned yesterday (and that qualifies for January) and maybe I learned it long ago but it's one of those things we tend to forget.  

Don't expect too much for 'nothing'. 

Things don't have to cost a LOT to be valuable, but I do think that if we pay something we can expect to get more than if we paid nothing. So where is this going? 

I attended a one-hour online class ('learning experience' describes it better) yesterday. It was free. No, I'm not here to name bash, I won't even tell you her name, but the person was not a very good presenter, lost her place several times, didn't stay focused, I'm not sure we covered the number of points she said we would cover, and it ended in a sales pitch for her other classes (big surprise). My biggest complaint is that I did NOT come away with the knowledge she said we would learn.

My husband reminded me last nite, "Well, it was free, what did you expect?"  So, technically, if I adhere to his past advice, it wasn't REALLY free, it cost me an hour out of my TIME. That's an hour I can't get back and I could have done other things in. So I RE-Learned... don't expect TOO MUCH for Nothing.  :-)



Saturday, January 13, 2018

How Do Bloggers DO IT ???

Really? Everyday they have something new to say, share, show... HOW do they do it? Sure, I've had a lot of things happening this month I could have shared, but I have been B.U.S.Y. - ya know? I guess it's a matter of priorities, do it first thing in the morning (?) and then you're done!  Maybe I'll try that.

Ok so this month (December)... I had a Paint Party where we painted a snowman, that was fun! and they did a great job... here's the link to the gallery, see for yourself!

http://brushwithmanycolors.com/gallerythemes.htm

Heck I couldn't even get this post finished... I think I started it a couple weeks ago!  It's now the end of the month... where did it GO???


Happy New Year's everyone!!

ps--Found this in my Drafts... and didn't realize I hadn't published, so here it is, better late than never...?