Good News for Marian,Thoughts about process, My discipline for Lent,Blackberry Pie

I received good news from my friend Marian Fortunati which I will share for her.

"Two of my paintings were juried in to the 2008 Open Juried Show which will be held at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery.
I always feel a thrill when any of my paintings are juried in and I wanted you to know. The show was open to all interested artists in Southern California. I mailed postcards to people who live in the area. The reception will be this coming Sunday if anyone would like to join in.

Additionally, in case you don't already know, I blog. I posted a blog about a painting I just finished about which I'd love to hear some feedback. If you have a moment, click on this link to read the blog and click on the comment button to add your two cents." HERE


It's always nice to share triumphs for other artists.


I had a great conversation about painting careers yesterday with another painter. She is an emerging artist, out of art school for about three years. She is a terrific person and good painter. I hope she won't mind if I share her name and web site. Aliye Cullu We talked about the importance of continuing education for artists. It's wonderful to be studious and to work consistently, but you have to have some fun in the studio too. I believe that the fun stuff I do, like watercolors, even though they may be terrible, and cartooning, helps me to lighten up a bit and to make new discoveries, improving my technique. Playing in the studio also refreshes me, clearing my mind of the serious effort I must do in order to learn painting. I told her that I think we must be life long learners in order to be the best we can be as artists. So many young painters think that art school graduation ends their need for study. In fact, art school is just the beginning of one's education.

We also talked about the value of mentorship for emerging painters. We are blessed in Alachua/Marion counties with a huge number of very fine landscape painters. If you want good landscape painting, come to north central Florida. Other good landscape painter spots in Florida include the Orlando,Jacksonville and Tampa Bay areas. I avoid South Florida like the plague, so I can't speak for that part of the state.


When you are a young landscape painter,living in an area where landscape painting is valued, it is smart to go in search of these local and regional painters who have been successful, and study a bit with them. You will learn many things.

Lent begins today. Each year I try to think of a good discipline for myself which will honor God and will help another person. I'm not one of those who thinks giving up chocolate is much of a sacrifice. This year I will send 40 original miniature landscape paintings to people on my mailing list. One per day. I hope it brightens their day.


Here is the next stage of the river:




Today's Recipe:

This is an old Southern favorite made by many generations including my Mother. Some folks call it a cobbler but she calls it Deep Dish Pie. When we were kids we used to go out with a bucket to pick berries if we wanted a pie. In those days blackberries grew everywhere here in north Florida. Every roadway was lined on both sides with bushes thick with berries. The only danger was a rattlesnake or two under the berry bushes but we always watched for them. Gainesville was a very small town in those days and kids were allowed to roam freely in neighborhoods. Everyone knew each other. No one ever locked cars or homes. We could go in and out of most neighbor's houses. There were gangs of happy kids full of mischief and fun. I really miss the sense of community we had then and I think I have been replacing it with my artists community perhaps. I had not ever thought of that until now.

Blackberry Cobbler (Deep Dish Pie)
3 cups self-rising flour
3/4 to 1 cup shortening
1 cup milk
6 cups of fresh or drained canned blackberries (save liquid from canned berries)
4 cups sugar
3/4-1 cup of boiling water, if desired (use water from canned berries, if any. Added liquid should not be needed)
8 oz melted butter

Cut shortening into flour, and add milk to make dough. Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Roll out each part to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut one part into about 1 inch squares.
Dissolve the sugar in the hot water. Stir in the berries, margarine, and dough squares. Pour into a deep oven dish, and cover the mixture with the remaining dough. Bake in a pre-heated oven (350 degrees) until the crust is golden brown (1 to 1 and a half hours). Dot the top crust with butter, and sprinkle lightly with sugar flaovred with a bit of cinnamon before baking.