A Couple of Bigger Pieces

With all the small pieces I have painted this year, I have missed working on more of the larger canvases. I have a stack of blank ones just waiting for my paint brush and can't wait to get going.

These here are a couple of larger paintings I recently completed. Both of them have already found new homes. Yeah!!

I loved painting the elephant - they always turn out rather playful for me. Incidentally, I sold my other big elephant painting just a couple of weeks ago as well. Must be the season for ellies!

The beautiful dog below belongs to our nephew and his wife. So much fun to paint! I love the colors. Actually both of those paintings use more muted colors than is "normal" for me.

Painting Sasha, the dog, has gotten me a few commissions, two of which I finished this week. I'll share them soon! Both were fun, fun, fun to do!

Last, but certainly not least, do you remember this koala painting from earlier this year? Well, it has now been published by Thames & Hudson Australia in a beautiful little book featuring 60 works by artists from around the world. Part of the proceeds benefit the Australian Koala Foundation.

Considering that eight years ago I had never done any art at all, this is almost unbelievable to me. It just goes to show that it's never too late to start something new! And how very important it can be to listen to that inner voice when it suggests you try something you never thought you could do!

Eight years ago, I would have assured you that I had no talent for painting at all! None! And now I get to have this life of color and paint. I am beyond grateful that I didn't ignore the nudge!

How are you faring this week? So close to Christmas (if you celebrate)? Do you enjoy the spirit of the season or do you feel pulled in a million different directions?

No matter what, I send you love and joy and peace!

❧ Silke
P.S. I'm linking again to Paint Party Friday, where I hope to visit more frequently this week! It is such a source of inspiration!! Go visit! 

Yarn Along - More Socks

I've not been knitting as much as I'd like, but I did manage to finish the socks I had previously shown you. They turned beautifully. I really liked the KnitPicks hand painted sock yarn. And the name of the colorway, "Wicked Witch" was very appropriate for the season, dont' you think?

I've started another pair of socks (I'm destashing all of my horded sock yarn) with Rowan fine art hand painted sock yarn in various shades of blue. Very pretty!

Now for the "what am I reading" part of Ginny's Yarn Along, I'm still on the Skandinavian mystery kick. Daniel had read a few books by Håkan Nesser and really liked them, so I'm on the first one in the Inspector Van Veeteren series. So far it's really good! 

If you are a knitter and/or a reader, head on over to Ginny's blog for some great inspiration!

❧ Silke

Something New

For a very long time I have wanted to participate in Ginny's Wednesday Yarn Along where everyone shares what they are knitting and reading at the time.

For some reason I've been putting it off. My blog used to be about everything creative I was doing, which included knitting, sewing, crocheting, cooking or baking. Or travel. Or what I was reading. Or whatever else delighted me.

Lately it has become pretty much only about my art and while there is nothing wrong with that, I miss documenting all the other parts of my creative life. So, here's some knitting for you. I have had this beautiful sock yarn in my stash for a few years and it just begged to be turned into socks. The Pattern is the Misti Alpaca Sock Family, which is a basic sock and quite simple to follow.

The yarn is so soft and a joy to knit with. And those colors! They remind me of the colors I use in a lot of my paintings. This is going to be a pair for Daniel for when it finally cools down. Right now, it still feels like a hot and humid summer, but I have high hopes for some fall temperatures in October.

And what am I reading? I'm on the fifth of the Harry Hole series, an excellent Norwegian crime series. Because we first discovered them on a trip to Germany, we are reading the entire series in German. I find that during the long and hot southern summers, I read a lot of books that take place in Scandinavia, the British Isles or Iceland. It allows me to cool down ... at least in my mind.

Tomorrow, I'll be back with a recipe for pretzel buns (Laugenbrötchen) and on Friday I'll have some art to show you!

Have a beautiful Wednesday and I hope you'll enjoy whatever it is you have planned.

❧ Silke

Inspiration, Synchronicity and Stephanie Plum

So. Inspiration. A good topic. And an interesting topic for me. I get a lot of inspiration from the usual things: being out in nature, art, playing with our pets, reading inspirational books, listening to mediations, good music, etc.

Keeping Watch (Detail)
Acrylics on 12 x 12 in. canvas

However, when push comes to shove and I really need an energy and mood booster, I turn to Stephanie Plum. Yes, I admit it! Who is she you ask? Well, she's the bounty hunter heroine of a series of 21 (so far) books by Janet Evanovich.

I should say though that I don't read the books, I listen to the audio versions and after all of these years, the characters are like old friends to me. Last week, I started over with the first one! For probably the third or fourth time. They have seen me through tough days, two moves across country, many flights, car rides and are my constant companion when I clean house.

I often wonder why they are such an important part of my life. There's not much that's deep about these books, they are just pure fun and suspense. They make me laugh out loud. A lot! Some of the characters (like the unstoppable Grandma Mazur, my favorite character next to Stephanie's colorful sidekick Lula) approach life with a zest that I find incredibly inspiring and enviable: with excitement and anticipation, never worried, fearful or feeling the need to conform.

Keeping Watch 
Acrylics on 12 x 12 in. canvas
Available in my Etsy Shop

So here's where the synchronicity part comes in. Last week, the day after I started listening to the first one again, Daniel told me that Janet Evanovich was going to be the opening speaker at this year's Savannah Book Festival!!!! Yes!! I immediately checked online, got tickets and we are going to go see her in a couple of weeks. Pinch me, I still can't believe it!

Painting in Progress! 

I tell you, I've shaken hands with the Prince of Wales before and was not as nervous as I will be at this event. I'm so grateful to her and for books like that (and I have a few series that I hold almost as dear) - the ones that are light and fun and entertaining. There's a time for serious literature, but mostly in my life anymore I want to laugh and feel uplifted. Because it's from this uplifted and light place that I feel most inspired to make my art.

And another painting in progress!

And with that, dear friends, I'm going to put on my headphones and Stephanie and I are going to go paint for a little while...

❧ Silke
P.S. They made the first book into a movie, which was ok. But the books are way better!!

Feeling Inspired...

I find that this summer I am steeped in art and I am loving it! Yesterday, Daniel and I went to the library and I came home with a stack of art books and then added a few from our own fairly big collection that I am going to look at. 

At the moment I find that I am inspired by almost everything. Most of all I am learning to savor this time and enjoy the moments. It makes me realize how hectic our lives can be. There's a different quality to a slower life. And this summer that's what I am enjoying. Drawing class is certainly helping me with this. Soon I'll have more to show you of my drawings...

I also started reading The Help, mostly because I wanted to read the book before the movie comes out this summer. Have you ever read a book that is way better that you had thought? This book is like that for me. I read until 1:30 in the morning last night. It is so interesting, especially living in the deep south. Have any of you read it?

Now I am off to school to work on my still life for a few hours. I hope you are all having a most relaxed and fun weekend!!

Armchair Traveling

This summer I have made sure I take time to read as my stack of "books to read" has reached dangerous proportions... And while I was reading, I realized how much I enjoy books that have a good story line, that are somewhat suspenseful and that take me to a different time or a different place of both. All of these books have done that.

1. The Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson (this book being the last of them), you can't put down if you like them (Daniel is sitting next to me as I write this engrossed in the second one). They are incredibly well written and suspenseful, all set in Sweden, a country I have always wanted to visit. I am sorry the author passed away so young and before finishing the fourth book in the series.

2. The Pale Horseman is book two of The Saxon Tales by Bernard Cornwell, set in England in the 9th century at a time when the Danes were invading. It is such a great story told from both sides, based entirely on the history of the time, but with lots of battle and bloodshed, so if you are sensitive to that, these books are not for you. I'm looking forward to reading the next one in the series!

3. I have to say that The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet was one of the most beautifully written book I have read in a long time. I am a very fast reader, both in English and in German, but this book I savored. I read and reread passages because the language was simply exquisite. Add to that an engaging story line set in a Dutch trading post in Japan around the year 1800, and I know I will read this book again sometime!

4. One of my good friends here lent me Tuareg - the German version. It was a very engaging story and a pretty fast read. It told about the "Tuareg, the true sons of the desert. They can survive in the harshest of conditions like nobody else. The noble inmouchar Gacel Sayah, is the master of a large extension of the desert. One day, two fugitives arrive from the north and Gacel, following his ancient and sacred hospitality laws, gives them shelter. However, Gacel doesn't realise that his act of kindness will lead him towards a deadly adventure." (quote from Amazon.com) It was one of those books I wish I could read in the author's native language and not a translated version - a worthwhile trip into the Saharan Desert.

5. From the Sahara back up to northern Europe where the weather is often much colder. I've read several books by Ian Rankin in the Detective Rebus series, all mysteries set in modern Scotland, another country I'd like to visit sometime. His mysteries are always a little complicated, several plots going on at the same time and often coming together at the end. Rebus is a complex character and often (not to say always) gets himself into trouble. To me these are thoroughly enjoyable! This one took me all the way out onto oil rigs in the wild North Sea!

6. And here's the book I am reading now, a German translation of Arnaldur Indriðason's Sons of Dust. Every time I visit my family in Germany, I pick up a stack of books to add to our library here so that we always have something to read in German. I've read one other by the author, but this is his first in the Detective Erlandur series, all of them set in Island, - you guessed it - another country I'd like to visit some day...

With both of us reading so many books set in northern Europe, we are in planning mode for the next summers and some traveling to those places we haven't yet visited. I can't believe that I grew up in northern Germany and have never been to Scandinavia, except one wonderful vacation on Bornholm, a Danish island, when I was five. Usually on vacations growing up my family went south to where the beaches were warm and sunshine was a little more guaranteed...

So much for my armchair travels so far this summer.  Let me know if you've read any books lately you have really enjoyed. Even though our stack of unread books is really tall, we keep an ongoing list of books that were recommended to us, just in case we spy one in a second hand bookstore or at the library book sales...

Happy reading!!

A Nesting Day

We've been having a lot of weather changes lately, low pressure systems coming through and moving up north. And on those days like yesterday, when the pressure is changing rapidly, I feel a little "under the weather." 

Nothing serious, but I just feel like I never get going properly. So, I find that on those days I tend to do a lot of quiet nesting. I read, I knit, I cook and I bake. And so I did yesterday! I made a batch of these most yummy oatmeal dinner rolls. Remember them? Click here for the recipe. I find making yeast dough amazingly soothing, both the kneading of it and the slowness of the process. Plus, nothing can beat the smell of these rolls baking!

While the dough was rising, I made some progress on this sweater I am knitting for Daniel.

When I first started, it took me forever to knit a couple of rows, because the pattern is somewhat complicated. I'd knit three rows and undo two of them - you get the idea. But at some point, it all started to make sense and now it goes much faster. Don't you just love that celtic knot pattern?

While I was knitting I watched a Miss Marple mystery I had gotten at our public library earlier in the morning. I've seen them all, but somehow I just love British mysteries, especially those set in the country side. The scenery is so pretty, the gardens so beautiful and even in a murder mystery everything seems orderly and civilized...

At the library I also got a copy of this sewing book and am totally in love with the pictures in it. I want to make one of everything!! If you want to have a peak inside, click here and you can do so at Amazon. I can't wait to get started with one of the easier projects.

And then, the make the nesting day complete, I made soup! There's nothing that's better to me than hot soup on a cold and windy day, and yesterday morning I got totally inspired by Juliette Crane's blog post on the Roasted Squash and Apple soup by Andrew Weil. I hadn't made it in ages and so dinner was decided right then!

Doesn't this look delicious?! I even found the recipe online, so if you click here you can make it, too!

There you have it! My nesting day. What are some of the things you do when you have a day like this?

Pretty things...

I always have many books, magazines and yarn laying around in various places. When I looked at the coffee table last night, I was struck by how everything sort of matched in terms of the colors.

They were so pretty! All muted and soothing. And then I noticed something else. All of those items to me are evidence for a strong pull toward a slow life with simple joys, things to be savored and enjoyed.

Sometimes I am not even aware of what I am yearning for at the moment until I take a cue from what I'm collecting around me. Does that ever happen to you?

Book Festival and Books!

The Savannah Children's Book Festival was great fun for us on Saturday. The weather was PERFECT!!

We had Daniel's books to offer, prints of some of his illustrations and my bookmarks, and we sold quite a bit! They only provide the authors/illustrators with a fairly small 3 foot round table, but we made it work.

I brought my knitting and the camera for those times when we had a lull, except there were none! We were busy and talking to people from about 9:30 when we were all set up until 4 p.m. It was so much fun!! Plus, we got to see several old friends and meet a few new ones.

Daniel said that while I was standing in the looooong line to the bathrooms, a couple of girls came by to look through my bookmarks (they were very popular with little girls!) and inquired if I had one that said BFF (Best Friends Forever) and suggested that he tell me I need to make one like that. Made me laugh!

We completely sold out of one of Daniel's book, but have a few left over of the others and I thought I'd show them to you. If you'd like to buy an autographed or dedicated copy, e-mail me (powers-studio.silke@comcast.net) and we can work out the details.

 

Jiro's Pearl has always been my very favorite of Daniel's books. This story and the book all evolved from a dream Daniel had one night that left him with the image of a little Japanese boy walking through a forest. The story is wonderful and the images are exquisite, even if I say so myself! To find out more, visit Daniel's website here.

 

Take the Lead, George Washington is a beautiful and fairly long chapter/picture book for either advanced younger readers or reluctant older readers. It's about George Washington's childhood until he becomes a surveyor at the age of 15. The writing by Judith St. George is riveting and Daniel's illustrations are fantastic!! For more info and images from the book, click here! 

Henrietta is a fun, silly book that really popular with younger kids as the text is in rhymed verse. It's a story about Henrietta, and ostrich mama who likes to bury her head in the sand when things get dicey (can't we all relate?!?). For more on this book, click here!

From the Land of the White Birch is my other favorite book of Daniel's, but this one we sold out of last Saturday - completely. It is out of print, all hardbound and paperback copies of the book have been sold, and all the art from the book is either in private or museum collections. Daniel drew the black and white illustrations in charcoal on coquille board - they were stunningly exquisite! You can click here to see more images from the book!

So, if you would like to purchase an autographed or dedicated copy of one of the first three books, e-mail me (powers-studio.silke@comcast.net) and we'll go from there.

I've been super busy running errands all day! Tomorrow, I'll show you some of the prints we sold at the festival - so beautiful!! Then, I have knitting to show, more artwork, recipes to share and nature photos to post - I need more hours in the day!!

I hope your Monday is a great one!!

Show & Tell

1. I don't know why I am suddenly into lists, but I guess that's what I do in my mind when I am trying to keep all my different projects straight.

2. Daniel is almost all better with his knee and is back on track with his blog. He wrote quite the story and added one of his amazing drawings. Click here to check it out and then come back here...

3. Daniel's sister, Patti, has also recently gone public with her very inspiring blog. Simply click here and visit (but come back)!

4. Speaking of blogs, I am starting to really enjoy many more German blogs (written in German) and have made a separate blog list for them on my left side bar. Go check them out! And if there are some you think I need to add, let me know (the same goes for the blogs written in English).

5. I bought some sock yarn the other day and am knitting a scarf with it:

6. On our recent road trip, I read this book and loved it.

Especially since it was set in southern Appalachia and I learned much about the region, in which we were traveling. Plus, it's a great story and so well written!

7. A nice harvest of shallots from our garden. So good!

8. This weekend I finished another painting and will show it to you tomorrow! I have to tweak just one little thing...

Happy Monday, everyone!!

Loving right now...

1. Our aging hydrangeas.

2. Our blueberry bushes actually gifting us with a few blueberries in their first year.
3. Our fig tree growing enough figs this year for us AND the birds.

4. Still loving reading it - can't believe it took me so long!

5. I'm really loving some new German blogs!

Do you remember my good friend Verena? I wrote about her here.

Well, she has a really fun and interesting blog, Gerlindes Blog, about life with her girls (click here to visit). AND ... she's gotten several of her friends to start blogging as well.

So, my German-speaking friends, make sure you visit them.

They are:

Carmen's Stilgeflüster - an inspiring blog about fashion and style and how to find your own. It's and area where I can use some help and visits to Carmen's blog are always informative and inspiring!

Elisabeths Welt - a new and very active blog about the life and thoughts of two sisters in Germany!

Besonders Gewöhnlich - an endearing blog by another Elisabeth about life with her family. The really fun part is that some of her posts are written by her children! Just wonderful!!

This is connecting me back into life in Germany in a way that's different from being connected with my family. I love it!! Go visit them!

6. Yesterday we finally (what took us so long?!?) watched It's Complicated and it made us both laugh out loud. Meryl Streep is one amazing actress! Click here for the movie trailer.

7. Still loving:

Click here for the trailer. I love everything about this show - the beautiful people, country side, sense of humor, colors, their accents - just wonderful! (By the way, we are watching the DVD's of the show from Netflix, since we don't have cable TV. We are still on season 1!)

8. Ramses teaching me how to properly enjoy life.

9. All of your visits and sweet comments! How did I get to be so lucky?!?

A New Book

Some time ago I had gotten this fun book not realizing at the time that it was all about Golden acrylic paints, gel mediums and pastes, which I love to use! I've been reading in it and am learning so much. So, now that I'm finding a little time again, I've started to play a little with some products I hadn't used before.

In this little 4 x 6 painting, I used blue interference color, which doesn't show up really well in the scan. It's so interesting to work with. If you paint with it on white, it just looks like milky white paint. But when you paint with it on black, it turns iridescent blue. A little bit magical...

Wishing you all a most wonderful Easter weekend!!