Wordless Wednesday - Summer!

Wordless Wednesday

❧ Silke

A Surprising Direction

You know all that playing and experimenting I have done lately with abstract layering and acrylic inks? Well, I had a feeling something was percolating beneath the surface and it was.

First was the pig (click here if you missed it), which I shipped off to Norway yesterday and now it's cows that are making their appearance. Beautiful cows with their gentle eyes.

For the very first time since I started painting in 2009, I feel like I've found my very own voice. My very own style. And the subject matter is so dear to my heart.

Growing up I spent several summers working on farms, both small and big.  One of them had about 15 dairy cows and I loved them. I learned to milk them by hand and by machine, I drank their milk (the best I ever tasted), I learned how to herd them out to pasture and bring them back in and I helped with the birth of one of the calves one night. I named all of the cows and talked to them and scratched their heads every day.

But what I loved most of all where their intelligent and gentle eyes. Beautiful animals!!

Cows
30 x 30 inch acrylic on canvas

In my Etsy Shop.

I love this big painting! A lot!!

And the next painting is already in the works... Wishing you a beautiful and creative Tuesday!

With lots of love and gratitude,

❧ Silke

Wordless Wednesday - After the Rain

Linking to:

Wordless Wednesday

❧ Silke

Why I Love the Internet!

One of the many reasons why I love the internet with it's wealth of information at my fingertips is ... food! Finding recipes in a matter of minutes - it has enriched my cooking in so many ways.

Yesterday, I entered "cucumber, red pepper, radish recipes" and up came this amazing bulgur salad that I made last night. I was lucky in that I had every other ingredient on hand and it was delicious! Perfect for using up leftover produce. And I'm sure you can use whatever fresh veggies you think would sound good with it. Definitely a keeper recipe.

I also had a pint of grape tomatoes that needed to be used, so I tossed them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. I tossed them with some chopped basil (my absolute favorite fresh herb, followed closely by fresh sage) when they were done. Add to that crusty bread and a few good black olives and you have a healthy and delicious  summer dinner.

All thanks to others so generously posting their recipe creations online!

Bon appétit!

❧ Silke

Coral Bean

Daniel started this gorgeous Coral Bean (erythrina herbacea) from a seed he took of one of the wild ones on the side of the road. It seems that they are native here in the Southeast.

This is the third or fourth year it has bloomed and it really looks spectacular. We were hoping it would develop a few beans so we could have some more seeds, but it hasn't so far.

Linking to:

I Heart Macro

Macro Monday 2

Today's Flowers

Reconnect with Nature

❧ Silke