Finel bowls

Collage, pen and ink



Small Finel enamel bowl

This  small yellow bowl was made in Finland in the mid 1960's.  The company is Finel which was a sister company to Arabia if you know that brand which made beautiful ceramics as well as other things.  My lovely friend Sarah gave me a big white bowl with mushrooms printed along the edge which also made by Finel.  These metal bowls are actually enamelled copper and the designs are distinctly Scandinavian.
These drawings are based on the Finel bowl and are some of the work done this week.




Pencil drawing

Pencil drawing

Black wax pencil and collage

 



Pencil drawing

Tom Thomson

Northern River Marsh



Tom Thomson 1877-1917

Recently someone asked me where I was from in Canada.  When I replied I was from northern Ontario he asked if that was any where near the "wilderness" of Canada.  It hit me that actually I was from "the wilderness" of Canada- that wild landscape of Precambrian shield, shaped by glaciers, of lakes, forests, rocks and hills.  It is a place where the landscape and the climate really effect our lives.
One of the first Canadian artists to portray this rugged landscape, as it really existed, was Tom Thomson.  He grew up in Ontario and loved the lifestyle of hunting, fishing and camping.  Thomson spent months on end alone in the bush painting the sky, swamps, the pines in all seasons and time of day.  It was a new way of seeing the place in the early 1900s and it still looks quite modern today. 
He died young in a drowning accident but his work has lived on and loved by many especially those who know northern Ontario.



Cedars and Pines



The Jack Pine

Roasted Eggplant

Gouache on map of Eggplant slices

 I roasted slices of eggplant and enjoyed seeing the curls and hooks that show up when the slices are roasted.  The marks reminded me of shorthand, that old method of quickly recording someone's dictation. In high school some girls took classes in Pittman shorthand and it was fascinating to see those squiggles that unbelievably meant something.

 

 

 

 

Nature does give us some nice designs.  I have scanned the baked eggplant slices here because I like the hooks and curls that show up when the cross section seed area is browned.  I laid them on some washed cellophane and scanned the actual slices in the image above.

Bjorn Wiinblad?

pen and ink on a topography map



Rooster vase from ?1970's, ink drawn with stick on map

I think these ceramic pieces by Rosenthal, studio linie (yes, that's what it says), Germany must be painted by Bjorn Wiinblad, although they are not signed.  The colour and design are very like the pretty girls that are on his other pieces.  If anyone knows otherwise I am happy to be stand corrected.
I have found 2 pieces with the Rooster design, one cylinder vase and another vase, which is a lozenge shape.  I bought both of them at Rozelle Markets and felt lucky to find them.

Part of my Wiinblad collection

More self portraits

I have continued to work on portraits this week.  Here are a couple of quick videos, they are only a few seconds long.

David Hockney and portraits

 


this is one of my drawings-Aug 2013

David Hockney is a British artist who often creates portraits in order to explore other ideas in art.  He doesn't usually accept commissions but draws and paints his friends, his relatives and his dogs.  His mother was drawn again and again.   Hockney's portraits are often a frontal view and  usually not flattering.
Hockney says "Faces are the most interesting thing we see; other people fascinate me and the most interesting aspect of other people-the point where we go inside them-is the face.  It tells all"



Self Portrait by David Hockney 2003

                                                  

Henry 1988 by David Hockney

Self Portrait by David Hockney

Artist's mother by David Hockney

Baked Passionfruit and Ricotta Cheesecake

Since returning from Canada it has been hard to return to the blog business.  A few things have happened to take up my time like trying to get my hacked email back (not happening) and sort out my car who someone backed into.  Anyway.... today I was invited to a party in Darling Point with views overlooking a huge chunk of harbour, absolutely amazing.  I made some mini passionfruit cheesecakes to take.  I didn't have time to do any drawings before having to zip over there but here are some photos and the recipe.  Quite a good recipe because there's not a great deal of sugar in it and lots of protein.





Baked Passionfruit and Ricotta Cheesecake
200 g digestive biscuits
1/2 c almond meal
125 g butter, melted and cooled
4 eggs
1/2 c sugar
500 g ricotta
300 g cream cheese (I used one pack only and it was 250 g)
grated zest and juice of one lime
1/3 c plain flour

Passionfruit syrup
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c passionfruit pulp
juice of one lime

For the passionfruit syrup, combine the sugar, passionfruit and 1/2 c water in a small saucepan.  Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10-15 min until thick and syrupy.  Remove from heat and add the lime juice, set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180 C.  Lightly grease and line a 23 cm spring form pan with baking paper.  I did the same with 21 muffin thingos.  Put the digestives in a bag and bash with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs.  Tip into a bowl with the almond meal and butter and mix well.
Press the mixture firmly in the base of the prepared tin and bake for 10 min (less if you are using the muffin tins) Remove and let cool.  Reduce oven to 160 C
To make filling, beat eggs and sugar until sugar dissolves.  Add the ricotta, cream cheese, lime zest and juice, flour and 4 tbsp. of the passionfruit syrup.  Beat until well combined. Pour the filling over the base or bases.  Bake for 45 min for the large cake or 20 min if it is the little ones.
Switch off the oven, open the door a little and leave the cheesecake to cool completely.  Spoon the remaining passionfruit syrup over the top before serving.