Oliver Jeffers

Jeff Hamada of Booooooom reminds us of an enchanting clip on one of my (and it seems everyone's) favorite illustrators, Oliver Jeffers. It's a delightful piece, but I found an even more wonderful gift from something I had read about Jeffers a few years back. He moved from Ireland to Brooklyn, and in the piece he said that, "As far as becoming an illustrator is concerned, I made the decision out of college that I believed that I was good enough, and I went for it." He made the decision that he was good enough and he went for it. I read that and felt like I was struck by a bolt of lightening. Can you imagine if we applied those words to whatever it is we wanted in life? Let's all try it. Oh, and there's one more golden nugget from Jeffers that all artists need to remember as well. "If you really believe you are good enough, then you shouldn’t care what anyone else thinks about your work." That's right.

Oliver Jeffers Author Film 2013 from Oliver Jeffers on Vimeo.

Listen to Me, Pie Lady

I'm thinking I'm going to start another blog that's only about pie called listentomepielady.blogspot.com.  I'm going to put the first post here on livedrawpaint, but I think I'm just put the finished pie product and if you want to troll over to the other blog for details, well by golly, that would be peachy-keen. (-;

So, here ya' go:

First pie of the year.  I meant to start this blog in January, but it just didn't work out that way.

I had my heart set on calling this blog Pie on Sunday, but that name is already taken.  Sooooooooo, we'll go with "Listen to me, Pie Lady."  The inversion of that quote is used in the sweet film, "Waitress" where Old Joe says to our heroine, Jenna, "Pie Lady, listen to me."  It's a moment of great importance:  A man at the end of his life of missed chances trying to open the eyes of a young person and redirect her from his path of regret.  It's a warning of the utmost importance.

I can't find a clip of YouTube of that great exchangeb(about at 1 hr, 21 minutes into the movie), but here's the movie trailer.  You can get a tiny piece of it around 2:04.

O.K., so here's Egg and Grog Pie from "The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book" by Emily and Melissa Elsen out of Brooklyn, NY by way of North Dakota.  This is the first book I will start with on my pie sojourn.  I'm not really much of a "cake" girl, by pie and pastry, have always been my loves.  And if you have gluten problems, don't let it stop you from having these delicious items.  Substitutions are everywhere!

Please, please try to use freshly grated nutmeg.  The fragrant difference and taste is overwhelming!

I like to use "baker's sugar" when baking...it blends so much more easily.

My poor box of Maldon sea salt has seen better days!

Flaky goodness!  I grind it up between my fingers before adding.

Vanilla bean paste-so delicious.  It doesn't thin the batter, but rather adds viscosity to it.

See all those vanilla bean flecks?  Heady!

The gingersnap crust starting to come together.

Oh, yes.  Heavy whipping cream, and 3 eggs, and...

I kid you not.  This black spiced rum was in my cabinet way before I turned to this recipe.  But, when I did, this same bottom is pictured in the book!  AMAZING!  I will admit, I was captivated by the label first--I love octopi--but, man on man, this stuff is so delicious.  I like it better than any other rum I've tried.  This little addition add the "grog" part to the pie.

 Look--even the lid is super fabulous!

Eggnoggy-like filling is ready to go...

The finished result.  You're supposed to let it cool 2-3 hours.  I made 30 minutes.  Within 6 minutes, my husband and I had eaten 1/2 of the custardy pie.  Listen, Kman HATES pie and he loved this.  So del-ee-ish-us. (-;

With a forkful gone...

Day 303. She Felt A Sneeze Come Over Her

Sitting in a cafe, Margaret was thinking she looked cute in her hand-knit cap and fingerless gloves.  She actually even caught the eye of a guy in the corner with a plaid shirt and black Buddy Holly glasses.  That was until, she felt a sneeze come over her faster than she could act.  Hands full of knitting needles and a ball of yarn, she just had to let the innards of her nose fly!  She felt simultaneously humiliated and resigned as she watched her Brooklyn hipster lower his head over his magazine.  Well, what could she do?  Back to knit-one, pearl-two.

Day 288. Yearnin' for a Katz's Reuben (with Al Green) (SOLD)

Yearnin' for a Katz's Reuben

Since this dude is sportin' a Brooklyn retro-vibe, my playlist went retro.

1) Al Green.

Here's the ne plus ultra (ultimate) version of "Tired of Being Alone."  SOUL SCHOOL--sign me up! 

Just look at those shoes, those powder-blue polyester pants and that matching vest. 

Listen to those unmatchable vocals! 

He's one cool, soul-singing man.

2)  Staple Singers - "I'll Take You There" -
Ah, memories - dancing to this after shots of tequila and beer chasers (never to be repeated).  Well it was just one tequila and one beer chaser.  I'm not that crazy! 

3) One of my favorite 45's ever--Gwen McCrae's "Rockin' Chair."  Pure happiness! (-:

P.S.  This painting, after I initially smeared paint on it with my fingers, looked like a woman's breast with a nippity nip.  It actually was quite beautiful, and I was going to call it, "Lifegiver" or "La Leche Para El Mundo" (Milk for the World/World's Milk), but I figured I'd get all sorts of flack from Facebook, so off for a reuben sandwich it became.  One of these days when I get an official website done, I'll put a section of erotica.  Which really probably won't be erotic, but you know how some people are:  beautiful human body pieces equals a "you-are-a-freak" sentiment. 

Day 138. Goodbye, My Dearest Flip Phone

About a month ago, I was making pasta for the man.  My pots were in the dishwasher so instead I used a deep Calphalon braising pan to boil the water.  As I was carrying the water-filled pan from the sink to the stove, I was simultaneously talking to my mom on my cell phone.  And just as you see a glass falling or yourself tripping in slow motion, my cell phone slipped from where it was perched underneath my chin pressed to my shoulder.  You see, I was using both my hands to carry that heavy pan!  I watched as it slid, slid, slid slowly down my arm into its watery death.  I could still feel the ghost of it's weight under my chin, yet my eyes saw--there it was, looking like an underwater turtle with a snorkeling tube of an antenna.

I did manage to shake myself out of disbelief, grab it, and resuscitate it.  However, it was never the same.  It had already been moving into the land of feebleness.  I knew I had to make the switch to a smartphone.  I had even recently been at an art show in February and another artist said to me aghast, "Are you still using a FLIP phone?  I saw you pull out an ANTENNA.  I can't believe it!"  I mean, I felt like I was holding a Thomas Edison relic in my paws.

Listen, I was the same way with my bag phone.  I know about 2% of the population remember those, but until it was stolen out of my car, it was suiting me just fine.

O.K., so after a month of my phone flashing "car kit connected, car kit disconnected" and constantly dying on me, my husband and I FINALLY made the leap to the 21st century.  It seems there are quite a few dazzling things I can do with this new phone...if only I knew how to do them.  Oh little flip phone, how I miss your ease, your simplicity, your inability to make me frustrated when I just want to dial a stored phone number!

Here's a re-enactment of the ultimately deadly event, followed by an appearance by Mr. Flip on my counter as I was finishing up work on my 2011 Brooklyn Sketchbook Project, "Coffee and Cigarettes."  (P.S. Cigs are props only--you'll find me puffing on an inhaler!)

Day 9. "Dating, Portlandia Style, Part I" $25

I am obsessed with the IFC show, "Portlandia."  It is hilarious, weird, crazy, true, cutting-edge, and all-around fabulous.  I don't know about you, but I spent my rockin' New Year's Eve watching a Portlandia marathon.  Later, through bleary-eyes, I realized it went on to replay during normal viewing hours, but what's the fun in that?  I'd seen most of them, of was able to catch up on the handful I had missed.

I crack up everytime I hear Carrie say, "Most people from Portland are just from Brooklyn" or "Put a bird on it."  Fred says, "Portland is a city where young people go to retire."  Wish I were there!

In Season 2, Episode 1, Carrie (Brownstein-WA band, Sleater-Kinney) and Fred (Armisen-drummer, Blue Man's Group) are at a bar where Carrie spots the bartender.  But he's not just a bartender, he is a bartender extraordinaire--in other words, a mixologist!  She thinks she recognizes him as as someone she used to go to camp with when they were younger.  No matter.  The flirt is on!!  And in Portland style, the way to continue the flirt--"to keep the momentum going" is to return that delicious mixed drink with a mixed tap.  Ah, the mixed tape...such an art in it.  Filling in all those little lines on the cardboard insert...but wait!  I'm giving too much away.  Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3! ($25-1; all 3 $65)

Catch this clip if you don't know what the h-e-double-toothpick I'm talking about.

Day 2. A Love Story ($15) and George Harrison

I've had a leftover piece of cardboard sitting around for quite awhile.  I liked the shape of it--it was from a box flap of a Williams-Sonoma "Baked" mix.  (You know, Baked, right?  Matt Lewis' and Renato Poliafito's fantastic bakery in Brooklyn-- http://www.bakednyc.com/.)  Anyway, I saved this little piece of cardboard. I had bought a paper puncher that made little curly-q designs, and I tried it out on the cardboard.  Interesting I thought.  I decided to paint it lime green, but still didn't know where it was heading. Finally, about 8 months later, and sick of it hanging around in its mostly naked state, I painted it on either side and strung it up.  It is now a love story.

Natasha:  "Reginald, I love you for your killer sideburns and your fabulous purple, Prince-like jacket that would look fabulous on me."

Reginald:  "Natasha, I love you for your Angelina Jolie-like jawline and for your purple eyeshadow which matches my purple, Prince-like jacket--complete with hanky.  We're made for each other."

People have made relationships out of less... (-;

On another note, I just happened to catch Martin Scorsese's HBO documentary, "George Harrison:  Living in the Material World" from 2011. It's the 3rd time I've seen it, but it captivates me as if it's completely brand new.  Sometimes I sit and draw images/faces while I watch a movie.  They are fast sketches and because the film's images are moving so quickly, often a sketch will contain several different shots of one person or different features of several people.  In one of my drawings, I have a cap of Yoko Ono, a body and chair out of my imagination, and a pattern from the quick shot of a doorway.

The documentary, (both parts I and II), is so beautiful.  The largest gift I get from it is George's search for getting something deeper than material things out of this journey on earth.  His yearning to connect with a pathway that leads to enlightenment, whatever that may mean to each of us, and which for him was being a spiritual being.  I find great comfort in his matter-of-fact stance that everything must change.  "You have to change.  That's what the physical world is about," he says. 

So, when I'm sad as I watch things slip away, people move away, I'm going to try to remember his calm belief in the fact that "All Things Must Pass."