Yesterday we were without Internet almost the entire day, so I wasn't able to post anything. It was actually a nice change not to be at the computer, but instead I worked in the garden, started knitting a hat for my Etsy shop and finished reading my book.
In July I joined the online Artist Soul Retreat that Laly Mille hosted, one of my favorite artists. It was mainly about abstracts and since Laly likes to work in series, we did that as well. When I had done my first few layers I felt that this wasn't my cup of tea. I didn't know where this would go and this was the moment that I walked away from my four "abstracts".
I came back to them several days later and decided I would go a different direction, leave the idea of "abstract" behind and add some images. I felt much better with that and started to like my little creations. The last touch was, of course, birds.
Even though I didn't create "abstracts", this was an interesting experiment and a good learning process. I was a bit surprised as well since I had seen a video by Laly about abstract landscapes that I loved and created my own landscapes. This one, however, was very different.
On to some sweet stuff for Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date! In last week's TADD I showed you the photo of a clafoutis that I had made when my neighbor gave me plums from her garden. Well, she gave me more after that and I was looking for a different recipe for a clafoutis. I found a gluten free one - it is with cherries, but you can use other fruit as well. I think this would also work with apricots, peaches, even strawberries. I altered the recipe a bit, I didn't use brandy and instead of almond flour and almond milk I used regular APF and dairy milk. I did add a teaspoon of almond extract to the batter to get the almond flavor. You can find the recipe here.
You will need:
After you have halved the plums and removed the pits, put them in the bottom of a greased cast iron pan or baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Make the batter and pour it over the plums. Please note that I am still using my faithful Krups hand mixer from Germany. I have been using it for 30 years. I think the 3Mix is one of the most well-known hand mixers in Germany. I'm so glad I brought it with me to the US (I have a step up and down transformer so I can use it here).
Bake the clafoutis for 60-70 minutes until it is no longer jiggly in the center. Let it cool a bit and then enjoy!
Good morning, I really like what you turned your abstracts into, although I did like the colors used in the abstracts.
ReplyDeletethanks for the recipe and tutorial-this dessert looks so delicious, Happy Thursday
Your paintings are gorgeous. Laly Mille is always good. This clafoutis looks good, too! Have a great day, hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteI love your art - and I would include your cooking in that description.
ReplyDeleteWow!! Happy cooking. Your abstracts are quite nice i think. But its always interesting too, to step up an art work. So your end collages are brilliant.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thursday.
Much💖love
I think your own idea of painting is the beter oens. Loved what you created. :)
ReplyDeleteI like you finished pieces a lot. I think you were smart knowing what didn't work well for you and going with your gut. And your plum clafouti looks yummy. I bought some plums yesterday. I need to try one of these. I made them with cherries but never plums. Have a great weekend Carola. hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteWonderful abstracts and delicious clafoutis...wonderful artist and cook! Cooking is art isn't it.
ReplyDeleteAs always, your art is beautiful, Carola.
ReplyDeleteAnd the clafoutis looks divine!
The finished pieces look terrific to me, Carola, and I am quite sure you are not the first artist to have improvised on an original plan, and come up with something pleasing. The clafouti, a word previously unknown to me, looks really delicious. It's good to have computer downtime now and then. There was a time when we occupied ourselves without these machines at all, but who can remember then!
ReplyDelete...the lighthouse caught my eye and the clafoutis (a term that is new to me) looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. I actually like it when I don't have to be on the PC. Great photos of the mixer in the bowl. The clafouti looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe artwork was wonderful to see, and it is amazing how many other things we can do without the Internet. Lately, I have decided to make at least 1 day of the weekend a computer-free day. Thanks for the recipe and the link. I followed it and appreciate the information but all those ads were terribly annoying, I will confess.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I prefer abstracts as a background as a rule and I like what you did with the images you put over the ones you did. It seems like all art needs a focal point and so many abstracts don't have it. But your second round does! The clafouti looks great!
ReplyDeleteI am not a big fan of abstracts either, but think your abstracts where attractive and suggested landscapes with happy colors ... that said, I enjoyed your more interesting creations and, of course, the birds :) Your Clafoutis tempted me last week and now you have shown us how to do it, I am even more tempted. I used to complain to Rain when she would post all of her yummy food, that she made me hungry and I wanted to eat more than my waistline would appreciate ... but then, there are always times to forget the calories and just enjoy. This may be one of those times :)
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From the Sol