Fat Tuesday?

Happy Mardi Gras! I am married to a New Orleanean, so I feel justifiably festive. I might even make a king cake tonight. However, I should rather say it was a Fat Monday. Yesterday a birthday cake was conjured for the occasion of Patrick's mother's birthday. I was slightly intimidated by this prospect, because his youngest sister is so much better at this than I am (she is a budding pastry chef). But nevertheless, I rose to the challenge, and it was fun.

I used a recipe for white cake from one of my 1958 Good Housekeeping cookbooks, and it was pretty good. I won't share the recipe, however, because I am not really entirely sure if I liked it. I always find this happens when I substitute butter in old recipes that call for shortening (blech)...I think the proportions get a little wonky. However, the icing was delicious and all was well.

Meanwhile, I've been working away on a number of projects. The film project in question (see the last post for costume #1) has been completed. The 'granny' costume turned out well, I think. Part of me feels like it looks more like something a 1972 Madeline Kahn would have worn in "What's Up Doc?", but, as Patrick reasoned with me, that is probably what a very old woman who thinks she is 28 would wear.

After looking at it for a while, the fabric kind of makes you feel like you might need some tylenol. Or a good lava lamp.

So with that done, I have been busily working away on some new ladies for the shop. Inspired by the rococo pastel realm and Sophia Coppola's interpretation of "Marie Antoinette", my newest ladies are drawn from the 18th and 19th century...I want them to evoke the feel of a French boudoir. Now that winter has just about passed, it is time to branch away from the darker earth tones (mustards, olives, and greys) that I love, and I find these soft pastel colours are quite lovely to work with. Jeanne, below, will be available in the shop in 4x6,5x7, and 8x10 sized prints around the end of the week.

Jeanne

And the winner is...

I am happy to announce that I have drawn the winning name for the print giveaway and it is patty-jean! I will be contacting you shortly for your info so I can send you the print. Thanks again to everyone who signed up! I'm planning to do more of these in the future, and I've got some ideas for some gorgeous prize packages that I want to give away, so keep checking back!

February in the South

We've been enjoying something of a warm spell here for the past couple of days. In fact, it feels like spring. So I am making the best of it. The windows are open, ceiling fans running, and the cotton spring dresses have been pulled out of the closet and dusted off for a brief moment, until we are stricken with 20 degree weather again. This always happens in Georgia in February. We go on a bit of a roller coaster during January, and in February, the weather suddenly turns mild and lovely and you are fooled into thinking it is over. Then March comes. Usually bringing the only snow of the year and somewhat unpleasant days.

Still, I am enjoying this teasing day. Our bedroom is in the front of the house, and was at one time part of a very large two story veranda. There are huge windows all around the room, and when they are open it sometimes feels as though you are still sitting out on a veranda. It is indeed very pleasant, and the light is very beautiful. The downside to this is that when it is cold, it can be somewhat drafty in this windowed room. But when the weather is fair like this, it is quite heavenly.

So, the bed is a day bed for the afternoon and sketching ensues. Perhaps it is unprofessional, but I much prefer it to my drawing table.

Klaus agrees.

I am also in the process of designing costumes for a beautiful new short film that is shooting soon, so I've been busy drafting and prepping fabric. One of the dresses is a 1940s house dress, and I cannot tell you how giddy I am about it. As a costume designer I try not to be biased, but I do love doing feminine projects such as this one. Especially period pieces. But then, I was born in the wrong time. I am in love with pretty much anything pre-1965, but men and women's clothing.

The fabric is a most stunning olive flower print, and I wil be utilising some beautiful vintage lace and buttons to accent the dress. The buttons were found at an antique store. I'm not 100% positive how the buttons will look, but that is a cosmetic thing that can be altered it need be. Still, they have such wonderful texture.

(my beautiful sketchbook was made by andrea)

Martha, my dressform, is also ready to go. She is my go-to girl for all my fitting needs. Martha was acquired a couple of years ago when I was first getting going in the costume business. After making costumes for countless theatrical productions without a body to even drape things over, it became very apparent that this was an investment that needed to be made. I have not looked back since. Perhaps she was lavishly overpriced, but I love her. And even when she is not in use, she looks classy.

A Tea Party Day

Today was a tea party day. A delightful one complete with cucumber sandwiches, scones, cookies, and, of course, lemon curd. The scones were a new recipe for me. It cannot tell you how pleased I am with how they turned out. I made them tiny, inspired by a local favourite tea room, using half of a tea ball. These made the most delightful little round bite-size scones. I prefer scones this way, too, because they are so filling, and you really only need a couple of small ones to feel satisfied.

I altered a recipe I found online to suit our particular taste.

Tiny Scones

2 cups whole wheat flour (whole wheat makes a much better scone, in my opinion!)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

1 small bowl of sugar.

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a couple of baking sheets. Blend all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and then add the butter, cut into small pieces. Use a good pasty cutter to blend the butter into the dry ingredients. When you are done, you will have a crumbly mixture. Mix all the wet ingredients together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix. I ended up doing a large part of it with my bare hands (make sure they are clean!). On a clean, dry surface, roll the dough out. Use half of a tea ball, the top of a small juice glass, or a tiny cookie cutter to create tiny scones. After you cut them out, dip the tops in a small bowl of sugar. This is what really 'makes' these scones. It gives them the loveliest texture and a little extra sweetness. Bake for about 15 minutes, give or take a few depending on your oven.

Perfection!

I loved having the excuse to buy lemon curd. Living in my part of the US, it's always imported and very expensive. But so worth it. It's not something I typically 'have on hand', so it was rather a pleasant treat. They happened to have Robertson's, which is a Scottish brand. My personal preference will always by Duchy of Cornwall (Prince Charles' own organic label), but unfortunately that is a little harder to come by where I live.


I also made my annual Valentines Day sugar cookies. Also with whole wheat, I used one of Martha's recipes, for which I have now lost the link. I made buttercream icing for them and used peach schnapps in lieu of vanilla for the flavouring. This was a very good call! If you have some sitting in your pantry, I highly recommend using it. It makes a lovely replacement for vanilla. (which, don't get me wrong, I love too...but it's nice to change things up once in a while) They turned out very cute.





Last but not least, the flat is looking quite Valentinesy. I am still undecided about the pink in a mustard yellow room. But for now, it stays. We will be back to white and pale blue after V-day. The painting on the right is a print from the lovely black apple, and the painting on the left is one of my own. They make a nice pair, do they not? The white tea pot was bought in Savannah on our honeymoon and the little vintage white doves are leftover from our wedding, which I think is quite fitting for Valentines. (though they live on the mantle year round)

Abandoned Victoriana

Patrick and I decided to use our mutual day off yesterday to go exploring. We hopped in the car and two hours later found ourselves in Augusta. I really find the town to be a strange place. On one hand, it is full of exquisite original architecture and store fronts that are straight out of the 1930s. On the other hand, so much of it is...somehow forgotten. Beautiful Victorian Gothic architecture, derelict yet beautiful. Yet somehow sad.

There was one house that had once been a stately Greek Revival mansion. I would estimate that it was pre-civil war. But, you see, it had a split-personality. The front half of the house had been replaced (or covered) by a 1960s socialistic square facade of dingy yellow stucco. The back half of the house strangely had been left in tact, a decreped white exterior with beautiful old smashed windows and broken shudders hanging by threads. I am not sure what this house had been used for in the 20th century. Perhaps it had been turned into a commercial property, and when the 1960s rolled in, the business had this revolting facade tacked over the front of the house in order to make it look more modern. Unfortunately, the business did not last. But the split-personality structure did.

I'm pretty sure it is now abandoned. Looking at the windows, it did not look habitable. However, neither did the slanted, boarded up/broken windowed house next door to it, which happened to have a genteel lamp sitting on a table, lit, in the entry way of the house. I so wish that I could have taken a picture of these two buildings. Unfortunately the light was almost gone for the day so I forwent the photo op.

I did, however, capture of few pictures before it got dark. This lantern was attached to a beautiful high rise Art Deco office building which is now abandoned (yes, an abandoned high rise...it is somehow almost as creepy as the slit-personality mansion). Patrick and I both decided it was definitely a Tolkien-esque beauty straight out of Minas Tirith.

This was the rest of the building.

And Patrick showed me the Art Deco theatre where he was a guest artist in a show last year. This was just past the stage door, and I think he said the windows lead to the dressing rooms.

I love how rusty everything was behind the theatre. And for the record, the theatre is still in use. It is apparently stunning inside. A little derelict, but stunning. Unfortunately we were not able to go inside as there were no events going on and so it was locked. But I am intrigued. It'd be amazing to put on a play in such a beautiful old fashioned theatre.

Shop updates and Griffiths

Thank you to all of you who have signed up for the print giveaway so far! You have till February 14th to post, so if you haven't already, please do jump in!

I am working on some new shop updates. Several new pieces are up now, including Horatia and Jane Austen. I hope that you will check them out! I also recently finished this new lady...

Henriette - Original Acrylic on Wood Panel

I also wanted to give a shout out to a very good friend of mine who is trying to get her Etsy shop, Madding Crowd, going. She does the most exquisite hand printed note cards and charcoal artwork. This is a set of note cards she made for me featuring my initial. Aren’t they beautiful?

This is one of my favourite prints in her shop.

Ship on the Sea - Original Linoleum Print

Her shop is still small and growing, so please check it out and support her at griffiths.etsy.com!

Free Art Print Giveaway!

For all you lurking and curious lovers of all things beautiful, I've decided to offer a giveaway in honour of the one year anniversary of my etsy shop, which opened around Valentines Day of last year.

The winner will receive a free 8x10 print of my painting Blue Dress White Drip. (above) This print is one of the most popular items in my shop, and you have a chance to win it!

In order to win, all you need to do is post a comment stating what you think the most romantic (going along with the Valentines theme!) item in my shop is as well as either your email address, etsy username, or another way for me to easily get in touch with you.

I will be drawing the winner's name from a jar on Valentines Day - February 14th!

Klaus the Mouse will be waiting with anticipation. Bon Chance!

A Wintry Day...

We've been having so many wintry rainy days lately. Most people here complain about the grey skies, wet weather, and cold, but for me it is very comforting. It reminds me of Scotland, my adopted home of over five years. The funny thing is that when I lived there, I too complained about the constant greyness. I guess when you go for months at a time without seeing the sun (not to mention the microscopically short days of winter) and are greeted with a barrage of icy rain, searing wind, and low clouds everytime you walk out the door, it is understandable to grow a bit weary with it. But I miss it.
My experience of living there affects my creative process in so many ways. I hope someday to return. For now, however, I will settle for the beautiful skeletal trees framed by the old windows in my apartment. It's such a simple, small thing, but I love it.

I've been quite the busy bee with the paintbrush over the past few days. I'm so pleased with how my latest has turned out. She is along the lines of A Very Jane Austen Lady (as mentioned a few days ago), but the composition is a bit more unusual. She is also one of the smallest canvas pieces I've done - a tiny 4x6.

Horatia - 4x6 Original Canvas Painting

Watch for her coming soon to the shop. She will also be available in prints.