Artists are different.
Artists are in a perpetual search for inspiration... for beauty, joy, light, magic.
Artists are inventive, expressive, adventurous, and intuitive with an overwhelming desire to share their world.
I am such an artist. _____________________________________________________________________________________
♥ Taste of the Past
While researching 1920's lexicon for my book The Downton Abbey Lexicon Primer: For the Curious American Mind of a British Costume Drama Addict, I discovered A Taste of the Past, a delightful podcast that encapsulates two of my favorite things.... History and Food. Since that first episode enjoyed, an interview with Annie Gray who wrote the Official Downton Abbey Cookbook, I've devoured episode after episode since then covering subjects from the Signature Dishes that Shaped Culinary History to a deep dive into the quintessential 1931 cookbook The Joy of Cooking to The History and Art of Tailgating, and more!
I love podcasts! Most of them are provided at no charge. Simply go to your phone or tablet and and click the purple icon. Either select browse to see the most popular podcasts ranked by popularity or click search to enter the subject you want to find. And with 800,000 podcasts to choose from with more than 30 million episodes, the choices seem limitless. You can find episodes of the Johnny Carson Show in podcasts. You can find scripted fiction, much like the old radio shows from the days before television. You can find book reviews and book synopses. You can find interviews with your favorite celebrities. And it's becoming a trend for celebrities to host their own podcasts.
No other time in the history of mankind has so much knowledge been available and accessed with ease by merely clicking a button.
♥ Old Cookbooks
I love, love, love, love old cookbooks. And many of them, I simply read for the joy of it, never making a single recipe from the book. My dear friend Colleen gave me the Martha Washington Cookbook for Christmas. It is profusely illustrated and was first published in 1940 by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, owner of the original manuscript.
The meals described sound delectable, though admittedly I needed a glossary just to decipher the ingredients and instructions. For example, Rhenish Cream. Wasn't Rhenish the wine served to Claire Randall by Laird Collum MacKenzie in the great hall of Castle Leoch in the second episode of Outlander? As it turns out Rhenish is any wine produced from the Rhine valley in Germany, ....er Prussia.
And then there are the recipes I would never, never make....
- Chardoons Fricaseed
- Marinated Smelts
- Stewed Eels
- Stewed Carp
- Boiled Spots
- Scotch Collops
- Stewed Calves' Feet
- Pie of Sheep's Tongue
- Pigeon Pie
- Stewed Sparrows
And if you're hankering for some Rhenish Cream, follow the recipe for...
Whipped Posset
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 1 pint Rhine wine
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup sugar
- Sprig of Rosemary
- Piece of Lemon Peel
Mix the ingredients together in an earthenware bowl. Whip vigorously with a wire whisk. As the froth rises, remove with a silver spoon to sherbet glasses. Serve very cold.
Many of the recipes in this book call for Rosewater. One recipe, Tart of Hipps, calls for a quart of Hipps which are the fruit of the Dog Rose. Even though I'm not moved to cook many of these dishes, I'm daydreaming of a kitchen garden like the one at Mt. Vernon.
♥ The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady BBC Series to DVD
Look what I found!!! It is a BBC TV series from 1984 based on the 1906 Nature Notes of Edith Holden. And just as her book is divided into twelve months of the year, the series is in twelve parts corresponding with each month. It's enchanting; full of history, nature, culture, watercolors, journaling, writing, illustrating, seasonal observations, poetry, and painting.
I'm savoring every episode, and only watch one every few evenings to see if I can make it last until the weather is warmer and something begins to bloom worthy of painting.
♥ Monet
The world is blessed for Claude Monet living here. I love Monet!
He was a French painter and founder of the French Impressionist movement in the second half of the 19th-century. The Salon, or Salon de Paris, beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art event in the Western world. However, the increasingly conservative and academic juries were not receptive to the Impressionist painters whose works were usually rejected and harshly criticized. The Salon opposed the Impressionists' shift away from traditional painting styles. So the Impressionists held their own independent exhibitions in 1874, 1876, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882 and 1886.
The first Impressionist exhibition held in 1874 was at 35 boulevard des Capucines, Paris, from 15 April to 15 May. The primary purpose of the participants was not so much to promote a new style, but to free themselves from the constraints of the Salon de Paris. The exhibition, open to anyone prepared to pay 60 francs, gave artists the opportunity to show their work without the interference of a jury. They were rebels!
The Impressionists new style centered on capturing the play of light during different times of the day and throughout different times of the year. Many of them left their studios and painted outdoors en plein air. They painted loosely and colorfully and beautifully.
I'm a true fan and forever grateful for their insight, talent, and tenacity.
And if he was still living, I have no doubt we would be friends. He loved to paint, loved gardens, loved to eat, loved to wear hats, and loved the color pink. Wonder what he thinks about pearls?
♥ Yellow
Yellow is a magical color. It is the color of optimism, and conveys youthful, fresh energy and enthusiasm. It is the color of sunshine which slightly adds yellow to every object it falls on. Yellow is uplifting, illuminating, and the color of confidence and success, optimism and spontaneity. Yellow stimulates the left side of the brain and aids in clear thinking and decisive decision-making.
Yellow is a happy color. "It is capable of charming God," said Vincent Van Gogh.
In February, the students in the Creative Spirits painting class will take a deep dive in studying the affects of Yellow in painting. Join us!
"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."
~ François de la Rochefoucauld
"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all."
~ Harriet Van Horne
"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition."
~ Martha Washington
"I am only good at two things, and those are: gardening and painting.”
~ Claude Monet
”My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.”
~ Claude Monet
”Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.”
~ Claude Monet
"I really just want to be warm yellow light that pours over everyone I love."
~ Conor Oberst
"Yellow is capable of charming God."
~ Vincent Van Gogh
Note and full disclosure:
In some bullet points I may link to more information, related news, or to a product on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Originally the account was created years ago to benefit "Happy Tails" animal rescue,
but now it benefits my pack of rescue dogs and assorted fosters at Windy Acre Cottage.
Thank you!
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We have lots of Painting Classes coming up in February. Grab a friend or loved one and spend some time making memories and masterpieces.
Creative Spirits Weekly Painting Class in Acrylics
Perfect for the artist who would like further instruction and designated painting time each week. This class also enjoys "Art Dates." In February we plan to visit the Oaklands Mansion and tour the "Wedding Gowns through the Decades" exhibit. We also have the opportunity to exhibit our paintings at Square Market Cafe in Columbia, TN, and will be meeting for a late lunch there on February 3 and will install the exhibit afterwards.
Watercolor Paint-Along Classes in Spring Hill, TN
Or book a PRIVATE PAINTING LESSON for Instant Clarity and Results
Please call me if you have additional questions or would like to purchase a gift certificate or register for a class:
615-668-8263
Aspiring Masters Painting Sessions I
The Aspiring Masters Painting Sessions are recommended for students ages 12-17 who have shown artistic ability and passion for learning creative concepts. We will be studying a variety of painting concepts, including:
- Mixing colors from a limited palette,
- Evaluating values,
- Learning when to paint local color notes, highlights, and shadows,
- Turning 2-D shapes in to 3-D forms
- And completing multiple paintings using the 5-step process, all while having FUN!!!
The six-week fee of $150, payable in two installments, includes weekly class periods full of instruction and demonstrations, as well as individual attention with each student. We will be painting in acrylics and a supplies list will be provided upon registration.
Class meets Thursday afternoons from 4-5:15 pm January 23- February 27.
Only one space remains in this class. Call 615-668-8263 to grab it. Class fee is due at registration to reserve your child's easel. Checks, Cards and Venmo happily accepted. (Venmo @susan-jones-346). Aspiring Masters Class is sponsored by Spring Hill, TN Parks and Rec and is located at 563 Maury Hill Street, Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Links you may be interested in...
My ETSY Shops...
Colorful and Charming Art and Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe
Recommended Supplies lists...
Supplies List for Creative Spirits Classes,
Supplies List for Aspiring Masters Classes,
Adventure Awaits Supplies List,
Back Issues of Bullet Point Blessings at Charm of the Carolines blog.
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