Mermaids and Frying Fish

The Art of Frying Fish and Creatures of the Sea

What a weekend I had and how much fun can one person have?

First off, I received an email from Jenny Doh inviting me to be a Guest Curator at CRESCENDO. What a surprise and an honor. I am somewhat overwhelmed at the moment contemplating the responsibility this represents. But, most of all I am thrilled to be telling my story to a larger audience of how art and the people I have met through art have changed my life in the most positive way. I will be featured for a week in October. Stand by?

Back to Saturday and Stamping Details in Poway, CA, and Suzi Blu's Mermaid Class. I sat between Stamping Detail's worker bee extroidaire, Vicky and one of my play day friend's Kat. Across from me was a friend I hadn't see in a long time, Angela. And then there were all the new friends I met and made.

To begin with, last fall Suzi and I had gone to this wonderful Christmas Year Around Store in San Diego called City Lights Collectibles and taken photos of various hanging ornaments. I knew I would eventually be doing mermaids and so took some photos. Here is the sheet of photos for ideas for Mermaids that I printed out for inspiration when I began sketching.

Contact Photo Sheet

Sketches made from above photo sheet.

I had drawn three mermaids on Friday thinking this would take up so much of my time on Sat. and really wanted to work on paint and design. Of course, Suzi had already thought of this. and had printed out 3 of her own mermaids for us to work with so that we could concentrate on the face with colored pencil and the back ground and putting it all together. She came with tons of stuff for us to play with and to spark the right side of our brains.

Closeups of unfinished Mermaid

I went home totally satisfied with a promise to myself to finish the project at home. The photo of my mermaid is still not finished. I am going to put pink bubbles down the right side from the top with the letters spelling "Enchanted" inside the bubbles. Suzi suggested I have some pink there and Vicki came up with what it should say and another new friend suggested bubbles. Obviously, "It takes a Village" of wonderful friends to complete my project. Thank you all.

Artists

Christine and Vicki

Artists

Angela and Kat

Artists

Susan and Michelle

Artists

Alisa and Ann

Artist Thinisha Magallanes and Her Painting

Another Beautiful Artist and her Painting

Artists

Kristine and Corrine

Shannon's Birthday

Beer Battered Everything
Celebration

Now we move to Sunday and my daughter-in-law's birthday celebration which was over-due. In my family, a new tradition has evolved. We all cook together for birthday dinners. The birthday person picks the menu. We collaborate on the recipes. Plus, one rule, it should be something I have never made so I don't end up being the boss just another cook with more experience. There is my daughter, Kari; my son, Erik and his wife, the birthday girl, Shannon.

Shannon and Erik on left. Shannon and Kari on right.

Shannon, Erik and Kari

Onion Rings and Zucchinis staying warm

The menu was Beer Battered Everything plus OMG Peanut Butter Pie for dessert. The recipe for this was from my favorite restaurant in my husband's home town of Rochester, New York - The Dinosaur BBQ Restaurant.

For appetizers we used a recipe Kari and I had gotten at a Great News in Pacific Beach cooking class - beer battered onion rings. Oh, of course, everything was deep fried. . .

Halibut and Hush Puppies

Cole Slaw recipe from my cousin in Virginia that was so excellent and no mayonnaise. Great for picnics! We also used my cousin Susan's recipe for the fish and the creamed corn hush puppies.

We started at 2 pm and finished at 9 with some "time outs" to let our stomachs rest. What a feast and how much FUN!

So, the kitchen is finally clean and free, once more, from grease until the next time. My Mermaid awaits me and the recipes need notes added for the next time, documenting all that we learned together.

We once more asserted that the art of anything is a collaborative venture and only gets better each time you participate.