Thankful

pumpkins and gourds

watercolor painting by Rosa Phoenix

It's Thanksgiving in the U.S.A.!

It's the day we get together with our family and friends, give thanks, and celebrate the abundance of the harvest!

I love the autumn season. At the market I bought many pumpkins, squash and gourds. I love the bright colors and unusual shapes. They are simply brilliant!

Giving thanks for what we have, and sharing what we have, is a good way to celebrate, every day.

 

Autumn Colors: Watercolor Painting Lesson

It's Autumn in Arizona! 

What better way to enjoy the changing season, than by walking in Nature, and seeing the autumn colors?

I took these photos on a hike to Horton Springs, near Payson, Arizona. 

Up in the mountains, the trees grow tall, and their leaves put on a spectacular display of color, illuminated in the sunlight!

the creek from Horton Spring

The change of seasons gives us a chance to reflect on the changes in our lives. 

It's a time to celebrate our growth and progress! 

Autumn is a colorful reminder that we can make a brilliant impact here on Earth.

I'm very excited about a new change for me this season: I'm teaching art classes!

I love it, because I am sharing the joy of creativity with others.  

*****

Here's a beginner's lesson in watercolor painting and color mixing, inspired by autumn colors:

First we learn about the color wheel. 

By mixing the three primary colors (red, yellow and blue) we can mix all the colors we need. Do you see the beautiful colors of autumn?

It takes just 3 steps to make our painting of autumn foliage:

Step 1

First we wet the paper, then start dabbing primary colors onto the paper. 

The colors mix together right on the paper. (This is called wet-on-wet technique in watercolor.) 

Then we let it dry.

Step 2

We use a cut piece of sponge, dip it in more paint, and dab the paint on the paper with the sponge.

Here is what it looks like, after we have added color with the sponge. Do you see how it creates texture?


Step 3

To finish the painting, just use a small paintbrush to make the tree limbs and branches. The brown color was mixed using all three primary colors: red, yellow and blue.

And we are done, in 3 easy steps!

Food for Thought: Blog Action Day 2011

Carlos Candelario was born without arms and legs. 

His mother had been exposed to a cocktail of toxic pesticides 

whilst harvesting tomatoes (photographer unknown)

click on the link to see this story

Today is World Food Day, and it is also Blog Action Day. This year's topic is food. 

We all have different experiences with food and we all need food for life.

As I've been working on being a more conscious consumer, I have questions about food, and what it means to all of us.

Please feel free to respond in the comments!

Questions for you!

 

Where does your food come from?

Is your food a world traveller? Did it come from an exotic locale? Did it fly on a plane, sail on a boat, ride on a truck?

Or is your food a native, or a local? Did it come from a nearby farm? Or your garden?

Nopales cactus

at Mexican market in Phoenix, AZ

How long is its life cycle?

Who grew or raised your food?

What is it? Animal? Vegetable? Fruit? Fungus? Spice?

What's in your food? Is it GMO (genetically modified organism)? Was it raised with pesticides or chemical fertilizers?

Right 2 Know March

to Washington, D.C.

is a group of concerned people

who want GMO foods to be labeled

How does the food you eat affect your body?

Does your food cause disease? Does it lead to sickness and early death? Do you eat the "Standard American Diet (SAD)"?

 

Does food give you life energy? Does food heal you?

Do you have a favorite market?

Do you like to try new things?

Or do you like to stick to what you know?

What's your favorite food?

What attracts you to food? Color? Smell? Presentation? Package? Price?

This is my 100th blog post!

I'd like to celebrate with you, by sharing some recipes I like.

Enjoy in good health!

Hummus

1 small can chickpeas, with 1/2 of the liquid 

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)

2 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

salt and pepper if desired

Blend ingredients in a blender. Serve with warm pita bread and raw vegetables like carrot, celery, tomato and spinach

Massaged Kale Salad

Wash kale and remove the stems. Tear it into small pieces and put into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and squeeze lemon juice on top. With clean hands, "massage" the kale by squeezing and pressing it. Do this for a couple of minutes and the kale leaves will start to wilt and turn dark green in color. It will release a beautiful floral fragrance!

Enjoy the kale like that, or you can add raw, cut-up vegetables and salad dressing, to make it into a mixed salad.

Green Zinger Smoothie

1 apple, cut and peeled

1 banana

1 celery stalk

1 slice of melon

1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut

handful of baby spinach leaves

small piece of ginger root, peeled and cut

coconut water or filtered water

(these ingredients are suggestions, use whatever you have available)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender. If the mixture is too thick, add water or coconut water. Drink immediately.

LINKS

Blog Action Day 2011

World Food Day

Right 2 Know March


#bad11

Tree in Autumn

Painting by Rosa Phoenix

I love the trees in all seasons. I roam the parks of San Francisco with my sketchbook, pens and pencils. The stark, bare limbs of this tree called out to me. I simplified the shape and turned it into a black silhouette against an autumn sky.

Sketchbook: San Francisco

crayon on paper

Autumn rooftops in San Francisco

 

  are islands in a sea of fiery autumn leaves

Autumn Leaves in Felt

Who doesn't love the smell and sound of autumn leaves crunching underfoot?  

I love collecting colorful leaves.

I cut these autumn leaves out of felt. 

They aren't crunchy, and they don't smell, 

but they are fun to throw in the air and play with!

falling stars

I was inspired by Red Maple Leaves.

Red Maple Leaves