My Favorite Places in Austin

Belated list for Vicky and Peter, who are there now.
Links go mostly to posts over on SpyGirl with more info and pretty pictures.

Food

Is that the Asian Heisenberg behind those corn muffins?

Threadgill's (southern) 301 West Riverside Dr, 78704

Maria's Taco Xpress 2529 South Lamar Boulevard, 78704
 
Magnolia 1920 S. Congress Ave., 78704 or 2304 Lake Austin Blvd., 78703

The Boiling Pot (seafood) 700 East 6th Street, 78701

Hot Sauce, Tears of Joy 618 East 6th Street, 78701

Bakeries

Sugar Mama's 1905 S 1st St Suite A, 78704
 
Hey Cupcake 1600 block on So Congress. (see their site for other locations)

Quack's 411 E. 43rd St., 78751

Assorted others


Shopping

Savers (thrift)  5222 Burnet Rd #600, 78756 (other locations)
 
Uncommon Objects 1512 S Congress Ave, 78704

Yard Dog (Folk Art) 1510 S Congress Ave, 78704

Tesoros 1500 S. Congress Avenue, 78704

Austin Country Flea on US290, 5 mi east of I-35, open on Saturday + Sunday, 10am-6pm

Taxidermy 5900 N Lamar Blvd, 78752


Sightseeing

State Capital 1100 Congress Ave, 78701

Driskill Hotel 604 Brazos St., 78701

Music

Waterloo Records 600A N. Lamar, 78703

Jon Dee Graham plays the Continental Gallery (1315 S Congress Ave, 78704) acoustic on most Sunday nights

or carouse the clubs on 6th street

Now I want to go visit STAT!

Calamondin Orange Marmalade Recipes

My friend Roxanne has a glorious Seville Calamondin Orange tree in her yard in Tujunga.
Our schedules aligned perfectly yesterday, and we were able to spend an evening together, experimenting with marmalade recipes.

We started with this basic recipe :

Seville Orange Marmalade
adapted from Small-Batch Preserving
Makes approx 6c

2lbs Seville (sour) oranges
2 lemons
4c water
1/4 tsp baking soda
4c sugar

Cut fruit in half, remove seeds, chop, then pulse in food processor
notes: wear gloves, work on glass (very acidic juice!)

Place in deep stew pot with water
Bring to boil, cover, boil gently 25 min

Add baking soda, cover, boil gently 20 min

Add sugar, boil rapidly uncovered until mixture forms a gel (about 20 min)
Stir frequently!

Ladle into jars and process

Then we got fancy!

Seville Mojito Marmalade
2lbs Seville (sour) oranges
3 limes
2" piece of fresh ginger (could have used 4")
4c water
1/4 tsp baking soda
4c sugar
1/2c chopped fresh mint
1/2c rum (or more)

follow the same steps as above
slice or dice ginger
add mint + rum with sugar

Savory Seville Marmalade
2.5 lbs Seville (sour) oranges
4 roasted chiles (Hatch, poblano, jalapeno, or...)
4c water
1/4 tsp baking soda
sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
1/2 c chopped basil
4c sugar
roasted garlic (trying next time)

Again, same steps as above
Peel + pulse chiles with citrus
Add herbs with baking soda, remove woody stems before adding sugar
Add garlic with sugar

Savory Seville Marmalade served on garlic toast with goat cheese and garden arugula

The Glutton Suggests: A Day of Eating (and a Little Shopping) in SF

This was in an email I sent to Style Sud-Est, who was traveling to San Francisco in April.
Since I'm going up there on Thursday, I thought it was finally time to share!

Breakfast: Pork Store
1451 Haight St (between Masonic Ave & Ashbury St) San Francisco, CA 94117
Best is location on Haight, then you can walk the street and find TREASURES!
For instance, Mendel's, a fantastic fabric/craft shop with lots of old stock -- their fake fur selection is outstanding!

Walk around and window shop, you'll want to be hungry for...

Late lunch/early dinner: Swan Oyster Depot $$$
1517 Polk St (between California St & Sacramento St) San Francisco, CA 94109
Only open until 5:30pm!
Small, crowded, you sit at a bar.
Worth the long line, suggest going around 2-3pm.

Feel like some ice cream?

Bi-Rite Creamery
3692 18th St (between Dolores St & Oakwood St) San Francisco, CA 94110
On other side of street is their market
stock up on goodies to take home with you.
Claire's Squares are a perennial favorite in our house.
Also good is their deli section, and check the olive/salad takeaway area -- lots of great items for al fresco dining in nearby Mission Dolores Park, or wherever

What? Still hungry?

Late night burrito: El Farolito
2779 Mission St (between 24th St & 23rd St) San Francisco, CA 94110
Nothing like the Mission district at night!

Zucchini Sandwich Pickle Recipe

Are you being squashed by zucchini in your garden? This is a sweet sandwich pickle.

ingredients
2 lbs small (6”) zucchini
2 small onions – peeled + sliced
1/4c salt
water

2c sugar
2c white vinegar
3tsp pickling spices -- McCormick’s is good mix
1tsp tumeric

directions
Slice zucchini + onions into bowl, add salt
cover with water
Let stand for at least 3 hours
(place plate on top to keep submerged)

Drain
Combine other ing in large saucepan
Bring to boil
Add slices, let stand for at least 2 hours
(place plate on top to keep submerged)

Sterilize jars

Bring mixture to a boil for 5 minutes
Pack in sterilized jars
process 10 min boiling bath

OK to increase quantities 

I got this from a cookbook that was entirely zucchini recipes. Can't remember name of it...
[6-2016] I think it came from here:
Preserving the Fruits of the Earth, Stanley Schuler ASIN: B000O73HXG

Gluttony at Art Camp

I spent the past week at Idyllwild Arts, taking a Narrative Figure Painting workshop with Rebecca Campbell.
It was fantastic, and got me started on a new painting series.

Today, however, I'm sharing the shots of what I was calling "veg on a saucer" when I posted them on Instagram. There is an odd compositional logic happening, in an institutional sort of way.
Monday's 5-6 dried out carrots got me started, they looked so absurd:

Funny, no?
Ah, the joys of boarding school food...

The Glutton Considers White

I found Lou's lovely blog Littlegreenshed through Jane of Flight Platform Living.
Lou does a weekly link up series called "Nature in the Home" that looked like fun. Before reaching this post, which explains what her theme is about, I started thinking about white (this week's prompt) in my home environment.

White walls, white blinds -- a foil for all my colorful art

The black and white wall
Clockwise from left:
Cidney Hochman
Sandi Haber Fifield
Sterling Chow

Something from nature that's white?

A moonstone pebble,
picked up on a RI beach,
nestled on a scarf
knit by Patucci

Linking up with Nature in the Home, Week 17

Gluttony Noir

Russ and Anita hosted a screening of the original Mildred Pierce last night and The Gluttons were invited. Over on SpyGirl, I go into the details on the ambiance and the colorful guests. Here, our focus is on the food. The desserts, to be more specific.

Mildred supported her family by baking pies, so we were asked to consider bringing one to add to the potluck dinner. Many did:

A potluck line is different when everyone is in period dress:

Watch out!
Baker Mildred is wielding a knife!

Soon a silhouetted figure appeared on the balcony next to the projector:
"It's movie time!"

Outside the manse.
Is a secret weapon nestled in the basket?
Or just a collection of baked goods, purloined from the potluck?
The answer is safe with me, I'll never tell...

FotoSensori Exhibition + Fundraiser, June 1

I'm in an art show tonight!
My parameters were: photography based, themed with the five senses.
Plus I was given about three weeks to complete the work.

MONKSPACE

4414 West 2nd Street Los Angeles, CA 90004

6:30 - midnight

additional info after the images

 

I'll let you guess which represents which sense

Fotosensori is a multi-dimensional photographic show that pushes the boundaries using the theme of the five senses: smell, touch, taste, sight and/or sound. In this collaborative art show, 11 photographers will present work for a one night event. The photographers come from diverse backgrounds and experience.

All proceeds from the show and sold art will fund "FREE ARTS for ABUSED CHILDREN” and art space rental. "FREE ARTS for ABUSED CHILDREN” is a non-profit organization that creates art programs for kids who come from poverty-stricken families with histories of violence, substance abuse, or neglect. The arts serve as a powerful healer for these kids. Funds raise will help create programs in expressive art forms like dance, drama, writing, music, and painting.

http://www.fotosensori.com/
http://www.freearts.org/

Suggested donation of $10-$15 at the door/or donate what you can. After 9pm $15.

WE TAKE CREDIT CARDS AT DOOR AND FOR ART PURCHASES.

PHOTOGRAPHERS
Su Pang // Maria Lowenstein // Robin Roemer // Erin Stone // Anne M Bray // Lauren Randolph // Lauren Devon // Liza Ryan // Kevin T Vu // Richard Chow // Madison Ann Parker

PERFORMERS:
Dark Furs // Lonely Trees // Farspeaker.

DEEJAYS:
Abundance and Sirsa will move your feet to electronic, new wave and 80s.

FOODIES:
Bling Bling dumplings // Jen's vegan cupcakes.

Recipe: Rose Petal Jam

This is a repeat post of this recipe, now with more step by step photos.
For printing, I suggest going to that post.

I used two medium roses -- just the petals

recipe from:  recipegal.com (url no longer active) 
Yield: about 3.5 cups 

Ingredients:
1 c fresh fragrant rose petals (must never have been sprayed with any chemicals)
3/4 c water
juice of one lemon (no substitutes)
2 1/2 c cane sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin (works best)

Make:
In blender -- puree petals, water + lemon (be sure to put lid on blender)
Slowly add sugar, stirring as you add
Add pectin, blend for about 1 minute
Pour into clean jars quickly (it sets up fast)
Let set for 6 hours
Refrigerate/Freeze

get your clean jars set out

measure all the ingredients

petals, lemon, + water after blending

adding the sugar

adding the pectin

pouring the jam into the jars
I use a canning funnel so it goes into the jars cleanly

jars filled

A Painting of a Gravel Pit

Sunset over Gravel Pit, © 2007, oil/canvas, 36 x 60"

I was thinking about this painting the other morning as I drove into work.
It's not in my current show (due to size constraints) but is certainly part of my Commute series
I painted it six years ago, during a two-week workshop entitled Painting's Edge, held at Idyllwild Arts. The program was sort of a mini MFA course created by Roland Reiss. There were nightly slide lectures with visiting artists and critics, and one-on-one critiques during the day. And we painted.

[see lots more Painting's Edge photos on my Flickr here]

This coming July, I'm going up to art camp in Idyllwild again. This time I'm taking a figurative painting class with Rebecca Campbell. She gave me some great advice when I met with her back in 07. A week of painting! Can't wait!

Meanwhile, almost 700 people came to our TAG reception last Saturday -- it was insane!

Elsie Sims, Elyse Wyman and I will be discussing our art with TAG director Laura Korman this coming Saturday at 5:30.
If you're in Santa Monica, please come join us!

Poetry Reading at LA Artcore

Julienne Johnson hosted a poetry reading, "SPOKEn word & paint"
featuring Peter Frank and Jack Grapes to coincide with the closing of her show at LA Artcore.

Julienne, with her painting Wilusa behind her.

Peter Frank

Jack Grapes

To end the evening, Julienne was surprised with a birthday cake.

Thank you Julienne! Your event was a smashing success! It touched my soul.

Custom "Commuter Quilt" Phone Case

I ordered my "Commuter Quilt" Society6 phone case last week and am quite pleased with the results:

(That's the original art piece in the background). I think I prefer the rich blacks of the print on the case!

Tomorrow I'll be hanging my show, "The Commute"
Check my Instagram @annembray for some "in process" snaps.

The reception will be in two weeks, April 6, 5-8pm.
TAG Gallery 
Bergamot Station,
2525 Michigan Ave, Bldg D3, Santa Monica, CA  90404

Note: I received the artist discount for the phone case. It retails for $35 + shipping.

Scenarios of... FAIL v2

This week's scenario is: You've been lost for three days in the middle of the forest. What's the most important thing you could discover at the bottom of your backpack?

NOT a dead cell phone

Yes, it's another month of Scenarios of... Failure.
Last month, I couldn't decide and missed the deadline.
This month, I knew EXACTLY the item -- my solar phone charger.
The problem?
It's lost.
In my house.
Somewhere...

So, I've missed the deadline again. It was yesterday.
I'm sharing it on the Flickr Group page anyway.

Here's the "Scenarios of..." general theme verbiage from ArtHouse:
"Just put yourself in this situation... Have you ever been asked to consider what item you would bring with you if you were stranded on a desert island? How about the one object you feel tells your life's story? What about the face you imagine when you hear a certain word?
This week's free project is all about putting yourself in a strange scenario that we've thought up and responding with an image."

FREE SHIPPING on Prints, etc from Society6 until 3/17/13

You will need to click on this special link: http://society6.com/annembray?promo=e16def
It will lead you to my Society6 shop:

Maybe I'll finally get my Commuter Quilt Phone Case:

Promotion expires March 17, 2013 at Midnight Pacific Time.
*Offer excludes Framed Art Prints, Stretched Canvases and Throw Pillows with insert.

An Encyclopedia of... Tools

The Mexican Lime Squeezer. Acquired, 1982 from some market in Mexico.
My collection includes a larger one for lemons, acquired 1990s(?) Olvera St, dtLA.

It's another ArtHouse project, this time about TOOLS! 
I chose my lime squeezer.

There are unlimited submissions allowed, so I may just go a little tool crazy!
Check the "Encyclopedia of..." Flickr Group page to see other submissions.
Or check #encyclopediaof on Twitter.

Here is the official verbiage about the project:
 "A visual collection of tools from around the world
When you think of tools, your mind may go directly to aisle 3 of the local hardware store - but maybe not. 
Tools are tons of things besides hammers, saws, and screwdrivers. 
A tool is any implement we utilize to accomplish tasks.
This entry is under T: Tools
. It could be one you utilize every day or one you don't even know how to use! 
Together, your images will give the pictorial description of this particular subject. 
It's like Wikipedia, but more visual."

Things Found... Under the Bed

An ArtHouse Sketchbook Project:
"The Things Found Series is a free photography series that challenges participants to find something amazing in their everyday spaces.This week, you're asked to have a look in an unlikely place - under your bed. Besides dust bunnies and that sweater you thought you lost last winter, we expect that some of you may be surprised what you find!"

Under my bed (which is a mattress  on the floor) is one of the cleanest places I've seen in our manse.

I found a Getty bookmark, a checkout printout from the Library, and a New Yorker subscription insert.

See other responses on Twitter at #thingsfound
or in the Things Found Flickr group