Radiance

Radiance   18 x 24"  

The marshes win my heart with every season. Here, autumn is just beginning and the marsh grass has gone to seed, showing an intense blushing red. This gorgeous wind swept day, along with the colors, was an exhilarating inspiration for me.

This painting is one of three that I will be exhibiting at the annual Crane Estate art show & sale in Ipswich, Massachusetts, being held November 2-4.

Roasted tomatoes

What to do with that avalanche of ripe backyard tomatoes?... Roast 'em! I slice mine in half and place them cut side up, on an oiled sheet of tin foil for was cleanup. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Crank that oven up to 400º and let your tomatoes get good and charred. I sometimes even broil them for the last 5 minutes to get the them charred the way I like it. 

Now what you do with your tomatoes is entirely up to you. They are delicious just like this, as a side dish with eggs in the morning, or for lunch or dinner. I like to mix the roasted tomatoes with white cannelloni beans and basil to make a nice warm Italian salad. Freezing to make a marinara sauce is a good option, as is this wonderful smokey tomato soup. Lately I've been adding in some crumbled chicken sausages, also. Get roasting!

Song of the Sea

Song of the sea  18 x 24" 

Here is the progression this seascape, from the initial color block wash, to the final thick, impasto paint. I enjoying seeing and revisiting my process. I visualize and 'paint' a painting in my head well before I ever get out my paints, but the final painting itself surprises me every time.

Cobbster salad

Special friends and family call for a special dinner. For this night I decided to make a lobster salad, but I call this my Cobbster salad because it combines elements from a classic Cobb salad, including avocado, blue cheese, corn, and tomatoes. There are great textures in this salad, with the velvety avocado and blue cheese, and crunchy corn. I garnished my layered salad, formed into pyramids using triangular molds with flowers and baby veg from my garden—baby French breakfast radishes, baby purple pea pods, navy yellow beans, nasturtium blossoms and leaves, and borage blossoms.

I made six of these plates, so it was 

imperative that I had an organized 'mise en place' 

station all set up for speedy assembly. 

I made 7 of these plates, so it was imperative 

that I had an organized 'mise en place' station all set up.

My sister-in-law, Sheri, helped with this task, my twin 

brother supplied the lobsters, and they both 

supplied the beautiful seaside setting. 

Dinner by the sea is served!

Color inspiration—plums

A basket of earth colored Reine Claude plums is a wistful reminder that summer is waning and autumn is waiting in the wings. Photo by David Lebovitz

To see more colors, click on the red "color inspiration" label below.

Greek tomato + feta salad

Lunch at the office does not have to be boring. For me, lunch always has to include loads of colors. Here is a simple salad of peppery arugula leaves and slices of various sizes and colors of tomatoes, which have been topped with chopped fresh herbs—including oregano— and a briny crumble of feta cheese. I dress this Greek inspired salad with a light Greek or Italian dressing, and finally, a toss a few a few nasturtiums and pansies blossoms to make lunch at the office extra special.

Color inspiration—dahlias

How lovely are these dahlias in shade of demure pinks and apricots? No bold fuchsias here—grabbing attention and stealing the show—just dainty ladies in their frilly dresses, all getting along at the ball. The colors remind me of frosty sweet sherbet.

To see more colors, click on the red "color inspiration" label below.

Bean + barley salad

So often it's the simple foods that are comforting, like this bean and barley salad. It's only got a handful of ingredients; cooked barley, 3 kinds of beans (here I've used dark red kidney, chickpea, and small white beans), tomatoes, diced red onion and dressed with your favorite Italian dressing. I mix all the ingredients and place over a bed of baby kale, spinach or arugula. Fast and filling.

Rhubarb, alliums, and irises

Beautiful alliums and irises in one of my gardens. The rhubarb leaves look great this time of year... it’s leaves are enormous—the about 3 feet in diameter. For reference the white rhubarb plume shown here is about 7 feet tall.

Flaming Ipswich Marsh

Flaming Ipswich Marsh 20 x 16

This oil painting will be available for sale at the upcoming Art in the Barn Show in Essex.

Two Egrets

Two Egrets 5 x 7" 

Here is another small watercolor that will be for sale next weekend at the Essex County Greenbelt's annual Art in the Barn exhibition and sale. I painted this scene in oils as two large diptych paintings, called Egrets at Dawn. Click here link for more information on that painting, winner of the People's Choice Award at the 2018 Crane Estate art show and sale.

Essex marsh

Essex marsh 5 x 7" 

Another sneak peek for some of my work that will be for sale next weekend at the Essex County Greenbelt's annual Art in the Barn exhibition and sale. 

Happy marsh

Happy marsh  5 x 7" 

Here is another small watercolor that will be for sale next weekend at the Essex County Greenbelt's annual Art in the Barn exhibition and sale. 

Gnarly old cherry tree

 Gnarly old cherry tree  5.75 x 8.25" 

Here is another small watercolor that will be for sale next weekend at the Essex County Greenbelt's annual Art in the Barn exhibition and sale. Friday, Saturday, & Sunday—June 8 - 10.  Hope to see you there!

Spring marsh

 Spring marsh  5.75 x 8.25" 

I will be putting some of my oil paintings, pen and ink drawings and watercolor field studies (like this marsh painting), in the Essex County Greenbelt's annual Art in the Barn exhibition and sale, coming up next weekend (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday—June 8 - 10.  Hope you can swing by.

Celery + bean salad

Celery—usually more of a supporting actor—gets a starring role in this salad. Or at least equal billing with beans. Mix 3-4 kinds of beans with chopped red onions and a generous about of chopped celery. Dress with your favorite Italian vinaigrette, mix, and put over a bed of lettuces. I also like to add the delicate celery leaves at serving.

Cucumber + hummus

This is a quick and easy lunch that I have at the office from time to time. It's creamy hummus on Persian cucumber halves, with slices of red and yellow peppers and a sprinkling of chive blossoms. I used to think the only way I could enjoy hummus was with Stacy's pita chip cracker (mmm, salty, crunchy!) but those carb calories add up fast, so I swapped in cucumbers and don't miss those chips at all. Much. Well...

Painted river

I painted this small painting an hour before going to a friends party, you know, as a hostess gift for her. It was the first time I had ever delivered a completely wet oil painting to someone. Ha! This friend lives right on the edge of the river that winds through the marshes and goes out to the sea. Every day she gets to see these beautiful salt marshes! And oh how this view changes. About once a week for 3+ years this friend has been snapping a photo of this river view. I think she needs to make a coffee book with all of her beautiful photographs.

Beet salad with chives blossoms

Sweet earthy beets are anointed with a classic french vinaigrette. Other tidbits in the salad are French lentils, edamame, arugula, goat cheese, red onion, and oniony chive blossoms, which are in bloom this week. The cosmos flower decided to join the party.

Floral confetti

Deadheading the pansies—such a colorful chore.
It's floral confetti!

Radishes, butter and salt—oh my!

The French do this marvelous thing with radishes. They serve these crunchy, peppery morsels with softened butter and sea salt, preferably Fleur de Sel. This much loved French hors d'oeuvre is so simple, yet so sublime. We've had these radishes served in a fancy presentation, as shown above—the butter even had chopped chives in it—but my favorite way to enjoy them is the rustic presentation shown below, over a soft bed of bibb lettuce, dressed with French dressing (of course!).

One particular restaurant served bread, so one could make a mini radish tartine. Mmmm... radish radish tartines—that's a whole other blog post for another day.

   

Spread (ok, slather) a little butter on the radish, sprinkle on some salt...

... and crunch!

Good to the last, zesty bite.

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Color inspiration—lilacs

The lovely lilacs are coming into bloom. Could spring ever be complete without sniffing the heavenly aroma of a lilac blossom?

I snapped this photo at a Market in Paris on my last trip there. This old woman was shouting her heart out for people to buy her lilac and lily-of-the-valley bouquets. If we weren't leaving in a few days I surely would have bought some from her.

To see more colors, click on the red "color inspiration" label below.

May Day!

The month of May is named after the Greek goddess Maia. The zodiac sign of Gemini starts in May. This print shows the twins Castor and Pollux. Enjoy this very beautiful month.

Au Revoir Paris

Time to say farewell to Paris, but it’s nice knowing that there will always be two cozy chairs waiting for us at the Tuilleries or Luxembourg Gardens.

Have I mentioned the chocolate shops?

Don't bother trying to find any chocolate in Paris—we bought it all! This amazing store was founded by the royal pharmacist to Louis XVI. He invented candy coating for medicine to give Marie Antoinette and her pals, and from that a chocolate shop was born.

inside DeBauve and Gallais

At Meert, another old time Store in Saint-Germain des Prés. Here I am making my selections... "Two of those and two of those and ..."

We interrupted the chocolate store tour for lunch. 

Which included profiteroles, covered in chocolate of courses!

Below, the colorful squares are from Pierre Marcolini, another fancy shop right next to our apartment. I bought one of these for us and it was an awesome dessert for our picnic dinner at Luxembourg  Garden. Always a sweet ending!