What's New In the Shortest Month?
Thrive Together Network Virtual Artist Residency, Soup, and a Book.
Virtual Artist Residency
For the month of February , the Thrive Together Network, a network of 400 women and woman-identifying artists from around the globe, offers the opportunity to participate in a month-long Virtual Artist Residency (VAR) program in their own studio. We commit to the month, submit a residency plan to the group of participants, and meet virtually each week to discuss ongoing work.
This marks my third winter VAR I have participated. It is an immensely productive time and I love the creative focus and the camaraderie among the talented women who hold me accountable to explore my art-making process.
In the past, I have used this time to produce a series of paintings, explore various materials and establish good studio habits. I am looking forward sharing what I am making.
What’s For Dinner?
Lately, the age-old question of 'What's for dinner?' has been haunting me amidst the chaos of my job-job, art commitments, and an array of tasks, leaving my kitchen creativity at an all-time low. But fear not! I stumbled upon a quick-fix solution that keeps the entire Mundie household content.
It is winter and that means SOUP! I make a vegetarian carrot soup that the kids will gladly eat.
You will need a large soup pot and a blender or blending wand. Should take about 45 min to an hour from cutting board to table.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter or oil
3 pealed potatoes
7 large carrots pealed
1 stock of celery
1 large onion
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons brown sugar
7 or 8 cups of broth
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon black pepper
Peal and chop all the veg. In a large soup pot sauté onions and celery in the butter or oil, add salt. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes and then add tomato paste, add a little hot water to keep the paste from burning. Add in the potatoes, carrots and sugar, keep stirring. Pour in broth or add bouillon base and 7 or 8 cups of hot water and cook until all the veg are soft about 25 minutes depending on how large your carrot and potato pieces are.
Remove from heat and blend until smooth, return to the stove top and add lots of black pepper a a cup of milk.
Serve and eat.
If you want to see how I do it. Go to this link.
Book Recommendation
I love to read and typically have an audio book on while I paint in the studio. I just finished Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber.
Debt - Updated and Expanded: The First 5,000 Years By: David Graeber
Debt: The First 5000 Years began as a theoretical exploration of the human relationship with currency. However, as David Graeber was writing the book, the 2008 financial crisis unfolded. The narrative transformed from a theoretical discussion of debt into a live-action dramatization of our understanding of who has to pay back debts and who doesn’t.
The book is extensive, delving into global history to illustrate how people acquired and paid for goods they were unable to make themselves. Its aim is to debunk the myth that humans engaged in a barter economy before the invention of coins or paper currency.
For those who may find the entire book overwhelming, Chapters 11, 12, and the afterward provide concise summaries. Despite the length, I appreciate the author's incorporation of tangential historical information, presented in his humorous and off-the-cuff style.