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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Pairs Paint Pears

Pear, markers/water
 Snow showers on Black Friday, Georgia and me warm in the kitchen chatting non-stop, sketching lemons and pears on the countertop. In the great room, Ellis napped and Son #2 read Dostoevsky in front of the fire. We were recuperating from the ordeal of cooking our first turkey in years the day before. While the bird came out okay, I really thought we would have to rush my brave lad to the emergency room for burn treatment where I would be arrested for abuse.

Georgia's contour sketch
I am not skilled when it comes to working a baster. While attempting to subtract the great amounts of liquid that had filled the roasting pan to near over flowing, I kept losing some before I got the tool over the receptacle. The boiling mix of olive oil, butter and turkey fat splattered and dribbled all over the oven door crawling into spaces  meant to be kept dry and narrowly missed the bare arms of my darling son who was supporting the oven rack for this fumble-bum cook.  To everyone's relief, the ordeal passed with no harm done. The oven, however, wasn't as lucky.  It needs a professional cleaning. The  turkey, which was technically half poached/ half roasted,will never be made again in this household. It came out fair, but scared me to death and whacked us out of running any Black Friday sales marathons.

While others stormed the malls, my daughter in-love practiced her contour drawing. I dabbled with markers. We discussed the depths of shadows and from the warmth of the scrubbed down kitchen watched the winds blow and the snow showers coat the street with black ice. We were going out to dinner no matter what.


32 comments:

  1. I love this pear. Stunning in its simplicity! Stunning. Would you mind providing some details? What kind of markers? What kind of paper?

    Tell your daughter-in-law that the contour drawing is might cool too!

    Sorry about your turkey ordeal. By reason of an accident of birth, I am spared the obligation so the people around me are safe, thank god.

    I thought you'd be in Mejico already. When is that?

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    1. Mexico is still to come. For now, family time. Traditional Thanksgiving plans changed. We were left in the lurch. Georgia had a stuffing recipe she wanted to try, so we found ourselves shopping for a fresh bird; a chicken wouldn't do. Neither one of us gals had made a turkey in years. The cooking was an adventure. We found the recipe online. It was a disaster, but only on the preparation, not on the dinner table. The adventure was such an ordeal,
      Black Friday we recouped by painting. The memories of our experience will make us laugh for years to come.

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  2. Now u know part of the reason why we don't have a turkey in our house...I don't get what the big deal is about turkey- its not exactly a great tasting bird... I am so glad to have cut turkey and red meat out of my diet.... U know u can always do Italian for Thanksgiving.. My MIL was always going outside the box when it came to tradition...

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  3. Great pears and always fun to work alongside loved ones while in the kitchen! Personally I love turkey, the stuffing especially. I have cooked Christmas dinner, turkey! every single year since I was 17 years old. That is 49 turkeys!!! Have you tried cooking them in an oven bag? Easy, half the time and almost no mess. You do have to break eggs to make omelettes however!A couple years ago I posted my stuffing recipe on my blog: bread crumbs, onions, celery, mandarin oranges, water chestnuts, mushrooms, almonds and sausage. And the song, of course: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme!

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    1. I can smell it cooking Gus. Georgia really chose a bad recipe. She was my guest; I went along. Two inches of water was called for; I should have known better. If there is ever another turkey in my kitchen, it will be a Butterball. Georgia's stuffing recipe was wonderful.

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  4. Yes, I agree with Dan - I thought you had already (all ready) departed for warmer climes.

    Sounds like you had a culinary adventure in Turkey!

    Lovely pear, btw. Glad you had a nice family day

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    1. The conversation was better than the sketches. The culinary adventure was memorable. Good bonding fun.

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  5. Lovely drawings, both.

    Glad you all survived the turkey 2012 adventure.

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    1. There's only one way to describe what went on: OH MY GOD! Getting the juices out of that pan was scary. I really thought emergency room.

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  6. Son unas peras preciosas. ¡Feliz comienzo de semana!

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    1. Thanks Sonia. Sometimes all you want is a pear. :-)

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  7. Great paintings. I like both, tell your daughter-in-law her contour looks like it could be used in advertising.

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    1. She's very precise. We had a lovely time painting and chatting. There was a wine glass in our still life, but it kept moving. :-)

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  8. Whew!
    So glad all turned out okay!
    Love the pear painting! So very colorful! Like you and your prose!
    Bravo!
    Welcome home?
    Michael

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    1. No, no, no, we're off in about a week. I just knew I wouldn't have any studio time/blog time while busy staring at the kids I haven't seen in three years. I'm glad we made it through the turkey fiasco with no serious burns too. Of course now, I am a pro with a turkey baster. :-)

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  9. Replies
    1. It was a lovely way to spend some time together--better than fighting the crowds at the mall.

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  10. all good pears! Love that red. I used to sketch with my friends like this---it is great fun!

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    1. I love that my daughter in-love and I have art in common. It's an interest that binds.

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  11. Dear Linda what a beautiful pear-bodied!
    Pears views from Georgia are so graphics and ethereal.
    ALL pears VERY artistic!
    I'm glad that the turkey has been eaten without damage to anyone!
    Good preparation for your escape from the Winter!

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    1. I wish they were coming with us--my other sons and daughters and grandkids too, but someone has to stay and 'house sit.' :-)

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  12. Great pears! Glad to hear you all survived the turkey! Have fun in Mexico!

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    1. And no one ate the white meat. It was too dry! --So we ate pears. :-)

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  13. Love the pears and the latest insight into events at CHateau Roth.

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    1. We did survive tis holiday, now on to the next. As for the pears, they're gone.

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  14. Replies
    1. They tasted good too Geraldo. Thanks for becoming a follower and giving me your support. There was a glass of wine in the still life set up, but I kept drinking and that discouraged my daughter in-love.

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  15. These pears are wonderful...but (dumb question!!) what kind of markers did you use that gave this amazing effect? Anyway, your post made me laugh, as always!!! Glad you survived Thanksgiving!!!

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    1. Crayola water soluble markers for kids--the big set. I bought them at the grocery store. I draw with them directly on the paper, then use a small brush and water to wet the drawing as I think it needs it. Lots of fun. Not a big deal. Great for sketching with no big fuss. Thanks. Georgia was using real watercolors.

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    2. thanks, Linda!! I have to try this...its beautiful! I would never have thought it was Crayola water soluble markers..LOVE IT!

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  16. very nice linda ! great contour dwg by your daughter in law ....stunning photo of the sea above have a good break linda .

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