Soups with Saffron and Paprika, Canvases with Sepia and Plaster...

"When Fish Fly"

Happy Passover!

It's here, it's here woohoo!!!

Today I am mostly busy doing some last minute prep-work - I was up late making my Passover journals for everyone - with my adorable little felt matzoh bookmarks!

The journals are just a nice way for people to reflect on what this holiday means to them.  There are so many layers of symbolism we can take from our seder, and from the actual story of Passover, that I really want this holiday to mean something to all of our guests - most of them have actually never celebrated Passover before, which is wonderful because it's all about sharing - stories AND good food!

A Still Life I did a while ago - lots of veggie preppin' today!

These are the inserts I put in each journal:

Passover 2015

Passover is a very special holiday for me, filled with juicy metaphors and a roadmap for our own spiritual journey.  It is a time of new beginnings, finding redemption, freeing ourselves, and joy with our loved ones, and telling our stories.

This year, I invite you to pretend like you yourself are breaking free from whatever binds you, fleeing you own spiritual Egypt and finding refuge in the beautiful new beginnings -  the season of our freedom, it is also a festival that speaks of spiritual redemption.  Jews were freed from mental as well as physical slavery. 

“This month shall be the head month for you. It shall be the first month of the year.” (Exodus 12:2).
It's also, Nisan, the month of miracles.  The Torah teaches us that there are two beginnings: Rosh Hashanah, the natural beginning of the world, for all creatures; and the miraculous month of Nisan, the beginning of the Jewish people.

 In this journal, I hope you can reflect on the universal questions that Passover brings up to you.

What does true freedom mean to you?

What are you hungry for?

What do you seek liberation from?

What is your new beginning?

And so much more - I can't wait to share my Seder with you.  I invite you to discover what your own personal connection to Pesach is...

Love, Amy

My father and I also put together our own hagadah over the years based on the themes that are most meaningful to us.  We took excerpts from about 30 different hadagahs we love, pus inspiration about Spring, our history, quotes about freedom, and more.  It's very special to have after all these years.

In the Kitchen...

Brandon finished his tri-colored matzoh balls - it's a great basic recipe and you can change it up however you want.  This year, he flavored each of the three with spinach puree (green one!)  turmeric (yellow one) and a mixed of red bell peppers, paprika, tomato and saffron (red one!)

 The table is being set as we speak...

Our seder plate being prepped, and it wouldn't be a Jewish event without some Dr. Brown's!

And the seder plate itself has so much meaning.  The wonderful thing about tangible objects is you can draw whatever metaphor you want from them.  That's what art is all about anyway - creating anything from your view of the world.  

Whoever we share this holiday with - whatever belief, background, etc. - there is always something they can take away from this...

...Which is why I am so excited to celebrate Passover with Brandon, just as I loved when he and his family shared Christmas with me...

In the Studio...

I know I should be doing some more cooking, but I gotta get a bit of studio time in too!

First, I am busy getting ready to hang more of my art.  

My Forever YOUNG art exhibit opens next Thursday, and you can still see my art at the Beechwood Blue Gallery - or watch this nifty slideshow!

Giving my artist's talk at Beechwood-Blue Gallery - which you can view HERE by the way!!!

The ART!

Okay, so here was my studio time today...

 I'm still workin' away on altering that $10 globe from Home Goods...

 To make the head for my singing tree, a glue-gunned a paper towel together - today I painted it, and I sure hope it sticks!

 Painted the trunk and then for texture, added some sparkle, embossing powder, sand and nutmeg...

 Definitely a work in progress!

I've seen around the internet people doing very fun things with altered globes as well:

By Artist Doug Beube

From the Clearsnap Blog

Sparkle and Spackle!

 I wanted to add some little finishing touched the other spackle work I was doing...

So I made a cute little flower in a glass jar that fit quite nicely into the girls' hand:

And it's a cute little endearing piece I think.

And the black box in the background is a bluetooth I finally got so I don't get paint on my phone every time I'm in the art room!!!!

And I never like wasting anything, so whatever extra paint I have leftover, I always slap onto a tiny canvas, play around with it, and it always makes a fun little background that I use later on:

Passover Prep Awaits...

Okay, it's back off to helping out - there's a ton of food in the fridge that needs to be attended to, spices to sprinkle, and Mom's special homemade soup to start heating...

So to everyone out in cyber space:  Happy Holidays, Happy Spring, Happy Weekend - enjoy good food, new beginnings, and wonderful memories with those you love!

Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!

Sitting Bull