Daily Practce
Journal
Plein Air Sketch
Our figs are finally ripening enough to harvest! YAHOO! There is something so wonderful about fresh figs -- their sweet pulp and soft seeds are mighty welcome! We eat them out of hand, made into jams, and C fashions an incredible Portabello Mushroom and fig recipe served over rice ..! Sweet and savory at the same time!
We have only five small bushes -- two English and two Brown Turkey. The English are a bit small this year -- I would guess from the last few years of drought, and yet they ripen first. Our Brown Turkeys are just ripening, and are somewhat larger. Our fifth shrub is from Sicily --- a gift from a friend many years ago. It has languished with the weather issues we've had, and the deer seem to nibble it severely each year -- but THIS year, it seems to have finally taken off and is covered with figs as well. They won't be ready for harvest until another ten days or so.
I sketched this early yesterday morning - but even at that time, the sun was high overhead and the humidity was oppressive. When the perspiration from my face kept dripping onto my sketchpad and staining the paper, I decided to paint it from memory indoors! Temps reached 99F, but the humidity was the worst -- rivaling the temperatures for highest numbers -- ugh.
This is the first of two busiest weeks for me - tonight I have a presentation to make over an hour's drive from work, registration and new students the rest of the week, and meetings squeezed in. We're supposed to have a break from the heat on Wednesday -- I so hope so -- it's mighty difficult to work in such oppressiveness, even with the air conditioning running full blast!
STAY COOL!
6 comments:
I'll be thinking about you! I know you love what you do - but that doesn't mean it won't wear you out physically and mentally!
Fig jam sounds REALLY good!
Lin's fig jam IS to die for!!! As well as all her other delicacies!!
What a beautiful botanial like painting Lin. So glad your last fig plant, so loved by the deer, has taken off too.
Very oppressive here yesterday too. Stay cool this week and stay hydrated.
Hugs,
Lorraine
Wonderful sketch, Lin! Love the colors, the light you created, how you did the folliage, the fruits, background. Everything!
And what a fruit! I'd sell my soul for fig jam.
I hope the weather cooles down, by you and here also.
Take care!
Figs ... one of my favorite fruits, although it's been years since I've had the pleasure of enjoying the wonderful taste of a fresh fig. You've done a wonderful job of painting the figs Lin. Thanks for bringing back some good memories.
I LOVE THIS PAINTING. So beautifully executed with the leaves and figs almost touchable. Oh my, does it bring back a flood of memories for me. The mother of a friend growing up used to say if you were having a bad day just have a Fig Newton and a Nap and you would feel much better. I grew up in New Orleans with an enormous fig tree in the back yard. When the figs were ripe I would crawl up onto one of the large strong branches and gorge myself. This was in a predominantly Italian-American neighborhood and during special holidays my neighbors made homemade Fig Newton-like cookies with colorful sprinkles—your lovely drawing makes me think I can smell them in the oven right now. Judy
Stay cool!!!!
This is lovely!!! I love the soothing colors you used in the fig plant!!
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