Examples of Street Art

Do-Something-Everyday, August 8, 2016

An entire stretch of an exterior wall of a college compound was covered with an eclectic mix of art by the students of the college. Here are few examples of the street art to be found on Cathedral Road, Chennai.

Linked to Our Beautiful World theme on Outdoor Activities.

Linked to Image-in-ing

Linked to ABC Wednesday where this week's letter is E. I have chosen the word Example wherein I have provided many examples of street art.

Summer in August

Do-Something-Everyday, August 4, 2016

As I had mentioned elsewhere on this blog, nature is an endless source of inspiration. The other day I saw a Spicebush Swallowtail flitting from one flower to another, stopping by one for a few seconds and whizzing off to the next. This swallowtail is native to New Jersey and they love coneflowers (Echinacea Purpurea) which grow in abundance in my garden. I did this painting completely in watercolor.

A few days ago while cleaning out my attic I came upon these Walter Foster instructional painting books. As a self-taught artist I relied on these books to teach me how to paint way back when You-Tube did not exist. I had not used them in a long while but as I was flipping through those books I was surprised by the thrill of recapturing and refreshing long-forgotten lessons and to find how useful they still are. I decided to keep them.

This afternoon I saw a white-breasted nuthatch scurrying down the maple tree. I have not seen one since March and I wondered what brought it back to my yard. I did not take any pictures as it moved very fast but here are a couple I took in March on the day when weather gods surprised us with snow.

Linked to Paint Party Friday, Art Journal Journey and Moo Mania.

Thanks for stopping by.

A Dozen Dishes to Make at Home

Do-Something-Everyday, August 2, 2016

It is letter D at ABC Wednesday and I have chosen the word  Dishes (as in food).

Recently, the New York Times did a feature on its food section called Thirty Things You Should Make at Home (and not buy from store). The list consisted many baked goods, two each of dairy (butter and yogurt) and ethnic items (hummus and kimchi). I thought I would produce a list of my own Indian dishes that should be made at home and not bought from store.

These are about a dozen delicious dishes that I make at home but are readily available in Indian stores nowadays. These really do taste much better when made at home. They are listed below not in any particular order. If you click on the Recipes label at the top of the page, you will find detailed instructions for some of them.

1. Spice Powder (top picture)

2. Cooked beans (chickpeas, kidney etc.) at home. They taste much better than canned ones.

2. Roti and Poori (Indian bread)

3. Low fat yogurt. Economical and better tasting than store bought.

4. Plantain Chips

5. Ghee (clarified butter)

6. Chutney (mint, cilantro or sweet)

7. Dosa batter

8. Gulab Jamun

9. Carrot Halwa (milk based carrot dessert)

I hope you enjoyed my little list.

Thanks for visiting.

Attracting Bees and Butterflies

Do-Something-Everyday, August 1, 2016

The coneflower plants on my front yard attract all types of insects, the best of which are the butterflies. Yesterday, this big Spicebush Swallowtail came to visit and stayed long enough for me take multiple photos from various angles, close-up using my smartphone. Take a look:

Linked to this week's Image-in-ing Photo Challenge

Thanks for stopping by.

Windows In and Out

Temple Window

Do-Something-Everyday, July 31, 2016

Window is the theme at Our Beautiful World this week --a theme with infinite possibilities. Here are mine:

The one above is one of the many windows that adorn the Hindu temple where I worship. These windows are heavily decorated and built according to the specifications of Agama Shastras (sacred Hindu texts on temple architecture). 

The one below is in my studio that overlooks the backyard. It is an excellent blind to observe backyard birds.

Below, one of the many buildings in the historic downtown, Santa Fe.

 Below, entrance to Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe

Below, a stained glass window at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.

 Below, a medieval Islamic style window at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Thanks for visiting.

Zentangle Circle

Do-Something-Everyday, July 29, 2016

This week at I am the Diva czt, the challenges is to create a tangle using circle/s.  Mine is a yinyang (the infinite circle) and I tangled around it that created additional tangles. This zia was created by me using hot tips (woodburning) on a wood panel. To make the tangle pop, I added a wash of turquoise around it.

Thanks for visiting.

Linked to Paint Party Friday. Thanks to Eve and Kristen for hosting.

C is for Chutney

Do-Something-Everyday, July 26, 2016

It is letter C at the ABC Wednesday Challenge. For this challenge, I chose chutney. If you have ever eaten in an Indian restaurant you will recognize the word. It is the sauce that is served with those tasty fried appetizers. Though chutneys come in many flavors, the green chutney (which is made of cilantro) and sweet and sour chutney (made of dates and tamarind) are the most prevalent here in the US. Chutney became part of the British lexicon during the British Raj when it became a favorite spread for the dainty sandwiches they eat along with the afternoon tea. You will actually find the word in the print edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.

I made the chutneys and the fritters you see here.

Thanks for visiting.