Print Class

More print class experiments. Which do you like best? Should I try some other colour combos such as green or blue or purple? Loving the gold on it.

Ottolenghi Cookbook

So my middle eastern food experiment continues.

This week I made:

Grilled asparagus and courgette with halloumi cheese, and sun dried tomatoes. With chopped basil and olive oil on. Which sounds boring but was actually delicious. Served with mini pitta bread.

Today I used Morphy the slow cooker to make beef stew with a tomato and red wine sauce and cinnamon, with a generous sprinkling of chopped parsley and lemon zest on top. Which worked really well.

The recipes in the book are really interesting and I like how you make something basic and then pep it up by putting chopped herbs or lemon or chopped nuts or sunflower seeds or something on it. A top tip!

Print Design

The Aberlemno stone, with my own colours and a Van Gogh inspired swirly sky. Also struck me  how this was like a body and am now reading a fascinating book on tatttoos of the world. The Picts put the same patterns on the stones and on their body tattoos.

Print Latest

Four experiments from my print class with Pictish cauldron motif and direct printing from fern leaf. Which do you like best?

Beauty Experiments 2019

Anyone tried any unusual beauty products or treatments lately?

I just tried the Footner exfoliating socks. You leave the plastic socks on for an hour, and about five days later all the dead skin peels off your feet. Amazing. I assume it is some kind of acid peel. I was doubtful if it would work but it really does!

Also I tried waxing my very dark and hairy yeti arms and it was brilliant. The massive rash I got last time was obviously unrelated stress exzema as it was completely fine. I had to stop using the body hair bleach as it was giving me arm rashes. I still have no success with leg waxing though, just doesnt seem to work.

I quite like a weird beauty experiment...

Ottolenghi

Today is the start of my new middle eastern cookery project. I am using the interesting and very Guardian reader Ottolenghi cookbook. I found it in Typewronger books, a second hand bookshop and typewriter sales shop in Edinburgh.

Recipe is marinated aubergine with tahini sauce which I am having with felafel and pitta bread ( ready made)

Roast slices aubergine 15-20 mins. Spoon over marinade of some or all of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, coriander, chilli. Serve at room temperature.

Tahini sauce, whisk tahini paste with enough water to make a sauce, juice of lemon, garlic. Put on aubergine or use as dip.

Interesting science thoughts: aubergines make my hands stingy. Also why does tahini get Thicker when you add water and go from Beige to White when you add lemon? Fascinating. Click on the link below to find out more about how tahini works!

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/8359-a-surprising-tahini-thickener

Lino Printing

My first multicolour linocut is the ancient site of the church at Banchory Devenick near my work.

Pictish Find

So today I finally found The Brandsbutt Stone in Inverurie. The brown signs lead you a merry dance through many roads of bungalows. The stone is impressive, although sadly damaged in the c19th when the stone circle was also destroyed. Both have been partially reconstructed in a small green space.
It is believed that the carvings on the chunky stone were originally coloured as shown here. No one knows the significance of the images or has adequately translated the inscription in the left in the language of ogham, shown as a marked stick.
I feel a journey of Pictish stone visits coming on, there are many in Aberdeenshire.