the Creative Thursday blog

woodland friends

6 x 6 in.

The first ever Creative Thursday moose ;) and her trusted confidants.

{click here to buy original}

almost no-knead sourdough bread

This is for Laurie! Finally! finally I'm following through on my promise to post this recipe.

Every time I make this bread, I'm reminded how good it is and how I want to make it more often, then I remember that it takes a day ahead of planning, and then I remember that I like to procrastinate, but then wait! I remember that I'm super organized and I don't procrastinate anymore ;)

Here is the recipe passed on to me by Sean's step mom from an article in Cook's Illustrated. Notes from me are italicized.

An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid yields best results, but the recipe also works in a regular cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy stockpot. Use mild-flavored lager, such as Budweiser {mild non-alcoholic lager also works}. The bread is best eaten the day it is baked but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 to 3 days. {this bread also freezes well and is good defrosted + toasted}

• 3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting work surface
• 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast {the yeast is key here. look for 'rapid rise'}
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt {i always use sea salt, because that's what I cook with}
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces) at room temperature
• 1/4 cup plust 2 tablespoons (3 ounces) mild-flavored lager {fun to finish the beer while mixing the dough}
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar {i was out and used apple cider vinegar this time, worked fine}

1. Whisk flour, yeast and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
2. Lay 12 by 18 inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6 to 8 quart heavy bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6 inch long 1/2 inch deep slit along the top of dough.  Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot  (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. {and enjoy!}

There are variations to this recipe that I have not yet tried, like adding olives, rosemary and parmesan, or making a whole wheat loaf, or adding cranberries and pecans.

Oh and one of my favorite reasons to make this bread, using my green dutch oven that I love. I bought it just for baking this bread and now I use it every chance I get. As a creative it matters to me to have pretty, colorful cooking pots and utensils. I find that pretty things inspire me and they really add to the whole cooking/baking experience.

Anyone inspired to make some bread this weekend? I think I'm going to have another slice right now...

thank you to the creative coconuts

There are those in the world that are willing to be first. They believe in something when others 'wait and see'

The group that has joined us on our newly re-opened Creative Coconuts 'island in the middle of the internet' were willing to be first.

Such a wonderful group of people, I can't help but share a sampling of some of the coconuts, their lovely spirits and gorgeous work with you.

thank you to the coconuts, past and present, for believing in our new venture.

from left right

• Jane Davenport
• Faith Evans-Sills
• Sarah Stevenson
• Andi Dargin
• Belinda Fireman
• Suzy Enyon
• Niki Jackson
• Mairi MikaMika Alexopoulou
• Monica Soeldner
• Stacie Spencer
• Anne Weill
• Kristen Walker
• Stephey Baker
• Beki Lambert
• Denice Brown

magnets anyone?

In the thick of deadlines over here for some exciting projects. Was having a nice day designing and creating when this afternoon a lot of stressors presented themselves or as I tweeted "the shit hit the fan". Good thing I'm so organized these days... I can handle it, well sort of...

Truth be told, 5 weeks later,  I think I'm still recovering. Just don't have my usual stamina to deal with stress. *sigh* But now I've had some dinner, some really delicious dark chocolate and all I need now is a good night's sleep and I'm thinking tomorrow will be looking much better.

And hey! there are magnets in the shop!

Always thinking about ways to expand the Creative Thursday collection. I'll be honest and say that I was hesitant to add magnets to the shop...then I recently bought one from a fellow artist...and now I am kind of, seriously loving them. So I decided to try six of my designs in this format, just for fun, and I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

I'm not sure yet if I will stock them, so for now there are only 3 of each design. You can find them all right here.

i am always here for you

6 x 6 in.

There has been a lot of talk online about how we live with the tragedies experienced by Japan last week. Liz wrote a great post here.

Do we mourn, do we go on with our daily lives? Do we do both? 

The world is so much smaller than it used to be. We learn of the world's tragedies in an instant and our hearts immediately go to those in need. We recognize that we are all in this together.

However as I mentioned before, I often feel helpless when an event like the earthquake and Tsunami's of Japan happen so far away. What can I do to help? 

What I do know after my experience last month is that prayer and sending good thoughts do make a difference. I also know that I am best able to help someone when I feel happy, not when I am sad and mourning loss. This means that the way I have coped with the events of the past week, because we also received news that one of our kitties, Riley, is terminally ill,  is by appreciating all that I do have, and by focusing on activities that bring me joy. Believe it or not, all the organizing was one of those activities. And as you know, the other is painting.

I'm always so moved by the ways in which the hand made community in particular offer support during times like these. I would like to help too.

I loved painting this piece. I felt better and I sent good thoughts to anyone out there who might need it today, especially in Japan. I am also donating 30% of the sale of this painting to the Red Cross. I will be listing it as a limited edition print in my Etsy shop as well, with 15% of each sale of the print also going to the Red Cross.

{original is sold}

podcast #43 :: "are you living an organized life?"

Do you even want to live an organized live? That is the question.

Clearly I do want to live an organized life. In fact I highly recommend it. However it's very likely that you will listen to this and either think that I'm slightly crazy and/or highly ambitious to attempt this experiment. Either way, it was totally worth it ~ an achievement for me, being 98% organized with everything on my entire, 'master' list in one day. It will be interesting how much of this organization I can maintain, with no stress *ahem*. If I find a  fun way with minimal effort to stay organized, I'll come back and share some tips with you.  The one tip I leave you with, is if you can 'do it right away'. Life starts to pile when you put it off 'until later'.

 

Click above to listen. This episode runs approximately 1 hr. 9 minutes. {I never said organizing was speedy}

click here to download MP3
Download Instructions
Mac Users option click and Windows users right click on link above to download the file.

 

Links related to this podcast:

Martha Stewart Living

Today Show

Marc Maron

WTFpod

Netflix 

The Creative Coconuts

Why I left Facebook

Oprah Magazine

Real Simple Magazine

My attempt at Digital Organizing

Choosing a Simpler Life

 

*Note* one should start organizing the day after St. Patty's Day. Today just have fun, be creative and if you like a black and tan, have one of those immediately!

A Creative Hour :: Consults with Marisa

I've decided to do it!

You know the days when you could just use some insight, support, inspiration, perspective and guidance from someone who has stood exactly where you are?

After several requests for one on one consulting, I am now offering one hour consults by phone. A creative booster, if you will. What do you want to talk about?

• Jumpstarting your Creativity, personally and/or professionally
• Pursuing Creativity as a Career
• Licensing from Cards to Fabric
• Your Etsy Shop
• Working with Galleries
• Art Shows
• Podcasting
• Blogging
• Social Media
• Teaching Online
• Branding
• Marketing
• Balance

As you may know if you taken classes with me before, my intent is always to encourage you to follow your own guidance ~ so an hour should be all we need to get you focused and inspired. Since I work full time as an artist, I will be starting small with the consulting and see where it takes us. Ok, then! Here we go. I am now opening a space for 5 people to consult with for a Creative Hour. Please email me  for pricing and questions marisa{at}creativethursday{dot}com

i am organized :: day 27

 

I did it!!!!!!!!!!

lucky rabbit

6 x 6 in.

So, I made my usual trip to a local farmer's market today, and this Sunday I decided to stop by the little petting zoo/pony rides that they set up at the market every so often.

I watched all the animals crowd around the green hey they were having for breakfast, you know before they went 'on'. It's like they were getting ready for their performance/socializing time. Having a little breakfast, getting a drink of water, taking out any pent up aggression {that would be the one goat who had horns accompanied by an intense need to be the only one eating the hey} And by animals, I mean sheep, lambs, goats, chickens, ducks, one little pig and bunnies! You know I'm all about the bunnies these days...it must be the 'year of the rabbit' influencing me. 

Seriously, I loved watching all of them interact.  I could've stood their for hours. Seeing as how animals are often the main subject of my work, I also could've painted at least ten paintings inspired by what I observed, one of which was this tiny white bunny that had to be very cautious not to get caught up in the shenanigans and very often ended up sitting towards the edge of the pen to get a little sunshine. 

Out of all the photos I tried taking with the Iphone {animals are so hard to photograph when they are moving around, which is almost constantly- why don't they know how to pose?} this bunny was my favorite. I posted it to my Instamatic stream and someone commented that it was a 'lucky rabbit' and I thought maybe so? The painting is my afternoon expression of the photo I took this morning.

On a side note: check out this awesome kickstarter project that needs funding before March 22. Here's a chance to help encourage more creativity around the world, "Voces de Cambio"

{click here to buy original}

hey, who's in my egg?

 hey, who's in my egg? 

 

which came first the chick or the bunny?

which came first the bunny or the egg?

There's a lot of intensity happening in the world today. Honestly times like these can make me feel so helpless, but then I remember that one thing I can do, with a blog like this, is put a little bit of joy into the world the best way I know how ~with a bunny and a chick of course. One of my first attempts at story telling through a series of paintings. Each one is 3 x 3 inches.

Hope these bring you a smile. They had me cracking up when I was painting them last night.

love. sending lots of love to the world, especially Japan.

 

{click here to buy originals}