What am I like 9

I am really cracking on with this now, and I need to, I have a deadline for next Friday and 2 pages to do for the travelling sketchbook I am part of.

Here are the latest progress pics of the What Am I Like project. Once that is done there will no doubt be yet another project to fill my time!

What am I like 8

A little progress today. Must work harder tonight. Not nearly enough done.

What am I like 7

Finally started on the final piece for this project, got a week to get it done, which I should be able to do. I will post pics of the progress.
And here are the first ones.

Life drawing 2

Yesterday, being sunday was life drawing class.

Here is one of the better pictures I made.

What am I like 6

Been playing with my woodcut and printed loads of them off, some better and more interesting than others. So here are loads of pictures for you delectation.

That's all.

A recipe today

As Previously mentioned, I think, I like to cook. For those foodies out there who also like to cook, I thought I'd do an occasional post with a recipe in it for everyone to pass on, enjoy, etc.

Tuna Fish Cakes

Serves 3-4

3-4 medium potatoes peeled, boiled and mashed
2 tins of drained tuna - preferably in oil but brine/spring water will do
1 medium onion
1 red or yellow pepper
black pepper
salt
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp turmeric
basil
1 egg

Finely chop and saute you onion with black pepper, turmeric and basil. As the onion clarifies, add chopped red/yellow peppers. Allow to soften but not to caramelise. Allow to cook slightly, then add to the already cooled mashed potatoes. Add more black pepper if you like a sharp flavour. Add the drained tuna and mix thoroughly. Add an egg to bind and shape into burger style rounds. Place in the middle of a preheated oven at around gas mark 5, 450F/225c for about 35 mins until the top is golden brown.

Serve with a green or mixed salad.

If the tuna is in oil drain this into the frying pan and use instead of fresh oil to saute the vegetables. This will give the fish cakes a deeper and stronger flavour, and will retain some of the vitamins that have leeched from the tuna.

Let me know what you think. Have fun!

Random Acts of Kindness

I've had an interesting couple of days.

Been offered a really interesting job, which I have accepted. Gives me regular income and flexibility. Plus I get to work with some interesting people, staff and clients. All to the good.

Saved a little black Labrador who was wandering around on a busy but badly lit road on my way home from work. I stopped my car, put my hazards on and waved down the traffic to stop it while i got the dog into my car. I thought it would take a bit of persuading, but no. Up into the back of the car like she totally belonged there. Thankfully she was wearing a tag, which said her name was Betty (totally suited her, absent minded old lady but pleasant with it, the type of old lady they call pleasantly confused). I rang both numbers on the tag, half hoping that no-one would answer as she was a REALLY sweet natured old girl, and I would then have an excuse to take her home with me. But no the second number was answered, I told the man on the line where I was, sitting in the car with the hazards still on and the interior light on so I could talk to the dog and five minutes later a chap turns up in a 4x4 to collect her. Shame really. She was a total sweetie.

Had a serious near miss in my car this morning, as I slid down the road in my car with the brakes applied, skating on the black ice that coated my street from top to bottom on it's 15% incline. I confess I nearly cried and worried a lot about the Citroen ax at the bottom of the street that was worth about the same as the boots I was wearing fast approaching as my car continued to slide. Thankfully I hit tarmac and stopped. I have never been so afraid in my car before.

I've started to do a wood cut, but I think I'm doing it on too small a scale and it's not very good, but I will persevere. If it works, yay! and if it doesn't I can write a bit about why it didn't and then I have personal and professional development sorted for a while.

Taught Josh how to make tuna fish cakes today. They were wonderful, all cooked by mylovely boy. He insists he won't be able to do them again as he's won't remember the recipe. I'll have to start writing them down for him won't I? Only 20 months before I bugger off up to Glasgow(if I get in) and leave him to fend for himself. He refuses to come with me. So he can learn how to look after himself.

I have a totally free day tomorrow, so hopefully I will be able to get on with some college work. Need to really crack on over the next few days or I'll not get the project finished. Looking forward to the next one, which is a self directed project and I want to concentrate on painting. I think I'll be looking at the human form. Loads of scope for playing with technique, media and subject matter. Exciting!Here's the not very good woodcut. It isn't quite finished, but we'll see what it prints like. Pics of the prints will follow when I next post.

Shameless Plugging 2

Just a quickie to plug yet more merchandise. I'm trying to get my head around sorting out a Paypal button if possible on my page to sell direct. I will aim to getting it on by the end of the month when I have more stock and can find a five minute gap in my extraordinarily busy schedule.

So here they are, new hard backed note books, A6 size this time. Hope you like, feed back appreciated.