Progression of a Painting: Gazania

This is the first installment of the Gazania painting. This is probably step 3 or so of the progression. I usually do an under-painting of sepia and turpentine, followed by a sort of rough color, and then I go over again with deeper/brighter colours, and finer details. Then I muck around on it for a while, proclaim it finished a half a dozen times, and finally actually feel satisfied enough with it to move it to its final destination. This one will be ending up with my lovely sister-in-law.

 

I hope to work on this more this afternoon and/or this weekend. 

I still need to work on the details and colour on the upper half/sides of the petals, as well as finish the center and background. Then the random touches as-I-see-them.

More updates to follow.

The Delicious Advantages of Chicken Lard!

After another rainy day with little to do outside, I decided to do some long awaiting food chores.  Here's to rendering freezer-saved chicken fat into lard and crisps.  So, I pulled three bags of chicken fat out of the freezer and dumped it all in a pot.  Heat on medium for a couple hours got me to this stage: 

Then I cooled it off and pour it into jars to store in the fridge for whenever I wanna make something with added deliciousness! 

See how it looks like sunshine in a jar.  That's cause it is.  It adds softness to buns and cookies that you just can't get from anything else.  

Where does it all come from? I butcher my own hens once a year in the fall.  I try to use and save as much as possible: livers, hearts, pockets of fat, of course the meat bird itself, sometimes feathers...and sometimes I trade the gizzards to a hunter who loves them; he gives me goose breasts, which I feel is far better than gizzards.  

Naturally, I made some cookies shortly after this... 

SNICKERDOODLES 

(modified to include "sunshine-in-a-jar"* chicken lard and reduced sugar)

*I quoted myself here.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup melted and slightly cooled, rendered chicken lard*

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter together with the sugar.  Slowly drizzle the chicken lard into this mixture while beating.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Add vanilla.  Ditch the mixer, switch to a wooden spoon.  Mix in rest of ingredients.  The dough tastes really good.  Try to resist eating it like crazy.  Roll into cute little 1" balls.  And then roll these balls in a cinnamon sugar mixture.  Like: 

2 Tbsp sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon, for example.  

Place on an un-greased cookie sheet.  Into a 400F oven for 7-9 mins.  Do not overcook.  

Makes about 4 dozen. 

And they're awesome.  

* You can substitute the lard for soft butter.