Pattern Pastimes

Happy Tuesday :)

Today I'm just doing a quick post about why hand-patterning is a pleasant and positive pastime for me.

Basically, when I'm looking to take a break from my various art projects and still want to do something productive, I grab some pens or paints and I draw patterns. It's great for me because:

1. It's very relaxing and helps me think about things that are happening in my personal and work lives.

2. It trains my hand to more easily render intricate details and shapes, which are integral to my illustration style.

3. It's also an exercise in balance - balancing amount of details, and element types.

4. I can do this pretty much anywhere, anytime. All I need is a few pencils, pens, some decent paper, and a flat surface to work on.

5. Best of all, it's just fun for me. I've been patterning things here and there ever since I was 5 years old.

Now, here are a few small, postcard-sized (under 5 x 7") pieces I've done last month.

Freehand-Patterned Teapots - No preliminary pencil work for the pattens.

Pencil-Planned Patterned Cake - Here I penciled the pattern grids only. The patterns withing the squares are free-handed.

Pattern Vortex - This piece had a bit more penciling underneath the pen. For some of the triangles and squares I drew a few notches to space out the lines evenly.

Have a great week everyone!
Some prints and things at my Society6 shop, as always :)
{Facebook Art Page}

Plum Cake

While I'm completing some art, why don't I share a dessert I've made a couple of weeks ago. This is a recipe which I modified from my mom's recipe, and it's a perfect one to celebrate the start of the autumn season.

I give you - Plum Cake!

I also tossed some blueberries in :)

Plum Cake

Ingredients:

- 3-4 large eggs

- ½ cup of sugar

- 2/3 cup white flour

- 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour

- 10-12 small plums

- 1 tablespoon of almond butter

- 1 teaspoon of baking powder

- 1 teaspoon of lemon zest

- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- ½ teaspoon of lemon juice

- pinch of salt

-unsalted margarine for greasing

- bread crumbs for greasing

Directions:

1: Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the pie pan with some unsalted margarine and dust it with some bread crumbs.

2: Slice the plums. Set the sliced fruit aside in a bowl. Feel free to add any other stone fruit, like apricots into the mix too – it’ll be delicious! This time I thought I’d add some blueberries.

3: Pour the sugar in a large bowl and whisk it together with the eggs using a mixer on low speed until the two are well combined. Add the almond butter, a pinch of salt, lemon juice, and vanilla, then mix for a few more minutes at a medium speed.

4: In a smaller bowl combine the cinnamon, flour, baking powder and lemon zest. Now, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, a little bit at a time, while the mixer is at a low speed. Mix until the batter looks creamy and smooth.

5: Pour about half of the batter into the baking pan. Arrange about half of the sliced plums on top of the batter, and set the rest aside to decorate the top. Pour the remaining batter as evenly as possible over the fruit. Finally, take the last of the fruit and arrange them nicely on top.

6: Cook for 30-35 minutes at 350F until the top is lightly golden. Check to make sure the pie is baked by taking a tooth pick, bamboo skewer, or knife and piercing through the middle of the pie. If it comes out clean, then the dessert is ready. However, give the cake some time too cool before attempting to take it out. If it’s too warm, it will stick to the sides and break as it comes out.

Enjoy! It pairs perfectly with tea :)

Ptasie Mleczko / Птичье Молоко - Cake

On Wednesday I made cake! It was for my dad's birthday and it was a "bird's milk" cake - a cake inspired by a Slavic souffle/marshmallow type chocolate covered treat.
I referenced this lovely recipe, making some adjustments to it to create my cake. Yes, it was a meticulous process, but it was also very fun (for me anyway) and I was pretty happy with the results, as were the people who got to enjoy this cake=). I think in the future I'll keep working on this recipe, playing around with different flavor combinations. And I also hope some one else will give this recipe a spin and enjoy it!

Ptasie Mleczko / Птичье Молоко / “Bird Milk” Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 4 eggs
• 150 g sugar
• 150 g flour
• 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons of (cooled) coffee
• 2 dark chocolate squares - zested

Soufflé:

• 9 eggs
• 300 g sugar 1 ¼ cup
• 150 g butter or margarine (melted)
• 200 ml milk (3/4 cup)
• 21 g gelatin (3 small packets of Knoxx gelatin)
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Topping

• Some hazel nuts
• 250 g of dark chocolate

* Some quick notes: When I say heat-proof bowls, I recommend using glass or metal bowls, not plastic ones. I also recommend using a mixer for the majority of this recipe in order to ensure smooth even textures. 

Directions:

(Prep + Sponge)

1.       Dissolve the gelatin with 150 ml of drinking water and let it sit for an hour. (Dissolve it in a heat proof dish)

2.       Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking pan (about 7-9 inches in diameter, 3-4 inches deep) with parchment paper and grease well with some butter or margarine.

3.       For the sponge cake – beat the eggs together with sugar.

4.       Add the flour, cocoa powder, zested chocolate, and coffee, and mix well.

5.       Pour the cake batter and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean – the cake is done!

(Soufflé)

6.       Separate the egg yolks and whites (into separate bowls) of all 9 eggs.

7.       Beat the egg yolks with 150 g of sugar in a heat proof bowl.

8.       Add milk and mix together.

9.       Add flour and mix well.

10.   Heat the mixture by putting your heat-proof bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. Heat and periodically mix until the mixture thickens, becoming dense and creamy. Take the bowl off the boiler and let it cool for a few minutes (5-10 minutes). (Also, don’t worry if it’s sort of lumpy. Those lumps can get smoothed out later.)  

11.   Add melted butter or margarine to this cooled mixture and mix well with the mixer. Add the vanilla extract and give everything another good mix.

12.   Heat the gelatine mixture until it’s completely melted and no longer grainy. Set aside to cool for a bit.

13.   Take your egg whites and with a pinch of salt, whip them up until they’re slightly frothy.

14.   Add the remaining 150g or sugar and whip the mixture until it is big, white, and puffy.

15.   Add the liquefied gelatin and mix well together.

16.   Add the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture and mix the two thoroughly together. Put the soufflé in the refrigerator, until you’re done completing the next step.

17.   Take your cooled sponge cake and dissect it horizontally into two layers. Put one half back in the parchment lined pan.

18.   Now we’re going to make our layers. The way I did it was to pour all of the soufflé mixture over the first layer of the sponge cake, and then top it with the second layer of cake – like a sandwich. You could also pour half of the soufflé mixture over the first cake layer, add the second layer, and pour the remaining soufflé on top of that. It’s up to you!

19.   Leave the cake in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours to set.

(Topping)

20.   After the cake is set, take it out of the pan and transfer it to a large enough plate.

21.   Melt about 250g of chocolate and carefully pour or brush it over the cake.

22.   Crush and zest some hazelnuts to use as a nice decoration. Or feel free to use any other kinds of nuts you like, or even chop up some dried fruit, or whatever you like as your finishing touch.

23.   Put the cake back in the fridge for a few more hours, until the chocolate sets.

Enjoy!

Basket of Cheer

Here is another little painting/illustration that I did. What can I say -- I'm loving working on a small scale:)
I did this piece for a 'Get Well' card for my friend. :)
Can you spot an unexpected visitor?

Info:
Paper: Strathmore Bristol smooth
Size: 6 x 6 inches
Watercolours + Rapidograph ink + gouache 

For sale in various formats on my RedBubble page: http://www.redbubble.com/mybubble/art/7282214-basket-of-cheer/edit