Feasting on Art

On August 5th, the exhibition Slow Burn – A century of Australian women artists from a private collection, will open at the S.H. Ervin Gallery. I have spent the past four months working very hard on the exhibition catalogue and am very proud to be a co-author on such an exciting and important project. Of the 102 artists from the collection, I researched and wrote 47 of the bios – the reason the Feasting on Art posts have been quite infrequent. The collection ranges “from the delicate pastels of Janet Cumbrae Stewart to the modernist prints of Margaret Preston through to the bio-techno sculptures of Patricia Piccinini. The works in the exhibition demonstrate the skill and versatility of women artists over the past hundred years” (S.H. Ervin Gallery). In honour of the exhibition I plan to do a mini-series featuring a few of the artists represented in the collection as well as one or two of the artworks that I did not write about for the book. The exhibition will be on view at the S.H. Ervin Gallery until the 19th of September.

Margaret Olley, Still life with mandarins, c.1975
oil on board, 76 x 122 cm, Private collection

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Phew! The past two weeks have literally disappeared, I did not intend to be away from this space for so long. I have an exciting new job that allows me to write even more about art but with it came a very tight deadline. So at the moment, my time is very limited. I did however manage to make my hands look giant in this Mx photograph and to grab a copy of the May issue of MINDFood Magazine where Feasting on Art had a great little mention. Thanks to both publications for the press! I also would like to wish my Mom a Happy Mother’s Day, I love you so much!!

In other news, my two wonderfully creative friends Ness & Mel of parliament of two** recently launched their first joint jewelery line. I did a few portraits for them several months ago and am absolutely loving the new collection. The brooches are inspired by medical illustrations and feature quirky titles like this little gem, the snail: pass the salt. Click here to visit their website, shop, blog, and Facebook page. Be sure to grab a brooch before they all sell out!

Bartolomeo Bimbi, Cherries, 1699
Poggio a Caiano, Villa Medicea

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A baker I am not. I am not diligent with measurements – often adding a bit too much of this and not enough of that. With that being said, I am pleased when a recipe just works, especially with my unmeasured prodding. We had very special guests visiting this weekend and I was able to accrue other opinions re: the deliciousness of this cake. It is moist and decadent with the sweet/sour of the simmered oranges cutting through the richness of the chocolate and molasses. The fresh ginger pops and is mirrored by the ground ginger in the batter. Believe me, it is highly addictive and if possible, best enjoyed on a picnic with a cup of strong coffee and a view like this.

Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Ginger Jar, Sugar Bowl, and Oranges, 1902-06
Oil on canvas, 60.6 x 73.3 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York City

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Hello Friends! I made it, one year blogging! I had a really great time reading all of the entries and am so impressed with the creativity inspired by the Renoir painting. I want to thank you all so much for participating and helping me celebrate the first year of a project that is very dear to my heart. I particularly enjoy the dialogue fostered by this site and it is so exciting to see the conversation continue onto other blogs and in other entries.

Pierre Auguste Renoir, Strawberries, 1905
oil on canvas, 46 x 28 cm, Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris, France
 

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Hello friends!! On April 3rd Feasting on Art will be one year old! I am very proud of this site and to celebrate I am holding a recipe competition. To perpetuate the dialogue about food and art I want to get all of my readers involved so don’t be shy, even if you’ve never left a comment please participate! The very first painting I posted here was a still life by Renoir and it seemed only appropriate to post another of his paintings a year later. I chose a still life that could be adapted to either a sweet or savory recipe, see my posts for Strawberry BBQ Pulled Pork, Strawberry Shortcake, and Berry Vlaai for inspiration. I know that many of you are in the middle of winter so feel free to use frozen strawberries, strawberry jam or even a flavored liquor or vodka in your recipes. Also don’t assume strawberries have to be the central ingredient, you could make a lot of interesting things with lemon using strawberry as an accompaniment. You can find the contest and prize details below.

Pierre Auguste Renoir, Strawberries, 1905
oil on canvas, 46 x 28 cm, Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris, France

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