SKULL 31

SKULL 31

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

SKULL 30

SKULL 30

Few more days left until the
Day Of The Dead.
Check back & subscribe to blog
by clicking JOIN THIS SITE.

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SKULL 29

SKULL 28

SKULL 28

Next Exhibit

Friday November 1, 2013 6-10pm $20

Special Olympics Silent Auction

Shinnick's Pub

3758 South Union

Chicago Illinois 60609

Here is painting that is part of silent auction.
Come out and place your bids.
It's for a great cause!

"Elevation" 20x20

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SKULL 27

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SKULL 26

My blog, this blog, is about all the things that affect my art. What I discovered through writing this blog is that music is a top factor. I always knew it was important, but now, I know I could not paint without it; and so I just wanted to share my latest music obsession: JJ Gray & Mofro.  I went to my very first JJ Gray & Mofro show and it was on fire!  The funk sound ignited everyone. His voice reminded me of Joe Cocker and his band of the Blues Brothers; big horns, electric base playing & steel guitar were awesome.  The long pieces reminded me also of the Grateful Dead or Widespread Panic concerts.  The beat got the crowd off their feet and you could not stop bouncing around. Their opening band was the Revivalists who complimented the whole show. Both bands had a wonderful southern charm that made everyone want to back up and leave this bitter cold city for the French Quarter or Florida. By far one of the best concerts I've been to this year.  

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SKULL 25

Here are are a few 

Day Of The Dead events.

Now- December 15,2013

Day Of The Dead Tours

Friday November 1,2013
34th Annual Day Of The Dead Celebration
Efebina's Cafe Festival

November 2, 2013 7pm

Day Of The Dead Ball $35

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SKULL 24

Check out this week's ARTinerary©

Friday, October 25, 2013

Part 1: 

6pm Endless Death Exhibit @ LaLlorona Gallery @ 1474 W Webster (Day Of The Dead Event)

Part 2: 

7pm @ JJGray & MoFro Show $29 @ The Vic @ 3145 N Sheffield 

Part 3: 

11pm/After concert @ Cheesie’s @ 958 W Belmont 

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SKULL 23

SKULL 22

SKULL 22

Check back tomorrow
for skull 23.

Get on the invite list when
you LIKE my art page.

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SKULL 21

Contact me to purchase a skull print for $5.00+Shipping

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SKULL 19

SKULL 19

which I forgot to post yesterday...

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SKULL 18

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SKULL 17

Date night idea, bored, out of town guests, just moved to Chicago? Try this fun plan.

Friday October 18, 2013 ARTinerary©

Part 1:
6pm @ Eno @ 505 N Michigan

Part 2:
8pm $19 @ A Pack @ Chicago International Film Fest @ AMC @ 322 E Illinois

Part 3:
10pm @ Zebra Lounge @ 1220 N State

Check back tomorrow for next skull and follow ARTinerary© each week on Twitter.
 

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SKULL 16

Here is another holiday treat for
Day Of The Dead.

Pabassinas

 FOR THE COOKIES:
4 cups type "00" flour 
3/4 cup sugar
1 7-gram package active dry yeast
3/4 cup lard
1/2 tsp. anise extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup raisins
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup blanched almonds, finely chopped

FOR THE ICING:
2 egg whites
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. rainbow sprinkles
 

1. For the cookies: Preheat oven to 475°. Combine flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add lard and anise extract and beat with paddle attachment on medium speed until mixture is flecked with pea-size pieces of lard, about 1 minute. Add baking powder and I cup water and beat until mixture is crumbly, about 30 seconds. Add raisins, vanilla extract, and I cup water and mix well. Add walnuts and almonds and mix until dough forms a ball.

2. Divide dough into thirds. Roll each piece of dough out on a lightly floured surface into 6" x 9" rectangles. Cut each piece of dough in half lengthwise, then crosswise at 1" intervals. Use your fingers, press corners to round off edges. Put cookies on un-greased baking sheets about 1/2" apart. Transfer cookies to oven, reduce oven temperature to 325°, and bake until pale golden, 20–25 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400° and continue to bake until cookies are golden brown, 2–3 minutes more. Remove cookies from oven and transfer to cooling racks. Cover with clean dish towels and set aside until completely cool, 30–45 minutes.

3. For the icing: Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff  peaks form. 1 1/2-2 minutes. Add sugar and lemon juice and beat on high speed until icing is glossy, 1 minute. Spread about 1 tsp. icing on top of each cookie and sprinkle with some of the sprinkles while icing is still wet. Set aside until icing is hard.

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SKULL 14

For Chicago Artist Month I participated in Sunday Afternoon At La Gran Manse, curated by Tricia Van Eck. It was a lovely fall afternoon in a grand old mansion at 6018 North Kenmore.  The event was an artist talk with three artists.  Our work was shown and the guests had a discussion about the work and asked curious questions and dissected the art and artist.  I was very happy about getting to join this event and I got to meet brilliant artists, Phil Peters and Gregory Chapuisat.

Here are a few photos from the day.

 


Save the date for my next exhibit:
November 1-30, 2013

LaGrange Park Library
555 North. La Grange Road
LaGrange Park, Illinois 60526

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SKULL 13

Contact me to purchase a
skull print for $5.00+Shipping

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SKULL 12

Meet me here:

October 13, 2013 1-3pm

Chicago Artist Month

Sunday Afternoon At
La Gran Manse

6018 North Kenmore
Chicago Illinois 60660

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SKULL 11

Need a plan for tonight try my ARTinerary©

Friday October 11, 2013 ARTinerary©

Part 1: 5pm @ Mysterious Islands Exhibit @ Thomas Masters Gallery @ 245 W North Ave  

Part 2: 6pm @Blue Ruin $19 @ Chicago International Film Fest @ AMC @ 322 E Illinois  - BUY YOUR TIX EARLY

Part 3: 9pm @ Hot Chocolate @ 1747 N Damen – MAKE RESERVATION 

Please subscribe to keep up with
Day Of Dead Project

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SKULL 10

Meet me at my next exhibit:

October 13, 2013 1-3pm

Chicago Artist Month

Sunday Afternoon At La Gran Manse

6018 North Kenmore
Chicago Illinois 60660

For art updates you can
also follow me on Twitter too.

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SKULL 9

Please enjoy this recipe. A great treat for the morning of Day Of The Dead.

Atole De Nuez

8 cups of milk
½ cup cornstarch

1 cup cold water
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups sugar

Place the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to the boil, add the walnuts. Meanwhile, dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water and slowly add it to the boiling milk in a thin stream and stirring constantly with a wooden paddle. Stir in sugar gradually until it is as sweet as you like. Let simmer for 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve in small soup cup sprinkle nutmeg on top.

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SKULL 8

Follow my Day Of The Dead board on Pinterest too.

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SKULL 7

At a Day Of The Dead party making sugar skulls.  See the final pieces.

Subscribe to this blog to see more art from Oktober Studio.

SKULL 6

Skull 6

Check back every day
to see a new skull.

SKULL 5

Skull 5

Enjoy this Day Of The Dead cocktail.

Colada Morada
1 cup purple or black corn flour

14 oz naranjilla pulp (thawed if frozen)

2 cups blackberries (frozen or fresh)

2 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh)

2 cups strawberries, sliced

1 pineapple, peels and core + 2 cups finely diced

5 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

4 all spice berries

12-14 oz panela or brown sugar

A few lemon verbena leaves, fresh or dry

A few lemongrass leaves, fresh or dry

2 pieces orange peel

8 + 4 cups water

Place the pineapple skins and core, cinnamon, spices and panela or brown sugar in a large pot with 8 cups of water. Boil for about 20-25 minutes.

Add the lemon verbena, lemongrass, and orange peel.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and strain.

In a separate pot, add 4 cups of water with the blueberries and blackberries, boil for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool down until safe to handle, blend and strain.

Mix the cup of the purple corn flour with 1 cup of the spice pineapple liquid until well diluted.

Add the strained berry mix, the naranjilla juice, the spiced pineapple liquid and the diluted purple flour mix to a large pot.

Cook over medium heat, stir constantly to keep it from sticking, bring to a boil.

Add the pineapple chunks and reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add the strawberry slices. Serve warm or cold.

Come back to see
more skulls this month!

Skull 4

Skull 4

For those who have a sweet tooth...

Sugar Skull Candy

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg white from an extra large egg, or 2 from small eggs
1 teaspoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cornstarch, about a half cup, for powdering surface
Colored sprinkles
Food coloring
Fine paint brush
Colored icing

Sift sugar into a large mixing bowl.

In another bowl, mix the egg whites, corn syrup and vanilla.

Slowly pour the liquid into the powdered sugar. Mix with your hands until a sandy dough forms.

Form dough into a ball. At this point you can continue or you can refrigerate dough for later use.

Lightly dust surface with cornstarch as well as your hands. Pinch off a heaping tablespoon of dough and shape it into a skull.

Lightly press colored sprinkles into the soft candy.

Let the candy dry overnight.

When candy is dry; use the paint brush with food coloring to decorate the skulls. Or you can use frosting (one that will dry hard) with a find tip to decorate them.

The skulls may not dry completely on a humid or rainy day. If you use the molds, you should follow each manufacturer's instructions as some molds only work with certain recipes. The "dough" should be the consistency of damp sand, just moist enough to hold together. If "dough" is too dry and crumbly, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time to moisten. If "dough" is too moist, add sugar one tablespoon at a time until "dough" is the right consistency. If the candy has trouble drying completely, place in a 125 degree warm oven until dry.

Check back tomorrow for more
Day Of The Dead.

SKULL 3

SKULL 3

Check back tomorrow to see more Day Of The Dead skulls.

P.S.

SAVE THE DATE >UPCOMING EXHIBITS

October 13, 2013 1-3pm

Chicago Artist Month

Sunday Afternoon
At La Gran Manse

6018 North Kenmore
Chicago Illinois 60660

November 1-30, 2013

LaGrange Park Library

555 North. La Grange Road
LaGrange Park, Illinois 60526

Day Of The Dead continues

Skull 2

Check back to see a new skull every day through November 2, 2013.

Day Of The Dead

On a random day I started watching LA Ink.  All I knew was it was about tattoos (yes I am slightly a recluse).  I had no idea who Kat Von D was either and let me tell you that’s a girl who makes you feel like you can do anything; conquer the world motivation.  What really got my attention were all the Day Of The Dead tattoos.  I loved the skull art work.  Being an abstract painter I don’t ever paint realism or even cartoons. My work is mostly color, texture, design and patterns.   I decided to take a stab at drawing skulls, which I have never ever done.  So in honor of the fast approaching Day Of The Dead holiday I am posting one skull a day.  It will show my beginner attempts to draw an actual subject.  

Please check back every day to see my skulls done simply with pencil and ink on paper.

P.S.

For the dog lovers!
I donated this painting to the South Side All Breed Dog Training Club Silent Auction. It runs September 30- October 6, 2013. Please bid for something from the auction!

"#25"
20x20