Alexej von Jawlensky was an expressionist. Expressionist artists strive “to convey their inner emotions and thoughts via their works, frequently using distorted forms, vibrant colors, and vigorous brushstrokes to establish their own visual language.” – Sparks Gallery You may not…
A Table D’Hôte – A Poem
A table d’hôte translates to “the host’s table”. The expression dates back hundreds of years to the days before there were restaurants in Europe. It was originally used to mean a common table in a guest house or tavern, where…
Dinner Service – A Poem
I was so struck by the volume of this dinner service, I wanted to write about it. If you click the source link in the caption below, it will take you to The Met where you can zoom in for…
A Roman Feast – A Poem
My first prompt for “A Roman Feast” was the image at the very bottom of the page of a Roman serving vessel. I began to imagine what was actually served in it – which led to peacock, snails and dormice….
Moist Meatballs – Princes not Paupers
So, you know the story of Prince and the Pauper? They swapped places for a day. Well, minced/ground meat, (which some might consider the pauper of meats), should be treated like a prince on meatball days. Why? Because moist meatballs…
Migrant Mother – A Poem
It’s funny what we remember, and how memory is triggered. In this case, by a soup bowl. More of my ekphrastic poems can be found here. More on the huitain form here. Migrant Mother My mother made me drink pea…
National Cupcake Lovers’ Day
Young or old, there’s something about cupcakes that brings out the child in us! They’re like a little present, half wrapped, with a confection of ribbon on top. I put together a little video to celebrate National Cupcake Lovers’ Day…
Life in Arles – A Poem
I love that you can access incredible artworks through galleries’ open access policies. I encourage you to follow the links in either the quote or the caption below and see van Gogh’s painting in zoom close up. There’s no way…
Cheats’ Caramelised Onion
Show me a home cook, and I’ll show you someone who has shortcuts up their sleeves. The “proper” way to make caramelised onion is to cook the onion very slowly for an hour or more with olive oil, maybe butter….
Still Life with Mustard Pot – A Poem
Mustard goes back thousands of years, with references in ancient Indian, Sumerian, Greek and Roman texts, and in the Bible. If you’re a mustard fan, here’s a brief history and a summary of different mustard types. I was struck by…
