Georges Seurat (1851-1891) was famous for developing the technique of pointillism, using tiny dots of colour, and scientific theory about colour perception, to create his gorgeous post-Impressionist paintings. There is more about Seurat here and here: “In Seurat’s method, which…
Dining Room Chair from the Speaker’s House, Palace of Westminster – A Poem
There was something so steadfast, and slightly pompous, about this dining room chair, that called for closer examination. In 1859, this chair was carved for the Speaker’s House, which was opened that same year. The House had been rebuilt after…
Rainy Day in Camp – A Poem
Probably the first thing you saw about this painting was the cluster of men drawing comfort by the fire? Then the rest. The mud. The horses. The tents. Even the rain itself. You can’t see the rain? You can zoom…
Stewed Rhubarb
Stewed rhubarb is no different to any other stewed fruit in that it requires, liquid, sugar, a covered lid, and a gentle cook. That’s the stovetop, and you! Rhubarb has a history going back thousands of years. Back in 1597,…
Donna Hay’s Blueberry Yoghurt Loaf
This is a simply scrumptious cake, and there is nothing to add to Donna Hay’s original blueberry yoghurt loaf recipe except … .. the blueberries can sink, as you can see here. This is real life baking. A remedy for…
The Harvesters – A Poem
I find it hard to imagine The Harvesters was painted four-hundred-and-sixty years ago! It still teems with life. Pieter Bruegel was nicknamed “peasant Bruegel” because he was one of the first artists to focus on painting the common people as…
Entwined – A Poem
This painting is a little bit out of left field for my ekphrastic series, as it doesn’t really depict food, or eating. However, hummingbirds do like to sup on red passionflowers. And red passionflowers do bear a fruit, with apparently…
The Wife of Robert Gordon – A Poem
There is so much going on here, not only in this painting, but in this painting’s title: The Contest for the Bouquet: The Family of Robert Gordon in Their New York Dining-Room. Robert Gordon was a banker, merchant, and art…
Everyday Chicken Wings
Chicken wings make a great party finger food. I have a link to a Matt Preston recipe here of wings cooked in cola that MELT in the mouth. These must be tried at least once in your lifetime. That recipe,…
Tomato Soup, The Way My Mother Made It For Me
Everyone has their own tomato soup recipe. This one, the way my mother made it for me, is like a hug that keeps on delivering. You go in for the tomato, then you get a little pat on the back…
Spring – A Poem
The Met descibes Spring as Cephas Giovanni Thompson’s finest work. He also has a companion piece, entitled Autumn. Thompson’s Spring portrait is a misty romantic and sentimental piece, which got me thinking romantically, and sentimentally. It seems to me the…
Black Beans, Grapefruit & Chicken Salad
I went looking for new ways to add legumes into the diet without exploding, and came across the combination of black beans and grapefruit. I was skeptical at first. But then I winged a recipe, and have been converted! This…
