Achillea Flowers

We met Clare, of Achillea Flowers on Mill Lane at the West Hampstead Christmas Market.  The mom and daughter shop is bursting with beautiful flowers that are not your typical Florist offerings.  Bursting with what I can only describe as vintage chic with a pinch of countryside natural organic beauty, the shop is located slightly outside reality.  You step in and surrounding the masses of perfumed flowers, there are little antiques, vases, teapots and various knick knacks collected over the years.

It reminds me very much of the movie Practical Magic, where the witchy sisters had the most insanely beautiful decorated house complete with a green house for their potion plants.

Long story short, you can pick up a Melinart watercolour there now with your trendy bouquet if you are local to West Hampstead!!  We even offer the possibility to order custom paintings of whatever antiques are in the shop!

I made these little business signs to put under the first watercolours to be presented there.  Hope Achillea's clients will like the paintings!

The Carrots Of Love

Carrots are one of my favorites subjects to paint.  Don't know why I find them oddly relaxing.  That and I love all shades of oranges.  These includes the purple and yellow carrots found at the farmer's market. 
In a soup with cabbage and leeks, the carrots give sweet creaminess and body.

Watercolour Marrow Gratin and TINTAGEL Fudge

£50 Original vegetable portrait - A4

We went to Tintagel in Cornwall for the week-nd.  The Gratin recipe on the picture is the treatment we gave to the marrow waitng for us when we got home.  An eggy-cheesy-nutmeggy custard on top of it and quickly in the often. The result is a warm, soft and sweet gratin. 

 

 

Tintagel (Arthur's Castle, or Camelot) was magical, and magikal. 

(Merlin's cave below)

Before I speak of our encounters and sacred places, I can talk already about the seafood, amazing and just picked from the sea.  We had huges crevettes in buttery sauce with coarse garlic, sea bream with sun-dried tomatoes and hazelnut-garlic salsa verde.  Smoked mackerel and home-smoked mussels.  Just a few of the dishes there. 

 

In Tintagel we had some of Granny Wobly's fudge.  Now until then I thought fudge was a preety bland, albeit slightly caramely blend, of sugar and butter,  Not so there.  An explosion of flavors, melting.  The choice of flavors is just varied enough, without getting confusing.  The banofee one, the maple walnut and the butterscotch one were my favorites.  And the owner (below) is a very peronable guy! Look at his 1/2 ton marble table where he turns the fudge.  He explained it is so the crust gets back in the folds and creates the texture.  Highly recommend this in Tintagel's high street. 

 

 

and Granny Dootlitlle's home-made jams....! With the honesty box to leave the money in!

 

 

 

So much to say about this trip.....more with more pictures soon! 

No off to Paris for a couple of days for work!

 



But I finsh with this Giant's face under Tintagel (earily like Manu's profile!)

 

What's up Doc? Watercolor carrrots

MORE CARROTS PLEASE!  Fun to draw, and quick so color can be put to paper without too much fuss on the drawing.
Roasted with a free range bird and some whole cumin seeds! Yum!

Carrots - drawing ink exercise

 

Carrots in drawing ink, I drew on kraft paper with the fountain pen very quickly but happy with the result.  Farmer's market is coming to West Hampstead 22 september, certainly a source for inspiration!  See the London's Farmer's Market site for West Hampstead

 

 

 

Heirloom Carrots

Had to get some color on paper.  The goal is to start sketching with something simple to get painted.  I never got further that Saturday...!  but I quite liked the fresh runny results.  Next I will try the same theme, with drawing Ink.