Backyard Gardening

I love the old fashioned flowers for my garden. 

They have stood the test of time. 

Old fashioned plants are often drought tolerant, needing little water. They are good at keeping the weeds down. 

They are good at flowering, often repeat flowering.

Flowers are good colour therapy. We plant the flowers that we are attracted to in shape and colour. 

Colour is very important in our lives. 

 Australian hibiscus - Alogoyne, flowers in the summer months.

 Beautiful golden rose.

 

Belladonna lily flowers in summer before the leaves come.

Echiums grow into a big bush. 

They have lovely blue, stately flowers. 

They look just as lovely when the blue flowers fade and the large head is all green. 

I never need to water these flowers. 

This hot pink pelargonium is bright and stunning.

 It flowers for many months. 

It is very drought tolerant.

The Magic of Colour

An Angel in Byzantine art

Colour is Magic

Today we are surrounded by colour, all the colours of the rainbow and all tints and shades of these colours. Primary colours of red, blue and yellow, as well as secondary colours of purple, green and orange are available to us. 

Artists use these colours with joy. I love making my paintings very bright. Others use pastel colours, and still others delete colour and go for black and white. It saddens me that architectural colours for modern houses are charcoal grey. For decades, the insides of houses have been painted cream, but the current colour in Australia is a grey. I find it so boring and lacking in feeling.

The Beginning of Red, Blue and Purple

About 3000 years ago it was not so easy to get colours. People used natural colours of the earth or those they could get from plants or ground rock. 

Only royalty or the very rich were able to use the colours of red, blue or purple because of the expense and difficulty of making the dyes. 

In the book 'Secrets of the Knights Templar, the hidden history of the world's most powerful order' by SJ Hodge, he explains how these colours were made:

'The dyes used in the veil in the Temple (of Solomon) were red, blue and purple. The red was extracted from the blood of beetles and the blue and purple dyes were extracted from sea snails. The dye is believed to have originally have been produced by the ancient Phoenicians (the Phoenicians were a race who lived at the eastern end of the Mediterranean and who became an important society between 900 and 700BCE)

The red, blue and purple dyes were highly valued and Tyrian purple in particular was prized as it did not fade but grew more intense over time, even if exposed to sunlight. Extracted from the glands of particular sea snails that are found in the eastern Mediterranean, it was extremely costly to produce. This meant that few 'ordinary'
people had seen such colours on fabrics, so when they were used in Solomon's temple they were talked about with wonder, as if they were substances acquired by magic or from God.'

(Tyre was an ancient city in Lebanon on the Mediterranean coast.)

Modern Colours

 We are so lucky today that all colours are readily available to us. Fifty years ago, silver and gold were not readily available in paints or pens. Today the new inks have made pens of silver, gold and copper colours available. They are also readily accessible in acrylic paints. 

Irridescent colours adorn birds and beetles. We can add irridescence to our paintings made with acrylics. Paints, pencils, colour and availablity have changes the artworld so that our children and grandchildren cannot even imagine a time without 

RED

BLUE 

&

PURPLE

Backyard Chickens, Heritage Breeds

My Garden Treasures Heritage Chickens

I have been busy in my backyard for eight weeks now. I had an early batch of chickens. In July our hens started to lay. It is the first year we have had a rooster for a while. We hatched him ourselves from an egg less than 12 months ago.

Gold Penciled Plymouth Rock hen and chicks

He is now a very handsome Heritage breed rooster, a Dark Barred Plymouth Rock Bantam. These are very difficult to find. 

Dark Barred Plymouth Rock Rooster

He mated with a pen full of my other heritage breed hens - Rhode Island Reds, Gold Penciled Plymouth Rocks, and Columbian Wyandottes. All bantams. 

The hens and rooster just love hanging around the back door waiting for a handout

I had plenty of eggs so we put them in the incubator, and watched and waited. And out popped some little black chicks.

Eggs and chickens in the incubator

These little balls of fluff have all turned out identical except for their crest. The chicks from the Plymouth Rock and RIR hens have the normal zigzag crest, while those from the Wyandotte hens have the typical flat, broad crest, close to the head.

Very Dark Barred Plymouth Rock cross chicks

The chicks are growing well. Aren't they pretty? Chicks for sale.

I also have another batch by a young mum that hid herself out in the garden and hatched these five chicks. Again, all the same as the first lot. 

Columbian Wyandotte pullet and chicks

Anyone one want to buy some chickens?

This mother and her chicks are for sale too. 

We are in Australia, right down south.

The Sustainable Garden by Bevan Vahland

How to plant a vegetable garden

Follow Chef and gardener, Bevan Vahland as he plants his spring garden with vegetables and fruit trees for summer and autumn harvest.

He had a great harvest last year so we look forward to even more produce this year as his garden space has grown.

Enjoy

(Remember to click Like and Share please)

 

pizza how to make

How would you like to have this guy cooking for you everyday? He makes some delicious food. Follow Bevan on Twitter

Bev_Vahland

@food_to_eat

Practice your Painting

If you want to be a good painter, you must PRACTICE.

It really doesn't matter if it turns out good or bad. It will never get any better until you do it. 

This is the same for anything, whether it is

• being a good cook
• riding a horse or
• playing tennis

Just practice. 

Here's my practice for the day. Without practicing painting you cannot experiment. You often learn wonderful things when you experiment with a paintbrush and paint. 

With this simple oval piece of wood I used a few methods. 

Background  

Painted in black. Dry.

Background Decoration

Painted in blotches of red, green and yellow, all bright colours. I mixed flow medium with the paint and put the paint on fairly thickly. 

Over the top of that I placed a piece of plastic wrap. Yes, the wrap did stick to the paint and it did take some of the paint off. That's why I put it on thickly and kept it moist.  

This left a more muted background. Dry.

Flower

Draw on a simple daisy. Remember, this is only for practice. Paint the petals of the flower white. Let dry they paint again, still white. 

Leaves and Stem 

Paint in a mid green. Dry. 

Drying your Painting

Never put a second layer of paint over a layer of wet paint as the second coat will lift the first coat. Acrylic paint doesn't take long to dry. While one area is drying, paint a different area.

Using paynes grey, add flow medium to it. You only need a teensy bit of each. add shading to the white petals. Let dry and deepen again. 

Decorating  Leaves and Stems

Add commas in a creamy green to the leaves. Touch up the atems with rich gold. Then add shading of paynes grey to the stems again. 

Edging

Add a gold edge to your painting. Mix flow medium to your paint to make it spread more easily.  

Putting the Final Touch to your Painting

Using rich gold mixed with flow medium and a flat brush about 1cm or 1/2 inch, make criss cross patterns all over. Let dry.

Give 2 or 3 coats of varnish to your liking and enjoy.

Painting for sale - by Therese Vahland 

Please contact

Moroccan Chicken Tagine by Chef Bevan Vahland

Great chef/Great food. Doesn't it make your mouth water?



This Moroccan chicken tagine will tantalize your taste buds with it's chicken, preserved lemons, couscous and a spray of tiny tomatoes. 



Work through the recipe slowly and enjoy.

 

Little Missy Duck Painting in Pen and Wash

Pen and wash painting is just SO easy. You can use either your watercolor or acrylic paints. Whichever you use, your paints will last forever. 

Benefits of Pen and Wash Painting

There are two main benefits here. 
If you happen to be allergic to chemicals, even the ingredients in watercolor paints or acrylic paints, and you experience a great urge to use your creative talents, you will be exposed to far less chemicals when using this method of painting. Sometimes you only need to touch the tip of your damp brush into the tube of paint. This is then mixed with water and goes a LONG way. 

If you don't have much money and a tube of paint is like gold to you, then this is a very economical way to use your creativity. A little paint goes such a long way.

Little Missy Duck painted in Pen and Wash Acrylic paint

Method

• Lightly draw your design with black lead pencil onto your watercolor paper. Watercolor paper comes in different thicknesses. To start with use 210gsm paper. You will not have to stretch it. If you use 180gsm you will need to stretch it. That makes it more complicated to prepare. 
• Wet the area you want to paint with clean water. 
• Add a touch of paint to the area and watch it spread through the water. Paint another section while that one is drying. Paint each area until you are happy with your design. Let dry.
• Take a fine point permanent pen and outline your painting. Make some of the lines broken or made of dots for added effect.
• Sign it then frame.

Remember

When painting different areas of your painting, do not paint adjacent areas at the same time unless you want them to blend. Paint areas that are not touching to keep the paint in the area you want. 

For sale

Little Missy Duck
Size 7 1/2 inches x 5 1/4 inches
13.3 cm x 19 cm

Other articles you may be interested in

• Tole Painting

• Extend Your Artistic Talent with Folk Art and Painting

• Printmaking on a Gelatin Plate by Therese Vahland

 

FOOD TO EAT episode #2 Fish Tales

Here  is a great video about catching and cooking fish in the great outdoors. Here, two chefs take you on an outing to fish in a dam, then cook the catch in a delicious way. 


Bevan Vahland, the chef and film maker also has his videos on footprint.tv, a US based internet television channel. Check it out. 

Do you Believe in Science?

Do you believe in science?
Do you believe all the things scientists postulate? 
Why can scientists change their mind?

Do you believe everything that is 'proven' in science?
Do you think there are things in the Universe that are not explained by science?
Listen to Rupert Sheldrake and then ask yourself these questions.

Extend Your Artistic Talent with Folk Art and Painting

Folk Art, Tole Painting

This method of painting is a great method to learn when you want to paint but don't think you can. In Folk Art Painting or Tole Painting students are helped little by little to learn to paint. It is the basics of painting. You learn

• how to hold your brush
• which paint to use
• which colours go together
• background colours
• design
• control of the brush

Folk art flowers, also called Tole painting or Decorative painting

When a student becomes proficient they can progress to more complicated pieces. 

An array of painted folk art or Tole items

Bavarian folk art painting originated in the country villages of Europe. Painters would go from village to village decorating houses and furniture for the poorer people. The designs were very simple. 

Here are some simple designs I painted to decorate my chicken shed.

Hen and Rooster on wooden plaque

Eggs on a wooden plaque

 

Watercolour Painting

When a painter feels ready for more adventure they can try watercolour paints. Subject matter is vast. Painters can paint simple things at first then move onto more complicated studies. 

Watercolour painting on paper

Computer Programs and Art

Another thing I like to do is combine my paintings with the use of computer programs. www.picmonkey.com is a useful, simple program to use. 

Four separates paintings combines digitally

Printmaking

If you really get the artistic bug you can try some printmaking. This is a different form of art that you do not use a paintbrush to make. It can be made from lino, stamping, using copper or aluminium plates, solar plates or plates made from gelatine.

Printmaking on a gelatine plate

Computational Art

Prints can be enhanced with computer programs. Save your print to your computer then enhance it with a computer program, for example Photoshop, GIMP or Picmonkey.

 Using the computer you overlay one print over another and frame it digitally.

Overlay and frame your print

 So you can see there are plenty of ways to extend your skills and you pick up a paintbrush for the first time. 
Enjoy

How to Take Biochemic Salts

 

Biochemic salts are also called Tissue salts or Cell salts. They are not made of common salt.

'Cell Salts are a group of homeopathic remedies made from minerals.
2 words: Cell - meaning used on the cellular level and Salts - meaning
mineral or minerals salts.'
Homeopathy for Health

Tissue salts are also called Cell salts or Biochemic salts. They come in dissolving tablets and liquid spray.

How to take Biochemic salts
Biochemic salts have traditionally come in small white tablets that dissolve in the mouth.  Biochemic salts, Tissue salts or Cell salts are placed in the mouth under the tongue and allowed to dissolve there. Do not chew or swallow them whole.

Recently they have been made available in a liquid spray form. This is sprayed under the tongue. Some biochemic remedies are also made up into a cream to be used on the skin where it is absorbed.

Why are Biochemic salts Placed under the Tongue?
The base of the mouth is rich in small blood vessels called capillaries. These are the finest blood vessels. When the biochemic salts are placed under the tongue they dissolve. This then is taken up by the capillaries and the energy taken into the body to be used where it is needed.

What is the Energy of Biochemic salts?
Biochemic salts or Tissue or Cell salts work on energy transfer. Our body is made up of energy and vibrations. These can travel quickly throughout the body. Biochemic salts carry the energy of the original substance. It is this energy that works so well in our body.

---

The soft molded lactose tablets are made to dissolve almost instantly when placed in the mouth. Because the remedies dissolve in the mouth, they are absorbed by the mucous membranes in the mouth and carried directly into your system. Because the remedies are absorbed directly into your system through your mouth, they work faster than conventional medicines because conventional medicines are usually coated and don't get absorbed into the system until the coating is dissolved by the stomach acid, and that generally takes about twenty minutes.
Hylands

What can I use Biochemic Salts for?
Biochemic salts are a form of Homeopathy. They are readily available in Health Food shops. They can be used as the first remedy to try when a cough, cold or sore throat looms. They can ease headaches and cramps and an upset stomach.

What do Tissue salts Contain?
Biochemic salts are generaly made with lactose. They are gluten free. The liquid form of these homeopathic salts are free from lactose and artificial sweeteners.


Another article you may enjoy   
 Mag phos Tissue Salts
Other ways to take extra magnesium are by Cell Salts. These are also called Tissue Salts or Schuessler Cell Salts. These can be bought in the health food store. Magnesium Cell Salts, called Mag phos, are a safe and easy remedy to use for any spasms in the body eg sneezing, coughing, migraines, leg or stomach cramps, asthma. Mag phos Tissue Salts can be bought as a tablet that is sucked, a cream to rub onto the affected part or as an oral spray.Read more:

How to Deal with EMR in your Home

Products that may help you deal with EMR

Electromagnetic Radiation can affect our body. Mobile phones can affect the head of children. The radiation penetrates into their head.

• Negative Ionizer

• Yarrow Environmental Solution
• Earthing sheet and mats
• Shungite

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Negative Ionizers
The air around us has positive and negative ions in it. When there is a thunderstorm, negative ions are released into the atmosphere. Often after a thunderstorm or lightning, the air feels cleaner or clearer. This is because of the excess of negative ions in the air.
Negative ions are good for our health. They make us feel relaxed and calm. Negative ions abound at the beach. They are generated by the waves breaking. They are also found in great quantities in forests, among the trees.

Positive ions build up in hot, dry weather. They build up with hot, dry winds. People get irritable when it is hot and windy.

Negative ions help to clear the air from EMR. Negative ionizers can be used in rooms in the house where you spend the most time. They make the air feel fresh. It's best to keep windows and outside doors closed so that the ionizers can work on the air in the room.

Yarrow Environmental Solution
This is a flower essence made by the Flower Essence Society. Flower essences are the energy of flowers captured in water. This essence was made after the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in 1986.T he energy of the flowers used in this combination essence along with potentized sea salt directly counteracts the destructive effects of radiation on the human energy field. It comes in the form of drops which are placed under the tongue. This imparts vitalizing and restorative properties to the aura.
Yarrow Environmental Solution guards against video display terminals, x-rays, radiation therapy, high altitude radiation, detection devices at airport terminals and invasive electromagnetic fields.

Reference:Flower Essence Repertory, Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz

Earthing Sheets and Mats
By connecting us to the ground, we are connected into the Earth's energy. The Earth gives us electrons. These electrons match up with free radicals, those wicked little things that float around in our body causing inflammation and ageing in our body.

These sheets, developed by Clinton Ober, help us to access the energy of the earth from inside our home. These sheets have been specially designed and tested. All the science has been done for us. 

 

Put the sheet on your bed, plug the end of the wire into the earthing socket of your power point. You don't even have to turn the power point on. This product uses no electricity. Just go to bed as normal.

 

You will be receiving the electrons from the earth as you sleep. There is also a product to put your bare feet on when sitting at the computer, or to put under your keyboard. You just have to touch these with bare skin. 

Shungite
Shungite is a rock or crystal with very special properties. It is found in Russia near the border of Finland. It is related to graphite and diamonds but is different from them. It is the only substance on earth that has geodesic formations within it. It is thought to be billions of years old and scientists are still trying to work out how it came to our planet.

This crystal or rock has the science behind it. It has been used by the Russians for hundreds of years to purify water and for healing. it has been proven to negate radiation within certain distances of it.

When this rock is placed in water it purifies it and imparts anti-radiation and antioxidant properties to it. The rock can be placed on computers to stop radiation affecting you. You can place some in your fridge to help you food last longer.

Rooms were lined with this and used for healing after the Chernobyl disaster. A Nobel Prize was given to the scientist who discovered its properties.

Rescue Remedy with Shungite in distilled water

Rescue Remedy with Shungite in distilled water. This remedy has the protective energy of Shungite plus the healing and repairing energy of the Rescue Remedy. It can be purchased at My Garden Treasures Ebay store

Other articles about EMR
Static Electricity
How to Reduce Static Electricity
Electro Magnetic Radiation
Where is Electro Magnetic Radiation?
Avoiding Electro Magnetic Radiation (EMR)

Printmaking and Chickens

Who would have thought that Printmaking and Chickens would meet?
I love my hens. They are a great source of joy for me. There is always something going on in my garden when the hens and chickens are out foraging.

I love taking photographs of them. Can you see the little chicken hiding at the back of it's mum?

Some of these photographs get turned into pieces art.

Some get turned into prints. At the moment I enjoy making gelatin monotype prints. These original hand-pulled prints can then be used in Computational Art.

The prints are scanned into a computer. There they are often layered one on top of the other. This makes a nice combined print and can add new hints of colour and shape.

From here they are put into various computer programs to highlight and intensify colours. The resulting prints have more interest with subtleties hidden here and there.

Enjoy.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Painting and Printmaking

Printmaking and Computational Art, byTherese Vahland

Gelatin Prints by Therese Vahland

This video shows a few of my prints.  It is a different way to show them. They are all made on a gelatin plate. 

For more of my prints have a look at some previous posts on this blog. 

If you click on Art in Labels over on the right hand side, all my art posts will come up

Chat soon,

Thérèse