A New Tradition

Those close to me know I love to start traditions. Omelette Saturdays, pancake Sundays, 4th of July at Shoreline Park, New Year's in San Francisco are important memory-making events I have introduced to my family.
I have been thinking, no day dreaming, about crepes for a while now (notice the extra-large picture of the crepe). I first fell in love with them in college but my crepe intake has definitely fell since then. So I have decided I want to incorporate crepe in a new tradition.
I looked online for crepe recipes and found a basic one that can mold to my liking. So on the twenty first day in the third month of the year, I hearby inaugurate every Wednesday Crepe day.

*This recipe yields 8 crepes.
Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Lucid Dreams 2: Garden Party

So, the watercolor projects are being completed each day. My mom gave me the  picture book, Dew  Drops (which belongs to my lovely niece, Sameeha) with graphic pictures of flowers. I have been practicing my brush strokes and getting quite good at them. I trace each picture first and then transfer it onto watercolor paper and then paint.
This is quite a relaxing hobby. I am enjoying it so much that I even checked out books related to watercolors from the library. The techniques mentioned are quite advanced, hence I am skimming through them for ideas and occasional tips. Even the masters admit that watercolors is more of a challenging medium then oils and/or acrylics. I notice with each painting the task gets easier. Here are some of my latest creations:

Poppy Pop

Titillating Tulips and Morning Glory 

Lucid Dreams: Watercolors

In an attempt to fill my time with fun activities, I have decided to take up water coloring. Last night, I took my father to the nearest Micheal's store and bought myself paints and special water coloring sheets. Today, the morning was spent on a project I found through a website. The website was designed for beginner painters and broke down the process in steps. I was able to use my own color combinations since the colors mentioned were unavailable in my paint set.  I realized I definitely need to work on my technique so I enrolled myself in a drawing and watercolor class through Mountain View Adult Education.

I learned that the painting process is quite fun. I spent about 4-5 hours learning and finishing my first art piece. It is far from perfect and I can see my novice style clearly through the brush strokes, nonetheless, I am proud of it. I took photographs after completing each step.

 

Step1: Sketch ready to be painted

Step 2: Painting the sky

Step 3: Painting the sea

Step 4: Finished!

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