Pastel Painting for Pastel de Atun

Pastel de Atun, oil pastel, 20 x 16 cm

 Pastel de Atun (Tuna fish terrine)

Cooking mixture ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna fish 150 gr (- drain the oil well)
• 3/4 bottle of cooked bchick peas (400 gr.)
• 3 eggs
• 3-4 table spoon of Spanish tomato frito (or plain tomato sauce for spaghetti or pizza, not the concentrated paste)
• 3 table spoon of cooking cream
• 1 tiny tea spoon of cumin
• 1/2 tiny tea spoon of salt or more/less to your taste
• Pinch of black pepper
• A little butter to wipe on the mold

Sauce ingredients:

• 3-4 Tbs of mayonnaise 
• 1 tbs ketchup mixture

Put all the ingredients in a deep bowl and mix them well with hand mixer until it is smooth. Pour the mixture 2/3 high to individually buttered cupcake molds (picture below) or into coffe mugs layed with oven paper so it doesn't stick. Do not fill the mold with the mixture till top, it grows when it cooks (leave 2 cm. space) I cooked them in my vapor machine for 30 min. If you don1t have one you can  cook in the oven as well, place all the molds in a big tray filled with hot water covering the top of the molds with aluminum foil (this style called "al baño Maria" in Spanish) and cook about an hour in medium heat 160. If you want to know if it is cooked, stick a knife, if it comes out clean that means it is cooked. 

Remove the terrine from the mold and put sauce on top and decorate with ketchup.  Steamed potatoe and veggies goes well as side dish. 

The recipe is for 6 individial servings

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Free Mosaic Grouting Tutorial

Day 1: Glued mosaic tiles has to be set for at least 24 hours to ready for grouting (pic 1). Gently removing the mosaic (pic 2). Taking out the plastic wrap and the paper sketch. (pic 3). Sealing the wood with PVC base glue. I used 4 parts of water 1 part of Weldbond glue, I repeated the process twice (pic2) sealing all around the wood, back front, sides and let it totally dry for a day. (pic 4)

Day 2: Moving to open air area with work bench. Preparing the grouting materials first. Laying newspaper on the floor. Mixing the gout with water, the mixture should like a soft potato puree texture. (pic 1) Spread with the metal tool like comb shape. Not much ticker than 3 mm. Because you don't want to fill between tiles. The purpose is fixing the mosaic with grout to the selected surface.(pic 2) Once the grout firm thickness on the surface place the mosaic slowly starting from the edges. (pic 3) Place it well and check the sides, push gently the surface with your palms. (pic 4) Let it set for at least 24- 48 hours. Clean all the tools and grout inside the big bucket and save it in the 5 let plastic bottle. If you have left over grout put it in a newspaper and trash it. It is very important DO NOT THROW THE GROUT WATER IN THE SINK. It blocks the tubes. Bring your mosaic indoors, just in case if it rains you will ruin the process.

 Grouting materials + you will need a spoon, strong gloves, a cup of water, small plastic tray, bigger plastic bucket, an empty 5 Lt. plastic bottle. 

 Day 3: Moving to open air area with work bench. Preparing the grouting materials first. Laying newspaper on the floor. Mixing the gout with water, I  added black acrylic paint to make  a grey color grout. The mixture this time it should be a little firm, like a soft dough texture. Mixing well is very important, make sure until you have the right color. And remember, grout gets lighten when it dries. (pics 1, 2, 3) Spread the grout with your hand pushing in gaps of the tile but gently. Don't worry about the excess grout now and keep covering the whole area. Use a soft rubber piece to spread and push the grout in all the surface.( pic 4) 

Get the big bucket and put water, about 4 cm high. Wet your sponge and squeeze it very well. Start cleaning the mosaic, taking the excess grout. Repeat the process cleaning the sponge and rubbing gently on the surface. Do not rub too much, the gap should be filled with grout. (pic 1) Let the mosaic rest for 15 min. In the mean time start cleaning your grout and tools, remember to put all the water in the 5 lt. plastic bottle. (pic 3) Get a lint free clothing and start rubbing the mosaic gently. (pic 2) After cleaning all the surface bring the mosaic indoors again. At this point the grout color is slightly darker, once it dried it will look lighter. (pic 4) Now it is the time to put cream to your hands and rest...

The mosaic is completed. Tomorrow the grout color will be much lighter.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate asking me.

Over the clouds, 62 x 60 cm, vitreous glass mosaic

Day 4: I added this photo today so you can compare the diffrence of grout color. It is much lighter. 

This piece is for sale in Canary Islands, if you are interested in to purchase or commission a mosaic project, please contact me by clicking on contact 

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Carrots are devine...You get a dozen for a dime, It's maaaa-gic! - Bugs Bunny

Today, We were at El Burrero, on top of the hill overlooking to the beautiful beach view . I sketched the coastal composition to my small sketch book, enjoying the wonderful afternoon... 

Overlooking to El Burrero

Drawing sketch, Playa del Burrero

My mosaic project is almost ready for grouting. I will let it wait for 24 hours to set the glue completely and later on, the wood surface has to be painted with a sealant. This will protect the wood base from water damage during and after the grouting the mosaic. I use the same adhesive for  sealing process but the proportion is 20% weldbond to 80% water. The best way to seal is to use a product that will soak into the fibers of the wood, sealing these, rather than creating a skin on top of the surface. 

Over the clouds, mosaic (before grouting)

In the mean time, I am working on an oil painting commissioned portrait project. It takes many working hours. I can only share with you a detail of the painting from work in progress. This is the 3rd layer only in the skin area. But I have much work done on the faces and on the background.

Work in progress

For the food diary paintings and sketches, I will share a delicious carrot salad recipe. Here is the sketch I had made earlier this yummy carrots.

Delicious carrots

Sketch, carrots

Carrot Salad

2 big carrots (skinned and shredded)

250 gr yogurt natural 

1-2 spoon olive oil 

1 garlic dent

1/4 tiny tea spoon of salt 

pinch of dry mint

Heat a pan with the oil, sauté the shredded carrot in low heat about 10-15 min. Until it is cooked. Put in the salad plate and let it cool about 5-7 min. Mince the garlic very well and mix with yogurt and salt. Pour it over the carrot and mix them together with a spoon. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle dry mint over the salad. (Optionally you can decorate with parsley)

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