Do you want to try something new for the potluck party?

Drawing studio with new set up

Last week I redesigned the drawing room. By moving the table close to daylight area, I gained a lot of space for my big size paper projects (see pic above). I also worked for "Kitchen Stories" series. It's strawberry season here now, so I took advantage of it and started to a new color pencil composition (see pic below). I am using Prismacolor pencils and Stonhange drawing paper for this project. After I finished my sketch, I took several reference photos and worked from the digital image. As I said before, working from life composition has advantages, especially laying the composition process stage. On the other hand, I can see the details of the digital image on my computer screen as much as bigger and take my time. Color pencil drawing  is very time consuming technique. I did several hours of work and I have at least few more hours to finish it. (see work in progress pic below)

Work in progress

Work in progress

Last week I finished another oil painting for the "Kitchen Stories" series. On wednesday, I will publish a time lapse videoclip on my YouTube channel. So you can see how I approached to the finished painting. (see pics below) I am sharing one of my recipe below. It is a Turkish starter dish called "mucver". It's a great idea for potluck parties, you don't have to serve it hot, room temperature is fine. Also, If you have left over you can make great sandwiches for lunch picnics. Enjoy them and let me know how they came out. Have a great week!

Work in progress with 5 pm light in the studio

"Zucchini with eggs" by Birsen Ozbilge, 

oil on canvas sheet, 29,5 x 42 cm, May, 2015
Available, contact me for purchase details

Mucver

(Zucchini fritters)
(comes out 8-9 pieces)

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini (shredded)

3 eggs

1 table spoon flour

50 gr feta cheese (optional)

2 scallions (chopped tiny with green parts)

Fresh dill (chopped tiny)

1 tea spoon dry mint

pinch of red pepper

salt

black pepper

-------------------------

24 cm frying non stick pan

1/4 glass olive oil to fry

big salad spoon

big spatula 

Mix all the ingredients well, heat the oil and using the salad spoon as the measurement place four spoons of mixture into the pan without touching each other. Cook them until they colored golden. Using a big spatula turn the other side and cook 2 more minutes. Place them on top of a kitchen roll napkin. Serve it if you wish hot, warm or room temperature. 

Here is my mucver

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Highlight of the week; "Dutch Master Rubens exhibition"

Last week I went to see the three Rubens pieces loaned to Casa de Colon from Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. I was allowed to take photos with no flash so I thought if I put them here, you might enjoy these masterpieces too. It was amazing to see so many details on the small judgement drawing. (click on image to see it bigger). Anyway, each one of them looked beautiful and perfect. This exhibition is open till 21st of May if you have chance to see don't miss it!

Saint Augustine Between Christ and the Virgin
by Peter Paul Rubens, oil painting, 241 x 183 cm, 1615

Small Last Judgement by Peter Paul Rubens, 

drawing, 143 x 96 cm, 1619

Tarquinius (study) by Peter Paul Rubens, 1610-11

After I visited the exhibition I wanted to draw the parrots of Casa de Colon. These are the same ones I painted for my self-portrait social media avatar picture in 2008. (see pic below) Chicha the red male parrot was so wise, he was mostly posing for me which was unbelievable. Anyways, they did a lot walking and wondering about me but they ended up on top of a bar which is their home. I should tell you that it was not easy to draw these moving animals, so I was quite patient over two hours.

"Self-Portrait with parrots", 3.5" x 2.5" (8.8 cm x 6.3 cm)
Acrylic on paper, 2008 (Artist Collection)

Work in progress

"Yaiza" by Birsen Ozbilge,
pastel on black pastel paper, 30 x 24 cm, May 2015

"Chicha" by Birsen Ozbilge,
pastel on earth toned pastel paper, 24 x 30 cm, May 2015

Last week we visited a close friend that she doesn't mind if I would do my drawings while she cooks. She had two cute little mandarins and an empty blue bottle which was a great trio with her new fuchsia color place mat for the table. In addition to these objects I added Ikea's artificial flower pot with pink tulips. Well, I think it came out a curious composition. I used a dark green toned pastel paper and my Cray-Pass Expressionist 50 pieces oil pastel set. (see at detail pic)

Work in progress

"Mandarins at Gemma's kitchen" by Birsen Ozbilge, 

oil pastel on pastel paper, 24 x 30 cm, May 2015

Available, click on SHOP to purchase

Detail

After I finished the "Geranium with green apples" oil painting (see pic below), I decided to make my apple and walnut pastries. If you like sweet and very light pastry you can give it a try. I usually make them just before Xmas and gift them to my family, friends and clients.  

"Geranium with green apples" by Birsen Ozbilge,

 oil on canvas sheet, 29,5 x 42 cm, May, 2015
Available, click on SHOP 

PASTRY WITH APPLE AND WALNUT

(20-25 pieces)

Ingredients

For the pastry dough:

2 glasses of flour

1/2 glass of cornstarch

1/2 glass of confectioner's sugar

1 egg

4 table spoon natural yogurt

75 butter softened

1/4 glass of olive oil

1 tiny tea spoon of  baking powder

For the filling:

2 apples shredded

50 gr crushed walnuts

3 table spoon of sugar

1 tea spoon of cinnamon

Final touch:

1 table spoon of confectioner's sugar

In a non-stick pan put the shredded apple, sugar and cook it until it simmers its water. Move it from the fire let it cool. Add cinnamon and the walnuts, mix it well.

In a big bowl put the cornstarch and make a hole. Add the rest of the ingredients and at last add little by little the flour to the mixture make the dough until it doesn’t stick it to the hand and spear it for 4 pieces. On top of a marble surface using the kitchen roller open the dough until it riches ½ cm thickness. (Sprinkle the marble with a bit of flour each time so it doesn’t stick)  Cut the open dough into round shapes, using the round cookie cutter or 8 cm. diameters of any glass. Spare the leftover pieces and use them at last to make another piece of ball. Turn the oven on 160 degree. Sprinkle the oven tray with some flour and place the round pieces leaving 2 cm space to each other. Put 1 dessert spoon of filling and fold it into half close the edges by squeezing it with fingers. (see pic below)

Cook them in the oven 180 degree approx. 20 min. until the top of the pasties changes to pinkish color. Take them out from the oven and rest them for 5 min. without covering. In a deep dish put one spoon of confectioner’s sugar and dip the baked pastries in it. Place them in a box and do not cover till they get totally cold. Later on always keep the box closed. Enjoy it!

My apple pastries

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Someone asked me about where my creative mind comes from

 

Where my creative mind comes from? Truly from wherever I look now and then. From the nature of all natures and the unbearable lightness of a visual poem with endless colors and textures...  Only I paint If it feels right to me. Hopefully this clears up a bit.

Last week the French ship L'Hermione was in Las Palmas port. On that beautiful tuesday afternoon, I took my pastel sticks to draw this boat. Sitting in a bench by the harbour drawing nearly 2 hours. While I was concentrated on my artwork, people were visiting the ship and passing in front of me. Some artlovers stopped by to watch work in progress quietly and gentile, trying not to disturb me. Even a little boy asked me if he could take the photo of my drawing with his camera. It was a lot of fun to be out there working and sharing my artwork with them.

Work in progress

"L'Hermione in Las Palmas" by Birsen Ozbilge

Sakura Cray-Pas Expressionist oil pastels 

on Rembrandt cream pastel paper, 30 x 24 cm, 2015

(Available, click on SHOP to purchase)

Last week I started to another still-life oil painting for "Kitchen Stories" series. Zucchini is the main subject along with three eggs in a bowl which I will share my special zucchini fritter recipe in my book. To create a classical triangle composition, I needed something tall so I used a wooden African figure sculpture that we bought it in a flee market in NYC about 15 years ago. I laid these objects on a pink silk scarf which was a gift from my mother-in-law. Once I set the composition, I prepared my new recycled wooden palette, using the palette vertical direction is very handy and practical. I toned my canvas sheet with raw sienna color and directly drew the outlines, than blocked the mid tones and darks first and added the light colors afterwards. This first layer needs to dry now. I have several unfinished oil paintings which I am painting them back and forth at the moment. 

"Zucchini with eggs" work in progress

Today, I worked on a new oil pastel drawing with green flowers and carrots along with "La menina" figurine. If you remember the famous Spanish painter Diego Velázquez's "Las meninas". I used Sakura Cray Pas Expressionist 50 color set on a black toned paper. Using dark tone papers gives a very nice texture effect on finished work. The trick is not to cover the surface totally and use it as contrast with pastels. Objects can be painted with several layers in order to stand out more.

 Work in progress

 "La menina with carrots" by Birsen Ozbilge

Sakura Cray-Pas Expressionist oil pastels 

on Rembrandt black pastel paper, 24 x 30 cm, 2015
Available, contact me for purchase details

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Self-portrait Sketch

The other day I was searching images for my next self-portrait project and I came across with a photo I recently took. As I like to get ideas from early sketches, I did this quick one on my diary notebook (see below). Next step will be choosing the materials; a wood panel perhaps, right size and shape brushes and of course oil paints... I will share the work in progress pictures soon.

A quick sketch self-portrait from photo

Advancing on the Geranium and the apples still-life painting. The afternoon studio light is very rewarding when you work from real life objects. You learn a lot this way and get experienced by relying on your eyes instead of a camera objective which is ok to use in some other occasions.

Work in progress

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I didn't forget the Children's Day, it was just another busy week...

Children is celebrating 23rd of April in Turkey.

Last week, 23rd of April was the Children's Day in Turkey. I was quite busy that day, I didn't have time to share anything. So, today I went through my archives and found out an oil panting of a young girl that I had made a while ago. I really enjoy the innocence of a little girl in this age, about 4-5 so. I have many nieces, in fact few of them are in these ages now and they are adorable to spend time together. 

"The girl with pink baloon" by Birsen Ozbilge

oil on canvas, 11 x 15 cm, 2013

I started to work on another oil painting for the "Kitchen Stories" painting series. Our balcony flower started to bloom last week, so I combined this geranium with two green apples and a hand painted silk scarf which was made by my mother. I will share the advanced stages later on, so stay tuned.

Work in progress

Few days ago, I was drawing on my sketch book by the beach. I tried to capture as much as possible from the nature and surroundings, such as the waves, the light and two fishermen whom they were moving constantly. Later on I added the fast boat and a sail boat as well. Lastly the big fish net at far close to horizon.

from the sketch book, pencil and eraser.

Last week, I made a YouTube clip for basic soft pastel tips. I will start to make Time lapse tutorials as well, so if you are interested in sign up on my channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/Birsen

Have a great week!

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My Soft Pastel Adventure; a Cityscape Painting from the Rooftop

Vegueta rooftops

Last weekend, I took cityscape photos from the rooftop of my sister-in-law's new apartment in Vegueta which located at the historical part of Las Palmas. I haven't been painting with soft pastels lately, especially for a landscape painting, so I decided to make one. I have the basic colors of Derwent, Marie's and a nice sketch tones of Saguine brand pastels. For the paper, I chose a light brown toned Talens brand pastel paper, taped with mask tape all around to the masonite board and than I put the guide marks. Ready to paint now... I started to sketch the composition with a dark brown soft pastel first. Starting to paint from top to bottom, I layed the blue on sky leaving the cloud areas blank. After, I mixed the blue color with white using my fingertips to soften the blue. I painted the clouds with white adding a few touches of yellow and dark brown at the bottom edges. Again, using my fingertips, I gave the soft transition and the volume to the colors. Afterwards, I worked on the buildings, laying medium tones and white areas first and darks on top of it. Finished with white, yellow additions to give the light areas.

  

Soft pastels

Work in progress

"Vegueta from the rooftop" by Birsen Ozbilge

Soft pastels on pastel paper, 30 x 22,5 cm, 2015

Available click on SHOP

Last week, I started to a new oil painting still-life composition for my upcoming "Kitchen Stories" book. I chose the cabbage as the main subject, because I have a great recipe from my mother and I cook this recipe for many years. To complement for the composition, I used a nice olive oil bottle and a handmade coconut shell spoon that I bought in New York many years ago. I set them on top of a silk scarf with drawings of "Alice in wonderland", also bought it in NYC from the gift shop of Metropolitan Museum of Art while I was working at the Frick Museum. It brings back good memories. See pic below.

Working on the studio for still-life

I gave a dark blue undertone to the canvas with acrylic paintings which is OK to start to an oil painting. Sketched it with brown paint defining dark areas. Started to work on the scarf and the objects using mid tones first and giving their rough look. In the next stage, I will work on the lights and shadow areas. Like the last two still-life painting this one has a small portion of my self portrait in it. I haven't added the details but it will be shown underneath of the table. And of course all the details of the Alice illustrations will be added at the last stage.

Lastly, I am sharing my cabbage soup recipe. Enjoy it! Let me know about your Kapuska soup.

Have a great week!

Work in progress (not finished yet)

KAPUSKA 
(Turkish style cabbage soup)

Ingredients:

1 medium size cabbage (cut in thin stripes 3 cm)

1 onion chopped tiny

4 table spoon ground meat (beef preferably)

3 table spoon olive oil

1 table spoon concentrated tomato paste

6 glasses of cold water
1 dessert spoon sugar 

salt

black pepper

pinch of spicy red cayenne pepper

Put the chopped onions with olive oil in a pot and sautéed about 5 min. Than add the ground meat mixing for another 5 more minutes until the meat is separated totally and changes its color to brown. Cut the cabbage while they are cooking. Add the cabbage to the pot with water and the rest of the ingredients. I cook the cabbage with pressure pot putting an alarm about 10 min after the vapor comes and once alarm sounds I turn it off without moving the pot another 10-15 min. So it continues to cook. Of course to open the lid I move it on top of a cool marble and wait about 10 more minutes. If you are going to cook in a regular pot I would suggest high to low heat after 10 min and cook for 35-40 more minutes. The texture of the cabbage comes out very smooth. Serve it hot with toasted bread. Bon appétit!

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