More Adventures in Photo Styling: Rustic Wood Planks

I have found myself lately captivated by logs in our woodpile. There is so much recorded in the growth rings, the peculiar places where a branch emerges from the trunk, the darker striations of bark like wisdom lines in a human face. The shapes and textures inform my ceramic work at deep levels beyond a conscious choice to illustrate. There is just a delight and fascination  in picking up each log that emerges with no effort at all in the organic shapes of my trays or the combed facets on mugs and vases.

I decided to use a rustic wood plank as a styling board, and went to Asheville Hardware to look through their selection of slab wood and reclaimed lumber. The selection is intoxicating! From beautiful slabs of maple, poplar, oak and cedar to reclaimed barn doors, vintage flooring, and bins of scrap wood to rummage in. Half a day later I selected a slab that my husband has lovingly hand sanded. It is not yet stained nor oiled but I’ve already begun shooting pottery on it. Plus planning several future purchases!

If you are planning to use rustic wood planks as a table centerpiece or styling board, look through the thinner slices because wood is pretty heavy. You can use the pieces that aren't as prized for tabletops and shelving because irregular shapes, holes, and knots are visually interesting. Personally I love love love the bark left on. You can spend as little as $10 for an unsanded piece that is quite wonderful, or as much as $600 for a finished piece of the same size and quality so you can save a bucketful with a bit of DIY. Also, Asheville Hardware’s prices were 1/3 of what I found on Ebay, so definitely visit them if you are in Asheville. Or hunt down a similar store selling rustic planks and reclaimed lumber.

Here are my initial results:

 

I want to thank my husband, my most incomparable love, for his help. Besides sanding my rustic board, Ken is the gardener whose flowers give life to my vases. He also dropped my off at the opening weekend of Trader Joes where a parking place was nonexistent and the traffic was slightly insane so I could buy the little squash and other food staging necessities. He then parked blocks away. I think I owe him a nice home cooked meal after I get done using it for my food styling!

Artisan Food, Artisan Pottery

I've been working on texture in clay, if you can even call that "working"; it consists of pressing, poking, and dragging things into the clay to see what happens. I've also refined how to roll clay into a circular shape so that the edges are the natural, untouched texture made by the process. they are not cut into shape. This is my first nesting bowl set made in this manner. You can find it on my website here.

I've also been studying a bit of food styling. Here is a simple shot, using some melon balls to show scale in my nesting bowl set. My props are beginning to tell a story about my bowls. The gray placemat was made by stamping onto fabric, a technique similar to my textured clay. the melon balls visually articulate the intention of my Urban Rustic series, which is to showcase wholesome, artisan food, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables.

My new frontier is to integrate my love of food with the styling of my pottery. My ceramic work is shaped in part by my own needs as a home cook and hostess. Here is a recipe I use all summer long. You can use the syrup sparingly for a light fruit salad or lavishly for a very tasty dessert. It is ultra-simple. Everyone wants seconds and the recipe, too!

Melon Balls in Grand Marnier sauce

3 cups- cantaloupe or mixed melons (watermelon is great in this), balled or cut into cubes

sauce:
1/2 cup orange juice
sugar to taste (4-5 T approx)
1/4 cup Grand Marnier liqueur

whisk sugar into orange juice. You will need a little less or more depending on how sweet the juice is. Fresh squeezed orange juice needs a bit less.Then add the Grand Marnier.

Pour sauce over fruit and allow to marinate 20 minutes- 1 hour before serving.

Savor!

Happy Easter! Happy Pesach!

My home celebrates Passover and Easter, so my table is prepared to transition.

Passover bird plate

 

white bird plates

Blue bird plates

Wherever you are, and however you greet the spring, I hope that you set the table well!

by believing passionately

What drives me in pottery, after all these years, is not to give birth to stuff that merely decorates. I believe that if you are decorating, you are already dead. The places where we dwell, the room we awake into, the table we set are not reflections of who we are. These are the molds that shape who we are. They create us, and we are reflections of what surrounds us.

When I create pottery for the table, it is with the intention to nourish the soul, to open interesting discussions, to leave imprints of wild and organic shapes in the memories of those who gather.

In learning to style my photos I am reading techniques so that I might bring the possibility of beautiful, wild, organic living. The regimented geometry of where things must be placed is stifling. I love creating flow and movement and pushing the boundaries. Technically, I am still pretty basic. This will improve over time.

Pottery displayed available here
Do you believe passionately in something that still does not exist?

Birds Nest Casserole

I made this casserole extra large. it is 4 qts. I didn’t like the way it photographed on my white staging table, so I moved it to the old enamel table in my kitchen. I had to move the table around to get nice soft light, but I am really happy with these shots.  I am using more food styling. The buttermilk is from a local dairy and the organic eggs are local, too. There is nothing like real farm fresh food.  We are fortunate here in Asheville to have so many farmers markets and organic grocery stores that support our local growers and farmers.

 

 

Here is the Birds Nest casserole in my Etsy store. A bird's nest with eggs is a symbol of prosperity, comfort and good fortune on it's way.

Thai Coconut Curry Soup with Arugula

This is a soup we often eat after working out. It has the high protein, low fat ratio that my trainer approves and is so intensely flavorful that I now prefer it over high fat creamy soups. like all of my Thai dishes, I’ve tweaked it with Moroccan elements.

Thai Coconut Curry Soup with Arugula:

1 lb cruelty free organic center cut pork, cubed

1 T olive oil

2 C vegetable broth

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 14 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes

1/2 C chopped roasted green chilies

1  14 oz can organic coconut milk

1 T lime juice

1 T  Thai red curry paste

1/8 t cinnamon

1/8 t cumin

Sauté pork in large fry pan over medium heat, using about 1 T olive oil. When meat is fully cooked, add all of the other ingredients, cover, and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 C  baby arugula greens. Let soften. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

 

serves 4

This soup is great served in my flower curry bowl- check here for availability. Since my current rage is food styling, I’ll be sharing more of my home cookin recipes. let me know how you like them!