December's Snow

The new pvc greenhouse * (see bottom note about building plans) was finally tested by a snowstorm of about 6" inches. This greenhouse was built last spring after the old one collapsed during a heavy wet 3' snowstorm. We decided to design and build one that we could build more of both cheaply and easily but one that would also look nice.

The insides showed very little stress...it helped we put in 3 sturdy supports directly connected to the ridgepole.

The slight sagging of the cross ties is due to the weight of the rebar inside the pvc pipe not the snow load; the sag has always  been there from day one. The collar ties actually push back during weightloading and hold the ribs outward. The ribs showing no signs of sag at all. I did notice the older plastic (we used the old plastic from the collapsed greeenhouse) does catch the snow a bit and we will have to remove snow by pushing up with brooms during a heavy snowstorm and leave a heater on at a 40 degree setting during the night of a large storm to keep the snow from hanging onto the house in pockets. This will be an interesting winter for sure.

Many of the mother plants (the tropicals and temperates we propagate from) go into the enclosed porch attached to the house which we insulated and tiled the floor of years ago. We plastic the windows for the winter and the temp rises to 80 degrees. By opening the atrium doors to it we use the passive solar heat to heat the farmhouse on sunny days. This can make for not only a warmer house but a nice cozy studio well into the evening hours.

If you do store plants inside a cool porch don't forget to check the pot's soil for water but do not over water as most plants are slowing down with the lowered light level. Overwatering will cause their roots to rot.

Most bulb plants that have receded into their bulb should not be watered at all. Such as elephant ear, tuberous begonia and amaryllis. Amaryllis we keep in a cool dark area to force them into bloom again in late winter.

 We also have an eastern treefrog  brought in with our plants and it trills every day when the temperatures rise. I am hoping I brought in enough bugs with the plants for it to snack on all winter. This is a very small and but very loud frog;  heard all over the farm in the trees late spring, summer into fall. Click here for more info on this frog and many others.


*Finally finishing the drawings and specs for this greenhouse! It was impossible to do them up until this coming week as the extra workload from the farm and my art consumed all the extra time. I also was concerned  that it was a practical house for snow. To get plans for this inexpensive very practical sturdy pvc/rebar greenhouse send me a self-addressed stamped envelope with $10.00.to Mille Fleur Farm, 82 Factory Pasture Lane, Kennebunk, ME 04043.I will pass the proceeds on for the community's  "Grow a Row" project!

Here's the link for the post on when we constructed this greenhouse in the spring.

Thank to all of you who ordered plans as yes,they are coming just in time for Christmas! Happy building!

The Maine Illustrator's Collective

I have been  member of  The Maine Illustrator's Collective for the past 3 years. I do their blog editing, most of the writing,  coordinating their new website, assist with advertising and show promotion.

Because of this I have gotten to know many of the professional illustrators living and working in the upper New England area.Connecting and networking with other artists who have walked the same walk as me:  juggling family and freelance assignments, working second jobs, and even sharing similar memories with those who lived and worked in Philly and New York City where my early career started. Two of the artists have even done work for the same companies I have.Amazing!

Most commercial artists, are incredibly diverse and  interesting, as they do not depend upon the public's patronage to make their living but instead actively go out and procure work through an agency, publisher, or client. Many do their own promotional work, image scanning and prep, and even their websites. These outgoing artists, instead of being self-focused, are usually interested in all kinds of art, tools and methods, and are actively involved with their communities and knowledgeable about the world in general. Many have had other jobs, like me,  as teachers and art directors.

The MEIC has given me both much needed perspective and some very good friends.

I invite you to follow the MEIC blog*.. if you live in upper New England and are interested in joining give us an e-mail or send me a comment and I'll make sure you know the next meeting place and time. Bring your stories and your art to share!

*Check out the MEIC member's blogs posted in the left column, too!

Flander's Field Poppies

Recently finished one of many illustrations for a book called Memorial Day. The illustration was refreshing to do...a charming older serviceman in uniform.... white haired with an interestingly wonderfully lined face that showed his years of life and service engraved all over it.

I tried to incorporate the feeling of the Flander's Field poem...a hillside filled with red poppies into the illustration also.  I love these beautiful poppies and have grown them on our farm here and elsewhere. They are gorgeous both close-up and far away waving like little floating flags all over the hills in Flanders in the spoiled earth of the battlefields and cemeteries where war casualties were buried and thus they have become a symbol of Europe and the U.K.'s  Remembrance Day.  Remembrance Day is the U.S.'s Memorial Day.

To grow poppies-scatter seed in the fall over areas that have full sun in soil that has good drainage. Poppies hate wet feet! Do not dig them up when they are in growth they will die back and not bloom that season. It is best to grow them where you want them and then enjoy them. Other than that they are one of the easiest perennials to grow. A link for a peek at poppy seedlings.

For cut poppies- touch a lit match to the bottom of each just picked poppy stem and then arrange in water. The flame will seal the plant's sticky sap in the stem and the flower will last longer.

Gratitude

It is never too late to give thanks so here's my post Thanksgiving Day post.

Yesterday found me contemplating all day what I had to be thankful for while I harvested & cooked our farm food for the feast.

No matter how difficult things have been and no matter many hours I had to work in my early years juggling children's needs and my art as a single mother it will never ever be as hard as many women's lives are in this world. 

I will always be grateful to our friends, my sons, my partner, my clients, my editors and agent for my work,  the farm's loyal customers and, of course, to the land for giving us the food we eat.

Advertising Anxiety

Previous Advertising 

It is that time of year...."to buy or not to buy"..... advertising in an Illustrator's Annual.

I have to have perspective to be able to justify the cost so here it is:

The ratio of artists-to-jobs  has increased tremendously since the 90's, with cutbacks in the purchase of freelance art occurring throughout the print industry. Budget poor publishing companies hit hard by the growing poor economy in the U.S. and the tiny budgets of the smaller agencies often get by  with  in-house created digital art, recycling old art, online clip art, and, yes, sometimes, even utilizing "stolen " art from the net.

Add to this the ever increasing tide of art school graduates flooding the ever-shrinking art market, falsely encouraged by belief (promoted by art schools and the media) that commercial art is a fun glamorous profession. Desperate with the pressure of loan payments, many graduates, will do artwork for far below minimum wage for a "foot in the door" not realizing that even with the "door wide open" the increase in  "cheap labor" will drive the working wage even further down.

So where does this leave me and our studio? Having been in freelance commercial art for the past 27 odd years I can only do what I know best....adapt & change  by continuing to learn new digital art techniques, invest in software and computer equip, learn to decrease turn around time, tighten my budget and take on more technical work.

And I will take the plunge...compete with the other freelancers in the only two places where  professional skilled artists are still being seen...annuals and online commercial art sites. 

However, in my own way, I am a realist so I am not giving up the farm thing....carrots and potatoes are looking more and more appealing everyday.

Pear Streusel

Well, the ever dependable farmhands cleaned the pond, put away the leftover gallon perennials, put the winter snow supports in the farm's greenhouse (no collapsing greenhouses this year!), helped me store all the tropicals and the banana trees in the basement, and harvested the carrots and potatoes with very little moaning and slacking off  this last Sunday so I decided to give them a big fall feast ending with a  yummy and pretty Pear Streusel.

Pear with dried cherries Almond Streusel

Streusel

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  
• 1/2 brown sugar
  
• sprinkle of cinnamon and  nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8-10 tbsps of unsalted butter sightly melted
  
• 1/2-3/4 cups coarsely chopped almonds (I use a blender so chopping is easier

 Stir  all the dry ingredients then add the butter

Filling

• 1/4-1/2 cup of honey (yes, you can use sugar...I just like honey as it goes well with fruit)
  
• 1/2 cup orange juice
  
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup dried tart cherries
• 5-6 med ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored, cut up (actually I use any old pear)
  
• 2-3 apples fresh Grannys work best, peeled, cored, cut-up
• a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon and a 1/4 cup of brandy(optional)
• handful of flour 
  

Simmer the cherries in the orange juice, brandy, and honey just a bit to soften.... mix into the cut up pears and apples along with the salt add flour and stir until coated ...Butter a baking dish....put in the filling sprinkle with spices.... top with streusel.... and bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or more until golden brown on top and bubbly on the sides. Cool a bit and serve warm.

Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Missing dried cherries then use cranberries! We have tons of these in Maine.

Playing Possum

Last night,  two wild critters had a duel on the farm's porch. We went outside after hearing a commotion and smelling a godawful smell.
A stinky skunk and a sneaky possum were facing off over possession of  the compost heap bucket.
The possum won the battle by climbing up onto the table and into the bucket of scraps.
Smart possum.