A fairy tale night

For a long time, Persians have been celebrating long summer afternoons with a spread of chilled iced watermelon drinks in glass goblets, fire grilled kebob skewers wrapped in long thin sheets of oven baked breads, fresh herbs and vegetables on a medley of platters, and seasonal fruits posing beautifully on pedestals. There's nothing more mouth watering than the smell of charcoal toasted meat skewers, the fresh scent of mint, parsley, and basil leaves arranged around rosettes of radishes, the tart aroma of Shiraz Salad with strong vinegar dressing, and the bouquets of grapes, berries, and melon slices overflowing the dishes. Noosh e jan نوش جان is what is said at the beginning of each meal. It simply means "enjoy". On warm summer nights, when stars begin to appear one by one, after a nibble off the soft flesh of figs and a dive at the delicate dessert plates topped with dates and walnuts, remember the songs of birds fluttering about the garden, the late ocean breeze gently passing through, whispering old fairy tales onto the trees' ears. If you listen carefully, they'd tell you stories of love, romance, and infinite wisdom.

اجیل مشکل گشا

انجیر-نخودچی-نقل-توت-پسته-فندق-بادام-کشمش-گردو-تخمه-آبنبات

Tuscan Village

Gardening for art

Collect plants, seeds, and flowers that you like to draw and paint, and plant them in the garden, patio, balcony, or indoors if you live in an apartment. Choose pots and planters with artsy sense; sculpted containers, and potted bowls, even unusual items such as sea shells and rocks with holes in them are ideal for planting tiny herbs and flowers.

I stick to a few seasonal varieties like giant sunflowers, and pumpkins in April and continue filling pages of a small sketch book through May, June, and July when they finally bloom. Sunflowers and pumpkins have the most interesting anatomies which offer an abundance of still life art subjects.

If you fill up pages of a small thick blank note book, try to move leaves and stem around gradually and slowly turn the face of the flower around .... keep sketching in close sequence to create an animated hand drawn cartoon. It'll be "a sunflower in summer breeze".

If you happen to have a dry piece of land in your property where weeds grow and create an ugly sight, try to invest a little in irrigating, and plant new trees and bushes... Fruit trees are delightful, healthy, and fabulous for shade.

For inspirations and ideas: Google

Butterfly garden, Fairy garden, Mediterranean kitchen garden, Lavender farms in Provence, and artichoke fields in California.

Peace

Painting in the garden

I paint with oils over dry pencil drawings on canvas.  Flower and Herb Gardens are particularly interesting subjects for realistic or abstract art.  Though most of my art is done outdoors, I often take photos and compose imagery in my studio, "La Marguerite Blanche" or "the white daisy".  My work place is filled with recycled bottles and cans holding paint brushes and boxes of oil paints.  It's named after the field of daisies near my studio window.  The studio overlooks a garden with blossoming cherry trees, lilacs, and jasmine in early spring, lavender, morning glories, and wild flowers through summer, giant sunflowers in late summer, pomegranates, plums, pears, apples, and grapes at Harvest time, Jack-O-lantern pumpkins in fall, and red roses in winter.  I collect leaves, petals, and seeds for art and decor ideas frequently; these specimen along with jars of flower arrangements sit on my studio desks all year.  From time to time, a butterfly flutters by.

The melodies and tunes sung by birds, complements my atmosphere, adding to the fairy garden effect.  Choosing this sort of art creates the enchanting mood of the garden through different seasons inside the house or office.

Lavender

The right time came to harvest lavender.  Under the warmest early summer sun, we spent a few hours clipping lavender stems.  Some of the flowers had dried naturally.  We had to collect the violet and purple flowers in our baskets before spreading them on white cloths.  Next, lavender was packed in glass jars for culinary use.  

The little note to being happy

It was inspiring to hear many young people speak to "Voice of America".  On the issue of hopelessness and how it causes young people to feel depressed often, especially in areas of the globe where inflation and poverty are topics of everyday life, I have to say, it's a trap of the mind.

Confidence, self assurance, and the sense of overall creative expression can help with these feelings tremendously.  I would rely on the experts' advice and the importance of therapy, exercise, and yoga, only to add the exercise of art, music, literature, entertainment, and dance.  These acts cheer up the spirit, lift up the body and mind, and gather one's whole being around the warmth of life.  

To keep the mind away from upsetting thoughts, I would offer whimsical services such as reading to kids, doing art with them, face painting, finger art, and simply listening to soothing music while doing activities.  In the spring and summer, you can have chalk on pavement, clay, and mural painting outdoors, while in fall and winter, you get to make crafts and collect treasured gifts with beads, yarn, and paper.  Having room for creative arts, can surely improve one's life.