Intermittent downpours in the last week of February 2014 have been good for the garden, California, and the water supply for my Conservation Art series.
It has not been so great for my golf game.
© 2014 Theresa Funk, All rights reserved.
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Water and Color on Paper
The time I spend in the garden is equally divided between gardening, play and training with Stella, and artistic expression. In addition to hydrating and harvesting vegetables today, I painted a gift for my partner.
Original watercolor on paper from my California Series, copyright 2013.
~T.
Lettuce Begin Growing The Next Round Of Salad
Butterhead, Romaine, and Red Leaf varieties are off to a good start while we continue to prep the garden beds for our fall and winter vegetable crops. We are blessed to live in a climate zone with a growing season that lasts from March to November, and have soil that needs little to no remediation except for the weeding.
~T.
Garden Beauties
Morning Glory vines cover a six foot section of fence in the Garden’s back yard and discreetly hide my naked Iron Maiden.
~T.
Funk Art
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Funk art was inspired by popular culture in the 60’s and 70’s, and uses unlikely mixtures of materials and techniques. Funk artists are not as concerned with impeccable technique, durability or form and so our works are often characterized as having a “sloppy finish”.
My Art Disc Go series have sloppy beginnings and less than sloppy finishes but in the authentic process of making my art, I am at peace and present in those moments of joyful creation.
~T.
Nature’s Candy
Confectionery is broken up into three categories: chocolate, non-chocolate, and chewing gum. A bowl full of non-chocolate goodies picked fresh from our garden is in a category of its own: delicious.
~T.
Lycopene
Lycopene is a naturally occurring chemical that gives fruits and vegetables a red color. As you can tell by the photo, our tomatoes are loaded with the stuff. According to the American Cancer Society, a major claim for lycopene’s benefits is in the prevention and treatment of cancers of the lung, prostate, stomach, bladder, cervix, skin, and, especially, prostate. In support of these claims regarding cancer, proponents note that lycopene is a powerful antioxidant, a compound that blocks the action of free radicals, activated oxygen molecules that can damage cells, and that several scientific studies have found lower risk of cancer among people who eat lycopene-rich foods.
The bowl of tomatoes were grown in our garden, and we continue to harvest and eat them daily. With the triple digit heat that is expected to last until the 4th of July, I anticipate that we’ll be eating more of these lycopene rich fruits on a daily basis.
~T.
Ripening Tomato in the Sunflower Shine
~T.
Beet Good or Beet Gone
We have begun to harvest the first round of beets that we started from seed and are impressed with both their size and color. We eat them raw and grated in our green salads, roasted with carrots, and are contemplating pickling some should we have a need to preserve a bit of this year’s harvest.
Borscht is not out of the question, but having never attempted to make the dish before, I am a bit apprehensive about committing the root to a soup pot.
In the meanwhile, we continue to savor the flavor of this beloved and underestimated root vegetable and welcome suggestions for a beet recipe nouveau.
The root of the problem is the problem with the root.
It has a reputation of tasting something like a boot.
Having never tasted leather nor the shoes you wear on feet,
I say the gorgeous vegetable tastes exactly like a beet!
~T. Funk
Growing The Funk House Art Garden, One Seed at a Time
Welcome to The Funk House Art Garden!
Membership to our authentic Bohemian Social Club is by invitation only, but is open to peaceful people and artists who appreciate, support, or otherwise contribute to the creative process of making art.
The Funk House Art Garden is a house with a garden and art.
Creating the Garden was an act of art and of love,
and we toil daily so that both art and love may thrive.
Henri Matisse said that creativity takes courage, and he was absolutely right.
I am courageous in this blessed place,
our haven of inspiration.
I will create with determination to inspire others
to create without fear.
What fear will you conquer today?
~T.
THERESA MAE FUNK 