ruffled sweater

I made this with wool I bought at the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck. I spun it, plied it and created the design. The black is a natural shetland wool from a black shetland sheep at Wild Apple Farm in Hudson, NY. The aqua and black mix is alpaca from Painted Spring Farm, Spring Grove, PA. I believe the black alpaca is named Felipe.

I had barely enough to finish. I did 3-ply in the all shetland portion, which in retrospect was a mistake. I would have made the transition to the body hem ruffle a more gradual transition if I had had some extra wool to play with. In any case it is very comfortable as long as the Shetland wool doesn't touch my skin. The alpaca on the edges is soft and comfy!

Sikee's Story

"Sikee's Story" The newest illustration for my as yet unpublished youth novel The Moon in the Morning

Matzoh Plywood

I invented this one evening and it turned out great! 

Try it! 

I call it "plywood"

 because in layering the matzohs I alternate the direction of the matzoh ridges.

Ingredients: 

about six or seven Matzohs, 

3 cups of blended liquid consisting of 

four eggs, one onion, garlic and milk seasoned with salt, pepper and parsley 

Sliced cheese (approx. 8 oz.) and mushrooms. 

Process:

non-stick spray the baking dish, then set in first matzoh, lay on some cheese slices and mushroom, pour on some of the liquid mixture, and repeat the process until the dish is full and the liquid is used up. 

Press on the matzohs to settle them in the liquid and let it all sit a few minutes, adding a final layer of just cheeses and mushroom. 

Bake in moderate oven until done - about 30 to 40 minutes. It is done when you slice it in the center and you don't see any runny liquid. Let cool slightly before slicing, for neater slices.

Painting Gifford Road in Winter

My latest painting - 24" by 48" oil on canvas

based on this photograph:

see more details at Rebecca Nebesar Art and Illustration

go to "My Latest Painting"

Cape Cod Portrait Painting

I have signed it...it must be done!

I think this is done. Hmmm.

This is the in-process diary of this Renoir style quadruple portrait painting (not finished yet!) I am doing for my husband - as a late Christmas gift. Scroll down to see the iterations of the painting going back in time...

This may be done! I will sleep on it

juicing in color with a thin wash

composition set

the first composition - rejected

I have been working on photographs and on my novel since Christmas but this week I have finally had the time/made the time to do a painting. It is still in process but coming along. I am channeling Renoir for this one at my husband's request. He wants a portrait of all four of our children. Using Photoshop I pieced together five photos to get an appealing composition and good facial expressions. I've studied Renoir's technique and I am trying to get that Renoir beauty and surface excitement going.

Buche de Noel

Recipes to follow, but for now just look...

Christmas Baking

Have a 

Merry and 

Delicious Christmas!

Cookies shown are Czech Bear Paws from Joza Brizova's Cooking the Czech Way, Spritz Cookies using two recipes from the kit, and two recipes from Rombauer, Becker, and Becker Joy of Cooking Christmas Cookies - Drei Augen (cut with one eye though!) and  Lowfat Pinwheels