RECKLESS ABANDON...Photo Imaging

Neckboards on sale at the library

artfuss — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:59:50 +0000

Take an hour on November 12th to drop by the Riverside Library…

In praise of rusty things…

artfuss — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:32:34 +0000

Myths, like art, are attempts to catch a glimpse of undiscovered country. They take everyday existence and transform it into something remarkable. It is through these stories that misfortunes are transformed into adventures, attractions are transformed into everlasting love, and the process of life and death is transformed into a magnificent mechanism that operates beyond our line of sight.” ~Michael deMeng

The following photographs are a series that studies what was left behind.

I find color, interest and design in the chaos. My eye wants to wander around - follow the lines, find the small things, look for treasure.

From India to Istanbul to Fredericton – a taste experiment

artfuss — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:31:11 +0000

Andrea and I had a wonderful eggplant dish in Istanbul at an indian restaurant named Dubb. Loved it, loved it, loved it! After much searching, we think we may have found the recipe. This blog entry charts our attempt at duplicating the beloved Dubb taste treat. Wearing our new aprons (given to us by Eric and Chris), we forged ahead into uncharted gastronomic territory.

Punjabi Baingan Bharta is just one of the several versions of eggplant bharta there are in Indian cooking. The word ‘bharta’ (pronounced BHURR-taah) refers to dishes in which the ingredients are roughly mashed either before or after the dish is prepared. Bhartas are largely North Indian in origin and made from all sorts of vegetables. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized eggplants (roughly 500gms/ 1 pound)
2 tbsps vegetable/ sunflower/ canola cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium-sized onions chopped fine
1 tbsp garlic paste or garlic chopped very fine
1″ piece of ginger grated fine
2 green chillies or other hot stuff
2 large tomatoes chopped fine
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsps finely chopped fresh green coriander

For this recipe, Andrea ground all the spices for an heavenly, aromatic garam masala from scratch. Worth it just for the scents!

Preparation:

Baingan Ka Bharta requires that the eggplant be roasted, and by roasted, I mean charred and left on the grill long past when you think you should remove them. Roast on a gas cooktop or a BBQ by just placing the eggplant straight on the burner and keeping the flame on med-low setting. Keep turning and cooking till all the skin on the eggplant is charred and the inner flesh looks really soft. A good sign to watch for is that the eggplant seems to ‘cave in’ on itself.

Once the eggplant is roasted, allow it to cool fully and then peel off and discard the charred skin.

Once cool, coarsely mash and keep aside for later use.

Now set up a pan on medium heat and add the cooking oil.

When hot, add the cumin seeds and cook till the spluttering stops.

Add the onions and fry till soft and translucent.

Add the garlic and the ginger and fry for 1 minute.

Add the tomato and all the powdered spices, including the garam masala. Stir well and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often to prevent the spice mix from sticking to the pan. Sprinkle a little water if needed.

Now add the eggplant and mix well. Add the chopped fresh coriander and stir.

Cook another minute and turn off the heat.

Serve hot with chapitis or Rice and your favorite daal dish.

It is good! I don’t think we quite captured Dubb’s unique flavours, our our version is very tasty.

She’s been around…

artfuss — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:40:20 +0000

This baby has been rode hard. Handmade from a skateboard that looks like it has been around the world and back. Think about wearing all that speed and joy around your neck. Think about the stories this Neckboard could tell. It is the scrapes and the scuffs that make a Neckboard something special. Zebra stripes lilac and black…it’s an original!
$30.

Check out the rest of the latest batch of one-of-a-kind skateboard necklaces HERE

FRESH BOARDS

artfuss — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:55:56 +0000

I finally managed to get a few new (broken, smashed, scuffed) skateboards! I advertised on kijiji and got a response fro “schizo skater”. He has several boards he’d trashed and was willing to donate to the cause. I met Schizo at a Tim Hortons and he was a real sweetheart. I gave him a couple of keychains with skateboard dongles and thanked him profusely. It really is great when someone is willing to help me out with a donation!

I can’t tell how much usable area I can get from each one, but it looks like I may get some interesting art.

It will be too hot for the next few days to get any cut up, but I’m almost finished working the grip tape off. It’s a dirty job.

hopefully, in 3 or 4 weeks, you’ll see me posting photos of the Neckboards I made from these boards.

Big, bold, beautiful

artfuss — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:32:54 +0000

Complexity. This large Neckboard has a lot going on. Purple is splashed across the surface to top up some premium scuff work done by a wild skater. Black calms the left side of the necklace down and provides a pool for four gold tadpoles to swim to the top. Gold rivets down the center hold it all together. Everyone sees something different when they look at this handmade necklace.
$30.

This upcycled skateboard necklace and many others are available for online purchase HERE

Basic black and cool

artfuss — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:28:39 +0000

Jet black and so smooth it looks as though it’s made of glass. This upcycled skateboard is cool, confident and ever-so-funky. Black is statement of the necklace, but little shoots of yellow, white dots and a quirky little red and white flag bring it up to another level. The board this Neckboard was made from was one of those seldom seen beauties, with layers of teal tinted maple sandwiched between natural wood. Finished off with a stainless steel cable and a great, no-fiddle magnetic clasp…nice.
$30.

Want to see more Neckboards? Fresh ones just made and put in the shop, right here – click, baby, click

Here is one for a skater

artfuss — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 01:44:43 +0000

This Neckboard is for a real skater. Almost all of the art on this necklace is clean deck art – hard to find on a well travelled board. Sharp, edgy, a real statement. The warm layers of maple beneath the funky deck art make an interesting contrast. People will take note of you with this handmade Neckboard floating around your neck on a thin, super strong, nylon covered stainless steel chord. $30.

Take a look at all the other unique Neckboards HERE

Layered gold

artfuss — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:52:40 +0000

Could this complex gold on gold creation really have been a skateboard at one time? The seven layers of alternating light and dark maple showing on the side of the necklace say yes. Around your neck, this Neckboard looks more like liquid gold swirling in glass. Look closely at this stunning piece, you’ll see gold in 2 tones, hints of green and yellow peeking out from behind and black dots floating over top. The back of this necklace is maple, stained a medium grey and showing the wood grain. It’s deep…

$30.
Many more Neckboards are available for purchase at my website HERE All of these handmade beauties are carefully crafted, using the best materials. Saving broken skateboard decks and giving them a new life makes recycling a beautiful thing.

Jungle love

artfuss — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:38:54 +0000

It’s dark in the jungle. Hints of sunlight light up the bright green leaves. Bamboo waves gently in the wind. This upcycled skateboard gives me the feeling of jungle. Some great scuffs add to the feeling of movement. Imagine this handmade Neckboard around your neck when you are stepping out wearing that cute little black dress. $30.

This Neckboard and almost 70 other one of a kind creations can be purchased from my website. click here to go there -

Flutter by…

artfuss — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 02:32:59 +0000

This Neckboard is unlike any other that I’ve made before. The art on the skateboard was completely scraped off from some hard riding so there was a blank canvas to work with. I thought I’d try something different. The butterfly flutters up from below to link up with circles and polkadots. Unique. $30.

All Neckboards are handmade from recycled skateboards. You can access the Neckboard shop through my website click here to go there now

This is a keeper

artfuss — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 01:59:21 +0000

This is my very favorite Neckboard of the last batch I made. I like it so much, I think I’ll have to keep it – that’s the only perk of being the artist. This is a Neckboard that looks equally fab with jeans or an evening gown. It has some great natural scuffs down the center, balanced by the smooth black and white on either side. It matches everything and looks great naked too!
$30.

I have a line on some new boards so look for another batch coming up in August sometime.

Almost 70 one-of-a-kind Neckboards are available now online Click here to get to my website

Peace, baby

artfuss — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 03:16:01 +0000

Purple, lilac and green combine to make this upcycled skateboard a distinctive necklace. A peace sign near the center gives it some added flair and makes a statement too. A few scuffs left over from the freedom of the ride make it complete. Seven layers of natural maple riding on nylon covered, stainless steel that closes with a silver magnetic clasp…that’s a Neckboard. Handmade with love & peace, baby.

Day Seven

Neckboards can be purchased through my website – www.jenniferescott.com.

Classic style

artfuss — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 02:44:03 +0000

Black, white, brown and gold combine to create a semi-formal (yet still funky) Neckboard. This baby has geometric style with a quirky little line diagram thrown in to mix it up. The back of the Neckboard is natural maple and it rides on a thin line of nylon coated stainless steel. The whole thing is held together by a super strong magnetic clasp and 2 onyx beads. $30

Day Six

Neckboards can be purchased through my website at www.jenniferescott.com. Go to the SHOP tab.

Lilac jazz

artfuss — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 01:55:00 +0000

Whimsical comes to mind when you see this Neckboard. A rare one, cut from a skateboard in pastel hues of lilac, lime and white. This is a large Neckboard, but it won’t overpower. The back of the board is natural maple and the sides are alternating light and dark layers of natural maple. All my Neckboards are handmade, one of a kind pieces of art that you can wear.

$30

Day Five

All the Neckboards featured in the Neckboard-a-day campaign can be purchased through my website at www.jenniferescott.com. Go to the SHOP tab

Green Tiger

artfuss — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 01:59:10 +0000

The NeckBoard for today makes me think of the jungle. Green and black with a hint of white and some excellent scrapes and scuffs added by a hard-riding skateboarder. This necklace was made from a great board, with alternating layers of natural and turquoise stained wood – check out the side view below.

Day Four

Side view

Peeking Aqua

artfuss — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 02:19:15 +0000

Deep aqua peeks out from behind a smooth surface of black and white on today’s NeckBoard. Below a layer of crystal clear resin is yin and yang - one side in tranquil white and the other in aqua, showing the distress of a well used skateboard. Three layers of natural maple are sandwiched between two layers of aqua-stained maple on each side. The silver magnetic clasp makes this NeckBoard a breeze to put on and remove…no more fiddling with tiny clasps.

Day Three

Purple scuff

artfuss — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 01:06:34 +0000

The NeckBoard for today is a rare one. Most of the skateboards I get are pretty well travelled - meaning they have been so scuffed and scraped and pounded that there is very little of the original “board art” left on them. This board had some great art. It is often the scuff marks that make it really special and give the NeckBoard a funky, unique look. I love the scuffs on this baby!

Day Two

The NeckBoard-a-day campaign begins…

artfuss — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:06:12 +0000

I am almost finished a new batch of NeckBoards - whew! It was a long process this time because I was trying to squeeze all the cutting, sanding, painting, drilling, resining (is that a word?) and stringing in around a 10 week old puppy and her constant shenanigans. To celebrate this milestone, today begins the “NeckBoard a day” campaign. Each day, a new creation will be showcased.

Day One

Today’s NeckBoard is big and beautiful in black and gold and copper. This is the largest size I make - not huge, just bold enough to make a statement. Elegant and sophisticated, the jet black on this board contrasts nicely with the overlaid gold and copper. Made from a recycled skateboard, it features alternating layers of light and dark maple and sports a blue-green back that shows the grain of the wood. $30.

All NeckBoards can be viewed and purchased through my website at www.jenniferescott.com.

PIPER RULES

artfuss — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:35:53 +0000

Little Piper has taken over and is running me ragged, I spent the whole day today puffing and sweating about 2 steps behind her as she joyfully bounced and pounced herself from one event to another. To look at her, you’d think that butter wouldn’t melt…

We started off early by doing the puppy triathlon in an attempt to wear her out for her first solo car ride to see the Vet. I figured a half hour chasing a pink ball in the back yard, another half hour taking a brisk walk and a final half hour in a mad toy frenzy ought to do the trick. It certainly did the trick for me. I spent a half hour chasing Piper around the yard as she made lightning fast dashes between the ivy (toxic), the hose (quite tasty), the flowers (trampeling is fun) and the area I fenced because there was just too many dangers (forbidden areas are the most fun). But butter wouldn’t melt …

I’m sweaty and dirty and want to have a nap but we go for a walk and Piper is a fabulous walker! She didn’t go insane when she had a collar on and didn’t eat the leash and she occasionally walked in a straight line. Back home, she proceeds to pee the moment we return to the house, nice. The mad toy frenzy was just that – and I am dirtier and sweatier when it is over and time to go to the vet.

I can’t tell you about the car ride to the vet because it will make me relive the trauma.

At the vet’s office, she was a perfect little angel, and butter wouldn’t melt…

It is now 1 more car ride, 2 walks, 3 playtimes, 1 lawn mow, 1 house pee, 1 exploded stuffed toy and a load of laundry later and I don’t know about her but my neck and my ankle hurt, I’m still sweaty and dirty, I don’t think I have had anything to eat yet and I have to find the band-aids.

And I couldn’t be happier…did I tell you how smart she is? She learned to sit on command today…very advanced ya know…