olha pryymak

Today’s vegbox contents from Leila’s:

 

My quality of life greatly improved when I became a vegeboxer – a part of the growing community of people who get vegetable boxes delivered from Leila’s every Tuesday. Also to mark the third installment of the Leila’s shop report by Spitalfields Life I’ve painted some fresh asparagus I got from the shop yesterday.

Very pleased to announce the launch of the Leila’s shop report, that will be penned out and illustrated with beautiful photos and my paintings by the Gentle Author of the Spitalfields Life every month. This month’s???? season produce report includes Jerusalem artichokes, grape hyacinth, blood oranges from Italy, several types of radicchio, wild garlic and radishes, fennel and much more.

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I have pictured forced rhubarb here in today’s painting, and some nice cauliflower in the background.

Leila’s shop, 15 March, 2011, 19×19 cm, oil on panel, nfs, similar available via Etsy

Popped in to get our favorite dried mango to find out that the magnificent quince fruit is now in season and offered at Leila’s.  And it was just yesterday that I went specifically to get those at the Borough market. Will be happy to come back here and restock on those next week. My grandma used to make amazing jam with those, she had a quince tree producing smallish covered with fuzz quince fruit, but the jam from it turned out royally good.

Copic marker and ink pen in Moleskine
Please email me your bid (starting at $45) if you’d like to own any of these pieces.

Decided to come back to my doodles, quite a few have accumulated since I last posted any here. Oh, and save the date to visit the upcoming show of one of my oils:

ING Discerning Eye opens in London from

13 – 23 November 2008
The Mall Galleries
The Mall
London SW1 Y5BD

2008, oil on board, 6×6 inches

Please email me your bid (starting at $75) if you’d like to own this piece.

I saw an ad for the herring, and sketched this little oil to illustrate the most memorable food from the trip we jus had.  This guy looks like he is goign ot slurp the poor fish tail down in a minute and with great gusto.

Check out this artist that was selling these brilliant realistic paintings on a street market in Amsterdam.

Separately about Catalan food: with omelettes served every hour of the day, instituted two breakfasts and very-very  late dinners offering tapas of beans, potatoes and seafood, pan con tomato, manchego cheeses.  For drinks it was the  local bubbly Cava or Rjoha and sometimes sangria , as well as local beer Moritz – all yum!  Had a great time packing myself with  salads like nicoise, great cheese plates, and bocadillos ( with honey and brie and walnuts, brie and tomato with olive oil and lettuce..)  Best food experience we had was at  Cava Fumada in Barcelonetta.  Fine dining experiences were not as memorable, on average the food seemed a bit too greasy with all the pork sausages and all… Maison Jesus and a small place in Gerona (that I don’t remember the name of) were very good.  Almost every single chiringito on the Barcelonetta beach served great shade, view of the sea, drinks and snacks.  It was pleasant to find out the city full of ancient established farmers’ markets where the locals usually stock up for the week.

Katherine Tyrrel at Making the Mark pointed out at the show of entymology illustrators exhibit at Getty.

15 x 15 cm, oil on board, 2008, private collection

David’s been working hard at home this week, his only outlet was taking some tea, and that was still at his desk – you can see our two laptops in the background here.  Btw, I’ve painted this rooster pot before, it’s my mom’s prize item in her china collection. The cups come from different service and yet perfectly match the teapot in a shabby chic kind of way, but of course it’s just about the tea for poor overworked David.  He always brings some variety from his regular London trips, this one was the Harrods kind from the duty free store. Tastes surprisingly good and justifies it’s 10 quid per can price tag.

15×15 cm, oil on board, 2008, private collection
… selling potatoes and pickles – the typical Ukrainian winter fare. She had the look of dignity and dreaminess in her eyes that can only be compared to that of the Unknown Woman by Kramskoi. The trick must be in the hat.

Speaking of traditional realist painting (which I sure hope to develop s I have more time to spend on each piece), a great young American painter Jeremy Lipking seem to carry on the traditional Russian realist painting with great success.

We’ve met up last night at my place with LittleMissMoi and MindtheGap to size up the apartment for the upcoming exhibit and think of the best way to arrange the works on the walls.

Fruit seller, 15×15 cm, oil on board, 2008 private collection

I’ve been producing one such little painting almost at a daily rate this week. They are 15×15 cm, painted in oil on board panel. This fruit seller personage comes from nearby where I live on Vorovskogo st. As you know, for same macabre reason the supermarkets hardly carry any fruit and vegetables here in Kyiv, so these entrepreneurial folks in tents on street corners (rain or shine) fill in the niche.