Growing Turmeric- 2 - Making Turmeric Powder At Home

Growing turmeric was an experiment I had tried and it turned out to be a success. I had written about it last year. It had been such a pleasure to see the plant bloom in 2017! Later in the year last summer, I had two patches of turmeric growing and to my delight, there were several flowers in each patch.

At one time, there were 7 flowers! 

I had used the leaves for some traditional recipes described here in my previous post. I had also added a small piece of the root in a spice mix.

However, I was told that making turmeric powder is an elaborate process and this underground stem or 'rhizome' needs to be treated a little before you can powder it. I had pushed the project to the back burner for a while. Yesterday, I found a lot of turmeric rhizomes looking up at me!

I dug them out.

And I hosed them down. They cleaned up pretty nicely to reveal fresh, yellow growth.

This is the whole lot dug out and washed. 

They were then put in a pan with enough water to cover them. The water started to boil. Fresh turmeric aroma was filling up the room, but not in an overwhelming way. It was delightful!

I let the water boil for 25-30 minutes. Then, the water was drained out.

When the rhizomes were cool enough to handle, the peeling process began.

They were peeled lightly. The bright yellow turmeric color was now on full display!

The rhizomes were then chopped into little circles. These pieces can be air dried but it has been very wet lately, so I oven dried them. 

This is an update- cutting the rhizomes into long strips works out better especially when you have a large amount to process.

They then went into the oven preheated to 175 deg F. A dehydrator will work great too, but I do not have one. An air fryer with a dehydrator mode also works very well. The bits were dry after 5-6 hours in the oven, and they went into a grinder after they were cool to the touch. 

The Vitamix dry grinding jar is the best tool for the next step. In no time, it produces fine turmeric powder. 

If you do not have one, a coffee grinder like the one below will also work just fine.

Ta-da!!! Here it is! Freshly ground organic homegrown turmeric!!! 

Do share if you found this post helpful, and how your experience goes with this gratifying process!

Pencil Drawings

It was by accident that I discovered the joy of pencil drawing. Here are a few of the drawings I have done in the past three months. I would appreciate feedback.

This one of Half Dome from Yosemite is my most recent endeavor. More about it at the end of this post. 

A friend needed this sketch to be drawn for an important event in her family. She called to ask if I would do it for her. I was skeptical and confessed to her that drawing faces was a very challenging task for me and that I would end up ruining it. She was persistent and very encouraging, she insisted she had a plan B in place in case this attempt did not work out.
Very hesitantly, I started out. She wanted it on canvas, and erasing lines on canvas wasn't easy. Slowly, it began to take shape, and very soon, I realized I was enjoying it immensely!
This was the result, Krishna with a flute. My friend was very pleased with the drawing and thanked me profusely. What she did not realize was that she had opened a door for me that I never knew existed! I shall forever be grateful to her for coaxing me into trying something new.

I was bitten by the bug of pencil drawing. I had a couple of extra canvases. I decided to turn to YouTube to check out tutorial videos. This lighthouse was from one such video. YouTube is such a great resource to learn new skills. I thank the artist for uploading such a fabulous video.  

I found this process of drawing so meditative! 

Lighthouses are very dear to me. I have written about 20 of them earlier on this blog here, here, and here. This one below was a picture I found of the internet. It is a beautiful lighthouse at Kovalam, in the state of Kerala in India. This canvas was to be a gift to someone from India, so I chose this lighthouse. Again, it was a very enjoyable experience figuring out how to adapt the technique to reproduce a photograph.
At about this time, an artist friend told me that generally, pencils are not used on canvas. As much as I had enjoyed doing these drawings, I decided to buy some drawing paper from the art store. Michaels, here I come!

The Bass Harbor Lighthouse at Acadia National Park in Maine, was my first drawing on paper, and what a difference it made, in the ease of execution. This drawing is again from a photo I had taken, and I see there is room for improvement when I take this one on again.

This historic landmark from Goa, India- Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church at Panaji, was my next project. Growing up in the city of Panaji makes this monument a dear subject and I thoroughly enjoyed working on this one. I have learned so much from every one of these drawings.

After drawing buildings for a while, I decided to take another look at YouTube tutorials for pencil drawings, and found this beautiful beach front drawing tutorial. It was such a pleasure to learn new techniques, and managing to get some of the effects explained in the tutorials that I was seeking to bring into my work. Thanks to these wonderful artists for sharing their knowledge!

Another historic place of worship from Goa, India is the Shri. Shantadurga temple, Kavle, Goa. These old temples have a beautiful structure called 'Deep Mal (दीप माळ)' or 'Deep Stambh (दीप स्तंभ)' or 'Pillar of Lights', in the courtyard in front of the main temple. They are illuminated on special occasions and are fascinating architectural elements. This drawing is from a photograph I took when I visited, and shows the water tank in the foreground, with a Tulasi vrindavan in it.

As I move back and forth between architectural stunners and natural ones, Yosemite cannot be left behind. I was mesmerized by the granite wonders at the valley and had written about them here. 

Here is Half Dome as seen from Glacier Point. This majestic structure and Clouds Rest right behind it (the name does not disappoint, clouds are almost always around it), just beckoned me to try drawing them. The clouds in the picture may seem dramatic, but they are just like this in the photograph I took a couple of years ago. 

These are my attempts at pencil drawing in the last three months. It was one of the those art forms that I had previously decided was too hard for me to pursue. There is truth to that adage about not dismissing anything without trying your hand at it. With each of them, I learn something new, and each one of them has given me immense joy. I guess that is the essence of any art form, enjoying the journey.  

Summer Solstice- 2- Artistic Pursuits

In the past few years, my artistic endeavors have usually happened on a sudden whim in the latter half of the year. Sometimes, the idea has been in the head for even up to a couple of years, and I suddenly happen to find the perfect materials I need for my project. That spurs me into action. These things hardly happen when its cold outside at the beginning of the year.

This year, winter was packing a punch. It was cold, as cold as the Gulf Coast can get. Instead of just bundling up and making plans in the head, I luckily chanced upon a book while on a quick visit to the craft store. It was called Zentangles. I liked what I saw and then found a whole lot of videos on YouTube explaining the concept. I was obviously late to the party and people had been on this bandwagon for a few years now. Nevertheless, I found this to be an exciting discovery. The play of lines and geometric patterns, shading and colors, it was a lot of fun to explore how this genre of art is presented.
I made a frame using the Celtic knot and found it to be so meditative and therapeutic!

This Phicops pattern below reminded me of Foraminifera shells I used to learn about and got a chance to sort, while studying geological oceanography for one semester. One found such intricate designs in what otherwise seemed like grains of sand. While I was at it, I began to realize that pencils were a very interesting medium when you wanted to give a three dimensional effect to a drawing. 

Another variation of the Phicops.

At about this time, I found a lot of doodling designs. People are so gifted, and so versatile! I decided to try one with my favorite animal, the dolphin. Henna style patterns filled in the shape. I used a gel pen for this small trial in my book.

You will notice that I may have given up Marine Science as a profession a long time ago, but some of it still remains within my being.

This was another random design of a silken cord that I really enjoyed drawing.

At about this time, I was looking for something to gift to some close friends. I hoped this family would like it if I made a custom pieces of art for them. I ended up making two pieces. 

As classical music buffs, I thought they would appreciate an instrument they were learning to play. How I wanted to do this was debated for over two weeks. I might still work on my initial design idea I had in my head! Tune in in a few months to see if I did!

For these two pieces, I used canvas. The canvas was first spray painted with a deep blue paint. Then, acrylic paint and embossed fabric paint was used.

My friend being a fashionista of sorts, I figured that my depiction of her passion would be admired. This would be art for her closet!

Here again, I used embossed fabric paint to give depth.  

Closeups of the two main designs are posted below. I used an endless knot motif on the handbag. It was very reminiscent of the Celtic knot I had done earlier.

I used doodling design elements for the necklace. Finding turquoise fabric paint to give a bead like feel in this jewelry was very enjoyable as an artist.

These are a few pieces I made until the end of March. Going forward, there are so many inspiring art forms that I have begun to explore. More on those later. 

Ethnic Tapestry

Over half the year just sped by. Some home improvement projects were tackled, and completed. In the pipeline for years, they finally got checked off the list, and it was no small feat. Added to it, some health hiccups made sure that the adage of 'ups and downs in life' was adhered to.

Amidst all this, I realized I had not found the time to work on any of the projects that the mind works on when sitting idle. A recent cleaning up drive of the guest room had unearthed some hidden treasures, and I was eager to do something with them.
Stowed away for over ten years now was a stack of some very favorite prints on paper, collected bit by bit on trips to India.

Then there was a piece of cloth a little larger than a scrap, that was bought over 25 years ago, on a road trip with colleagues to attend the wedding of another colleague. At a stopover in Dharwad, a beautiful city in the state of Karnataka, India, I had picked this up, a weave that is known as Dharwadi KhuNn (धारवाडी खण), a specialty of the region.

There were other trinkets and though there was no specific plan on how to use them, I decided to put them all out to see if the creative juices would begin to flow and I could think of something. They did, and an idea started to form in my head.
Armed with my paper trimmer, I cut out the paper prints first. Then as the idea started to take a firm direction, more cutouts were made.

A preliminary attempt at laying out the design made me realize that there are endless possibilities when it came to arrangement, and I needed to settle down at some point soon.

The base was going to be a 24 inch by 30 inch canvas. It needed to be dark, maybe gold or black. Laying gold paper as a background on one side and black on the other, I got an idea of what it would look like. That was when I decided to have a fusion of materials. I would incorporate the Dharwadi Khunn into the design, because the color and texture would give the project an interesting dimension.

In due course of time, I decided to color the canvas black and the sides, an antique gold. When it was dry, the cutouts went back on it. Notice the arrangement especially on the border was still undergoing changes.

Finally, one was chosen.

Laying out a design is easy. Gluing it all on precisely is a different ballgame altogether! I hoped I would have enough patience until the last bit was glued on. One by one, they all settled in their spots. It took three days for my vision to take shape. There were a few misgivings, but I was pleased with the finished product. The trinkets went up too, in their designated places. My Ethnic Tapestry- as I chose to call it- was ready!

As your life moves ahead, it turns into a tapestry of experiences. A myriad of various colors, hues, and moods. I wanted that to appear on this canvas. 

December- looking back at the year

"Oh my! It's December already!", said my friend. The exact feeling had crossed my mind only a day earlier. What did I manage to do this year, and what are my plans for the next?

Well, one makes plans. And one can hope they come to fruition. I had made plans to visit India and that got a check mark on the list of things to do. 

My 21 year old graduated from school. The quest for a meaningful life for him continues. Many of his needs are being taken care of as of now, but this is a long haul process. I hope I continue to find great resources for him, with the help of friends and professionals. 

This year, more than ever, the importance of a good diet and exercise came to the fore. It will be one goal that will need continuous investment. It is easy to slip on this course, unless you make conscious decisions, keep away from fads and make sensible choices that will work. 

Through the year, on most major holidays, family get-togethers made sure there was plenty to do and fun was added in good measure.   

Some artwork was on the cards, that got done too. In fact, the result on that front was quite encouraging. Two projects for the home and one as a gift. An acrylic painting of bamboo and a crane that I have already shared in an earlier post, and two others. One was a wooden wall plaque, inspired by old traditional doors, covered with some metal sheets and other accessories. This one involved a lot of sawing, sanding and painting and was very rewarding in the end. 

Another acrylic inspired by traditional henna designs was gifted as an engagement gift. The colors in this one were beautiful!

A great find that was totally unplanned, was a group on a popular social media site called Birds of Texas. This was a great resource not just for information, but also getting to see incredible pictures shared by a lot of professional photographers. I started working towards honing my own skills. 

Here are a few pictures I took last week, of a variety of birds. 

More bird pictures and others later... until then... 

Zen state of mind

Last year, we found a nice walking trail around two large lakes separated by a hillock in between. It was a quiet place at the end of a small street. There were a few people walking the trails and it was nice to find a spot like this in the middle of the city. Armed with my camera, I had a wonderful time taking pictures of several interesting objects all evening. There were mother ducks guarding eggs, young ducklings with their mothers, great blue herons engaged in a courtship ritual and dance and some new kinds of birds I had never seen before.

Then there was this lone heron standing among these trees. Something about the setting made me feel wistful. His reflection in the water, the leaves enveloping his form, the rays of the setting sun and another day drawing to a close. It was my zen moment!

We continued with our walk, and found these bright yellow blooms on the other side of the hillock. The atmosphere was more upbeat here.

Scissor tailed flycatchers were playing on trees on the hillock, their silhouettes with those of the trees made a striking contrast against the grey blue skies.

Long after I got home, the tranquil atmosphere I witnessed at the lake stayed with me. I would often look at the pictures I had taken, to re-live that walk on that beautiful Spring day.

Then one day, I found an article about the art of painting bamboo, which has intrigued me for a long time. It is an oriental art that looks easier than it is. The idea and philosophy behind this art form is very interesting as well. It isn't about perfection of the form itself, as much as it is about the spirit it conveys.
I decided to try it out, the medium I chose was acrylic on canvas, as opposed to watercolor on rice paper. My zen moment was captured on canvas, as best as I possibly could.