Just in case you’re feeling a little low and/or color-starved, here’s some of Jana Glatt’s art to WAKE. YOU. UP!
Colorful, quirky, upbeat and offbeat, Jana’s work is joy personified. Oh, those beady eyes and leetle mustaches! She’s able to convey so much personality with just a few strokes. You can feel the energy and emotion in every picture. Too much fun!
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1. Bright cheery colors and a big shot of joy are just what we need to counter the winter doldrums.
“Daydream painter and magic maker” Julia Eves is a folk artist based in Mississippi who draws her inspiration from nature, her love of animals, and the rich culture of the South.
Julia uses mixed media and bright acrylics to create her pieces, which pulse with life and energy. She paints on both canvas and wood panels. Frida Kahlo is her muse and favorite person to paint.
Visit her Etsy Shop to purchase originals and archival prints. Some of her prints are available at select Home Goods stores. For the latest, check out her Instagram.
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What could be more comforting on a cold winter’s day than rich, velvety hot chocolate? Sip the steamy, frothy goodness from your favorite cup and all’s right with the world.
No matter how you get your daily chocolate fix – bar, bonbon, chip or cocoa – a good way to enhance your enjoyment is to learn more about chocolate’s fascinating history.
Like me, some of you fellow chocoholics are familiar with chocolate’s origins in Mesoamerica and how Don Hernán Cortés brought cacao to Spain after conquering the Aztecs in the early 16th century. But did you know Jewish traders played a critical role in popularizing chocolate around the world?
In his debut picture book, The Chocolate King (Apples & Honey Press, 2022), Michael Leventhal highlights chocolate’s little known Jewish connection. When Spanish Jews were forced to flee the country during the Inquisition, they took their chocolate making skills with them.
This tasty bit of historical fiction is set in early 17th century Bayonne, where we meet young chocolate lover Benjamin. Not only does he love to eat chocolate, he knows more about it “than most people in the whole of France.”
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1. Happy Wintering! Let’s wander into nature’s wonderland with Laivi Põder’s enchanting art.
Originally from Estonia, Laivi currently lives and works in London. She derives most of her inspiration by visiting nearby and distant woodlands, forests, meadows, lakes, botanical gardens and parks.
She loves creating dreamy and peaceful atmospheres with Procreate, adding details digitally after painting backgrounds in watercolor.
Laivi initially worked for several years as a nurse, but in her twenties she quit her job to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time artist.
I especially love her moonlight scenes, especially this one with bears partying outdoors.
See more of Laivi’s work at her Official Website and Instagram. Don’t miss her gorgeous autumnal scenes with their exquisite colors and details.
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A new soup book? Yes, please!
I hope you have a very big spoon, because you’ll need it to slurp up all the goodness. 🙂
The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup by Hunter Liguore and Vikki Zhang (Yeehoo Press, 2021) takes place in a cozy kitchen, where a young girl asks her grandmother what’s inside the big metal pot she’s stirring.
“Seeds,” says Nanni, prompting the girl to ask, “How can seeds be inside the pot?”
Nanni explains that the seeds grew up to be vegetables, adding that there are also gardeners in the pot. This further arouses the girl’s curiosity; she can’t imagine how gardeners could also be inside the pot.
Winking, Nanni says, “Gardeners, with their gentle hands, planted the seeds that grew up to be vegetables and ended up inside the pot.” Of course Nanni then adds even more ingredients: “soil and rain.”
Their conversation continues in this cumulative tale fashion, as Nanni mentions how rain and sunlight helped the vegetables grow, with honeybees pollinating the flowers.
Then, of course, there are the farm workers who harvested the vegetables, as well as the delivery drivers who transported the veggies to market. They mustn’t forget roads, highways, traffic lights, bridges, waterways, or even the electricity that keeps the town running.
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Jama's Alphabet Soup 