The Best Blueberry Muffins Recipe

These are my favorite blueberry muffins. I am putting them here for posterity. They are cakey and sweet.

The Best Blueberry Muffins

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2-1/2 cups fresh blueberries or 12 oz. frozen

2 cups flour

1/2 cup milk

top with raw sugar before baking

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Mix dry ingredients. Alternate dry ingredients with milk. Add berries and put in 12 muffin cups or tin. Top with sugar and bake about 25 minutes until tops spring back when touched.

My Morning Walk

My little grandson Asher smiling. He is 9 weeks old and he usually goes with me, but not this morning.

a house whose garden i love

bearded iris

a pink azalea next door

little blue bells

magnificent roses

foxglove

a lime green tree

heart shaped leaves

poppies

I live in a really cool old neighborhood here in Tacoma and here are a few pictures I took this morning on my walk and one gratuitous picture of Asher.

Brother Bear

I don't know if I've told the blog world that I am pretty much full time babysitting my new grandson while his mom works. He's an absolute delight, but it means I have less time for my dilettante life of old, which means I have little time to paint. But I still NEED to paint. For my sanity. I'm not kidding.
This little work on paper was done yesterday on the hot, hot deck after my grandma-ing duties were over yesterday. (over 90 degrees in Tacoma yesterday, hot sticky baby, hot sticky me)
I was inspired by a guy I found on flickr that paints these awesome realistic portraits and then paints the eyes out in red. I'll try to find him later to show you.
Anyway, here's "Brother Bear" 8-1/2 X11 on paper.

The Hoh Rain Forest

I have been married to the same man for 34 years, since I was 18 and he was 20. We are living proof that opposites attract and that they can co-exist. It was never more clear to me than today.
We set out on a day trip to La Push, Washington from our camping space at Pacific beach. We have been here since Wednesday and it has been glorious. The weather has been warm and sunny in a place that is usually incessantly dripping, windy and cold. We are here with the greyhound and the dachshund, just the four of us, with no expectations on my part, just to relax and enjoy a drama free few days.

Anyway, said husband had an agenda today. He wanted to see La Push. It’s about a 200+ mile trip. So after a delicious breakfast cooked by him and thoroughly enjoyed by me and with lattes in hand, we set out for points north, we traveled through many miles of sunshine. Husband is a serious photographer and one of his quirks is that he is never, never happy with the light coming from the sky. If it is a sunny day, he is disappointed because he can’t take the pictures he wants to because the shiny light interferes. If there is blue sky, he is sad because there are no puffy white clouds. If it is cloudy, he is wishing for sun. In other words, he is a glass half empty guy when it comes to light.

I failed to mention that I forgot my camera on this trip. Our usual way is for him to take his serious pictures while I flit around taking literally hundreds of pictures with my little dumb camera. I am ignorant about apertures and speeds and all that. In my world, I believe that what I see in the world will come out of the camera in a way that will make me happy. I think by the time I get home and look at the pictures, I’ve forgotten what I took pictures of, and I am just so happy that any of them came out, I don’t really care. I’m wanting to remember the day and maybe post some pictures to my blog, but it is all very serendipitous, with no real expectations.
So today…I HAD NO CAMERA. I was at the mercy of the serious photog.
It was a gorgeous 72 degree sunny day even two miles inland from the coast. Have I mentioned that? The kind of day rarely seen here. In fact locals at the hamburger joint were heard talking about the origin of the strange light in the sky and one of them referred to it as N-U-S. They don’t even know how to SPELL sun here, they spell it backwards.
As you can see by the pictures above, this rain forest is a magical, beautiful place, even on a dripping rainy day, but today glorious. G-l-o-r-i-o-u-s. The sun filters through the giant trees and enveloping moss in such a way, if I were a a songwriter, I would write a song about it. It is so pretty. Backlight makes even more shades of green than ever. From a perspective and even in the close up, the moss is so abundant. It looks like fairies and elves and leprechauns will come dancing down the path at any moment. There are pretty little white flowers blooming, mushrooms,ferns and lichens everywhere and every surface is green, green.
Because I had no camera, I was forced to ask the serious photographer to take pictures for you all. Oh, my heavenly days! You would have thought I was asking him to murder puppies.
I would find the perfect shot. I would excitedly point it out to him. He would patiently explain why this photo would never work. Too much sun. TOO MUCH SUN! In a RAIN forest! Or too much contrast. TOO much CONTRAST! How can that be a bad thing? I search for contrast in paintings. I strive valiantly to provide texture and interest. It matters little to me that my paintings look nothing like what I am painting. Until today, I believed that I could take a picture with a camera that would look like what my eyes see. I thought that was what cameras were for. Ignorant lass I am. Evidently this is laughably naïve.

As we ambled along the mossy path, I would just as patiently ask him to take a photo anyway. Please. Just for me. To tell the story. He mostly would, but much complaining and sighing ensued. Sometimes he outright refused to take my shots, sniggering quietly to himself about my idiocy.

I tell you, dear reader, ask anyone that knows us. I am incredibly good natured but married to a photography curmudgeon. The sole reason our marriage has survived is that I am such a sweet personage. I am a happy balloon dancing through life, barely tethered to the ground by his cranky scraggly rope. My glass is half full of good red wine. Light and contrast and texture are the staff of life to me. All my skies are blue with puffy clouds. But where would I be if he did not bring me back down to earth? After 34 years, I think I need him to survive.

Today, the photographer tried valiantly to document my world. I think he did a pretty good job. I promised we will come back on a wet and drippy day and I will not ask him to take my pictures and I will make him breakfast.

Camping at Pacific Beach

We had such a good four days at Pacific Beach. It was so beautiful! Peaceful, relaxing, and fun. Our normal routine when we are camping is to get up at 7-8, have a latte (this time we brought our Pasquini espresso machine, never again will we go without it) after Dave takes the dogs out, and then reading, breakfast (Dave usually makes breakfast, but I cut up the potatoes in a fine manner) about 9 or 10, then more reading and another latte. Maybe a trip to town, or in this case a day trip one of the days that I will tell you about later. Then lunch, a walk on the beach, more reading, a sit in the sun, a latte, dinner, more reading, more walking, then sleep.

I read a really good book by Joyce Maynard, The Usual Rules. It was about a 13 year old girl whose mother was in one of the towers on sept 11. I cried in it 3 times or maybe more. On the other hand, one of my go-to-sleep movies was PS I Love You, which I was disappointed by. I did not even cry in that one. I thought it rang false. Everyone I talked to had told me it was good, and I have had it from netflix for 2 months and did not want to watch it and cry, so I kept putting it off. Finally watched it on the laptop, to go to sleep with. It just left me cold.

I read some other books, but that Joyce Maynard one was the best. I'm also finishing up a Peter Mayle, Hotel Pastis which is good too, but not great.

Dave took the pictures, it's our lovely trailer with the million dollar view of the beach that we had for 4 days, and then one of the sunsets.

Week 7 - 52 week Project 2 Prints!

Sunday Best 1 and Sunday Best 2

To make up for last week with no new work, I have two prints to offer in the 5x7 size for $2 each, free ship as usual. I have decided that I am only going to offer the $2 price for a few days and the print will go up to $5 until they are gone.

As always, click on the picture to be taken to the etsy for sale page.

These are new versions of these paintings, I had sold them at a show and had never had good pictures of them, so I thought I would do them again for the project.

I'll be posting tomorrow with pictures of our camping trip.

My creation

My creation
Originally uploaded by juliefillo

Here's my first flickr mosaic.

Computer Problems and a lovely artist to share

The computer problems continue, and I cannot upload my new WIP photos yet. I'm hoping it will be back online before we leave for camping, but if not, I'll have a lot to share when I get back next week.

To tide you over, I'm sharing one of my favorite artists blogs, Sarah Kiser. Her work is delightfully winsome. She loves to paint mermaids and mother and child themes and musicians. I hope you like her as much as I do. Click on her new painting to be taken to her blog.

Week 6 Julie Fillo 52 Week Project "Lucy In a White Garden"

This print is available on etsy in the 5x7 size for $2 free shipping in the US. A limited edition, it's week six of my 52 week project. There will be only 10 prints available in this size and price. Click on the picture to be taken to etsy to buy one.

Well, I'm feeling pretty frustrated, because I have been unable to scan and download my new work for this weekend, I'm having computer problems, so I am going to post my standby print, Lucy in A White Garden. I really wanted to have something new every week, at least something I actually painted that week but it's more important to have something good up and I will make up for it next week with the ones I did today.

I also got a lot of painting in on some large tree paintings I am doing for myself for our bedroom. I took WIP photos, and will post them tomorrow or tuesday.

It's been a glorious weekend, lots of family time and al fresco dining and painting.

This wednesday we are going camping until Sunday at the beach, so if you buy a print after tuesday afternoon, I won't be able to mail it to you until next week.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

Etsy Shop Update

I added a couple of prints and lowered the prices on some of the originals in my etsy store.

I'm working on some print versions of the Sunday Best paintings, I've had some requests for those.

Thanks again to everyone who entered my giveaway and all the nice comments I've had since, there will be another one next month.

I've included a picture of tulips and strawberries I took awhile ago in my kitchen. I'm hoping to paint them soon.

The vase and bowl were painted for me by the awesome Jen Mick.

week 5 Julie Fillo 52 Week Project "Three Bears "

Here is my newest print. I've returned to the theme of the scary or not so scary bears. Some people think they are being protective. You can think that if you want.

It will be on etsy in the 5x7 size in a limited run of 10. 2 others will be given away.

Giveaway Winner!

Skylar picked Nancy Hunt-Bartek with his eyes closed. Thanks for all the comments on my blog and emails! I had over 50 entries! Nancy, email me with your address and I'll get the prints out to you asap. To all of you who did not win, there will be another giveaway next month.

Julie Fillo PRINT GIVEAWAY!

Just leave a comment on my blog to get a chance to win these 4 free 5x7 prints from my 52 week project. You can also send me an email at juliefillo@hotmail.com . Put "free prints" in the subject line. I will put every name from the comments in a hat and have my 11 year old grandson, Skylar draw the winning name on Sunday the 17th of May. You can also twitter me at @juliefillo

Week 4 - 52 Week Print Project Home Julie Fillo Bella Luna Studio

Here is this weeks print. It is a 5x7 and this week I am selling them on etsy in a limited number of 10 for $2, free shipping. Later this week one will be given away with the other 3 prints I did this month, details later. Click on the picture to be taken to the etsy page.

Going to buy plants in Sumner with my sister!

And boy do we ever need some! Right now we have a garden of sticks and these gloves have thrown up thier hands in despair! Meg and Ash are going too. I'm so excited. I LOVE buying plants.

Indie Biz Chicks Marketing Seminars

I have been listening to and watching web seminars today on the phone and via webinar. My head is spinning from all the things I have learned. The seminars are put on by Crissy Gipson Herron of Indie Biz Chicks, but all sorts of well known people actually give them. They are all free and you can go here to sign up for tomorrow's classes.

The best one IMHO today was by Kelly McCausey of wahm talk radio about podcasting, of all things. I almost didn't listen because I thought it would not be something I would ever do. But it was really interesting, and I think I need to figure out how to do it. I also joined twitter as recommended by many speakers today, but still have not figured that out.

I'm thinking about making some changes to my 52 week project which would involve lowering the price on the prints. Does the $5 price stop you from buying a 5x7? Or is it just not something you want at any price? I'm really curious. I'm doing this project because I want to let my art be accessed by people, even though we are in an economic slump.

The project has given me a real boost of creative energy, but I would like to make sure that they all go out every week, and if I have to give them away, I will. Any thoughts you have on this would be welcome, dear readers.

Thoughts about copying and inspiration

There's been a lot of drama lately in blogland about copying other artists work among people I consider friends. I have been a victim of it and surely guilty of it in the past, and maybe even lately, I don't know. I feel conflicted but thought this was an excellent and insightful post by Amy about this subject at her blog, Pikaland. She also talks about inspiration here. My take has mostly been to just to work harder and to try to paint my own world, althought I have let my feelings of injustice lash out at one person a couple of years ago. I am now trying really hard to take the high road. I feel sad about everyone that has bad feelings about it. I send love and understanding to both sides.

Week 3 - 52 Week Project "Vulnerable"

Here is my 3rd print, in the 52 week series. A limited edition of 12 5x7 prints will be available, 10 of which will be for sale on etsy for $5, Free shipping. 2 will be given away. Watch next week for the first four to be given away on the blog.
This is a theme that I keep returning to. It makes me feel unsettled, but for reasons unnamed, I feel compelled to paint these girls in a sinister situation. They are Vulnerable.
You can click on the picture to be taken to the etsy page, or the etsy box in my sidebar to the right, click on my name.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 2009

On Friday we drove up to the Skagit Valley. Dave took these pictures of the tulips. It was a beautiful day and we had fun. The pictures were taken at Roozengarde. We had fish and chips at Rockfish in Anacortes.

Free Giveaway on Maureen's site

Here's a link to a cool giveaway.