Good day Steemians! I am glad to write to you all again today, and I have lots to share since I have been doing some cool and interesting things today! Finally, even though it is so smokey I cannot see the top of the mountain we live on, I have found some inspiration and motivation to get some shit done.

First off though, this TED talk is awesome and super important. How can you make stress your friend? I love this talk so much, it is golden, and something I will remember from now on when facing lifes challenges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU

Seriously though, what an important message. The bodies stress response is preparing you to kick ass and rise to meet challenges, and that makes the most sense. I need to remember that lots of times!

Now I guess we should get onto what I am getting up to today: making some chutney and pickles and practicing my realism sketches!

I will show you the yummy food first I suppose. Some peeps went to the foodbank recently, and as usual in the summertime they sent home tons of sorta fresh and over-ripe produce. It is a mission of mine this year to practice different preserving methods, so I thought up a few ways to use up this surplus along with some surplus from my garden!

Since we had way too many radishes and some very sad looking peaches, I figured I would pickle some radishes (since I have discovered pickling most veggies makes them great to add to lots of dishes) and try my hand at making chutney for the first time with the peaches and other spare produce. The chutney seems a bit more difficult, and I still am not sure it will turn out. However, the pickled radishes are super duper easy.

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmaBUFJPgxAZz7pqJxYoq57VmffKvi5J4HnXy9vVxhJJYz/40002179_324118171487443_553454583888740352_n.jpg

Basically for the pickled radishes I just put vinegar, water, salt, some sugar and pickling spices in a pot, boiled it, and then poured that over sliced radishes in a sterilized jar. Easy peasy, let it sit overnight and then I will have easy pickled radishes! Here is what I used to make it: https://simply-delicious-food.com/easy-pickled-radishes/

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZimEJvQMuZ2JctBd8EdSc1k7Wpi4UGrWJWb1u8YVE4ZR/40079002_2025856937437465_4361520137828827136_n.jpg

The chutney is a bit more complicated. I didn't follow the recipe completely either. I combined onions, lots of over-ripe peaches, an apple, tomatoes, and a bit of carrot and zucchini, as well as fresh ginger and hot pepper and pickling spices to a pot with vinegar and salt and simmered that for about 2 hours. The peaches were really juicy so its not as thick as I think it should be, but I still have to wait at least overnight to use it. Some sites say to let it 'mature' for like three months, but I don't have the right equipment to can anything nor the patience haha.

Here is the recipe I sorta followed: https://simply-delicious-food.com/easy-pickled-radishes/

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmW9q7rfGsnTSzzFMX4ZCHZqcMiPgYn2MHsrxabN3MGqq3/39917928_415974655597295_7524910387674742784_n.jpg

Pre-chutney ingredients, very colourful!

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmPgwVsBSAEN9Miw1uQc4UZycdEHfsHZHJKMSWoQe3ErrZ/39983993_228188487859141_6409548771503374336_n.jpg

Its sorta like a mushy bunch of mush in a pot, but if I could send the smell of this delicious spicy-peach mash you would never doubt how delicious it is!

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRTssoLx1N2NnoAEopx191qcyTMaU4cWGC3eHSR1ckzaw/39940253_232567204087151_1878132835684974592_n.jpg

Finished product! Ish.... haha. It is delicious.

Tastes like chutney from peaches for sure, but I think I need more spices next time. We did not have everything, so I just used what we had. Next time, which will be soon I am sure, we will use more spices. Everything else is delicious though, I can't wait until tomorrow to try both things!

Now, what about eyeballs and realism and anatomy?

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmb9ejxGtE2gVVYF8EqFCn9ZaYniGfi6WpdoJfmh6YYsxz/39960994_449242215569083_3097877863844544512_n.jpg

Well, I got this awesome book! Its from 1929 originally, although this is an updated version from the 50's. I love old books like this, they are often very interesting and informative! An atlas on anatomy for artists is a book I have always needed but never knew it. It has inspired me to start practicing sketching the human body, a skill I really do need practice with.

Here are some samples of the practices I have been doing, from arms to eyeballs!

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmf52Fb37AMhbEwr9KHwP21S2jrreK7iqqpZxttzQQDTUa/39984939_2190292437884301_848290289029218304_n.jpg

Feet and hands are not my strong suit, but they certainly are nice to practice and succeed at with a reference photo. Eventually, I will be able to draw them on their own, and the same goes for everything else.

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYU3KWWwQ4gjk8MBrpVdXdw78Ax3AB4XmbvngnoMw74iJ/39917076_233044847382237_3397526990373257216_n%20.jpg

Eyes are probably my favorite thing to draw. They are so expressive, and once you get detailed with photo-realistic stuff there really is a lot to learn about the subtle expressions of the eyes. I love this study on the folds around the eyes, and I also practiced simplifying the images for a more cartoony/anime look that I love to draw!

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXo3KVTv2gDecbgZS97hNEsq1aUceHmNMwPwm9DFsbyBQ/40026901_497374560727254_3562398277921931264_n%20.jpg

I figured I might as well learn some stuff and draw some diagrams well I am at it. I really never draw arms right, especially manly arms. So this is good practice and good for understanding how everything works underneath the surface. Of course, now I should draw an arm with the skin on it hahaha, but this is a start! And, I love diagrams! Its the nerd in me....

I think its just about time for my day to wrap up with some dinner and gardening so I will say goodbye to you good fellow Steemians here! Thank you for visiting, and taking the time to read about what I got up to today and my experiments with chutney, pickles, eyeballs and anatomy!

Have a dandy day, friends, and I wish you lots of joy and courage! Keep on Steeming on as always <3

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