"I can't even draw a stick figure!"

How many times have I heard this from my painting students - "I can't even draw a stick figure!" And I've always said, "well we're not drawing or painting them so that's okay!" But then I actually painted stick figures, and I realized they're really fun and can even be a pretty darned cute work of art! 

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This whisical painting was inspired by a recipe from Mary Ann Rodgers that she contributed to one of my Cooking with Friends calendars. She got a recipe for Cabbage Patch Stew from her fellow teacher when they needed quick dishes after a full day at school. It was easy and her kids loved it - perfect  for a busy teacher and Mom. When I got Mary Ann's recipe, I was "stuck" on how to illustrate it for the calendar. Hmmm - trying to make a head of cabbage into an interesting piece of art just didn't get me too excited. Then I had an "aha" moment - how about trying some of those little stick figures, representing young kids and their joy of school and learning and playing together. That's how this painting came about - using bold colors of course and lots of youthful whimsy. It's featured with Mary Ann's recipe in September in the 2016 Cooking with Friends calendar. I figured lots of Moms could use an easy, kid-friendly recipe in that crazy back-to-school month!

Look how this painting has been "repurposed!"  This month it's on the cover of Kern County Family Magazine - a free monthly magazine for everyone who loves family, kids and Kern County, California. My dear friend L.J. Corby is publisher of this magazine and asked to use the painting for the January 2017 issue, focused on education and resources. Well of course I was thrilled! An interesting twist is that Mary Ann whose recipe inspired this painting was L.J.'s elementary teacher at Colonel Nichols School in Bakersfield. So the 3 of us are re-connected here - L.J.'s magazine, her teacher's recipe, and my whimsical artistic interpretation of that recipe. How fun is that!

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Are you interested in making Cabbage Patch Stew? If so you're in luck - click here for the recipe included in Kern County Family Magazine. Thanks Mary Ann Rodgers for the delicious and very do-able recipe and the inspiration for a delightful painting! Thanks L.J. Corby for including all this in the January 2017 edition of your wonderful magazine!

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You know what -maybe you CAN draw a stick figure!! Once again I've learned to keep my mind open to new painting inspirations. Doing these playful little figures was lots of fun. I know I'll do more - why don't you give it a try!