Thursday, December 19, 2013

Human Heart 'Round Yer Neck


Just completed a few pendants for my Etsy store using vintage illustrations. Each pendant has two wearable sides with different images. Two... TWO... TWO pendants in one. More soldered jewelry will be forthcoming... stay tuned.

I'm wishing you all a safe, warm, fun, silly, dark, creative, etc., etc., etc., holiday season. Do fun things with the people you love. And tell them you love them. Just do it. You truly never know what the next moment will bring. If there's anything I've learned recently, it's that life is very precious and what makes it so is being surrounded by the people you love and who love you back. Now get out there and ENJOY YOURSELVES. Peace.

H.V.
haggisvitae.com


Saturday, December 14, 2013

Little Lord Crumsby

Little Lord Crumsby

As I sort through my blog, in hopes of being more attentive to its needs, I bring you this one from the H.V. vaults, "Little Lord Crumsby On The Occasion Of His Eighth Birthday." 

And if this should be my final post of the year (hopefully not!) then I wish you all a...

HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON
 AND A 
JOYOUS AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

Thanks so much for following along on this warped path with me.


Friday, December 13, 2013

A completely out of the blue recipe in the midst of my art blog...



CHICKEN, GREEN OLIVE, MOLE ENCHILADAS ..... mmmmmyesss!

Makes 8 enchiladas in one 9 x 13 pan or 4 servings.
Can assemble the dish the day before and refrigerate.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs of shredded chicken (rotisserie is easiest!)
3 Cups of chicken broth
4 Tbs Olive oil
1 Cup finely chopped onions (half goes in sauce, half goes raw into enchilada assembly)
1.5 Tbs finely chopped garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2.5 Tbs of hot Mexican chili powder
1.5 Tbs all purpose flour
1/4 oz semisweet chocolate
a Dash of chipoltle powder if you have it

8 - 5-6" soft corn tortillas

1/2 lb Shredded Monterey jack cheese (about 2.25 C)
1/2 C drained, sliced pimento-stuffed green olives


1.      Shred chicken into a large bowl

2.      Heat 1.5 T oil in a large sauce pan over medium/low heat. Add onion, garlic oregano, cumin and cinnamon. Cover. Cook until onion is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 min. Mix in chili powder and flour; stir 3 minutes.

3.      Gradually whisk in 3 C broth. Increase heat to medium/high. Boil until reduced to 1.5 C, stirring occasionally, about 35 min. Remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate; season with salt and pepper. Cool a bit.

4.      Heat a bit of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add 1 tortilla, cook until just pliable (about 20 sec per side). Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with all tortillas.

5.      Spread a little sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 glass baking dish. Mix 1/2 cup sauce into the chicken.

6.      Into each tortilla spoon 3 T cheese, 1T olives, 1T onion and 1/4 C chicken. Roll, arrange seam side down in dish.


7.      Preheat oven to 375. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce, sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil; bake 20 min (30 if chilled). Remove foil and bake until sauce bubbles, about 10 min. Let stand 10 min.

YUMMMMMMYYYYYY!!!!

Monday, November 11, 2013

A Watchful Eye

A Watchful Eye

Once his wings were fully formed Danny Fly puffed out his chest and exuded a confidence like he never had before. Yes, he was a sideshow, and yes, people were skeptical of his dragonfly-like wings but to Danny it mattered not. He knew who he was. He wanted nothing more than to take flight and show them all but knew he was under the close supervision of his older brother at all times. He'd wait till the time was right. He could wait...


©2011 Julie L Miller/HaggisVitae Studios
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Thursday, October 31, 2013

"Can I Keep Him?"


Can I Keep Him?

The sweet and ever-curious Elspith Wilder set out one late August day in 1903 to find "the most perfect sea shell" finding instead a terribly reluctant specimen from the brine who was nonplussed by her humorless and seemingly aggressive stance on collecting and ownership. Soon after this photo was taken, the creature freed himself from her mighty grasp and scrambled speedily back into the dark deep. Elspith refused thereafter to speak of the incident.


©2013 Julie Miller/HaggisVitae Studios
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

"Words As Images" at Penn State Lehigh Valley

If you can make it, I would love if you came out to see this exhibit featuring 6 artists who use text/words in their artwork in some way. I'll have four pieces in the show, three of which are very new mixed media works. I've been delving in to original versions of some popular fairy tales (especially those compiled by The Brothers Grimm) and finding they are far darker than the Disney-fied versions that most are familiar with.

The piece above is called "Raven Girl." Some of the materials I used are gold leaf on glass, black feathers, sticks, vintage photographs, tissue paper, book pages and rusty hardware including an old rusty lock. It's been an interesting process going back to paint and paper and mixed materials after doing my photomontages for so many years almost exclusively. Felt good to get my hands dirty again.

I hope some of you can make it out to the show. It runs from August 26 - October 11, 2013 with an opening reception on September 11 from 5 - 7 pm.

For more information see The Gallery at Penn State Lehigh Valley.