Some more recipes & constructive ideas to fill in time for Artists & Art lovers.

Time to get creative!

Feel like learning juggling (which you can add to your skills list on your CV), do it! When only your nearest, dearest and the dog/cat can watch you making a mess! 0:)
https://www.wikihow.com/Juggle

Thinking about adding puppets to your act? Here's a place to start getting your act together!
https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-a-Quality-Puppet/

If food is not necessarily your forte (& also if it is), NOW is the time to take advantage of nobody watching you experiment on skills you can use later.

Try cake decorating!
https://www.mycakeschool.com/

How about making your own pasta?
https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/basic-fresh-pasta/070e5c1c-4921-44fe-bf9c-c379d6abe7b2

And while we are on the topic of food, Robert Adame Beltran has asked me to post some more recipes from my store of what works well in tough times and lockdown.

Meatloaf is always a good bet because it can be added to sandwiches or re-heated later (if there's any left).
https://www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/recipes/meatloaf-15444

Ever tried a vegetable curry? Well worth the effort!
https://tasty.co/recipe/simple-veggie-curry

An investment you may like to make is a jaffle iron. "What's that?" I hear you say.
It's an old version of a sandwich maker, without any need for electricity. You buy them at camping suppliers and they can be used on your stovetop as well as the campfire.
For man, woman or child, this is the way you use them. Any leftovers are suitable or keep a small tin of baked beans or spaghetti in your cupboards to spoon into a jaffle or two.
https://www.whichcar.com.au/gear/bush-cooking/recipe-campfire-cooked-jaffle-iron-toastie

https://www.oztrail.com.au/blogs/oztrail-blog/4-favourite-jaffle-iron-recipes

Oh and Robert? THIS is how you build a campfire. 0:) XO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O3Bj8JFcTc

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker

Some recipes for my cast, crew & production members (+ other artists) who are doing it tough at the moment.

I've been asked to provide some of the recipes I've used as an artist; when times were tough. Many of my choices are based on what my grandparents and parents taught me after they survived two World Wars and a Great Depression.

First off, remember that you are basing what you are eating on what your body requires to live but don't ignore wanting something special as well. i.e. cook some biscuits or cake to have as a treat and pay for fruit whenever you can.

Also remember that frozen vegetables and fruit are wonderful and can be added to many recipes. Tinned or dehydrated fruit and vegetables are cheap and just as good.

Secondly, remember that you only actually need small amounts of protein in your diet and use more than one source and type of proteins. i.e. include pulses, cheese and/or eggs in your recipes.

Having said that, here's a few more hints:

* Anybody can keep a pantry, however small or however many cupboards you fill.

* Minced/ground meats are wonderful! They can be stretched by adding grated vegetables, beans and lentils.

* Go vegetarian for at least a couple of meals a week and cook evening meals which can be stored for lunch the next day or for a leftovers meal later. Remember that your freezer is your friend; learn how to use it safely.

https://www.dummies.com/food-drink/cooking/kitchen-tools/how-to-use-a-freezer-effectively/

* Plan your menus ahead of when you shop. Enjoy finding different ways to stretch your foods budget.

* Identify what is necessary against what is a luxury. i.e. as my fine artist grandfather said, "Beer is not a vegetable".

* Porridge/oats and rice are your friends. So are fruit and vegetables.

Here's a few of my favorite recipes that I cook, regardless of situation or circumstances. These are recipes you can adapt to whatever ingredients you have on hand; they are very forgiving! I am using Australian Women's Weekly recipes because I have never had one of them fail.

Shepherd's Pie. (I usually use beef mince but lamb would create a lovely gravy.)
https://www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/recipes/shepherds-pie-27856

Fritatta.
Basically, if you are using grated vegetables, make sure you squeeze out liquid and dry them with a clean tee-towel before mixing them into the eggs or the fritatta won't set. But other than that, I often place a small (drained) tin of salmon or tuna in with the vegetables. What you put into the eggs is up to you but here is a Women's Weekly variation.
https://www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/recipes/kumara-rocket-and-pine-nut-fritatta-15010

Vegetable Soup.
Nothing like a home-made vegetable soup with fresh bread (or stale bread which has been freshened up in the microwave).
https://www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/recipes/vegetable-soup-8493

Pasta Risotto with Peas and Pancetta
And another absolute favorite of mine, created by Nigella Lawson. Again, this is very easily adapted to using whatever ingredients you have on hand.
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/Pasta-Risotto-with-Peas-Pancetta.html

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker

Robert Adame Beltran has asked me to re-post some recipes & cooking challenges I posted at my Facebook account.

As requested by Robert Adame Beltran (Daddy Adam). Here are some posts I put up at my Facebook page to challenge both Australian and overseas cooks!

First off, when dealing with an Australian or British recipe, self-raising flour is not the same as the U.S. version. Here's some extra information to help you convert.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-self-raising-flour-4172500

Australian and British say the word "scone" as if the "o" is the same as the "o" in the word "hot".

So U.S. friends. Are you baking? Have a try at baking an Australian Scone. Remember it is usually served with jam & cream or butter, best only lightly cooled after taking out of the oven.
https://www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/recipes/basic-scone-22571?fbclid=IwAR3t2cB3FPSBBfY9PA80uMQkQrPIaTBL1k0LxA80goVuNxKMFSAnA1oB7y4

Lemonade scones are another cut above!
https://www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/recipes/lemonade-scones-20352?fbclid=IwAR1r346xBWlG4lDEObCI1h8MPFY_kJnmRtviNUaYBw68LG9_8Qg8hT50Bx8

For Aussies and Brits, Americans say the word "scone" as if the "o" is the same as the "o" in "home".
And here's a recipe for the U.S. scones.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/scones-recipe/?fbclid=IwAR2B1By0-PQjhbp3y4TtJNkIxNgoN0ji5UbCdyo2Sn2IYtt35kCBqrk-GNs

I've also had a request for the Aussie biscuit/cookie known as an "Anzac" biscuit. Here's a basic version from the Australian Women's Weekly. The original recipe was designed to be baked when households were under War rationing and restrictions.
https://www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/recipes/best-anzac-biscuits-recipe-28575

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker

Is this the time to design your dream home?

What are you dreaming of while you've got all this time on your hands?

Are you spending your time looking at "Grand Designs" and thinking through what you would love to do if you had all the world and its resources at your disposal?
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/grand-designs
https://www.lifestyle.com.au/tv/grand-designs-australia/
https://www.threenow.co.nz/tv/grand-designs-nz/home.html

So how do you design your own dream home or castle in the clouds?
https://www.wikihow.life/Design-Your-Own-Home

Been there and done that? Have you thought through what sort of house you are hoping for and whether or not it is possible according to local laws?
https://www.yourhome.gov.au/you-begin/design-process

What style is your dream house? (Links chosen as examples are from my home town readers will need to apply content to where they are living or wanting to live).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_residential_architectural_styles
https://heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/What-House-is-That.pdf

How do you draft a floorplan? (Remember that although at the moment you are only getting your ideas on paper, you may decide some time to take these thoughts beyond and into reality. In which case you are going to need something more than rough sketches.)
https://www.smartdraw.com/floor-plan/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floor_plan
https://www.thoughtco.com/find-tools-draw-simple-floor-plan-178391

And as this is your dream home, you may like to take it off into fantasyland, as J.R.R. Tolkien did as he wrote "Lord of the Rings".
https://www.tolkienestate.com/en/learning/tolkien-and-visual-arts/tolkiens-art.html

For the young and young at heart! 0:)
https://playtivities.com/cardboard-houses/

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker

The Sounds of Silence.

Sorry for the silence over the past weekend and few days. I was asked to delay posting due to police actions and interventions; relating to persons claiming to work for/with ViacomCBS but were/are not.

I'll catch up with a few posts which are in response to requests from cast and crew members from my various productions; who (like everybody else) are in lockdown.

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker

It's Sunday. Grab this opportunity of churches broadcasting on-line, to check them (& their architecture, art, music) out!

It's Sunday! Where are you going to church?

https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/ten-cathedrals-to-see-before-you-die/

Churches around the world are broadcasting their services. Where do you want to check out?
https://www.youtube.com/c/StPaulsCathedralMelbourne

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne.
http://www.cam.org.au/cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral, London
https://www.youtube.com/user/StPaulsLondon

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco
https://www.youtube.com/user/GraceCathedralinSF

Church of the Nativity.
https://www.seetheholyland.net/church-of-the-nativity/

Visit the Vatican.
http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/it.html

The Tillman Chapel at the United Nations.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tillman-Chapel-at-the-UN-Church-Center/448569548527427

https://www.facebook.com/church.center.un/

Or check out the evergreen Songs of Praise!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006ttc5

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker

How are you going to have a good weekend?

What are you going to do this weekend? Get out in the garden? Planting a few indoor, balcony or vertical gardens? Getting creative about what you've already got and deciding what you're going to do next?

Here's a few hints for you to get you started!

https://www.finegardening.com/article/15-tips-for-designing-a-garden

https://www.gardendesign.com/landscape-design/rules.html

So where are you going to attend at the theater this weekend?
Here's a few possibilities to get your plans started!

Britain's Royal Opera House are making a performance of Britten's "Glorianna" available for the next 40 days from Friday the 24th (U.K. time).
https://www.roh.org.uk/streaming/gloriana

You have a month more to watch the Royal Ballet's "Romeo and Juliet".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000crzw?fbclid=IwAR1d09zlZz2EpZUiIri0lAhx-WxkvxI4_-UcFXTmr04FWT1ZMzRkxwaVQS8

To celebrate William Shakespeare's birthday, the Globe Theater has released Emma Rice’s A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Tempest with Roger Allam and Colin Morgan, will be available on BBC iPlayer from 23 April.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p08b02zz/culture-in-quarantine-shakespeare-the-tempest

Speaking of "Romeo and Juliet", if ballet is not your interest, head over to the Globe theater for a dramatic performance of Shakespeare's play; until May 3rd.
https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/

However, if you really feel more like curling up with a book, try checking out the original text from 1562 that inspired Shakespeare's work.
https://shakespeare-navigators.com/romeo/BrookeIndex.html

This weekend's show from "The Show Must Go On" is the sequel to last weekend's "Phantom of the Opera", "Love Never Dies". This acclaimed production was filmed in my hometown Melbourne, at the wonderful Regent Theatre in 2012.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvag

Which brings me back to the Australian Ballet, who have introduced a 2020 digital season, only available on Ballet TV to Australian audiences due to copyright restrictions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqRj-qTWyZQ

For the international community, the Australian Ballet have made other materials available on-line. I have some of these on DVD; I can highly recommend these performances.
https://itunes.apple.com/mt/artist/452180239

Check in with your local Arts institutions to see what they are doing and what may be available exclusively to their local community.
Check out the New York City Ballet's digital selection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddXCBVcYzgc

Torvill and Dean anyone? From Notthingham.
https://youtu.be/8WOO6qoEcgo

If you feel more like snuggling up in your favorite armchair with a cup of teacoffee/hot chocolate and something to munch on while you visit a museum, there is a lot available for you as well.
https://joyofmuseums.com/

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker

Seeking that nudge to do something other than read or stream?

Running out of inspiration and things to do?

Things to draw at home.
https://mymodernmet.com/things-to-draw-at-home/?utm_source=site&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=push&utm_content=art

Support your charities virtually.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/quadriplegic-artist-selling-her-work-to-help-a-museum-in-need/

Check what your personal charities are up to and what type of current support they need. One of the charities I support are running events via their social media including poetry and art competitions.
https://wildspiritwolfsanctuary.org/

https://www.facebook.com/thewildspiritwolfsanctuary/

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker

Indulge in the luxury of choice.

Having this time on your hands is an absolute gift for anybody involved with (or in love with) the Arts. This is time we can use to develop our interests and decide where we want to take our Art and creativity.

This is your time, your chance to refine your tastes, style and choices. To dabble in other interests and decide what you want to pursue once all of these restrictions are lifted.

In my case, it gives me a chance to work out what's available in my hometown and to put a plan together for what I'd like to explore further whenever I'm able (or available) to do so.
Here's a rundown from local Media about what's currently available on-line in my hometown. Plenty I can add to my list to also explore once the lockdown is over!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-22/online-australian-arts-virtual-music-theatre-film/12165080

Check out what is happening to Arts and Artist in your region. Work out how you might like to be involved; immediately and in the future.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-22/nt-artists-coronavirus-impacts-tiwi-yirrkala/12170258

And for me, my personal pleasure is exploring photographic exhibitions which I am delighted to say, I can do any time from wherever I am in the world. However, I can also testify that there is NOTHING like seeing the same photographs in person; up live, close and personal.

https://www.sfmoma.org/museumfromhome/

In the meantime, check these out! 0:)
https://mymodernmet.com/smithsonian-magazine-photo-contest-winners/?utm_source=site&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=push&utm_content=photography

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker

How about those of you filling your time working on that book or publication you've always intended to create?

So you've got all this time on your hands while in isolation and at this point of time, many people's thoughts are leaning towards working on the book (or publication) you've had in the back of your mind all these years.

Then there are those who are struggling with finances and they may be starting to think of writing as an alternative source of income.

First off, let's get a dose of reality into your thinking; creative or otherwise.

What sort of income do writers make?
For one thing, that depends on where you live and many factors such as whether or not there are any literary agents or publishers, willing and/or able to take your work.

Figures you see on-line are generalisations.
In this case, it is based on the large market population in America.
https://work.chron.com/much-novelists-make-7670.html
"...Average Pay
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2010 writers and authors earned a median salary of $55,420 per year, or $26.64 per hour. These numbers are for freelance writers and authors of books, though, and novelist income is harder to pin down because usually, income depends on book sales and contracts. A working novelist could be compared to a small business owner, because the amount of product sold will determine the novelist's salary, or income, for a particular year...."

Here's a realistic article from Australia.
https://authorsinterest.org/2018/02/20/whats-happening-to-authors-earnings-surveying-the-surveys/
"...Australian authors reported average incomes of A$62,000, of which A$12,900 comes from ‘practising as an author’. The median was much lower – just A$2,800 across all authors – suggesting there are a small number of authors making a good living and a large number making very little indeed).
The top 25% of literary fiction authors reported averaging A$9,000 from writing, with 70% of them stating that low earnings from creative labour prevented them from engaging in more of it.
Nearly 20% of surveyed authors worked full time at writing, but fewer than 5% were able to earn the average annual income from that creative work alone...."

For beginners, there are any number of how-to sources of information on-line to help you get writing.
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-and-Publish-a-Book

Off line, use your on-line resources to find someone (or somewhere) who will treat your work with the respect it deserves. Research what should be done by those you trust with your career, your work and intellectual property.i.e. no agent takes 80-90% or your earnings, the norm is 10-15%.
https://www.wheelercentre.com/

For professionals, let me pose a question to you.
At the end of this isolation period, there are going to be a whole heap of people who are trying to get their writing published. But where are the publishers? How many are still in existence and where are the Governments willing to encourage the book culture and market necessary to support the industries and personnel involved (let alone the freelancers)?

Worth thinking about! Where are professionals going to be at the end of this period of isolation? Who and what is going to be their competition in a decidedly different industry and/or market structure?

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)
Ellen F. Walker

What is your creative or artistic response to isolation?

How are you processing the experience of being in isolation?

Is it snarky?

Cartoonist Michael Leunig is finding it inspirational.
https://www.leunig.com.au/

Is this time of isolation one for re-thinking your art or creative efforts?
As American jazz saxophonist John Coltrane recovered from addiction, he created an entire album based on his thoughts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coltrane
https://youtu.be/qagOblqhBhk

If you aren't sure what to think, invest your time considering that and any possible options or conclusions then explore them with your artwork.
Want some inspiration? Consider UNESCO's suggestion of accessing the World Digital Library.
https://twitter.com/UNESCO/status/1252027405553803264?s=20
https://www.wdl.org/en/

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)n
Ellen F. Walker

A selection of what's on this weekend.

Here's a few of those shows you can attend this weekend, in the comfort of your own home. 0:)

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera". The show must go on!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvag

Official National Theater at home. Treasure Island.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDq1XzCY0NIOYVJvEMQjqw

Shakespeare's Globe. Hamlet.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwN-jwNNNQN-8sfKG-qg8uA

The Royal Opera House. The Metamorphasis.
https://www.youtube.com/user/RoyalOperaHouse

ABC CLassic. Sydney Symphonic. Handel's Messiah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR0cEOTpYSk

Want to view some artwork of the ancients up close and personal? Check out the tomb of Pharoah Rameses VI.
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=NeiMEZa9d93&mls=1&fbclid=IwAR3J5nzMTO9HkTpMzPlhyrYD9eXkkD_xvxd7Is2CqltSC3l5b4mLBPuzxIc

For my daughter Bella, the New York State Ballet, Alice in Wonderland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2wWq25p5Sk

For Daddy Adam. Vivaldi's Four Seasons, as seen from the Space Station.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loOVYBSkLXQ

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)n
Ellen F. Walker

Protecting dance intellectual property: Proving uniqueness with dance notation.

So here you are, wandering from your bedroom to the bathroom, wondering how you can enhance or assist your career as a dancer while stuck outside of the studio. Protect your own creations and intellectual property; as well as recording (or instead) make sure you have filed a written copy of your work.

You can create your own dances, work on your choreography skills but what then? How many routines can you upload to Youtube or TikTok et al? And how can you protect them as your individual protection?

A good use of your spare time over this period of isolation, is to learn how to write dance notation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_notation

"...Dance notation is the symbolic representation of human dance movement and form, using methods such as graphic symbols and figures, path mapping, numerical systems, and letter and word notations. Several dance notation systems have been invented, many of which are designed to document specific types of dance. A dance score is recorded dance notation that describes a particular dance...."

You will need to decide what system suits you and your work.
https://curlie.org/Arts/Performing_Arts/Dance/Dance_Technology/Notation/

https://www.contemporary-dance.org/dance-notation-and-how-to-write-it.html

Consider the history of dance notation:
https://www.britannica.com/art/dance-notation

Here's a few basics to get your thought processes started.
http://dancenotation.org/lnbasics/frame0.html

Look around on-line for other people's experiences. Practice notating well known routines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5PUTipC56k

For my daughter Bella, an amazing Misty Copeland performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw_LfOx-1-c

For Daddy Adam, don't tell me you don't know the moves! Go for it! 0:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6140pdR45Tw


Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)n
Ellen F. Walker

Do you speak ballet? The challenge is communicating it with others who don't.

"...A choreographer is someone who invents the movements for a ballet or other dance and tells the dancers how to perform them...."
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/choreographer

First off, something for professionals. If you are a dancer moving into choreography, remember that your creations are your intellectual property. Protect it and familiarize yourself with how that needs to be done legitimately.

https://legalvision.com.au/ip-protection-for-dancers-choreographers/

https://choreography.online/

Check out your local and international rights and protections; especially if you are planning on placing anything on-line.
https://ausdance.org.au/articles/details/copyright-for-the-dance-industry

Remember that even if you are unable to work with a company currently, you may be able to create something you can sell to others or promote on-line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfQp6crDX00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g7QQNisaI8

Look to what you've got and work with that. Those boundaries provide structure to your creativity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pobBMA-atX4

Then something for my daughter Bella. You've got to move it, move it! XO 0:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymigWt5TOV8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP0wgVhUC9w

And something for Daddy Adam (who has been sitting at his desk for too long)! 0:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbxDwaGwi2Q

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)n
Ellen F. Walker

What does a dancer do when they can't rehearse? They write.

OK, OK, OK. So you aren't able to access your studio at the moment, your barre is limited to the back of your sofa and your mirror is cheval rather than wall.
Is that any time to procrastinate or sulk? NO!

It's time to explore.

What is choreography?
https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/choreography
NOUN
1The sequence of steps and movements in dance or figure skating, especially in a ballet or other staged dance.
...
1.1The art or practice of designing choreographic sequences.
...
1.2The written notation for a choreographic sequence.
..."

Time to check it out!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choreography

Start learning how to choreograph your own work or improvisation.

https://www.justforkix.com/dance-talk/how-to-dance/learning-to-choreograph-your-own-dance

At whatever level you are in your journey into the Arts and movement!
https://www.danceinforma.com/2013/05/03/when-choreographers-and-composers-collaborate/


And you can check out the choreography of the masters of the artform!
https://twitter.com/TheRoyalBallet

Enjoy!

Ellen 0:)n
Ellen F. Walker