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July 3, 2023 by

Jam jar filling with fresh strawberries and other fruits.

 

Strawberries are ready to be picked on local farms in our area.

On a smoggy Friday morning, we were in the fields early to pick the juiciest ones. While I have stopped making jam because we don’t eat enough of it to make it worthwhile, I do freeze berries to add to our yogurt during winter or to drop into smoothies. We picked four baskets, enough to tide us over until next year.

Jam Jar Surprises.

Painted jam jars - summer fun by Louise Primeau
Summer fun - painted jam jars.

Just because I don’t make fruit jam anymore doesn’t mean I can’t paint a bunch of jars, a quick and easy project on a rainy July 1 when it was impossible to do anything outdoors.

Inspired by Insiders' Studio, I added my own spin on them including stencilling, gold pen, micron pen, water soluble pencils, watercolours, and acrylic paint, purple foil discs, and a decent amount of splatter for good measure because everything looks better with splatter!

Which jam is your favourite? Mine isn't even pictured here. I love peach jam and peach pie.

I searched high and low for those two recipes that I used to make many years gone by, to no avail. I must have thrown them out when we moved three years ago.

Rhubarb Compote Recipe.

Here is a tried and true Rum and Rhubarb Compote from Foodland Ontario.

You can delete the rum, add other fruits...reduce the sugar and play around with this recipe in so many ways and it is always delicious and easy to make.

We brought rhubarb from our other home garden and transplanted it here. We had our first compote this year as we read that we had to wait three years to pull the stalks after the rhubarb is transplanted.

Earlier similar mixed media work.

In 2014-15, when I began painting again, I worked with watercolours and pens. It is so easy and quick to clean up and the results were satisfying. At that time, I painted at the kitchen table. I found these little sketches so relaxing and enjoyable to work on. They all started with a light pencil sketch, followed by light washes of watercolours, with some pen work at the very end.

 

Earlier blog posts What's in my basket and It's a question of style both from 2015.

Contact me if you have comments or questions.  I would love to hear from you!

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed." - Mahatma Gandhi.

4 Responses

  • You might have to check out Pinterest (where we met), there are many Peach Jam recipes there. Our son and daughter in law gave us some Peach and Raspberry Jam which was absolutely delicious. They purchased it from a little town in New South Wales called Jugiong. Such a lovely assortment of jams you produced with paint Louise.

    • I will have to search through my recipes once more with a little bit more time. I can’t have thrown it out! I also loved the peach pie recipe that I made many years ago. On the other hand, not sure I want to start making jams again. Painting the jars is much better for my health! Thanks Sally.

  • So many beautiful pictures!!! I don’t know what could I mention at first. I love the selection of your watercolor paintings and also the fruit jam jars. When I read your description I can feel the taste of fruits or dessert in my mouth. Yummy!!!! There is a big distance between us but we enjoy similar likes.

    • I love using watercolours now and then in between more complex projects. Your illustrations are always so beautifully planned Birgit, and I am very pleased that you like my rather quick and easy jam jars! Have a great week!

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