How to Make Simple Syrup
It's called "simple" for a reason. No matter how fancy they sound, a Simple Syrup boils down to water and sugar... boiled down. Kick up your drinks with these 6 simple syrup recipes.
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month: Q&A with Artist Jazmin Harms
There's no such thing as a "disability" when it comes to creativity or work ethic. A sense of purpose runs through all of us, and that force is strong with Jazmin Harms. Jazmin is a resident artist at the SlingShot Art Studio and Gallery in our hometown of Santa Barbara.
We're big fans of SlingShot since it's not your typical gallery: The art on the walls is created by 40 in-house artists with intellectual disabilities. A branch of the mission-driven Alpha Resource Center, SlingShot provides a sunny, open studio space to encourage creative expression and a modern gallery for artists to sell their art in the heart of downtown.
Jazmin Harms is this month's featured artist at SlingShot's latest gallery show, ROAR. Her use of graphite on paper brings life to the animals she loves. SlingShot Teaching Artist Mike Blaha sat down with Jazmin to ask her about some of her favorite things.
Where is your favorite place in nature?
Jelly Bowl in Carpenteria. I walk to the Beach. It takes about 20+ minutes but I like the journey to the beach. I bring my phone to take pictures. My favorite subject is the sunset. I look for the "golden hour" when the sun just disappears and there are dolphins.
What kind of art do you create?
I draw only animals all the time. I pick pictures that I can depict honestly and are true to their forms. Big predatory animals are the most interesting and big cats are my favorite.
What medium do you use?
I use graphite because I like the way the shades of graphite renders the animals.
What time of year is your favorite?
I like summer evenings the best because I can stay at the beach for longer. I time my arrival to catch the "golden hour."
Taking photographs of the sunset seems challenging, how do you do it?
I like using foreground objects like rocks, driftwood and surf to accentuate the sunsets. I love seeing whales and dolphins. My favorite colors are the oranges and yellows.
What else do you like about the beach?
I like to go alone to feel a strong sense of nature. I hike up and down the beach to collect sea glass. Finding blue is my favorite. I have quite a large collection of sea glass. I get a calming effect that lasts the rest of the evening. I go as often as I can.
To see Jazmin's amazing work, check out the ROAR show at the SlingShot Studio. We held a pop-up fundraiser for March First Thursday (which is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, btw), and we can say firsthand that all the art is stellar!
For more on our mission to create and support opportunities for people with disabilities, check out this letter from our CEO. A portion of every Toad&Co purchase directly contributes to our mission.
Jazmin Harms is this month's featured artist at SlingShot's latest gallery show, ROAR. Her use of graphite on paper brings life to the animals she loves. SlingShot Teaching Artist Mike Blaha sat down with Jazmin to ask her about some of her favorite things.
Where is your favorite place in nature?
Jelly Bowl in Carpenteria. I walk to the Beach. It takes about 20+ minutes but I like the journey to the beach. I bring my phone to take pictures. My favorite subject is the sunset. I look for the "golden hour" when the sun just disappears and there are dolphins.
What kind of art do you create?
I draw only animals all the time. I pick pictures that I can depict honestly and are true to their forms. Big predatory animals are the most interesting and big cats are my favorite.
What medium do you use?
I use graphite because I like the way the shades of graphite renders the animals.
What time of year is your favorite?
I like summer evenings the best because I can stay at the beach for longer. I time my arrival to catch the "golden hour."
Taking photographs of the sunset seems challenging, how do you do it?
I like using foreground objects like rocks, driftwood and surf to accentuate the sunsets. I love seeing whales and dolphins. My favorite colors are the oranges and yellows.
What else do you like about the beach?
I like to go alone to feel a strong sense of nature. I hike up and down the beach to collect sea glass. Finding blue is my favorite. I have quite a large collection of sea glass. I get a calming effect that lasts the rest of the evening. I go as often as I can.
To see Jazmin's amazing work, check out the ROAR show at the SlingShot Studio. We held a pop-up fundraiser for March First Thursday (which is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, btw), and we can say firsthand that all the art is stellar!
For more on our mission to create and support opportunities for people with disabilities, check out this letter from our CEO. A portion of every Toad&Co purchase directly contributes to our mission.
