Amber Lynn Benton 12/30/16 Amber Lynn Benton 12/30/16

Sardines - The Paleo Superfood

I haven't purchased a can of sardines in years, but they are on my most current grocery list. They are high in vitamins, omega 3s, calcium and environmentally friendly. Maybe they should be on your list, too?

UPDATE: (This design is now available on tea towels!)

Before WWII the humble sardine was an American dietary staple. Canneries lined the coastal regions of the states and even served as the locale of a great American novel.

Somewhere along the way the lowly pilchard fell out of favor - replaced by the sleek tuna and a more glamorous American diet. When I was growing up densely packed canned of sardines in several flavors were still available in the grocery aisles. They were easily packed into our saddle bags or our pockets for long days at the lake.

Now, as many of us are living with the effects of the high carbohydrate American diet, these tiny fish are suddenly more interesting. Unfortunately it's just a decade or so after most of our American canneries have closed.

Here are a few interesting articles for further reading:
Sardines - The World's Healthiest Food
Six Reasons To Eat More Sardines
Sardines Get a Modern Makeover

Amber Lynn Benton 12/5/16 Amber Lynn Benton 12/5/16

#ItsAdvent 2016 Day Three

A Figgy Pudding by Amber Lynn Benton for #ItsAdvent 2016

This illustration looks a bit out of place in the rest of my collection but I still like it. I think a couple of things happened here. There just wasn't a place to include some of the pattern motifs I've been working with (other than on the plate). The other contributing factor is that the brushes used in this illustration are not consistent with the first two illustrations (or the later ones).

I began this illustration in a new document and do not yet have my brushes saved to their own library. So I had to make some new brushes and the settings were different. It was after completing this illustration that I set up the template file that I'm using for the rest of the collection.

I drew this in honor of my friend Shelley Brandt of Figgy Pudding Designs. Merry Christmas, Shelley!