<p>From the author of the international bestseller<em> In and Out of the Garden</em> and the wondrous sketchbook <em>Sara Midda’s South of France</em> comes a long-awaited treasure of a book. Drawn from the artist’s wealth of impressions and memories, it is a book for lovers of food and art and fine gift books—a book for anyone who, upon arriving in a new town, seeks first the local market, or who believes the best thing to do on a given night is to share a table with friends. <br /><br /> Sara Midda is a watercolorist whose delicate and beautiful paintings shine like jewels, evoking the sweet purple taste of a summer raspberry or the silvery greens and gnarled burnt umber of an olive grove. And she is also a collagist, weaving together photographs, line drawings, her personal swatches—all the hues of a spice cabinet, or the sensations of a picnic, the colors of the breeze, sunshine, laughter, the cooling grass. And a poet, in love with words that sing, like <em>podding</em> and <em>wicker</em>, <em>nettle</em> and <em>snug</em>. <br /><br /> By turns reverent and playful, <em>A Bowl of Olives</em> is a work of pure enchantment, celebrating food—of the seasons, of family, of travel and memory. It is as richly layered as a favorite meal. <br /><br /> The book is cloth-bound, jacketed, and printed on uncoated stock to convey the feeling of an artist’s sketchbook.</p>