Robert Abele was born in Bronxville, NY in 1969. He has spent his life making images of the New England landscape. Connecticut, New York and Cape Cod are a few of the places close to Robert’s heart. His paintings are done from life, plein air, in the tradition of Corot and Monet. Responding to the changing effects of light and atmosphere, he captures quick nuances and shifts in line and color. Robert studied art in New York at the School of Visual Arts, graduating in 1993 with a B.F.A. in fine art. Marilyn Minter, Juan Gonzalez and James McMullan were a few of the professors that affected Robert’s early development as an artist. Robert’s work has appeared in the New York Times and The Washington Post. Often regarded as a painter’s painter, many of his works have won national awards.Robert is inspired to paint what he calls a vanishing history of America’s past. This ongoing passion to preserve the gentle New England coast is his muse, and his dialog with this subject matter continues to challenge him.
This painting by Marcia Burtt caught my eye right away. The still, glassy water with those amazing reflections and the orangey color against the dark colors just screams WHOA! What a treat it was to run across Marcia’s work! She has a fabulous website… here is a list of galleries she’s in, scroll through to see if there is one near you! The Marcia Burtt Studio is located in Santa Barbara, CA…
“Slack Tide, Haze” by Marcia Burtt
How serene is this painting? Can’t you just feel yourself sitting on the edge of America listening to the waves, feeling the cool water, smelling the salt air… it makes my neck relax and my shoulders lower away from my ears, ha ha… Everyone should have a painting like this to look at every day!
“Making a painting, for me, is a process of studying a subject over a period of hours or days. Creating meaning from a random collection of natural objects requires receptively seeing in a sensual way while at the same time imposing structure. This dance between perception and intellect to create an object that holds a unique communication is the great joy of being a painter.”
Starting college at the University of Chicago, Burtt graduated from UC Berkeley with majors in pre-med, psychology, and art, earning her master’s degree in art from the University of Montana.
Her paintings have been included in a number of exhibitions in regional museums, including recently “California Art Club Paints Malibu” at the Weisman Museum at Pepperdine and “Saving Paradise,” traveling to the east coast.
Burtt’s large commissioned paintings hang in major healing centers, including MD Anderson in Houston and Cedars-Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center in Los Angeles.
Marcia and her husband Dave live on 1200 acres in southern San Luis Obispo County. Their ranch has been granted a wildlife easement and will never be developed, thanks to efforts by The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County.
Also check out the WORKSHOP section… sounds amazing!
This is the Brightbuilt Barn… it can be configured as a studio/office space, or as a 1 or 2 bedroom home. This plan ranges from 670-960 square feet. Small. Efficient. These homes consume 50% less energy, are easier to maintain and can be built in approximately four months. 960 square feet seems pretty small, but if the plan is efficient then it could work!
Note that there is a loft space above Bedroom 2, the bath and the kitchen (in the two bedroom plan). See the stairs situated between bedroom one and two? This loft space could be for storage or even an extra guest… who knows!
There are options available to make this home a net zero (pay no electricity) option… from the Brightbuilt website:
Energy efficiency features available
Super-insulated construction R-60 roof
R-40 walls
R-20 basement, R-10 slab Photovoltaic solar panels
High-efficiency heat and air conditioning • Energy-efficient, triple-glazed windows Airtight construction Low-flow showerheads and faucets
Add to that the low VOC paint, high efficiency heat/AC, low flow fixtures… it just gets better and better.
This gives yet another option to the very well built homes that are net zero, or as close as possible. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Check out their website for the other (larger) plans!
Monique Lazard shows her work at Camden Falls Gallery located in Camden, Maine. Nice work! Oils and watercolor and a variety of subjects. I enjoy the feel her paintings give… water… a sense of calm, a treasured location and nice light = a great painting!
“Leaving Rockland” by Monique Lazard
This is a sweet painting. The light hitting the tip of the building is fabulous as is the water. Nice deliberate brush strokes. I love the story about how Monique got started… I think we should all give art supplies to kids… imagine how many would be fabulous artists like Monique one day!? Check out Monique’s website, it’s full of fabulous paintings!
Monique recognized her calling as an artist on her 10th birthday when she received her first set of watercolors from her uncle, Ray Bertrand, a WPA Muralists and art teacher at the San Francisco Art Institute. Her formal studies began as an undergraduate at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She received a BA degree from the California College of Art, and pursued graduate studies at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
She began her career as Fashion Illustrator for Liberty House department store chain in Oakland, California. She became Art Director in 1979 for the Nob Hill Gazette in San Francisco, and in 1984 moved to NYC becoming Art Director for numerous fashion publications within Fairchild Publications. While living in NYC, she also enjoyed teaching fashion illustration at the Parson School of Design.
In 1992, depleted from the fast pace of NYC, she made a fresh start in the quaint mining town of Telluride, Colorado, working as Art Director for the Telluride Magazine. While in Telluride, Monique also taught figure painting in watercolor at the Ah Ha School. It was during this period that she began to shift her emphasis to painting, spending hundreds of hours hiking the Rocky Mountains with watercolors in tow.
Monique continues to learn and grow as an artist. She is continuously painting with other artist and attends workshops and classes at the local Art Centers on the Main Line and in Philadelphia. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brynn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
[featured product] is something that I really like… in this case its something that is so useful, cuts down on foil and plastic in landfills and is a treat to the eye… whatever could it be??
One of the gifts I received for my birthday from my mom and dad were a few of these Charles Viancin silicon lids. I was thrilled! They know I LOVE THIS STUFF! I’ve had my eye on silicone lids for a while, but haven’t bought any… Why am I so excited about silicone lids you wonder? NO PLASTIC WRAP (can you imagine?) or FOIL to cover bowls with! Sweet! Everyone loves dealing with plastic wrap, right? Ugh. And foil… the price keeps going up like crazy (what’s up with that??)…
As you can see these silicone lids are good for many reasons, they’re BPA free, the may you eco friendly but reducing waste, they seal tightly, I tried it on a cereal bowl (the small size, 6″), I just set it on top, and I could pick the bowl up by the center stem that sticks up…. the suction is unbelievable. To get it off, set it down, and lift it off… comes off easier than you can imagine. The lid creates an airtight/waterproof seal keeping your food fresh! You can even use it while cooking to retain steam… you can use it in the dishwasher and the microwave!
As you can see they make all sizes, even small lids for glasses, stoppers for wine bottles (how cool is that?), cutting boards, etc. All different flower patterns, and I saw on their Facebook page that they have a snowflake design coming out soon for the holidays! Check out their STORE LOCATOR to see where you can purchase them near you… if there isn’t a place, you can find them on Amazon.com!
I love smart things! Catch you back here tomorrow!
Vineyards… what’s not to love? Oh how I would like to surprise Fred for our 22nd anniversary and have a wonderful dinner beneath this magnificent tree overlooking the vineyard. Wouldn’t that be something?
I always like to see what it is in a painting that draws me in. In this case it’s the overall feeling that I get from it. Peace and quiet, good wine, maybe a bit of cheese and a hunk of good bakery bread. Silence. The sunlight peeking through the tree dancing on the slats in the back of the chair… and on the ground like fireflies… I think I need to get my paint out so that I can start making some money to make this dream a reality… ha ha… This would be a nice surprise!
Kristine’s paintings all have a good vibe coming from them… here is one more example. She’s got such great style! Check out her website if you get a chance!
LOVE the clouds and the looseness of the tree… I truly enjoy plein air paintings, you really can get a feel for what the artist is seeing at that moment in time!
Aren’t these flowers just gorgeous? This photo was taken years ago while Fred and I were in San Francisco, CA. This is THE BUD STOP… wildly beautiful flowers! They’re located on Union Street right near Fillmore… Speaking of Fillmore Street… best place that we ate lunch… THE GROVE FILLMORE, I had done a previous post on this place, but it’s worth mentioning again!
This would make one heck of a challenging rooftop painting wouldn’t it? Whew, not sure I would want to give it a whirl, but I would enjoy seeing the progression of an artist painting a similar scene. It facinates me how there really is no right or wrong way to paint. I see people break the “rules” all the time and they’re awesome artists… what works for one doesn’t always work for another… I like knowing I have options, ha ha…
Have a good weekend! Catch you back here tomorrow!
I adore Michelle Hero Clarke’s style! It’s fresh and loose and so very fabulous. I see a bit of a Charles Sovek likeness to her work (especially her architectural paintings), at times a little Eric Hopkins (the swirls in the water and some of the clouds)… which make this a style uniquely her own. Her paintings are fresh and have great movement. You really get a sense of the place… Michelle has several paintings of Monhegan, and let me tell you she captures the feeling perfectly… be sure to check out her website, it’s full of wonderful paintings!
“Monhegan Woods” by Michelle Hero Clarke
I love this “Monhegan Woods” painting… it so reminds me of walking through Cathedral Woods, the beauty, the peace, the silence… ahhhhhh! Just by looking at this painting I feel happy! That’s what art should do. Make you happy, or make you feel something!
“Clouds and Rock” by Michelle Hero Clarke
Another stunning piece… I love how she did the rocks, the water… ahhhh, I want to have this kind of style!
Painting landscapes provides me with a way to respond and record not only my observations of a place but my subjective experience of it as well. In my artwork I am primarily interested in capturing the essence of places as I perceive them, rather than documenting a photo-realistic scene. All of my artwork is done “plein air”. I paint on–site, and always from life rather than using photographs as references. I find this method the most effective in that it allows me to fully immerse myself in the sensations of the moment. When painting outside, the biggest challenge for me as an artist is dealing with the potential for rapid change. Light, color, and subject are all in a state of flux. A cloud can move, changing the shadows and intensity of colors, or a dense fog may roll in, obscuring what had been my subject but creating new opportunities. Responding to these constant changes gives a sense of urgency and immediacy to the act of painting, which I find very energizing. I rarely go back into my paintings and rework them in the studio. I like to keep the images fresh, authentic, and representative of how I experienced being in that place at that time. I emphasize elements that strike me; the movement of the water,the interplay of colors, or the thoughts and feelings that I have in response to a particular visual experience. Each painting I make enhances my appreciation and awareness of the richness of life around me, and I try to share these vivid moments through my artwork.
The media and materials I use consist of a mixture of alkyd and oil paints on handmade wood panels which I will sometimes layer with primed canvas but often just seal with an acrylic wood varnish. For larger work, I may use stretched canvases as they are lighter weight and easier to carry in the field.
First photo taken of us at my sister’s house… 1991!
Twenty one years ago today I said “I do” to the sweetest man on Earth, my husband, Fred Stroud. I remember that day well! We were so excited to get married, we didn’t want to wait for an evening wedding… we were married at noon on a hot August day. We had a beautiful wedding in Summerville, SC – we left the reception on the way to the John Rutledge House Inn (Charleston, SC). It was such a treat to spend the first (luxurious) night in Charleston!
John Rutledge House Inn Balcony, Charleston, SC [image]After we checked in and put our bags in our room we had family meet us at the inn to sit out on the veranda. Spending time with my husband and family at the most beautiful inn was such a treat! As was the breakfast the next morning… we had slept through it and there was a knock at our door, they brought us breakfast in bed… it was scrumptious and so beautifully delivered. Something I’ll never forget!
John Rutledge House Inn Suite [image]I swear, if this isn’t our room it was one very similar… When the bellman was showing us the room, he told us to “feel free to walk around the hotel and enjoy the beautiful art work, such as the piece above the mantel“… it was a piece that my dad had painted!!! He snuck down early that day and asked them to hang the painting… what a wonderful gift! Here is a photo of it… it’s not a good one… reflections make this a tough one to take a photo of… so disregard the reflections, and the fact that I had to crop off the frame, this is a watercolor by my dad, Joe Fidler… (frame cropped to get it somewhat square, sigh…).
Painting by Joe Fidler
From the moment I met Fred I KNEW he was the one. There was something about him. We clicked. Is it cliche to say that we’re soul mates? Well, we are, I can’t think of any other word to describe it. He is an amazing man, and I pray that I am as wonderful a wife as he is a husband. Something tells me I got the “lucky end of the stick”… ha ha…
Fred, 1992 – I love this guy!
Here’s to you Fred! You’re the best! I feel so blessed…
“Evening Light” by Neil Patterson [image]I like the strong use of color in Neil’s paintings. The bold brush strokes, the bright happy color with the more muted background that brings it together so nicely. Neil is an artist that truly loves what he does. If you read the blip about him (below) you’ll see that. This man wants to paint not just for money, but because he absolutely loves it. It’s what he wanted to do and he did it, that’s a great message to send to others! This piece is available at the RS Hanna Gallery in Frederickburg, Texas (a wonderful gallery full of fantastic artists!). Check it out!
I was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and it was a reproduction of a Tom Thomson painting in my elementary classroom that first got me to dream about painting. Unfortunately, there weren’t any art galleries in Moose Jaw and I had little exposure to original art until I visited my aunt in Ottawa when I was twelve. She took me to the National Gallery and that’s when I decided to become a painter.
I bought a book titled “How to Paint” and read it on the train ride back to Moose Jaw. My aunt sent me a set of oils for my thirteenth birthday and I created my first masterpiece on a canvas belt I found in my father’s workshop. That belt was so thick it almost stood up by itself and I didn’t even know to prime it first, but that’s how I got started.
My mother always told me that if I wanted something bad enough I would find a way to do it. My mind was set on painting and so I determined to make a success of myself. Over the years I’ve come to realize that there’s really no such thing as talent. It’s more desire than anything. Anyone can learn to paint competently and after that it’s just a little something of yourself, call it soul, which has to go into the work.
When people ask me what inspires or motivates me to paint, I simply tell them “I love painting.” Painting to me is like being a kid again; I get to play, but now it’s with paint instead of toys. I like how the paint moves on the canvas, how it can be a million different colors, what happens when you set one color next to another and what happens when they’re mixed together. For me painting is about feeling rather than thinking. It’s a spontaneous, creative, serendipitous process whereby I allow the evolving shapes and colors on the canvas to speak to me. I use loose brush strokes which, by definition, involve a certain lack of control. They are intuitive rather than calculated.
I paint mostly from memory. When I see a sky, I like to put that in my visual memory bank, and on another day I might add an appealing cluster of trees or an intriguing bend in the river. As I paint, I become a creator. I simply plant a tree or move a mountain in order to create a scene that pleases me visually. The final composition becomes a composite of many impressions. Each of us remembers things in a certain way that is our own reality, so I am painting things the way I remember them, perhaps not exactly as they were.
I think of my work as a visual expression of the emotion and passion evoked by a particular image. It is more important for me to capture the feeling of a place than it is to copy it realistically in every detail.
I paint what I love and see around me, scenes that speak to me, places I want to explore. I try to capture moments of light, color and atmosphere which spark my imagination. I want to create my own personal version of reality and entice the viewer to share it with me.
“A photograph is what it is; a painting is what you want it to be.”
In my 50+ years I have yet to see a double yolked egg… until the other day! I was making scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese (an all time favorite)… I tossed the eggs in the pan (I scramble them in the pan)… and out of one of the eggs a double yolk appeared! I think it might be time to go buy a lottery ticket, ha ha… weird, eh? I read that a woman in the UK bought a half dozen eggs and every one was a double yolker! Interesting, huh??
Carolina Antique Maps & Prints sure has a cool building. I love the trim color, it’s so Charleston! Walking downtown and taking photos is so much fun, there is beauty everywhere you look! Of course I can find beauty just about anywhere, but some great strong colors downtown. I’m not really into maps or prints, but I just looked through their website and I have to say, they’ve got some really interesting things!! I’ll be stopping in this place!
Walking around Monhegan you run across the most unexpected beautiful sights… butterflies everywhere, gorgeous sunsets, happy flowers, the sea and a bouquet every now and then appearing in a spot you just wouldn’t think to see one. It puts a smile on my face every single time.
![John Rutledge House Inn Balcony, Charleston, SC [image]](https://artfoodhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/rutledgeinnbalcony-jrhi.jpg)
![John Rutledge House Inn Suite [image]](https://artfoodhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/rutledgehousesuite-jrhi.jpg)
!["Evening Light" by Neil Patterson [image]](https://artfoodhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/screen-shot-2013-08-13-at-2-45-29-pm.png)
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