Month: August 2013

Featured Artist… Kate Starling!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
"Two Houses" by Kate Starling
“Two Houses” by Kate Starling

Can you imagine how wonderful these two old homes must have been at one point in their lives? Kate captured the character of these buildings and you see how sweet they were at one time. A long time ago, no doubt!

Kate will be participating in the Maynard Dixon Country August 23-25, 2013, read about it from the Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts website. This sounds like one fantastic event. There are so many fabulous artists participating, you have to check out their website:

ABOUT MAYNARD DIXON COUNTRY

Maynard Dixon Country is much more than just an art show. In fact, it’s not really an art “show” at all. Maynard Dixon Country is a gathering bringing together artists, collectors, community, and friends who love art.
 

The guiding principles of the event are two fold: we want to help artists in America and we want to ensure the viability of historic preservation. We are deeply connected to the art of Maynard Dixon and his contributions to American art. But rather than focusing solely on the beloved paintings of Maynard Dixon, we focus on the “art spirit” and intention of Maynard Dixon, the artist, poet, and whole person. In choosing to remember Dixon this way, we believe his legacy becomes even more meaningful when it is illuminated by the artists who are living and making art in 2013. 
 

Maynard Dixon Country is also our only fundraising event of the year to support the Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts. In bringing serious collectors to this event, we help the artists on the forefront of American art continue to thrive, and we fulfill our mission for historic preservation. All art sales from Maynard Dixon Country directly fund the artists as well as the annual operating budget of the Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts and the Maynard Dixon Living History Museum.

Purchase Tickets Here

One Ticket Grants Admission to All Events:

  • Friday preview 12:00 p.m. at the Thunderbird Foundation Fine Art Gallery 2200 South State Street, Mt. Carmel, UT 84755

  • Saturday wet paintings sale 10 a.m. at the Dixon Studio (adjacent to the gallery on Highway 89/S. State Street)

  • Saturday afternoon symposium 2:00 p.m. at the Dixon Studio meadow

  • Saturday evening cocktail reception, MDC artists awards ceremony and concert featuring Western entertainer Mary Kaye Knaphus
     

We are pleased to announce our 2013 Maynard Dixon Country Media Sponsor
Western Art Collector Magazine

Read a blip about Kate from her website:

Kate Starling is an oil painter who lives and works in the canyons of southern Utah.  Educated in geology, she spent years working outside as a geologist and National Park ranger.  After formal academic art training in the 1980’s she devoted her work to painting the landscape.  Schooled in the importance of direct painting from life she has spent years painting outside, learning the way light plays on the land.  Now she splits her time between the roadways and trails surrounding her home and the studio. 

Starling’s paintings portray the natural world and focus on communicating a sense of place, atmosphere and light, retaining the immediacy of the painting experience.  She knows the strength of emotion that the landscape seen in a particular light can trigger in her – she strives to paint in such a way that memory and emotion are triggered in the people who see her work. 

Catch you back here tomorrow!

My post from one year ago…  I bought my shoes at the grocery store!

My post from two years ago…  Artist to watch… Dee Beard Dean!

House Plan: Low Country Beach House – Plan W44091TD by Architectural Designs

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House PlansLeave a comment

Low Country Beach House [image]
Low Country Beach House
This is a neat house plan if you had a great water view… Perfect for the Charleston area, but would be great anywhere there is water! This home is 2,621 square feet…

[image]

As you can see by the sliding door system, this plan optimizes the use of windows to capture the view. That feature coupled with the wonderful deep porches makes this quite the perfect home… and if that isn’t enough, if this plan is a bit too large for your needs, they have created another plan that is a bit smaller and it’s fabulous! Plan W44116TD: Low Country Beach House (1,581 square feet) – personally, I would go for this one!

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One good thing about this plan is it offers a space for everyone to spread out and have their own quiet time. A nice feature!  From Architectural Designs:

Video Tour: Fly around this house plan in a 32 second You Tube video. What a novel concept!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

My post from a year ago…  Featured Artist… Jane Chapin!

My post from two years ago…  Quick and easy macaroni salad, perfect for a warm summer day!

All images via ArchitecturalDesigns.com

Featured Artist… Jacobus Baas!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Jacobus Baas Schooner or Later DW
“Schooner or Later” by Jacobus Baas

Jacobus Baas, amazing painter, and a founding board member of LPAPA (Laguna Plein Air Painters Association). These schooners are amazing, that goes without saying… but the water with those reflections is over the top! The sleekness of the ships against the glassiness of the water is so beautiful! I would say that Jacobus approached this painting masterfully.

"Spruce Head Blues" by Jacobus Baas
“Spruce Head Blues” by Jacobus Baas

This is absolutely the sweetest painting, “Spruce Head Blues’ (Spruce Head, Maine) – so very nice! Take a look at Jacobus’ website, he’s got some amazing paintings!

Read a blip about Jacobus from the Dowling Walsh Gallery website – they always do such a great job with their website… check it out! Click HERE to read the full biography including some fabulous articles!

Biography

Jacobus Baas was born in the Netherlands in 1945 and spent his early years in Rotterdam, surrounded by rich landscapes and cloud-laden skies made famous by the Dutch Masters throughout history. Jacobus arrived in the United States in his early teens with an interest in art already indelibly imprinted.

Fascinated with surfing, he spent most of his after school hours in the ocean but never abandoned his passion for art. After graduating, he traveled extensively in Europe and enjoyed all the Old World had to offer, especially the art. The desire to create deepened.

Returning to the United States, Jacobus decided to channel his creativity in a new direction, one that would enable him to use his artistic ability and also provide some financial stability. He began to design and make jewelry. His unique and original works captured a following and contributed to his success as a goldsmith. He opened his business “Jacobus Goldsmiths” in Laguna Beach and is still in the same location since 1975. This afforded him the freedom to pursue his first love, painting. Since 1978, Jacobus has exhibited his paintings along side his jewelry at the Festival of the Arts in Laguna Beach. The paintings were strictly done in the studio, but in 1994 he began painting on location during a trip to Santa Fe. “It was like discovering a new world!” Jacobus exclaimed. On subsequent trips to New Mexico and Hawaii, he produced vibrant color-filled landscapes that inspired him to begin a remarkable series of work that continues to be widely acclaimed and admired.

A founding and current board member of LPAPA (Laguna Plein Air Painters Association), Jacobus divides his time between California, Hawaii and Maine. In addition to many one man shows, he has participated in many group exhibitions in concert with LPAPA’s venues, including the Laguna Art Museum.

Jacobus found the satisfaction he had been seeking as a plein air artist. “Painting has become my full time passion, there is no time to make jewelry. The act of applying paint to a canvas has always been intriguing to me. To transform a two dimensional surface and give it a feeling of space with carefully arranged brushstrokes, using the right colors and values is pure magic. Every time I paint on location, with each brushstroke I experience that magic again, and hopefully the viewer will experience it as well in the finished painting.”

Catch you back here tomorrow!

My post from a year ago… Recipe for Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes and Basil!

My post from two years ago… Good movie to rent… a thriller!

Images via Dowling Walsh Gallery, Rockland, Maine

Recipe: Cranberry & Nut Israeli Couscous Salad

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe1 Comment

I found this recipe while searching for a couscous recipe that had cranberries and nuts in it, I had an idea what to use for dressing, but ran across this recipe on Epicurious – it used spices that I definitely would not have used, but am so glad that I did. This recipe is one that was apparently created at Whole Foods. I checked their site for the recipe, but it wasn’t there. I did find it on Epicurious. This is a great side dish/salad that goes well with pretty much everything! It can be served warm or cold. This is a quick and easy recipe that will put a smile on your face! I added fresh orange wedges to it, and that makes all the difference, it takes it from a really good recipe to a blow your mind recipe. Yep, just with a few oranges!

Note: This recipe calls for Israeli couscous. I always thought of couscous as the tiny grain like pasta, which I never cared for, but after reading about it on Cookthink.com I saw that it was entirely diffferent. It’s puffier, this is what it looks like (the other couscous looks a bit like sand)…

Israeli CousCous [Cookthink.com]
Israeli CousCous [Cookthink.com]
This is the description from Cookthink.com:

Like couscous, so-called Israeli couscous are small, round, pasta-like granules made from semolina and wheat flour.

While the Israeli company Osem claims to have “invented” Israeli couscous in the 1950s, it is simply a marketing term for what was known previously as North African berkukes or Palestinian matfoul and popular in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

Unlike familiar small, yellow semolina-based North African couscous, Israeli couscous (which is sometimes called pearl couscous) is twice as big and is toasted rather than dried. This gives it a nutty flavor and a sturdy composition that gives it a chewy bite and makes it stand up to sauce.

Israeli couscous can be used in salads, soups or as a base for chicken or fish. It works well when prepared like a rice pilaf.

Here’s the recipe – Click to print this recipe from Epicurious

israeli couscous with cranberries and pecans

ingredients

Salad:
2 cups Israeli couscous, uncooked
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup toasted pecans, quartered
2 scallions, minced
Dressing:
3 tbsp canola oil (I used olive oil)
1.5 tbsp champagne vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
1 orange, zest
1/2 orange, juiced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

NOTE: I added 2 1/2 oranges, cut into wedges (the other half is juiced in the above steps) – this made the recipe over the top good!

preparation

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the couscous. When it’s done (roughly 8-10 mins, or when it’s al dente), drain it but do not rinse. Set aside and let cool while you mince the scallions, toast and chop the pecans, and make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk together the canola oil, vinegar, orange zest and juice, spices and salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the couscous, cranberries, pecans and scallions. Pour the well-whisked dressing over it and toss to combine.

Serve immediately, or chill in the fridge for a few hours to blend the flavors.

This is what I did:
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Set out ingredients…

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Toast nuts in a dry non stick pan just until they start to turn a light brown and you can begin to smell them; beware, this step can go from good to bad quickly, so get the pan off the stove once you start to smell them roasting.

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Zest your orange (not the white part) – In a bowl mix the olive oil, vinegar, fresh squeezed orange juice, zest and spices…

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Cut oranges into wedges or smaller pieces, however you like it… this will add a nice sweet burst of flavor- I don’t think you can have too many!

DSCN2369

After you cook the couscous in boiling water, as you would pasta (I did mine 6 minutes and it was perfect), drain it and put it into a bowl. Then, chop your green onions…

DSCN2371

Pour the dressing over the cooked couscous – oooowie, smells good, doesn’t it?

DSCN2373

Add the dried cranberries and orange segments…

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Add the green onions that you chopped a few minutes ago…

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Then add the toasted nuts…

T A D A ! !
T A D A ! !

Now you would think that I would put a serving in a pretty little dish and take a photo… but did I? Nope… I was hungry and I totally missed this step!  It would have been pretty too! We had grilled chicken, couscous and sautéed spinach – close your eyes a picture it… on a pretty plate… smell the wonderful combination of orange, roasted nuts, mmmmm… you know you want it… now go get busy! ENJOY!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

My post from a year ago… Featured Artist… Camille Przewodek!

My post from two years ago… Hootie and the Blowfish Concert…

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/ISRAELI-COUSCOUS-WITH-CRANBERRIES-AND-PECANS-A-LA-WHOLE-FOODS-50040927#ixzz2bILpVVTV

Featured Artist… Bob Rohm!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
"Afternoon Cloud Break" by Bob Rohm
“Afternoon Cloud Break” by Bob Rohm

This is an amazing piece by artist Bob Rohm. The looseness and the light… love it! I need to have the nice big strokes that he’s got… wow!

BobRohm TexasEvening SWGallery.com
“Texas Evening” by Bob Rohm

This sky is over the top fabulous! The light in the sky is breathtaking! The above painting is at Southwest Art Gallery, just one of the many galleries that Bob is in. Bob paints in oil and pastel and he covers a variety of subjects… this man can paint anything! He’s giving some great workshops, so be sure to check that out!

Read a blip about Bob from his website:

Bob has been painting most of his life, and received classical art training at the York Academy of Arts in Pennsylvania. Now a resident of Texas, his paintings reflect the brilliance of the colors found in the clear, bright light of the southwest.

 Bob juries shows, teaches workshops, lectures and demonstrates in oil and pastel mediums. Known for his ability to capture the poetry of light, he has received many awards and is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America, Oil Painters of America and the Outdoor Painters Society.  He is the author of the book THE PAINTERLY APPROACH and has been featured in many publications includingSouthwest Art, American Artist, The Artist’s Magazine, The Pastel Journal, International Artist and Pure Color. Bob’s painting approach has been the subject of several instructional DVD productions and his work is collected internationally and is represented by a number of fine galleries including Michael Henington Gallery in Santa Fe, Aspen Grove Fine Arts in Aspen and Southwest Gallery in Dallas.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

My post from one year ago…   Red’s Eats, Wiscasset, Maine… a great “lobstah” roll!

My post from two years ago…  Artist to watch… Andrea Peters!

Images:

Afternoon Cloud Break: BobRohm.com

Texas Evening: Southwest Gallery

Do you know what today is? Don’t miss it…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
Image: Second Sunday On King facebook
Image: Second Sunday On King facebook

Just a reminder, if you’re in the Charleston, SC area, that today is SECOND SUNDAY ON KING. If you haven’t walked on King Street while its closed to car traffic, let me tell you it’s quite the treat. Music playing, tables and chairs set up in the street where you can dine at some of the restaurants along the way… sales of all kinds. LOTS of people! It’s so much fun, truly it is! It makes you realize what a cool city we have here! Second Sunday begins at noon, when they block the street to traffic.

When you finish on King Street take a short walk to Queen and State Street… pop in the Anglin Smith Fine Art Gallery and say hello!

IMG-20130707-00155

Click HERE to print a parking voucher, good for two free hours in a city parking garage (or email info@charlestonppt.org and they’ll send you one)!

Hope to see you there!  Catch you back here tomorrow!

My post from one year ago… Port Clyde, Maine – Truly the way life should be!

My post from two years ago… Cancer Prevention Tip #12

Monhegan, ME stroll…

On By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS, TRAVELLeave a comment

100_1677

It’s the most beautiful place, ever! Water surrounding this small island on all sides. The creative people who live here all year long… the creative people who visit make it a fascinating place. Not just for the breathtaking scenery, but for the friends you make along the way. We’ve made many, and they’ve become like family to us. It’s neat to keep in touch all year long and then catch up once we’re all on the island. It’s a place of hiking, eating, ocean watching, photo taking… painting… and just being. When was the last time you sat down (without TV, radio, cell phone, etc.)? You can do this on Monhegan and be completely entertained. The thought of a TV doesn’t even pop into your head… we’ve met some of the coolest people ever.

If you ever get a chance to go… don’t miss the opportunity! You will become crazy like me and post photos like you live there, ha ha…

Tell me a place that you’re passionate about! I love to hear of new areas!!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

My post from one year ago: Burton Silverman, artist!

My post from two years ago: Oven roasted cauliflower – you won’t believe how good this is!!

The Spencer Gallery in Charleston, SC just got a new artist…

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, TRAVELLeave a comment

Image

The Spencer Gallery in Charleston, SC is loaded with all kinds of painting treasures. If you’re ever in the area I recommend taking a peak around! Bridget Jennings is new to the Spencer Gallery, and very excited to be a part of it!

She’s got a great website, so check it out! Here are a few paintings from her Charleston/Spencer Gallery collection:

"Stewart Fine Art" by Bridget Jennings [bridgetjenningsartist.com]
“Stewart Fine Art” by Bridget Jennings
[bridgetjenningsartist.com]
I love this little painting! It’s so indicative of Charleston’s old buildings… it’s a new gallery in town…

"St. John the Baptist" by Bridget Jennings [bridgetjenningsartist.com]
“Cathedral of St. John the Baptist” by Bridget Jennings
[bridgetjenningsartist.com]
If you’re ever in Charleston, you must pop in to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist church, it’s a beauty with so much history! She did a great job with this painting!

On another note… I wanted to wish Bridget a very Happy Birthday… Nifty, nifty, someone’s almost – ugh,never mind, hee hee! Bridget and I have had good times over the years, you may have read about the Orange Julius and popcorn days… It would be great if we lived closer… the South Carolina to Michigan drive is misery, especially if you do it non stop, by Ohio I’m ready to jump out of a moving car… don’t laugh, i’m serious!

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Bridget capturing inspiration from Shem Creek – Mount Pleasant, SC

Happy Birthday little sister… Catch you back here tomorrow!

My post from a year ago… Italian Cream Cake recipe from Cooking Light… WHOA!

My post from two years ago… MANY HAPPY MEMORIES!

House Plan: Nipper’s Escape by Flatfish Island Designs!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House Plans, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

Nipper's Escape by Flat Fish Island Designs [image]
Nipper’s Escape by Flatfish Island Designs
Fred found this house plan and I have to say, I LOVE IT! Nipper’s Escape is such an efficiently designed plan! It has it all and only 1,100 square feet! An open plan with an optional upstairs, great living space on the porches, a master suite tucked away in a secluded spot and STORAGE! I know I’ve been showcasing small cottages, I will move up to the moderate sized 2,000-2,500 square feet roughly… in the coming future. I just know when we look for a home to build one day AFTER we retire… it’s going to be small. Neither of us want a large home with more room to spread out and collect “stuff”. We’re pretty good at getting rid of excess just because we don’t have a lot of extra space to store. So a pantry, and a few closets… fabulous!

HP NippersEscape plan FlatFishIslandDesigns.com

So many great features. Especially if this house were built here in Charleston, SC.  Just look at these wonderful porches! We could easily be outside on our porches the majority of the year (all but summer with the mosquitoes and heat/humidity). A little powder room right inside the front door, can’t beat that for convenience! I LOVE the kitchen, lots of counter space, and open to the living/dining room… and A PANTRY! Oh, how I would love a pantry! Fabulous design, done right here near Charleston! Check out their website… full of amazing house plans!

Here’s a blip about Nipper’s Escape from the Flatfish Island Design website:

For a couple or a small family, the Nipper’s Escape house plan has a cozy, casual, outdoors feel perfect for a weekend retreat.
 
The Nipper’s Escape home plan features classic cottage styling, including distinctive gables with shed dormers. A private master suite on the living level features three exposures and a private patio offering spectacular views

This house plan features wrap around porches that offer a relaxed setting and lovely views. The deep-set design of the covered porches provides excellent shade for the entire ground floor living area, making the Nipper’s Escape home plan an efficient, eco-friendly green design.
 
Nipper’s Escape is a simple house plan that allows for easy expansion or modification. For example, you can add three beds and two baths to the second floor to create a loft space if you wish.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via flatfishislanddesigns.com

Featured Artist… Lisa Mitchell!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
"Golden Fields" by Lisa Mitchell {image}
“Golden Fields” by Lisa Mitchell
{image}

Lisa Mitchell is a fabulous plein air artist who shows her work at South Street Art Gallery. “Golden Fields” is part of the People/Places/Things exhibit that runs from  8/3 – 9/1/2013. If you’re in the Easton, Maryland area be sure to stop in to see it!

I am loving the warm colors of the foreground and that wonderful light hitting the barn… to me, those two elements make this a fabulous painting!

Lisa has a wonderful blog that shows her art as well as all kinds of painting tips – a good one to check out! Read a bit about the artist from her website, I see she’s taken workshops from some pretty fine artists:

Lisa Mitchell received her formal art education at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, concentrating her studies in Illustration and Graphic Design. Lisa found employment as an Illustrator creating storyboards and comprehensive illustrations for several leading advertising agencies in the Mid-Atlantic region. She then began a twenty year career painting children’s portraits in her home based studio and has expanded her focus to include landscapes, figures and still life subjects. 

Lisa is a member of the Washington Society of Landscape Painters, (WSLP). She is a past President and Signature Member of the Maryland Pastel Society. She is now one of 5 “Signature” Member jurors for the Maryland Pastel Society, a Signature member of theMaryland Society of Portrait Painters, and a member of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.

Educational Workshops Attended:

Lisa continues her art education by attending international conferences as well as national workshops and has studied with nationally known artists such as, Doug Dawson, Bob Rohm, Richard McKinley, Kenn Backhaus, Kim English, Susan Ogilvie, David Leffel, Sherrie McGrawand Peter Fiore. She attends open figure painting sessions each week at the Zoll Studio of Fine Art.

 Instruction:

Lisa offers ongoing pastel and oil landscape painting instruction Tuesday mornings at the Zoll Studio of Fine Art in Lutherville, MD.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Do you remember Orange Julius? Here’s the recipe!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe, THOUGHTS1 Comment
OrangeJulius

Who remembers the Orange Julius drink? Do you remember that wonderful orange flavored iced drink? I remember certain things about my childhood… like when my dad would go to Sears and look at tools… as a little girl… I can still remember the tiles on the floor at Sears in Macomb Mall (St. Clair Shores, MI). A beigy colored tile… HOW do I remember that?

Continue reading “Do you remember Orange Julius? Here’s the recipe!” →

Featured Artist… Sue Gilkey!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

"The Cape Lunch" by Sue Gilkey [image]
“The Cape Lunch” by Sue Gilkey
[image]

I really enjoy Sue Gilkey’s style. One of the many subjects she paints are interiors. I love paintings of interiors, you don’t see a lot of them, so when you do it makes them extra special. I love how the green in this painting captures my eye (but does not hold it)… your eye is taken ever so slightly around the painting, mine goes first to the green booth with people having lunch, then up to the waitress, to the lit display on the wall, down to the empty table and back again. Nice. There is a nice air about this painting… This image is from the Waterhouse Gallery website, a nice gallery located in Santa Barbara, CA

Read a blip about Sue from her website:

The complexities of working in oil infinitely challenge and delight Sue Gilkey. Her work is observational, expressive, and intuitive. “The painting process for me, is a meditation on the aesthetics of the subject I’m observing. I am always interested in developing a painting that will connect to the viewer and possibly evoke a sense of shared experience.”

Growing up in New Jersey, Gilkey studied with a well-known local artist. She completed her BFA in Painting at The University of New Hampshire, followed by post-graduate work at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She has studied Tonalism with contemporary master, Dennis Sheehan. Gilkey pursues a traditional approach to painting, striving to combine the emotional power of tonalism with direct observation.

 Gilkey has exhibited in major shows, receiving awards at Greenhouse Gallery Salon International, American Artist Professional league, and The Guild of Boston Artists. She is represented by Gallery Antonia, Chatham, MA,Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara,CA, Edward Montgomery Fine Art, Carmel-by-the-Sea,CA and Cleo,in Kenmare, Co. Kerry, Ireland. Gilkey is an artist member of The Salmagundi Club in NYC and The Copley Society of Art in Boston, MA.

 Gilkey divides her time between her home on the Charles River in Massachusetts and her cottage in Ireland.

 Catch you back here tomorrow!

A fabulous painting by Tim Bell… walking away…

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTS, TRAVEL10 Comments

Tim Bell, Artist
Tim Bell, Artist

Monhegan, ME. Artists everywhere. I. Mean. Everywhere! Everyone is busy painting away, doing their thing, and let me tell you , there are some incredibly talented artists who’s work just blows you away! We met artist, Tim Bell (pictured) on the island years ago (I’m thinking 2006?!) and have remained friends with him through the years, and have made new friends through him. He’s such a talented, brilliant artist. Tim had so much information to share that I had to go get a pen and paper. Great, useful information. One year we watched him paint this painting… and as he walked away with it… we had to have it. So it’s pretty cool that we have this painting… good memories. We love every one of our paintings, they’re all special to us in one way or another. This is a perfect example!

Have a great Sunday! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Island Sunset… Monhegan, ME.

On By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS, TRAVEL2 Comments

Monhegan Sunset
Monhegan Sunset

Ahhhh, about this time every year I really get “home sick” (if you can call it that… since I’ve never lived there) for Monhegan. There is nothing like a Monhegan sunset! I would love to catch a sunrise, I’m definitely up early enough, I just haven’t been able to give up my coffee… yet! This photo was taken during dinner at the Island Inn (and I am longing for good fish dinner from that restaurant… the best ever!), I had to excuse myself during dinner to run outside and get a quick shot. How stunning is this?

Ahhh, see you just went on a mini vacation… you feel better already, don’t you? I know I do!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Shawn Fields! – Opening Reception this evening…

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist1 Comment

"Honey's Room Study" by Shawn Fields
“Honey’s Room Study” by Shawn Fields

Shawn Fields, artist that paints the childhood imagination… Is this not a fascinating painting? Does it not conjure up wonderful childhood memories? The kinds of memories made from using your imagination (nothing in the world beats that, there is no video game that can beat a childhood imagination. Not. Ever). Do you recall the art of building a fort, riding a bike and make believe that seemed so utterly real it was hard to believe that it wasn’t! I truly think Shawn’s paintings bring us back to that happy childhood… it gives us a feeling of make believe so good and pure. Just honest fun. Fun that wore you out and made you sleep well at night! The way he captured this sweet little boy with his cape and his furry friends is nothing short of spectacular. His paintings make me smile. A big, wonderful, happy smile!

"Jousting" by Shawn Fields
“Jousting” by Shawn Fields

All I can say is… this painting brings back fabulous memories. The longer you look at this it, the more you see… this is a creative kid, who jumped on his bike, with his bed sheet as a cape. Keep looking and your mind will create stories. How wonderful is that?! Shawn’s paintings are so original. Pure amazement is what I feel.

Shawn’s show is at Dowling Walsh Gallery, in Rockland, Maine. There is an opening reception tonight with the artist from 5-8PM. If I could be there I would be! If you’re in the area, stop by the gallery, it’s located across the street from the Farnsworth Museum and it is a gorgeous gallery! Filled with paintings that will tempt you… big time! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Read a blip about Shawn from the Dowling Walsh Gallery website and check out his website:

Upcoming Show: August 2-30, 2013

Shawn Fields is a representational artist, telling stories of childhood with convincing detail. Shawn reminds us of the simplicity of a childhood full of resourceful, economical play. His paintings begin centered on a particular object – a “cabbage patch kid’s” bicycle, a bathing suit, a pillow case – familiar from his own childhood and echoed in his children’s. The object becomes embedded in layers of narrative until the picture is complete.

Using practiced color, composition and anatomy, Shawn amplifies his narratives with make-believe. He has been inspired by Pixar and Spielberg, as much as by Winslow Homer and the Wyeths, in their ability to tell a story. Shawn understands that a painting can seem even more real when it takes liberties with reality. He cleverly invents ways to weigh down the mattress beneath the feet of a feather-light child, allowing it to crease and fold in a way that our mind reads as true. He billows the cape of a young boy jousting on his bike, the ribbons and grasses blowing with vigor, capturing the speed the viewer and the child have imagined. Shawn’s paintings signal to our recollection of reality.

Shawn Fields grew up in a suburb of Baltimore and also in rural Pennsylvania. His early conception of art was formed by a monthly subscription to Mad Magazine, and the Wyeth family’s presence in the Brandywine Valley. Shawn studied drawing and painting at the School of Visual Arts, at the Water Street Atelier in New York, and at the New York Academy of Art. He now lives in the Berkshires, Massachusetts with his wife and three children.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images: DowlingWalsh.com