I love these lilies… they smell so wonderful. I can grab a bundle when I’m at the grocery store, they last a full week or longer and are problem free.
I remember a gallery in town used to always have big bunches of these, and when you walked into the gallery, WOW! The scent was amazing!
Taking a few days off, posting a week of photos – back to normal posting next week!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
What is better than Lacinato (Tuscan) Kale? Wonderful in pasta, stir fry, smoothie’s… you name it!
Also kind of nice as art, don’t you think?
Taking a few days off and posting photos and thoughts… back to normal posting next week!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Look at this violet! It’s going wild! Tons of beautiful flowers, there is also a smaller (baby) violet to the left… I’ve had good luck with them, this is what I do…
I set the three violets that I have in a butchers tray (any tray will do) and add 1/4″ + of room temperature water (they really don’t like cold water). Let them sit until the pot feels heavy, then I transfer them back to the plate, etc. that I have them sitting on. My baby violet is in a self-watering pot, which does not self water. I never understood that… but it’s pretty, so I keep it.
I have them in a sunny room. Right now they don’t get direct light, but the room is very light. Those are my secrets ;) Go get one, they’re wonderful plants!
Taking a few days off, posting some photos this week, back to normal posting next week!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
I took this photo years ago – A door in Mexico.
Look for beauty in the little things, the way the sun hits the steps, the worn patina of wood, the beautiful colors that surround us. Those “little things” are everywhere, we just have to look for them!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
A good trick I use to remind myself to set the clocks back before we go to bed… Set the clock on the stove forward an hour this morning… then you will notice the time is wrong when you see it later in the day, and that prompts you to change the rest of the clocks. I know the entire country doesn’t participate in Daylight Savings Time, but for those of you who do… you know what to do (Ex: If it’s 8AM, set your clock to 9AM, ahead one hour)!
Daylight Savings Time begins at 2AM (Sunday), but not many of us wait up for it!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Nice painting by Heather Arenas. She caught this guy lost in thought… You can see him thinking… wondering where he is or where he’s going. The little tree behind him is wonderful, but the shadow of it on the building… Love!!
Wonderful light in the sky. Love all the light, from the signs, the reflections, the street sign, etc. A fabulous, wild sky and the streetlights which seem to anchor the painting.
Read a bit about Heather, from her website:
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Artist’s Statement | |
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One of my goals is to say more with a painting than can be said with a photograph. I want to help others see the beauty in everyday objects, places and people as I see them. | |
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Medium and Subject Matter | |
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I work in oils and prefer figurative work but enjoy painting many different subjects. | |
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Influence | |
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My grandmothers were both artists and my parents provided me with various art supplies growing up. I was taught to appreciate many forms of art. I have many favorite artists now and there are too many to name but living artists include Richard Schmidt, Tibor Nagy, Jeremy Mann, Kim English, and Dan McCaw. Deceased influences include John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn, and Joaqin Sorolla. | |
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Art Education | |
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My education includes a rigorous course of independent study reading many books on drawing and painting and taking workshops from respected artists such as Vadim Zanginian, Kim English and Clayton Beck III. While earning a degree in biology with emphasis on |
All images via HeatherArenas.com, used with permission…
Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
This is the White Plains plan from Our Town Plans, and is it ever a beauty. This plan is 2,942 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Check out the real images on OurTownPlans.com website! I love the lines of this house!
What do you notice right away? There are two master bedrooms, both located on the first floor. Genius! There are many circumstances where this plan would come in so handy!
I love how you see the staircase from the entry, and how the dining/living area shares a space. Perfect! An unscreened porch on the front and a screened porch on the back, you will be set no matter what the conditions!
The upstairs has two bedrooms, both with bathrooms and closets, an office nook, and an Owner’s Closet. Nice to have storage!
All images via OurTownPlans.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
David Finnell. Fabulous watercolors! I think there is a resurgence in the watercolor medium. Watercolor paintings are so wonderful! The light and looseness of the painting above adds so much character. The windows not showing all details, etc., the lines of the house… This is wonderful!
There are things in paintings that draw me in time after time. A good nocturne, especially one with a good moon and some stars – Whoa! A flag on a house, I love it! A mailbox. A simple mailbox adds so much. I am also drawn to orange. While this painting is not a nocturne with a moon and stars it does have a flag, mailbox and the color orange, ha ha… Just the perfect amount of detail was added to this painting. Really nice, and… sold…
Read a bit about David, from his website: (Had to include the Artist’s Statement – I love it!)
In the late 1980s, David began taking watercolor classes at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia. Since then, he has taken workshops with acclaimed watercolorists Tom Lynch, Tony Van Hasselt, Frank Webb, Ron Ranson, Marilynne Bradley, and the late Judi Wagner.
In June of 2015, David won the Quick Draw (non-juried category) at “Easels in Frederick” with his watercolor “Shadows on Church Street. In June 2014, David was one of 30 juried artists to take part in the annual plein-air competition in Frederick, Maryland. This was his second year with “Easels in Frederick.” Later in the summer, David painted in the plein-air competition in Alameda, California, where his painting “Crab Cove Close-up,” earned honorable mention.
David’s work appears regularly in regional art shows, including Waterford, Virginia, where his painting “Meandering down Main Street,” took both Best Watercolor and Best Waterford Scene this year. His previous work earned a yellow ribbon in 2013, Best Civil War Scene in 2011, Honorable Mention in 2009, Best Waterford Scene in 2007, and Best Watercolor in 2006.
This spring, David’s watercolor “The Hi Neighbor” was selected by the Chamber of Commerce of Strasburg, Virginia, for its official Mayfest print, the second time his work has been so chosen.
He lives in the Shenandoah Valley with his wife, Marcie, and daughter, Jenny. He teaches English at Sherando High School in Stephens City.
I am Grandma Moses without the fame. At a late age, I picked up a brush for the first time, wanting to try something new and eager to develop my artistic eye. Drawn to watercolor’s exquisite freshness and at times maddening unpredictability, I spent the next twenty-five years learning my craft. My watercolors explore in a loose, impressionistic manner the happy collisions between the natural and the man-made – the dilapidated gray barn sinking into the dry weeds, the precision of a red-brick wall against the riot of wisteria, great billowing clouds over hard, thin rooflines. More so now, I paint outdoors. There’s nothing quite as thrilling of being there with a palette, an easel, a mop brush, and blank paper. Grandma Moses once famously said, “If I hadn’t started painting, I would have raised chickens.” I don’t care for chickens.
All images via DavidFinnellWatercolors.com, used with permission…
Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.
I love a good bio and artist’s statement! Love it! Catch you back here tomorrow!
Roasted Cauliflower. I love it! It gets nice and sweet and the flavor profile changes completely when you roast it. It’s so quick and easy to do.
Did you realize there are different colors of cauliflower? Green, purple and plain white. I chose a purple cauliflower this time (they all taste the same) – it was fun! I break into fairly small florets, they take less time to roast. If you have the time you can leave them in larger pieces. We were having this with grilled chicken, so I didn’t have a lot of time, therefore the small pieces.
Break the cauliflower into florets and drizzle with a little olive oil in a large bowl. Swirl the cauliflower around with your hands to coat it thoroughly. Then lightly grease (I always use olive oil or organic canola oil) a cookie sheet (this one I use for roasting). Turn the oven on 400 degrees F. Once the oven has preheated, place the cauliflower on the cookie sheet and space the florets out a bit, a little sprinkle of S&P. This will roast for 25-45 minutes (depending upon thickness). Flip about halfway through, you will see that the cauliflower is browning, this is GOOD, this is TASTY STUFF! Once it passes the fork test (fork easily goes through a thicker piece of cauliflower), it’s ready to eat! You can eat just like it is, or a quick little sprinkle of parmesan.
Speaking of parmesan… not the brands that apparently have wood filler in them, sigh…
Portrait of my cauliflower – Hee.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Have a great day! ❤️
Catch you back here tomorrow!
One day Fred and I were walking home from Half Moon Outfitters, we were walking behind the shopping center near our house, and I saw this spectacular “shadow show”, as I like to refer to it.
How cool is that?? Never overlook the little things, sometimes they turn out to be the biggest!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
I saw this tree a month or so ago and it stopped me in my tracks. I quickly grabbed my phone and snapped a photo. I walked out of a neat little design shop (Elizabeth Stuart Design or ESD as we call it), and walking back to the car saw this tree in the parking lot. It was the wild sky and the bright sun that made it stand out.
This tree makes me think of how strong people are when they need to be. When the wind is whipping, the sky is gray and life has problems or uncertainty remember…
The sun is soon to follow.
Let the sun warm you and make you smile. Soon things will turn around, there will be leaves on the trees, more sun in the sky and life will feel better…
Embrace the cloudy days, for they make the sunny days that much more special.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Capital Haze Study 16×12″ Oil
I featured Robin Cheers about a year ago, she’s an artist with a unique perspective and fabulous paintings, it’s no wonder she is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society! This piece is very different from what I featured last time.
The painting above is a study, and it’s fabulous. Full of life and power lines. Those power lines add so much character. Robin has packed just enough detail into this painting to make it really fabulous!
Read a bit about Robin, from her website:
Robin Cheers is an Austin artist working in the impressionist tradition with a contemporary style focused on representing the figure and every day life.
Working directly from life and utilizing photos for those hard to hold poses, Robin is driven by a passionate desire to capture the essentials of light and life. Spontaneous brushwork, abstracting shapes and working alla prima creates expressive art that speaks from the heart. Recent ventures into printmaking and sculpting continue to inform her body of work.
As an active member of her local art community, Robin hosts twice monthly figure painting sessions and teaches drawing and painting. Her work is in private and corporate collections worldwide.
All images via RobinCheers.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
This a small cottage plan, TNH SC 31A by Moser Design Group. Thoughtful design means that you can pack greater livability into a smaller footprint. This works well for a small family, or a couple downsizing. This plan has a wonderful front porch, which I absolutely love!
This layout would work well for us… Living, Kitchen – nice and open. Bedroom #1 I would use as a Guest Room, Bedroom #2 I would make into a Study and also use for storage. The Master in the back is fabulous with the Utility room close by. Perfect! All of Moser Design Group’s plans are fabulous – check them out!
All images via MoserDesignGroup.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Early Spring by Carol Jenkins 20×24″ Oil
Carol Jenkins. Her work stands out. I love the lighting in this piece. That ground looks hard and cold, but with that wonderful gold glow… Fabulous barn!
Island Harbor by Carol Jenkins 16×20″ Oil
Just look at this water! It feels as if I am on the shore looking out at this boat, the water is smooth as glass in some areas which is just fabulous. This painting caught my attention right away. Fabulous!
Read a bit about Carol, from her website:
I was born to an artistic Massachusetts family. I started drawing and painting very early. My home was filled with beautiful paintings done by my great grandmother. She traveled to the White Mountains in New Hampshire in the 1890″s to paint”en plein air”. I was inspired by these paintings and encouraged by my family. I always knew I wanted to be an artist.
I recieved a National Scholastic Art Scholarship in high school to go to the art school of my choice.I dreamed of becoming an illustrator and choose Vesper George School of Art in Boston.
One of my teachers was Robert Douglas Hunter. He noticed my talent and encouraged me to
move from commercial art to fine art. I transferred to the School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, Massachusetts and majored in painting.
In my early twenties I had an urge to travel and headed west. I was struck by the awesome beauty of the Rocky Mountains.I settled in the historic mining town of Ward, Colorado, surronded by National Forest and near the Indian Peaks Wilderness area .Hiking, backpacking, and living in a small town suited me . I am still here today.
After many years of working with pastels, I felt like holding a brush again.I decided to get serious about oils and signed up for workshops with the best teachers and painters I could find. I studied with Kim English, Skip Whitcomb, Kang Cho,Greg Kreutz, George Strickland, Carolyn Anderson and Kevin Weckbach.I can’t begin to describe how great it is to spend time with teachers so willing to share their knowledge and experience.
I enjoy painting just about anything – landscapes, interiors, buildings and figures, but my greatest love is plein air painting. The weather, the light, and the land all become part of me. Heading out into nature,looking around and being inspired by a beautiful composition and translating that to my canvas right then and there is always exciting to me.
I still love to travel to New England, Florida and the mountains and deserts of the Southwest. You can often find me happily painting on the side of a road, in some grubby alleyway, or off on some trail past the “no trespassing” sign.
All images via CarolJenkinsOils.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
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