Recipe Favorites For Hot Weather!

Hot weather. Hmmm. Sometimes it’s just hard to turn the oven on or stand over the stove when it’s sweltering outside. Pair any of these with a refreshing cold drink, lately cucumber water has been a hit – lime water is also nice – great thirst quenchers!

Here are a few of our favorites – from the archives…

Submarine Salad

Cold and refreshing – the little bit of thyme gives it the “submarine” taste without the carbs. Tasty and fresh! Click HERE for recipe…

Summer Med Pasta Salad with Arugula and Feta

Pasta salads are a big hit in the summer months. They can be made ahead and are great for lunch or dinner. To cut back on the pasta I add half arugula or spinach to my bowl and then mix it together. This keeps the greens fresh and allows each person to choose how much they would like. Click HERE for recipe…

Roasted Shrimp and Tomato Orzo with Feta

I have GOT to update this photo, why did I use such a tiny bowl? Anyway, trust me, this is an excellent recipe full of flavor. The feta makes it come alive. I like the grape tomatoes and shrimp best when they’re roasted, but you can always just cut up the tomatoes and give the shrimp a quick boil and then into a bowl of ice water for a few minutes before draining and adding to salad. Good with a slice or two of crusty bread. Click HERE for recipe…

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Tomato, Basil and Spinach

Another cold pasta salad, much like a caprese salad (oh! don’t you just love!) but with the addition of pasta (seeing this photo, I’m going to use bowtie next time). I put half a bowl of spinach, top with this salad and oh boy, fabulous!! Click HERE for recipe…

Roasted Corn Salad

Those are a few of our favorites, along with anything grilled (chicken, corn and veggies mostly) – yesterday I made a fabulous roasted corn salad that we will have for a few meals. (Click HERE for recipe) – I cannot wait! Although you do use the oven for a short time with this recipe, it makes enough to have a few meals (for two), so it’s the ticket! I try to make it earlier when it’s not quite so hot outside.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

 

Featured Artist: Felicity House!

Two English Plums by Felicity House – Pastel

Felicity House. A wonderful artist from Dorset (UK) – Fabulous paintings! So different. Felicity uses pastel in most of her paintings and she has a way of giving these paintings so much life! Each one is fresh and different. She has amazing drawing skills, which is so necessary to a good painting. There is an innate classiness to her paintings. They are airy and not heavy.  They make you smile.

View more of Felicity’s work via these links:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram

Read a bit about Felicity, from the Bio on her website:

As a young child, paper was in short supply and there was never sufficient for my prolific graphite output. I clearly recall making pencil drawings on the insides of unfolded food cartons, the plain end papers of books and surreptitiously behind curtains on the wonderful surface of painted wall.

I was fortunate to benefit from a post-war education that gave time and status to Art and this encouraged and developed my visual skills.

Following a career school teaching I worked as an illustrator and as a tutor of life drawing and short art courses. Such flexibility gave me the opportunity to travel and fill numerous sketchbooks.

I discovered the versatility and immediacy of pastels and was elected a Member of the Pastel Society in 2003. As Archivist for the Society I regularly research the archives for information in response to requests from the public.

Active member and Former Chairman Bournemouth Arts Club, a meeting point for Artists in the region which regularly holds selected Exhibitions. Continue reading HERE

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via Felicityhouse.eu, used with permission…
Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Stunning Sunset at Crosby’s Seafood – Charleston, SC!

Beautiful right? I waited for those birds to glide into this photo, and they made it amazing! That and the rays from the sun. This was taken at Crosby’s Seafood (Folly Road) – Charleston, SC several years ago. Check out their Facebook page – gorgeous photos!

🇺🇸 Holiday week 🇺🇸 – Back to normal posting – TOMORROW!

Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…

Monhegan (Maine) Sky!

Pretty cool clouds, hmmm?  I love a sky full of cool clouds. These had wonderful movement and the scene changed quickly. Are you a sky gazer? Do you love looking up to the sky and taking it all in? It’s so relaxing!

🇺🇸 Holiday week 🇺🇸 – posting photos daily for the many of you who are away from the computer. Not a bad idea, enjoy yourselves! Back to normal posting next week…

Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…

Rockland, Maine – Looks like a painting!

Rockland, Maine. This is another throwback photo from the archives. I love the lights on the buildings, the pinkness of the sky and the overall coolness of this very spot. Lots of good art, food & people right here in Rockland. Have you been? If not, it’s  a place to add to your bucket list if you have one!

The building with the cool white awnings is the Farnsworth Museum – READ about it if you aren’t familiar. You will want to get there and check it out – and DO NOT miss the gift shop! I can spend a day perusing!

🇺🇸 Holiday week 🇺🇸 – posting photos daily for the many of you who are away from the computer. Not a bad idea, enjoy yourselves! Back to normal posting next week…

Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…

A House in Port Clyde, Maine…

An image of just one of the beautiful homes in Port Clyde – I love the roof lines on this one! This is from the archives, taken several years ago. I love the trim around the windows – goes perfectly with this style and the shingles. Love it!

🇺🇸 Holiday week 🇺🇸 – posting photos daily for the many of you who are away from the computer. Not a bad idea, enjoy yourselves! Back to normal posting next week…

Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…

Beautiful lines…

This is a photo from the archives…  – wow is it a beauty! The lines of this boat are stunning, sleek & downright classy. I took this photo while in Maine, back in 2010 – how time flies!

🇺🇸 Holiday week 🇺🇸 – posting photos daily for the many of you who are away from the computer. Not a bad idea, enjoy yourselves! Back to normal posting next week…

Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…

Happy 4th of July!

I always keep my eye out for cool flag photos for the various holidays that call for them. Today is the 4th of July (as if you didn’t know!) – Enjoy your time off (if you have it)! Happy 4th! 

I am happy to be firework free, for both the dogs who have such a hard time as well as the veterans hearing what sounds like bombing. I can only imagine the nightmare that July 4th brings. We are fortunate that Charlie wants to attack the fireworks/lightening/any loud noise…

If you have a dog who is scared of fireworks, have you tried a Thundershirt? Or this unique way to achieve similar results using a scarf or ACE bandage. Maybe some background soft calming music (Pandora Ocean Sounds) or music from RELAX MY DOG– A lot of dogs are so frightened and if left in a yard will find a way out so that they can run. So many dogs are lost on the 4th of July. Ugh…

Be conscious of other people’s feelings regarding fireworks. They can be fun for some and a nightmare for others…

🇺🇸 Holiday week 🇺🇸 – posting photos daily for the many of you who are away from the computer. Not a bad idea, enjoy yourselves! Back to normal posting next week…

Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…

Water Lily – Charleston

I snapped this photo with my phone while at Hyams Garden Center. Oh, what a treat this place is! Love the sky reflected in the water! These lilies are absolute perfection!

🇺🇸 Holiday week 🇺🇸 – posting photos daily for the many of you who are away from the computer. Not a bad idea, enjoy yourselves! Back to normal posting next week…

Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…

Palm Shadows!

Bright blue sky, a wonderful historic home and a tall palm leaving graceful shadows. To me, a shadow is sometimes as interesting as the subject giving off the shadow. Especially on sidewalks and entryways – there are intricate gates that give off stunning shadows. Be on the lookout! 👀

Wishing you a happy Saturday!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…

 

Emerging Artists: James Suglio, Nancy & Lisa Quatrocchi!

I haven’t written an Emerging Artists post in some time. I receive a lot of submissions and try to fit a group in here and there. Here are three (two are mother and daughter, what fun!) – Enjoy!

JAMES SUGLIO

Laurentians by James Suglio  9×12  Acrylic

What is better than looking at a snowy painting on a warm and humid day (well, at least here in Charleston)? Nice trees, great shadows!

Read a bit about James, from his Facebook page

I am a self taught artist, working exclusively in acrylics. After 30 plus years in the legal profession, I now devote full time to painting, photography and travel. My preferred subjects are seascapes, landscapes and dogs.

LISA QUATROCCHI

Slept In by Lisa Quatrocchi 16×20″

An interesting scene – looks like this person is having a wonderful time!

NANCY QUATROCCHI

Bird In Hand by Nancy Quatrocchi  12×12″

A fun and quirky painting, cool bird cage, which adds a lot to this painting. The dark background makes this painting stand out!

Read a bit about Lisa and Nancy Quatrocchi (mother and daughter), from their website:

Both Mother and Daughter were born and raised in New Jersey. Influenced by the works of George Inness, John Singer Sargent and Degas, they both decided to pursue their passion and enrolled in the Ridgewood Art Institute. Both went on to be mentored by Artist John Phillip Osborne, a Master Painter at the RAI. They also studied with Danielle Wexler and Basil Baylin.  The Artists also took classes with Alex Piccirillo and Gary Godbee at the Yard School of Art located within the Montclair Art Museum.

Working Primarily in oil, both Artists paintings include still lifes, landscapes and portraits.  While the Artists love to travel throughout the Country and Europe some landscapes are painted En Plein Air on location. Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont to name a few.  In painting, both Artists strive to express their painterly approach through traditional oil painting techniques.  In 2013, both Mother and Daughters works have been accepted into the prestigious Oil Painters of America. In 2017, both Mother and Daughter were accepted into the American Impressionist Society. 

All images via James Suglio Gallery Facebook and LQNQFineArt.com, used with permission…
Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

The 924-3 house plan by Truoba for Houseplans.com!

924-3 Houseplan for Houseplans.com (Truoba)

This is the 924-3 house plan (Houseplans.com) by Truoba. A sleek modern small space a well thought out floorplan that includes storage. (AHHH! Storage!) They show the exterior with several different finishes, each gives the exterior a very unique look. Small porches on front and back and a nice covered porch along the side of the house.

I like modern design and I think this plan has nice lines to it!

924-3 Houseplan for Houseplans.com (Truoba)924-3

The interior has an open Living/Dining/Kitchen with access to the covered porch. There is also a nice storage room with washer/dryer – a handy location! The master bedroom is off in the back corner and the guestroom is beside the living room, and although small, is perfect for a guest room or an office/studio with a daybed or similar.

Be sure to check out the website for great photos of the interior!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via Houseplans.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the design firm.

Featured Artist: Katya Minkina!

Adopt171 by Katya Minkina SOLD 8x5
Adopt 171 by Katya Minkina  8×5″ Watercolor (Sold)

Katya Minkina. A wonderful artist with beautiful paintings. Be sure to check out her paintings of Maui as well as her figure drawings! I first ran across one of Katya’s pet paintings and let me tell you, this girl has a way of capturing the soul of the animal. It’s wonderful, be sure to check out the many other paintings!

What a sweet painting – Katya captures the eyes so well. You can feel this dogs gentle spirit. So sweet…

Adopt 216 by Katya Minkina 8×6″ Watercolor

So many wonderful paintings of Katya’s to choose from – the animals grabbed me – but be sure to check out her website! I love a dog with a scruffy look (like my dog). So much character. Beautiful!

See more of Katya’s work from these links:

Website  |  Facebook | Daily Paintworks

Read a bit about Katya, from her website:

 I fell in love with Hana, Maui at first sight and instantly knew it would nurture my artistic soul for many years to come. A slow-paced life at the backdrop of the spectacular ocean, rainforest and vast green pastures relaxes the soul and opens it up for deep breaths of inspiration.
It was not until 2015 that I really discovered this magical piece of paradise. After the first visit to Hana, the rest of the year was spent in shuttling between Seattle and Hana for gasps of fresh air and a much-needed connection with the magic ‘āina (land). I am blessed to call heavenly Hana my home now – a place of many living paintings that I can’t wait to manifest on my canvas.

My life before Hana embraced several other special places with which I will always keep a strong bond: Moscow where I was born and raised, Hyderabad (India) where I spent the early years of my adulthood, Seattle, a point of big transitions, and Hana, a place I chose with my heart.

I was born in Moscow, Russia in 1981. Growing up among my mom’s paintings, art books and inexhaustible stack of typewriter paper, I thought drawing was the most natural way of being. At the age of 7, I got enrolled into an evening art school for children where, after a regular day in my other school, I was initiated in the fundamentals of drawing, painting and composition. For the next 9 years my life revolved around methodical still life painting in class, field trips to art museums and the zoo, art history lectures and painting homework that filled my weekends and summer holidays. 
In later years after completing my studies in linguistic and foreign languages, I settled in Hyderabad, India, where for five years I taught French in an international school. Painting and drawing took a back-seat, but the longing never quite went away. In 2008, life took me to Seattle, WA and the circumstances arranged themselves perfectly for me to return to drawing and painting. I discovered life drawing at Gage Academy of Art, and the open studio provided me with a much-needed practice to reanimate and hone my drawing skills. In the course of the next few years, I stuck to the disciplined schedule of a studio monitor to be able to attend as many figure drawing sessions as I could. Slowly, drawing yielded a transition to painting.

I remain fascinated with my primary source of inspiration, which is figurative art. On occasion, I turn to still life painting for its immediate availability, challenges of composition and practice of color palette. The real challenge of the recent years has been plein air painting. Meeting and observing the work of contemporary masters of this genre at Maui Plein Air Invitational events has instilled in me a true admiration of their craft and dedication.
Painting on location in Hana is always an adventure. Juggling the ever-changing natural elements, keeping up with the changing light, trying to block out the distractions has all been a steep learning curve.  Continue reading HERE

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via katyaminkina.com, used with permission…
Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

 

A Sparkly Bloom

The other day we were out on a walk, and as always I am looking for something interesting… POOF! I almost walked into a tree full of these blooms. How incredible is this? Who knows what kind of tree this is? It was full of these blooms. So pretty, and up close… WOW! It almost looks like something that lives in the sea.

Keep your eyes out for the little things in life – they are the BIG things!

Happy day! Catch you back here tomorrow!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…