Melanie Morris. Her zinnia’s are out of this world! I love a happy painting, full of wonderful color and a subject matter that I adore. Zinnia’s fit the bill on both counts. I like the trees in the distance, it gives you a feel for how large this zinnia field is! I like the zinnia’s that are poking up reaching towards the sun like the overachievers they are. Wonderful detail up front blending into the more subdued in the back gives that feeling of depth. What a beautiful field this must be…

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Brett Eberhardt. Someone shared this painting on social media and it caught my attention. I see so many paintings – a select handful will jump out at me and make me say, WOW. I love Brett’s description of this painting – he nailed this painting beyond belief! I mean, just look at the sheen on the floor, the oh so slight reflections. The years of paint – some of it chipping away. The tiles… can’t you just see them? This painting tells a story! But this time, you get to know what the story is!

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Kevin Mizner. His paintings bring back wonderful memories and are so true – not just in the way a scene looks, but how it FEELS. The wharf on Monhegan is the place to be, it’s where the magic happens. Arrivals, departures – hellos, goodbyes, the waiting, the excitement of arriving, the bittersweetness of departing, the trucks lined up to pick up baggage from those who arrive. Ahhh, great memories! Memories that Kevin has captured perfectly.

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I ran across an image of this painting last year. It moved me. So many astounding elements: The figure who appears to be crying. The lit Christmas tree. The graveyard in the moonlight. The moon and the plentiful stars, all of which give hope. I know for many this is a tough time of year. Please hang in there. If you can do anything to help someone else, please do – let’s be a world filled with kind humans.

Continue reading “Christmas Eve at the Grave, 1896 by Otto Hesselbom” →

Kelly Carmody. Her work is fabulous. I love her interiors, her florals, portraits, landscapes – but to me, this tells a story, and I’ve been on a kick lately about paintings that tell a story. The body language is fabulous, there is action and possibly tension and definite interest in whatever the subject is.

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Joseph A. Miller. The stories this man can tell with his paintings blows me away. Those of you who read this blog have heard me say time and time again how important it is to paint something other than the subject. (To me) a painting needs to have feeling. Think of it as a singer who can sing a song perfectly but without emotion vs. one with so much emotion that you get goosebumps. Most of us can relate to that scenario. I’ve always loved to write creatively, so I am looking for the many stories that can be told from one painting. This painting has emotion. So. Much. Emotion.

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Lizzie Black. Wow, if you haven’t run across her work, let me introduce you to this dynamite artist from the village of Mousehole, Cornwall (UK). Her landscapes and garden studies are stunning. I love how she chose to spend time during the pandemic – she turned it into a very positive experience by creating such beauty in her paintings. Her garden studies are hopeful, gorgeous and a breath of fresh air! I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the beautiful work by this artist…

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Kathie Odom. Exquisite artist, without a doubt. So many of you are familiar with Kathie and her work. I think you’ll be thrilled to know she has just come out with a treasure of book. I don’t say that lightly. I opened the box and was blown away with how beautiful it is. Just in time for the holidays!

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What a treat! I love when you’re looking through gallery website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. and you run across an artist who’s work is unlike anything you’ve run across. Can you imagine with millions of people painting how difficult it would be to pull off your own style? Each painting is a treat for the senses.

Continue reading “Featured Artist: Conrad P. Clarke!” →

Bethanne Hill. This woman has such an imagination! We first saw her work at The Swag, there were a few of her paintings – fabulous in every way, and they fit perfectly in the spots they were hung in. You can look at them for a long time because there is so much going on. Just think of the stories that could be told…

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David Shingler. Wow, amazing artist who depicts scenes from all across the country. After recently being in the mountains – we got sucked in (big time) and just want to go back. David’s paintings give you the feel like you’re there. I love the distance that you can feel in this painting – because when you’re high on top of a mountain looking out at the stunning vista – at times it’s like being in the clouds, literally and other times you can literally feel that great expanse between mountain ranges.

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Jo Ridge Kelley – fabulous style. Her love of the mountains is so apparent in her paintings. From looking at her website it looks like most of her paintings are much larger than this. I thought I had featured Jo many years ago, but when I double checked to see when the last year I featured her… I hadn’t. Good grief!

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We recently spent some time in Waynesville, NC – at a stunning place called The Swag. A gorgeous place nested high on top of a mountain with breathtaking views from every vantage point. The decor was over the top gorgeous. Very classy, it was exceptional – and so was the art. They have an excellent eye pulling a space together, and today’s featured artist, Mariella Bisson, has two paintings at this location, and they are mind boggling they’re so good.

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James Swanson. Fabulous paintings. The light in his paintings is incredible as is his innate ability to simplify the scene (even though it may not look like it). I love this incredibly clear painting – it’s crisp and vibrant, full of fabulous light, flight, waves, good times, happy memories, movement, shadows – ahhh, it has it all!

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Wilfred Spoon. Be still my heart. I would describe his paintings as “whimsical realism” with the perfect amount of creativity. Wilfred’s paintings are happy, different, full of nature and showcase this part of the country so well. This painting can really elevate a space!

Continue reading “Featured Artist: Wilfred Spoon – Whimsical Realism at its finest!” →