Category: ART

Featured Artist: Nick Runge!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
The Coast by Nick Runge 24″ x 36″ Oil  |  Available at Abend Gallery

Nick Runge. This man creates such interesting, thought provoking paintings. He can clearly paint a portrait, but it’s the abstract qualities in the painting that shift it from a normal painting to a WOW painting. Love these blues – this is brilliant and captures your attention! Abstracted realism indeed!

See more of Nick’s work via these links:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram

Read a bit about Nick:

Born in 1985, artist Nick Runge grew up in Colorado. Coming from a creative family of professional artists, he was always interested in drawing and imagining ideas visually. Starting in 2004, he began thinking about art as a career and got the chance to begin small jobs in and out of the comic book industry. After 2006, he worked as an illustrator for various comic companies such as IDW, Dark Horse, and many others. While primarily making a living as a cover artist, he began painting more seriously and started exploring the world of film art and traditionally painted projects, doing various official and private commissions. These days he has stepped away from commercial properties, focusing exclusively on fine art and personal work using oils and watercolor.

As a portrait/figurative painter, Nick works from life as well as photography, describing his art as something close to “abstracted realism”, with an objective of expressing as much of the realistic human element of life as possible through a limited and often simplified approach to his rendering or brushwork, giving an illusion of realism while, at the same time, breaking shapes and form down enough to have a close balance with abstraction.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

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

 

Stan Moeller Workshop – Island Inn, Monhegan

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Art Event, Daily Blog, Maine, Photograph, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

As many of you know, Monhegan Island is full of artists. Easels set up everywhere, paintings being created left and right. It’s amazing the talent on one small island.

Stan Moeller was giving a workshop and in the photo above they were painting on the lawn. This was a tricky week with a lot of fog, should make for some cool paintings!

Stan Moeller was the featured artist this year in the Island Inn dining room – very nice. Check out the Lupine Gallery for more work (click HERE to view paintings).

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

Photos this week – Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Sarkis Antikajian!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Azalea and Van Gogh by Sarkis Antikajian 25×30 Oil

What wonderful paintings! I looked through them forever before selecting one for today’s feature. You must go check for yourself. I could have easily picked any one of Sarkis’s paintings – they are different – they are so wonderfully loose and expressive with gorgeous color and brush strokes. Wow!

See more of Sarkis’s work via these links:

Website  |  Instagram  |  Blog

Read a bit about Sarkis, from his website:

Sarkis was born in 1933 in the Middle East to Armenian parents and immigrated to the United States in 1958. 

After a 35-year career as a pharmacist, he attained his childhood dream of becoming a professional painter and is now a nationally recognized and award-winning artist.

Whether working in his Cheshire, Oregon studio or on location, Sarkis paints and draws in oils, watercolors, pastels and inks. His varied subject matter includes figurative, landscape, still life and abstract. He also enjoys sculpting in clay. Continue reading HERE…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

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

 

Featured Artist: Mark Mehaffey!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Shadow Walk #2 by Mark Mehaffey Acrylic 36×24″

Mark Mehaffey. Mark’s paintings are something special. I love those bits of underpainting showing through – it gives the painting pizazz (as if it really needs it!) – great shadows – the trees are magnificent!

See more of Mark’s work via these links:

Website  |  Instagram  |  Workshops

Read a bit about Mark, from his website:

I’ve been drawing and painting my whole life. I started painting with watercolor at the age of 10 and never stopped. My parents and my early teachers encouraged me to paint, I suspect to keep me out of trouble. It worked….more or less.

Some of my earliest memories include trying to match the colors I saw while using a child’s set of watercolors. Hours were spent in this endeavor. After 55 years of painting I’m now more inclined to paint the colors I feel than the colors I see. Paintings always take on a life of their own. Sometimes a work requires a studied design approach, making a plan and following that plan, at other times a more intuitive visceral approach is called for. I let the idea and content of my work dictate the materials and techniques used….not the other way around. Other ideas dictate an exploration of surface and textures, relying on the initial concept and intuition to bring the work to a conclusion.

Above all I value creativity and honesty. And although I follow many paths and speak with more than one voice, I am on my own journey. I have two wishes…one is to live a few more hundred years, for I shall never have enough time to paint all the ideas in my head. Probably won’t see that wish granted. That second wish? That somewhere along my journey I will communicate with fellow travelers who will see something of what I see and feel something of what I feel…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

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

 

Featured Artist: Mary Sauer!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Painting by Mary Sauer

Mary Sauer. Wow. I love her perspective on people and the different settings she paints – so creative! But don’t just take my word for it… I am loving her paintings! This painting has so much detail and you can look at it for hours yet it still has a painterly quality that makes it so interesting. Not easy!

See more of Mary’s work via these links:

Website  |  Instagram 

Read a bit about Mary, from her website:

Painter Mary Sauer was born in Greenville, Kentucky in 1986. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States including over a dozen shows in New York City alone. Mary is a 2014 recipient of The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant for traditional figure painting and winner of the 2014 Director’s Award at the Springville Museum of Art’s annual Spring Salon. Mary’s art is influenced by nineteenth century painting including John Singer Sargent, the Pre-Raphealites, and the French Academics as well as contemporary realist academic painting and fashion photography. Her philosophy is to combine the nineteenth century techniques of painting with more modern conceptual ideas, especially regarding how we present ourselves to the world psychologically.

Her work has been featured on the cover of American Art Collector Magazine, in the annual, “21 Under 31,” feature in Southwest Art Magazine, and in feature articles in both International Artist Magazine and the April 2014 issue of The Artists Magazine. Her painting, ‘Anna’ was awarded Best in Show at the 2012 Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition, for which she was again a finalist in 2013. Her education includes a BFA in Illustration from Brigham Young University in 2009, further studies at The Art Student’s League of New York and The Grand Central Academy of Art, and an MFA from The University of Utah. For two years she apprenticed in the studio of master painter William Whitaker. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Brigham Young University teaching advanced life drawing, at the University of Utah teaching painting and drawing, and currently at Utah Valley University where she teaches the Painting the Human Head(portrait painting) class. Her work is in a number of permanent collections including those of the Springville Museum of Art and the LDS Church History Museum. She maintains an active portrait career and is represented by Sloane Merrill Gallery in Boston, Anthony’s Fine Art in Salt Lake City, and Meyer Gallery in Park City, UT.  She currently resides near Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband David, an operatic tenor, and their daughter Scarlett.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via MarySauerArt.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

GUEST POST: Mini Nachos by Brennen McElhaney!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Today I’m featuring a guest post written by an artist I have featured in the past. He sent me this tasty sounding recipe – and what a perfect idea – to have those of you with good ideas – recipes, art, thoughts, etc. submit something to be featured.

If interested, contact me via my blog (or click on the CONTACT ME page at the top of my website) – send me what you would like to say, include an original image if you like…

For those of you who give this recipe a whirl – be sure to comment on this blog!

Be sure to check out Brennen’s fabulous paintings:

Website  |  Facebook

Here is the post by Brennen – catch you back here tomorrow!

GUEST POST by BRENNEN McELHANEY

Mini Nachos by Brennen McElhaney
Nothing beats a big plate of nachos (and margaritas) shared with friends. But sometimes a smaller “fiesta” is more appropriate. Here is a scaled-back version of the traditional Mexican appetizer.
  • Nacho chips (10)
  • Refried beans (heated)
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Chopped lettuce
  • Minced fresh onion
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Sour cream
  • Fresh guacamole
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Lime wedge

Spoon a small portion of heated refried beans onto each chip and line the chips up in a row. Add toppings (in this order): Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped lettuce, minced onions, tomatoes. Top with sour cream, guacamole and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and lime wedge. (Best served with margaritas or your favorite Mexican beer!)

Featured Artist: Jennifer Van Cor!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Schoodic Point II by Jennifer Van Cor 30×40″ Acrylic

Jennifer Van Cor, a wonderful artist from New Hampshire. Her paintings are striking – full of color and very unique brush strokes. She can paint those “Maine trees” that I love so much – each has their own personality.

See more of Jennifer’s work via these links:
Website  |  Instagram

Read a bit about Jennifer, from her website:

The landscape has always tantalized my senses.  The smell and feel of wet grass, the sound of leaves in the wind, the shape of a shadow through a broken limb.  And with it all the ever changing color; a universe of color.  Each stroke and dip of the brush pushes my senses onto the surface and if I am listening closely and truly, the life of a landscape fills the painting.  As my landscapes progress, they become more about the flow of energy, the experience of a lifetime of color, shape and feeling.  
Poetry has been another way to touch the landscape.  Words mix color and senses through imagery that is very much like painting.  When the two are combined, I feel I have painted a poem.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

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

Featured Artist: Jeanne Rosier Smith!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Exhale by Jeanne Rosier Smith   18″x24″   Pastel  |  Gallery 31 Fine Art

Can you believe this painting? The green in the wave where light is coming through is spot on. How?! This is a brilliant painting – absolutely stunning!

See more of Jeanne’s work via these links:

Website  |   Instagram  |  Blog  | Workshops  |  Classes

Read a bit about Jeanne, from her website:

Jeanne Rosier Smith grew up painting, but first discovered pastel when a box of Nupastels arrived in the mail from an uncle in Massachusetts, 20 years ago.  “You might enjoy these,” he said.  He had no idea.  She studied art at Georgetown University and later at the DuCret School of Art in New Jersey.  After earning a Ph.D. in English and teaching college English for ten years, she made the switch to full time professional art in 2000.  She now maintains a Pastel Studio school, teaches around the country, and is represented by several East Coast galleries.  Her subjects are diverse:  landscape, portrait, food, and the sea.  

Smith is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America, the American Society of Marine Artists, the Connecticut Pastel Society and the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, an IAPS Masters Circle member, and a juried artist member of the Copley Society, the Salmagundi Club, and Academic Artists of America.  She has exhibited at the Massachusetts State House, the Guild of Boston Artists, and nationally at the Pastel Society of America, the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Arts Club and American Artist Professional League shows.  Her work has garnered top awards, including the Prix de Pastel (Best in Show) from IAPS, The International Association of Pastel Societies, a Grand Prize in International Artist Magazine Seascape Competition, and an Art Spirit Foundation Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Pastel at the American Artists Professional League.  She has placed in the Pastel Journal’s Pastel 100 for the past five years, including first place in 2017.  Her work has appeared in International Artist Magazine, American Art Collector, and The Pastel Journal, and she is a regular contributor to the Pastel Journal.  Her paintings are in collections on five continents. She is represented by Cecil Byrne Gallery of Charleston SC, Gallery 31 of Orleans MA, Francesca Anderson Fine Art of Lexington MA, Old Spouter Gallery on Nantucket, and Powers Gallery of Acton MA. Continue reading HERE…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

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

Featured Artist: Whitney Knapp Bowditch

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist, THOUGHTS2 Comments

Suspension by Whitney Knapp Bowditch 8.75″ x 11.25″ Oil on Paper

I love paintings of clothes on a clothesline blowing in the wind. The trees in the background and the grass in the foreground is WOW. Cool shadows on the lawn from what’s hanging above. Whitney has many different paintings, all different subjects!

See more of Whitney’s work via these links:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram

Read a bit about Whitney, from her website:

Whitney was born in Connecticut, lived in Surrey, England for nearly a decade, and currently resides in Richmond, Virginia. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Denison University, and her Post Baccalaureate Certificate and her Master of Fine Arts Degree from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Whitney’s work has been exhibited nationally and featured in various publications. Her pieces are in private collections throughout the United States and abroad. She is represented by The Photo Dog Art Gallery and Jessie Edwards’ Studio (Block Island), Beacon Art Shortwave Gallery (Stone Harbor), Beach House Gallery (Dunedin, FL) and Jeffrey Meier Gallery (Lambertville, NJ). She has taught drawing and painting courses at the high school and college level, and currently teaches at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. Continue reading HERE…

On another note – Remembering those who’s lives were lost and those who fought hard to save so many people. 9.11.2001  🙏

Catch you back here tomorrow!

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

Emerging Artists Inderpreet Kaur and Gwen Duda!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Emerging ArtistLeave a comment

It’s been a while since my last Emerging Artists post – so here goes! Be sure to check out these two emerging artists!

I N D E R P R E E T   K A U R

Website  |  Facebook

Tranquil by Inderpreet Kaur 24×30″ Oil

Wonderful reflections and light – love these trees!

Read a bit about Inderpreet, from her website:

Due to rapid changes in the topography taking place during our global age, I am interested in preserving landscapes as a documentation in the form of painting. For this, I use reference photographs that I have taken at Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area.
I come from a Sikh family and my early life had no freedom of expression. Due to my family customs I was not allowed to go outside except to school or Sikh Temple, still they supported my passion for painting by providing all useful art material. My father used to reward me whenever I painted something new, but it was not developed further due to religious oppression for women at that time.
Painting landscapes gives me a feeling of freedom to express my own personal emotions. The primary element in my paintings is water. I love to experience  and enjoy places where there is water, although I do not know how to swim. This feeling of not knowing to swim scares me, so I like paint water to overcome that fear. Light, atmosphere and color are my source of inspiration to capture a fleeting moment. These majestic landscapes are developed in layers. My attempt is to create landscapes that convey the essence of mood, atmosphere and the richness of the landscape.

G W E N   D U D A

Website  |  Facebook

Refresh by Gwen Duda 9×12″  – Monoprint Acrylic on Paper

With spa-like coloring and a nice texture, “Refresh” is the perfect title!

Read a bit about Gwen, from her website: 

Images via GwenDuda.com and InderpreetKaurArt.com, used with permission.
Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Andrew Wyeth Stamps From the USPS!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, THOUGHTS5 Comments

I bought a few sheets of these stamps from the USPS – they are BEAUTIFUL! I’m in a bit of a dilemma because now I hate to use them, ha ha. I think this photo is a great one of a young Andrew Wyeth. So dapper looking (is that still a word?)

Just wanted to give you a heads up that these are available – what a cool find! There was a great write up about these stamps (and Andrew’s life) however the link is no longer available – These stamps were issued to commemorate the centennial of his birth – Cool indeed!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

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

Link updated (removed) 1/23/25

The Conference On The Front Porch at Plein Air 2017

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, FOOD, HOMELeave a comment

Recently I heard about a very “Art, Food, Home” type event. It’s called “The Conference on the Front Porch” and it’s being held at The Mill at Plein Air – in Taylor, MS – so if you are anywhere near Mississippi and want to be part of something really cool, you may want to check this out. This event is October 18-19, 2017.

Here’s a quick summation from Campbell McCool:

Our conference focuses on the significance of what the front porch represents. What forces drove it out of popularity after WWII. What brought it roaring back. How communities changed as a result.

This year John T. Edge is keynote speaker – head of Southern Foodways Symposium. Bill Dunlap is speaking on the front porch and art. Scott Baretta on how the blues came to be as a result of the front porch. Cooter Ramsay, (from Beaufort), on the resurgence of front porch communities.

As you’ll see from their website, this event celebrates the front porch – music & food, but even more than that – there are going to be some great speakers including:
John T Edge (writer and more), Scott Barretta (blue’s historian), William Dunlap (artist and sculptor), John Maxwell (theater), Cooter Ramsey (architect with Allison Ramsey Architects), Jay Watson (Professor of Faulkner Studies), Curtis Wilkie (journalist, college professor and historian), Tricia Walker (singer/songwriter), Garlan Gudger, JR (owner of Southern Accents – the South’s largest collection of architectural antiques), Michael Dolan (journalist, television writer/producer and author) and Ralph Eubanks (author). Read more about each of these speakers on their website!

This conference is open to architects, developers, planners, social historians and everyone who loves a porch. I usually try to feature house plans with at least one porch. Porches are vital living spaces – a place to congregate with friends or neighbors, a place to have your morning coffee and read the paper, or a place to spend the day. I grew up with a house with a porch overlooking the river in Michigan. In the summer it seems watching the river, the boats, the activity is much more fun than being inside watching the television.

Registration for this unique event include six meals, an evening porch concert and a porch play. This is so creative and sounds like such a good time!

Click HERE to register – this is the second year of this conference and it’s a hit! Registration is limited to the first 180 people who sign up.

Wondering where to stay – oh, so beautiful!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Image via TheConferenceOnTheFrontPorch.com, used with permission…

 

Featured Artist: Philip Frey!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist2 Comments

Tandem by Philip Frey 24×24″ Oil

Philip Frey. I’ve been an admirer of his work for many years. His paintings have always been something special. I love the movement and vibrancy in this painting. The hair high in the air mid-jump. The reflections in the water are stunning – this is fabulous!

I love all of Philip’s subjects. He paints interiors that are so wonderful (go see!) – as are all the paintings he creates. This one stood out as different to me. Fabulous!

View more of Philip’s work via these links:

Website  |  Instagram  |  Workshops  |  Exhibitions

Read a bit about Philip, from his website:

Philip Frey is a visual artist whose colorist and painterly work is focused on the here and now, the feeling or connection to his everyday experience: evocative colors; unexpected light and the sublime quality of ‘ordinary’ objects and surroundings. His work address our relationship to visual space and the paintings surface by gently asking us to observe, to look again and again. He invites us to ‘walk through’ the painting, from dark to light, from enclosed to open spaces, from shape to shape…to enjoy the indescribable patterns, shapes, colors, brush strokes and marks on the canvas.

Frey is a nationally exhibiting artist and has been featured in many publications including: Art New England, Art of Acadia, Gettysburg Review, Maine Policy Review and the Maine Sunday Telegram. The University of Maine Museum of Art mounted an exhibition of his work in 2016. Currently, his work is held internationally with prominent private collectors and the corporate collections, including that of writer Harlan Coben, Rep. Chellie Pingree & Donald Sussman, Dick Wolf Films and the University of Maine Museum of Art. He will be featured in 2017 exhibitions at Carver Hill Gallery, Courthouse Gallery Fine Art, Edgewater Gallery and Maine Art Gallery.

Philip has studied with artist Alan Bray and graduated from Syracuse University in 1990 with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in painting. He maintains a full-time studio practice nestled in the woods along bold coast of downeast Maine and teaches select painting workshops each year. Continue reading HERE…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

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

Featured Artist: Guy Corriero!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

Watercolor by Guy Corriero  18×24″  – Available at Camden Falls Gallery

Guy Corriero. An artist with wonderful paintings! His seascapes are legendary. Whether oil or watercolor they capture the tumultuous seas so beautifully. Of course that isn’t the only subject that Guy paints, he has some beautiful Southwestern paintings and many centered around Maine. I am in love with his snowscapes at the moment (heat index 105) – there is an ethereal beauty to them… check them out!

Read a bit about Guy, from his website:

The sea in all it’s calm and fury has always been the most fascinating subject to me. I spent years as a ocean lifeguard on the shores of my home town of Long Beach, New York and that must have had some influence on my work. It was a lot of fun but I also learned to have a deep respect for the ocean.

My formal art education began at the School of Visual Arts and C.W. Post College where I studied painting with Jules Olitski, and sculpture with Pierre Bourdelle. Joining the The United States Marine Corps after graduation led to a series of assigments  eventually illustrating for  the Marine Coprs Gazette Magazine. While working as a commercial artist in New York City I taught figure drawing on a part time basis before joining the full time faculty at The State University of New York at Farmingdale. Seven years later, with a Master’s Degree in Humanities,  I joined the faculty at Herkimer County Community College designing and implementing a fine arts curriculum. Receiving The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching was a proud moment in my teaching career.

My wife Sharon and I recently moved to Portland, Maine where I can be seen painting by the sea which is located within minutes from our home.

My professional achievements include signature membership in many watercolor societies including The American Watercolor Society. Most recently I’ve had one person shows in galleries in Maine, New Mexico and San Miguel, Mexico. Seventeen instructional videos covering a wide range of subjects from painting, drawing, sculpture, art history and art appreciation can be obtained from Educational Videos in Huntsville, Texas. Producing them was both fun and educational for me. Pressure is on when you’re in front of a camera. Every once in a while I will teach a class in watercolor and oil painting, most often on Monhegan Island, and Kennebunkport, Maine. For further information about these classes see the Workshop link at the top of this page. (There is so much more to this Bio, it’s FABULOUS… continue reading HERE…)

View more of Guy’s work via these links:
Website  |  Workshop Info

Catch you back here tomorrow!

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

Featured Artist: Craig Stephens!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

Halved Avocado by Craig Stephens 7×7 Oil – Sold

Craig Stephens. This man is amazing, he can paint anything in the world and he does so with his own twist which adds so much interest! I love his strokes, his use of  color and bits of abstraction. He often paints every day items and he does so with pizazz! Visit his Etsy shop, if you see something you like, place a bid, the painting won’t be around long!

In addition to painting, Craig teaches art. Can you imagine having this kind of influence as a kid? They’re so fortunate! Check out more of Craig’s work and you’ll see what I mean!

See more of Craig’s work via these links:

Blog  |  Instagram  |  Etsy  |  Video (Coming Soon!)

Read a bit about Craig, from his blog:

I am an artist living in Northern California. In 1993 I graduated from U.C. Davis where I took classes from Wayne Thiebaud, Dave Hollowell and Roy DeForest. I currently teach art at Chana High School in Auburn California. On this blog I have posted 1000 paintings in as many days. I took a break from that strict schedule for a couple of years but since the beginning of 2014 I have been completing one small painting on a daily basis. The practice of completing a painting a day suits my disposition and aesthetic. I have also found that modeling this sort of daily practice for my students is important.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

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