Category: THOUGHTS

Artist to watch… Geer Morton!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTS2 Comments

I love unique art, you know, a painting that’s different from everything else you see… The first year we stopped in Wiscasset Bay Gallery we fell in love with Geer Morton’s paintings. Such vibrant colors and nice loose style. LOVE IT! My husband surprised me with a painting of flowers that is just the happiest little piece. It brightens up our kitchen on a daily basis. If you get a chance, stop in Wiscasset Bay Gallery and check out his work, or visit his website! (Image and info: WiscassetBayGallery.com) 
 
Here is a great blip that came from Wiscasset Bay Gallery website about Geer Morton:

Born in Damariscotta, Maine in 1935, Geer Morton began painting as a young man. He was drawn to California where he immersed himself in a movement of art now known at the San Francisco School–notably recognized through the work of Nathan Oliveira and Richard Diebenkorn, with whom Morton studied at the prestigious San Francisco Art Institute. Morton went on to become Chairman of the Design Department and an Instructor of Painting and Drawing, and to develop his own style of art. Morton’s paintings can be found in numerous private and corporate collections, and he has exhibited extensively throughout the United States. Morton is still actively painting from his homes in Lubec, Maine and San Diego, California.

The second image, not such a great photo of such a great painting… taken with my Blackberry… it’s the painting that hangs in our kitchen. LOVE. IT. This painting makes me happy…  Our painting:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Remember to visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

 

Artist to watch… SHANNON SMITH…

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
Fresh Catch by Shannon Smith

Charleston, SC artist Shannon Smith can catch the light in a painting like nobody’s business… whenever I see the sun behind the trees I think of Shannon’s paintings. Very versatile, this artist can paint anything! And she does!  If you aren’t familiar with Shannon’s work, check the Smith Killian Gallery . You will notice there are a few other artists with the last name of Smith. Betty Anglin Smith and her triplets, Shannon, Jennifer and Tripp – All. Amazing.

My sister and I took a workshop from Shannon a while back and it was SO INFORMATIVE. Just the opportunity to watch her paint helps so much! It was a great workshop and I highly recommend it! If YOU are in the market for a workshop in the May timeframe, Shannon Smith and Laurie Meyer will be giving one in ITALY… click HERE for more information. More than just a workshop, it looks like quite the adventure!
If you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com – I’ll catch you back here tomorrow…
Image via SmithKillian.com

Bake away the craving – Oatmeal Cookie Recipe!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies

 A craving for something sweet. Ugh. You know how it is when something pops into your head, like a nice warm oatmeal cookie fresh out of the oven. The wonderful smell of cinnamon permeating the room… ohhhh and a nice cold glass of milk to go along with it… Ahhh, let me get ahold of myself! That’s what happened to me the other day. OATMEAL. COOKIES. This thought popped into my head and would not escape. Finally I gave in. I’ll take some to a neighbor, saving myself from eating too many! So off I went. Armed with a NEW oatmeal cookie recipe, I started measuring… then all of a sudden something didn’t seem right with the recipe… Hmmm, let me check online and see if there were any comments on this recipe… duh. Something I always do BEFORE I try a recipe, not while I’m almost done measuring all the ingredients! TRAGIC COMMENTS. Eek, how can I save these cookies now that I have most of the ingredients comingled? I popped the lid off the Quaker Oat cannister and TADA staring back at me is the Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie recipe everyone knows and loves. I tried to adjust to get the ingredients measured to the new recipe and without hesitation popped those babies in the oven. Worst case? The baked cookies don’t taste good… Silver lining? Yep, the dough is awesome! Ha… Thankfully they turned out. I ate too many (it was lunch) and now I’m done with them for a while… Next time I may substitute cranberries for the raisins and add walnuts. If these cookies are sounding good to you, you can get them via the Quaker website OR off the lid on your cannister of oatmeal. Otherwise, here it is! Happy day! Catch you back here tomorrow…

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (QuakerOats.com)

Ingredients

  •  1/2  cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2  cup granulated sugar
  • 2  eggs
  • 1  teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
  • 1  teaspoon baking soda
  • 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2  teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 3  cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
  • 1  cup raisins

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Yield:  4 DOZEN

Remember to visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com – thanks for stopping by!

Artist to watch… Colin Page!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTS, TRAVEL6 Comments
ColinPagePaintings.com

My husband and I met Colin Page several years ago while we were in Port Clyde, Maine. He was set up not far from Monhegan Boat Line and he was painting the ice cream shop. I still remember that painting, the colors, the composition… wow, all were perfect! Colin is someone who can pull off painting something ordinary like a street with a stop sign and a telephone pole AND make it look stunning! Whenever my husband and I see the white light on the water from the sun or a picturesque intersection, we always say… “ahhhh, a Colin painting!” so true!

Colin was one of the guys in the cottage down from us, in the PAINTAPALOOZA group, (I know I keep saying this will be a future story… I need to do it don’t I?) – it was so exciting to see so much awesome artwork in one house by all these amazing artists!
Colin gets an A+++ for keeping his  website so updated! It cannot be easy to be an artist AND keep up a website, blog, etc. etc. You must check out his website AND his journal. Valuable information. This guy is good. We have a painting of his that we absolutely love, lobster boats and the white light from the sun. Simply amazing!
Colin is in several galleries, we’ve only been to DOWLING  WALSH, very nice! If you’re in Rockland, Maine sometime, check it out!
Don’t forget to take a peak at my photo blog… http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com
Catch you back here tomorrow!

One sexy saucer…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments
Image: dwr.com

And you thought a saucer couldn’t be sexy? Ha. Look at the lines of this Nelson Saucer Pendant Lamp. It’s a beauty. We’ve had one for years now, and it’s been moved from dining room, to dining room (ok, so we have a furniture moving around problem… ) and now it happily resides in the kitchen. Where it makes a nice quiet statement. It says… WE. AREN’T. OLD. YET.

I love lighting that makes a statement. This says hip but not crazy, a little funky and “with it” which is so nice paired with antique pine, traditional rugs, etc. A little of the unexpected amongst traditional (expected) is always a treat to the eye.
My opinion.
Happy Monday everyone… I’ll see you back here tomorrow…
Check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Artist to watch… FRANK GARDNER

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
"Ben" by artist Frank Gardner

 

Frank Gardner… many of you have heard his name.

 Great artist, and a nice guy.

You may be familiar with the story where we met Colin Page, an artist in a cottage down the street from the one we were renting in Port Clyde, Maine. Colin invited us to their cottage on the last day to see all the paintings and WOW! I’ll save that story for another post, let me just say… what a group of amazing talent. (Frank was part of the Paintapalooza group of artists, like I said… future post)!

I have spent a great deal of time trying to find the ONE painting to post… all I can say is I can’t pick just one… this painting “Ben” is exquisite, and there are many more so you need to go check out Frank’s website. He’s in several galleries (website has links) and even a local gallery here in Charleston, SC the M Gallery of Fine Art.

Take a peak and see which your favorite is…

Remember to visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com ! Until tomorrow…

A big bold nice and not expensive wine…

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
mcmanisfamilyvineyards.com

We were in Rockland, Maine at a neat little wine shop (future post). We asked for a nice Syrah that wasn’t too pricey and they suggested McManis Petite Syrah. Whew… it quickly became a favorite… very tasty, not in the under $10 category which is nice for everyday, well, the one glass a day, you know, for medicinal reasons… wish it was more than one glass though, hee hee… Fast forward to a few weekends ago, we went to Total Wine hoping to find this a tad cheaper, they don’t carry the Petite Syrah, but they did have Syrah… well, I’ll try it! And… YIPEE, it’s great, and it’s in the under $10 category. You could tell me it is an expensive bottle of wine and I would never know the difference. So if you like bold wines (at least in my book it’s bold) give this one a shot!

From the McManis Family Vineyard website:
 2008 Syrah
“Do not overlook this incredibly reliable and tasty Syrah as a great choice for everyday drinking. It is ripe and open, about mid-size in depth and full enough on the palate to let you know that you have a wine of reasonable substance in your mouth, and it will comfortably hold its own with burgers and other savory picnic fare when a wine that will go down in a gulp is in order.”   86 Points Good Value
Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine March 2010

Remember to visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com ! Until tomorrow…

Neat little shop in Charleston…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS4 Comments
Image: http://southofmarket.biz/

What a beautiful weekend in Charleston, SC! WOW! We got out and went to a few shops. Fred noticed that South of Market, a neat little shop in Charleston, SC had those wonderful cotton canvas throws that we love so much… ON SALE! This is a neat shop, but you really need to pack the plastic… it’s not cheap, and I can’t remember there being many sales, but woohoo… we bought a red throw ON SALE!  (I know, not a color we EVER would have picked, but this is a GORGEOUS washed red. It looks like an old favorite throw that you’ve had for years and perhaps left in the sunroom part of the time. I LOVE WASHED RED… ) .

This photo is from their website http://southofmarket.biz/ … this is a great room, I love all those windows! So if you’re in the neighborhood, pop in to South of Market on King Street downtown, and while you’re there pop into the Sylvan Gallery which is also right there… GREAT GALLERY!

Check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com Until tomorrow…

Artist to watch… KEN DEWAARD

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTS2 Comments
KenDewaard.com

An artist friend of ours told us about an artist friend of his.

WHAT AWESOME WORK!

My husband surprised me last year with a painting and said that he was a great guy to deal with. Oh, what a GREAT surprise! I loved the panting and I LOVE IT WHEN ARTISTS ARE NICE! I don’t know about you, but if I really like the artist, I want to collect MORE of their work. I wouldn’t feel comfortable buying a painting from an artist who I didn’t admire or at the very least like…  I just really like Ken’s work, the colors, the light… ahhhh.

If you haven’t checked out Ken’s work, do so now! He’s got a great website (ugh, so frustrating when artists websites don’t get updated… BRAVO to those of you who do update regularly, it must be a real challenge to those of you who paint, blog and update websites! It is much appreciated, believe me)!  Check it out!

 http://www.kendewaard.com/

Until tomorrow… Remember to visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com!

Baked Potato Soup with all the trimmings!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe, soup, Soup, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
potato soup in a pretty bowl, topped with shredded sharp cheddar, bacon and green onions
Image: http://www.MyRecipes.com

Sometimes when you’re chilly there is nothing like a nice hot bowl of soup to get your innards warmed up. Other than vacuuming, there really isn’t anything that is going to warm you up from the inside out!

This tasty soup is from Cooking Light, and although it uses lower fat ingredients, if no one told you there were lower fat ingredients, I promise you, you would never know. NEVER. KNOW. That’s part of what makes this such a good recipe. It’s a fairly quick soup to make after the potatoes are baked. Mmmm, this is looking too good right now!!

So, if you were sitting there thinking… Ugh, I’m in a rut and need to try something new but want it to be pretty healthy, hey, this is for you!

I use Cracker Barrel 2% Extra Sharp cheese, it’s great, and it’s my “go to” cheese for recipes. It’s in every grocery store in Charleston, but I know other areas don’t carry it (Algonac, MI, darnit!). Serving size is 1 1/2 cups and let me tell ya… you will be full! Especially after adding a sprinkle of shredded extra sharp cheese, some green onions and some crispy bacon… oh la la… I edited the recipe to show less flour, otherwise it was too thick for us.

BAKED POTATO SOUP  

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided (or 1 small bunch, whites cut off)
  • 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
  • Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash.
  • Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
  • Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Bowen’s Island Restaurant – Charleston, SC

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, THOUGHTS4 Comments

Image: BowensIslandRestaurant.com

For those of you who have eaten at Bowen’s Island Restaurant, you know… You know how utterly awesome the view is… it takes your breath away. Seriously. TAKES. IT. AWAY. The fried shrimp is oh so tasty and I absolutely just cannot wait to have some! Visitors soon (yay!) and we will be making our way to the place that great photos are made from… and it sure doesn’t hurt that the food is tasty too!

Good grief, I just did something I shouldn’t have. I looked at the menu! Their prices aren’t bad at all, and now I’m really wanting some of their fried shrimp… check out the menu… you’ll be running at the speed of light, jumping in your car, hearing a big peel out noise, wondering where it came from before you even realize you’re in your car, headed right where all the real seafood lovers go… and that aint Red Lobster… hee hee…

Read the restaurant review “Shucking and sucking” it’s more of a story, ha ha – Bowen’s Island is known for their oysters!

Check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com ! Until tomorrow…

Artist Charles Movalli, whoa!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTS, TRAVELLeave a comment
Image: BayviewGallery.com

Bayview Gallery has a wonderful collection of Charles Movalli’s work. I think his colors are fresh. I am drawn to his pallette.  What can I say, some people love other stuff, we love art. LOVE. IT. Me, being the aspiring (ok, so that’s stretching it) artist that I am really appreciates OTHER peoples art. It facinates me how they make it happen. There is nothing I would rather do than to watch someone paint. You know why? IT’S LIKE MAGIC! I will watch and be “in the zone” and I’M NOT EVEN THE ONE PAINTING! Ha ha… I watch carefully and I think, I TOO CAN DO THIS… but then to try… whoa… another story indeed. I’m not saying I’m bad, I’m just not good, but I need to paint more often, so… Someone out there, give me an assignment. My biggest hangup is WHAT to paint? I keep trying to find something easy enough and I end up spending all my time searching for WHAT and then TADA… time to make dinner… I think I need to master painting indoors before I can move the great outdoors. So with that being said… any takers? hee hee.

If you’re in Maine and are in Camden or Brunswick, stop by Bayview Gallery! This is a little blip about artist Charles Movalli from the Bayview Gallery website:
Holder of a PhD. in English, Gloucester painter Charles Movalli uses dramatic brushwork to capture the essence of a scene. A student of Emille Gruppe, Movalli has received more than fifty awards for his vibrant work.
 
Visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com – until tomorrow!

Cookies for Valentine’s Day, a work of art!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe, THOUGHTS1 Comment

Aren’t these the most beautiful Valentine’s Day cookies you’ve ever seen? I admit, I haven’t seen many cookies for this holiday, well, not if you exclude the mass produced variety at the grocery store…  These take a little bit of time, but ooooh, the result is A WORK OF ART! I last posted this recipe on my PHOTO BLOG (click for link) for Christmas cookies, but here it is again, I hope you give them a try! This time I made the dough on Friday, got busy on Saturday, then set them out on the counter for a little while on Sunday before rolling and cutting into heart shapes and baking. The decorating part looks like the most time consuming, but if you don’t get too uptight about it (me) and can just swirl it on (Fred, my husband) then it looks beautiful and is done in a snap! Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day!

VALENTINE’S DAY BUTTER COOKIES

Sift 2 3/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

In mixer bowl add 3/4 cup soft butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Beat until fluffy and light. Slowly beat in flour mixture. CHILL ONE HOUR.

Flour your work surface and roll out dough. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

YIELD: 4 dozen (IF you don’t eat the dough… good luck to ya!)

FROSTING

Mix 1/4 cup butter, 4 cups (1 box) confectioner’s sugar, 1/4 cup scalded cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Blend until smooth. Scoop into separate bowls and add food coloring (hint: Valentine cookies are good just red, light pink and white). Scoop colored frosting into Ziplock bag (I use freezer) and snip a little off the corner. Squeeze onto cookie to decorate! If you need the frosting thinned a bit more, I have great luck just using light cream, add a little at a time until it will easily come out of the bag to decorate.