Featured Artist: Sara Jane Reynolds!

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

Susan’s Lilies  by sara jane reynolds  36×48″  Oil

Sara Jane Reynolds. Beautiful Lowcountry paintings. I especially adore her lily series – Stunning! The pink in this painting is so fabulous with the wonderful greens! And those little flowers, oooh! The distant water is so interesting to me, a variety of colors and brush strokes brings life!

Sara has a wonderful website so be sure to check it out!

Read more about Sara, from her website:

Artist’s Statement

As a plein air painter, I carry my easel and paints into the marshes and islands of the low country. Inspiration springs from the beauty and richness of this untamed landscape. I grew up in Pasadena, California: My father a a Civil Engineer/Architect and mother a Musician/Poet/Painter. We spent part of every summer in Yosemite. The visual impact of the valley, trees, rocks and the core of artists and writers who journeyed there impacted me greatly. I developed a deep love of nature, self expression, passion for our great country.

On canvas I write love letters in gold and green.

All images via SaraJaneReynolds.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Fortunate Island – Monhegan, Maine

On By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, Maine, Photograph, TRAVEL2 Comments

Fortunate Island – Monhegan, Maine

I love this beautiful boat that sits in the Monhegan harbor. Especially with this beautiful golden light.

Fortunate Island – could the name be any more perfect? To me, this boat looks peaceful, tranquil, elegant, responsible and strong.

 

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED… CATCH YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW!

The Wharf – Monhegan, Maine

On By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, Maine, Photograph4 Comments

When visiting Monhegan Island, the wharf is the happiest place and saddest place – how can it be both? It’s the happiest site you’ll see once you arrive. It means a week of peace and quiet, beautiful scenery, good friends, good food and a chance to unplug.

When waiting for the boat that heads back to the main land, which also means you are headed H-O-M-E, the wharf can be the saddest place. Because you won’t see the island, and your friends, until at least the following year, if you’re lucky!

But… I have my photos, and a lot of them! Perusing old Monhegan photos is a necessity for me!

📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED… CATCH YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW!

18 Sumter Drive House Plan by Our Town Plans!

On By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, HOME, House Plans4 Comments

This is the 18 Sumter Drive house plan by Our Town Plans, quite a fabulous layout! This house plan is 1,989 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.WHAT A FRONT PORCH! It’s 11’6″ deep and 27’6″ wide – just think of the possibilities!  You can get a nice breeze in good weather. Nothing better! This is a beautiful plan with such nice lines!

The main floor is spacious and inviting. The living, dining and kitchen are open.

There is a wonderful master suite. Also another bedroom downstairs, which would be quite wonderful as an office or library. I love that there is a screened porch on the back of the house accessible from both bedrooms!

Upstairs there is a bedroom, bathroom and a bunk room! The bunk room has built-in window seats and bookshelves. How nice is that? Check out the real life images HERE.

All images via OurTownPlans.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Robert Strickland!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Art Event, Daily Blog, Featured Artist1 Comment

Dahlia Arrangement by Robert Strickland 24″X18″ Oil

Robert Strickland is an artist from Toronto, Canada – and whoa, can he ever paint! I think the Dahlia Arrangement painting is perfection. The backdrop and surface leave your imagination to fill in, yet the jars and flowers are out of this world realistic. The varying beautiful colors are a joy!

If you’re in the Toronto, Canada area and looking for a workshop, check out Robert’s website for more info, while you’re there just look at the beautiful paintings!

Read a bit about Robert, from his website:

Robert Strickland is a professional artist from Toronto, Canada. Robert was first inspired by nature and his surroundings. He recalls having a deep connection and appreciation for nature from a young age. It wasn’t until he was in his twenties that he was exposed to art however. He took a fundamental art program at Sheridan College to learn some basics and meet other artists. At this point he was more interested in illustration. After the program ended, he learnt in a more autodidactic way. He went to life drawing consistently and at one point just jumped into oil painting. With an intense dedication and a rational way of solving problems, he learn’t quickly. After making great progress he was awarded the Chalmers Professional Development Grant. This allowed him to study abroad from contemporary masters in representational art. After he felt the need to go back to his roots in Canadian culture to form as a mature artist. Painting “en plein air” connected him with nature once again, his voice in art became louder and more distinct. Through Roberts art we can see an appreciation of nature and an intimate way of looking at it. Robert believes the appreciation of art teaches values and connects us with a universal language. Continue reading, here…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Beef & Green Bean Stir Fry!

On By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, Recipe1 Comment

This is one of my very favorite recipes from Chinese restaurants. It often ends up being quite unhealthy, mostly due to the fact that there is a lot of soy sauce and oil… Although I did splurge and use Jasmine rice instead of brown rice (Trader Joe’s freezer section – already cooked, microwave 3 minutes – it’s fabulous), the rest of this recipe is pretty healthy.

I took bits and pieces from different recipes, and in the end LEFT OUT THE SOY SAUCE (recipe includes it, with an *, to remind you that you can omit) and ended up with this. Quick, easy and beyond favorite recipe!

Click HERE to print the recipe…

BEEF & GREEN BEAN STIR FRY

2 SERVINGS

Sauce

1/3 cup beef broth

*1 Tablespoon organic soy sauce low sodium

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

pinch of red pepper flakes if you like

Stir Fry

Canola oil

fresh green beans (two big handfuls of fresh with ends snipped – I used between 1/4-1/3 pound) – dry them so they don’t spit when hit oil.

1/2# stir fry meat (I used sirloin steak, or flank steak)

3-4 scallions (green onions) OR regular onion, sliced thin

Ginger (to your taste, use microplane to grate it – I used about a 1” piece)

Garlic (as much as you like)

Cooked Rice, enough for two servings.

Sesame Seeds (optional) – can toast them or use plain

Directions

The beef and green bean portion cooks quickly, so start it once your rice is almost ready.

Mix ingredients for the broth, set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in large skillet over high heat. Add green beans, saute for 4 minutes. Then set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in same skillet, add beef. Cook 1 minute WITHOUT MOVING over fairly high heat. Then cook another 3-4 minutes stirring.

Set aside with green beans.

Add a little more oil, add the scallions, ginger and garlic. Saute, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Add the beef and green bean mixture back to the hot skillet.

Add the broth, stir until thickened, about 1 minute, spoon on top of rice.

*I don’t use soy sauce because of an allergy – and I cannot tell a difference without it, woohoo!

Enjoy and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Dyana Hesson!

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

Passion in the Desert by Dyana Hesson 36×36″ Oil

Dyana Hesson. Wonderful, vibrant paintings. Dyana’s paintings are full of life. Passion in the Desert reminds me of a cactus I had as a kid. It always amazed me that something that received so little water, could do so well. It thrived in my windowsill. The bright orange flower just gorgeous.

Dyana paints more than cacti, although they are fabulous, be sure to check them out!!!

The featured painting is available at Bonner David Gallery – Dyana has more work on their website. Wow, wow, wow!

Read a bit about Dyana, from her website:

Dyana was born in 1966 in the Gold Country of California. There she was always happiest outdoors. Her weekends were spent visiting the local nursery and working on the natural landscaping of her family’s home.

When she was 12, her father gave her a camera. She began photographing all that was interesting to her; the trees, the flowers, and the natural landscapes.

After a short stay in Southern California (where she met and married her husband in 1985), she moved to Arizona. Although the climate and landscape varied drastically from that of California, the inspiration did not.

Dyana became interested in painting as a way to express things that she couldn’t through a lens alone. She chose oil as her medium because it possessed a fluid quality perfect for the subjects she was painting. She began to experiment with thin layers of carefully blended paint, and the results were luminous. She earned her degree in Art at Arizona State University in 1991 and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

After a four year detour to southern Michigan, Dyana and her family returned to Arizona. She continues to live in Mesa with her husband Randy, daughter Sydney and Dog Boon.

Dyana is always in search of her next painting. She takes long hikes in the desert and mountains, and frequently visits botanical gardens across the country. She feels she has the most success when she has the luxury of bringing her subjects home. She then has more time to study them and combine them with other elements. Using only natural lighting in her paintings, timing and weather are always factors.

Dyana is most excited about using her art to glorify God by drawing attention to His creation. She feels that the relationships and opportunities to serve with her art have been the most valuable aspect of her career.

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Kaethe Bealer!

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

Marina at Dusk by Kaethe Bealer  24×24″  Acrylic

Kaethe Bealer. I love when paintings are created this time of day. The wonderful deep blue of the water, with those subtle reflections. Subtle, but perfect! Those little bits of brighter light reflected in the water are fabulous! The sky… love it! Those clouds are wonderful!

The Listener by Kaethe Bealer  16×20″  Acrylic

Oh! How I love this painting. A glimpse into another life. “The Listener” – what a perfect title! I love the vantage point of this painting – from a dog’s perspective! If you want to see this painting in person, it will be in a show at Harrington Gallery – it opens May 6, 2017 Here are the details:

FRESH WORKS VII

May 6 to June 3, 2017

Opening Reception and Awards Saturday, May 6, 1:00 to 3:00 pm

Harrington Gallery’s 7th Annual FRESH WORKS Juried Exhibition is returning. FRESH WORKS VII is an exhibition opportunity for emerging and established artists who reside or work in the greater Bay Area, with the focus of the exhibition being on new works.

I would love to see more interiors by Kaethe, she clearly has a knack for painting them! And animals… wow! Be sure to check her website and you’ll see what I mean!

Read a bit about Kaethe, from her website:

Kaethe Bealer is a painter who works in oil and acrylic.

Like so many artists, I have been doing art since I was a kid. I have been studying seriously for the last 15 years. I live in the Bay Area and have been fortunate to study with several great artists such as Stanley Goldstein, Peggi Kroll Roberts and Tim Horn. I work in oils and acrylics. I live on a boat. When I paint aboard it’s usually a smaller scale painting and in acrylic. I paint larger oils in my land studio which happens to be a spare bedroom at my father in-law’s.I enjoy painting the effects of light and shadow on all kinds of subject matter. The more I paint the more I see color nuances and value shifts. I am enjoying my process and hope to get better and better. Thank you for looking at my work!

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

House Plan: Sand Mountain House by John Tee!

On By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, HOME, House Plans2 Comments

Sand Mountain House (977) by John Tee

This is the Sand Mountain House (977) by John Tee! This plan is 2,814 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms (not including the optional upstairs bedroom/bathroom).

This home has wonderful covered porches both front and back, as well as off the office and laundry area in the front. Nice air flow! I love the wings that jut out on each side of the main portion of the house. This home would fit well in an established neighborhood. It doesn’t look cookie cutter, it’s got wide appeal!

There is a nice master suite and two more bedrooms with a shared bathroom. One of those rooms would be nice as a study. A quiet getaway! This home offers a nice foyer, which would be really nice! A large family room, breakfast area, kitchen and dining room give way to a laundry area and office. A beautiful plan with a lot of living space!

Be sure to check out the real images of both interior and exterior… they are stunning. Click HERE !

All images via JohnTee.com, used with permission…
Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the design firm.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Gregory Stocks!

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

Along the Road Home by Gregory Stocks 48×48″ Oil [Sold]

Gregory Stocks. Wonderful paintings, fabulous website! I love the rich tones in this painting, “Along the Road Home”. This painting is sold, but isn’t it stunning? The sharp contrast between the trees and the sky, and the wonderful light – beautiful!

Backlight Waterfront by Gregory Stocks 24×36″ Oil

Another stunning painting. The sky… wow! Gregory’s trees are so full of character. The water is stunning, especially with the reflections from that gorgeous sky. If Gregory’s work seems familiar, you may have seen it in Southwest Art or American Art Collector.

Read a bit about Gregory, from his website:

Gregory Stocks has been a professional exhibiting artist since 1998 and is recognized for his remarkable combination of classical representation and contemporary execution.  His style is stark, with a clean, contemporary feel.  The imagery he creates is intended to represent not so much a specific place as “a place in one’s heart, the internal landscape”.

Born in Lubbock, Texas, Gregory lived in California, Washington and Idaho before arriving in Utah in 1981 to attend Utah State University, where he earned a bachelors degree in art.  Stocks has been included in the publications Southwest Art Magazine and American Art Collector.  In addition to exhibiting at the US Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, in 2005, his work is included in many private and public collections throughout the US and abroad. Click HERE to continue reading…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Stew Beef & Mushrooms Over Egg Noodles!

On By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, Recipe2 Comments

I adapted this recipe from a Beef Stew recipe from Once Upon A Chef. The recipe was so tasty, but while eating it, I was thinking how good it would be minus the potatoes and carrots on top of egg noodles.

Let me tell you. This is an excellent recipe. It’s easy, makes the house smell amazing, and is so good. It’s one of those recipes that you will make over and over. Perfect for cooler weather! It would be pretty topped with fresh parsley. I just topped with salt and pepper. That little dollop of sour cream adds such a nice touch! I have also used Greek yogurt (plain) and it was equally as good!

Click HERE to print the recipe…

Stew Beef & Mushrooms Over Egg Noodles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

1 pound stew beef (I used lean)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

~Dry stew beef pieces, sprinkle with S&P. In large heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat until hot and you can see it shimmering. Add the stew beef pieces and brown, turning with tongs (be careful not to overcrowd the pan, or the beef won’t brown. It’s OK to get brown crusty bits on the bottom of the pot, they will enhance the flavor once you add the beef stock).  Browning usually takes 5-8 minutes (browning, not cooking through). Remove from pan and set aside.

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove (I use microplane), chopped small

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

~Add ingredients to pan and cook for 5 minutes.

1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste

~Add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.

1 ½ teaspoon all purpose flour

~Add browned stew beef back into pan, sprinkle with flour, cook 1-2 minutes or until flour dissolves.

3 cups(+) beef stock

1 cup water

~Add stock and water to pan, loosen the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. 

1 small bay leaf

Dried thyme (a sprinkle)

1 pinch of sugar

Mushrooms, washed and cut in chunks (I used an 8 oz pkg. of Cremini)

~Add to the pan, the cover and transfer to preheated oven for 2 hours.

Serve on top of Egg Noodles, cooked using directions on package. (I used ½ package) 

Topped with a little dollop of sour cream – Perfection!

Fresh parsley would be pretty sprinkled on top, if you have it.

My recipes are a guide… add more of what you like, and less of what you don’t – or substitute for something that appeals to you!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Haidee Jo Summers!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist1 Comment

The Artist Felicity House Painting in Venice  24x30cms  Oil

Haidee Jo Summers – WOW! Her paintings are perfection! The perfect balance of looseness, the subjects are all interesting, colors are wonderful and she nails it every single time!

What a wonderful painting (above). This artist’s face is perfection – you can how she’s concentrating on what she’s painting. This is amazing!

Evening Light Polperro Harbour by Haidee Jo Summers  30×32″  Oil (Sold)

To me, this painting is pure magic. The stillness in the water and the beautiful reflections. The boats sitting so serenely in the water. Those little pops of orange that just make me love this painting even more. And those little touches that make it sing, like the orangey color underneath the tented canopy on the sailboat in the foreground, the shadows from the boats in the water and that wonderful sky! It’s perfect!

Read a bit about Haidee, from her website:

Awarded Artist of the Year 2012 by the Society of All Artists and one of the few artists chosen by the BBC to paint the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant from the Millennium bridge, Haidee-Jo is a full-time professional artist known for painting landscapes and seascapes ‘en plein air’.                            

Her work can be seen regularly at the Mall galleries London where she exhibits with the Royal Society of Marine Artists, the New English Art Club and the Royal Institute of Oil painters of which she is a full member. Haidee-Jo writes regularly for The Artist magazine and has recently started work on her first book on oil painting with Search Press, having previously produced a large body of work for the Encyclopaedia of Watercolour Techniques. In recent years she has been invited to take part in UK and international plein air events whilst winning many prizes for her work which features fresh and vibrant brushwork coupled with keen drawing and observational skills, resulting in paintings that glow with light and sing with colour.    

Haidee-Jo gained a degree in illustration following an art foundation course and graduated in 1994. She has been exhibiting and teaching ever since, in recent years having cut back on teaching commitments to focus on painting. She believes very much in continuing to grow and develop all the while striving to express her personal voice in paint and to do so more and more succinctly.  

In June 2014 Haidee-Jo was awarded the £1800 The Artist purchase prize with her painting ‘Sails up in harbour’, a prestigious award selected by Ken Howard OBE RA. In September she won the £5000 Buxton Spa prize for her plein air painting ‘Walking through buttercups’, and in October won the first prize of £1000 for her painting ‘Work to be done, Elm Hill’ at Paint Out Norwich. In June 2015 she has been awarded the Great Art Award by The Artist magazine in association with Patchings for her painting ‘The thaw, Drove allotments’ and in June 2016 for her painting ‘The old milking parlor’. Continue Reading HERE…

Now… go check out Haidee Jo’s website! It’s fabulous!

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!