The Walnut Residence House Plan by Lake and Land Studio!

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This is the Walnut Residence house plan by Lake and Land Studio. This plan is 3,271 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. Pretty fabulous, isn’t it? With wide sweeping porches that wrap the perimeter of the majority of the house, this is a house plan that feels as if it gives you as much living space outside as it does inside. Can you imagine this plan built near the water? There is something fascinating, calming and rejuvenating about being near water, and to see it out your very windows would be a dream!

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The main floor has a master bedroom, closet,and bathroom downstairs, always nice! An open living, dining, kitchen that offers plenty of space. It also has a nice laundry room where I would try to fit a nice, large stainless sink to plop my dog into when he needs a bath! This plan has many more wonderful features, and at the top of the list for me are the multiple porches. I love how they wrap around the house.

Click HERE for more information and to see the plan packet, more details on this plan!

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The upstairs has two bedrooms, each with a bathroom, a storage room and a STUNNING OFFICE SPACE with a porch. It might be a little hard to work in such a nice space, ha ha. I can tell you, I would spend a good bit of my day in that space and on the porch. I love it!

I love the look of all of the Lake and Land Studio plans. Be sure to check out their website!

All images via LakeandLandStudio.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: Scott Addis!

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Nanna’s by Scott Addis  16×20″  Oil

This painting caught my eye right away. Not only the fabulous colors but the lines of this house. I think Scott painted this from an interesting perspective – it’s fabulous!

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3 Kings by Scott Addis  30×60″  Oil [GalerieBeauchamp.com]

Fabulous trees!! Stunning sky!! Scott can paint these trees against a jaw dropping sky, can’t he? I just enjoy his paintings so much, be sure to check out his Facebook page!

Read a bit about Scott, from GalerieBeauchamp.com website:

Born in a small rural community just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1963. He now resides in Montreal, Quebec.

Scott Addis studied at the University of Cincinnati as well as with Igor Babailov and other well-known art teachers. Being a landscape artist, Addis is now inspired by what surrounds him, Quebec and Ontario landscapes.

About his paintings, Addis says: ” I paint landscapes because it is said, and I strongly believe it, that when you look at a portrait you observe the person, the subject. However, when you look at a landscape, you can plunge into it.  One can easily imagine oneself being there ” .

All images via Scott Addis Facebook page, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Roasted Grape Tomatoes with Pasta, Shrimp and Feta

Shrimp and roasted tomatoes with pasta and feta

Oh, a vision of beauty, isn’t it? Toss it around, then top with some good feta. Owie! Life is good!

Have you ever roasted grape tomatoes? Like everything roasted, it brings out a wonderful sweetness.

This recipe comes together quickly – which is really nice on busy nights! Click HERE to print the recipe only…

Roasted Grape Tomatoes with Pasta, Shrimp and Feta

Start water boiling for pasta.

Oven at 400 degrees F. I usually cover a cookie sheet with foil, and put a thin coat of  olive oil.  Then I cut the grape tomatoes in half (longways) and put them into a bowl with a little olive oil (just enough to coat them) – swirl them around with your hands to coat the tomatoes and then put on foil lined baking sheet. Pop into the oven for 5-10 minutes, until they look wrinkly and look like they’ve cooked down a bit.

Boil pasta so that it’s ready to add to the skillet once the shrimp is done – about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, mince a clove or two of garlic (or use Microplane!) – in a nonstick skillet add a small amount of butter and olive oil (enough to cook the shrimp in, you don’t need a lot). Start out by sautéing the garlic for 30 seconds (once the butter/oil is hot) – stir it the entire time. Then add the shrimp. Keep tossing it around as well, so that it soaks up the garlic while it’s cooking. Cook until opaque (depending upon the size of your shrimp, cooking times vary, our fresh shrimp takes about 4 minutes give or take). Turn stove off.

Then toss the roasted tomatoes into the skillet with the shrimp, then add the hot pasta (I scoop it out and put directly into skillet, the water off of the pasta makes everything better.

Top with feta. Oh, la la! So quick and easy and oh so good!

The icing on the cake... Feta

ENJOY! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Ellen Dodd!

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On a Monkey’s Birthday by Ellen Dodd 12×12″ Mixed Media

Ellen Dodd, her paintings are not only full of life, but they have fabulous titles. It goes to show how creative this artist is! Wonderful color and combinations.

I am in love with her series of pink paintings (all sold)… but take a peek! I would like to know Ellen, she looks like a fun lady! Her paintings certainly show it…

Marina by Ellen Dodd  16×16″  Mixed Media

Another fabulous painting in the Oceanside series… beautiful colors and interesting shapes equal a lovely painting!

Read a bit about Ellen, from her website:

“Ellen Levine Dodd has been doing artwork all her life. She has had extensive education in painting, photography and fine art printing, studying with many well known painters, photographers, and digital printers. Her travels and studies have greatly influenced her art.

Ellen grew up in a small New England beach town near Boston, Massachusetts. She attended Clark University on an art scholarship, and studied painting at the Worcester Museum School, and photography at the Worcester Craft Center. During her junior year she took a sabbatical and traveled to Europe, Israel, and the Middle East, doing photography and studying cultural differences. When she returned from her travels she attended Massachusetts College of Art, studying photography and printmaking with instructors including, Jerry Uelsman, Minor White, and Robert Frank. After further travel adventures touring the United States, working on a series of landscape drawings, she finished her formal education at Sonoma State University, studying painting with Walter Kuhlman, and William Morehouse, paper-making with Chuck Hilger, and gallery management with Bob Nugent. Ellen graduated on the National Dean’s List, with highest honors from Sonoma State University and a BA in Fine Art with a double major in Painting and Photography.

Ellen has worked as a studio assistant in the paper mill at Sonoma State University, creating paper pulp for many artists including Sam Francis, and assisting in teaching workshops in paper-making with artists including Inez Storer. In 1981, Ellen produced the Artisan’s Guild Show at the Marin Civic Center, and started a consulting business working with many well know visual artists, musicians, and creative professionals. She developed and ran the Bradford Gallery in San Anselmo as gallery director. She has also worked in the digital imaging business specializing in Color Management and Large Format Printing. 

Currently she works full time as an artist, photographer and digital fine art printer . Her work is boldly colored and richly textured, with multiple layers, scratched, sanded, carved into and drawn onto. Her vision is emotional, expressionistic, and positive; with brightly colored gestural brushwork, a strong sense of story and symbolism, and a passionate reference to the preservation of the landscape.

Ellen lives in Northern California in the waterfront community of Bel Marin Keyes. She has a warehouse studio space in the Bel Marin Keyes Commercial area, where she paints and prints full-time.”

All images via EllenDodd.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Morning Walk… February.

Morning Walk...

My husband and I were headed out on a walk and ran across this beautiful scene. Look at the reflections of the bird on that beautiful blue water AND the wonderful reflections of the trees in the water. Wow!

We are so fortunate to live in an area where there is such beauty. Of course, beauty can be found anywhere, you just have to keep your eyes open for it!

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

📸 Images are my own unless stated otherwise. Please contact me if interested…

Featured Artist: Tad Retz!

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Little Hunters Beach – Maine by Tad Retz 11.5×7.5″ Acrylic

Check out Tad Retz, an artist from New York – wonderful paintings. Nice and loose, with great strokes and color. Just look at the light on the shore and that one quirky tree – fabulous!

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Waves Crashing at Ocean Point by Tad Retz  6.38×10.5″  Acrylic

Look at the movement in this piece. I think I was just splashed by the wave! The area leading up to the big splash is filled with interesting shapes and color. And oooh! That cool green in the foamy part of the water. Love it!

Read a bit about Tad, and be sure to check out his website!:

Tad is a 2015 graduate of Fayetteville-Manlius High School. He has been painting for two years. Before that he was a sculptor, receiving the prestigious National Gold Key award for which he was invited to Carnegie Hall in New York City to accept. His training has involved studying with accomplished artists, attending classes at the college level, and intense independent study. “My studying takes the form of painting everyday, continuing my study of master’s paintings, reading books by established artists, learning about their ideas and techniques. I feel that painting every day is the best schooling.”

Tad began painting digitally while in high school. He spent much of his time studying old master’s paintings, learning about color values, compositions, the bare bones of their paintings. He then started experimenting with oil and acrylic and found he was drawn to the surface texture he can achieve with paint. He developed an appreciation for the physical nature of traditional paintings. “I love how when I go to a museum, I can see what an artist created in his or her lifetime, and how it ages over time, how it appreciates over time”. He is very drawn to old things. Tad at times still uses digital painting to edit and layer his traditional paintings. He now paints mainly in oil, acrylic, and watercolor.

Tad paints mostly “en plein air” (painting outdoors starting and finishing on location). “There are laws of nature I try to adhere to. I go into every painting with a set of ‘rules’ that pertain to color, values, composition. I try to create a painting that follows these rules. Painting every day is essential for me.”

All images via TadRetz.tictail.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

(Thank you to Ede Walker & Wendy Edwards from Cazenovia Artisans in Cazenovia, NY for writing/editing Tad’s bio!)

55 Reidsville Place House Plan by Our Town Plans!

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This is the 55 Reidsville Place house plan by Our Town Plans. Magnificent! This plan is 3,580 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. I love the steep roof and the exposed rafters. This house has character, something that Our Town Plans excels at! Beautifully designed homes that blend seamlessly into established neighborhoods.

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The main level is open with the living, dining and kitchen areas. It’s nice that there is a side entry that leads into a laundry room. Ample closets throughout. A wonderful master bedroom, bathroom, and sitting room that opens onto the back screen porch.

Can you imagine? Be sure to check out the real images that are on Our Town Plans website, it shows the interior as well as exterior. So helpful to envision. Wow!

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The upstairs include two bedrooms, each with a private bathroom along with a wonderful large flex space. Perfect for so many uses!

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: Suzanne Jacquot!

Journey Together by Suzanne Jacquot 36x36 acrylic

Journey Together by Suzanne Jacquot  36×36″  Acrylic

Suzanne Jacquot – a wonderful abstract artist from California. Her paintings are so interesting to me. The color combinations  and the different techniques she uses to create a painting really makes it a WOW.

The gray with all the other bright colors going on around it is so happy to me! Full of interest for sure!

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Impermanence by Suzanne Jacquot  36×36″ Acrylic

Let me say that it was not easy to pick just two paintings. There are so many wonderful options. Love this one as well.

Are you interested in taking an abstract workshop? I think it would be the best time ever! It’s on my bucket list… big time! Check out workshops by Suzanne!

Read a bit about Suzanne, from her website:

“I have been a creative since I was three years old when I dug into the earth and found magical creatures living where I would never had imagined.  It ignited my curiosity and awe which opened me up to “anything is possible”. A few years later in first grade I was given a set of 48 crayolas.  I was told I could use these to make a picture.  I was so bowled over with the perfect beauty of all the colors I thought how can I make something more beautiful than they are.  I managed to trace a big maple leaf I found and carefully filled it will a rainbow of colors and treasured this image for years.” Continue reading HERE

Everyone is different, believe me, I learned that from working in galleries. What one person loves, the next person does not. Art is so subjective. You either love it or you don’t. Which is a good thing! Just  think how boring the world would be if we all loved the same thing… Snore…. 😴

All images via SuzanneJacquotArt.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Impermanence Photo: © Colin Talcroft, 2015

Easy and Elegant Dog Treats!

A Sampling...

Frozen Yogurt “Cookies” for Fido

Our dog has a history of Pancreatitis. Therefore he is on a strict diet of very, very low fat food and no “normal treats”. His treats are frozen green beans, carrots, crunchy lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin “cookies” (frozen pumpkin), an occasional piece of pasta or two or brown rice. About a tablespoon, he loves!

Yogurt "Cookies" for Fido

To make these very easy cookies, just cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. Then spoon little spoonfuls of 0% Plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage) onto the tray. You can “decorate” with anything they can eat, for Charlie, peas and carrots are his #1 choice. Some I have made very fancy, ha ha…

Pop them into the freezer (NOT the oven!) until frozen solid, several hours or overnight, usually. Then pull out the cookie sheet and working quickly, put them into a container that can go into the fridge, I separate the layers with wax paper.

It helps to have another “treat” to offer! It makes me feel better, ha ha…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Emerging Artists: Linda Posson and Barbie Smith!

Emerging Artists

LINDA POSSON

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Beech Hill, Rockport by Linda Posson  8×8″  Oil

“Beech Hill, Rockport” is a palette knife painting by Maine artist, Linda Posson. I really like the dark/light contrast of the horizon and sky. The clouds are nice and the thicker areas of paint add dimension! Be sure to check out Linda’s paintings, wow!

Read a bit about Linda, from her website:

My inspiration as an artist comes from the beauty of my surroundings–islands floating in a bay, fir trees rising from rocky shores, light playing on water, rolling hills back-dropping golden fields , sunrises that are as dramatic as sunsets. Lately, I find myself noticing every old house, barn, and shed I pass–places I’ve seen a hundred times before, all held together by scraps of paint, rusted metal and weathered wood.  

I work with environmentally friendly M. Graham watercolors, oils and medium.

BARBIE SMITH

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Point Lobos Arch by Barbie Smith  9×12″  Oil

Point Lobos Arch is an oil painting by California artist, Barbie Smith. Barbie does an amazing job capturing the light. The sunlight, the reflecting light on the water, all very nice. The water is fabulous as well, love the varying colors. Check out Barbie’s work… beautiful!

Read a bit about Barbie, from her website:

A native of California, Barbie Smith is an oil painter whose love of color and beauty is reflected in her work. She finds inspiration in the endless wonder of God’s creation and tries to reflect that beauty in her paintings. She looks for any subject with a strong design element including patterns of light and shadow or bold contrast of color or value. Her work is often described as that which evokes a sense of peacefulness and tranquility for the viewer.

For Barbie, oil painting is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Her art has been a progression which began in childhood with endless hours of drawing, leading to a pursuit of more formal training in her college years. Her passion for oil painting has developed through many opportunities to study in workshops and classes with both regional and nationally known artists.

A member of the Folsom Arts Association and the California Art Club, Barbie’s work has received awards and recognition in juried art exhibits and can be found in private collections throughout the United States. She is represented by the Gold Country Artist Gallery in Placerville, CA. Read more HERE

Thank you both for submitting your websites, what a treat!

All images via LindaPosson.com and BarbieSmithStudio.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

A walk through town… Monhegan.

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A Monhegan street scene for all of you Monhegan lovers! The building on the left was the Carina and is now the studio of abstract artists Steven & Katherine Aimone.

This is walking from the church towards the Island Inn. We’ve been in it many times as the Carina (grocery, sandwiches, etc.). It would be fun to be back there right now!

Enjoy your Saturday! Catch you back here tomorrow!

📸 Images are my own unless stated otherwise. Please contact me if interested…

Featured Artist: Chris Long!

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Bayou Clouds by Chris Long  36×36″  Acrylic [Sold]

Chris Long. Fabulous work – just look at these dramatic clouds! Wonderful! Chris can paint absolutely everything! One thing to note… the paintings on his Daily Paintworks site sell quickly. Although both of these paintings are sold, there are others to choose from, but don’t delay!

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Mid-City, New Orleans by Chris Long  12×12″  Acrylic [Sold]

I love clouds, can you tell? Another amazing painting with stunning clouds and fabulous light. Love the power poles/lines. Wow!

Read a fabulous bio from Chris, I love it! Also be sure to check out his website at http://www.chrislongpainter.com (previous link was to Daily Paintworks) – his paintings are incredible! Chris can paint a variety of subjects, all done so well! Go look!!

“Long began his art career graduating from the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts with a BFA in sculpture.  He initially found years of success in the field, exhibiting nationally, instructing, and working on bronze monuments, however when opportunities turned toward 3D computer modeling, he did what any level-headed husband and father does at age 30 – he abruptly quit, moved into a motor coach, and travelled the country selling cookware.  

In 2011 after visiting New Orleans, Long decided it was time to enter into the arts again, but as a painter, with which he had no experience.  It seemed possible to learn while selling work to tourists on the street, so Long stayed in Louisiana and perused painting magazines at bookstores, teaching himself a multitude of techniques through painting thousands of pieces.

He currently travels the country painting and selling his work online and through markets & festivals.  Long hopes to continue painting in a variety of genres until he makes his unavoidable, manic switch back to three dimensional expression.”

All images were used via Chris Long’s Daily Paintworks Gallery (link has since been broken), used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Links updated 2/7/25