Featured Artist: Cristall Harper!

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Pancake by Cristall Harper  48×48″  Oil

Cristall Harper. A talented artist with fabulous paintings and a wonderful website! Her paintings are divided into three categories, Florals, Animals and Seascapes. Impossible to only pick two, so be sure to check them out. The Florals are unbelievable! At first they almost look like photographs when you look at the small image, then once you click on it, ahhhh! A painting. A FABULOUS painting. Every one of them.

Pancake (the Basset painting above) – OH! What a sweet painting. Cristall captured every nuance of this dog’s personality. The floppy ears on the floor, the eyes looking up, too tired to lift the head… Don’t miss checking out the wonderful animal paintings – I spent way too much time trying to decide which two images to use. Many of the paintings are sold, but look through them. You will smile! This painting is available through Astoria Fine Art!

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Mississippi Morning by Cristall Harper  5×7″  Oil

Cristall has some WONDERFUL seascapes. I love this sky, the rising soon and those amazing reflections! Love this!

Cristall has a few shows coming up in 2017, one in Salt Lake City, UT (March 21-23) and another in Park City, UT (July 21-August 14) – if you’re in the area, be sure to check it out, more details HERE

Read a bit about Cristall, from her website:

“I paint the emotion I find in flowers, seascapes and dogs. My florals are powerful, my seascapes are balanced, and my dog paintings are joyful.

I was the kid that loved art. My paintings are inspired by early experiences with light and color. My earliest memory is toddling along the beach at sunset. I can still see the glowing orange everywhere and the sparkling water.  Later, as a kid, I used to study a lily painting that hung in our home to figure out how the artist made the light real using only paint. My dad also had a stained-glass window of irises at his office and I was fascinated by the translucent, bright colors and simplified shapes. Today, I paint in very much the same way that a stained-glass artist works: in facets. One critic said of my work, “Your style is wonderful; your personal version of abstraction is so beautifully rooted in reality.” I usually paint alla prima, or all at once, wet paint on wet paint, instead of waiting for layers to dry. I focus only on color temperature and value until it feels lit.

I inherited my love of flowers from my parents. On vacations, they take more pictures of the local flowers than their own family, something I’m now guilty of as an adult. I like the artistic challenge of taking something traditionally feminine and fragile, like a flower, but redefining that femininity with strength and confidence. 

My ancestry comes from the Adriatic Sea; for me, the seashore feels like home more than any other place in the world. The moods of the ocean reflect my own feelings of peace, hope, struggle or pain. I feel a spiritual connection with the ocean, and I brush this into every seascape I paint. Stormy waters can become still, shores are washed clean each day, and the vastness does not diminish the importance of one viewer on the shore.

I had a yellow lab named Buttercup who passed away in late summer 2016. She epitomized loyalty, joy and friendship. I started painting her as a pup and my passion for capturing her happiness quickly grew. Now my dog paintings are in numerous galleries and dog-lovers everywhere are connecting with my work. Dogs are furry angels of comfort and joy, and especially now that my sweet Buttercup is gone, I feel driven to spread that simple joy.

My three painting subjects are family. My parents inspire the florals, my ancestry inspires the seascapes, and my angel dog, Buttercup, inspires the dog portraits. I offer my paintings to those who need to feel strengthened and important. I hope they find what they are looking for in my artwork. 

Cristall Harper graduated in 2002 from Brigham Young University with a BFA in Painting. Her studio is in American Fork, Utah where she lives with her husband. Her work is shown in galleries in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming and collected nationally.” Continue reading, HERE

All images via CristallHarper.com or AstoriaFineArt.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Four Pears and a Navy Wall

Four Pears and a Navy Wall

I bought these pears to make Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Red Onions, always a favorite. I was letting them ripen when the sun was streaming in and a photo needed to be taken!

I painted a swatch on the wall a Navy blue, I’m thinking we’re going with it. In this photo you can see the swatch directly behind the pears with a slightly different color on both ends. Adds interest, kind of like a painting. I tossed these pears in a bowl, held the bowl in the sun with one hand and snapped the photo with the other. Love the light and LOVE THAT BLUE!

Happy Sunday – Catch you back here tomorrow!

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

Aiken Horse House (C0517)by Allison Ramsey!

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Aiken Horse House (C0517) By Allison Ramsey

This is the Aiken Horse House (C0517) – this plan is 1,150 square feet with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms of elegant living space. You read that right, elegant living in a horse house – Wow! This house is beyond spectacular! I love how Allison Ramsey shows real life photos of a plan built, the images are stunning – be sure to CHECK THEM OUT!

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The first floor of this horse house are (obviously) the stalls, storage and tack area. However, if you aren’t into horses, this plan could still be tremendous! The possibilities are endless – what a great artists studio this would make! There would be room for painting (walls could be reconfigured), there could be an office space, a storage area for supplies, ample walls to hang paintings. How nice would this be to walk downstairs and into your studio, whether it’s painting, wood working, etc. Of course, this is also a FABULOUS plan if you have horses.

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Aiken Horse House (C0517) By Allison Ramsey

The second floor features a master bedroom/bathroom with walk in closet. A second bedroom and bathroom, a kitchen with a PANTRY, breakfast area and living room. Then the pièce de résistance… the SCREENED PORCH that is the width of the house. I am in love! If you haven’t checked out the real life photos of this elegant horse house, click on that link above. Wow…

Absolute perfection.

All images via AllisonRamseyArchitect.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: Teresa Elliott!

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 Looking West by Teresa Elliott  40×30″  Oil  –  Available at RJD Gallery

Teresa Elliott. Wow. Her paintings will make your jaw drop. Seriously. She is well known for her longhorn paintings, and I’m not going to include one in this post so that you check them out. Seriously, I couldn’t have picked just one. She captures their inner spirit. Every. Single. Time!

Looking West is a fabulous painting, available at the RJD Gallery. This woman looks as if she’s going to take a breath any second. The light in this painting is incredible, the hair, the eyes, nose, mouth and HANDS! Whew! Talented.

dog-day-by-teresa-elliott-40x30%22-oil-gallery-1261Dog Day by Teresa Elliott  40×30″  Oil – Available at Gallery 1261

This was the first painting of Teresa’s that I spotted. She has a way with animals, no doubt. This dog looks like it’s doing some serious contemplation, ha ha… either that or watching the news, ha ha… Be sure to check out Teresa’s website – It’s a treat!

Read a bit about Teresa, from the RJD Gallery website:

“My own personal growth is inevitably linked with my progress with the infinite challenges of becoming an accomplished painter and providing a powerful visual statement through attention to color relationships, design, edges and paint handling.”

Native Texan Teresa Elliott lives and paints in the wide open spaces of the Big Bend in West Texas. Her years of experience as a commercial illustrator in Dallas naturally evolved into a career in painting. She completed a BFA from the University of Kansas and although self-taught, she admits to being influenced by many contemporary artists, as well as classical masters.

Elliott, who is also known for her portraits of cows, has recently expanded on her captivatingly realistic style to include several paintings set at Javelina Clays– a muddy oasis located inside a Texas National Park. These paintings include Deliverance (not shown) and Agua-Fria. Emma, Elliott’s daughter and frequent Muse, is depicted in both of these glowing and detailed works.

The visual arts has dominated Teresa Elliott’s life for as long as she can remember, and always will. She says, “I’m always pushing myself to grow as an artist, it’s the only way to stay fresh and passionate. My favorite painting is Rembrandt’s Self Portrait at the Age of 63. To me, this work is distilled down to the essentials of great painting. Having perfected his craft he created one of the most revealing portraits of all time.” Elliott further states, “My paintings reveal what I see visually on the surface and beyond the visible. I explore the fundamentals of the craft as well as the emotional content of my observations of the natural world.””

All images via Teresa-Elliott.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Shepherd’s Pie – Great recipe for a cold day!

fullsizeoutput_3e79Shepherd’s Pie = Comfort food with a capital “C”! 

I have always seen recipes for Shepherd’s Pie, but have never made one. Meat and potatoes, hmmmm… cold weather prompted me to try this. I used a recipe from Food Network that sounded delicious, I made a few changes, I didn’t have mushrooms, so I omitted. I didn’t use as much oil/butter as it called for, and it wasn’t missed. Finally, I upped the amount of beef broth and changed the order of how I prepared this, based on comments that I had read. One detail I left out, is that when you spread the mashed potatoes, you can make fork marks that give ridges that will end up browning nicely. In the images above, I added parmesan to one half in case Fred didn’t like… Next time, Parmesan on both sides, without a doubt. It also made it brown, and I would probably leave it until it browned a wee bit more, although it was absolutely done and so delicious!

UPDATE: THERE IS NOW AN IMAGE, ha ha… I remembered to take a photo this time. Chilly weather is THE PERFECT TIME to make this dish. It warms your very soul!

We were so anxious to try this that I forgot to take a photo of it plated 😳 – wasn’t the first time that happened and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Might have to try to make this again soon to update the images! Corrected :)

Click HERE to print the recipe as I made it (as shown below), or click HERE for the original recipe (Food Network) to print! Enjoy!

Are you wondering what to do with the leftover tomato paste? I have a solution! Read HERE!

Enjoy, and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Paint color for walls – Something dramatic!

Wall color...

Old Navy by Benjamin Moore – Paintings, see below…

We love to change paint colors. It’s a problem. We probably need therapy, but it makes such a difference for a pretty insignificant amount of money. We love the all white look. LOVE IT! The creams and whites. We tried it. Painted the living room, bedroom, bathroom, and it was horrible. Capital H Horrible. The bathroom is fine, but the bedroom and living room, ugh. At first I thought I LOVED it, my eye went straight to the window and grabbed the green from the trees. Beautiful. Then we hung our art, put back our rugs and oh. Hmmm. Not so much. It didn’t flow.

We have had a medium brown(Kuba by Ralph Lauren – no longer made) in a few rooms and a dark grey in the dining room. We bought a sample can of Benjamin Moore paint (I love how they do that). I painted the room I thought we would start with, the dining room. A nice, dark navy. This is the brightest time of day, it usually looks more like the left hand side versus the right hand side.

I thought the brown worked so nicely with all of our paintings, but whoa, I didn’t realize how there is blue in all the paintings. Sweet! We have since decided not to start with the dining room, so the above has since been painted back to Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal. The color above is Old Navy – we may keep it or try it a bit darker (custom color, they’re so good at) – although, living with this blue, I think we want it to read blue and not black, so we may go with Old Navy… It’s good to live with it for a while – I will keep you updated!

Paintings…
Top: Julia Nichols, Bottom two: Ken DeWaard Subject: Monhegan!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Ready to go!

Charlie

It’s not easy to capture a photo of Charlie without him moving. He will sit perfectly still until he knows you’re going to take a photo… This was an intense “I’m ready to go for my walk now” stare. He keeps us moving, that’s for sure!

Whew, the weekends fly by don’t they? Enjoy your Sunday! Many of you may be off tomorrow – if you are… ENJOY!

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Coming soon…

New color... coming soon!

A fresh post for Saturday!

This chair looks rather angelic in the sunshine, ha ha… Here is a look at what’s to come… Benjamin Moore in a Navy color (we think we know which one, but haven’t decided absolutely). It’s currently a Benjamin Moore match to an old Ralph Lauren color KUBA (in the Safari collection). We’ve loved this color, but now… need it to be gone! I’m dying for some navy walls… How sharp will that be?? Bits of navy in the rug, all the paintings have blue (nine paintings in this small room) – I can’t wait! I love the white against the navy. Is it ever sharp! Right now the hot color is SHADOW by Benjamin Moore, but it’s a little too purple for my taste, although I’ve seen it used on doors, etc. and it’s so striking!

Will send an image of the final result once we get to that point!

For those of you who subscribe to this blog, you may think that today’s post looked familiar. It did to me too… well, that’s because I posted it six short days ago. Six. Sigh… I think I was rearranging posts and this image was used twice. Nice… ugh! Please forgive.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Colin Page!

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Lobster Blues by Colin Page  48×36″  Oil

Wow! Colin’s still life’s have always amazed me. Well, I guess that’s true of all his work. Colin can literally paint absolutely anything! This lobster dinner looks quite tasty. Just look at the light in that blue glass. The intricacies of the tablecloth. The LOBSTER that looks, well, good enough to eat! I love the addition of the notecard and pen!

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Cozy Harbor by Colin Page  36×36″  Oil

This painting just grabs me. I love the stillness of the water and that red outbuilding (oh! that red!) – also love the magnificent white house looking so majestic in height compared to surrounding buildings. Colin can paint a dock with such style. Love it!

Are you interested in taking a workshop in 2017? Colin has several workshops, and good news, some still have openings, but be quick, the spots usually fill up quickly. Everyone loves Colin, has fun and learns a lot from his workshops – His next workshop is a CALIFORNIA PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP in Balboa Island, CA through Debra Huse Gallery FEBRUARY 1 – 4, 2017 (and a solo show that runs from Feb. 3-28)!

Next is a MARYLAND PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP that runs from MARCH 23 – 26, 2017, hosted by Chesapeake Fine Art Studio, Kent Island, MD.

Be sure to check out all of Colin’s Workshops and Upcoming Shows, as well as his new and improved (if possible) website!

All images via ColinPagePaintings.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

The Muskoka House Plan by Karoleena!

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Muskoka Plan by Karoleena

This is the Muskoka house plan by Karoleena – this plan is 1,590 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. This plan has so many great features! If you like a modern plan (and I do!), there is so much to like about this plan. There are a lot of wonderful windows which is perfect if you’re situated in a private location, lake, ocean, woods, etc. I think it’s a sharp plan!

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Module 1 has two bedrooms with a bathroom in between, as well as the foyer, laundry and storage and a mechanical room. I like how you step into the bedroom/bathroom. there is a small corridor that leads you to the bathroom or either bedroom, which also makes room for some nice closets!

Module 2 is the main living area, the living room, kitchen, master bedroom/bathroom – can you imagine living in this house? The views? The sleek style, not to mention that this house can be built in six months!

Karoleena does something wonderful (besides building very cool homes)! They provide you with so much information, every detail you can think of! So when you click to view this plan, scroll down to where it says “DOWNLOAD THE MUSKOKA MODEL GUIDE” – you will not believe the wonderful details. It helps make your dream one step closer to becoming a reality

All images via Karoleena.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: Eric Bowman!

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Trespass by Eric Bowman  29 5/8 x 22″ Oil

Eric Bowman. I love his style. From Eucalyptus trees with so much character to his figure paintings, each evokes such feeling. Eric is brilliant when it comes to marketing as well, he’s got a great sense of humor, and his paintings show that he loves what he does. Eric’s work is stunning, to say the least!

Trespass is a very symbolic painting… it caught my attention when Eric sent out a Christmas/holiday newsletter entitled PEACE. Nice! Very nice! You can feel the passion in this painting – and that light in the distance, wow!

Eric has several shows coming up in 2017 – don’t miss them if you’re in the area! Click HERE to see more of Eric’s upcoming shows.

L A ART SHOW 2017

Eric will be showing with the Maxwell Alexander Gallery at this venue- the opening is tomorrow evening, Thursday, Jan 12th 11am – 7pm, 2017, the show runs from 1/12-1/15/2017.

Click HERE for a link to the exhibit!

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Night Brings Good Counsel by Eric Bowman 16×20″ Oil

I happen to love Eric’s trees. They make me smile. They have so much character! I always love a road with trees, a stunning sky, especially a nocturne and oh! That moon! I swear it’s real!

Mockingbird Gallery 2017

Event Dates: 2/3/2017 – 3/2/2017
Reception: 2/3/2017  5-9pm
Location: Mockingbird Gallery
Phone Number: (541) 388-2107
Address: 869 NW Wall St, Suite 100, Bend, Oregon 97703

Eric will be showing with the Mockingbird Gallery in a three person show including Julee Hutchison and Bart Walker.

Mark your calendar! Click HERE for a link to the exhibit!

Read a bit about Eric, from his website:

“Eric Bowman was born in Pasadena and grew up in Orange County, CA (back when it actually had orange groves). Essentially a self-taught artist, Eric had a knack for drawing as far back as he can remember, always the class artist throughout his elementary and high school years. Various art-related jobs such as silk screen T-shirt printer or surfboard airbrush technician led to a lengthy and successful career as a commercial artist, eventually transitioning to fine art painting. As a painter, Eric has garnered many awards in national & regional exhibitions in some of the country’s most prestigious galleries and museums.  His paintings are in collections around the world, including England, China, Australia, Canada and Mexico. 

 Eric Bowman is a Signature Member of both the American Impressionist Society and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, and an Out-of-State Member of the California Art Club. When not traveling to various plein air shows or visiting his beloved home state of California, Eric resides in northwest Oregon with his wife and daughter, and their dog, Mucha.” Read more HERE

All info & images via EricBowman.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Quick Timesaving Freezer Tip

Here are just a few ideas of how to use your freezer to make things very convenient and ready in a snap! (Did I just say Snap, Ugh?)

The key is using your cookie sheet. Whatever you are freezing, place it on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until solidly frozen (hours or over night) – then you can transfer to a freezer bag!

I make Charlie pumpkin “dog cookies”, by simply putting small spoonfuls of pumpkin (canned) onto the wax paper – then when I want to use, I take one out and hold it while he eats (he loves it!) or place it in his dish until it defrosts, then add his food.

Tomato paste, I’m sure you’ve had those recipes where you just need a tablespoon or two, what are you to do with the rest of the can? Even the tomato paste that comes in a tube has a fairly short expiration date once opened. I freeze in tablespoons and once frozen, pop into a freezer bag (don’t forget to label!) and use in recipes. It is SO HANDY!

Cookies ready to back at a moments notice. Chocolate Chip Cookies are another good recipe to freeze. I bake some, then I freeze some on a cookie sheet, then usually the next day because I forget about them, I toss into a freezer bag and *POOF* it’s like you’ve slaved away all day, ha ha…

Of course those are just a few examples. Also basil freezes well in a little water in an ice cube tray, leftover coffee freezes well in an ice cube tray too, perfect to add to your iced coffee!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Susan Cox!

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The Santa Ana Bus by Susan Cox  20×16″  Oil

Susan Cox. Check out her work if you haven’t already! She has interesting scenes and some great and different perspectives on some paintings. Which makes it nice, adds pizazz and makes it fresh! Pretty cool how an everyday scene can be made into a great painting!

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The Alley – San Clemente by Susan Cox  40×48″  Oil

This is one of the “different perspective” paintings I mentioned, by just giving the painting a little tilt it’s so cool! I love the dark shadows and tree in the foreground and that fabulous blue sky!

Read a bit about Susan, from her website:

Susan Cox was educated in Fine Arts at California State University Long Beach and lived in England for 14 years where she painted and exhibited in galleries in the London and Oxfordshire areas.  Her work has been featured in the Federation of British Artists, Britain in Watercolours exhibition at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London. Continue reading HERE

All images via SusanCoxArt.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!