Featured Artist: Jennifer Diehl!

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Early Bloomer by Jennifer Diehl  24×36″  Oil

Jennifer Diehl. Her paintings are different and evoke a sense of beauty. Early Bloomer is a happy painting, I just love the light and shadows – wow!!

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View from Orcas Island by Jennifer Diehl  20×24″  Oil

Another wonderful painting, fabulous trees!! I love the pinkish light that is cast on everything. Gorgeous!

Are you an artist interested in taking workshops? Check out Jennifer’s Workshop info!!

Read more about Jennifer, from her website:

“Jennifer wants to live in a world where travel is instantaneous, time at the easel and with her family are both limitless, and pots and pans dance their own way to the sink and back into the cupboards.

While these things seem to be something she may have to wait to experience, she has wasted no time in the real world. Having known her passion since she could say the word “artist,” her whole life has been spent pushing towards that goal. Her artist parents taught her how to think about art, but sent her to learn the practice of it from her mentor, Henry Stinson. Jennifer studied with him until she was 18, and then her career began with her first show…..a Mother/Daughter debut. Since then, Jennifer has won numerous awards, shows in galleries/exhibitions around the country, and teaches what she knows to students who, like her, are students of art.

Jennifer has taken workshops from many well-known artists and worked hard to learn what they had to give, never wanting to stall in her artistic development. Even with her last painting, she wants to be exploring new ways to convey her thoughts and feelings without words.”

All images via JenniferDiehl.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017! 🎉

happy-new-year-2017

2017. TWO THOUSAND SEVENTEEN… Wow, does time ever fly when you’re having fun!

I started this blog on New Year’s Day way back in 2011 and have managed to create a post for every single day. I cannot believe that I’m still doing it!

I have met so many wonderful people because of this blog, that’s what makes it worth every minute that I have put into this adventure. 

Have a Happy New Year and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

…created using Canva 😉

Happy New Years Eve! 🎉

Stand Tall

Feeling thankful for this year – I find it hard to believe that 2016 is coming to a close! This gives us all an opportunity to start the new year out better than ever.

BE the G O O D you want to see in the world.

It starts with YOU.

One kind gesture towards someone, friend or a stranger, can go a long way.

Keep your thoughts positive and your intentions good.

HAPPY NEW YEAR‘S EVE!

 

Solved: Fish Beach painting by Tim Bell

Guess the artist!

Fish Beach painting by Tim Bell  8×10″  Oil

SOLVED! Thank you to all who participated!! 🏆

This painting is by Tim Bell – a painting standing from fish beach looking towards the road. Tim has a way of capturing a scene. Love those little bits of green, it’s amazing how such a small touch can make a painting come alive!

This past year was foggy several days on the island when we were there. It was wonderful and looked just like this. Good memories!

Over the next few months (until I run out of paintings), I am posting one of our paintings and then seeing who can GUESS THE ARTIST. I have retouched this photo on the bottom left corner to remove the artist’s signature.

Do you know the name of this artist?

Comment on my Facebook page or on this blog…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

What size house plan are you most interested in? Results of the poll…

House Plan Poll

Several months ago I posted a poll asking what size house plan you were interested in. I wasn’t just curious, I want to target the size that most people find appealing – with other sizes thrown in since not everyone likes the same thing (thank goodness, right?)! Thank you to those who participated!

Luckily, the answer was between 1,000-2,000 square feet, which is the range I usually am near. This is great feedback!

Here are the results:

RESULTS

I will be running this poll again in 2017! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Bill Cone!

canyon-driveway-by-bill-cone

Canyon Driveway by Bill Cone  9×12″  Pastel on Paper

Intriguing… I love this painting! I am drawn in and want to follow this road. The area is peaceful with the darkness from deep within the forest and the bright bits of light. Beautiful! It reminds me of a few places that I’ve been… A good painting will do that. If it resonates with you it becomes a treasure and not just something to decorate a wall!

 

Read more about Bill, from the Total Arts Gallery website:

“Pixar production designer Bill Cone had stopped doing his own fine art outside of work for about 10 years before he began working with pastels.

“At some point, when you’re married and have kids, you don’t have lot of free time,” he says. “But when I started working with pastels for the movie A Bug’s Life, I enjoyed them so much that I began using them on my own.”

“I’d put them in a daypack along with some paper, and at lunch I’d ride my bike to a nice spot and paint,” Cone explains. “Then I took vacations and painted with pas- tels. For a while I had them in a little box in a backpack; eventually I decided to pack them better. And I started working bigger to do fish portraits. Up in Canada my in-laws liked to fish for rainbow trout, and I painted their prize catches.”

Cone started to realize he was gaining a deeper under- standing of qualities of light and atmosphere by painting outside, and that no photo could have taught him those things. “Watching changing light taught me a lot, how shadows move and change color,” he says. “I became more aware of how dynamic and complex nature is. It began to affect how I felt about light, and how to try to describe it. How to get the sense of the ways light from the sky illuminates the world even when you can’t see sun, or to understand the nature of shadows. I think I became more sensitive about how to use these effects in film, which was of great value for my work. I went out to explore nature and get away from work, but what I learned there came back to work with me.”

Cone continues to observe the effects of light in nature. Its not only helped his work, but inspires him on many levels. He exhibits annually, and for the last 8 summers, he has organized painting expeditions into the Sierra Nevada back country, inviting some co-workers from Pixar who like to paint, along with such fine artists as Randy Sexton, Clark Mitchell, Kevin Courter, Kim Lordier, and Paul Kratter.” [Read more HERE]…

Be sure to check out Bill’s paintings!

All images via BillCone.blogspot.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Beef Stew with Turnip Root, Potato and Carrots!

Beef Stew

Beef Stew… fabulous when the weather turns cooler! This recipe uses one pan, a Dutch oven preferably, and cooks it low and slow. This beef stew was delicious! I made it a day ahead and served the next day so the flavors had time to meld and OH! Was it ever worth the wait! Trust me on that… The meat was so tender you could easily cut it with a fork.

This original recipe is from Once Upon A Chef. The original recipe uses 3 pounds of beef chuck, in the recipe below I changed things a bit, and made it for 2 servings with leftovers… Click HERE to print the original recipe as it or click HERE to print as shown below!  Either way, you cannot go wrong. Tweak it to make it how you like it best!

beef-stew-with-carrots-turnips-and-potatoes

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Amanda Lovett!

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Early to Rise by Amanda Lovett  18×24″ Oil

Amanda Lovett. Her paintings are so crisp and clear. What a nice painting, Early to Rise. My favorite time of day… in the wee hours of the morning, when it’s nice and quiet. There is nothing like it. I love the sun highlighting the beautiful flowers and the reflections on the table – also the peek out of the door is so nice, it adds so much depth to this painting, don’t you think?

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Vigorous Ride by Amanda Lovett  30×30″ Oil

Another beautiful painting. Just look at this horse – happy and free – and there is that beautiful light once again – WOW! Makes for a stunning painting!

Are you interesting in taking a workshop in 2017? Amanda will be conducted a workshop in Carterville, GA in April 2017 – click HERE for more workshop details!

Read a bit about Amanda, from her website:

“Amanda Lovett’s family recognized there was a creative career in her future when her childhood doodles were actually detailed sketches of her father’s horses.

Amanda attended the Atlanta Portfolio Center where she studied Art Direction, Graphic Design, Photography and Illustration and joined the advertising firm of McDonald and Little as an Art Director at the young age of 19. She thrived in her creative role and gained invaluable experience and education in the position, giving her the confidence to start her own successful agency when McDonald and Little was later purchased and moved to New York.

In 1998, Amanda attended a watercolor landscape class with Frank Broadhurst, who she would later credit for starting her on a path as a painter. In 2004, after recently switching her focus to oils, Amanda made the commitment to become a full time artist.

With a never ending desire for growth, Amanda has studied under some of the country’s top professionals. This love for learning has driven her to continue her education at every opportunity and has translated into the desire to share her knowledge with others. She currently teaches workshops at venues across the southeast with a series of subject matters developed to build the core skills necessary for growth at any level.

Amanda has been accepted into numerous national and regional shows and organizations. She is currently represented in several art galleries across the country.

Through her art, Amanda captures the vibrancy and energy most people miss in the simple moments of life.”

All images via AmandaLovett.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas!

This photo is from a past Christmas in Michigan. Fred’s parents drove to MI – It was so beautiful, the snow was falling and so perfect for them to see!

The older you get the more Christmas is about memories much more than what may be under the tree when you wake up on Christmas Day. Most of us have everything we need, and the things that we want cannot be purchased.

Share a smile with someone (and some cookies too!) – it will help make the world a better place!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 🎄

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Christmas Eve… Already!

 

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I know! I know! It’s Christmas Eve already! Where does the time go? This little flash from the past photo was five years ago. Five!

Time passes faster every day, so be good, do good – live well, live happy, help one another – we’re only on this planet for a short time.

Life is too short to live any other way…

Merry Christmas Eve! 🎄

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Be the good…

Mebkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, SC

It always helps to put things into perspective – as I see people rush around and stressed, I think this post may help a little… I hope…

Come sit your weary bones down, sit a spell… relax and calm your thoughts. There is so much going on this time of year, sometimes we need to get in check with things and slow down and realize that if everything doesn’t get done, it’s OK. Always remember that living a good life isn’t about what you have but how you treat others. So lend an ear, listen to a friend, don’t be too quick to judge.

Everyone is going through something (click here to see a great video!) – so if you encounter someone who seems out of sorts, sad, mad, or just not friendly, don’t just assume the worst – pass along a smile or a kind word (or both!!). Help make someone’s day – it’s a tough world and we need to help each other get through it.

Go out and be the GOOD that you want to see in the world!  🙏

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

I know everyone is busy this week, so much to do! Posting a week of photos, back to normal posting next week – Catch you back here tomorrow!

Grand Oak – Mebkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, SC

Grand Oak Tree - Mebkin Abbey

Grand Oak Tree – Mebkin Abbey – Moncks Corner, South Carolina

Visiting the grounds of Mebkin Abbey is like stepping back in time. The beauty is beyond belief. Check out their website… so much information! If you ever get a chance to visit, please do! You won’t believe what you see. Great gift shop too!

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

I know everyone is busy this week, so much to do! Posting a week of photos, back to normal posting next week – Catch you back here tomorrow!

First day of Winter…

Tree

My calendar says WINTER BEGINS… It depends on where you live from what I’ve read, some places it’s today and others it may be tomorrow, in any case the Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, the day when the sun is up for the shortest amount of time. After this, days will begin to get longer – hard to believe, ha ha… it’s a slow progression no doubt, one that I am thankful for!

This is my desktop image for the month of December, I just love it! This is a tree that my dad has made from the table and umbrella that sits near the river – how clever is that? Just look at that sky! LOVE IT! This image brings good memories of a happy holiday season!


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

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Photography | Love | and a Birthday Wish…

Happy Birthday Dad!

This photo was taken on Sullivans Island when we were at the beach while my parents were in town visiting. What a great time we had! Stopped at Kudzu Bakery in Mt. Pleasant for a sandwich, then headed to the beach.

Happy Birthday Dad (AKA Joe)!! Wishing you the happiest of birthdays, and many, many, many more! xo me ❤️

Wonder were I get it?

I wonder where I get my love of photography from? Snap, snap, snap… thank goodness we don’t have to buy film any longer, ha ha…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Kate Chappell!

Path to Blackhead by Kate Chappell

Path to Blackhead by Kate Chappell  9×12″  Watercolor

Kate Chappell, an artist from one of our favorite places, Maine!  She has incredible paintings (among other things)! This painting (above) is the Path to Blackhead (Monhegan Island). The path with the shadows is delightful!

The Road Home by Kate Chappell 15x11" Watercolor

The Road Home by Kate Chappell  15×11″  Watercolor  (Sold)

This wonderful painting, The Road Home, was at the Lupine Gallery (Monhegan, Maine), but has recently SOLD… What a lovely painting! Just look at those dramatic shadows, I love the bits of dark – This is a wonderful path. Just beautiful!

Kate is quite amazing, her talent doesn’t stop at painting, I swear this woman can do everything! Check out her website and you’ll see what I mean!!

Read a bit about Kate, from her website:

“Kate Cheney Chappell was born Katherine Pope Cheney in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of George Wells Cheney, Jr., an insurance executive, and Mary Frances Pope, a trained artist and champion of the visually impaired. She spent her childhood in Manchester, close to her paternal grandparents, many cousins, and the family business, Cheney Silk. At the age of 12, she and her family moved to Farmington, Connecticut, and she entered the Oxford School for Girls (later Kingswood-Oxford School). With encouragement from Art teacher, Rebecca Jones, she entered and won a Gold Key in Connecticut’s Scholastic Art Competition, and was in her first show at age 14. Kate Cheney Chappell attended Chatham College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (now Chatham University), distinguishing herself in Art, Creative Writing and French Literature. Read more …

Images via KateChappellArtSpace.com and LupineGalleryMonhegan.com, used with permission…

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

Catch you back here tomorrow!