Ahhh, Monhegan Island, Maine. Gorgeous. Stunning. Simple beauty everywhere you look. Nighttime skies that cannot be matched. Morning sunrises that will make you open your eye, grab your camera and dash down three flights of stairs in your PJ’s… this place is Heaven.
Posting a photo each day for the next few weeks – time for me to have a break. Back to normal posting 5/16!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
HI! My name is Charlie and I love to eat dirt, rocks, grass, ferns, paper and pretty much anything else I can get…
Ugh. Our last dog was a picky eater. We were so happy when we found out that Charlie will eat anything. Until, he eats everything, sigh…
Have a great Sunday and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!
I took this photo while Fred and I were sitting at the coffee bar, looking out of the screened window at Black Tap Coffee in Charleston. It was a beautiful day, so it was such a treat to have the windows open.
I think it’s so cool how the design that they make on your cappuccino stays until the very last sip. This is coffee at it’s finest!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
View of Boothbay by Ken DeWaard 9×12″ Oil
Over the past few weeks I’ve been posting some of our paintings to see if you can name the artist. Today’s was named quicker than the past few weeks, good job Barbara Carr!
This painting is by Ken DeWaard. We love everything about this painting. Be sure to check out Ken’s website, sign up for his newsletter and his Facebook page!
WORKSHOP? Are you interested in taking a workshop from someone who is full of wonderful information? Someone who’s workshops aren’t a stressed out time? Ken’s workshops participants have had nothing but great praise for his workshops. He’s got many, check them out!
I love the light on the chair and the view out of the window. It’s a great painting of a wonderful place, and it makes me want to be there. Right. Now.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Madison Spencer. An amazing architect with a wonderful vision. Sarah’s Shack house plan is 1,100 square feet with 1 bedroom and 1 and 1/2 bathrooms.
Can’t you picture this home in Maine? Or anywhere for that matter. It reminds me of a small version of a cottage we rented one year in Port Clyde, Maine. It was unbelievable. This plan is so functional. The exterior I just love!
You walk into this plan from the wonderful front porch. The sitting room takes up a good part of the house, with a wonderful door and two French doors opening to the porch. Can you imagine? How perfect when entertaining! The Bedroom is compact, if you didn’t need the Desk area you could also make the bedroom a little larger to position a bed to make entry/exit from the bed easy for two people. I happen to adore the desk area myself. I find myself also liking my desk area to be near where we are living, so perhaps in front of one of the French doors would be nice, especially if you had a great view!
Built-ins in a bedroom are fabulous. The cottage we rented one year had just that, it was so convenient!
Read a bit about Madison Spencer… Be sure to check out Madison’s different projects. I am beyond impressed! Beautiful just doesn’t begin to describe!
Madison Spencer is an architect based in Charlottesville Virginia. He attended the University of Virginia in its heyday when the School of Architecture was led by Jaque Robertson and studied under Leon Krier, Demetri Porphyrios and Bill Westfall. His work takes him from Maine to the Caribbean and is of all scales. Of late he has devoted much time to the study of folly architecture – those more whimsical garden structures that fall somewhere between little house and hermit’s grottoe – on which he has lectured at the Sotheby’s Institute and the American Georgian Society.
For you down-easters, await the Temple of the Winds tower he is designing for an estate on Little Deer Isle drawings of which he will reveal soon!
All images via Madison Spencer, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Mike Bailey. One word… amazing! Truly. Mike’s website is out of this world. It’s visually appealing and contains so much wonderful information! A lot of time went into this and it shows. It’s fabulous, personal, and a treasure for those who take the time to read it. Also check out Mike’s Blog – more great info! I’m not kidding you, this is a treasure of a website that you can spend a great deal of time perusing!
I love the shadows in Plaster Master. The orange vest… striking! I swear most paintings just need a little pop of color, even if it’s the tiniest little bit. The detail in the wrinkles of the man’s jeans, the knee pads, helmet… so well done! Every painting of Mike’s is equally as well done. He is very versatile, I urge you to take a peek!
Mike is teaching some amazing workshops this year all over the country – interested? Check out Mike’s workshop schedule! From reading about him on his art blog, I think he would be fabulous to take a workshop from. Someone REAL. It’s nice to take a workshop and not feel like every painting has to be a winner. We know that isn’t the case for anyone! It’s nice when you take a workshop to not feel that added pressure.
I had to include Mike’s self portrait! This painting caught my eye right away. FABULOUS!
Read a bit about Mike, from his website:
Approximately 100 miles south of San Francisco, California, on the coast, is Santa Cruz . . .where Mike resides. A graduate from San Jose State University, he majored in Engineering and Business.
In mid-life, Mike answered a long-percolating desire to paint. A few lessons, lots of books and an occasional workshop got him started. His intense curiosity led him to learn and study design and composition, which led to his being called to teach that aspect of painting. What paid off most, he says, was the late night sessions at his easel.
He developed “Painting Beyond the Obvious” as a college level course and offered it at the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC). Many painters now credit him and that class with their own breakthroughs to artistic understanding. Mike’s art career has put him on the “workshop circuit” all over the U.S. His work has received national and international recognition via awards, magazines and books and assorted international exhibitions. Click here to continue…
All images via mebaileyart.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
What a delight! Newman’s Own Four Cheese (frozen) Pizza (Multigrain crust with flaxseed) is a fabulous option when you’re in a hurry. Just pull it out of the freezer, put it into the oven to bake (10 minutes), then pull it out, top it with baby arugula, a light drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of parmesan.
The arugula adds the nicest flavor!
Newman’s Own pizza does not taste like frozen. I never bought frozen pizza until a friend (thank you Heather!) suggested this one. WOW! Was she ever right! Our local Harris Teeter carried the (uncured) pepperoni, which is tasty, but we just wanted plain cheese, so they have started to carry (thank you Harris Teeter!).
For a thin crust, this one is perfect, not too thin, but not thick and doughy… A fabulous treat!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Normally I feature at least one of Eric’s landscapes just because those fabulous trees just get me every time, but I heard that he has a workshop coming up, so I didn’t want to miss the chance to share that info with you just in case you’ll be in the Eugene, OR area in May?
Eric has the uncanny ability to paint the figure with so much feeling. It’s as if you’re right there in the kitchen with these girls. There is movement, they aren’t just posed, they are working… the painting is fabulous and believable, from the folds in the shirts and bandanas, the creases in the pants, the way the fingers are pressed against the mixing bowl, the reality is there. On top of that there is wonderful light and INTEREST! Interest is so important. You may be able to paint a certain scene, but it has to hold interest and Eric’s always do. Every. Single. Time.
Isn’t this the sweetest painting ever? Perfect title for this painting “Under the Weather”, you can (once again) feel that this sweet girl is feeling under the weather. She is passing time with a good book, fluffy pillow and fabulous blankets. The folds in those blankets are fabulous, I love the dark color underneath peeking through. The shadow and light on her arm and hand are fabulous. Eric doesn’t miss the details, but he also doesn’t paint in every little thing, which is refreshing. This is just plain sweet!
Check out the feature on Eric in the May 2016 Plein Air magazine, great article by Steve Doherty!
WORKSHOP ALERT! Looking to take a workshop? Well, this is going to be fabulous – two days with Eric – learning the detail of how to bring your painting from good to fabulous! Here are the details…
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, 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.
All images via EricBowman.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Who spends their days trying to save Lizzie’s? I do. Sad but true. I find them fascinating, so does Charlie, but in an entirely different manor. He loves the way they dart around. They’re everywhere, and he will stick his nose deep into dirt to find them.
Lovely.
This one likes my chair 😳, but only when it’s in the sun. Move over Lizzie!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
We ran to Costco last weekend, as we walked in we spotted this sign.
Do you see these prices? WOW! We pay so much more than that this is hard to believe! A (regular) gas grill propane tank is 20#. So the max cost would be $7.49 (+ tax). If you took it in to have it filled and it wasn’t quite empty it would be even cheaper!
We pay more than twice that right now!
Tanks are not refilled inside the store, so do not take your empty propane cylinder into the store. The Charleston store refills propane near the Tire department (I think that’s what I read). Definitely not inside the store (for obvious reasons).
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Over the next several weeks I’m going to post some our paintings, let’s see who can name the artist! I love the simpleness of this painting. How the artist edited just enough to keep it interesting without adding every distracting detail. Nice work!
Update…
Thank you to Billy Boynton for guessing the artists name: DANIEL COREY!
Dan has some amazing work, be sure to check out his Facebook page DANIEL COREY PAINTINGS (he has a fabulous sale going on right now, don’t miss out!) –
Also be sure to check out Dan’s blog LIFE FROM PAINT, always amusing and informative, his latest post talks about the fire in his apartment building, and the reason for the painting sale… our thoughts are with you Dan!
Dan also has some nice paintings at the Lupine Gallery (a favorite) and Art Collector Maine, so be sure to check them out!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
This is the Pemberton house plan by Karoleena. This plan is 1,300 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. This is a stunning modern take on farmhouse living. The impressive number of windows brings the outside in no matter where you are! Classy design, as always, by Karoleena.
This house plan has the master bedroom/bathroom located on far left with wonderful closet space. Across the front you’ll see the Kitchen/Dining/Living, so well thought out. Located behind the main living space is another Bedroom, Bathroom and and another Bedroom on the far right. Joining the main home to the Garage and to the separate Media Room is an Entry space, which is where the washer and dryer are located. Very smart indeed! The Media room, the way it juts out a bit adds such interest to this plan. Making it a hideaway that is nearby and enjoys the scenic view, just like the rest of this fine home.
Be sure to check out their website: “Karoleena is a custom home builder specializing in designer prefab homes. Our modern homes are built in beautiful British Columbia and delivered anywhere.” Not familiar with their manufacturing process? Be sure to check it out, it’s very impressive!
All images via Karoleena.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Leslie Belloso. Unique paintings. Interesting subject matter that catches your attention. Studio, above, is a fabulous, albeit, not typical, glance into a studio space. Fabulous green on the wall, love the floors with those subtle color changes depicting light. So nice!
How fabulous is this?? Two Fish, with that fabulous orange and the wonderful foreground and background colors… DYNAMITE!
Click to read Leslie’s Bio and be sure to check out her website:
All images via LeslieBelloso.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
One of my favorite things in the world… AVOCADO TOAST! (Pictured above with red pepper flakes – YUM!)
There are so many renditions of avocado toast, each as wonderful as the next, but a few of my favorites are the avocado toast from The Daily in Charleston, SC – Last summer it had a slice of an AH-mazing heirloom tomato on top of the avocado- WOW! Lately it’s been avocado on grilled crusty bread with za’atar spices (OH MY GOSH!) and a drizzle of olive oil.
I had some good crusty bread from the bakery and thought I would give it a whirl. I didn’t have the Za’atar spices (will buy for next time, they sell them at The Daily), so I toasted the bread (I didn’t grill), then spread avocado, a drizzle of olive oil and S&P. I took a bite, hmmm, good but missing something, so I sliced a small lemon wedge, gave a little drizzle. BINGO! That was all it needed to brighten the flavor and take it from good to GREAT in a second or two!
Soooo good with or without the red pepper flakes! What’s your favorite rendition? Do you like the avocados smushed (YES!) or simply sliced (I think they slide off the toast like this, but it’s pretty!)
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Renee Emanuel. Wonderful paintings. I am enthralled by her still life paintings. I love this tablescape. This painting would brighten up any wall, wouldn’t it?
I think the looseness in this painting is so wonderful, the perfection of the shadows, wonderful colors in the bouquet and the great lime colors of the leaves. Not to mention a beautiful view out of the window!
Read Renee’s Bio and be sure to check out her website:
Renée Emanuel, a native of Northeast Pennsylvania, graduated summa cum laude from Marywood University with an MFA in Painting. She creates colorful paintings in acrylic, watercolor and casein that celebrate her strong connection to the land and the still life objects that evoke an interior landscape.
She also loves to share her passion for painting with her students. For the past six years, she shared a director position at ArtWorks Gallery and Studio in Scranton PA with her husband and fellow artist Bill Teitsworth. They both have been inspired by the ArtWorks special artists who they mentored in watercolor and acrylics. Currently, she co-teaches plein-air workshops with Bill in Pennsylvania and in Rockland, Maine. They’re planning to offer more opportunities this coming year at their studio in Moscow. Additional information with Bill on their classes and on her work can be found online at www.etstudioart.com. (Click HERE to read the Bio on Renee’s website in full)!
If you’re in the Pennsylvania area be sure to check out Renee’s work at the Misericordia Unviersity – The Pauley Friedman Art Gallery through April 23, 2016!
A GOLDEN MOMENT
So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.
T. S. Eliot
Whether it’s the tapestry of the natural world that calls her, or the beautiful patterns and relationships in her still life, Renée believes that painting can be a meditative state, opening up to both observed reality and her inner landscape. She feels that the image that is created from a point of stillness is transformed by that experience into something new. Paintings for her remain in flux and are characterized by the addition of objects, patterns and aspects of nature that sometimes appear in her work without premeditation on her part. A certain synchronicity seems to happen and the right combination of “stuff” comes together to express something that she often finds surprising. The artist echoes the words of the painter Grace Hartigan, “I cannot expect even my own art to provide all of the answers –– only to hope it keeps asking the right questions.”
This exhibit is a survey of still life done over the course of the past 16 years with an emphasis on more recent work. Selections of cherished objects sometimes make repeated appearances and claim a kinship with the natural world she explores in her landscape painting. The promise and perfection of eggs, birds, feathers and shells evoke her love of nature. She’s becoming more and more interesting in bringing the outside in and the inside out, and in marrying still life and the landscape. She painted still life on the rocks at Lucia Beach in Maine and feels it’s a direction she’ll continue to pursue.
About her work she says, “It’s a great blessing in my life. It’s helped me to face cancer last year. I want to explore things that are essential, elemental and magical through my work. It feeds the soul… It’s what keeps me painting, still!
Pretty cool that Renee shares her studio with her husband, Bill Teitsworth (hence the website ETStudioArt.com)!
All images via ETStudioArt.com, used with permission…
Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
ARTFOODHOME.COM 