One day Fred and I were walking home from Half Moon Outfitters, we were walking behind the shopping center near our house, and I saw this spectacular “shadow show”, as I like to refer to it.
How cool is that?? Never overlook the little things, sometimes they turn out to be the biggest!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
I saw this tree a month or so ago and it stopped me in my tracks. I quickly grabbed my phone and snapped a photo. I walked out of a neat little design shop (Elizabeth Stuart Design or ESD as we call it), and walking back to the car saw this tree in the parking lot. It was the wild sky and the bright sun that made it stand out.
This tree makes me think of how strong people are when they need to be. When the wind is whipping, the sky is gray and life has problems or uncertainty remember…
The sun is soon to follow.
Let the sun warm you and make you smile. Soon things will turn around, there will be leaves on the trees, more sun in the sky and life will feel better…
Embrace the cloudy days, for they make the sunny days that much more special.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Capital Haze Study 16×12″ Oil
I featured Robin Cheers about a year ago, she’s an artist with a unique perspective and fabulous paintings, it’s no wonder she is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society! This piece is very different from what I featured last time.
The painting above is a study, and it’s fabulous. Full of life and power lines. Those power lines add so much character. Robin has packed just enough detail into this painting to make it really fabulous!
Read a bit about Robin, from her website:
Robin Cheers is an Austin artist working in the impressionist tradition with a contemporary style focused on representing the figure and every day life.
Working directly from life and utilizing photos for those hard to hold poses, Robin is driven by a passionate desire to capture the essentials of light and life. Spontaneous brushwork, abstracting shapes and working alla prima creates expressive art that speaks from the heart. Recent ventures into printmaking and sculpting continue to inform her body of work.
As an active member of her local art community, Robin hosts twice monthly figure painting sessions and teaches drawing and painting. Her work is in private and corporate collections worldwide.
All images via RobinCheers.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
This a small cottage plan, TNH SC 31A by Moser Design Group. Thoughtful design means that you can pack greater livability into a smaller footprint. This works well for a small family, or a couple downsizing. This plan has a wonderful front porch, which I absolutely love!
This layout would work well for us… Living, Kitchen – nice and open. Bedroom #1 I would use as a Guest Room, Bedroom #2 I would make into a Study and also use for storage. The Master in the back is fabulous with the Utility room close by. Perfect! All of Moser Design Group’s plans are fabulous – check them out!
All images via MoserDesignGroup.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Early Spring by Carol Jenkins 20×24″ Oil
Carol Jenkins. Her work stands out. I love the lighting in this piece. That ground looks hard and cold, but with that wonderful gold glow… Fabulous barn!
Island Harbor by Carol Jenkins 16×20″ Oil
Just look at this water! It feels as if I am on the shore looking out at this boat, the water is smooth as glass in some areas which is just fabulous. This painting caught my attention right away. Fabulous!
Read a bit about Carol, from her website:
I was born to an artistic Massachusetts family. I started drawing and painting very early. My home was filled with beautiful paintings done by my great grandmother. She traveled to the White Mountains in New Hampshire in the 1890″s to paint”en plein air”. I was inspired by these paintings and encouraged by my family. I always knew I wanted to be an artist.
I recieved a National Scholastic Art Scholarship in high school to go to the art school of my choice.I dreamed of becoming an illustrator and choose Vesper George School of Art in Boston.
One of my teachers was Robert Douglas Hunter. He noticed my talent and encouraged me to
move from commercial art to fine art. I transferred to the School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, Massachusetts and majored in painting.
In my early twenties I had an urge to travel and headed west. I was struck by the awesome beauty of the Rocky Mountains.I settled in the historic mining town of Ward, Colorado, surronded by National Forest and near the Indian Peaks Wilderness area .Hiking, backpacking, and living in a small town suited me . I am still here today.
After many years of working with pastels, I felt like holding a brush again.I decided to get serious about oils and signed up for workshops with the best teachers and painters I could find. I studied with Kim English, Skip Whitcomb, Kang Cho,Greg Kreutz, George Strickland, Carolyn Anderson and Kevin Weckbach.I can’t begin to describe how great it is to spend time with teachers so willing to share their knowledge and experience.
I enjoy painting just about anything – landscapes, interiors, buildings and figures, but my greatest love is plein air painting. The weather, the light, and the land all become part of me. Heading out into nature,looking around and being inspired by a beautiful composition and translating that to my canvas right then and there is always exciting to me.
I still love to travel to New England, Florida and the mountains and deserts of the Southwest. You can often find me happily painting on the side of a road, in some grubby alleyway, or off on some trail past the “no trespassing” sign.
All images via CarolJenkinsOils.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
R A D EMPIRE – brilliant design. Clever. Modern & sophisticated. MADE IN THE USA! This company should be on your list of small businesses to support. RAD Empire was started by Ross DeWaard, a 17 year old high school student from Viroqua, Wisconsin. Ross started R A D Empire “in an effort to create a useful, everyday product that was well designed, beautiful in its simplicity, but most importantly, handmade in America (by me).” Handmade in the USA.
GO ROSS!! We need more people like you!
Cool branding… I am impressed! I love the website, the cool tags, every detail has been thought of and it shows! In addition to the wonderful products and the visual appeal is a stunning website. 5 stars!! The website has a link to R A D Empire’s Etsy shop, where you can order online. I was happy to see that they also accept PayPal. Shipping is free… prices are great… check it out!
I placed an order and quickly received a shipment confirmation, and not long after it arrived in the mail. Wrapped in brown paper and tied with string – First class! Again… impressed! I didn’t show you everything on his website so go check it out! I cannot wait to use it!
Read a bit about R A D Empire, from their website:
All images via R A D Empire, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Now and then I like to share some emerging artists with you… take a peek! What a treat…
I think this is such a nice painting. The colors are fabulous. These boats have a regal air about them, high on their pedestals. Wonderful painting!
Read a bit about Aaron, from his website:
Born in Charlottesville, Aaron is a lifelong Virginian, where he went to college to study painting and design, and continues to live today. After many years as a digital creative director and freelance illustrator, which he continues, Aaron began to pursue his dream of becoming a painter.
Aaron studied painting at East Carolina University, and holds a bachelors degree from Virginia Commonwealth University where he studied communication arts, painting, and English. He continued his art education at the graduate level by studying painting at George Mason University. A former assistant professor of design, he taught art at George Mason and Northern Virginia Community College. He exhibits nationally and is in numerous institutional and private collections. Read more HERE…
Great colors! Love the different darks with pops of light. The face is fabulous, especially that one eye and the wild abstractness – great combo! Albert Camus was a French philosopher, author and journalist. At first glance this painting reminded me of a cross between Edgar Allen Poe and Robert Downey Jr.! Whoa! Nice painting!
Read a bit about Zach, (info from the artist), also be sure to check out his website!:
Zach K. Mendoza is a painter and illustrator who lives in Eagle Rock, California and recently graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. As a painter he is dry much interested in exploring both temporal directions of art history , the past and the not yet known. Armed with both a fascination of the past and an obsession to experiment, Zach makes work that often explores these predilections. Francis Bacon once said “I want a very ordered image but I want it to come about by chance”. The dichotomy of chaos and order is a fundamental component of Zach’s practice.
All images via ABowles.com and ZachKMendoza.com, used with permission…
Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artists.
A big thank you to Aaron and Zach for submitting their websites!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Have you ever been in such silence that you can hear it? Most of us are in areas with noise, a lot of noise. From traffic to assorted yard tools the sounds are endless. When you get away to someplace wonderful like Mackinac Island and you bike and hike, if you get into the woods it’s the most wonderful silence. It’s just heavenly!
Who knew silence could be so loud, ha ha!
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Peaceful. Quiet. Time for reflection.
This is the perfect place to listen to your inner self and relax. Sit back, close your eyes, imagine the sound of the water lapping against the shore.
I know! Peaceful solitude.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Cody Delong. Some mesmerizing paintings. Lovely work! He paints such a wide variety of landscapes – each one is just beautiful. His colors, and the underpainting peeking through in the still life above is just glorius. Also love the orange reflection in the pitcher!
Read more about Cody’s Classes and Workshops, Also check out his River Trip in 2017 – what a painting adventure that would be – WOW… the scenery is breathtaking!
I have never actually seen the dessert, or this type of landscape. So seeing it in paintings is so interesting to me. I love the color of the earth, the mountains and that stunning sky. It’s fabulous how the sun hits, so beautifully…
Read a bit about Cody, from his website:
Each painting I do begins with an idea, something that’s inspired me. I try to distill this into my own underlying abstract design and interpretation of nature. The balance I’m searching for lies in creating a work that is technically proficient as well as ‘painterly’, with great color and sense of light and drama.
A life long student of art, Cody has studied at the Loveland Academy of Fine Arts, as well as the Scottsdale Artists School, where, in 2003, he was awarded a Merit-based Scholarship. In 2004, the Oil Painters of America selected him as that year’s Shirl Smithson Scholarship winner. In 2009 Cody was awarded a Teacher’s Scholarship by the Marilyn Sunderman Legacy Fund for his innovative workshop techniques.
In 2006, one of Cody’s paintings was selected for inclusion in a ‘coffee-table’ style book, titled Plein Air New Mexico, The Jack Richeson Series – Volume One. Three other paintings were included in The Richeson 75 International – Landscape and Exteriors 2007. Read more HERE…
All images via CodyDelong.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
This is the 248 Abbeville Rd plan from Our Town Plans – it’s gorgeous isn’t it? This plan is 3,538 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. This plan is as wonderful on the inside as it is on the outside! I could see myself spending a lot of time on this porch!
This plan is so fabulous, wonderful if you entertain, or if you have a large family. Off the Kitchen you may notice a Keeping Room – which is like the gathering place near the Kitchen, which is where everyone always ends up. So smart that some plans now include space for extra people to gather and hang out! While the Kitchen and Keeping Room right off the Living/Dining area. You can be in any area and communicate and feel like part of the action. The Kitchen also has a PANTRY! Which I absolutely love! The Laundry Room is near the side porch, next to a Mud Room. WONDERFUL! On the other side of the house is the downstairs Master Bedroom and Bath.
And the porches… ahhhh! Lovely!
More Bedrooms and Bathrooms upstairs. Like I said, wonderful for a large family or for guests! I like that there is also a sitting room upstairs!
All images via OurTownPlans.com, used with permission…
IMAGES ARE NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPRODUCTION, THEY ARE PROPERTY OF THE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM.
Karen Blackwood has wonderful work. This winter scene has such a wonderful feel to it. The subtle colors, the shapes of the trees, the grasses that break up the snow – nice!
Are you interested in taking a workshop with Karen? She has a one day workshop with a few openings… next month! Karen would be a great artist to take a workshop from, especially if you are interested in seascapes!
Sounds like a fabulous workshop, doesn’t it? Contact Karen if interested!
Karen’s seascapes are well known, they have such lively movement, fabulous colors, light and those waves! Wow!
Read a bit about Karen, from her website:
Karen Blackwood was born in N.H. and received her BA in the Studio Art program at the University of N.H. studying under Conley Harris and Sigmund Abeles, with continued studies at the Art Students League in N.Y. and the Institute of Art in CA. After spending the earlier part of her professional life as an Art Director for a major New York City ad Agency, she moved to California, picked up her brushes and dedicated herself to painting. Trained in the classical tradition, Karen painted portraits and figurative work before focusing on landscapes. As a member of the California Art Club, Karen’s new passion for landscapes bloomed among a group of plein-air painters inspired by the rich tradition in California Impressionism. The clubs renowned members include Granville Redmond and Edgar Payne. They, as well as American Masters like John Singer Sargent, James Abbott McNeil Whistler, Winslow Homer and the Hudson River School Artists are influential to Karen.
Like the California Impressionists, Karen feels light is a defining factor, and it is the atmospheric quality of the light that she captures in her paintings. Her work is a desire to convey an emotional response to the landscape and to attain that perfect state of being that sometimes comes from painting it. Now living in Newburyport, Massachusetts, the coastal scenery is providing her with endless inspiration for her marine work, garnering her an award as a Finalist in the International Artist Magazine Competition, Honorable Mention in a recent OPA online showcase and numerous selections as the Favorite Top 15% in the Bold Brush Competitions. Read more HERE…
All images via KarenBlackwoodFineArt.com, used with permission…
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A friend sent me this recipe. Oh. My. Word! I changed up only a few things, I used less butter, substituted low-fat sour cream, used a little more cheese, and a wonderful noodle I found, I also thinned with milk because Fred likes a thinner sauce – I included the original recipe, and then my version below. This casserole is comfort food at its very finest. There are no cream soups with unknown ingredients, good ingredients = a healthier meal for sure!
You can make this as healthy as you like. Less cheese, no problem, I think I’m going to try using Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. One day. So afraid to mess it up. But I have substituted Greek yogurt in recipes in the past with good results. I will update this post if I do!
Click to print (both) the recipes (minus all my words)!
The original recipe (from a friend, thank you Heather Locke!!):
4 Tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1 ½ cups finely chopped cooked ham
Salt
½ pound noodles, ¼ inch wide, cooked.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish. Melt the butter in a skillet and cook onion over medium heat until soft.
In a small bowl: Mix the eggs and sour cream together, then add onion, cheese and ham. Add salt to taste. Put the noodles in the casserole dish, then add the sauce and toss gently. Bake for 45 minutes or until a straw inserted in the middle comes out clean.
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1-2 Tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup low fat sour cream
~1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 ½ cups cooked finely chopped ham
8 oz (½#) egg noodles (I used Amish Country), cooked and drained
Milk to your taste – I thinned it a bit using probably ⅓ – ½ cup 2% milk.
Follow above directions, I also topped mine with a little cheese. I baked it covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for 15.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
I absolutely love Lea’s paintings! I was thrilled when I ran across her work! Lea is very versatile in the subjects she paints. Her interiors are full of life, you can find yourself imagining being in the space that she paints. Her portrait skills are over the top, not only capturing what the person looks like, but their entire “vibe”.
I love the painted floor in “Third Floor Light”. Also the brightness as if sun is streaming in, making those painted wood floors shine. The subtle shadows and light. Love this!
Talk about fabulous. Lea can paint people in the most spectacular way. It’s no surprise she has won Honor Awards (see more below)… You’ve got to check out her website… and her self portraits – WOW!
In the painting above, Lauren looks as if she could get up from her chair and walk right out of the painting WITHOUT it looking too realistic. Perfection!
Lea has a few BOOKS available, I bet they are fabulous!
Read a bit about Lea, from her website:
Lea Colie Wight was born in Philadelphia, Pa in 1951. She earned a BFA from The Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1974. In 2003 Lea discovered Studio Incamminati, an intensive Atelier founded in Philadelphia by renowned artist Nelson Shanks and entered as a student. After completing her studies Lea was invited to join the teaching staff rising to become one of the lead teachers at that school. Lea periodically served as teaching assistant to Nelson Shanks at The Art Students League in New York and has served as lead instructor for various Studio Incamminati workshops as well as her own workshops. She has been awarded an Honor Award at the Portrait Society of America’s national competition in 2009 and in 2010 as well as a Certificate of Excellence in 2011. Her work has been featured in numerous publications.
Lea maintains a studio in Manasquan, New Jersey as well as in Philadelphia.
All images via LeaWight.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
A sunset in Port Clyde, Maine several years ago. This is the Marshall Point Lighthouse (built in 1832).
We rented a cottage a few times while we were in Port Clyde. It was just a short walk to from the cottage to the lighthouse, what a treat! The cottage was on the ocean and was just a dream!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
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