Another cool Broad Street photo! I like the striking contrast, and how the palms appear so dark against the bright sky!
Have a great weekend and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!
Featured Artist: David Michael Slonim!
48×60″ Oil
This is a fabulous piece by David Michael Slonim. His work really strikes me. Those oranges, and then the whites and grays to calm it back down some… very nice! This is a fabulous painting! It’s available as I write this, at the Visions West Gallery…
David has just finished teaching a workshop that would have been amazing to attend! You may want to check out his blog so you don’t miss his next one!
Did you know that David also illustrates/writes children’s books. Some of the books he illustrates, and some, like He Came With the Couch, he writes as well. The illustrations are magical. These are books that, as a kid, I would keep forever! Truly magical!
This is one that he illustrated – I love it!:
Read a bit about David from his website:
David Michael Slonim’s fine art career began with a sold-out show in 1998 at Overland Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ. His work has been selected for the Coors Western Art Exhibit, Great American Artists, The C.M.Russell Auction, The Western Rendezvous of Art, the Western Miniatures Show at the C.M. Russell Museum, and the Rising Stars exhibit at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum.
Solo exhibitions at regional museums include the Richmond Art Museum, Richmond, IN, Minnetrista Cultural Center, Muncie, IN, and Anderson Center for the Arts, Anderson, IN.
Slonim’s paintings hang in corporate, museum and private collections nationally. His work has been featured in American Art Collector, Western Art & Architecture, Southwest Art, Big Sky Journal, USArt, Plein Air Magazine, and Indianpolis Monthly.
Images via DavidMichaelSlonim.com / DavidSlonim.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
House Plan: 888-10 from Houseplans.com!
Houseplans.com 888-10 is a Signature Plan by architect Nicholas Lee. His plans are always so stunning! This plan has 2,206 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. I wish I had a real home to show you so you could get a better idea. Be sure to click on the link 888-10 above. It will take you to more information about this plan as well as some STUNNING kitchen (real) photos. A dream kitchen is right inside this beautiful home! How nice to sit on the front porch, talk to your neighbors as they walk their dogs, or to sit upstairs, read a book, or just sit in peace. Very nice!
I really like this layout. The wonderful covered porch that I already mentioned, then you step into a foyer, then on to the Living, Kitchen, Dining spaces. I like that the dining area is tucked away. In front of windows is always nice. then if you have company, you can pull the table out some and place chairs on the other side of the table. For every day eating, I think this is a great way to situate the Dining room.
The Kitchen is fabulous, it faces the Living area, yet still has the sink looking out the window. That’s my favorite, and an absolute must! Did you know that when you stand in front of the kitchen sink, looking out the window while eating, there are no calories to be counted! Yep! Pretty sure I read that somewhere, hee hee.
The Living space is cozy and wonderful. As is the Master Bath/Master Bedroom. It’s nice that the Laundry room is so near to the Master Bedroom.
Do you see what I see? An upstairs Sleeping Porch! You know all your neighbors are going to be wanting to live where you live when it comes to those wonderful breezy nights. Also an Office area, a few bedrooms and a Covered Porch, woohoo!
Images via Houseplans.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Featured Artist: Anelecia Hannah Brooks!
24×24″ Oil
Anelecia Brooks. She’s got to be one cool woman. I would like to meet her. Her paintings are so different, full of life, fun, and thought provoking all at the same time. Clearly this woman can paint anything. Her subject matter is so different… refreshing!
16×20″ Oil
No matter what she paints, it’s amazing! Look at this, it looks like you can reach right into the painting and turn on the water! Wow…
There is a great article about her in Fine Art Connoisseur, check it out! Read a bit about Anelecia, from her website, but it’s short – so also check out FAC article above!
Anelecia currently lives and paints by the sea in North Carolina and in the grey light of the Pacific Northwest, alongside her husband, artist Charles Philip Brooks.
Images via Anelcia.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Charleston Photo: Charleston Voted Most Charming City 2015!
Charleston, SC has been voted America’s Most Charming City by Travel and Leisure Magazine… Check out the article via the link…
I have to agree! There is so much charm in this city, it’s unbelievable!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Featured Artist: Ben Aronson!
Ben Aronson. I KNOW! Just look how beautiful this painting is! How the pretty lady so elegantly holds the saucer, the sun glowing on her blond hair, the dark background, and the wonderful shadows. You can feel that she is deep in thought. Just look at all the color in the cup of coffee, fabulous!
Ben paints figures (mostly of his wife, Eileen), cityscapes, a series on Wall Street and more. His website is spectacular, so I urge you to check it out.
Another wonderful painting by Ben, Orchids – so simple, so elegant, so beautiful!
Read a bit about Ben, from the Artsy.net website:
Ben Aronson’s painterly urban landscapes combine photorealistic accuracy with gestural immediacy, portraying a world populated by urbane figures. Although the settings are more luxurious than Edward Hopper’s stark interiors, the figures often exude a similar sense of vulnerability, as in the solitary woman lost in contemplation in The Recollection (2008). Click Here to continue reading…
Images via BenAronson.net, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Mother’s Day Wishes and… Featured Artist: Pamela Gatens!
Happy Mother’s Day to all you mother’s out there – Mom’s are the best, aren’t they?
Thinking of all of you who no longer have their mom here on earth. This is a day of memories and cannot be easy for sure.
Also thinking of those of you who are expecting, I’m sure these are exciting times, know you are blessed!
I am so thankful for my mom, she’s the best – she’s funny, smart and cool! If I were a mom, I would be just like her ;)
Also thankful for Fred’s mom, she’s such a wonderful lady, so sweet!!
Best wishes for health and happiness!
The painting above was done by Pamela Gatens. Pamela’s work is so happy! Thank you Pamela for sharing the Featured Artist post with Mother’s Day!
Read a bit about Pamela from her website, and check out her work!
I paint nearly every day, and when not painting, I am gazing, studying or dreaming about it. Painting on canvas is all about color, freedom and problem solving. I thoroughly enjoy the abstract structure of all paintings. To me, the beginning structure is the most exciting part. No other activity gives the fulfillment that painting does.
Working in acrylic and watercolor, Pamela is a prolific painter and entertaining teacher. She is also a Signature Member of the West Virginia Watercolor Society. She sells her work at The Greenbrier Hotel & Resort, online with Carleton Varney, and at Tamarack in Beckley, WV. Her line of cat and floral cards have been best sellers for years. Pamela lives in Hillsboro, WV with her husband Pat, dog Barker, and cats Pokey and Mack.
Visit my blog often to see more of my newest paintings.
Image via PamelaGatens.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Charleston Photo: Catfish Row…
Catfish Row – Church Street, Charleston, SC
Even on a cloudy day, you can find unexpected wonderful things to photograph no matter where you look!
Enjoy your weekend – Catch you back here tomorrow!
Featured Artist: Sandra Flood!
10×10 Oil – Sold
Sandra Flood. Very different, her work stands out. Check out her website! I love her Greyhound paintings! Sandra has a blog and she also has a spectacular book! Check it out!
Sandra’s work was part of an exhibit at the Robert Lange Gallery called TEN, celebrating a decade in Charleston. A few of Sandra’s pieces sold, and more may be on the way, so be on the lookout if you’re in Charleston, SC!
12×12 Oil
Another stunning piece by Sandra, love her titles!
Read a bit about Sandra, from her website:
Sandra Flood, is a full-time, self taught oil painter who’s work has been received with enormous popularity over recent years.
Her work is primarily figurative, imbued with subtle yet compelling emotion.
She greatly admires a wide range of both contemporary and historic masters- notably: Egon Schiele; Lucian Freud; Degas; Motherwell; Whistler; and Antonio Lopez-Garcia.
Without exception, even her most recent works reside in private collections in Zurich, Hong Kong, Greenwich, Manhattan, Princeton, Philadelphia and Chicago.
Sandra lives in a 140 yr old house in Frenchtown NJ, on the Delaware River with her husband and three dogs.
Images via SandraFlood.Artspan.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
House Plan: The TNH B 04A plan by Moser Design Group!
The TNH-B-04A plan by Moser Design Group, is a stunning plan, with 1,766 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. This plan would be stunning nestled amongst mature trees, it would blend in like a home that’s been there for many, many years. That’s one of the wonderful thing about Moser Design Group. Their plans are designed to fit in and look like they’ve been there. Classic, upscale, stunning!
This is a wonderful plan that begins with a fabulous entry porch! I would make the Bedroom/Den a Den for sure, that’s what would suite the two of us. I like the open Living/Dining/Kitchen. There is an ample master suite on the back of the house which seems nice and quiet. Nice porch off the back of the house, that with the doors open can bring fresh air into the kitchen/dining area, especially while cooking!
Upstairs are two bedrooms and a shared bathroom – perfect!
If I had my choice of elevations… I would select Elevation 3. I love the style of it. Still the same house, with a different outside appearance.
How about you, what elevation would you choose for your needs??
Images via MoserDesignGroup.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Featured Artist: Holly Ready!
Holly Ready, a Maine artist who captures the views so well! Look at the color of that water, spectacular! The wispy clouds, the breaking surf, and high crashing waves. Very nice!
I have seen some of the most spectacular sunsets while in Maine, and Holly captures that so well…
Read a bit about Holly, from her website, and take this opportunity to check out the rest of her work:
From early childhood, I was influenced by the artists in my family. To this day, when I walk into a studio and smell the aroma of turpentine and a freshly painted surface, I feel that I have returned “home.”
Living on the Maine seacoast, with its abstract shapes and constantly changing light and reflections, provides a continuous source of inspiration. The surfaces of water, land, and sky are incredibly diverse, and the diffusion and intensity of light in each are unique. Hour by hour, day by day, season by season, the light constantly changes.
Light and color are my avenues for involving the viewer and instilling a lasting impression. I want color to convey the inner experience, to transcend the viewer. My palette holds the colors that I’m seeing, the colors that I’m feeling, and the relationship between them.
My work reflects the emotions felt while painting each piece. The layering and building of paint enable me to get beneath the surface and create the depth and luminosity that I crave in paintings. From the very first time I apply a stroke of paint to a blank surface, the interaction between the painting and my paintbrush becomes a dance of intuitive experiences.
Although my work is strongly influenced by changing light, I’m constantly exploring different formats and compositions to further enhance the moment felt. I hope that I never feel too comfortable with the medium or the process. I strive to be constantly challenged and growing with my art.
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. Marcel Proust
All images via HollyReady.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Recipe! Superfast Crispy Chicken Thighs – a Cooking Light Recipe!
Superfast Crispy Chicken Thighs. I am now a chicken thigh convert! I never thought I liked dark meat, until… try this, I bet you will change your ways! Just look at these chicken thighs… crispy, but moist and tender. One little bone, and that’s it! Great with fresh corn on the cob!
Just LOOK at that crispy skin! All with 1 tablespoon of oil! The trick is cooking skin side down in a cast iron skillet for a certain time and then moving that pan into the oven to finish. Incredible.
My only concern (what could we have done wrong?) is that despite the exceptional (and I do mean OUT OF THIS WORLD, BEST FRIED CHICKEN YOU EVER PUT IN YOUR MOUTH) taste of this chicken, the oven was a disaster. I don’t mean a little disaster, I mean while the pan was in the oven, black smoke started coming out of the oven. All windows open, fans going at high speed, oven cleaned, and it took a few days to get over it. The oven has almost fully recovered, so it may be time to try again. One thing we forgot to do is trim the extra fat from the skin. I would say this is key. We also had 4 thighs (not 6) and a 9″ (not 10″) pan, yet I used 1 tablespoon of oil. Next time I will try half that and see what happens. I really want to make this again!
Suggestions?
- Print Recipe (takes you directly to this recipe on the MyRecipes.com website for Cooking Light recipes)…
SUPERFAST CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS
Start by preheating your oven to 500°. While the oven is heating up, place the chicken thighs skin side UP on a cutting board (ideally, one you can put in the dishwasher), trim extra fat. Cover chicken with plastic wrap, and pound it to about 3/4″ thickness. This will help it cook quickly. You can use either a meat mallet or a heavy pan, I used the cast iron skillet, but was very careful to not hit the countertop. Pat the thighs dry with a paper towel and salt and pepper.
Heat a 12″ cast iron skillet over medium heat, and add the 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Swirl to coat the pan, then add the chicken SKIN SIDE DOWN. Cook 8 minutes without disturbing it (or until you see edges get a nice golden brown). We cooked it outside on the burner of the grill. We didn’t trim the excess fat (oops!) and it spit like you wouldn’t believe. If you cook it part way outside and then bring it in to put in the oven, be VERY careful. I put a piece of foil over the top, because it was really splattering. Then transfer the pan just like it is to the hot oven. Bake at 500° for 7 minutes, then turn the chicken over, and bake an additional 4 minutes (or until the chicken is done).
What you will end up with is THE crispiest fried chicken ever!
My oven was a mess, but hey, it needed to be cleaned anyway!
I highly recommend this recipe!
I think one of the tricks is not touching it while it’s cooking on top of the stove, or this case, the burner on the grill… Which I highly suggest!
Recipe via MyRecipes.com (Cooking Light, and other magazine’s recipes are on this site).
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Featured Artist: Paul Wright!
Paul Wright is an amazing artist from England. I featured Paul a while back, but I haven’t featured his interiors and WOW, are they amazing or what?I think they exude such style, color and even movement. Stunning!
Now THAT’S a yellow door! Just look at that fabulous chair, the color of the room, the walls, again… that wonderful movement, the bits of splattered paint – WOW. I am a huge fan of Paul’s work!
Read a bit about Paul from his website:
Artist Statement
I have spent the last 15 years developing a painterly language through which I seek to capture a vitality beyond the establishment of a mere ‘likeness’ to the subject. Whilst I appreciate the importance of the subject being recognisable, they are glimpsed rather than exposed, their inner selves hinted at but ultimately inscrutable.
Though I often work on a large, potentially imposing scale, the work remains immediate through fluency of brush mark and a rich palette. The spaces the subjects inhabit are often indeterminate, providing an atmosphere that allows for ambiguity of psychological state. The subjects retain their integrity and yet a sense of intimacy is evoked.
All images via paul-wright.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Spring in Charleston… a photo
Walking to our car the other day… the trees in Charleston with the bright green new growth, and those magnificent oak trees how their limbs form a canopy over the street. If the cars weren’t there it could look like a different time, couldn’t it?
Enjoy your day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!
Charleston Spring Photo… looks like fall!
I think in the area where we live, with the beautiful grand oak trees that shed in the spring, our spring looks more like fall… I guess that would make it SPRALL! These trees are tremendous with the Resurrection Fern growing and thriving, the Spanish moss that hangs from the trees and looks magnificent and the number of large, old, azaleas that dot the landscape from house to house.
Enjoy your Spring or Sprall!!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
ARTFOODHOME.COM 