Monhegan Island, located ten miles off the coast of Maine. It’s a small island with the most creative, amazing people you will ever find. They find ways to entertain (other than TV, electronics, etc.) – This Jamboree was brilliant! Talent like I’ve not heard in a long time. It really is like life the way it should be!
Appreciate the little things in life, those little things are the best things!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
I have never seen a fresher farmer’s market than the one I saw on Monhegan this year! They were literally picking veggies right before the market opened. The table was set up with beautiful displays. The veggies didn’t last long. *POOF* gone! What a treat!
Wherever you are, treat yourself to fresh fruits and veggies. Check out your local Farmer’s Market, or your local store that may carry local produce!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Ok, we’re just back from a trip to Monhegan, so I need to catch up on a few things, and I thought I would share just a few photos this week of Monhegan, then I promise, I’ll be back to my normal posting!
This was taken during dinner (sorry Fred!), grabbed my phone and headed outside to get a few shots of the stunning sunset. Monhegan is situated across from another island, Manana. The light on the right is on the wharf (Monhegan). Lobster boats dot the coast.
This place is Heaven. Truly!
I was so happy to meet up with old friends, new friends and everyone in between! This was a super special trip. One I will always remember!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Coosaw River Cottage plan (C0030) by Allison Ramsey Architects. This plan is 1,705 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. Quite the charming cottage plan isn’t it? It’s got charm and character as well as a lovely front porch!
Here you see the front porch, and the back screened porch, allowing the gentle breeze to flow into your bedroom in the cooler months. What could be better? I love the layout of this plan with the open living and dining spaces, a very functional kitchen and breakfast area as well as a master bedroom/bathroom downstairs.
The upstairs is perfect as it is! Lots of room to have your own space! As well as storage, office, treadmill or studio space. This was very well thought out! Usually there is something I would change here or there out of personal preference, but this one pretty much hits the nail on the head for me!
All images via AllisonRamseyArchitects.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Shaun Downey. An amazing artist from Canada. His paintings draw you in. Just look at the classy elegance of Into the Distance. I wonder what she’s looking at? Is she waiting for her date to arrive? Is that him far in the distance? I love possibilities… and stories, all told through a painting without saying a single word. Very. Cool. Check out more of Shaun’s work, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s quite amazing!
A bit about Shaun from Galerie de Bellefeville’s website (in Montreal, Quebec (Canada))
As outside viewers, we find ourselves longing to understand who Shaun Downey’s subjects are. What their lives are like, and which chain of events led them to the exact moment the artist has captured. His meticulously rendered paintings call out to be understood, but we the viewer are left to make our own assumptions.
Shaun Downey strives to breathe fresh life into realist painting by combining classical ideals within the context of his own life and surroundings. His paintings have elements of decades past, but are firmly grounded in present day. Often painting his wife and friends within the confines of his home, we are allowed a voyeuristic glance into his world as he reveals his efforts to capture the fleeting beauty of modern life.
Image via ShaunDowney.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Panera’s Egg White, Avocado & Spinach Breakfast Power Sandwich! WHEN will I remember to take a photo PRIOR to eating? Well I have to tell you about this, and actually you can see the fresh ingredients in this shot. I was unsure whether or not I could eat the sprouted grain bagel flat that this normally comes on (due to my avoiding soy products), so this is a Whole Grain Bagel… and it is too tasty. But, I just checked, and although it could come in contact with soy (for those with severe allergies) I didn’t see that it contained soy (always check if you are allergic, ingredients change all the time). So next time I will try the sprouted grain bagel flat.
This sandwich is an egg white, Vermont white cheddar, fresh avocado, baby spinach and tomato on a sprouted grain bagel flat. And it’s delish!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Terry Miura. Wow. Scrolling through paintings posted on Facebook by various artists I love it when a painting jumps out at me. And *POW* This one… jumped! Incredible in every way, including the title. This painting tells a story, which I love!
Without clearly seeing her face, you can feel that this woman is clearly having second thoughts about something? What could it be? Perhaps she shouldn’t meet that young man she was introduced to earlier like she told him she would? Maybe she should cancel her dessert order, the cheesecake sounded good, but can she live with herself if she eats it?? Should she have said YES to that job offer in a different state? Or should she just stay here where its comfortable? So many stories run through my mind! I love paintings that draw you in, make you think…
If you’re an artist looking for a workshop, Terry has several coming up, check them out! Also you might want to take a peek at Terry’s blog, full of great info!
Terry is one amazing artist, here is a bit about him from his website:
(b.1964) After graduating from Art Center College of Design in 1990, Terry Miura headed out to New York City to pay his dues. He began his career as a freelance illustrator, creating imagery for such clients as Time, Newsweek, Rollingstone, and Sports Illustrated, to name a few.
In between illustration assignments he painted and exhibited cityscapes, and continued his transition to becoming a full time painter after returning to the West Coast in 1996.
Miura’s evocative tonalist landscapes explore the relationship between memory, emotions, and identity. “Although they’re still very much representational,” says Miura, “they’re not about specific locations. Well, actually they are, but the locations are found in my and the viewer’s memories. Not out there in the physical world. “
With atmosphere, mood, and abstraction as driving characteristics of his work, Miura has, more recently been revisiting the complexities of the cityscape as a major part of his repertoire. Urban Aria, his latest solo exhibition at Thomas Reynolds Gallery in San Francisco, illustrates his mastery in this genre.
Emotion and abstraction carries over to his figurative works. It is in this genre that Miura finds most personal expression; “In painting the figure, I allow myself to get lost in the process and take more risks. Only by deconstructing the representational and the objective, am I able to tap into the more subconscious, intuitive voice which for me, is at once mysterious and authentic.”
His works are represented by The Christopher Hill Gallery in St. Helena and Healdsburg, Sloane Merrill Gallery in Boston, Thomas Reynolds Gallery in San Francisco, Anne Irwin Gallery in Atlanta, Sekula’s in Sacramento, and Holton Studio in Emeryville, Ca.
Image via TerryMiura.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
The College of Charleston is one impressive place. Gorgeous building nestled amongst gorgeous old live oak trees. The city alone is full of history, but part of that history is the college. The college was founded in 1770 which is pretty amazing! Just look at the glass in these windows. These are large, impressive windows. The buildings are beautiful. The layout is perfect and every student that I spoke to was amazing!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Dark side of the bridge that is… I took this photo a few weeks ago on my way over the Ravenel Bridge (headed towards Mount Pleasant)… look at these skies. Crazy? I love weather and clouds, so I was having a big time snapping away! (I wasn’t driving!) Had to share!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
John Traynor. An American Impressionist with a style you can recognize from anywhere. It’s not easy to have such a distinct style, not when you consider how many artists there are in this world. To have the ability to have a clear style of painting is pretty cool! John’s paintings are timeless, they reflect a period of time (to me) that could be now, or could be long, long ago.
Stunning tree. I love the light in this piece – absolutely gorgeous!
OPEN STUDIO SHOW! If you’re in the Swanzey, New Hampshire area, check it out! This weekend (Saturday/Sunday)!
From John’s website
Open Studio Show Oct. 11th & 12th, 2014 from 10am-4pm each day.
Stop by anytime to see my studio.
24 Railroad Street, Swanzey NH 03446.
For more details email us at mail@johnctraynor.com.
John will also be teaching a class November 3-6, 2014 in Fredericksburg, Tx – check it out!
Read a bit about John, from his website:
John C. Traynor was born on October 19, 1961. Traynor spent his early years in Chester and Mendham, New Jersey, attending Delbarton School in Morristown. He pursued formal arts training at Paier College of Art in New Haven, Connecticut, and figure painting with Frank Mason at the Art Students League of New York. Traynor continued to study landscape painting in Vermont with Mr. Mason, drawing with Carroll N. Jones Jr. of Stowe, Vermont, and sculpture for one year with Brother Jerome Cox in Florence, Italy. Read some great Questions & Answers from John).
Images via JohnCTraynor.com – used with permission from the artist…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Sitting majestically at the top of the hill is the Island Inn on Monhegan, Maine. It is such a wonderful place to stay. The people are fabulous, the food… divine, and the views… well, “out of this world” doesn’t even begin to cover it!
I would like to thank the Island Inn for a job well done. Every stay has been amazing, but this year everything seemed just a bit better. I am so grateful for our same friends that we met on the island years ago, for returning at the same time each year. How cool is that? (We need to come up with a name for ourselves!) We keep up with each other throughout the year, it’s quite amazing.
Monhegan is a place to forge strong bonds… I guess without TV, and places to go other than the church Jamboree, you spend time talking, sharing your life stories with others and become connected in a way far deeper than being home allows. Without work, and our day to day schedules to take away our attention, all of our attention is focused on the island, the people (and the food!)!
I am so grateful to have met a friend that will be in my life forever and ever… Fred and I met her through her brother who is no longer with us. While that is still hard to comprehend at times, the fact that she is there is just the coolest thing in the world and I am so grateful!
We were also able to spend a little time with a couple (and their adorable daughter) who works at the Island Inn and lives near us here in Charleston during the off season. They don’t get much spare time, so the fact that they shared it with us meant a lot! Looking forward to seeing everyone again soon!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Scott Prior. Amazing. Just look at how he captures these scenes. I think Scott takes his viewers to a place they truly want to be. A wonderful memory of a fire with friends and family on the beach at sunset, you can feel the warmth from the fire. I can hear the lull of the water and feel sand between my toes. I long for this scenario… I love it!
Another fabulous scene… I feel like maybe I rented this place for a few weeks, the owners left the lights on for me… I’m walking up the sandy walkway with all my bags, ready for a few weeks of AHHHHHHH, relaxation and fires on the beach. Scott’s work is quite amazing. All of it makes me happy!
Read a bit about Scott from his website:
Scott Prior lives and works in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he has been a resident since 1971. Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, he received a BFA in printmaking from the University of Massachusetts in 1971. He has artwork in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the DeCordova Museum, the Danforth Museum, the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Rose Art Museum and other major public and private collections. He has shown extensively in one-person and group shows in the United States and abroad. In 2001 he had a mid-career retrospective at the DeCordova Museum. Scott Prior is represented by the Alpha Gallery in Boston and William Baczek Fine Arts in Northampton, MA.
AND AS A SPECIAL TREAT… Scott has written a short autobiography, and it is fabulous! You can just envision the stories he tells… click HERE to read it via his website! I loved it!
All images via ScottPriorArt.com, used with permission…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Ro Sham Beaux. What a fabulous lighting and design place that opened down the street from the gallery where I work. Located at 39 Broad Street, in Charleston, SC (in the heart of the historic district) – it brings even more style to the neighborhood! Fabulous lamps, tables and other miscellaneous pieces – this is one place you’re going to want to stop next time you’re downtown!
Read a bit about Ro Sham Beaux from their website:
Ro Sham Beaux is headed by owner and principal designer, Ann Yancy Rogers. Ann created her first lighting lines in NYC after graduating from the Portland School of Art. Since her early days in Manhattan, her work has been featured in magazines such as Metropolitan Home, House Beautiful, Veranda, and Charleston Home. In 1998 Ann relocated her lighting design firm, Y Lighting to Charleston, SC and then in 2010 launched Ro Sham Beaux.
Ro Sham Beaux was created to raise the standard in new and unique design. In addition to our production collection, Ro Sham Beaux specializes in custom services to the trade and hospitality industries, allowing designers to create lighting for their particular style and application.
Ro Sham Beaux’s designs can be seen in some of the finest stores, homes and commercial spaces from Southampton to Beverly Hills. Our product line captures the essence of functional art while bringing a whimsical element of beauty and durability to the forefront.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! Hey, next time you’re in town we’ll spend some time in this cool shop and have lunch! I’m sure you will love it! xoxo, me
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Isn’t this a fabulous painting by Roy Germon? Well, if you’re in the Portland, Maine area, stop by Greenhut Galleries and check it out in person! This is one of the new pieces in the gallery and I love it!
The sky and horizon is just amazing, I think this painting is so interesting without being detailed. Very nice!
Read a bit about Roy from the Greenhut Galleries website:
Roy Germon received his BFA from The School of Visual Arts. He is a painter and internationally published illustrator with an extensive art conservation and printmaking background. He relocated to Maine with his wife, daughter and son from NYC in 2003.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Well, I’m not exactly sure of the speed, but we headed over the Cosgrove Bridge on the way to Mount Pleasant… I grabbed my phone, rolled down my window and *snap *snap *snap… pretty incredible that the photo turned out this good while I was moving!
What a beautiful place Charleston is!
Catch you back here tomorrow!!
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