Fleet Landing. A cool restaurant located in Charleston, SC with fabulous food, the best view ever and a very cool interior! This is inside looking out. You have the option of eating inside or out. The bar area has large garage type door that opens to make the outside and the inside meld into one fabulous space. Monday through Friday they have wonderful specials. It’s always fun to get there right before they open so you can chat with some people who are visiting. Charleston is such a cool city because of the many tourists, most are so interesting!
Check out the lunch menu! Dinner is fabulous as well!
Sandra Pratt. Luscious thick paint. Fabulous paintings all created with a palette knife. If you aren’t familiar with Sandra’s work, check it out! It was difficult to find one that wasn’t sold to preview! I especially love the dark paint, it really makes the rest of the painting POP!
Born In Chicago 1978, Sandra started painting and drawing at a young age, she remembers cold evenings in Colorado at sunset and the color of distant trees and barns, the smell and quietness of snow, wanting to capture those effects. Studying briefly at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago left her to experiment with her own creative ways, self taught from an early age, It was traveling to Europe that really resonated with her artistic vision. Old barns, alleyways, cobblestone streets, all left an imprint in her mind for future works.
Completing color charts inspired her decision to paint primarily with the palette knife, the boldness and spontaneity it afforded was a great teacher. Her artistic process is very quick, painting without the intention of erasing, molding the paint into a desired and cohesive understanding between color and form. Her artworks show diversity being mainly abstract while others will have a focal point. She is inspired by art legends Sergei Bongart, Nicolai Fechin, and Edward Seago.
She has exhibited her art work in France, New York, Seattle, Denver, and Austin. Her work is in many private residences throughout the country. She is currently living in Austin Texas.
Fred (my husband) and I went out to lunch on my birthday, we headed to S.N.O.B. (gotta love that acronym) and had an amazing lunch. This is the view from the front of the restaurant (while we were waiting for our table, I thought I would be productive)!
Gotta love Charleston for so many reasons… the cool old buildings, unique shops, fabulous art galleries, the food, the people, the climate (well, most of the time)! If you haven’t been, I highly encourage you to visit!
This is the view from atop The Vendue – a wonderful inn located in Charleston, SC with a rooftop bar and lounge that offers the most amazing views of the city! If you find yourself in this wonderful city do check it out!
Surf off North Wildwood #1 by Jeff Gola Egg Tempura 12×16″
Jeff Gola. Stunning. Egg Tempura. Like nothing else! Look at these stunning paintings. So full of life. The light! Oh, the light is magnificent! That wonderful, magical warm light. Fabulous in every way!
Winter Barnyard by Jeff Gola Egg Tempera 16×16″
This is the most stunning tree… there is a story to be told here. Again, the wonderful light just makes this such a fabulous painting! Check out Jeff’s work, each and every piece is out of this world beautiful!
Jeff Gola specializes in egg tempera painting and also works in oil and watercolor. He received a BA degree from Allegheny College, spent his junior year in Temple University’s program in Rome Italy, and has continued his art education with courses at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. His work has been included in many juried competitions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Jeff currently lives and works in Moorestown, New Jersey with his wife Linda.
Artist Statement
From my earliest memories, I have always been drawn to the rural landscape. Having grown up on a farm, I have always had a strong interest in observing the elements that influence that environment; the cycle of the seasons, the changing skies and the weather it portends, the constant presence of the natural processes of life, decay and rebirth, and the fading remnants of distant history and past lives.
Egg tempera painting has a long tradition and its special qualities are uniquely suited to capturing the properties of light and exploring its interplay on texture. I have found that the slow and careful process that tempera requires to achieve its depth and luminosity suits my temperament and vision. The gradual building of form and the patient exploration of every surface nuance that is involved in tempera painting requires a meditative and reflective approach, one that I feel enables me to examine personal memories and feelings that these subjects evoke in me.
Sparta SL1810 by Southern Living House Plans – Lew Oliver, Architect
Isn’t this a sharp house? The exterior is exquisite. I love that wonderful porch, especially with no spindles! The doors and windows are fabulous. Those small windows at the top just add so much!
Sparta SL1810 by Southern Living House Plans – Lew Oliver, Architect
I really like the layout of this plan. Personally, I would make that front bedroom a guest room with it’s private bath, and keep the master bedroom in the back, and use “bedroom 2” as a study, so it’s tucked away in a quiet place which also gives your guests their privacy! I would love to hear from any of you who have a closet off of your bathroom… I wonder if it would get humid in the closet that way? Or is it fine? Dining, kitchen, living all open which I love! That is one sweet screened porch on the side as well! What a treat!
Monhegan Study by Larry Moore 11×14″ click HERE to view
Larry Moore. I love this guys style. He’s a super cool guy to boot. I love his blog, it makes me laugh. Larry definitely has a sense of humor to go along with being a stunning artist!
This is a fabulous study (above) from Monhegan, Maine of the island of Mañana. He captured it so well! Wow! Larry started an Etsy shop where he is selling his studies (WOW… awesome paintings, at fabulous prices! A great way to collect art if the non-studio pieces are out of your price range, or if you’re new to collecting original art.).
This is one artist that can truly paint anything, East coast, West coast, North, South, inside, outside, things, people, you name it, Larry can paint it! Just check out his website! I am so impressed by the number of paintings and how they aren’t alike. Each and every one is different. You can tell that he pushes himself as an artist.
Green 2 by Larry Moore – SOLD
I do try to feature paintings that are for sale… but Larry’s interiors just pop out at me. I love paintings of interiors and not many are painted. Larry’s are outstanding, and they go quickly. Very quickly! So if you see one for sale… BUY IT! ;)
Larry has some WORKSHOPS coming up, so if you’re an artist, you may want to check them out!
I’m an artist, for the most part I paint outdoors, what we call en plein air, which is a fancy french term that means “outdoors”. I’ve been doing this since the mid-80′s and have only recently started to feel like I am in the early stages of figuring it out. It’s a lifelong journey, this figuring it out thing. My background is in illustration where I worked in almost every medium and style you can think of… except maybe egg tempera and marble. I have a huge passion for nature having grown up on a river right next to the ocean with nothing but islands and wildlife behind my house. To paint the great outdoors is to give homage to nature and maybe give the viewers of the paintings a reminder of what was and what could still be.
Quick. Easy. Healthy. Fills you up for hours. How can you beat this?
The Power Breakfast Sandwich
1 Whole Wheat English Muffin
1 Egg
1 Handful of Arugula (or Spinach)
1 Slice of Extra Sharp Cheddar (or whatever you like).
Toast English Muffin. While it’s toasting heat a small frying pan, crack the egg and give it a quick beat with a fork, sprinkle a little pepper. I try to make it roughly the shape of the English Muffin. Flip it and cook the other side. When the English Muffin comes out of the toaster, top with Cheese, and then Egg… now it’s time for the handful of Arugula, which adds a nice flavor. Wait a few minutes while the cheese starts to melt.
The workshops begin this Friday! You still have time to register today if they aren’t filled! Michelle Dunaway, Tom Balderas, Peggi Kroll Roberts, Robert Lemler, Leon Okun, Ray Roberts, Vanessa Rothe and Leslie Saeta!
Click HERE to read more about the instructors and workshops as well as SIGN UP!
Vanessa Rothe – A One Day Painting Workshop – September 26, 2014 – “Travel Sketching, Studies in Watercolor”: Learn to create beautiful color studies. What better way to capture a memory?
Ray Roberts – A Two Day Painting Workshop – September 27, 28, 2014 “The Land and Sea En Plein Aire” – Ray will guide you through his award winning approach painting on location!
Peggi Kroll Roberts – A Two Day Painting Workshop – September 27, 28, 2014 “Outdoor Costumed Model” – Peggi begins with the fundamental of values. There will be warm up exercises and specific lesson. Learn how to express your inner voice!
Tom Balderas – A One Day Painting Workshop – September 26, 2014 – “An Intensive Examination in Seeing Color Through the Eyes of a Painter” – Tom will help guide you through a process of learning to see color through fresh eyes. This class will emphasize the importance of trusting the “first impression” of what you are seeing which will help you translate it into a painting!
I took this photo a few weeks ago on Broad Street in Charleston, SC… If you look towards St. Michael’s the sky was tumultuous with cool dark clouds, rain was definitely on the way… but, if you looked the opposite direction, clear skies and nothing but sun. No chance of rain. Crazy!
Looks like a painting doesn’t it? This is the view from the James Island Connector… Fred was driving and I rolled down my window and snapped a shot with my phone. Not too bad! The clouds were wicked cool!
Eric Green, Time Diptych – Cardinal, Grisaille, varnish and colored pencil on board, 16″ x 25″ – including 1″ in between
Eric Green. Wow, his paintings are so unusual. All tell a story. They are paintings that you can really spend time looking at… the kind where you always see something new that you didn’t notice the last time you looked. I love that. Eric is part of a fabulous show at the Dowling Walsh Gallery located in Rockland, Maine. If you’re anywhere near the area, do stop by, you will be in for a treat!
Read a bit about Eric from the Dowling Walsh website:
Eric Green went to RISD on a full scholarship at the age of sixteen. After attending the school for a week, he left to ride freights across the country, spending four years on the road.
In addition to painting for thirty years, he has worked in a frame shop, assembled pulp testers, traveled with a carnival, restored houses, painted industrial buildings from a hanging scaffold, designed two labels for Brazilian beers, written four novels and a column for the local paper. He has had two solo exhibitions in SoHo and Chelsea, received three grants, and a merit award from the National Academy of Design.
In New England, Eric’s paintings have been exhibited at the Ogunquit Museum, Brattleboro Museum, Robert Hull Fleming Museum, and the Portland Museum.
Also read a bit about the time diptychs from DowlingWalsh.com
Artist Statement: Time Diptychs
“This latest series is an attempt to capture time, or the poetic phrase, “the sad beauty of time passing,” something I believe we all experience in life, an emotion that gives existence much of its intensity and meaning. It’s not an easy sensation to describe, so I’m hoping this work will allow the viewer to experience it in a clarified visual form.
The work portrays sections of the interior of our house that I’ve spent the last seventeen years adjusting, a work of art in itself. (Reference: Against the Grain by J. K. Huysmans.) I’m actually drawing a place I’ve carefully created and arranged, so in a way, the image is generated twice. Each diptych is comprised of two panels of the same basic view altered only by the passage of time. What I find interesting is that the art itself can only exist in the viewer’s mind. It is the amalgamation or comparison of the two images that creates the specific emotion, not each individual panel. Gauging and balancing this convergence is everything.
On the 12 by 16 inch cradled hardboard panels, the images are rendered initially with a pencil grisaille, then by layers of sprayed UV varnish and colored pencil, allowing multiple colors to overlap, similar to what we see in nature. All the pencil colors are pure bright hues. Grays and browns are formed by the overlapping tones. The wood color, for instance, is comprised of blues, purples, greens, reds, and yellows, no brown; the wall color in certain sections is eight different hues.”
Such style! I think this house is has very sharp lines, and definitely fits in the coastal landscape of the Charleston area (and far beyond!) I wouldn’t have a problem building this house anywhere! Great porches, one open and the other is screened. I love the windows on the second floor. It reminds me of a cool old cottage we rented in Maine!
George Shattuck. Gifted Photographer. Stunning scenes shown in an entirely different light. George’s photographs appear as paintings. They have such a unique and peaceful quality to them. They remind me of somewhere wonderful that I’ve been, a place that has conjured up wonderful memories.
Ooooh, you should see the winter image, the snow, the trees… magical! Check out George’s website!
The River in the Valley by George Shattuck
Peaceful. Serene. I could just look at this all day. The harmony of the colors, the softness of the blues and that fabulous green… so much like a well executed painting! It’s hard to believe this is a photograph! George is represented by the Iris Gallery of Fine Art located in Boston, MA and Aspen, CO, if you’re in the area, do pop in and see his work in person!
Most of my images are created while moving the camera with the shutter open. The exact extent of that movement depends upon many variables and how the elements that affect the normal mechanics of capturing an image (choosing ISO, aperture and shutter speed) come into play. Ultimately it has become a process based upon years of experience along with plenty of trial & error. I am often inspired by the flight of birds or the motion of the tides as a guide in deciding how much movement to use; each shoot is unique in that way. Sometimes the movement is sweeping; creating dramatic minimalist shapes and colors while at other times, the movement is more contained; which creates imagery that project impressionistic qualities. The images that I enjoy creating the most are those that rely on emotional response and perception rather than the reality of the scene. I often work with long exposures in order to reduce what is before me into elemental graphic shapes & colors. I enjoy isolating the details of a scene, often to the point of abstraction; eliminating unnecessary elements in order to emphasize the subject I am working with. The images as you see them are captured in-camera, in the field and in the moment and are not subjected to elaborate post-processing techniques. The colors are offered by nature; most often just before sunrise or before sunset (but not always). I shoot with Nikon digital camera equipment. Ambient light is critical in the process and I utilize an assortment of light-blocking, polarizing and warming filters from Singh-Ray, B&W and others to achieve the results you see.
About George… from his website:
I bought my first camera in 1978 while living on the island of Maui at age 22. It was the highly regarded Rolleiflex 35; a compact range-finder camera with manual controls. It was with that camera that I first became familiar with the triangular relationship between film speed, shutter speed and f-stop. The Hawaiian landscape gave me plenty of creative opportunities to focus on and explore; bamboo jungles, tropical waterfalls, sublime high-altitude sunrises and pristine beaches, all requiring a different set of skills to capture the image authentically. I didn’t know it then, but that period of my young life was the genesis of a life-long relationship with landscape photography. Although largely self-taught as a photographer, I have been mentored through the years by many talented photographers most notably by my friend and author, Bill Tipper. Based in Salisbury, Connecticut, I travel extensively along the New England coast and islands, the Caribbean and more recently within the Berkshires to find the land and seascapes that will respond to my vision and technique. My work is represented by The Iris Gallery of Fine Art Photography; Boston and Great Barrington, Massachusetts. For Inquiries, please visit http://www.irisgallery.net.
Charlie looks a bit like he’s ready to hop in the pool and float around… Dogs need cones for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s after an injury, sometimes it’s when they have skin allergies that cause them to bite, chew or scratch causing more harm than good. We took Charlie to our local vets office… we have to stop the chewing/biting… It truly only takes a very short time and the results aren’t good. Our vet recommended the ProCollar. My heart sunk, when he mentioned it, I was thinking the old timey plastic hard cone that fits around their neck, but blocks their view entirely. This ProCollar is amazing. It’s almost as if it makes him more comfortable. He’s happy with it on, he rests well (easy to take a nap when you have a pillow ready at all times!). There is fabric around a sturdy blow up ring, so you can inflate it however you like. It’s not perfect, but nothing is. At times he can still reach something, but only occasionally does he even try when the collar is on. We call it his “Mikimoto’s” hee hee… and when we put it on, he gets a carrot. He’s thrilled with that.
When we go to bed we take off the ProCollar, but if he wakes us up scratching or biting, the collar goes back on and he immediately falls asleep. The collar is made by Contech, you can purchase it from your vet, Petco, Amazon, etc. If you have a dog or cat that needs a collar for whatever reason, this one works well for us! We just ordered a spare. Can’t be without this! He won’t always need it… soon (I HOPE!) it should cool off and the allergies lessen. We’re looking forward to that!
As you can see below, it doesn’t stop him from doing what he loves… watching for the kitty cats!
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