Last week I mentioned a cool new store “Shirtini” located on King Street downtown, Charleston, SC. There is another store next door (same owners) called OLD ROAD MERCANTILE, and it has the most unique items you can imagine. It truly is the “World’s Smallest Department Store”! If you’re in the area, stop by and check it out. Otherwise check out their website (pictured above)… This is just one of the many unique gifts… this is so smart! I bought it. I used it and it’s fabulous… highly recommend…
Image via OldRoadMercantile.com!Swedish Dishcloth… reusable, washable and won’t have that horrible sponge smell!
These come in beautiful patterns, It’s a “dishcloth” that is not a dishcloth. Great for delicate glasses, etc. Perfect for anything. Dries quickly (hence, no bad sponge smell)! Pretty smart, eh?
I have something else to share from this wonderful store… coming soon… hey, there are actually three stores owned by the same couple. I’ve mentioned Shirtini and Old Road Mercantile, the other store is LILY Charleston… another great one to stop in!!
Marc Hanson. One of the most dedicated painters I’ve ever followed… I’ve never met Marc, but have followed his art adventures and they are amazing. You can learn so much from someone who truly loves to paint. I have a few friends like that… Tim, Ken, Elizabeth and Eric (Eric I have not yet met, but I feel like I know him, weird how FB can do that, huh?) ha ha…
Check out Marc’s blog for more info… here is a blip:
This workshop will be five days of painting outside in the landscape, for intermediate and advanced painters , working in oils, pastels or acrylics. I work in all three of those mediums on location and in the studio, and am happy to see artists in my workshops with any of the three.
Sounds like a fabulous workshop, doesn’t it??
During the month of February, Marc (who lives in CO) set out to paint (plein air) four paintings a day, each and every day. The paintings were out of this world… and so was the weather a good majority of the time. How Marc had the stamina to paint all day, and then come home and write about it, I will never know, but it sure made February fun for us. We anxiously awaited the paintings and the details. Snow storms, freezing temps… the creative things he came up with to deal with a situation uniquely. Kind of like MacGuyver… remember that show from way back when?
It’s all documented on Marc’s blog, which is wonderful! He painted 4 paintings a day for 28 days, then mounted them on foam core, added nice neat titles and hung them (all 112 of them) for a show. Not long afterwards he mailed them out. Not many remain. If you’re lucky there will be one to snap up… these aren’t his normal prices, so you’ll see that this is quite the deal! Click here to see the paintings…
We were lucky… This is ours! It is gorgeous, dramatic, serene, peaceful and stunning… it makes us smile!
Dock Street Theater with St. Phillips Church in the background – Charleston, SC
Ahhh, the Dock Street Theater… a gorgeous building located downtown Charleston, SC at 135 Church Street… with a view of St. Phillips Church in the background.
A gorgeous building that just reopened 2010 after it underwent a $19 Million dollar restoration. Check it out!
Read about the history of the building (now owned by the City of Charleston)… Click HERE to see the list of shows!
Just another downtown photo in Charleston, SC… We had my sister visiting, and we covered some territory, so I’m not sure where this was at? I remember thinking it was cool looking, so I snapped a photo of it. This wasn’t the best time of day to be taking photos, but sometimes you’ve got to take whatever you can get, right?
S T U N N I N G ! ! R i g h t ? ? Aline Ordman’s work is the crème de la crème!
I could feel my eyes bug out when I saw this image on Facebook… It is so fabulous in every single way. MORE INTERIORS… PLEASE!
That fabulous red chair just catches your eye, the play of light on the rug and on the yellow chair nearby… brilliant! Just look how loosely this is painted. Stunning!
Heading Down the Road by Aline Ordman
I just love that little blip of orangey red on the building. The shadows, the light, those fabulous strokes and variations in color. Wow!
This painting was a Finalist in the 30th Annual American Artist Contest – love it!
Read a blip about Aline from her website:
Aline received her BFA at Cornell University, and continued her training at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, earning a degree in Illustration.
“My goal as an artist is to find those times and places where beauty is not only evident, but startling and suddenly present.”
Aline is a Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America and a signature member of the American Impressionist Society. She was featured in an article in the February issue of the Pastel Journal and she has been honored with awards at the 33rd and 34th and 38th Annual Juried Shows of the Pastel Society of America in New York City. In April 2010, she received First Place in the figure category and third place in the landscape category of the April 2010 Top 100 Pastels issue of the Pastel Journal. Her work has been accepted in national juried shows of the American Impressionist Society, The Pastel Society of America and the Oil Painters of America. Aline teaches workshops throughout the country and in Europe. She is represented by Camden Falls Gallery in Camden, Maine; Blue Heron Gallery in Wellfleet, MA; Banks Gallery in New London, NH, Little Gallery in Mackinac, MI and West Branch Gallery in Stowe, VT. Her website is www.alineordman.comand she maintains a blog at http://alineordmanartwork.blogspot.com/
If you’re an artist, be sure to check out Aline’s workshops!
NOTE: Aline will be teaching a workshop here in Charleston, SC – March 2015 – so be sure to check it out!
Hey! I just signed up with Blog Lovin where you can see all my posts in one place, along with other blogs you follow… one easy way to access everything! Click this Follow my blog with Bloglovin
What a great plan this is! Fabulous front porch! This home has so much charm, doesn’t it? Like something built back when they built homes with character and detail! This plan is 2,018 square feet with 3-4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Has the charm but includes details for modern living! Nice, huh?
The great room, kitchen and dining area is all open, which is nice if you’re the one in the kitchen! A master bedroom/bathroom at the back of the house and a guest room in the front of the house… there is a nice little study tucked away, perfect for an office, or a quiet getaway for reading or writing! What else could you possibly need?
Spring is here. Just a few short days ago we went from winter to spring in the blink of an eye. And then there were more snow storms throughout the country. How crazy is that?
This painting, entitled Rite of Spring, by artist David Ahlsted is a welcome site for most of you who have endured mountains of snow and ice… not to mention the frigid cold temperatures. This painting is like a landscape and a still life all in one. And it’s happy… can you not feel the sun on your face? What a wonderful imagination, and a fabulous painting!
Check out David’s work, it’s so refreshing and different… wonderful in every way!
David Ahlsted is a realist painter who has lived and worked near the Atlantic Ocean in Southern New Jersey since 1976. He describes his work very succinctly by saying it is “content plus geometry, color, light and shadow”. With his representations of still – life, nautical and industrial scenes, and beach scenes Ahlsted thoughtfully explores abstraction, contrasts and sculptural elements in the everyday.
He received his MFA from Indiana University and presently, he is a tenured Professor of Arts at the Richard Stockton College of NJ. Ahlsted is credited with numerous solo exhibitions throughout the eastern United States, including major exhibitions in Philadelphia and New York City. He has participated in over 60 group exhibitions, including the New Jersey Arts Annual, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Aldrich Museum, and the Museum of the City of New York. In addition, he has completed two commissioned public art projects – six large scale paintings for the New Jersey State House Annex and seven large scale paintings for Rutgers University. His work is in the permanent collections of the Aldrich Museum, Glen Mede Trust, Master Card Corp., Noyes Museum, PepsiCo, Inc., Pew Charitable Trust and Rutgers University. His work is represented by Gross McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia.
Shirtini – new shop on King Street, Charleston, SC
Whenever we have people visiting from out of town, we take them to galleries and the neat shops downtown. We always head to Old Road Mercantile, which is such a cool place… and now this shop… Shirtini located right next door. Owned by the same people (we spoke to Kevin and he is fabulous), this is one classy shop. Reminiscent of a Paris shop this has the best of the best. These gorgeous shirts, and I do mean gorgeous… tailored and special in every single way.
Just a quickly snapped photo (with permission) of just a few of the blouses they have to offer. I have my eye on a few of the longer ones to wear with leggings or slim fitting pants. How nice to look nice with one gorgeous piece of clothing!
The shop just opened, and the website is in the process of being finished, but check back, it’ll be up soon… www.shirtini.com. If you’re in Charleston, SC be sure to stop by and say hello! It is one gorgeous store!
F L A S H B A C K !
O n e Y e a r A g o: Featured Artist… Charles Williams!
I love Robin Cheers work. It is so fabulous. Nice and loose, with great brush strokes and color. I think this is a fabulous perspective, something different! Robin has a great blog, check it out! For several of these paintings Robin set her camera on a tripod atop the dining room table and set the timer… “Selfie’s” ha ha… I like her sense of humor. All are fabulous! I think Robin should paint more interiors… she hits it spot on. Makes it so interesting! I look forward to following Robin’s work for a long, long time!
Texas-based painter, Robin Cheers’ gift is her ability to bring a magnifying glass to life’s simple moments. Her paintings encourage us to appreciate the extraordinary stories that are told in the most ordinary of circumstances.
“To discover and share the hidden treasures of everyday moments is the goal of my work. Light and gesture are my inspiration. I paint quickly – alla prima – because its the most instinctive way for me to work and capture that moment of pure inspiration. My paintings have become a visual diary of my life. In the summer, I turn to paintings of the beach, farm markets, horse shows and swimming holes. Other seasons find me in the city, frequenting coffee houses and museums, and gathering material and inspiration from each stop along the way.”
Robin’s subject matter invites people to stop and explore, while painterly brushwork speaks to the fleeting moments she captures on canvas. Working from sketches, paint studies and photos, she paints with immediacy, preferring to finish a painting in one session, leaving out details and allowing the viewer to interpret the story to their own ends.
Born in Ohio in 1969, her family moved quite often while Robin was growing up; creative play and art helped her adjust to new situations. Robin graduated in 1991 from Virginia Tech where she studied public relations and graphic arts – balancing the practical with the creative. She worked as a graphic artist and web designer in the years following college, moving once more to her current home in Austin in 1994. She studied painting at night in intensive classes with Elizabeth Locke until 2001 when she became a full time fine artist. Studies with Kim English, Peggi Kroll Roberts and Ken Auster, as well as studying the impressionist masters from long ago, have continued to inform her work.
Image via RobinCheers.com – used with permission from the artist.
Last year, Fred, Charlie and I headed downtown on Easter. We walked for almost two hours. It was a gorgeous day and perfect for taking photos. I love how quaint Charleston can be. How lovely to come upon this unexpected bloom of flowers and an Easter basket, complete with a bunny!
Charleston… where you can come to expect the unexpected! Have a great weekend! Back to normal posting on Monday!
Just a reminder that I’ll be back to normal posting next week!
Magazines. Love em! We don’t get as many as we used to, but we get some good ones… I mentioned a few food magazines, now my other two favorites… HOME and HEALTH… Here are a few good ones…
Another great magazine FULL of health tips, recipes and all the things that you SHOULD be doing to stay healthy. But, they make it interesting! Another magazine that has a fabulous website!
I have a few favorite cooking magazines. In general, I tend to gravitate to those types of magazines… I. Love. Food. I try to shy away from the super unhealthy recipes, and try my best to stay on a healthier kick…
Cooking Light – I have been getting this magazine for at least 15 years. There are always recipes I can find in each and every issue. Great selection, variation… easy and fast recipes as well as time consuming ones. All are healthy without tasting like cardboard!
I still make recipes from 15 years ago… they’re fabulous! In addition to recipes, there is health info, exercises and general info to keep you healthy. I find myself sharing this info perhaps a bit too much!
I bought my mom a cookbook of a compilation of their recipes, and i think she’s made every single recipe and has enjoyed each and every one. Now THAT’S a cookbook!
In the midst of the summer the sun beats in our sunroom windows and heats up the space immeasurably. We had to do something… So we ordered custom solar shades. We weren’t working with a standard width window. We ended up having to get two, because the weight of one in the width we needed would be much too heavy. These shades help so much! We get morning sun in those windows, so we pull the shades and it helps block some of the heat. In the afternoon, sun reflects off of the house next door which makes the glare brutal. These blinds protect the interior from glare and harmful UV rays. They look spectacular, are easy to pull up and down and are just such a nice addition. Another bonus, during the day, you can still see out, even though it looks like the blinds would be solid from the outside. So it is nice to be able to see… it’s like having your cake and eating it too!
Back to normal posting next week – catch you back here tomorrow!
We walk past these houses on Church Street each day we work at the gallery… Stunning, each one… I love the porches. I would spend so much time out there… they are so fortunate to be in the heart of everything!
I’ll be back to normal posting next week!! Don’t miss the brownie recipe below… it’s easy, one pot, and the taste… ooooooh my gosh!
ARTFOODHOME.COM 