A pumpkin patch, Halloween candy and great memories!

Aren’t these the coolest pumpkins? When we were on Monhegan a group of locals were picking pumpkins (and assorted other goods) for a Farmer’s Market the next day… how festive is this!?

Are you ready for Halloween? Have you bought candy yet? If not… you might want to bop out and get some! I came close to getting some that I like (BABY RUTH, oh good grief), but I turned around and put them back. The candy is not safe alone with me, and I truly don’t need to be eating candy no matter how small it is, ha ha… Hopefully I will remember to run out at the last minute to get some! Long ago (17+ years) when we moved into this neighborhood, we were the “young” ones… now we’re the “old” ones… wow, how time flies. We moved in August 1995… we came from a neighborhood with LOTS of kids, so when Halloween rolled around I really needed to stock up. Halloween came in 1995 and I stocked up, and we had four kids trick-or-treat. Yikes. Our neighborhood is back to having quite a few kids, which makes Halloween a lot more fun. Some of these kids/parents can really get inventive with the costumes! Jeez and I used to get excited about a mask, ha ha… oh how things change!

I have fond memories of Halloween. Trick-or-treating up and down our street with my dad while my mom handed out candy to the kiddies… Do you remember collecting for Unicef about that same time? I loved doing that! Ah, good memories! Where’s my Zagnut, Bubbs Daddy and Slo Poke? Hee…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Alfred Peter Frank Sandford!

“Lighthouse Keeper’s House, Monhegan” by Alfred Peter Frank Sandford

You see a lot of artists paint the lighthouse on Monhegan. It’s picturesque to say the least. Alfred’s twist was so different. That loose style, bright colors and great composition really bring this painting to life! If you’re in the Wiscasset, Maine area stop in Wiscasset Bay Gallery, say hello and take a peek at some fabulous art!

Another of Monhegan… this is unbelievable… truly a masterpiece!

“Base of Whitehead, Monhegan” by Alfred Peter Frank Sandford

Here’s a blip about Alfred from the Wiscasset Bay Gallery website:

Born in London, England in 1928, Sandford studied at Enfield Technical College and began work as a draftsman. Sandford left England in the early 1950s to live in Toronto, Canada, and eventually settled in Flushing, New York in 1958 with his family. Sandford turned his attention from design and drafting work to painting in the 1960s, studying art at The New School and the Art Students League in New York City.

Sandford painted throughout New England, capturing the landscape around him through his bright and energetic acrylic paintings. He was particularly taken with Monhegan Island, and spent over thirty years painting the dramatic island landscape. Although Sandford never exhibited his art during his lifetime, his paintings are now beginning to gain recognition, and a number of his works of Monhegan Island can be found in the collection of the Monhegan Island Museum.

Wow, I’m a bit sad that he never exhibited his work while he was alive. I truly hope he knew how talented he was! This is a great artist to collect, and how wonderful is it that a number of his works will be at home at the Monhegan Island Museum!?

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Images: WiscassetBayGallery.com

Coastal Carolina Fair begins TONIGHT!

Image: Coastal Carolina Fair

Well, it’s that time of year… the cool weather has arrived and to celebrate the Coastal Carolina Fair rolls into town! The fair opens today, October 25th through Sunday, November 4th, 2012! Hey, did you realize that the fair will be open TWO Sunday’s this year? First time ever! So get out and enjoy!

Here’s the Entertainment Lineup (via Coastal Carolina Fair’s website):

Lakefront Stage


Day Date Performer Time
Thursday
Oct 25, 2012
7:30
Friday
Oct 26, 2012
8:00
Saturday
Oct 27, 2012
8:00
Sunday
Oct 28, 2012
5:00
Monday
Oct 29, 2012
7:30
Tuesday
Oct 30, 2012
7:30
Wednesday
Oct 31, 2012
7:30
Thursday
Nov 1, 2012
7:30
Friday
Nov 2, 2012
8:00
Saturday
Nov 3, 2012
8:00
Sunday
Nov 4, 2012
4:30

 

With plenty of rides, food, entertainment, as well as a host of competitions (horse, art, pageant) I think you’ll find yourself quite entertained! Check out their website for Gate Hours and Ticket Prices!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist (and a big congratulations) to MARC HANSON!

“Right or Left?” by Marc Hanson (Image: MarcHansonArt.com)

A BIG congratulations to Marc Hanson for having his painting grace the cover of the November 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine! It’s no easy task to land the coveted cover spot of a well known magazine, and lets just say, it is so well deserved. I follow a lot of artists, and I have to say when you mention Marc Hanson’s name, other artists are quick to compliment. Everyone loves this guy. Great guy… great painting… jeez! “Right or Left?” was awarded the Bronze Medal at the OPA (Oil Painters of America) National Exhibition in Coeur de Alene, ID in 2011.

“Right or Left”? Great title. I love creative titles and this is a good one! Where to start? This painting is amazing on so many levels and on each level it blends perfectly to make one snazzy painting! Obviously, that ball of fire where the sunlight is hitting the trees in the distance is nothing short of MIRACULOUS! The deep shadows with a few *poofs* of light peeking through, that gorgeous light in the distance, the FABULOUS color of the sky and all the little details orchestrated so perfectly. Congratulations Marc!

What a great article by Southwest Art! You can read all about Marc in this article written by Rosemary Carstens:

For Landscape Painter Marc Hanson, Art Is Everywhere His Travels Take Him

Fabulous article, wasn’t it?!!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Tyler Florence’s Chicken Noodle Soup recipe… (just like grandma’s!)

I’ve made so many different chicken noodle soup recipes. Most were good, a few weren’t great… None were the WOW recipe I had been searching for. Then one day as I sniffled, sneezed and coughed with the crud that’s going around, an email appeared in my Inbox… Tyler Florence’s Chicken Noodle Soup. JUST WHA T THE DOCTOR ORDERED! What could I lose? I mean chicken noodle soup has been proven to help make you feel better when you’re sick… so off I went to hunt and gather my ingredients and I threw together a perfectly wonderful soup. It was fabulous… I deviated from the recipe slightly… using only chicken breasts (they were GIGANTIC) instead of a whole chicken, which I don’t have a pot large enough to stuff one into… See my notes at the end… Thank you Tyler!

Continue reading “Tyler Florence’s Chicken Noodle Soup recipe… (just like grandma’s!)”

Featured Artist… John Cook!

“Shetland Team” by John Cook

I saw someone comment on one of John Cook’s paintings on Facebook… and I had to check him out! Wonderful work! I like the way that he applies the paint to his canvas. It has such texture, which is quite nice in a painting that has a lot of texture to it! Those deep shadows and the light on the mane… very nice!

“Juxtapo Chicken” by John Cook

How is this for different and interesting? Nice use of color to catch your eye… and the composition… nothing like a birds eye view, eh? Unusual and fabulous! I have the feeling of being in another country looking out over the city… I guess with the chicken in the window? Ha ha… Check out John’s website as well as the different galleries that he’s in. Very nice!

Read a blip about John from the Whistle Pik Gallery website:

Lewisville, TX – Action and energy permeate the canvases of John Cook. There is a spontaneous nature to his paintings that conveys his need to quickly achieve the essence of light as it dances, pierces, careens and bounces to find its way throughout the subject. By drawing with brush rather than pencil, Cook achieves the loose and free style that characterizes his work. Never belabored, each painting reflects his passion to catch a mood with the interplay of light and shade. 

John was born in Dallas, Texas and attended school at the University of Texas at Arlington and the Art Center School in Los Angeles, where he received a Bachelor of Professional 
Arts Degree. He married his loving and supportive wife, Jean, in 1970 and has two children. John is also a proud “Papa” of three grandchildren. A deeply spiritual and devoted family man, Cook insists, “Painting is not the most important thing, but I consider the ability to pursue painting for a living truly 
a special gift and blessing from God. I regard Jesus, God’s Son, the most important being in my life!”

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Images: WhistlePik.com

Is this brilliant or what? Screen garage door!

While walking around the charming village of Wiscasset, Maine we stopped in this quaint antique store, Lilac Cottage Antiques. Nice guy, beautiful antiques… but you know what blew me away?

Don’t laugh… The antique shop was situated in an older house with an attached garage. To make the most of their space, they SCREENED THE GARAGE DOOR so that they could have a breeze in the warmer months. I didn’t look to see, but I’m sure there was another door that they closed at night, this was a very nice antique shop… it was a very bright day, so not the best photo, but LOOK! Brilliant! I would like one on our garage door in the summer so it can get some air! Hee…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Fall is in the air… and on the door!

I swear the people who own the Marston House (in Wiscasset, ME) have such good taste! More coming soon in a future post about staying at the carriage house, it was nothing short of amazing!

Here’s just a quick photo of their wreath, just beautiful for fall!

Speaking of fall, it actually arrived here in South Carolina and we couldn’t be happier! Our fall may be a bit different than what you expect… highs in the 70/80’s and lows in the 50/60’s for the most part. Sunny days, cool nights, love it!

Have a great weekend and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

8th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival October 20-27, 2012!

“Railroad Crossing” by Colin Page – Image: ColinPagePaintings.com

The 8th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival starts tomorrow, October 20-27, 2012! Click HERE for all the info you need! There are many wonderful artists participating. Artists like Colin Page (above) and Cindy Baron (below). I can’t imagine being the judge amongst all that talent!

“Canyon Overlook” by Cindy Baron – Image: CindyBaron.com

Here’s a little blip about the festival, from the Sedona Plein Air Festival website:

SEDONA PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL is an homage to the spirit and innovation of the great French Impressionists whose paintings were based on the belief that ‘you should trust your eyes’ to capture the beauty that surrounds you. As with the old masters, contemporary plein-air artists paint from life in the out-of-doors (en plein air), capturing moments in time that reflect the ever-changing colors, light and shadows, temperature and shifting elements. The art form requires stamina, focus, and the ability to be completely absorbed in the work regardless of what Mother Nature is throwing at them. There is no setting more perfect than Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon in late October to find vibrant, unexpected scenic beauty. It is truly an artist’s paradise.  Thirty award-winning artists, selected from among the best of the best, have accepted invitations to participate in this unique artistic showcase. They are coming from all over the United States to spend eight days painting en plein air, and to share their incredible talent and unique experiences with this challenging art form.

Here are the 2012 participating artists… wish them all luck!

2012 Festival Artists

Larisa Aukon (Arizona)
Mike Bagdonas (California)
Cindy Baron (Rhode Island)
Joshua Been (Colorado)
Gavin Brooks (Maryland)
Aaron Bushnell (Utah)
Betty Carr (Arizona)
Bill Cramer (Arizona)
Linda Dellandre (Arizona)
Tracey Frugoli (Illinois)
Bruce Gomez (Colorado)
Lois Griffel (Arizona)
Hai-Ou Hou (Maryland)
Peggy Immel (New Mexico)
Becky Joy (Arizona)
Shelby Keefe (Wisconsin)
Mike Kowalski (Washington)
Robert Lewis (California)
Tom Lynch (Illinois)
Kath Macaulay (Arizona)
Larry Moore (Florida)
Betsey Nelson (Arizona)
Colin Page (Maine)
Susan Pitcairn (Arizona)
Maggie Renner Hellmann (California)
Dave Santillanes (Colorado)
Loriann Signori (Washington D.C.)
Linda Sherman (Arizona)
Susieheyer (Colorado)
Williamson Tapia (Arizona)
Kathryn Willis (Arizona)

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston, SC voted #1 tourist destination in the WORLD as well as the United States!

Readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine have awarded Charleston, SC the number one tourist destination in the world as well as in the United States… Here’s a blip from an article written by Warren Wise in our local Post & Courier newspaper, click HERE to read the entire article:

Charleston on top of the world in tourist ranking

Last year, Charleston was flattered. This year, it’s on top of the world.

Readers of Conde Nast Traveler not only named the Holy City the No. 1 tourist destination in the U.S. for the second year in a row, but also the top travel city on the planet.

“It was a giant surprise for us,” said Helen Hill, executive director of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s an honor to be in the Top 3, but to be No. 1 twice in the U.S. is unbelievable and to be named No. 1 city in the world, you can’t do any better than that.”

Last year, Charleston came in third in the world, behind Sydney, Australia and Florence, Italy.

KUDOS Charleston! This is a great place to live, with plenty of restaurants, art galleries, beaches, shops, you name it, we have it! If you’re looking for a vacation destination, look no further!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Image: CondéNastTraveler.com

Featured Artist… Peter Fiore!

“Chosen” by Peter Fiore (Image: PeterFiore.com)

I love paintings depicting light… always have. The colors are so vibrant in this painting. Even though its cold out, you can feel the sun hit your back as you face the tree… nice and warm, (now if that warmth could reach down to your feet, right?)! This is a great moody piece. To me it looks as if the snow arrived early, while there is still a little color left in the trees. There are a few nuances that I think make this painting… the subtle thin reddish orange twigs/branches towards the bottom on the right as well as around the sun spot. It grabs my attention. Way to go Peter!

How wonderful to live in an area where you truly have seasons. I miss that. We have a brief bit of color in the trees, but nothing that makes you say oooooh/ahhhhh! However, our winter weather (usually) makes up for it in spades. I am thrilled that its finally cooling down, we made it through another summer! I firmly believe it’s a few of our snow scenes that help us get through… ha ha…

One more painting of Peter’s to share with you… entitled “Going Home” (Image: PeterFiore.com):

Note: Peter Fiore is part of an exhibit called TIMELESS EXPRESSIONS. The art of Peter Fiore, Dan Beck and Marc Hanson. Three FABULOUS artists! It’s at the RS Hanna Gallery, and is going on through October 31, 2012. If you are anywhere in the vicinity I would make a point to stop in to see their work. The RS Hanna Gallery is located in Fredericksburg, TX!

Here’s a blip about Peter from his website:

Peter Fiore is an american landscape painter who is best known for painting light and his striking use of color. His landscape paintings are widely collected and are in many corporate and private collections. He has won a number of awards, most recently first place for landscape in the Art Renewal Center’s Anuual Salon as well as receiving a Grand Prize in the America China Oil Painters Artist League (ACOPAL) competition. He has been featured in an assortment of publications including Fine Art Connoisseur as an “Artist to Watch” and has recently been name a “Living Master” by the Art Renewal Center.

Peter was born in Teaneck, NJ in 1955. He studied at Pratt Institute and the Art Students League of New York. Previously, he worked as a professional illustrator where he collaborated on thousands of projects. He has been on the faculty at Pratt Institute, Syracuse University and presently teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Peter has given numerous guest lectures and workshops on painting. His work is represented in prestigious galleries across the country. Peter lives and works along the Delaware River in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Artist’s Statement
I am interested in making the simple profound, always searching for that universal moment in the world around us. I draw inspiration for my landscape paintings from many places, but most of it comes from the fields and meadows near my home in rural Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. I used to think that I had to travel far to find interesting motifs, but now I just walk out my door and it’s all there.

The abstract marks that I make are used to interpret nature’s tangle. Making visual sense and constructing order by structuring shape, form, tone, color and rhythm to create a palpable reality.

I like to visit a motif over and over again. I am especially drawn to the winter landscape. It is a time when the earth loses its leafy covering and reveals it’s true self. Covered in snow, the world reflects light and creates a spectrum of colors that are both dramatic and beautiful.

The true subject in any of my paintings is light and how it defines and endlessly changes the landscape around us. For me, light is more than a visual tool, it is an emotional subject. It is through the manipulation of light – how it falls, changes, sculpts, colors and creates various moods on a subject – that intrigues and inspires me.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Trillium Soaps located in Rockland, Maine!

Trillium Soaps is one of our favorite shops to visit in Maine. Located on South Main Street in Rockland it is quite the treat! The smell inside this wonderful shop is nothing short of amazing. We buy soap each time we visit. It’s nice to wrap blankets in, when you take them out of the closet they smell delightful! They have unique things, antiques, I mean WONDERFUL antiques, sometimes they have vintage blankets, etc. If you ever get a chance stop by and say hello!

Lovely! These people have great taste!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Dan Schultz!

“Looking Below” by Dan Schultz – Image: Gallery 1261

The light in this painting is absolutely incredible. The way the sun touches the snow… lovely. The sunlight on the top of this woman’s hair and on her hood STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS. The wonderful light coupled with the shadows on the snow makes for one beautiful painting! The artist is Dan Schultz. “Looking Below” is part of the Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibition at Gallery 1261 in Denver, CO (say that three times fast!). That is going to be one fabulous show… if you’re in the Denver, CO area I would be hightailing it over there if I were you! If, like me, you are no where near Colorado, check out Dan’s website (as well as the gallery)… you won’t be disappointed!

Read more about Dan, here’s a blip from his website (which is wonderful by the way, this is just a small amount of information meant to tease you into checking it out for yourself). Lots of info, workshops, publications and on and on!

Biography

Dan Schultz (b. 1975) has been selling his artwork through commercial galleries across the United States for more than ten years, but made the enterprising decision in 2011 to move his family from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and to open his own gallery in Ojai, California. He was eager for the ability to present his work in a more unified way and to personally interact with his clients. The change also gave him the chance to paint the beautiful California landscape and to enjoy the close-knit community of Ojai with his wife and young son.

Schultz’s work is built on the tradition of classical representational art. In order to enhance the connection that occurs between artist, subject and viewer, he often chooses a color scheme that is simple and harmonious—always catching a strong sense of light. His ultimate goal is for his work to convey his belief that God uses the beauty of his creation to communicate with us.

Schultz’s fine art career has been a somewhat unusual journey. Growing up in a small town in eastern New Mexico during the 1970s and ’80s provided little exposure to the world of art, galleries or museums. He had no family members who worked in the arts although his father’s aptitude as an accomplished guitarist and amateur woodcarver was certainly an influence. High school, after a family move to Colorado in 1988, brought the first real art instruction to Schultz and the opportunity to compete in a state-wide art competition. One of his drawings received the first place award his senior year and went on to bring him the same award at the national level. As a result, he decided to study commercial art at Pensacola Christian College in Florida which gave him a strong foundation in the fundamentals of representational art through the program’s focus on illustration and graphic design. After graduating with honors, Schultz took a graphic design job back in Colorado and painted portrait commissions in his spare time.

Two years later, Schultz discovered Cottonwood Artists’ School in Colorado Springs and was soon invited to join the teaching faculty as their youngest instructor. The other instructors at Cottonwood were the first to inspire Schultz to pursue fine art and encouraged him to exhibit his work in shows and galleries while continuing his graphic design. Schultz married in 2004 and the next year was able to begin pursuing fine art full time.

Schultz has received recognition for his exceptional paintings of figures in the landscape, plein air landscape and portraiture. Southwest Art magazine featured Schultz’s work in its September, 2004, “21 Under 31” article. He received the First Place award in the 10th Annual American Impressionist Society National Show and has received top awards from the Art Renewal Center, the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters, the Portrait Society of America and Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. He is a signature member of the American Impressionist Society and an artist member of the California Art Club.

With the help and support of his wife Sarah and son Ian, Schultz’s journey continues as he searches for the special connection that art can provide between the Creator of the universe, the beauty of our world and the living soul.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Now, this is one door to open…!

This is the front door to the Marston House. A wonderful antique shop located in Wiscasset, Maine. My husband and I stayed a few nights in the carriage house located behind this house. That will be a future post, suffice it to say, it was THE. BEST. TIME. EVER! Sharon and Paul who own the Marston House are fascinating people, very cool and so interesting to talk to! Like I said, more coming soon…

Check out their website if you get a chance. It shows wonderful photos of the antique shop, carriage house as well as the apartment they have for rent in France. Yes! France. Enough said… can you imagine?

Have a great weekend and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Sorry, just couldn’t resist… the beast is BACK!

Sorry, I just couldn’t resist… Charlie the wonder dog is back! After he had eaten a 2″ section of a new blanket, he didn’t eat for two days… we tried rice, chicken, tuna, even cheese, his favorite… he ate a little of each and then absolutely nothing. We took him to the vet worried that something was lodged in him SOMEWHERE… low and behold, once we got there he appeared to be fine (next time he’s getting a car ride first!), he ate 3+++ treats, had x-rays taken, wanted more treats, got a shot in case it was nausea causing the no-eating episode… nope, wasn’t nausea, from the moment he got home he ate, then ate some more, had his homemade peanut butter/flaxseed/oatmeal/pumpkin cookies, carrots, frozen green beans… the next day (after the shot wore off) he still wanted more food, and more… and more…

So here’s where we’re at… the beast eats blanket. Fred says NO! I say NO! Fred swats ottoman (that he drug the blanket up on), then I ignored him for a while (not easy for me)… that was it. HIS FEELINGS WERE HURT! The vet laughed. She said he’s smart. Too smart. So be careful!

Oh Charlie… that $117 vet bill comes out of your chewy budget! But we’re happy to say, our beast is back! Rowdy as ever! Life is good if you’re Charlie ;)

Catch you back here tomorrow!