Artist to watch… Jennifer Smith Rogers…

Image: SmithKillian.com
Jennifer Smith Rogers is a wonderful lowcountry artist to check out! Wonderful work, Charleston scenes with a fresh eye. She has the ability to capture light in a magnificent way. She is well known for her Charleston street scenes. Jennifer is in the Smith Killian Gallery. Stop by and see her work, or check it out online. A nice family, all talented artists (Betty Anglin Smith, Shannon Smith, Tripp Smith and of course Jennifer Smith Rogers)…
I’ll catch you back here tomorrow… for a special treat!

I am too comfortable to move…

Image: Ekornes.com

Have you ever been too comfortable to move? Ha… This chair will make you so comfortable it’s actually difficult to move! Talk about relaxing. Everything hits you in just the right way, it reclines enough to make it heaven on earth! It’s a wonderful combination of leather and wood that will make your heart swoon (ok, so I’m dramatic… truly, is this the first time you realized that? ha ha). If you’ve never sat in an Ekornes Stressless chair I highly recommend it UNLESS you’re a couch potato trying to change your ways… We walk… alot… but at night when I hit this chair I’m out… Our walls are a deep milk chocolate brown so this leather looks beautiful as a contrast. Many furniture stores carry Ekornes, check it out sometime! The chair pictured is our model, the ROYAL, it comes in Medium and Large. We decided on the Large because Charlie (dog) likes to sit in it with me. Lucky me!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

If you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Artist to watch… KEVIN BEERS…

Image: GleasonFineArt.com

Our first trip to Monhegan was in  2006, we were having dinner one evening at the Island Inn and in walked Kevin Beers, it was his birthday and there was a group gathering for a celebratory dinner. We had seen Kevin paint all over Monhegan, he’s hard to miss. He’s just about the only one carrying a large canvas. He appears in the same location at the same time of day and turns out painting after painting of Monhegan. Of course he paints more than Monhegan, this guy CAN PAINT A TRUCK (among other things)! Kevin is a nice guy and a great artist, if you haven’t seen Kevin’s work, check it out, he’s at Gleason Fine Art, he’s also got his own website with links. Take a peek!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Sleek and compact with a very impressive voice!

Image: Bose.com

Have you had a chance to listen to a Bose radio? It’s impressive. How can that much sound come out of such a small body? Incredible! Instead of having speakers and wires (we are becoming a society obsessed with getting rid of wires, ha ha… I agree wholeheartedly!) you have a compact sounds system that you would think would be coming out of a large system.

The Bose system we have is many years old and still plays like a charm! So if you’re in the market for a new radio/CD player/alarm… take a look at it! Nice thing they do is they divide the payments on your regular credit card (at 0% interest!!). You don’t have to get a special card to take advantage of the offer… check it out… www.bose.com!

Catch you back here tomorrow!!

Art quote weekend continues… EDGAR DEGAS

Image: http://EmptyEasel.com

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.
  –Edgar Degas

This morning as I was looking for a quote I liked and then finding a painting to go along with it by the artist I had a deja vu moment… big time!

This piece was done by Edgar Degas in pastels, it’s entitled SINGER WITH A GLOVE – It created a flashback from this past fall in Maine. We had rented a cabin in Port Clyde and this must have been printed in the newspaper years ago, someone tore it out and stuck it behind something on the wall. It had such presence. It was hard to leave it behind, there was something about it that I really liked. You can feel the movement and almost HEAR her sing. Amazing.

Hope you’re weekend has been a good one!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Art quote weekend… Richard Diebenkorn…

Image: SFMOMA.ORG

 Well it’s here! Art quote weekend…. which only means one thing… IT’S THE WEEKEND… woohoo!

Today, is a Richard Diebenkorn quote. I admire his work. So different. I don’t recall this specific piece, it’s ‘Untitled (Sausalito #3)’.

I want painting to be difficult to do. The more obstacles, obstructions, problems… the better.

  –Richard Diebenkorn

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

Artist to watch… TIM BELL!

Image: BellArtStudio.com

Yeah, I know… Awesome, isn’t it? Fred and I first met Tim on Monhegan Island, ME in 2006. When we first ran into him he was set up in front of the Island Inn. Gutsy! Then I watched him paint… wow. I told him that I was just starting to paint and he gave me tips and explained what he was doing and gave me many many book titles to read. I had so much information, I scribbled my notes inside the pages of Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting by John F. Carlson that I had run to the Lupine Gallery to buy! This painting, Monhegan Evening was from that trip. The sun was setting, and Tim was sitting on a big rock, talking and painting away… WHOA!

Congratulations to Tim, he appears in PLEIN AIR magazine, Spring 2011 – It’s on the stands NOW… Barnes & Noble, etc. etc. I’m going to run out and get one this weekend!

Tim has remained a great friend, we have several of his paintings, and they all mean a lot to us. If you get a chance, check out Tim’s work, he has a website, www.bellartstudio.com and is also in galleries, (some include: Walls Gallery, South Street Art Gallery, Egeli Gallery ). Here is a blip from the McBride Gallery website about Tim:

Tim Bell is a painter in the American Impressionist tradition. His work reflects the influences of painters such as John Twachtman, Charles Hawthorne, Hovsep Pushman and Henry Hensche.

A graduate of Frostburg State University, Tim conducted his post-Graduate studies at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, Maryland and the Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown, Massachusettes.

Check out my photo blog if you get a chance… http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Happy St. Patty’s to ya… Hot Corned Beef-Potato Hash…

Image

This is a recipe I found in Cooking Light magazine years ago… it’s a keeper! Quick and easy too… if you get a chance, give it a try! It’s a nice alternative the otherwise heavy St. Patrick’s Day meal.

This recipe is fabulous! UPDATE: Cooking Light removed the link to this recipe… am going to write a new post about this because it’s truly that good. Will add a link here to access once it’s written!

Totally hip. Awesome. GORGEOUS AND it comes with GREAT customer service!

Image: ElkayUSA.com

Was I right? Isn’t this the most beautiful kitchen faucet you’ve ever seen? We’ve had it for years and I. LOVE. IT! Recently we’ve been having some problems with the lack of pressure coming out of our kitchen faucet. Our water company is flushing the lines and there is no way to get the sediment out of the faucet head. We called customer service and spoke to the nicest, most knowledgeable woman (Thank you Deborah!). Case closed. Problem solved. You don’t mind spending money on something so beautiful when you know that there is a company behind it that backs it up. It’s not just a pretty face folks… hee hee. This company stands behind their products and they want to be sure it works well for you.

If you’re in the market for a kitchen faucet, I highly recommend ELKAY, their faucets are beautiful… so are their sinks for that matter. We have a large stainless sink  that is perfect for large pans, etc. This faucet is the LK7420.

With all the options out there, it’s nice to find something modern that works well, great design AND backed up with great customer service!

Check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com – catch you back here tomorrow!

Artist to watch… TIMOTHY HORN

Image: HornDesign.com

Timothy Horn, a California artist that can paint “normal scenes” such as a street with a stop sign, and make it come to life. Much like Colin Page, where he can paint something I wouldn’t dream of painting and it turns out to be awesome! A true talent. Timothy Horn is a great artist, if you haven’t been to his website lately check it out! Check out the workshops, the many gallery links as well as the available paintings.

This painting is entitled LOOKOUT and is under the RESPINI tab on his website. Here’s a quick explanation – more detail on his website: Since 2003 I have been participating in the annual exhibit “Ranches and Rolling Hills” which is a benefit for the Marin Agricultural Land Trust. As a participant in this show I have access to approximately 40 ranches in Marin. I have visited many of them and painted on maybe a dozen.

If you get a chance, check out Tim’s website… enjoy your day, it’s going to be a beauty!

Photo blog… http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com…  catch you back here tomorrow!

I saw it… now I want it… bad!

Image: Tovolo.com

SIMPLY. BRILLIANT. I saw this and now I want it…! I love to bake, and I have measuring cups and measuring spoons, but look at this… made by TOVOLO, the handles of the measuring cups are measuring spoons! Brilliant! Then… the part that I love the most that makes you think WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT?!!! is the little rubber ring that the measuring cup can sit on. I have a silicone spoon from these people and I LOVE IT. Bought it at a little kitchen shop in Mount Pleasant, SC. I use it daily and each time I reach into the drawer to pull it out I think WHAT A GREAT PURCHASE THIS WAS!

Ok, maybe I’m a bit dramatic? Humph!

Happy Monday everyone! I’ll catch you back here tomorrow…

Visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

A public service announcement… change your clocks!

Image: Bing.com

BEEP BEEP BEEP… this is a public service announcement… A reminder that at 2AM it’s Daylight Savings Time… so before you go to bed tonight (or if you’re like me, you’ll do it now so you won’t forget and then you’ll be early for everything… ugh)  set your clocks ONE HOUR AHEAD… (and YES, if you’re wondering… I did have to say… “Spring forward/Fall back” to be sure I had that straight. Otherwise this would be a very very bad public service announcement, now wouldn’t it?) Other than the alarm clock, remember the microwave, the stove and every other gadget in the world that doesn’t know how to miraculously change the time all by itself!

Are you one of those people who for weeks after the time change keeps thinking… “but it’s really…”” (i.e. it’s 8pm, but it’s really 7pm)? I’m curious… am I the only one?

Does anyone know why we change the time? Well I did some reading on this and there doesn’t seem to be a clear definition as to why. There are many theories but they don’t all agree. Which can only mean the reason we have Daylight Saving Time is BECAUSE… THAT’S WHY! My very professional opinion and I’m sticking to it!

BEEP BEEP BEEP… This ends the public service announcement. Good day…

Taco Boy restaurant in Charleston is the ticket!

Image: TacoBoy.net

MMMMM, I am thinking of a Taco Boy salad right now… sure sounds tasty, it’s much more than “just a salad”, it’s an experience! Really. Oooolala, with those tasty thin tortilla chips and a side of guacamole, ohmygosh! A treat that can’t be beat!

We took a break last night, sat down, and turned on the TV… what does Tivo have to offer us on this fine evening? Hmmm, Army Wives… Cool! First show of the season. Guess where part of it was filmed?? INSIDE TACO BOY! YAY! Good for them!
If you haven’t been to Taco Boy  yet… RUN… don’t walk! I’ll probably see you there sipping on my half sweet half unsweet tea (It’s DESSERT!), munching on those oh so wonderful thin tortilla chips dipped in guacamole, salsa or for the heavenly treat… QUESO! Take a peek at their menu, it’s too hard to decide which tasty dish to order! Did I mention how cool the place is? They took an old run down building and transformed it into an ultra cool place to hang out with friends, or just your sweetie. Don’t take my word for it, head on down to Taco Boy. We have yet to visit the one on Folly Beach, but it just won the BEST OF CHARLESTON 2011 for best restaurant on Folly Beach! Congrats to ya man!
Where are my car keys? I’m outta here!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com

Charles Sovek… a great artist…

Our painting by artist Charles Sovek

CHARLES SOVEK, great artist, super nice guy… I can’t remember who stumbled across his website first, me or my dad… It was FULL of information. An artist that SHARES his knowledge, WOW! I devoured his information, he made it look so easy. I ordered the BASICS book and received the nicest postcard from him and a note written inside. How truly thoughful was that? I will treasure that always. Charles Sovek passed away June 8, 2007. While his website remains full of the information he provided years ago, we will miss his constant updates and wonderful paintings!

 This painting entitled “Backyard Vignette” is 9×12 gouache on board. It’s one of our treasures… Fred surprised me with this painting one day. We always looked at his website and picked the ones that we would buy if we could… and tada… one day, there it was! If you get a moment check out his website www.sovek.com , you can still order books and DVD’s and SEE all his wonderful work. There are so many paintings on this website it will boggle your mind!

Gone but not forgotten, and that’s for sure!

If you get a chance visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

See you back here tomorrow!