Tag: maine

Artist to watch… BRIDGET JENNINGS!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

A wonderful artist to keep an eye on is Bridget Jennings. You can look at Bridget’s paintings for a while and always see something fresh and new. Her Mackinac Island paintings are so happy (AND such a great souvenier, better than some old bauble that’s going to get tossed into the first garage sale pile!) and bright. Her light and almost whimsical airiness gives the store front paintings such character. Bridget lives and paints in Algonac, MI where she grew up on the river and her local paintings reflect her love of the water. There are boats everywhere in Algonac, and Bridget can paint them! Check out her website!

Below are three of her paintings, the first one is DOCKED UNDER THE WILLOWS  (Algonac, MI) the second is KILWIN’S FUDGE SHOP  (Mackinac Island, MI) and the last one is MONHEGAN MOORING  (Monhegan Island, ME), it’s a small taste of the collection that she has painted! Enjoy!

Docked Under the Willows
Kilwin’s Fudge Shop
Monhegan Mooring

  Bridget is more than a great artist… she’s my sister, and she’s the best!

Bridget painting on Mackinac Island, MI

Rustica in Rockland… whoa baby!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, TRAVELLeave a comment
Image: RusticaMaine.com

While in Maine we had several friends tell us of a wonderful Italian place to visit for dinner. FINALLY we got around to trying it and I swear we will be back each and every year we’re in Rockland! It was absolutely unreal! The pasta was TO. DIE. FOR. Specifically this one… via the Rustica website: 

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe ~ Penne with House made hot Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, caramelized onion and marinara.

The restaurant is kind of kitty corner from the Farnsworth Museum if you’re familiar with it… Check it out, give it a try!

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

Artist to watch… Paul Schulenburg

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments
Image: AddisonArt.com

Another wonderful artist to watch is Paul Schulenburg from the Massachusetts area. This painting, Foggy Morning, Monhegan is in the Addison Art Gallery.

My husband and I met Paul several years ago when the Paintapalooza group of artists were painting in a cottage down from us. What a nice guy, and talented as well! If you haven’t seen Paul’s work check it out!

I’ll catch you back here tomorrow! If you have a moment, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com!

Artist to watch… TIM BELL!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
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!

Artist to watch… Geer Morton!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTS2 Comments

I love unique art, you know, a painting that’s different from everything else you see… The first year we stopped in Wiscasset Bay Gallery we fell in love with Geer Morton’s paintings. Such vibrant colors and nice loose style. LOVE IT! My husband surprised me with a painting of flowers that is just the happiest little piece. It brightens up our kitchen on a daily basis. If you get a chance, stop in Wiscasset Bay Gallery and check out his work, or visit his website! (Image and info: WiscassetBayGallery.com) 
 
Here is a great blip that came from Wiscasset Bay Gallery website about Geer Morton:

Born in Damariscotta, Maine in 1935, Geer Morton began painting as a young man. He was drawn to California where he immersed himself in a movement of art now known at the San Francisco School–notably recognized through the work of Nathan Oliveira and Richard Diebenkorn, with whom Morton studied at the prestigious San Francisco Art Institute. Morton went on to become Chairman of the Design Department and an Instructor of Painting and Drawing, and to develop his own style of art. Morton’s paintings can be found in numerous private and corporate collections, and he has exhibited extensively throughout the United States. Morton is still actively painting from his homes in Lubec, Maine and San Diego, California.

The second image, not such a great photo of such a great painting… taken with my Blackberry… it’s the painting that hangs in our kitchen. LOVE. IT. This painting makes me happy…  Our painting:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Remember to visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

 

Artist to watch… Colin Page!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTS, TRAVEL6 Comments
ColinPagePaintings.com

My husband and I met Colin Page several years ago while we were in Port Clyde, Maine. He was set up not far from Monhegan Boat Line and he was painting the ice cream shop. I still remember that painting, the colors, the composition… wow, all were perfect! Colin is someone who can pull off painting something ordinary like a street with a stop sign and a telephone pole AND make it look stunning! Whenever my husband and I see the white light on the water from the sun or a picturesque intersection, we always say… “ahhhh, a Colin painting!” so true!

Colin was one of the guys in the cottage down from us, in the PAINTAPALOOZA group, (I know I keep saying this will be a future story… I need to do it don’t I?) – it was so exciting to see so much awesome artwork in one house by all these amazing artists!
Colin gets an A+++ for keeping his  website so updated! It cannot be easy to be an artist AND keep up a website, blog, etc. etc. You must check out his website AND his journal. Valuable information. This guy is good. We have a painting of his that we absolutely love, lobster boats and the white light from the sun. Simply amazing!
Colin is in several galleries, we’ve only been to DOWLING  WALSH, very nice! If you’re in Rockland, Maine sometime, check it out!
Don’t forget to take a peak at my photo blog… http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com
Catch you back here tomorrow!

Swans Island Blankets – simply stunning!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME2 Comments
Image: SwansIslandblankets.com

One of the most beautiful blankets you can buy is from Swans Island Blankets located in Northport, Maine. If you’re ever in the area, STOP BY, you can watch them weave blankets and they have a sample blanket of each and every style, along with an assortment of other things such as throws, scarves and more recently, their own yarn! We splurged several years ago and bought a rare wool blanket like the one pictured here. What’s so rare about it you ask? Here’s a blip from the Swans Island website:

Swans Island Rare Wool blankets are made from naturally occurring brown and black sheep. These sheep aren’t common, and after three or four years, their fleeces tend to go grey, so we are only able to weave a limited number of rare brown and black wool blankets each year.

It will be around for generations! It’s absolutely a work of art, no doubt about it!

Check out my Photo Blog if you get a chance, http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com – until tomorrow!

Paintapalooza Artist: Jeff Bonasia

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTS, TRAVELLeave a comment
Image: Addisonart.com

YOU GONNA EAT THOSE FRIES? I would say this painting is aptly named, wouldn’t you? I simply love the light on this birds belly, it’s stoic look and how it’s really looking right at you. Kind of Wyeth’ish, don’t you think?

This doesn’t appear to be what he normally paints, but it just has so much character!
 
Years ago when vacationing in Maine we had rented a cottage. Down the street from our cottage was a large group of painters from all over the country. Real artists, the ones who do it all the time and are so good at it. The paintapalooza story is for another post, but it was a great group of talented guys.  Jeff Bonasia was one of the talented artists that week. He shows in several galleries, click on his name for a link to his website. This photo is from Addison Art Gallery in Orleans, MA.
 
If you get a chance, check out my photo blog at:
http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com
 
Until tomorrow…

An “Aha!” moment!

On By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS, TRAVELLeave a comment
Image via http://islandinnmonhegan.com/

Describe a recent Aha! moment… hmmmm. I guess it would be several years ago, leaving Charleston and vacationing on Monhegan Island in Maine. We stayed at the Island Inn (http://islandinnmonhegan.com) which is the larger building that you see in the photo (from their website). There are no shopping malls, no taxi’s, no telephones in your room, no TV or radio or any other distractions, including limited cell phone coverage and wi-fi in the inn’s common room when it’s available. Everything is centered around the weather. If conditions aren’t right the boat doesn’t run to get you to the island, bring groceries, mail, etc. If the wind is strong the phone may be out… It’s a different way of life that is SO MUCH BETTER even without all the STUFF. Stuff is precisely that… stuff. When you are in a place that is so beautiful and when everything around you is so peaceful THAT is what becomes so important. I encourage anyone who isn’t used to not having some of the modern-day pleasantries to try a vacation that relaxes your mind and recharges your soul. It’s amazing what you can do without and you don’t even notice! Until tomorrow…