Tag: monhegan island

Artist to watch… Alison Hill!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Rope Shed by Alison Hill/Fred and Barbara Stroud

Alison Hill is an extremely talented artist and the nicest person in the world. They just don’t come any nicer. Her house is her gallery, and a fabulous one it is. Paintings fill it from floor to ceiling. If you’re on Monhegan you will undoubtedly see Alison set up somewhere painting, and several hours later she’ll be in another location. She is amazing. This painting is entitled Rope Shed. It’s the little building that you pass on your way through town, where people hang things they’ve found, or you can read about what’s going on where… and we think she captured it beautifully. Check out Alison’s website, it’s a good one! Here’s a blip from her website, catch you back here tomorrow!

Painting has become my way of moving through this world, responding to and expressing what I see and feel. It is my interpretation, using color, stroke, and line, to evoke the mood I am receiving, whether it is a landscape, a person, or a still life, i want to recreate what i am receiving.
Through some fortunate circumstances, i am now living on Monhegan island, Maine. In the summer i run a studio  gallery, and off season I spend painting, traveling, doing portraits, and other art related endeavors. Monhegan offers endless inspiration, no matter what the season, and I feel very fortunate to call this home.

Image from http://marshallgallery.net/

Now is the time to make your reservations for the Island Inn on Monhegan Island, Maine!

On By Barbara StroudIn TRAVELLeave a comment
Island Inn, Monhegan Island, Maine

Ahhhh, can’t wait to get here! The Island Inn on Monhegan Island, Maine… it is the best place to stay. A wonderful breakfast, coffee that makes your smile linger a little longer and I highly recommend making dinner reservations EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! We were thrilled to be in touch with some of our friends that stay on the island around the same time every year. They have become like family to us… can’t wait to see them all again!

If you’re looking for that perfect place on the island, look no further… catch you back here tomorrow!

Artists painting on Monhegan Island, Maine

On By Barbara StroudIn ARTLeave a comment
Walt Pasko painting on Monhegan Island, Maine

The first year we went to Monhegan it absolutely blew my mind how many artists had their easels set up and were painting away. Not a few artists, I’m talking LOTS of artists, they were everywhere! It was amazing, especially as a huge lover of art to watch them. Here is one artist I featured recently, Walter Pasko. An amazingly talented and brilliant man. He knows the technical side of painting, no doubt… fascinating to listen them talk about pigments and whatever else… over my head, but interesting nonetheless! I love photographing artists painting… I also like paintings of other artists painting, very neat!

Catch you back here tomorrow! Can you believe Christmas is only a week away?

Artist to watch… Walt Pasko!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments
Winter Path by Walt Pasko
Winter Path by Walt Pasko / Image: PaskoFineArt.com

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! WordPress offers falling snow on their blogs until January… So enjoy the little blizzard, I know I will…!

I. LOVE. THIS. PAINTING! This is done by artist Walter Pasko and it is fabulous! Winter scenes are a favorite. I love the colors in the snow. From this painting you can feel how cold it is when you look at the deep greens. You can also feel the warm sun on your back when you look at the light in the snow.

My husband and I met Walter years ago on Monhegan. For several years we happened to be on the island at the same time, along with another artist friend of ours, Tim Bell. It was fascinating to listen to Tim and Walter talk about the more technical side of painting, it was all I could do to try to take it all in.

This is a magnificent painting done by an artist that is not only very talented, but a very, very nice and brilliant man. Here is a blip about Walt from his WEBSITE:

Walter J. Pasko has devoted his creative energy, for the past forty years, to the painting of landscapes directly from nature.  His broad oil painting style has evolved from a need to capture the fleeting play of light and shadow patterns on the landscape, essential to the design of his paintings.He has been living for most of his adult life in the Berkshire Hills of northwestern Massachusetts where he regularly scouts the back country looking for saw mills, sugar houses, streams, and small villages as subject matter for his paintings.Primarily self-taught, he studied and painted with the late Maurice Kennedy, friend and former student of Lester Stevens (N.A.).  He has a Ph.D. of M.E. degree from the University of Massachusetts.

Lobster boat LEGACY of Monhegan Island, ME.

On By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS, TRAVEL1 Comment
Legacy, Monhegan Island, Maine

Isn’t this boat a beauty? It’s truly gorgeous, however, I doubt the owner would appreciate it being described that way (sorry Sherm, but it is what it is). Sherm Stanley is the owner and pilot of the 40 foot black-hulled Young brothers lobster boat. I’ve always thought dark black/navy boats had a classy look about them. This isn’t just a classy boat, it’s a hardworking lobster boat. Fancy is the last thing they’re going for. I admire the hard work that those guys do, and a lot of times in extreme weather. It’s fascinating. They earn their money no doubt. Seems like lobsters should bring a lot more money than they do… there is a GREAT ARTICLE from Yankee magazine about the lobstermen on Monhegan.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Hiking on Monhegan Island, Maine…

On By Barbara StroudIn TRAVELLeave a comment
Fred on Monhegan Island, Maine

We had set off for a magnificent hike around Monhegan Island, Maine. Between the fabulous breakfasts at the Island Inn, lunch at the Barnacle (or pizza at the Novelty), an afternoon snack and a to-die-for dinner at the Island Inn we had to walk ALOT. But walk is pretty much what you do on Monhegan. Great hiking trails everywhere, and anywhere you go you walk, so you burn some serious calories (thank god!). There are few places in the world as fabulous as this!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

A window to my soul… or from the cottage in Maine.

On By Barbara StroudIn TRAVEL8 Comments
Cottage Window - Port Clyde, Maine

Those of you who are friends of mine on Facebook have seen this photo lately… This is one of my favorites. Taken from inside the neatest cottage on the planet earth. The cottage is in Port Clyde, Maine and looks out to the ocean facing Monhegan Island. This cottage is truly like a movie set. Nothing new or fancy about it, it’s been around for a long time. It’s situated so close to the ocean that during a storm it can be a tad thrilling… oooh how I’d like to be there now!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Woohoo! To the love of my life… it’s your day!

On By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTSLeave a comment
Fred on Monhegan Island...

Don’t you just love this photo?? It was taken several years ago, our first trip to Maine, Monhegan Island to be exact. If I were to give this photo a title it would be INNER PEACE. Good one, eh? This is one of our favorite places in the world. I think we are destined to become island people… all of our favorite places are islands. On our first trip back from Monhegan, sitting on the wharf waiting for the Laura B. all I could say is that I didn’t want to leave. Not in a “I don’t want to leave because I’m having too much fun” kind of way, but more of a “this is where I belong and it’s difficult to leave” kind of way… We both felt that from the first year our feet hit the ground. While in Maine you just feel so content. So happy. So relaxed… It’s life… The way it should be…

Back to the reason I started this post…

WOOHOO FRED!!!! Happy Birthday!! If I could give Fred one thing for his birthday it would be  a trip to Monhegan, although the season is over, the inn is closed and let me just say… WHERE WOULD WE EAT? Ha ha… So Fred… I wish you the happiest birthday ever. A year full of happiness and no worries, I am blessed beyond belief to be your wife. I love you so much!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Artist to watch… Frank Bruckmann!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Image: http://fbruckmann.com

What a unique story this artist has! Meet Frank Bruckmann. I first ran across this artist when searching for blogs about Monhegan. I found one called MONHEGAN SOJOURN, it was fabulous, not only did it showcase Frank’s art, but it included stories and pictures of Monhegan Island, a great love for many of us! I see that since the family has moved off the island they have started another blog (click HERE), more great art, stories, etc. I urge you to check it out! Also check out the artist’s website! The featured painting is entitled FROM WHITEHEAD and can be found on the artist’s website under the MONHEGAN tab!

Here’s a blip from Frank’s website:

Frank began his studies at the DuCret school of Art in New Jersey, and then took classes at the Art Students League in NYC. In Paris he studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and spent nearly a decade in France and Spain, copying the masters in the great museums, and painting landscapes in the cities and countryside. 

Now a resident of New Haven, CT, Frank has found endless subject matter for landscapes in New England, but periodically packs his easel and travels farther and wider in his VW camper. 

How exciting is that? Check him out! Catch you back here tomorrow!