Oh, how I have Monhegan on my mind… going to miss the nice cool air, the seagull’s morning wake up call, the fabulous food, and our friends! We hope to be there next year!
C A N N O T W A I T ! !
It will be that much sweeter next year!
Catch you back here tomorrow!!
Monhegan… ah… am I ever going to stop posting photos? Well, I just had to, we have some friends who are there this week, next week and the following week! I can’t wait to see their photos! I bet the weather will be perfect! This photo was taken (I think) when we hiked along trail 1… past Dead Man’s Cove and back up into the woods… it is M A G I C A L ! Some are there to paint, others to show family around a wonderful place they have yet to visit, and another who is going to read, relax, swim and hike! You always feel better once you’ve visited Monhegan, it gets your priorities back in place. Really!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
F L A S H B A C K
O N E Y E A R A G O… Island Inn… Monhegan Island, Maine!
T W O Y E A R S A G O… Foods that should never cross your lips – #5!
Wouldn’t you like to be sitting on a rock, here, in this fabulous place called Monhegan? Located about 10 miles off the coast of Maine sits this pristine little island called Monhegan. It’s a dream come true to spend a few days listening to the ocean, watching the waves, not answering a phone or checking messages. Hell to some I guess, but heavenly to us!
If you’re the type of person who loves the outdoors, doesn’t need to dress up to be happy and loves the sounds and sights of a beautiful rocky coast, this is your place! If you ever get the chance to visit… do! It’s a classy place, full of amazingly talented individuals. You won’t believe the number of famous artists that have painted on this tiny island.
Happy Memories – Catch you back here tomorrow!
FLASHBACK
O N E Y E A R A G O: Rockville, SC photos: What a beautiful place to take a drive!
T W O Y E A R S A G O: Foods that should never cross your lips… #3!
I adore Michelle Hero Clarke’s style! It’s fresh and loose and so very fabulous. I see a bit of a Charles Sovek likeness to her work (especially her architectural paintings), at times a little Eric Hopkins (the swirls in the water and some of the clouds)… which make this a style uniquely her own. Her paintings are fresh and have great movement. You really get a sense of the place… Michelle has several paintings of Monhegan, and let me tell you she captures the feeling perfectly… be sure to check out her website, it’s full of wonderful paintings!
I love this “Monhegan Woods” painting… it so reminds me of walking through Cathedral Woods, the beauty, the peace, the silence… ahhhhhh! Just by looking at this painting I feel happy! That’s what art should do. Make you happy, or make you feel something!
Another stunning piece… I love how she did the rocks, the water… ahhhh, I want to have this kind of style!
Read a blip about Michelle from her website…
Painting landscapes provides me with a way to respond and record not only my observations of a place but my subjective experience of it as well. In my artwork I am primarily interested in capturing the essence of places as I perceive them, rather than documenting a photo-realistic scene. All of my artwork is done “plein air”. I paint on–site, and always from life rather than using photographs as references. I find this method the most effective in that it allows me to fully immerse myself in the sensations of the moment. When painting outside, the biggest challenge for me as an artist is dealing with the potential for rapid change. Light, color, and subject are all in a state of flux. A cloud can move, changing the shadows and intensity of colors, or a dense fog may roll in, obscuring what had been my subject but creating new opportunities. Responding to these constant changes gives a sense of urgency and immediacy to the act of painting, which I find very energizing. I rarely go back into my paintings and rework them in the studio. I like to keep the images fresh, authentic, and representative of how I experienced being in that place at that time. I emphasize elements that strike me; the movement of the water,the interplay of colors, or the thoughts and feelings that I have in response to a particular visual experience. Each painting I make enhances my appreciation and awareness of the richness of life around me, and I try to share these vivid moments through my artwork.
The media and materials I use consist of a mixture of alkyd and oil paints on handmade wood panels which I will sometimes layer with primed canvas but often just seal with an acrylic wood varnish. For larger work, I may use stretched canvases as they are lighter weight and easier to carry in the field.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
All images via Michelle Hero Clarke’s website: www.mheroclarke.com
O N E Y E A R A G O… Bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich that is HEALTHY? Whoa!
T W O Y E A R S A G O… Artist to watch… Phillip Frey!
Walking around Monhegan you run across the most unexpected beautiful sights… butterflies everywhere, gorgeous sunsets, happy flowers, the sea and a bouquet every now and then appearing in a spot you just wouldn’t think to see one. It puts a smile on my face every single time.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
My post from one year ago… Featured Artist… Stuart Fullerton!
My post from two years ago… I accept this award… hee hee… and I pass it on!
It’s the most beautiful place, ever! Water surrounding this small island on all sides. The creative people who live here all year long… the creative people who visit make it a fascinating place. Not just for the breathtaking scenery, but for the friends you make along the way. We’ve made many, and they’ve become like family to us. It’s neat to keep in touch all year long and then catch up once we’re all on the island. It’s a place of hiking, eating, ocean watching, photo taking… painting… and just being. When was the last time you sat down (without TV, radio, cell phone, etc.)? You can do this on Monhegan and be completely entertained. The thought of a TV doesn’t even pop into your head… we’ve met some of the coolest people ever.
If you ever get a chance to go… don’t miss the opportunity! You will become crazy like me and post photos like you live there, ha ha…
Tell me a place that you’re passionate about! I love to hear of new areas!!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
My post from one year ago: Burton Silverman, artist!
My post from two years ago: Oven roasted cauliflower – you won’t believe how good this is!!
Monhegan, ME. Artists everywhere. I. Mean. Everywhere! Everyone is busy painting away, doing their thing, and let me tell you , there are some incredibly talented artists who’s work just blows you away! We met artist, Tim Bell (pictured) on the island years ago (I’m thinking 2006?!) and have remained friends with him through the years, and have made new friends through him. He’s such a talented, brilliant artist. Tim had so much information to share that I had to go get a pen and paper. Great, useful information. One year we watched him paint this painting… and as he walked away with it… we had to have it. So it’s pretty cool that we have this painting… good memories. We love every one of our paintings, they’re all special to us in one way or another. This is a perfect example!
Have a great Sunday! Catch you back here tomorrow!
Ahhhh, about this time every year I really get “home sick” (if you can call it that… since I’ve never lived there) for Monhegan. There is nothing like a Monhegan sunset! I would love to catch a sunrise, I’m definitely up early enough, I just haven’t been able to give up my coffee… yet! This photo was taken during dinner at the Island Inn (and I am longing for good fish dinner from that restaurant… the best ever!), I had to excuse myself during dinner to run outside and get a quick shot. How stunning is this?
Ahhh, see you just went on a mini vacation… you feel better already, don’t you? I know I do!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Have you been to Monhegan, ME? It’s an amazing island off the coast. It’s not large, but it’s special. Oh. So. Very. Special. There are cliffs, trails, a wharf, hiking paths and the woods… not any old woods… not the creepy full of bugs kind of woods, but nice, clean beautiful woods… this is a hike, that from town, can bring you to an amazing location overlooking the cliffs and the ocean. It’s beautiful. Serene. Peaceful. Absolutely magical.
Read a little blip about Cathedral Woods from CamdenMaineVacation.com (click the link to read in its entirety):
Many natural attractions can be found on Monhegan Island. One of them is Cathedral Woods, named because of the way the branches of the trees are arched like that in a cathedral. The place has a very serene and peaceful atmosphere – like one would typically find in a church. Rare flowers and plants are abundant in Cathedral Woods, as well. At the southern part of the island, you can visit Lobster Cove. It is a very good place for picnics and bird watching. Swimming in the water is discouraged here, however, as it is very dangerous and unpredictable because of the large waves and rip currents.
What a wonderful place!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Washer Woman by Susan Gilbert
I love this piece by Susan Gilbert. The rich, warm colors, the pounding surf, the splash of the wave in the distance… and oh, how the toned canvas shows through. Remarkable. Susan lives on Monhegan Island, ME. Her work is featured at the Island Inn this year… be sure to check it out!
Susan’s work is shown at the Lupine Gallery on Monhegan Island. This is the neatest gallery. I just love the atmosphere, the art (obviously), and the people. Everything about it makes it one fabulous gallery. Susan’s opening reception is today from 2-4, so if you happen to be on the island, don’t miss it!
Read a blip about Susan’s philosophy from her website:
Heard on the Elizabeth Ann, ferry to Monhegan, Maine:
“One kind of work describes its object and is about the object. The other work is about art.” “There is nothing wrong with illustration, but it should be acknowledged, that is what it is.”
What do I believe? All art work is about art. All people see and respond to the world in an unique way. Art is the product of a true eye, a personal vision which one may or may not have the privilege to uncover. The truth of art will be revealed when given the chance to become itself through time and work.
Alex Katz, visiting lecturer to my school in the early 70’s, showed his recent work, cutouts- wooden silhouettes of figures with his characteristic, flat , simple delineation. He described that work as seen with “quick light,” and explained that he meant the impact to be gotten immediately, all at once. I compare this to the to the painting of Vermeer, timeless, still, yet endlessly unfolding,to my vision seen in the slowest light.
Broad categories are used to organize art, and to try to understand it. Context, history surround us. The frame of reference can be daunting. Where in this sea of time do I belong? To work, to search, to find my vision knowing that truth in art can only become itself through time and work.
The artist who continues to open may interpret vision. Like DNA, art which becomes signature expression is predetermined. Style is secondary to vision. Incorporating much or little of history, art is narrative, figurative or abstract, minimal or baroque, technological, conceptual. With quick or slow light, art is always about itself.
So, art may be about describing a harbour, may be about color and pattern, may tell a story, or not. Art can be almost anything. How to organize art is personal. I choose not to draw a line. Why subvert my need to be surprised by the unexpected, to be enlightened, refreshed. When viewing art I ask, does the color sing? does the paint move me? does this work have a life? can I return to it? will it be thrown away? Is this rich, true, right? Art is.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Image Credits: SusanGilbert.com
Well today is the day! The day of the opening of the Lupine Gallery on Monhegan Island, here’s an image and a blip from their Facebook page “Lupine Gallery” – oh how I wish we were there visiting!
Here at the Lupine, we’re looking forward to seeing familiar faces and new, so if you’re on island, stop in and say hello and see what exciting new art we have on the walls! And then join us for our annual opening party on Saturday, May 25 from 5-7, to welcome the 2013 season.
I would also like to wish a very special someone… a very Happy Birthday! Bobbie Stroud, Fred’s mom… one of the sweetest people on earth! We wish her the happiest of all birthdays!! xoxo us
Catch you back here tomorrow!
I thought a peaceful photo would be nice today… Monhegan Island, Maine. Absolute beauty!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
It is with a heavy heart that we say farewell to a friend… “he has begun his journey“. Pain and anguish are no more which is a relief. His smiling face will be missed. His brilliant conversation will always be remembered. The last time we saw Scott was on Monhegan Island, ME. We met for dinner several nights over the course of the week. We shared conversation that covered most topics we could think of. We talked until they turned out the lights and then continued to talk. Family, interests, hiking, climbing (Scott), cooking, books, movies, other friends… you name it, we covered it. I am sad to know those conversations will never continue, at least not here on earth… but I guess that gives us something to look forward to once we begin our own journey.
Monhegan Island is a beautiful place and holds wonderful memories for us. It seems like some of the friends that we’ve met from there are some of our very best. Despite distance, they’re the ones that we keep in touch with. They have touched our heart. Maybe its the week spent on an island with no outside communication to dull your mind… no TV, no radio, just friends, talking, catching up and learning about each others lives. In a “normal” place you probably wouldn’t sit around that long just talking. But on Monhegan THAT is the entertainment, and for that I am so grateful. Strong relationships are forged in a very short period of time. We truly care about each other, and when one hurts, so does the other. Now, that care extends to his family, who was right there by his side…
I found a North End Market receipt in my “Monhegan” book, Scott had written down the name of a movie he really enjoyed, called MAN ON WIRE. As well as a book, RAZOR’S EDGE by W.S. Maugham. I haven’t gotten around to either, but I think we will make a point to do so. A tribute to our friend…
Scott may be gone from this life, but will never be forgotten – the lives he has touched are forever changed… he has made an impression on so many people’s lives. When you are fortunate enough to run across someone special, take the time to get to know them, keep in touch and never take that time for granted. Life is truly short. Cherish your relationships no matter how deep they are. Go out and touch someones life today, in a positive way. Be thankful. Feel blessed.
Peace and prayers to Scott as well as his family. We look forward to seeing you again my friend!
Below, a photo… entitled “I Wish“… a Monhegan tradition, when you leave the island you toss your bouquet into the water… if it comes towards shore that means you’ll be back…
Monhegan Island, Maine is an island rich in history. There are so many beautiful sites to see, the ocean, cliffs, artists painting, birds, flowers, and of course… the butterflies… they seem to be everywhere!
Have a wonderful weekend, get out and enjoy the beauty all around you… notice the little things that make you smile. Be grateful for them… Life on earth is a short blip on the radar screen… savor it…
Prayers of peace go out to our Monhegan friend, Scott and to his family…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
I love snapping photos of everyday things… this photo was taken in Camden, Maine. One of the workers left his gloves on the wheel. It struck me how these men and women are such hard workers. Lobstering is hard work. I’m not expert, but I’ve watched Lobster Wars (ha ha, loved that show!) so I see what it takes. I’ve read stories, and I’ve heard from people who do this for a living, who’s families have done it for generation after generation.
Hard. Work.
When you realize what it takes to bring the lobsters back to land so that we can enjoy them it makes you never want to eek out a peep about the price. Ever. It’s worth every penny! Oh, those scrambled eggs with cheese and lobster at the Island Inn on Monhegan are sounding pretty tasty about now!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
ARTFOODHOME.COM 