One of my favorite climbing roses. I planted this many years ago on the Fourth of July and it never disappoints. The last bloom of the season I had to cut and bring in to enjoy on the window sill. : ) What is your favorite climber?

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Wow. It’s been awhile… the kids have returned to school, the Clothesline Festival is behind me. I am beginning to be able to focus again. Most of the tomatoes from the potager have been harvested and made into sauce, salsa, pico de gallo and gazpacho. My freezer is stacked full for a delicious reminder of summer 2011.

Junebug and Poppa visited Linwood Gardens this spring for the Tree Peony Festival wherein they found out the gardens were open throughout the summer season for artist’s workshops. Guess what I got for my birthday??? Yay. A weekend workshop in Plein Air painting! Such a treat… on so many levels.

Stay tuned for more info on Linwood Gardens. Hoping to post a Fabulous Friday Find on that this Friday. You won’t want to miss it. A hidden gem.

Jean Stephens taught the workshop. I had visited her website and seen her work before the workshop and thought that her style/vision was just what I needed to help me get over my block in oil painting. Jean’s demonstration Saturday morning was so informative and helpful.

Saturday morning demonstration. Jean does a quick value sketch of her subject (left) then creates a monocromatic  underpainting on her canvas.

 A limited palette with warm and cool primaries (left). The sky value goes in first then Jean builds the painting out into the foreground based on her original value sketch.

I am not an experienced oil painter and I have never painted in the plein air style before (painting in plain air). It was marvelous. I was inspired by the beauty of the gardens and challenged to use that lovely french easel that I had sitting around in the studio. Jean was so professional in her set up. I am a messy painter. Its the only time I have ever painted in oils and NOT been covered in paint when I was done. Her “house keeping” made me feel so organized (not an easy feat)!

Bringing out the values/hues in the middle and foregrounds (left). At the end of the day we put up our work and had a lovely critique.

Our lesson on atmospheric perspective was a turning point for me. You will see. Some of you know how I love to paint the view from my studio. Now… I get it. Just wait and see.

It was such a treat to talk art, technique and social media with other artists. The weekend encouraged me to get involved again with my local art community. I was so impressed with Jean’s demonstrations and her open, giving style of teaching.

Sunday morning demonstration on painting trees… a good thing to learn when painting landscapes!

I have a few changes to make to the paintings that I worked on there. Perhaps I will post them when I feel like they are done. Until then I may be showing up with my french easel all over town!

For more information on Jean Stephens artwork and classes please visit her website. Also, if you are in the Rochester, NY area be sure to visit Jean’s upcoming show at The Arts & Cultural Council October 12th – November 3rd. Her work is amazing!

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Do you ever just need to hear the ocean? I do. Having been raised in Mississippi, the Gulf Coast and its ocean-like waves and breezes were never very far away. Living in Upstate New York on a farm feels pretty land-locked. Last year I NEEDED to hear the ocean. Needed to, I tell you.

It was my turn to plan our anniversary trip. Ocean waves were a priority… preferably within hearing distance from the hotel with the window open. After much research we packed our bags, made sure kids, dogs, cats, horses, rabbit and everyone else was all set and headed East. While traveling across I-90 towards Albany I informed Farmboy that we had important dinner reservations that evening outside of Boston… step on the pedal, Gretel!!  He freaked out because of course we left later than we planned- not uncommon.

Luckily, we found a lovely historical grain mill erected by Thomas Edison on the way wherein we changed into our dinner clothes and later pulled up just in time for our reservations at Blue Ginger in Wellesley, MA. Having watched Top Chef Masters last season, it was fun to eat at Ming Tsia’s restaurant!

Our final destination was still a surprise for Farmboy. We drove an hour or so northeast… until the land was nearly gone. Only crashing waves were visible in the cast light of the streetlights.

Bass Rocks Ocean Inn. I highly recommend it- more family oriented than romantic getaway. We hope to take the kids back there one day. The propritores were delightful. Helpful. Kind and funny. Our room was basic… what can I say… after my stay at Hotel le Germain in Toronto I am positively ruined for most normal travel. Nevertheless, with the windows open I COULD hear the waves and it felt like we were on the edge of MY known world.

Breakfast in the Inn was included and substantial. Farmboy was delighted at our location and we left to find our adventures for the day. I read online about Babson’s Boulders… created in an old abandoned settlement called Dog Town. It was rather bizarre but a nice hike, good exercise and pretty foliage even though there was a good possibility of getting lost out in the middle of nowhere. What are adventures for!?

There was a Fall festival in Rockport and we had a great time listening to a band that we had never heard: Brad Byrd. Saw some amazing artwork in the local galleries and  just had a good time shopping, looking, taking it all in and being in the present.

That evening we went to a small beach up the road from the hotel called Good Harbor Beach (pictured below). A beautiful beach protected by a little cove. Can’t wait to play with the kids there one day.

We ended the evening at a small restaurant in Gloucester- The Franklin Cafe, that we found on TripAdvisor or Yelp. Oh my goodness. One of the best meals we’ve ever had… who knew?! Dare I say that it was better than our meal at the acclaimed chef’s fancy restaurant?? I do dare!!!

So the next morning our hostesses at the Inn encouraged us to take the Captain Bill’s Whale Watching expedition out of Gloucester Harbor. Now, mind you… earlier in the year I had been working on some new designs for the Bar Harbor Whale Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine. I studied and learned all about whale flukes, markings, various species to come up with the following designs. One of the reasons I love being an artist… I always get to be a student through research.

Imagine my delight at the idea of going whale watching!? Have I ever told you about my fear of open water? That being said… Farmboy and I are all about making memories and new experiences. So we did it! Really… it is amazing- their size, their grace. I was afraid that we wouldn’t find them. But we did and it was truly unlike anything I have ever experienced before.

Distant view of Boston skyline.

A spray/blow sighting.

A female and her calf.

A memorable trip for sure.

For more information on Cape Ann, Bass Rocks Ocean Inn and Captain Bill’s Whale Watching please click on their names for their individual websites. Happy Whale Watching!

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What’s on your nightstand these days? I’ll tell if you will! Reading is one of my favorite pastimes but 2 to 3 pages is the most that I can handle after 10 pm; hence, it takes me forever to finish a book. Nevertheless these are the ones that I am working on or have recently finished.

Currently I am reading The Other Queen by the author of The Other Boylen Girl, Philippa Gregory. A fascinating book about Mary Queen of Scots and her time being shuffled around England by Queen Elizabeth. I think my favorite genre of books are historical fiction. I love learning about history!

I just recently finished two fun books that I purchased used on Amazon. Run Like a Mother and French Women Don’t Get Fat. After being asked to join a local group of women to run/train for a 5k at the beginning of summer, I have a new found like in my hate/hate relationship with running. I usually get winded jogging down to the mailbox (we have a long driveway… seriously). I have never run a mile in my life and I honestly didn’t know what I was getting myself into but I knew I needed to do something for my own health these days.

Whoa. Farmboy has been shocked to see me roll out of bed to be at the park to run at 7:30 am this summer. Really… it is shocking. I have been the one who drives by those people on the road running, listening to their iPods and I’m thinking… who in their right mind does that to themselves???!!! Little by little I have gone longer and longer and I see what a difference training for something can make. Ooops. Doing a little Happy Dance at the moment… If I can do it ANYONE can. I kid you not.

So my friend who has been running awhile has linked to these authors on Facebook. I finally bought the book. It was a quick read. Good info- some of it was way past me on the running journey ie. marathons and half marathons… WHHHHAAATTTT??? Dude, I just finished running 3 miles and feel like I could conquer the world. You mean people actually run 26 miles at one time. Ouch. Pffftttttpppppt. (My bubble bursting).

French Women Don’t Get Fat. Loved this book. Very practical, doable information. I personally love food, gardening, wine and eating food fresh from the garden with wine! What a lovely coincidence! I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes in the book- will let you know about those. Healthy eating, excercise with the absence of “dieting” is the way to go and with my new-found love/loathe relationship with running I’m feeling like that second glass of chardonnay is not going to show anywhere.

Recently Farmboy and I traveled up to Toronto for a mini-vacation and concert. Our hotel was… dreamy. To die for. The bomb. It basically ruined me for future travel. Sigh… Where was I? Toronto. Hotel. Ahhh yes. They had a library downstairs wherein I found this book. Brought it upstairs and thumbed through it while relaxing in the beautiful spa-like room with contemporary jazz pumping through the Bose stereo. Did I mention the shower? There was more glass than wall. You have to go there to find out. Hotel Le Germain. The book Labryinths and Mazes is beautiful. So artful and HEDGEY!  Love that. A great addition to my library!

Also picked up this cookbook by French chef Stephane Reynaud while in Toronto at the cutest little shop in Kensington Market. When I lack inspiration on what to cook I can just flip to the date in the cookbook and find a lovely seasonal meal!

So what have you been reading lately? What are some of your favorites? We can have our own little, mini mix-it-up bookclub!

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I found out about these beautiful dog bed duvet covers from my bloggy friend Lisa Porter and her pup Gracie. They are a stylish bunch over there at the LisaPorterCollection. I couldn’t wait to order one of these covers for Oliver who insists on coming up to the studio with me when I’m working. He loves to look out over his domain as you can tell.

My sweet dog is getting some grey in his muzzle and beginning to slow down a bit. He needed a soft, stylish spot for his sweet-self. I love the concept behind these duvet covers too… recycle, reuse!

Doesn’t he look comfy?

Sometimes he has to share with his little sister Gracie. I think she will get her own too.

Click here for more information on ordering your dog (or cat) duvet cover.

Happy Fabulous Find Friday!  : )

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Click HERE to see all of the available products and be sure to order through the Stationery Department to receive the discount! There are many pages of notecards designs available. Click through them at the top right hand corner of the page!

Don’t see the design that you are looking for? Order something else and in the Special Instructions box tell us which design you would like it replaced with. We will verify the change and get it right out to you. New images will be uploaded throughout the day.

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A new watercolor that I’m working on for the Clothesline Festival in Rochester, NY.  Shown below is a detail of the horses. The background wash was still wet causing the sheen on the paper. I hope to finish the detail in the mane of the horse on the right and sign this little darling. : ) I’ll post a better photo of the finished piece!

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Have you planned a birthday with/for a 6 soon to be 7 year old lately? If you haven’t you don’t know what you are missing!  At our house it is customary to celebrate the kids birthday’s with a family cookout including: grandparents, great aunts, regular aunts, uncles, cousins and all of their dogs followed by a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday in the overly decorated dining room with presents, cake and ice cream.

My chandelier will never be the same. It’s had streamers, ribbons, little swirly plastic-y things, lego guys, Indiana Jones figures, spiders, bats… you name it… hanging from the crystals.  I have been known to go a bit overboard for the kids birthdays. There was the one year when we all met under the festival tent with tiki torches at the entrance wherein the kids were given passports, a compass and a list and then sent on a scavenger hunt. The evening culminated in the hay barn where they had to pass through an obstacle course complete with a pit with rubber snakes. It would have been a challenge even for the real Indiana Jones.

This year was the first time that we had a “party” off of the farm for one of the kids. Ryder (10 yr old no longer wanting to be referred to as “the Bean”) wanted a laser tag party for himself and 3 of his buddies. At our family party he didn’t want the chandelier decorated with anything. WHAAATT?!!! It was a bit shocking for me. I went along with it… the “no theme” party. Uggh. The humanity of it. A mother with the gift of hospitality… and no coordinating colors or plates. I know. The child has to grow up. It’s okay. I’ve really gotten over it. Truely. I CAN let go.

So today Lala and I went on her birthday party decorating spree.  A tiny bit of the licensed stuff and a whole lot of colors and bling. She is such a delight. Our party favors for the cousins include: bouncy balls, tiny rubics cubes, friendship bracelets and sticky hands… which I had to give the proper warning against. “No sticky hands stuck on the ceiling! They stain when they are stuck there too long!”. Not that I have ever had a sticky hand stuck to the ceiling for beyond its proper time. Its just that those ones from the dentist office are especially sticky, stainy or something.

We have pretty pink paper lanterns hanging from the chandelier this year. Yay! As an artist it’s not easy when your design background wants to overrule a Birthday Girl’s sensibilites. I mean we want to stay away from tacky, right. Self expression vs. tacky… a fine, adorable line for a 6 year old but visual chaos as they get older.

This leads me to the conclusion that my days decorating the chandelier for birthday parties are cherished and limited. However, if you are in the same boat or even if your children are grown… celebrate. Celebrate life’s simple moments and rites of passages however it makes your heart sing. Wear the red dress. Wear the tacky purple hat. I promise that I will continue to hang wacky things from my chandelier if you will.

The Cookout Menu

Southern Baked Beans

Steamed green beans

Herb Roasted Baby Potatoes

Cucumber Salad

Hamburgers

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Sauteed Snow Peas

And… Birthday Cake and Ice Cream  : )

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I think I have gotten Scottish Terriers out of my system… at least for a little while. They are so darling. This is my little Santa’s Helper- anxious to get going. The Greeting Cards will read on the inside: May all your holiday wishes come true.

Santa’s Helper will be available online in October on Linen Guest Towels and Holiday Cards.

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