New paintings at CAG 2 "13

 

I went to Charleston today with some new paintings for my wall space. I almost drown getting there in the torrential downpour we were having, but it was worth it. My wall looks really nice with the wildlife paintings I did at Hobcaw Barony/Wynyah Bay, Huntington Beach SP, and Magnolia Gardens.



MB Quilt Show 2 _13

I attended the Myrtle Beach Quilt Show today with my friends Janet and Noreen.

 

 As always the show was filled with  many  many beautiful quilts.  I nominated  the quilt named "Impossible Dreams" for Best in show.

 

Each square was unique, yet each combined perfectly within the  complex design, and the technical execution flawless... of course it only took the quiltmaker seven years to finish it..

Needless to say the competition for prizes was fierce , with many beautiful quilts in all of the categories.Here are a few of the others I liked

I nominated this small art quilt for top prize in its category.  With all of its stitchery and careful use of colored fabric it could almost pass for a painting.

 There were many beautiful traditional quilts, but in the end my favorites always came down to well executed design and bright cheerful colors

 

I nominated this small quilted wall hanging for first prize in its category.  I loved the mermaids flowing design .

These two caught my attention for their use of color

Figurative paintings now available on CCs website 2 '13

CC  spent much of the weekend updating the  her website including adding a new portfolio of figurative paintings.   Check it out at
www.ccampbellsfineart.com

Not so good a read: The Kitchen House 2 '15

Just finished next months book club selection The Kitchen House which is billed as a masterful historical novel by author Kathleen Grissom. Charlotte Bronte would have loved it. I thought it beats pulp romance but not by much. I quickly tired of the central character's unending naivete . It seemed too construed for someone who grew up under her circumstances. And the plot was just all too tragic and melodramatic. The only unpredictable action was when the doped out Big House Mistress ( Miss Martha) overcame her opiate stupors long enough to chase off her evil plantation overseer and his thugs by threatening to shoot them with a gun ( only to feign away as soon as they were gone).... How very Victorian of her.

Another V-Day Painting 2 ' 13

I was browsing a yahoo article about heart shaped wonders, when a photo of some swans caught my eye. ... and reminded me of a small painting I had done of some local swans for V Day a few years ago. I started scouting through my archives and sure enough....a 5x7 swan painting -- It's of a different species  of swan but the emotional intent is the same.

  First photo from:
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/amazing-heart-shaped-wonders-slideshow/love-hearts-in-nature-photo--702047975.html
 

 

 The second is of my painting
Have a Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day, Everyone. 2 '13

Happy V Day, Everyone, from out house to yours.

This little Teddy Bear my sweet husband gave me a few years ago is beginning to look a bit worn, but the love he brings is still as fresh as the painting I did at the time.

Happy Chinese New Years 2 "13

Every year we celebrate the Asian Lunar New Years.

The front door has a colorful paper dragon to greet visitors,

and the house is decorated with  my collection of Japanese  Kokeshi dolls.

A couple of them have even become the inspiration for  one of my holiday paintings. 

 

 

Alli Ooooops 2 '13

We played nine holes of golf at Willbrook Plantation today.  Bruce went to play a shot from where he had  driven it in the long grass alongside a old rice canal, when I called out a warning about a 4 foot alligator raising its head from the grass right in front of him. 

 The gator slid into the water, but then the rest of the grasses along the bank began to rustle 

with a dozen other small gators that had been sunning themselves. 

  This is what South Carolina  calls a golf  course hazard!

Tonight's desert: homemade Aebleskivers 2 '13

Tonight's desert was homemade cherry filled Aebleskivers.  What's that, you ask? It is one of Denmark's most famous types of pastry.  Aebleskiver (in Danish, "Apple Slices") are light, melt-in-your-mouth pancake balls that taste like a cross between a Belgium waffle and a donut. Once I mastered  using  chop sticks to turn over the dough in a specially formed  Aebleskiver pan , they were remarkably easy to make.  And oh so good to eat.

Next time around I am going to try a savory filling.

Superbowl Sunday Supper 2 '13

This year the neighborhood Annual Super Bowl Sunday get-together was hosted by our friends Janet and David .

The get-together was a bit smaller than usual,   as several of our snowbirds have not yet flown south. In some ways that was rather nice, because it gave us more time to get to know the new-comers Linda and Ben to the neighborhood.

And of course it meant more of Janet's famous chili for everyone.  YUM!

Sean Thompson Presents at SAG 2 '13

Sean Thompson, of Thompson Nature Photography, Pawleys Island, one of the areas premiere photographers, made a very informative presentation entitled "Tools for Making a Sharper Image" at the general membership meeting of the  Seacoast Artists Guild.  Topics he discussed included digital camera control settings for ISO,  Aperture (AV)  Shutter speed (TV). and equipment (tripods &  lighting). After the meeting Sean made himself available to discuss the equipment he brought for the presentation.

New Logo for SAG 2"13

Seacoast Artists Guild President, Woody Bower unveiled our Guild's new logo at the guild's general membership meeting . After explaining the lengthy process the board went through to solicit then select a contemporary looking logo to replace our legally expiring logo, Woody presented a check for $500 to the local business woman and graphic artist, Ann Hyde,  whose logo design won the logo contest.

Good reads: To Kill a Mocking Bird 2 '13

Once a year my  book club selects a classic novel to read.  This year's selection was  "To Kill a Mockingbird" , a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was immediately successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American Literature. 

 To add to the interest, our group  met at the home of one of our members and watched  the 1962 American drama film adaptation of Harper Lee's novel starring Gregory Peck.

 Then we compared and contrasted the both versions of the story over a southern luncheon composed of menu selections mentioned in the book.  E.g.  Brunswick Stew, and Bourbon-laced Lane Cake