Well, the cat's out of the bag so to speak and We are just launching our first pilot class for Cork and Canvas and new and innovative idea to bring fun and entertainment to our gallery at Maple and Main. We will be hosting at least on night a month… maybe more it if it takes off a Painting Party! A fun and relaxing evening with friends, enjoying your own wine and snacks while I'll be instructing step by step how to paint a painting. No experience necessary… lots of fun! Stay tuned….

I'm happy to announce that 6 of my latest pieces will be on exhibit and for sale at the Winter Show. -

 The Winter Show at Maple and Main Gallery will be celebrated with a special party featuring gourmet pizza and a wine tasting Saturday, January 25.

 All new art by 33 Connecticut artists in a wide variety of medium, sizes, styles and outlook will be offered. The small works gallery will be filled with little paintings and our Snow Show continues in the new back gallery.

 The artists will be on hand at the Jan. 25th opening from 5 to 8 p.m. to show visitors around the exhibit. In addition to appetizers and wine, the gallery is hosting a pizza party from 6 to 7 pm when pizza from the new Otto Restaurant, owned by renowned River Tavern, will be served.

 Along with the pizza, Chester Package Store will do a wine tasting of wines that might go well with fun, informal meals

 The Winter Show runs from Jan. 22 through March 26.


Where: Maple and Main Gallery, 
1 Maple Street, Chester, CT 06412

Gallery Hours:
Wed 11am - 6pm
Thurs. 11am- 6pm
Fri. 11am- 7pm
Sat. 11am- 6pm
Sun 11am-5pm

I'm hoping now that I'm caught up with the rest of the artists who are in the challenge I can take some time to look at some of the beautiful artwork the other artists have been creating this month during the challenge.
Here's the link to go to Leslie Saeta's blog http://www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com

It's truly amazing the number of artists from around the world who are participating… i think Leslie said during her weekly "Artist Helping Artists" blog talk radio show, over 400 artists!  And if all artists do 30 paintings this month that would be … 12000 pieces of artwork to look at on Leslie's blog! That just blows me away!

Here's a cooking tip from Dean for hard boiled eggs… click here to go to Full Plate Colorful Palette… our new blog!

Ok I finally caught up but now I have to get my paintbrushes ready to begin again in the morning…
This has been a very fun challenge so far. Although I love the dog challenge and I still have one more dog portrait commission to finish up… painting still lifes has been a breath of fresh air… I had been working so much from photographs lately that I forgot how much fun I have setting up little kitchen vignettes .., Dean has been very cooperative and doesn't seem to mind all that much that my easel is smack dab in the middle of the kitchen or my paints and canvas share the dining room table when we eat. 

I still have to work on a few new pieces to put in the upcoming show at Maple and Main Gallery that opens on January 25th…. I'm no where near ready…. looking forward to my nice comfy bed now, it's been a very long painting day today...

I just love painting glass and water.. the more I look the more I find so many different colors…
I could have worked on this painting all day but I was on deadline! The artichoke sat so nicely in this little glass container… I'm thinking I might add a few more to create a centerpiece cluster of artichokes in water for our dining room table…
Dean has a few photos and I think he's share his stuffed artichoke recipe on our food blog…
Full Plate Colorful Palette….

I spent the day today catching up with the challenge… all day! I had 4 paintings to finish and I did it! Each one took approximate 2 - 2 and half hours … yup 10 hours of painting! Yeaks.. I'm going to tired tomorrow!
So this post will be on the short side….
I do know that Dean has a wonderful post for Meatballs and Tomato Sauce… 
I'll be posting that one soon… on our new blog Full Plate Colorful Palette.

I can remember back in 2009 I took an oil painting at Hartford Art School. As one of my assignments we had to panting a very large canvas 20 x 24…. I think….. of tomatoes and eggplants…
Even though I don't have the painting any more… here's a picture…

Well this little pear is a sneaky one… my plan for the challenge was to paint a variety of foods and/or kitchen items and didn't think there was a need to repeat any subjects, I mean really, the ideas are endless when it comes to painting food and kitcheny stuff ….. but…. 

 I just couldn't resist putting this exquisitely shaped, magnificently colored pear into  my morning still life painting!

 As I was sipping my coffee, sitting at the dinning room table I glanced into the kitchen and the morning sunlight  was streaming across the counter catching the green spiky top of the pineapple just so…

After slicing the pineapple, I rested it on it's side and before you know it … 

the pear was calling "Me, Me … look at Me….. my colors they harmonize so perfectly with the pineapple and my curves they mirror the curves on the knife handle"… and that's how the pear made it's second debut!

Dean came into the kitchen poured himself a cup of coffee and said." Really? what do you want me to make with a pineapple and pear? Got any ideas?"

And I blurted out… " Pineapple, Pear and Coconut Pie!"

At first he shook his head no… but on his way out the door he said….'hummm that might taste really good… … ok… I'll give it a try".

So a new recipe just might be born…. you'll have to stay tune… and if it doesn't… on to the next… 

Update: Here's the link to Dean's recipe… we didn't have any coconut in the house so it's just Pineapple and Pear Pie… but I have to say… it was so delicious and definitely for sweet tooth!

I love painting lemons! I just love the shape and all the different colors that reflect off the lemon peel. After I painted these lemons Dean came down to my studio and carried them off to use in our dinner tonight. 

He made pork chops with a lemon, garlic and parsley marinade. It was so delicious! 

I will definitely share the recipe when I get him to write it down. He's been working all evening on two other blog posts so I couldn't press him to write one more. 

I have to fill you in on a little secret. 

My husband Dean is not a writer and in fact he doesn't like to write at all. 

When he has to compose a letter or send emails he likes to use his iPad and use the dictation app. Although I have to say, when he does write a letter… I'm always very impressed by the way he so elegantly expresses himself. I'm really surprised he agreed to working on a blog together but so far I think he's done a really good job. 

But between the two of us we still can't spell so you'll just had to put up with the typos… sorry. 

Thanks for viewing my art 
Linda

Update: Here's the link to Pork Chops with Lemon, Garlic and Parsley Recipe… how you enjoy it!

It seems like I've been working so much from photos in the past few months that this challenge has been great for me to get back into painting still lifes. Although the rings on the onion were getting me a little dizzy trying to keep them separate, I'm very happy with the way the whole onion came out. I added the background colors with a palette knife letting a little bit of the underpainting to poke through. 

I'm glad that my studio was warm enough today to paint in. The past few days it's been so cold I brought all my paints upstairs and painted at the dining room table near the fireplace. 

Dean's working on his blog post … so stay tuned… I'll add the link in later when he finishes his part.