As you look at Paul McMahan's watercolors, you cannot help but recognize the colorful influence of his coastal New England environment. The coastal colors and watery influences of maritime history and quaint small towns show up in each piece.

Serene, peaceful, calm and trans-portative are the words which pop into my head each time I see one of Dianne McNaughton’s paintings. She gathers a great deal of inspiration from the natural beauty found around her home in South Africa and her travels.

Lost in happiness, beauty, color, joy. That is how I feel when I dive into the art of Kim Rodeffer Funk, our Artist of the Month.  One look at these swaths of color, these fireflies of light, these feelings of deep artistic beauty, and you, too, will fall in love.

You know the drill - scroll through social media sites, see what pops up. I don't really like the cat and dog photos, the gifs of people doing the same thing over and over again every half second. I look for beauty, creativity, originality. And each day, I am rewarded by artist Jennifer R. Cook.

Sometimes, an artist has such talent for looking within their subject. They specialize in seeing things others don't, and sharing a glimpse of the soul.

People are so creative. I’m always amazed by our Artists of the Month – such talent and inspiration! That goes for Max Scratchmann, our current Artist of the Month. He’s funny, creative, and a real renaissance man.

Sometimes you run across an artist and just love their view of the world. Such is the case with artist Alyssa Parsons. Once discovered, I couldn't get enough of her art! It's playful, with a touch of humor that you don't often see, in art. She also has a serious side, with beautiful landscapes and detailed portraits.

Tom Ackley, Tropical Artist by Josh Garrick. In 2001, when Tom Ackley left his hometown of Chicago to come to Florida, he quickly became immersed in the extraordinary range of activities Florida has to offer.  Like the Ernest Hemingway of the painting set, surfing, fishing and kayaking became his passions – and the subject matter for his Art. 

Artist of the Month (June 2011):  the “living legend” Harold Garde
By Josh Garrick