Cheers!

Tags

bars, bartender, bartending, cocktails, dining room, drinking, drinks, gourmet, gourmet kitchen, happy hour, kitchen, kitchen art, martini, martini bar, martini glass, sharon cummings, sharon cummings art

Colorful martini glass art with two olives. It’s happy hour!

SEE MORE HERE!

Red Hot Chili Petals!

Tags

chilis, dinging room art, floral, floral art, flower art, flower petals, flower prints, flowers, food, food art, kitchen, kitchen art, petals, red art, red hot chili peppers, sharon cummings art, sharon cummings paintings, warming, warmth

This will warm you up! Modern abstract mosaic art in warm colors with a shock of red.

SEE MORE HERE!

Crustaceans R.O.C.K!

Tags

animal, beach, beach home, beach house, beachy, buy, buy lobster print, buy lobster prints, cafe, claws, coastal, coastal living, colorful, colorful lobster, cooked lobster, decor, dinning, eatery, eating, festive, florida, food, gourmet, home, house, kitchen, lobster, lobster claw, lobsters, maine, maine lobster, maine lobsterpot, ocean, primary colors, print, prints, red lobster, restaurant, sea, sea shore, seafood, seashore, seaside, shoreline, tropical, tropical decor

 

“Colorful Lobster”

New Art Work Mixed Media Painting Collage

Sharon Cummings

2014

.

.

.

.

.

.

Catch a R.A.I.N.B.O.W…

Tags

angler, animal, cabin, cabin art, catch, chef, color, colorful fish, cook, cooking, fins, fish, fish fry, fishing lure, fly, fly fishing, food, fresh, fresh catch, fresh water, freshwater, game fish, gourmet, illustration, kitchen, lure, montana, mounted fish, natural, nature, painting, rainbow, rainbow trout, rustic, seafood, sharon cummings, sport, sport fishing, spots, stream, stream fishing, streams, trout, water, water color, watercolor, wilderness

“Rainbow Trout”

Colorful Mixed Media Art Painting

Sharon Cummings

2014

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Lap Of L.U.X.U.R.Y…

Tags

art, bar, chardonnay, chef, classy, cocktails, cook, cooking, dining room, dinner, drinking, drinks, eating, fine dining, gourmet, happy hour, kitchen, luxury, moscato, pinot grigio, restaurant, restaurant art, riesling, sauvignon blanc, semillon, sharon cummings, white, white wine, wine, wine bottle, wine glass, wines

“Lap Of Luxury”

Prismacolor Pencils/Pantone Markers

Sharon Bratcher Cummings

1993

The first picture is a crop and modified version of the second which I decided to list as a print that can be made as large as 60 inches long!

The full image was created by me in 1993 while I was in college working on my art degree.  I used colored pencils and markers to get the textures and colors that you see.  My Mom actually owns the original, so I had to scan my copy.

 

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Gettin’ F.R.E.S.H…

Tags

art, breakfast, cafe, dining, dining room, dinning, eating, food, fruit, fruit smoothie, gourmet, health food, healthy, healthy food, kitchen, kitchen art, meals, raw, raw food, raw foodist, restaurant, salad, smoothie, strawberries, strawberry, vegan, vegetarian, veggie

“Fresh Strawberries”

Sharon (Bratcher) Cummings

Circa 1992

Colored Pencils

I cannot say I am a big fan of colored pencils, but I am glad I tried this medium. Through the process of working with pencils and pastels, I learned that I like a much slicker feel in my hands.  I have more control over inks, markers and paint.

Just S.M.I.L.E.

Tags

arrangement, art, bathroom, beautiful, bedroom, botanical, botanical art, botanical painting, botanical prints, bud, buds, cottage, cottage art, country, country cottage, elegance, elegant, feminine, floral, floral arrangement, flower, flower buds, flowers, garden, gardening, happiness, happy, health, health benefits, healthy living, kitchen, ladies slippers, lady slipper, orchid, orchids, phaphiopedilum, photo, photograph, photography, rich, sharon cummings, smile, smiling, soft, table, traditional, vase, vases, yellow orchid

 

It’s so simple.  Just smile.  Even if you have to look at cute videos on YouTub of babies laughing or puppies sleeping, it’s a great way to improve your health and it makes you feel good about yourself.  Below are some of the rewards of lifting those cheeks:

1.  It Lower Heart Rate – Smiling slows the heart and relaxes the body. People who smile and laugh often are less likely to develop heart disease. Smiling reduces blood pressure temporarily too.

2.  It Reduce Stress – Stress relief may be as simple as smiling a little more throughout the day. Smiling releases endorphins that counteract and diminish the stress hormones.

3.  It Increase Productivity – Smiling has been shown to increase productivity while performing tasks. There’s truth to the “whistle while we work” mentality. This also explains why silly internet memes and pictures of cute animals can actually get people motivated and working harder after a few moments of smiling or laughter.

4.  It is a natural Pain Killer – Smiling and laughter both have been shown to lessen pain. They release endorphins that lift our moods, but many of these act as natural painkillers too.

5.  It Increase Attention – Stress limits our perceptions and narrows our attention. Our body kicks into fight or flight mode where we can focus only on one of those things. Smiling counteracts this and widens our attention again, opening us back up to multitasking and insights that come from the fringes of our perception and our subconscious.

6.  It is Contagious – Around 50% of people smile back. This spreads the health benefits throughout those around you and it comes back to you several times as well.

7.  It makes you more Attractive!  – Smiling makes people look more appealing. This seems to be especially true for women. Men are more likely to approach a woman who smiles than one who simply makes eye contact while women aren’t necessarily drawn in by a smile alone.

8.  It makes You Look Younger – Smiles naturally lift the face and in studies have shown to make people look younger, around 3 years younger on average.

9.  It increases Longevity – The effects of a good smile extend past just the exterior good looks. People who smile more often live longer too, around 7 years longer than most according to one study. It releases stress, helps the heart, and much more to keep you healthy longer.

10.  It Boosts the Immune System – Smiles help the body relax and this lets the immune system react more quickly and effectively against invaders.

So C’mon…………………………………………………..S.M.I.L.E. 🙂

.

.

.

.

My Petals Are All W.E.T…..

Tags

arrangement, art, bathroom, beautiful, bedroom, botanical, botanical art, botanical painting, bud, buds, cottage, cottage art, country, country cottage, dew, dew drops, droplets, elegance, elegant, feminine, floral, floral arrangement, flower, flower buds, flowers, fuschia orchid, garden, gardening, hot pink orchid, kitchen, orchid, orchids, phalaenopsis, photo, photograph, photography, purple orchid, rain, rain drops, rich, sharon cummings, soft, table, traditional, vase, vases

 

It’s that time of year when all of the flowers are blooming and these quick little showers show up out of nowhere. My orchids look fabulous this Spring!  I can mostly get phalaenopsis to re-bloom year after year. When I buy some from a store or garden shop, I let them live out their flowering lives in my home.  When they are all done, I just stick them under the oak trees and they love it!  I do not do anything else to them.  I just let nature water and care for them.  The white and hot pink especially like to show their pretty little petals for me.  We just had one of those morning showers that leaves everything all sparkly with water droplets….I couldn’t resist!

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Out Of This World!

Tags

arrangement, art, bathroom, beautiful, bedroom, botanical, botanical art, botanical painting, bud, buds, cottage, cottage art, country, country cottage, elegance, elegant, feminine, floral, floral arrangement, flower, flower buds, flowers, garden, gardening, kitchen, orchid, orchids, phalaenopsis, photo, photograph, photography, rich, sharon cummings, soft, table, traditional, vase, vases, white orchids

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/ethereal-orchid-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

I found this beauty at Selby Gardens in Sarasota Florida.  It’s just a phalaenopsis of the more common variety.  But once I got the photo home and did a little magic, I was able to create a ghostly almost ethereal effect.  

A busy day here…..I am going to do another show in March!  But I will keep new work coming when I can. 🙂

An Apple A Day…

Tags

abstract, apple, apples, art, artwork, beautiful art, beautiful paintings, beautiful prints, blue, brown, cafe, canvas art, canvas paintings, canvas prints, contemporary, crimson, diet, food and beverage art, food and beverage paintings, fruit, fruits, garnet, golden, gourmet, health, health benefits of apples, health foods, healthy eating, kitchen, modern, nutrition, painting, pear, restaurant, sharon cummings art, sharon cummings paintngs, sharon cummings prints, still life, still life art, still life paintings, yellow

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/an-apple-a-day-colorful-fruit-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

Or maybe two…..Tis the season for apples!  Apple pie.  Apple cider.  Apple and cinnamon candles.  In our home an apple for the teacher too!  Americans have always had a big love for this crisp, sweet and healthy fruit.  Here are 14 health benefits to eating this great food:

1. Get whiter, healthier teeth

An apple won’t replace your toothbrush, but biting and chewing an apple stimulates the production of saliva in your mouth, reducing tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria.

2. Avoid Alzheimer’s

A new study performed on mice shows that drinking apple juice could keep Alzheimer’s away and fight the effects of aging on the brain. Mice in the study that were fed an apple-enhanced diet showed higher levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and did better in maze tests than those on a regular diet.

3. Protect against Parkinson’s

Research has shown that people who eat fruits and other high-fibre foods gain a certain amount of protection against Parkinson’s, a disease characterized by a breakdown of the brain’s dopamine-producing nerve cells. Scientists have linked this to the free radical-fighting power of the antioxidants contained therein.

4. Curb all sorts of cancers

Scientists from the American Association for Cancer Research, among others, agree that the consumption of flavonol-rich apples could help reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by up to 23 per cent. Researchers at Cornell University have identified several compounds—triterpenoids—in apple peel that have potent anti-growth activities against cancer cells in the liver, colon and breast. Their earlier research found that extracts from whole apples can reduce the number and size of mammary tumours in rats. Meanwhile, the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. has recommended a high fibre intake to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

5. Decrease your risk of diabetes

Women who eat at least one apple a day are 28 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who don’t eat apples. Apples are loaded with soluble fibre, the key to blunting blood sugar swings.

6. Reduce cholesterol

The soluble fibre found in apples binds with fats in the intestine, which translates intolower cholesterol levels and a healthier you.

7. Get a healthier heart

An extensive body of research has linked high soluble fibre intake with a slower buildup of cholesterol-rich plaque in your arteries. The phenolic compound found in apple skins also prevents the cholesterol that gets into your system from solidifying on your artery walls. When plaque builds inside your arteries, it reduces blood flow to your heart, leading to coronary artery disease.

8. Prevent gallstones

Gallstones form when there’s too much cholesterol in your bile for it to remain as a liquid, so it solidifies. They are particularly prevalent in the obese. To prevent gallstones, doctors recommend a diet high in fibre to help you control your weight and cholesterol levels.

9. Beat diarrhea and constipation

Whether you can’t go to the bathroom or you just can’t stop, fibre found in apples can help. Fibre can either pull water out of your colon to keep things moving along when you’re backed up, or absorb excess water from your stool to slow your bowels down.

10. Neutralize irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain and bloating. To control these symptoms doctors recommend staying away from dairy and fatty foods while including a high intake of fibre in your diet.

11. Avert hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are a swollen vein in the anal canal and while not life threatening, these veins can be very painful. They are caused by too much pressure in the pelvic and rectal areas. Part and parcel with controlling constipation, fibre can prevent you from straining too much when going to the bathroom and thereby help alleviate hemorrhoids.

12. Control your weight

Many health problems are associated with being overweight, among them heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. To manage your weight and improve your overall health, doctors recommend a diet rich in fibre. Foods high in fibre will fill you up without costing you too many calories.

13. Boost your immune system

Red apples contain an antioxidant called quercetin. Recent studies have found thatquercetin can help boost and fortify your immune system, especially when you’re stressed out.

14. Prevent cataracts

Though past studies have been divided on the issue, recent long-term studies suggest that people who have a diet rich in fruits that contain antioxidants—like apples—are 10 to 15 per cent less likely to develop cataracts.

Who knew?

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/a-good-apple-fruit-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html