nantucket – StyleNectar

The Art of a Fly Fisherman

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"Albies at the Rip." Oil Painted Portrait of a Fly Fishing Catch on 24"x36" Canvas by Juliane Porter. Click for better, larger view.

Fly fishing is my husband’s practice; art is mine. For each of us, it’s a losing of the self within life’s rhythm. And though life is not a work of art and the moments cannot last forever, the fly fisherman’s line dances, catching fleeting glimpses into the elusive mystery of the sea just as the artist’s brush captures moments eternally in paint. And we realize the ebb and flow of all that is around us. One. Infinite. Beauty.

I took the opportunity to sit down with my husband, a dedicated fly fisherman, after capturing, eternally in oil paint, the moment in this painting. Please enjoy his insider's view into the Art of Fly Fishing as well as a few recommendations for three fantastic locations we’ve visited…

~What is the practice of fly fishing to you? Everything. It’s serene. And it can also be very exciting and cathartic.

~Interesting. May I ask in what way it is cathartic? It’s calming. You just relax. Your problems don’t seem very big, if you do have problems. It’s relaxing, reenergizing. Meditative.

~What brought you to fly fishing in the first place? I wanted to expand my love for the water and the outdoors and my passion for game-fishing which I’ve been doing since I was a young boy.

~What brought you to fishing as a young boy? Putting a line out there into this dark space where you couldn’t see, and the chance that something was going to tug on it from another world.

~Many people are familiar with fly fishing in fresh water streams. However, you love fly fishing not only in streams, but also surf fishing along ocean beaches, from your sea kayak and even in salt water estuaries. How do all these options impact your experience of the sport? These infinite options make it a bigger challenge; always having to stay in tune with infinite variables such as wind, tides, migratory patterns, weather conditions… It means you need to be in tune with what’s going on in nature.

~What are some impressive places you’ve fly fished recently along the East Coast? Fishing the Narragansett Bay while staying at The Inn of Castle Hill. Fly fishing around Nantucket while staying at The Wauwinet. Fly Fishing Montauk while staying at The 1770 House in East Hampton.

What do you do to decompress or get back to "center?"

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Art, Style

Sandy Highway

"Sandy Highway" 16" x 20" Oil on Canvas by Juliane Porter

Please click image for a better, larger view.

"Sandy Highway" is the latest oil painting in my Nantucket series. It's quite a journey to get to some of the isolated beaches of the Island, and always worth it. Please enjoy!

Feel free to leave your feedback in the comments below 🙂

All Love,

Juliane

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Art, Style

Summer Pedals

"Summer Pedals" Nantucket, Mass. 16" x 20" Oil on Canvas by Juliane Porter

Please click image for a better, larger view.

Today's officially the last day of Summer! Perfect timing to pay tribute with my latest oil painting, "Summer Pedals". This bike reminds me of the one my sister rode as a pre-teen, which was then passed down to me for many additional miles of transportation and fun around my beautiful hometown. Fond memories:)

Please enjoy!

All Love,

Juliane

What color was your first/favorite childhood bicycle?

Did you live in a town where you were able to independently ride your bike anywhere you wanted to go?

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Art, Style

Lazy Dunes

"Lazy Dunes", Oil on Canvas by Artist, Juliane Porter, Nantucket, MA,

Click image for a better, larger view.

Please enjoy my latest oil painting, "Lazy Dunes", one of many such idyllic scenes on Nantucket.

Visit www.JulianePorter.com to view more of my commissioned portraits, landscapes & private collection pieces.

Happy Lazy SummerDays 🙂

Love,

Juliane

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Art, Style

The Grey Lady

The Grey Lady, Oil on Canvas by Juliane Porter

(Please click image for a better, larger view)

The "Grey Lady" is the nickname for beautiful Nantucket Island, referring to her appearance from the sea when fog-bound. Please enjoy my oil painting of one of Nantucket's historic marinas, captured just as the magical mist is setting in.

As always, share your thoughts in the comments below.

And, feel free to visit www.JulianePorter.com to view more of my commissioned portraits, private collection pieces & more.

Love,

Juliane

If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it.

Art, Style

“Mo-o-o-m!” Oil on Canvas, Sleeping Mama Duck & Baby

"Mo-o-o-m!" 11 x 14 Oil on Canvas Painting by Juliane Porter, Nantucket, Mass. USA

(Please click image for a better, larger view)

I couldn't resist painting this sweet little duo floating near the dock of our cottage last summer. Mama duck, who was trying to catch a quick nap with her beak tucked into her back feathers, wasn't getting much cooperation from her spirited little one!

Please do let me know your thoughts. I always appreciate them a ton 🙂

Much Love,

Juliane

You may also enjoy:

Corner of the Marina

or

The Art of a Fly Fisherman

Art, Style

Corner of the Marina

Corner of the Marina, Nantucket, Mass, USA. Oil on canvas by Juliane Porter. www.StyleNectar.com

Corner of the Marina, is the third painting in my Chatham/Nantucket series. I fell in love with the reflections in the water and the light, happy feeling of being on Nantucket. There will always be something about water that I absolutely adore. The colors, the shimmer, it's power and vastness… it keeps things in perspective, like a great teacher.

According to Ayurveda, my dosha is Vata, which is woven from the elements of space and air. Jim is of the Pitta dosha, comprised of water and fire- so there's definitely something about this attraction to water for me:-)

What is your dosha? Take the quiz here. Then let us know what you are… feel free to share your thoughts on my painting too:-)

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Philosophy/Meditation/Spirituality

a peek inside my moleskine notebook

How about a few random, quick sketches from my Moleskine notebook today? I'm working on overcoming my fear of vulnerability and being that my sketchbooks feel private it seems a decent place to start. I stopped using pencil/eraser/charcoal long ago as I can't stand the contagious smear-factor & eraser confetti. Always pen. Fast. Energetic. No erasing.

Hmmm… Two topics are coming up: Art as it relates to life

&

An update on one of the series of experiments in the adventure of my life.

Art as it relates to life: I'm usually repelled by the latest bandwagon, preferring to take the path that speaks to my true nature. When things become too popular it's as if they lose their authenticity. But see, i'm already off-topic. And that's ok. Simply because it's not ok. So. What draws me to art is not only my history with it, having grown up drawing & painting as the daughter of an artist, but even more so, the ability art has to teach me presence. My second lesson (yes, I know, I skipped the 1st) in presence took place back in college. Though, at the time, I didn't realize I'd discovered 'presence' per se, just that I loved the experience more than anything else in the world…

There i'd stood for hours in the studio of the empty art building, late at night. floor-to-ceiling windows filled with dark evening, tall against the bright studio light. time had ceased. i'd been set free. one with brush, paint, the world, my canvas. nothing mattered. no problems. there was only purity. peace. love. gratitude.

I remember practically floating home to our off-campus house. Filled with joy. I'd found my life's calling!

I realize now that it doesn't matter what I do. It's not what but how. I suppose if I had to put it in terms of do, I want to… spend my life in presence. And for some lucky reason, painting has the capacity to illustrate that for me- what presence is. It's letting go. A freedom and easiness. Not trying hard. A commitment through simply showing up. Most importantly it has nothing to do with me. In fact, I learn how to get out of the way. I learn this through meditation also. And sometimes, yet rarely, through conscious choice no matter what I'm doing.

I'd like to continue to be a lot more open on StyleNectar, about things that really matter to me. Perhaps I'll share a poem and it will go unoticed by the masses. that's ok. Perhaps those readers who look forward to my healthed-up cupcakes will yawn at my favorite choral piece. No, I still don't think I'm going to begin photographing my food with tea-towels on a rotating variation of wood slabs. Yes, my photos will mostly be taken at dinnertime, after the natural light of day has unfortunately passed, when we're starving and just want to eat our food rather than wait for me to take pictures of it until it gets cold:-) No, probably no instagrams either.

I'm going to be me. Not that I haven't been. But I'm constantly growing and this blog is going to reflect that.

What was the other topic- I've already forgotten:-) Oh yes, An update on one of the series of experiments in the adventure of my life. As you may recall, this summer we launched head first into a Raw, Vegan lifestyle. It makes a person feel amazing! However, now that the weather is cooling and I've figured out just how much time it takes to strictly follow a raw, vegan lifestyle, I'm shifting to a nutritarian lifestyle. Basically, it's the same thing, just allowing for cooked food too! I'll share more on this later.

Until next time, here are a few quick sketches from my Moleskine which I may be turning into paintings one day soon. Oddly, the 1st two are my faves, yet they ended up posting incredibly tiny in an unfairly shrunken & sparse representation:-) If you're so inclined, feel free to click on them for a larger, better view.

I'll continue sharing a few pages here & there going forward.

xoxo

~juliane

sandy path to Madeket Beach, Nantucket, summer 2012.

some dunes, sand & ocean. Madaket Beach. Nantucket, summer 2012.

overlooking the front yard, driveway & woods, summer 2012.

partial view of cast iron urn of pansies on front steps. fall 2012.

sitting on the front steps. fall 2012.

Are you a meditator? If so, how did you get started?

Or, simply tell me what's going on with you so we can share your in your journey!

Style

Until Next Time, Nantucket ~ Part II

As promised, a few more snaps to share with you from one of our favorite places in the world, Nantucket Island.

(As always, click images for a better, larger view)

View Until Next time, Nantucket ~ Part I

You may also enjoy: Lobster Rolls, it's Summertime!

Food

Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle

As promised here is the delicious Chilled Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle recipe I made from our garden's prolific carrot harvest… It's a lovely French recipe combining cool, luxuriously silky, sweet, carrot puree with unctious lemon-buttered pastas tossed in fresh dill.

THE perfect light yet decadent meal for this hot, steamy weather.

Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle

Chilled Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter (separated)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 pound carrots peeled and sliced into coins (if they're baby carrots don't peel)
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups farfalle pasta
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (separated)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Method:

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sautee until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the carrots, honey and nutmeg and continue to sautee for another 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes until the carrots are softened.
Puree the liquid using an immersion blender or in a Vitamix for the silkiest, smooth result possible. Stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into the soup. Chill for a few hours or overnight.
Prior to serving, cook the farfalle pasta to package directions. Drain and return to pot with 1 tablespoon of butter and stir to coat. Add the fresh chopped dill and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the pasta and combine.
Ladle the chilled carrot soup into shallow serving bowls. Divide the dilled pasta amongst the soup bowls, mounding a small amount in the center of each bowl.

Enjoy!

Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle

PS. Don't forget to check out StyleNectar's convenient Recipe Index!

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