Good Morning Gloucester

About Neal Hughes:

Check out his website here- https://www.nealhughes.com/about.htm

“New Jersey artist Neal Hughes uses his considerable artistic skills as an act of celebration and testament, and he is rewarded with inspiration that helps him make creative decisions that elevate his oil landscapes.”
– M. Stephen Doherty, Editor, American Artist Magazine.

Neal Hughes is a graduate of The Philadelphia College of Art (University of the Arts) and resides in the historic town of Moorestown , New Jersey .

A former illustrator, Neal has been painting professionally for over 30 years. His work has been accepted into many local and national juried exhibitions such as the American Impressionist Society National Exhibition and Oil Painters of America National and Regional Exhibitions. His work has also been juried into the International Marine Art Exhibition at the Gallery at Mystic Seaport, the ARC Salon and the National Exhibition of The American Society of Marine Artists.

Plein air painting awards include Best Plein Air painting December/January 2016 Plein Air Salon,  Artists Choice Award – Door County Plein Air Festival 2017, First Place – Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival 2017, Second Place – Cape Ann Plein Air 2017, Best Nocturne – Solomons Island Plein Air Festival 2017, Third Place – Lighthouse Plein Air Festival 2017, First Place and Artists Choice Award – Plein Air Rockies 2016, Second Place – Cape Ann Plein Air 2016, Artists Choice Award – Mountain Maryland Plein Air Festival 2016, Sourc Tek Award – Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival 2016, First Place – Bath County Plein Air Festival 2015, First Place quick draw – Plein Air Easton 2015, Best Use of Light – Easels in Frederick 2015, Wayne Art Center Award – Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival 2015, First Place – Lighthouse Art Center Plein Air Festival 2015.

Other awards include an Award of Excellence from Oil Painters of America at the 2012 Eastern Regional Exhibition, the Maritime Gallery Yachting Award and Awards of Excellence (2006 and 2013) at the prestigious International Marine Art Exhibition at the Gallery at Mystic Seaport. He was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence at the Fourteenth Annual Art of the Portrait Conference by the Portrait Society of America. In addition, Neal was the grand prize winner of the Utrecht 60th Anniversary Art Competition, winning the top prize out of over 12,000 entries and his work has been featured in Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, American Artist Magazine and other publications.

Neal was elected a “Fellow” of the American Society of Marine Artists and is also a member of the Salmagundi Club in NY, the American Impressionist Society and the Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.

About Cape Ann Plein Air 2019: https://capeannpleinair.com/

Cape Ann Plein Air’s (CAPA) mission is to preserve and promote Cape Ann’s legacy as the birthplace of American Plein Air painting, and enhance our local economy. This is made possible through the close collaboration of committed supporters from across the region —  businesses, regional arts and cultural organizations, and the Cape Ann communities of Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the Sea — working with CAPA organizers to offer a robust, weeklong program of painting competitions, exhibitions and education. 

I got my annual Serenitee email which added a free entree AND dessert to my card in celebration of my October birthday; which coincided perfectly with my plan to have dinner at Minglewood over the weekend. Our server Jamie expertly delivered our drinks, appetizer, meals and dessert. It was a delightful experience, made even better by a nearly 40% reduction in our final bill! A wonderful date night for us. It’s a no brained….get your own Serenitee card today!

Blood Orange Margarita (yum) and wine:

Fried pickles accompanied by a dill dip (genius move):

Baked Haddock and Baked Seafood Casserole:

Flourless Chocolate Torte:

As promised in last week’s podcast, Saturday I attended one of the many events the Essex Bicentennial Committee is sponsoring all year to celebrate the 200th birthday of Essex. This was a tour of the Ancient Burial Ground on Main Street in Essex. Delightfully presented by a number of players including Rebecca Axelrod, Barry B. O’Brien, David Gabor, Wendy Nunes, Alan Budreau, Laura Doyle, Mark Nelson, and Jim Witham along with Annie Archer, Heidi Jackson Dean, Laurel Eisenhauer, Diana Hughes, Jack Kippin, Susan Parady, Kim Porter, Robert Porter, Tricia Richards, April Wanner and Kurt Wilhelm. Thank  you to these volunteers for a fascinating look into the history of Essex as told by its founders.