Blue Ridge to Home - Morning Table

Time to head home from the mountains... I am always a little sad to leave... Lovely memories and images to take back home - wild turkeys on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the rhododendron are finally blossoming at our elevation, and, of course, our lovely birds and deer... You will see some of these over the next few days. The paintings are wet and had to be packed for transport. But before I go, I will share this 7 x 5 oil of our morning table...

Blue Ridge - Stone Bridge off Aho Road

The beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains is particularly found in the quiet, hidden places. Yesterday on a drive down the mountain to the city, we happened upon this stone bridge in just the right lighting to make us stop and take notice. Aho Road connects the Blue Ridge Parkway halfway between Boone and Blowing Rock. There are so many treasures hidden in the woods...

I thought I would take this one away with us as a 5 x 7 oil. Hope you like it...

Blue Ridge - Approaching Boone

It would be difficult to choose which is the more beautiful - the sunrise over the Carolina Coast or the sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains. There is a soul cleansing joy to being a part of this kaleidoscope show. As we drove across state, we approached the Blue Ridge at just the right hour to witness something too many of us take for granted and ignore nowadays...you know who you are as you spend hours nose to screen with TV, PDAs, Ipods, computers, etc. Look up. Look out. This 5x7 oil impression of last night's show may be a cliche, but my mind, my eyes, and my soul feel refreshed.

Carolina Coast - Beach Baby - Shells

There you go! Friday just completely got out of hand, and before you knew what happened - it was gone! What a happyily, busy day it was... and we have had a mob of people at Artspace today! I was just recounting a wonderful story from the beach a week or two ago with friends who dropped into the studio...so I thought you might enjoy seeing this image I shared with them...a cute beach baby searching shells...5 x 7 oil. In the meantime, I am closing up shop and heading west again for the weekend. You just can't beat being in Carolina in the summer.... two hours east to the white sandy shores of the Atlantic and three hours west to the beautiful Blue Ridge. What a tough choice!

Carolina Coast - Beach Beauties

You know we have some of the most beautiful coastline in the country right here in North Carolina. And although the coastline is serene and lovely, two weeks ago, when we were in Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk and Nags Head, I spent a couple of hours catching wonderful, fun poses on the beach...who needs models? This is a 7x5 oil that started the series...

Sunset in Boone

Sorry I missed posting this last night. Unfortunately, I am back in the city...that means a morning meeting at breakfast, a business women's luncheon, and an end of the year board meeting last night... No painting and little net communication yesterday. But here is the 5x7 oil of the sunset in Boone before we left on Monday. Hope you like it.

Good morning, deer!

Yes, up here on top of the mountain we have lovely deer who occasionally sleep in our back yard. So in the morning as we take our walk, we see them come out of the brush and head down the hill into the glade. Unfortunately, they think that the flower garden was set out just for them. It is a fine balance here. But I am so glad to have this time away from the city... This is a 5x7 Oil Sketch....

Blue Ridge on Father's Day

A lovely day that has gone from sun at daybreak to overcast to sun once again... that's the way it always seems to be in the Blue Ridge...unpredictable. But after spending time recalling memories with the special men in my life... father, husband, son...I took some time to record a sweet spot a short distance from here on Friendship Church Road. A quick 5x7 color study...

The studio in summer...

Here is the blog I promised all of you! The studio in summer is particularly busy between travel, workshops, portraits, and speaking events. Family factors prominently into this schedule as well. In the last two months, I have worked and/or visited in Boston, Washington DC, Reston, VA, Greesboro, NC, Morehead City, NC, Nag Head/Kill Devil Hills, NC, Boone/Blowing Rock, NC, and occasionally home in Raleigh! I will be including daily paintings (or almost daily paintings) with my posts. Since I work on large paintings for long periods of time, I will share (and sell) some of my preparatory sketches, thumbnail color sketches (5x7 and 8x10 panels), and plein aire "color notes." It is midnight...I will post a painting in the morning. Until then...