The Road Ahead

Parkway Series #324   12 x 16   oil    Sold

After painting 324 Parkway paintings, I have decided that this is the style to which I aspire.  I want the realism of color and light with the loose impressionistic brush strokes of the great impressionist painters.  So much of the time I get too concerned with the details and forget the big picture.  I need to focus on the shapes and the composition.  I have seen great improvement in the area of color and light over the last year; now that I am slowing down and not pushing to complete a painting every day, I have time to evaluate and think about the direction of the road ahead.

Wildflowers

Parkway Series # 323  12 x 16   oil    Sold

Blooms and buds are everywhere in the valley.  The season is delayed a week or so at each interval of elevation, however, I had to paint an introduction to Spring with the arrival of  the anemones and the bluebells.

Moonscape

Parkway Series #322   12 x 16   oil    Sold

I would really like to do a series of  "moonscapes" but I have not had the right moments to really capture the essence of that dramatic light over the mountains.  I will be taking photos at dusk more often;  painting "en plein air" at that time of day is definitely not an option!!  This image was captured around milepost 108.

Sunset on the Parkway

Parkway Series #321  12 x 16   oil    Sold

This is a scene from around milepost 111.  Painting the time of day is an interesting objective;  the position of the sun or moon changes a painting dramatically.  After the incredible lunar views we observed last week, I am attempting some late afternoon and night "moonscapes"  this week.

Ochre and Purple

Parkway Series #320   12 x 16   oil   Sold

After painting greens and pinks for a while, I have decided to return to the burnt siennas  and ochres of winter and early spring.  Friday is supposed to be beautiful so I plan to take a lot of photos and start working more currently.  The photos from "yesterday" are getting tiresome and I really want to paint on location and in the season.

Rhodes, Close-Up

Parkway Series #319   12 x 16   oil    SOLD

The rhododendron at the Peaks usually bloom in mid May; their color in incredible!  The season is short so make plans to see the wild rhodes along the Parkway but stop at the Peaks (milepost 90) for a feast for your eyes and your stomach; the food is also great!

"Rhodes" at the Peaks

Parkway Series # 318  12 x 16   oil   Sold

Pretty soon I will be on my hunt for rhododendron.  This is a new painting from last year's expedition.  With all the rain we are getting, the spring should be filled with color and excitement and new life everywhere!!!....in just a few more weeks.

Spring View of Mt. Mitchell

Parkway Series #317   12 x 16   oil    SOLD

The red bud trees in this view of Mt. Mitchell  caught my eye as my husband and I journeyed home from Asheville last Spring. The North Carolina mountains are much higher and more rugged than the Virginia mountains;  there are more spruce than in Virginia and the evergreen trees are a different variety.  I need to be more educated on the types of trees but I have borrowed a book on the wildflowers and when they bloom; so I have some research to keep me busy for a while.  I am excited to look for new signs of life this Spring!

Linville Falls Path

Parkway Series #316    12 x 16   oil   Sold

As I hiked back up the hill from Linville Falls last April, the sky was so blue and the sun so warm that I had to paint this scene to remind me of the sights and sensations of that day.  It is amazing how the senses can trigger so many special memories of places and events in our past.  As a child growing up on a farm with many acres of land to explore, I loved being in the "woods". I had a special place under a tree where the moss was so soft, where I would sit for hours just listening to the woodland sounds. Those days of blue skies and carefree hikes through the woods have been a major influence in my passion to paint 300+ Parkway paintings.

2011 Marathon

Parkway Series #315  16 x 20   oil   Commissioned by Friends of Blue Ridge Parkway for 2011 Marathon

The second annual Parkway marathon is planned for mid April.  Be on the lookout for information in the media; this is an amazing 26 mile race with runners from all over the country participating.  It was a huge success last year as a fundraiser for the Parkway.  Click on the Parkway logo on my blog and go to the e-newsletter for February to see how you can be involved in this amazing event!!!!

Pink Passion

Parkway Series #314   !2 x 14   oil    Sold

Last Spring it seemed there were only a few weeks of dogwood and red bud blossoms.  This "season" passes so quickly that I decided to get a head start on it.  Spring is so rejunvenating after a long cold winter;  I am waiting in anticipation of  the pinks and magentas appearing so I can enjoy my passion of painting on the Parkway!!!