Mabry's Mill

Parkway Series #86   11 x 14   oil   SOLD

Mabry's Mill is closed for the winter.  However, my husband and I were there on the last day they were open, back in November.  It was rainy and cold and the grist mill (which has been painted at least a million times by local artists) was not particularly photographic that day.  As we waited to eat at the restaurant, we were entertained by a wonderful quartet of musicians.  Virginia's music and Virginia's mountains are inseparable, so I determined in November that this was definitely an image I needed to include in my series.

Rhododendron

Parkway Series #85    11 x 14    oil    Sold

I am looking forward to Spring on the Parkway!!! Look at the bud on this rhododendron! Even in freezing temps, this one must be looking forward to Spring too.  After the snows melt and the days get longer we should have a fabulous Spring.  I am excited about studying the wildflowers and learning a lot about the order in which everthing blooms.  Guess I need to start reading now!

Snowy Valley

Parkway Series #84   11 x 14   oil    Sold

It is very hard to get photos of the valley in snow because there is even more snow at higher elevations.  This is a shot from Parkway Wesleyan looking back at the ridge on which the Parkway runs.  I have actually painted the valley from the overlook on the mountains in the distance so it was interesting to get a view from the other side.

Zero Degree Weather

Parkway Series #83   11 x 14   oil    $85.

With wind chill factors in the zero range, I am relying on photos from several weeks ago.  I love hiking but not in this weather!!  If anyone has photos of their favorite places on the Parkway, please email them to me.  At least the snow will stay around for a long, long time.  Before the winter is over, I may take a week's "vacation" from winter and paint summer again, just for fun and relief from the "blues" of winter!

Vertical Lines

Parkway Series #82    11 x 14   oil    $85.

If lines dominate a painting, I would rather have diagonal or vertical lines than horizontal.  Vertical lines have a more majestic feel.  They point to the heavenlies; they have a reverence about them; they form a path for more eye movement.  Shape, however, is necessary for contrast.  The dark shape of the background trees to the right and the smaller shapes of leaves keep the eye from traveling off the top of the painting and force  attention back to the diagonal shadows on the ground.  The diagonal shadows were actually the element that attracted my attention in the first place.

Shape vs. Line

Parkway Series #81  11 x 14   oil   Sold

A problem with winter landscapes is too many lines.  Trees without leaves are nothing but lines in varying widths.  Even the leaves that remain sometimes appear as random dots instead of interesting shapes. I like this painting because of the more successful shapes and fewer lines.

Happy New Year

Parkway Series #80   11 x 14  oil   $85.

Happy New Year to all!  And Go Hokies!