Life has been absolutely lovely these last couple of months while hubby & I took a little break. We spent a week in, (and around) beautiful Black Mountain, NC. I was lucky enough to attend a few (group & private) art classes with Nadine Charlsen at 310 ART in Asheville. Meanwhile, hubby took an intensive, week long course at the Warren Wilson College, located in Swannanoa, learning the art of Banjo building from the Pisgah Banjo Company masters.
I painted this:
and he built this:
I’d say we both came away with something to treasure.
Hubby thinks the trip isn’t worth the drive unless there is a sweet valley to view and a gravel road to navigate. We had both — going and returning home. Pictures cannot do any of it justice, and apparently I have an issue with driving in fog that triggers anxiety. (Luckily, it’s nothing a litlle ole’ martini can’t fix.)
We took our time driving to our destination in Black Mountain, NC, and spent one night in Highlands, NC at the cute Chandler Inn.
Photo from TheChandlerInn.com
The next morning we drove thru the cutest valley, and although it was a little early in the season for lots of greenery and blooms, the daffodils were peeking up from the ground. This little cottage was a dream, and it backed up to the side of the mountain. It was so beautiful.
Driving back, we took a detour thru Boone, and spent the night in one of the cabins at the state park in Roan Mountain. It was cozy with rocking chairs on the front porch, no internet and no tv – our kind of place.
We managed to squeeze in a quick hike in Carvers Gap near the top of Roan Mountain before heading home.
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Now for the BIG NEWS! I’m getting an ArT StUdIo!!! I guess if you have your paints, canvases, markers, brushes and other paraphernalia all over the bed, couch, dining table, and every other horizontal surface in the small house – it doesn’t take long before hubby feels a little empathy for his budding artist. He totally gets that having (most of) the lower level of the 2,200 square ft workshop is a treasure!
A couple of weekends ago, I was visiting my parents, daughter and granddaughter in East Tennessee, and this little cutie and I “framed” her into a little hideout. Meanwhile… little did I know…
It has since been wired and insulated. We are now waiting the installation of drywall! I am so excited to be getting a dedicated place to create! Hopefully it will be done before the next post, and I can share a “studio reveal.”
In the meantime – new watercolor and mixed media art is going on display and for sale at The Square Market & Cafe in downtown Columbia for the month of April. The showing has over 40 original paintings by 8 local artists. If you are close to Columbia, swing by for a yummy bite to eat, and enjoy the display. Here are some of mine (before they were framed).
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* If you would like a print or note cards of any of the paintings in the slideshow, just email me, and I will get back to you on pricing – otherwise – feel free to head over to The Square Market & Cafe in Columbia and purchase any of the exhibiting artists’ original work for your very own!
Until next month…