"Mud Pit Below"

Oil on linen on panel, 9 x 12 inches, $300

If you live in North Carolina, then you're familiar with Pilot Mountain, which is located near Andy Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy. In his TV show of the 1960s, the fictional town of "Mount Pilot" (obviously a composite of the two names) was mentioned in several episodes. Speaking of the Andy Griffith show, if you haven't seen my interview of actress Betty Lynn, who played Barney's girlfriend Thelma Lou on the show, check it out on YouTube.

I painted this view of Pilot Mountain from the Jomeokee Park campground. Each year they sponsor a Marine Mud Run and that's the finish line mud pit, below the mountain.

Here are a few photos of me and my plein air painting buddies at the campground. As you can see, I was protected from the sun under a picnic shelter. Inspirational views were everywhere! I'll have to visit again!

"Bocce Court View" SOLD

Oil on linen on panel, 10 x 8 inches

Earlier this summer a Triad Outdoor Painters (TOP) member invited us to do some painting on her property out in the country. The vast land around her home was beautifully landscaped (mostly by her husband) and yet, this rusty old water tower is what caught my eye. The slightly neglected bocce court was in her yard and harmonized nicely with the tower which was located across the street.

"Catawba at the Homestead"

Oil on canvas panel, 9 x 12 inches, $300

Last weekend I joined other Triad Outdoor Painters (TOP) members for some plein air painting at the historic Reynolds Homestead in Virginia. We were there to kick off a TOP exhibition which will be on display until August 23. I have six pieces in the exhibition. As a subject, that day, I chose this beautiful, old Southern Catawba tree. I just love the shape of it and the gnarled trunk!
 

Below are some photos taken that day. In the first one, I'm on the far left, beside a mailbox and hidden behind leaves of the tree I'm under. It was threatening rain the whole time we were there, so I wanted to be at least partially protected. It did finally rain towards the end, so the precaution paid off. In the other two photos you can see my view of the Homestead. TOP members were "staked out" throughout the site, though. About eight of us in all.

"Old Salem Bakery"

Oil on canvas panel, 8 x 10 inches, $250

I started this painting during a paint out sponsored by the PAINTNC group based in Raleigh, NC. That day I only had enough time to establish a rough block-in, so I made a couple more trips to Old Salem to complete it. Old Salem is located in Winston-Salem, which is about a 30 minute drive for me. It was originally founded in 1766 and the subject of this painting, Winkler Bakery, was constructed in 1800 and restored in 1968 with an 1818 rear porch. That's the rear porch you see in the painting. There are so many beautiful historic buildings in Old Salem - I just might have to visit again!

The photo below was taken during the paint out and shows me working on the initial block-in.

"Wet Traces of High Tide"

Oil on linen on panel, 6 x 8 inches, $150

I just returned from a short visit to Ocean Isle Beach. This time of year the water is too cold to go swimming in, for my taste, so I completed a painting "en plein air" instead. I painted from the far east end of Ocean Isle Beach and that strip of green in the distance is Holden Beach.

In the photo of my setup, below, you can tell better that the two beaches are actually divided by a sound. I almost changed my vantage point to paint that sound, but the wet sand which remained from high tide was so interesting - and also served as a good "lead in" to the scene. What you can't tell from the photo is what a windy day it was. Several times I had to stop my easel from blowing over and even a few paint brushes took off flying!

"Clouds Over Cook's Wall"

 

 Oil on linen on panel, 6 x 8 inches, $150

This view of Cook's Wall is from a spot in Germanton, NC. From this vantage point Hanging Rock can be seen in the distance, too. But it is much further to the right and so I didn't include it in the composition.

My painting buddies and I were sitting in a field of tall grass that was literally filled with grasshoppers. You can see a couple of them on my backpack, in the photo below. Cute little critters... who really know how to bite!

"Beyond the Hay Field"

Oil on linen on panel, 6.5 x 8.5 inches, $150

This hay field belongs to one of my painting students, Sarah and her nephew, Steve. Thanks to both of them for letting me paint there! I started out sitting in a little strip of shade that had formed beside a shed. I was hoping that, as the day unfolded, the sun would move in a direction that would widen that strip.

But, as you can see in the photo below, the sun didn't cooperate and I found myself repositioning the easel a few times as the strip of shade narrowed. Eventually there was nowhere left to go and my painting was at the mercy of direct sunlight. I see now why some plein air painters use an umbrella to shade their canvas!