Another Roanoke Ghost Story near The Blue Ridge Parkway and Murphy is Stalking me again...

My Artwork

Poppies and Lace   Original 30"x40" Oil Painting     $2425

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Roanoke City Ghost Story

I keep thinking I am going to move on to other interesting aspects of the New River Valley and The Blue Ridge Parkway and then I find another ghost story to share!  Ghost stories are so much fun and I didn't know about any of these until this year!

Here is another Roanoke one!

At The Patrick Henry Motel there are a number of ghostly apparitions. The Motel was built in 1925 and there are three ghostly men that supposedly hang around the ball room to keep an eye on things.

On the second floor there is a man with a pipe that sits at one of the tables. Some people say he kicks the tablecloth with his foot.

Many people claim they feel the presence of an elderly woman who died in one of the rooms!

I found this information on the online publication, Haunted Places.

Murphy's Law

When I was working on my Master's degree I worked for a professor that had a huge poster of Murphy's Law.  He said a friend gave it to him.  I read the whole poster and have never forgotten all the things that this mysterious Murphy does to us.

Sometimes I feel like Murphy is stalking me!   My latest example of how, if anything can go wrong, it will, involves my favorite sport.

I have been skating since I was a child and my sister is so accomplished that she teaches ice skating in Sterling, Virginia.

Since there isn't a skating rink nearby I have been roller blading for many years in Christiansburg.  

The rink closed down but a few years later a fantastic one opened near the old one.   The boot on one of my skates finally cracked apart and I had to buy new ones.

I have never liked the new ones so a while ago I ordered a very expensive pair that I knew would be great!

Last Sunday I drove to the rink with my old skates and they were closed.  I figured that they were starting their summer schedule early so I went home and looked online.  I was stunned to see that they were closed permanently!

The next day my new skates showed up!  AAAARGH!

Dominion   Original 30"x40" Oil Painting     $2425

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

A Beautiful Moment    Original 20"x 16"  Oil Painting     $660

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

Since my husband is on a computer eight hours a day he knows more than I know.  We did not grow up with them so we are baffled at times.  

Now I am trying to figure out a Yoast plug in that I downloaded.

So far we aren't cussing the computer but I think we will be soon!  I wish one of us was a computer whiz!  I hate how we have to call on someone that is our son's age to help.  Such is life!

Peaks of Otter on The Blue RIdge Parkway and The Mount Rogers 40th Naturalist Rally is Coming Soon!

My Artwork

Now that the weather is finally warming up I am thinking about all the beautiful spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The Peaks of Otter resort is high on my list and I have a number of paintings that were done from that beautiful place.

Here is the lodge.  I am especially pleased with the dreamy reflections in the water and the serene mood in this painting.

Peaks of Otter Lodge      Original 16"x12" Oil painting        $484.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Color Swirl over The Peaks of Otter is my favorite one of the series.  I have sold a number of prints of this colorful vista.   The original painting is still available!

Cloud Swirl over The Peaks of Otter    Original 18"x 24" Oil painting  $864.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at      KENDALL KESSLER ART

Craftsman  Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or canvas are available at       KENDALL KESSLER ART

Craftsman is my tribute to the great mountain people I have come into contact with through my husband.

The Peaks of Otter

The Peaks of Otter has drawn settlers and travelers for more than 8,000 years.  The community began in 1776 when Thomas Wood came down from Pennsylvania and settled there. 

The wife of one of Wood's descendants opened her home as the area's first lodging for travelers in 1834.

By the late 1880s the Peak of Otter was home to 20 families, a school, church, and resort.

In the mid 1900's it was selected for special attention as the National Parks Service developed recreation sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Abbott Lake was constructed and the resort opened in 1964.

I got this information from the Peaks of Otter online website.

Life with The Bird and Word Man  - Clyde Kessler

My husband is still hard at work uploading over 2,000 bird files to Cornell University.  He hopes the research he has been doing on the wildlife of this wonderful mountain region will be of help to future generations that seek to preserve his homeland.

The Mount Rogers 40th Naturalist Rally

The 2014 Rally will be May 9 & 10.

Friday Night Speaker -  Nancy Lee Adamson PhD, Pollinator Conservation Specialist - East Region, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. An Introduction to Native Bees and Other “Beneficial” Arthropods of the Mid-Atlantic - learn about common native bees we can support by protecting and planting pollinator habitat.

The program will highlight nesting habits of some of the 500 species of native bees in Virginia, as well as other pollinators, predators, and parasitoids that benefit from pollinator habitat.

Friday night entertainment - Ronald and Ellie Kirby will be bringing in the evening with some traditional old time tunes.

DOOR PRIZE! - David Richert has offered a free afternoon consultation on forest management as the friday night door prize.

Another Radford City Ghost Story and Not just any Idiot...

My Artwork

Winding Flower Path    Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

The beautiful weather has inspired me to put up this colorful floral that was sold in a gallery in North Carolina

Mushroom Clouds   Original 30"x40"  Oil painting        $2425

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at     KENDALL KESSLER ART

There is nothing like the beautiful light in the mountains!  Not a cloud in the sky is fine, but I prefer skies with clouds!

Another Radford City Ghost Story

I having a lot of fun looking up New River Valley Ghost stories.  I am a very skeptical person but they are great stories whether or not they are are true!

La Rivierie which is located in Radford by The New River is said to be haunted by a Lady that appears in a mirror.  The 10 room mansion was constructed by Mary Draper Ingles grandson but was destroyed in a fire before the couple moved in.  The mansion was rebuilt according to the same specifications.

Some say the woman that haunts the mansion is Mary Draper Ingles.  There is a woman's image that seems to be burned into the mirror that can be seen from a certain angle.  

Another theory is a that the image is of Anne Mclanahan who was a frequent visitor to the mansion.  She was looking for her cat during a thunderstorm.  Supposedly she was standing in front of the mirror when a lightening bolt blast seared her image in the mirror.  The mirror was new and residents noticed the change after her visit.

People say she haunts the mansion and is referred to as The Lady in the Mirror.

I got this story from Strange USA.com

Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

My husband and I have had a lot of trouble with vacuum cleaners.  I always look for objects that will break them, but, either I don't find them all, or the vacuum cleaners just aren't any good.

This time I am determined to take good care of the one we recently bought and I have the box with everything in it so we can return it for a full refund.   I don't like to insure household objects, but this time I am making an exception.

I used to have one that required bags but our new one has to be emptied.  I am trying not to do anything stupid so I asked Clyde to empty it and then show me how.  He showed me where the lever was and I then remarked that, of course, any idiot could put it back together.

He said, with eyes wide open, not just any idiot, this idiot!

No problem.  Maybe we can hang on to one this time!

Roanoke Ghost Story near The Blue Ridge Parkway and Clyde Kessler poem in Red Rose...

My Artwork

Blue Ridge Autumn  Original Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Lake Sunset  Original 5"x7" Oil Painting   $75.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Pink Light   Original 30"x40" Oil Painting    $2425.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Roanoke Theater Ghost Story

The Grandin Theater in Roanoke was built in 1932 and is one of the first theaters with sound.  It was closed for a while in the '50s and a homeless family lived there. Two of the children died there and some say that late at night you can hear a baby crying in the stairwell.

Former projectionists have stories about strange occurrences late at night.  One time a small boy was sighted at the top of a staircase and the projectionist followed him because he thought the child hadn't left the theater after the movie.

He saw the child walk straight through the doors of the nearest screening room.

I found this story on the online version of Collegiate Times.  The article is called  Ghostly Stories, Haunted Sites, and Sinister Sisters Who Scare.

Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

Yesterday I printed one of the two poems that Clyde just published in the online magazine, Red Rose.  He is publishing his work all the time now and is included in an anthology.  Here is the other poem that was published.

I hope you like it!  I think his work is great!  It is not easy reading so take your time and think about each word!

Elegy for a Time Freak
Clyde Kessler

I burn sundials on the moon.
Other time freaks are crating the ashes,
naming them all for all their frozen days.

At night, I know my true wish list
is a crater full of rum, a dark
breed of whiskey flowering like stars.

At work, you can trust my lighters
and rolling flints. The noon shadow
on my next bonfire is favoring silver
like a thunder-cloud to brood the Dead Sea.
There are no ratty scrolls here, nor heaven.

Radford City Ghost Story near The Blue Ridge Parkway and Clyde Kessler poems published in Rose Red...

My Artwork

Pink Wave   Original 30"x40" Oil Painting            $2425.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

I thought it would be a good idea to put up a Spring painting.  Pink Wave was inspired by the beautiful Cherry blossom trees at the Radford Public Library.

View from Bridge at Wildwood Park   Original 30"x40" Oil Painting   $2425.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Wildwood Park is becoming more beautiful each Spring Day!

Radford City Ghost Story

I had no idea there were so many ghost stories in Southwest Virginia!  Here is another one!


A Former employee of Macados on main street in Radford wrote about a ghost story in 2005.  The restaurant is modern and beautifully decorated on the outside but there is an old basement section with two pantries. 

In one section there is a window with glass that is not visible from the outside.  The restaurant was once The Radford Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Supposedly there is a woman dressed in grey in the downstairs section and employees are told not to talk about her.  Articles fly off the shelf at times and one cook says he did actually see her.  They were face to face and then she faded away!

I got this ghost story from ghostvillage.com

Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

My husband is really tearing up the publishing turf these days!  He just published two poems in the online magazine Rose Red!  This is the third issue of this publication that he has had work in! 


Yea Word Man!

It is an interesting coincidence that one of the poems he published is about ghosts since I have been having a great time researching local ghost stories!

A Mount Juliet Ghost
Clyde Kessler

An old lady drowned in Nashville.
She was almost ghost of the year, blind.
Somebody heard a twanging in the oaks
and said she’s home by the soul’s voice
dreaming a tree that walks through stars.

None of a moonrise’s gold could fetch
her mind in a séance. A photographer
leased her apartment above a salon,
threw his best camera at a cop car,
it struck and killed a deputy by no luck.

You see vengeance spelled with a flood
is still the soul prying itself from hate.
You can build a new house in Mount Juliet.
You can throw parties that marry you off
imprisoned. The old lady walks you home.

Radford University Ghost Story near The Blue Ridge Parkway and I think we read too quickly these days...

My Artwork

Memorial Bridge   Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

New Memorial Bridge    Original 30"x40" Oil Painting      $2425.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

These two paintings are before and after Radford City paintings.  The New Memorial Bridge is beautiful but I loved the complicated lattice work of the old one.

 Radford University Ghost Story

I am still finding New River Valley Ghost stories!

There is a rumor that a girl hanged herself in an elevator shaft in Tyler Hall at Radford University when it was an all girl college.  The story is that she was with child by a professor and became so despondent that she ended her life. Student/Professor relationships were strictly forbidden in those days.

The writer of the story for The Tartan in 1995 said that one night an RA told her he noticed the door was open to the old shaft and he looked in and saw a rope hanging from the top of it. The rope startled him since he was familiar with the tale but just thought it was another rope.  He shut the door but had to shut it three more times that night.

Students on the third floor have reported sounds of a baby crying that seem to be coming from the attic.

I got this story from WHIM, RUs online magazine.

Too Much Information

I think we are so bombarded with words on the internet that we are reading way too fast and missing very important information.  Since I am a professional artist and I sell online I communicate with a lot of people all the time.

Sometimes I get messages from men that would like a relationship with me that is more than friendship.  I am flattered but I am happily married and I always send that in the message.  Oftentimes after I send that message I get another message with the same request for a relationship.

We need to slow down a little!

Life with The Bird and Word Man - Clyde Kessler

Before I met Clyde I didn't know anything about birds beyond a robin, crow, or eagle.  I am still do not know anywhere near what he knows about bird and butterflies but I know a lot more now that when I was single.

Clyde is not much for the beach but I am not happy if I don't get there once a year.  Many years ago at Rehoboth beach he pointed out an osprey to me flying over the waves.  I had never heard of that eagle before that day.  It is a beautiful bird and here is a painting I made to celebrate the flight of the osprey.

Osprey Evening    Original 8"x10" Oil Painting     $168.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Riverview Park Beauty near The Blue Ridge Parkway and It is Difficult at Times...

Riverview at Dusk   Original 16"x20" Oil painting  $670.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

Riverview at Dusk is one of many sites that my husband researches for bird and butterflies.  He is oftentimes there very early on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  It is a beautiful Radford City Virginia park on The New River.

Difficult Times

The circumstances of my life are rather difficult at times.  I am not going to be specific because of what a friend once said.  What is the use of complaining?  Someone will always complain louder.

Still, most of my friends do not have the problem I have to contend with everyday and sometimes I envy them.  I do not have the freedom most people my age have and there are times I would like to scream and I do.

My husband and I do the best we can and that is all I am going to say.  Enough venting.  I have a lot of work to do.

Nearing The Shoals   Original 12"x13" Oil Pastel Painting  $342.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

This is where I would like to be right now.  I am very thankful that we will be at the beach in a few weeks.

Life with The Bird and Word Man - Clyde Kessler

I wanted to again mention 40th Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally that is coming up soon!  Clyde is on the Board of Directors for The Blue Ridge Discovery Group and arranged for Nancy Lee Adamson to be this year's speaker.  Don't miss out on a great time!

The 2014 Rally will be May 9 & 10.

Friday Night Speaker -  Nancy Lee Adamson PhD, Pollinator Conservation Specialist - East Region, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. An Introduction to Native Bees and Other “Beneficial” Arthropods of the Mid-Atlantic - learn about common native bees we can support by protecting and planting pollinator habitat.

Recent Sale

If you are not in the market for an original or print I hope you will visit my Zazzle store for my work on just about anything!  A great way to have my artwork in your home or a great gift!
Yesterday a pack of Sweet Pea postcards went out to a great North Carolina patron! 

Here is the link!    NEW RIVER ART

Sweet Pea Morning at Rock Castle Gorge  Original 16"x20" Oil Painting     $670.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Another Radford New River Ghost Story and Spring Life at Wildwood Park

My Artwork

Near Pandapas    Original 30"x4"Oil Painting   $2425.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at     KENDALL KESSLER ART

Near Pandapas is another beautiful section of the woods near the pond in Gile County.  When I was a kid I spent much of my time in the woods or at creeks and I especially liked to pull on vines like the one you see here.

Home in Christiansburg    Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

This is a home in Christiansburg that caught my eye every time I passed it so I decided to make a painting of it and the field next to it.

Radford New River Ghost Story

I am amazed at the number of ghost stories in The New River Valley.  I am a very skeptical person and don't believe in mediums or psychics but I do enjoy reading about these various sitings and what people report to be supernatural events.

Here is another Radford City one.

In the Online Ghosts of America a Radford resident reported seeing a man walk out to the middle of the lower section of  the New River Trestle in Radford but before he hit the water, he vanished.  There was no splash and the viewer thought it was a trick of the eye but he has found others that saw the same thing.

He would like to know if there was a suicide off this bridge that is being repeated in spirit form.

Life with the Bird and Word Man - Clyde Kessler

I have been painting in oils since I was twelve and I couldn't imagine my world without paint.   Winston Churchill once said something similar about how he couldn't imagine a world without paint.

Even though I live to paint, I haven't met the medium that I don't like and my portfolio has a wide selection of different ones.

A year ago I decided to add photography to my lost list of mediums and my husband has assisted me in photographing wild flowers in the local parks.

Saturday I photographed the first floral signs of Spring at Wildwood Park.  While we were there, a friend showed up and found a ring neck  snake.  I have always been fascinated by snakes so I took some pictures for my blog. Here is the best one.

Radford University Ghost Story and One of Those Faces...

My Artwork

Boat House Mountain Lake in Giles County   Original Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

This painting is of a beautiful section of Mountain Lake Resort in Giles County, VA.  This popular resort was the setting for the great movie, Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze!

Radford University Ghost Story

Beneath the grounds of Radford University there is a network of tunnels that used to be used by students so they wouldn't have to go out in bad weather.  The school was originally a girl's college.

There is a ghost story about one student that prowls the tunnels on Hall o' ween.

The tunnels were closed long ago and entrance to them is forbidden.

The girl's name was Elizabeth and she shunned the other students. They played tricks on her and sent her a note claiming a suitor wanted to see her at the Hall o' ween ball dressed as a princess and he would be her prince.

 She went to the ball and waited. He never appeared but a student handed her a note that requested she meet him in the tunnels.  It was dark and she tripped and broke her neck and died instantly.

The legend is that she prowls the tunnels calling for her prince every Hall o' ween!

This story was written by Richie Ellis and printed in The Haunted Commonwealth online publication in 2010.  The story is more complicated if you would like to check it out!

The Mushroom Picker    Original  32"x40"   Oil Painting    $2580.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at     KENDALL KESSLER ART

This painting is based on a photograph my husband took of someone picking mushrooms at Pandapas Pond.  Oddly enough, the man resembles my husband.

A Memory    Original  26"x36"  Oil Painting    $1892.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Since I am writing about New River Valley ghost stories lately, I thought this haunting painting would be great for this post!  This painting is loosely based on a photograph I saw of a scene that reminded me of my grandmother's beautiful grounds in her home in Clarksville, Virginia.  When I look at this painting I am reminded of our special visits to her home.

One of Those Faces

All of my life people have told me I look just like a relative or friend.  It has never bothered me that I just have one of those faces but now I like to make a joke out of it.

The other night at a Chick Corea concert at Radford University it happened again.  A lady in the seat behind me asked me to forgive her for staring but I look so much like her sister.

We discussed backgrounds and hers was mostly Irish while I am half Italian but I do look more like my mother's Scottish and Irish side.

When the concert was over I looked over to the lady and said, "You must have a beautiful sister!"   She said she did and we both laughed -  but not too hard, of course!

Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

My husband is at it again publishing poems!  This week he had five poems published in Still: The Journal.  This is the second time he has had work published there and this online magazine won the 2014 E-Appalachia Award!

Also, another bird count is coming up in Franklin County on April 26th.  There are teams that have mapped out locations to survey.  People are welcome to join the effort.  If you are interested contact my bird man at ckessler@vt.edu!

Radford City Ghost Story near The Blue RIdge Parkway and Blue RIdge Discovery Center May Happening!

My Artwork

Clouds Over The Blue Ridge Parkway   Original 5"x7" Oil Painting      $75.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

Clouds over The Blue Ridge is one of my favorite Small Gem paintings.  These paintings are only 5"x7" .  They light up any home or office!

 

Near Memorial Bridge    Original 30"x40" Oil Painting     $2425.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Near Memorial Bridge is a house I see every time I cross the bridge.  It is the only house that can be seen all year long.  The others are covered up by summer vegetation.  I love the way the light hits this home!

I am having a great time researching Ghost stories in The New River Valley!  Who doesn't like a ghost story?

Radford City Virginia Ghost Story

St. Albans in Radford Virginia was originally a boy's school. It stands over the New River and was converted into a sanatorium. The site is now used by Radford University but many buildings are empty.

The Seven Hills Paranormal Society has investigated the site and reported "shadow people" or un-seen presences.  They also reported a mysterious ball of light hovering near the floor and then disappeared.

One investigator felt like she had been shoved in the chest and footsteps have been heard throughout the hospital.  Also, voices have been heard.  One said, "God, I want to die", and another said, "Tasha, we need to hide."

I found this information in an article entitled "Haunted Places in  New River Valley Vieginia" from the online publication Ehow.

Fairlawn Ridge   Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Life with The Bird and Word Man - Clyde Kessler

The 40th Annual Mount Rogers Rally is coming up!  Don't miss out on this great event that is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Discovery Center.  My husband is on the Board of Directors.

The 2014 Rally will be May 9 & 10.

Friday Night Speaker -  Nancy Lee Adamson PhD, Pollinator Conservation Specialist - East Region, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. An Introduction to Native Bees and Other “Beneficial” Arthropods of the Mid-Atlantic - learn about common native bees we can support by protecting and planting pollinator habitat. The program will highlight nesting habits of some of the 500 species of native bees in Virginia, as well as other pollinators, predators, and parasitoids that benefit from pollinator habitat.
Friday night entertainment - Roald and Ellie Kirby will be bringing in the evening with some traditional old time tunes.
DOOR PRIZE! - David Richert has offered a free afternoon consultation on forest management as the friday night door prize

Christiansburg Ghost Story near The Blue RIdge Parkway and I use Signs now...

My Artwork

House on Route 11  Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Route 11 is the road I take to Christiansburg, VA.  I loved this house and decided to make a painting of it.  It was sold in Roanoke at Studios on The Square.

Christiansburg Virginia Ghost Story  

This is a Ghost Story that has been around for more than a century. Mary Snead, Caroline Martin, and Virginia Wardlaw were educators that ran the Old Montgomery Female Academy.

The old building is gone. It is now The Old Christiansburg Middle School and currently houses Blacksburg Middle School students.

The women were notorious for killing off relatives for insurance money.  They were never convicted of a crime until they left and moved to New Jersey in 1909. When they went to New Jersey they had a $20,00 insurance policy on Ocie Snead. 

The three women would pay for the suspicious drowning of Ocie.

Caroline was convicted and died later in a state mental institution.

Mary Snead pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Virginia Wardlaw starved herself to death before a judge could make a ruling. Her body is in an un-marked grave in Christiansburg.

 Some people say the Snead Sisters, or The Sisters in Black still live in the halls of this local school.

I found this ghost story on the online WDBJ7.com articles collections

The Crossing  Original 25"x 30"    Acrylic painting    $1830.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at        KENDALL KESSLER ART

This is a painting I did from a photograph of a man and his daughter crossing The New River from Bisset Park.  I changed the way they looked to protect their privacy.  I just thought this would make a nice genre painting.

Life with The Word and Bird Man

I have always been careful to the point of being uptight about schedules and my husband is the same way.  We are both usually early to any kind of meeting.  It is much easier to be early than on time.  He has some choice words about people that are late.  

He has a descriptive word for someone that is five minutes late, another one for ten, and a very colorful one for someone that is twenty minutes late.

I never thought I would forget an appointment until about a year ago when I thought about the appointment in the morning and then forgot about it in the afternoon!  I was mortified so now I actually post a sign that hangs down from the door frame to my kitchen so I won't forget.

Age really does change a person.  This morning I had to be reminded by my husband to put the sign up!  Yikes! What next?

Another Blacksburg Ghost Story near The Blue RIdge Parkway and Recent Radford City Bird Sightings

My Artwork

 

Ghost Store   Original 12"x 9" Mixed Media Drawing    $221.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Ghost Store is an abandoned building in a beautiful environment.  I am a big fan of the movie, "Fried Green Tomatoes" and this drawing reminds me of those stores of long ago.  I love to look at buildings from the past.  There is an eerie ghostly quality about them that draws the viewer in.

I am especially pleased with the stunning light effect in this drawing. The light seems to be spotlighting the old building. This drawing was done with colored pencils and pastels.

Blacksburg Lyric Theater Ghost Story

Originally constructed in 1929 and opened on April 17, 1930, the Lyric Theatre is a blend of Art Deco and Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, designed by Roanoke architect Louis Phillipe Smithey. Most notable on the Lyric’s façade are the traditional Comedy and Tragedy masks.

1994-From 1989 to 1994, although closed as a film house, the Lyric continued to have a life as a large classroom rented to Virginia Tech and as the Democratic Party Headquarters each fall.

1994-1995 -In 1994, a group of citizens lead by the Downtown Merchants of Blacksburg banded together to create the Lyric Council, which was determined to reopen the Lyric and return it to its former glory. In February 1996, the Lyric was reopened for the first time in eight years. The theater was operated as a partially renovated space for two years while money was being raised for the full-scale renovations.

The theater is one of the few theaters left with an upper balcony and workers have reported hearing things and the feeling of someone brushing behind them as they walked by.  There is a tale of a worker dying there years ago.

I got the ghost story  information from The Ghost Hunter Store online. The information about the Lyric Theater is from The Lyric Theater website.

Dock, Pandapas Pond Giles County           Original 30"x40" Oil Painting   $2425.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at     KENDALL KESSLER ART

Path Near Pandapas Pond Giles County     Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Life with The Bird and Word Man - Clyde Kessler

This time of the year my naturalist husband pays close attention to bird sitings and told me yesterday that the following birds have returned for the nesting season in Radford Virginia.  He is always out there keeping tabs on what's up in our area and in various sites on The Blue Ridge Parkway and other local sites. 

He is still in the process of uploading over 2000 files of sightings to e-Bird at Cornell University.

Saturdays Nature Walk at Wildwood Park was a great success!  A good crowd came out for this pilot program and my husband and Nancy Kent are looking forward to more of these fun and instructive hikes in the future!

 

Yellow-throated Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Cliff Swallow, there were several Cliff Swallows repairing last year’s nests on Memorial Bridge.

Our Blacksburg Ghost Story near The Blue Ridge Parkway and A Gorilla...

My Artwork   House in Blacksburg        Original Oil Painting has been sold Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART Since I have been blogging about New River Valley Ghost stories lately I thought this painting would be a good one to put up.  I had no intentions of painting a ghost house but the dissolution of form in the warm and cool colors, in a way, gives the impression of an other-worldly place. Our Short Blacksburg Ghost Story I am a very level-headed person and extremely skeptical of anything that is considered to be supernatural.  I took a silly Big Bang test a while back to see which character I am like on the show, and, of course, it was Sheldon.  My husband says I remind him of Spock from Star Trek. Anyway, having said all that, I must say I have had three strange experiences in my life that I cannot explain. Here is one of them. Years ago my husband and I needed to get a larger apartment at the complex we lived at in Blacksburg, VA.  The manager said F-67 was open and we grabbed it.  They were having a hard time renting it and we couldn't see why.  They were all alike. Shortly after we moved in we were resting on our bed when we heard, very clearly, a voice that seemed to be coming from the closet.  The word was Rachel in a strange voice.  It happened a few more times and we just ignored it.   We never heard it again. The only logical explanation would be that someone that could throw their voice like a ventriloquist was outside and playing a trick on us.  We will never know! Rain Pond, Huckleberry Line Trail in Blacksburg     Original Painting has been sold Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART This pond no longer exists.  It was at the Blacksburg Airport when my husband and I were first married.  We would walk out to it every Sunday afternoon.  That is such a pleasant memory. Rock Garden   Original 32"x40" Professionally Framed Oil Painting    $2720.00 Prints on Paper or Canvas available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART This painting was inspired by the beautiful flower gardens at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg VA Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler I try very hard to avoid problems on the internet.  I know that people can copy a site and make it look like an official request for a phishing attempt.  I know that people will try to get money from me by claiming they want to buy a painting and I need to pay their private shipping company out of the excess money on the check they send me.  Of course, the check is phoney and I am out the shipping money. I have never fallen for that one and never will. I do download some sites that are designed to help me improve my art sales.  They look perfectly okay to me. My husband is much more cautious than I am and he says I would download a gorilla and let it walk around the house!   I would not!  We already have enough monkeys around here.

Ghost Story from The New River Valley near The Blue Ridge Parkway and Spring Nature Walk Tomorrow!

My Artwork

Branches Over The New River from Bisset Park    Original Oil Pastel has been sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at       KENDALL KESSLER ART

New River Valley Ghost Stories

I have always loved ghost stories.  On one vacation I read a selection of ghost stories by Edith Wharton that I especially liked.

The New River Valley has it's ghost stories and since I have painted so many scenes of the New River and The Blue Ridge Parkway I thought it would be fun to include some of this region's hair raising tales.

The Holiday Inn sits on land that used to be a plantation known as Jacob's Lantern.  There is a night club called "Attitudes" in the hotel. A manager has reported that he has been asked to turn down the music when there was no one playing music. 

He has also heard voices and laughter in the club when no one was around.

I found this ghost story in the online publication Shadowlands Haunted Places - Index Virginia.

Evening River Scene     Original 30"x40"  Oil Painting       $2425.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at     KENDALL KESSLER ART

Life with The Bird and Word Man - Clyde Kessler

Be sure to come with your children for The Spring Discovery Walk this Saturday with my Bird Man, Clyde Kessler, and photographer Nancy Kent!  They are going to share their knowledge of flowers and insects in  beautiful Wildwood Park in Radford City and Nancy will help visitors learn how to take great pictures!

My husband has dedicated his life to the preservation of his beautiful mountain home.  He has led many nature walks in Radford, Ferrum, and The Blue Ridge Parkway, to name a few.  I can honestly say he is the most knowledgeable person I have ever known.  When he was a child he read the Encyclopedia and I don't think he has forgotten any of it.

I always ask him first before I look something up.  It is very hard to stump him and unlike the comedic Expert Panel on the great Red Green show, he really does know what he is talking about.

On that hilarious Canadian show they have a panel of expert men that is dedicated to the three words men can't say which are-- I don't know.    Clyde will say I don't know but I hardly ever hear those words because he does know.

The Bird and Word Man        Clyde Kessler

Come out for a great time!

Ghost Story on The New River near The Blue Ridge Parkway and It is not a Crater on Mars...

New River Scene    Original Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at      Kendall Kessler Art

My Artwork

I have a lot of paintings on the beautiful New River as seen from Bisset Park and Riverview Park.   New River Scene is one of my more energetic works.  I was especially pleased with the movement in this painting and the fleeting look of the mountains through the tree limbs.

New River Reflections Near The Dedmon Center        

Original  

 21"x27"acrylic on paper Painting  $1164.00

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Another beautiful section of The New River in Radford Virginia is close to the Dedmon Center at Radford University where I taught for twenty years in the Art Department.   This painting has a beautiful glow and serene atmosphere.  I love the way the reflections have been gently broken up by the ripples.

Ghost Stories about The New River

The Devil's Stairs is a site along N.C. 88, just east of the community of Warrensville. The spot got its name when the Norfolk & Western Railway (now Norfolk Southern) extended the rail line from Abingdon, Va., into Ashe County, N.C., around 1914.

A section of rock at that bend in the river was dynamited, and the resulting formation resembled a set of giant steps ascending the side of the mountain.

The stairs may have been designated as the devil's because at least one construction worker is said to have been killed in the dynamite blast.

There are a number of versions of this North Carolina devil  but here is what Dennis Lewis, who put this story on New River Notes, thought was the best!

The Devil and The Preacher

It concerns a preacher who was driving home after a church service on a rainy, cold night. As the car neared the Devil's Stairs, the minister "saw a hitchhiker in a dark black raincoat that covered his head and face."

The preacher stopped to offer the stranger a lift, primarily out of compassion due to the raw weather that evening.

"The hitchhiker did not say a word as he sat in the back seat," according to the account. The reverend "looked in the rear-view mirror several times, but never saw the hitchhiker's face. So he turned around and looked into the man's eyes, which were as red as fire and as big as a fist."

The startled minister pulled over to the side of the road to let the rider out, but when he got out and opened the back door he found no one inside the car.

Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

When my son was little I read a lot of Sesame Street books to him.  His favorite was How to be a Grouch by Oscar the Grouch.  The one I remember the best was Grover's Bad Awful Day.  We all have those at times.  It is one of those days that Murphy of Murphy's Law just stalks you.

Yesterday was one of those days for me.  One irritating thing after another.

My bread machine for some reason has a hard time making a good loaf out of whole wheat flour.  I don't mind when it doesn't come out right because it is more dense and the flavor is usually better but yesterday's loaf was  horrible.

My husband said take a picture of it and tell your readers it is not a crater on Mars.    It sure looks like one!

Aerial View of Yesterday's Loaf of Bread or  My Bad, Awful, Day