The Black Bear in The Blue Ridge Mountains near The Blue Ridge Parkway and So Pleased to sell another Original Painting!

My Artwork

Small  Flowers Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

This painting was sold today to a great Texas patron!  She is saving her money to buy a large one next!

Mostly Tulips     Original  16"x20" Oil Painting     $670

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at     KENDALL KESSLER ART

Summer Path at Rock Castle Gorge   Original 30"x40" Oil Painting     $2425

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

One of my favorite places on The Blue Ridge Parkway!

I really have flowers on my mind right now!

The Cherokee Legends of The Black Bear

The Cherokee Indians did not always inhabit the mountains of the North East.  Some historians claim they have only been here five hundred years after migrating from the upper Mid-West but their traditions, legends and myths date back for thousands of years.

The Cherokee, along with all the Northeastern tribes were comfortable living with the black bear. The southern Blue Ridge Mountains have many Cherokee myths concerning the black bear.  They have often seen the black bear as a spirit guide to their people and considered the white bear to be a special spirit.  A few are born with white fur. It was a significant part of their ceremonial or religious practices.

Joining The Black Bears

One tale is about a boy that would leave the Ani tsa gu hi'  tribe for a while and come back with significant amounts of hair on his body that was not previously there.  The tribe asked him what was going on and he said he was spending time with the black bears where there was much food.  He told his tribe they should all join the bears and live in peace with abundant food.

This tribe was part of the Cherokee tribe and they all decided to leave the Cherokees to live with the bears.  They told the others not to worry, that they would live forever with the bears.  There are Cherokees today that believe some of their people became black bears and their descendants are alive today.

I found this story on Cherokee Myths and Legends of The Black Bear online publication.

Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

While we were on vacation I had a great time watching River Monsters!  I loved to fish when I was a child so it was great to watch Jeremy Wade catch huge fish!  In one episode he talked about the fishing method called noodling.  The fisherman puts his hand in the fish's mouth and pulls it out of the water.  Considering the types of fish he catches, it is a dangerous sport.

My mountain man laughed when I told him I had never heard of noodling.  He said his Dad was doing that when he was a kid.  I replied that I bet it is new to people like me that are part of the mainstream culture, not isolated mountain people.  He said that was true.  His people were so far up the holler the creek ran dry trying to get out.

Just joking!  My husband's great-great uncle George Kessler was one of three founders of Ferrum College and Clyde Kessler is the most knowledgeable person I have ever known.  Don't trust those mountain stereotypes!