More About the Peaks of Otter and Just let Gravity do the Work...

 

Peaks of Otter History

My family has enjoyed this beautiful Bedford setting and it is one of many Blue Ridge Parkway sites my husband researches for birds and butterflies. I thought is would be interesting to include some historical facts about this beautiful place that has been an inspiration for a number of my paintings.

No one really knows how the Peaks got their name. There are no otters in the area. The most likely explanation is that two brothers, Charles and Robert Ewing named the peaks after otters from their native land.

There are many natural settings and rivers named for otters in Scotland and England. Charles Ewing and family members are buried at the foot of Sharp Top.

Europeans have known The Peaks for about two and a half centuries. Flat Top is the higher of the two and is 4,001 feet above sea level. Sharp Top is 3,875. Sharp Top appears higher but it is an optical illusion.

Sharp Top draws more visitors and Virginia's contribution to The Washington Monument was taken from the top of Sharp Top.

I learned about The Peaks of Otter from a great essay called The Peaks of Otter Story by Thomas A Markham. There is a lot more to read there if you are interested!

Life with The Bird and Word Man 

Today I was getting so irritated with a site I am unfamiliar with that I called my husband up to complain about it.  I love his solution to the problem.  Don't let it get to you. Open the window and let gravity do the work.  I almost did just that!

 I am still having a great time working on my Kendall Expressions and hope to have my latest one of a domestic cat up soon.

Don't forget about my Limited Time Promotions on Fine Art America!  I always have three selections up.

The Peaks of Otter on The Blue Ridge Parkway and Totally...

One of my favorite Inspirations on the Blue Ridge Parkway

I have been painting in oils since I was twelve and my first painting was a wooded landscape.  It is no wonder that I have been working from the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and the wonderful Blue Ridge Parkway my adult life.  There is nothing like this gorgeous mountain region that inspires a lot of my work.

One of my favorite subjects is the Peaks of Otter in Bedford County.  My family and I have been there many times and stayed at the peaceful lodge that does not have televisions in the rooms.  The deer are so used to people that they are like dogs roaming the grounds.

My husband, son, and I took the bus up to Sharp Top one time and then walked down!  What a hike!  It was so beautiful and I took a number of photographs that I based several oil paintings on.  I almost always work from my own photographs for a reference but it is not my intention to reproduce the photograph.

The photograph is a starting point for my own unique expression which is both Impressionistic and Expressionistic.

On the way down we were behind a young woman carrying a baby on her back.  I was amazed that she would take such a long hike carrying an infant.  I don't think I could have handled that.  Too much trouble with my back in those days.

Life with the Bird and Word Man

I like to include something about my unusual husband, Clyde Kessler, who is a self-taught naturalist and published poet.  He is also very funny and I like to include the funny things he says at times.
He works closely with the Blue Ridge Discovery Group to promote enjoyment and conservation of his beautiful home which is the mountains of Southwest Virginia.

He is originally from Ferrum Va and his great-great uncle George Kessler is one of three founders of Ferrum College.

The main purpose of the Blue Ridge Discovery Group is to get kids outside to explore and appreciate their fantastic mountain home.
He is publishing quite a lot of poetry lately which can be found online.

A few days ago I asked him if he remembers when people didn't use the word awesome very much.  His reply was totally!

 

 

 

So pleased to sell a HUGE canvas print of Blue Ridge Jewels and Take the Belt Buckle Challenge...

I have sold a lot of large originals and large prints of my work but I was so pleased to sell my first huge(40"x50") canvas print of Blue Ridge Jewels!  This painting is one of my most colorful evening views of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.  The painting is owned by a great California patron who gave me fantastic feedback for it and will be buying more in the future for her new home.  I have 61 images  in my Mega View folder in my portfolio and I hope more people will take advantage of a large vista landscape, still life, or portrait for their home.

 I love carrot cake but my husband can't eat wheat and my son doesn't like it.  I offered to try to make it with rice flour but that idea went over like a lead balloon.  Finally I decided to make it and freeze half so I could get the rest later.  I can't eat a lot of it at a time since I have a tendency to gain weight.  The Battle of the Bulge has been my theme song since I was a kid.

I told my husband what I planned to do and he said I should make the whole cake.  Take the belt buckle challenge!  Keep eating the cake until you need to go to the next notch!

WISE GUY!  Half of the cake is in the frig and the other half is in the freezer.  I am winning the Battle of the Bulge and I'm not giving up now!

Be sure to check out my Limited Time Promotions on Fine Art America!  I put up three favorites every week.

Again, looking forward to the return of The Mindy Project September 17th!  Hope they have more shots of Reaching Out!

Sold a Print of Peaks of Otter and A tractor got it...

I am so pleased to add "Swirling Clouds over Peaks of Otter" to my print sales.  A large framed print of this oil painting went to a great patron in Airmont, NY.  I certainly have a lot of originals and prints in places I have never been.  My artwork marches on!  I have been to Spain, France, and Portugal but not to the countries where my work has gone so far.  I would especially like to visit Germany some day.  I also have a patron interested in purchasing the original painting but she is worried it may be too small so she is looking into my larger work before she makes a decision.  Hope she buys more than one!  That would be great!

On Saturdays we almost always take our son and girlfriend out to eat and then she usually wants to go shopping.  I think my son is the best boy-friend ever!  He likes shopping with her.  I would rather watch paint dry than shop but I get dragged along sometimes.  I don't have any friends that hate shopping.  I think I am a weird girl.  Anyway,  we are always glad when they want to go to a restaurant rather than a fast food place.  My husband says fast food hamburgers look like they were run over by a tractor and then the driver decided to back up on it for extra flavor.

Be sure to check out my specials this week in the Limited Time Promotion section on Fine Art America and to look for "Reaching Out" on The Mindy Project which airs September 25th!