Purgatory Mountain on The Blue Ridge Parkway and The Blue Ridge Discovery Center

My Artwork

Another gorgeous spot off the Blue Ridge Parkway is Purgatory.   My husband took me there for inspiration and I was fascinated by the view and the name!

Near Purgatory 

Original painting has been sold

Prints on paper or canvas available at Kendall Kessler Art

Purgatory Mountain rises above the Great Valley. The  road passed through the town of Buchanan, at the base of the mountain.  The strenuous trip down the path and around sharp bends of a creek had stagecoach and wagon drivers referring to the trip as "going through purgatory." 

The creek became Purgatory Creek, and later the mountain took the same name.

I got the above information from Blue Ridge Parkway Guide by Virtual Blue Ridge.

Here are some more of my Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas!

Cloud Dance

Oil painting 30"x40"  $2425.00

Prints on paper or canvas available at Kendall Kessler Art

Over the Edge 

Original painting has been sold

Prints on paper or canvas available at Kendall Kessler Art

Life with the Bird and Word Man

My husband works closely with The Blue Ridge Discovery Center which is a wonderful organization that aims to get children and adults out into this beautiful mountain region.

My husband will be assisting photographer Nancy Kent on April 12th in Wildwood Park in Radford, Virginia with a program called Shutter Bugs.  

They will teach children and adults about the flowers and insects in the park and how to get great pictures of them!

I will add more about their programs in future blogs!

Mission

Blue Ridge Discovery Center inspires creativity, discovery, and critical thinking through interest-driven and hands-on activities focused on the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Our Vision

We believe that there is no better way to ensure the well-being of future generations than to provide creative and fun opportunities for people to engage their surroundings, look closer, question, and share their findings with others.

Where was Murphy Tuesday? and Get Elected to Congress...

I can't believe it! My husband and I put up my new show in Blacksburg and I didn't scratch a frame, drop a hammer, cut myself on a sharp corner, or leave a painting at home. Where in the world was Murphy? It was supposed to rain and it rained a little before we dragged everything out of the car and rained after the show was hung. I guess Lady Luck kicked Murphy right out of town. I wish she would show up more often. I didn't even have to adjust a frame. If you live anywhere near Blacksburg, VA be sure to see this show which is a tribute to my husband's environmental efforts. I have learned a lot from him over the years. He is a dedicated naturalist and a great guy! The show is at New Live Dental behind the Starbucks on Main St. in Blacksburg, VA. It will be there until April 15th. The painting here is Near Purgatory which is seen on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I love all the arts. As I have said before, if I had a lot of lives I would pursue them all. I'm so glad I play the piano. It is a great creative outlet that I don't try to market. Got to sell paintings but I don't have to perform. I have always been fascinated by actors and get a lot of DVDs. I told my husband that if I were an actress I would love to play a criminal. He said get elected to Congress and you won't have to act.

Views From Towhee Hill at Glencoe Museum in Radford, VA

My current show, "Views from Towhee Hill" at Glencoe Museum in Radford, VA is going very well. So far, three paintings have sold. I am always pleased to place my paintings where they will be appreciated. I am especially pleased that "Near Purgatory" has found a home. This painting of a ridge on the Blue Ridge Mountains near Purgatory has a wonderful surface and beautiful atmosphere. The intense, intricate, brushwork and sensuous surface of this painting make the viewer want to touch it. The other two paintings that sold are "Poppy View" and "Wildflowers by a Blue Ridge Sunset" - two more beautiful scenes from this wonderful mountain region. I never tire of expressing my emotional reaction to the beauty around me in these paintings. They have lives of their own.

green drawings

Mountain Vista Oil Paintings

My artwork is more about color and texture than anything else but I am essentially a representational artist with personal interpretations. Patrons can find landscapes, still lifes, portraits, florals etc. but they are all about my personal reaction to the world around me. For some reason I am more dissatisfied with my mountain scenes than my other work. The complexity of color, texture, and atmosphere in these scenes is so complex that I struggle to achieve that complexity in combination with my personal reactions. Therefore I am currently working on three mountain vistas which are all locales in the Blue Ridge mountains. My photographs serve as sketches which I enhance with much greater contrast and stronger color patterns. I can see why Paul Cezanne painted Mount Victoire over and over again. The atmospheric changes are mind boggling and the textural complexity is overwhelmingly intense.

The three scenes are from Rock Castle Gorge, Arnold Valley, and Purgatory mountain. I have put on the initial layers and am looking forward to finding the enormous amount of time it takes to complete my paintings. I hope I can achieve more of the atmosphere and textural complexity than I have done in the past. Painting is not something one knows how to do. It is a lifelong learning process. I couldn't be more hooked on the experience and I hope I will continue to fine ways to better market my creations. My studio, Towhee Hill, is open 3-5 Tuesdays and Thursdays or by appointment. I ask visitors to call ahead in case of emergencies. 540-257-3437