n conjunction with Hickory Museum of Art’s 75th Anniversary, the museum will present new works by the Blue Ridge Realists, a group of painters who have focused much of their work around depicting life in the North Carolina mountains. The organization is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year.

The Portrait Society of America is a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the traditions of fine art portraiture and figurative art. It is one of the most highly regarded art groups in the world, one that also encourages the education of artists and promotes the highest quality of art in its annual competitions. I recently entered a painting in the Members Only Competition

I've never been face-to-face with a mountain lion in the wild, but from the images I have seen of them, I am pretty sure I would not want to. This animal is beautiful in its gracefulness but terrifying in its potential as a hunter.