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Blue Ridge Realists at the Hickory Museum of Art
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.
In 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.
I am honored to be a recent inductee to this group and to be exhibiting my work alongside a list of outstanding artists including: Ward Nichols, Jack Greenfield, Bob Timberlake, Cotton Ketchie, Hal Bryant, William Mangum, John Furches, Frederick Craig Franz, Gary Freeman, Scott Boyle, Phillip Philbeck, Richard Oversmith, Jeremy Sams, Chris Bell, and Clayton Pennell.
Evening Solitude - oil, 26 x 42”
Early Winter Dusting - watercolor, 18 x 27”
Two of my paintings will be hanging in the exhibit and will be offered for sale. The first is an oil piece entitled, "Evening Solitude" and it depicts a footbridge spanning part of a small mountain pond. This is a place where a young girl can find time for solitude and reflection.
The second is entitled, "Early Winter Dusting", a watercolor work showing an Appalachian barn under the first snow of the winter season. The remnants of the fall leaves are still clinging to the surrounding trees forming a bright contrast against the simple blanket of grays and white.
“Blue Ridge Realists at the Hickory Museum of Art
Exhibit from April 26 to August 18
Artists Reception Saturday, May 11, 5-7 pm”
This group of artists includes a number of distinguished and successful painters who share a common love of the North Carolina people and scenery and I am pleased to be included as a member. The Hickory Museum of Art is a very impressive venue with beautifully designed galleries to display artwork and with a strong commitment to encouraging the appreciation of the arts, and specifically, the artists of this region. I would encourage all of you to visit the museum and I hope to see you at the artists reception on May 11.
BLUE RIDGE REALISTS
EXHIBIT AT THE HICKORY MUSEUM OF ART
April 26 - August 18, 2019
Artists Reception - Saturday, May 11, 2019, 5-7 p.m.
General Museum Hours
Tuesday through Saturday: 10 AM-4 PM, Sunday: 1-4 PM
Closed Mondays and Holidays
General admission to Hickory Museum of Art is FREE.
Location
243 Third Avenue NE
Hickory, NC 28601
The Portrait Society of America Recognition
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
“Daybreak at River’s Edge” Recognized in National Competition
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 in one of the five categories, “Animals as the Subject” and I am pleased to announce that my painting, “Daybreak at River’s Edge,” a composition painted in oil on linen, was selected as a finalist out of the hundreds of entries received.
This painting, measuring 27 x 48 inches and mounted on archival aluminum, will be available for sale at my solo show at the Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery in August of this year.
Daybreak at River’s Edge - oil on linen, 27 x 48”
Close Encounter
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.
The Wild is Not So Far From All of Us
Close Encounter - oil on panel, 36 x 24"
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.
The mountain lion is the largest feline carnivore in North America. On average, males may reach up to 8 feet in length and weigh between 130 and 150 lbs. The largest recorded mountain lion weighed in at 276 lbs.
Where there are deer, a mountain lion is likely not far away. But in more urban areas, Cougars will feed on easy prey like domestic house cats and dogs, especially at night. They will be drawn to your pet's food but may choose to attack your dog if it is chained outside.
I chose to paint this image as I would imagine a chance encounter along a wooded mountain trail. Spots like this are very common in the mountains of North Carolina and cougars once roamed freely but it has been many years since one has been seen around here. Sadly, the variety I might encounter in my part of the country, the Eastern Cougar, has been marked as extinct.