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Views big and small
Some beautiful subjects lie underfoot. This plant is native Tradescantia, and the medium in both drawings is homemade walnut ink. For the bottom picture, I used a pen I carved from native cane; for the top, a Japanese manga nib and an Edwardian era nib I found at an estate sale. The paper treatment is traditional hide glue with Piedmont North Carolina clay.
It’s a joy to make landscapes. It’s a bigger joy to make them out of the landscape.
See these and more at this year’s Easels in the Gardens event in Denton, NC April 26 and 27. I’ll be in St Paul’s churchyard.
Easels in the Gardens 2024: April 26 and 27
I’m excited to return to Edenton, NC this year, along with several other artists, to paint outdoors throughout the town; a portion of art sales goes to benefit The Cupola House Association, which takes care of a 1750’s gem overlooking Edenton Bay. Many homeowners open their gardens to painters and patrons.
I’ll be stationed in St. Paul’s Churchyard, which has the best trees in town, long sight lines, lots of birds, and a choice of sun or shade on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, 27 (corner of Broad and Church Sts).
The second day concludes with a sale in the Cupola House Garden. It features live music and a sumptuous buffet. I sell paintings wet and dry as well as drawings already framed and fresh off the board.
Early spring
March came in like a lion, then purred. The redbuds popped early. Daffodils and cherries, too.
Here’s a study of a dogwood bough from last spring. Below it a detail of the painting I made from it. I’m still waiting on the dogwoods up here in the mountains.
The painting is 18 x 48.” Oil on panel. It will sit in a double member plein-air style wood frame.
For the love of barns
The decline of land ownership in America has left some wonderful structures across the North Carolina landscape. It was doubtful at best that the Old North State–or any other state for that matter–could long sustain the Jeffersonian dream of the small-holding yeoman farmer. One hopes their versatility will save them and inspire future builders.
Right now, I’m working on a drawing for a show to benefit the Appalachian Barn Alliance, which has taken under its wing the barns of Madison County. They have a whiz-bang set of brochures detailing the barns, which provide a good historical overview of the structure’s uses over the years. Tobacco curing, especially, is responsible for the manner of barn-building here in Western NC.
If you’d like to see these barns in the flesh, do so soon, before the spring foliage will obscure many of them from view. And take a sweetheart to share the driving. In some places with narrow roads, it’s not always safe to drive and gawk.
Barns or no, you’ll get to see what pastures and fields looked like before the rise of industrial agriculture swept North Carolina and many other places. Landscape on a human scale, defended only by it remoteness.
Show details, and more to follow; do turn out:
Friday, June 21 from 5pm to 8pm: The inaugural “A Pastoral Palette: The Barn Whispers its Memories” Gala Art Show Benefit with food & drink as you mingle with the artists. A partnership with The Saints of Paint artists. Details and reservations, click here.Questions? Email info@appalachianbarns.org or call Sandy at 828 380-9146. Art show continues on Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm.
Long Gone. 18 x 24″
Morning
An oil painting from the walnut ink drawing in my last post. 12 x 24″ on linen on panel.
Gratitude
There are many blessings to painting in Northeastern NC. There is a big sky over sandy soil and vibrant water, and all of these things play with the light. There is a noble–and quirky–built environment, rich in handwork. And there are people, both resident and visiting, who value these things.
At the Cupola House benefit mentioned in the last post, I met many who are alive to the beauty of this part of the world. Many thanks to the Cupola House Association and my patrons.
And thanks, too, to those who brought me vulture quills from St. Paul’s churchyard while I was painting there.
Cool, bright, and shimmering
Yesterday’s work and details of today’s event in Edenton, NC:
This oil sketch in progress is of a field in Rocky Hock, under cultivation since the late 17th century and probably before.
The event, Easels in the Gardens, extends through the town.
http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/travel/video/17496209/
Both lie in Chowan County, which marks its 350th anniversary this year.
Beating the sexton
Not drubbing, but preceding.
I got to St. Paul’s churchyard in Edenton two days before the sexton does his weekly mow.
I found these vulture quills
Tonight they’ll go into the oven to stiffen up. After I cut them into shape, they’ll make things like this.
I’ll be there Friday and Saturday April 20 and 21 to benefit the historic Cupola House.
Easels in the Gardens
Friday and Saturday, April 20 and 21, will see me at historic St. Paul’s churchyard in Edenton, NC.
I’m doing the biennial benefit, Easels in the Gardens, featuring three dozen painters, 18th- and 19th-century architecture and gardens, views of open water, a lovely jazz band, and great food. http://cupolahouse.org/easels-in-the-gardens.php
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- Oil on paper. 18 x 24″
And, it’s the only regular event where I sell loose drawings right off my board.
Part of the proceeds benefit the 1758 Cupola House, a part Jacobean, part Georgian gem.
Both church yard and house are on Broad St., the main drag through town.
It’s free to visit artists and buy before Saturday’s ticketed event.
AND, if you bring a vulture quill from the churchyard, I’ll give you 10% off a loose drawing!
Suffolk, VA
I am pleased to show five pieces at the 32nd annual Nansemond Suffolk Academy Art Show and Sale. I’ll be there today at 10am.
The show opens today and hangs for two weeks.
Deets here: https://visitsuffolkva.com/Calendar.aspx
And here: https://www.nsacademy.org/page/arts
What’s more, a five minute drive along Main Street is a great tour of local architecture: Federal, Greek Revival, and even a Second Empire gem.
Paul Blankinship Fine Art 