Art & Travel - North Carolina
Around 2014 I lived in a small, historic downtown in North Carolina. There were so many wonderful things I loved about living in that part of NC like the farmers’ market, plenty of charming shops, yearly holiday festivals and live music events. And one of my other favorite things, as an avid reader, was living across the street from the local library. I loved taking morning or evening walks, enjoying the area through the seasons and sometimes stoping for tea or coffee at the little cafe. Train tracks run through the center of town and it was fun to watch the trains roll by and see the excitement of kids waving at AMTRAK riders.
The people I met and befriended were kind and encouraging of my art work. And it was an artist friend that introduced me to a member-supported art gallery in Asheboro, NC. It was there I displayed a few of my paintings for the first time in public during an open gallery event.
The featured painting for this post was inspired by the flowering shrubs hedged around the library entrance that burst with color each spring. I entered the painting in a juried art show and even though I didn’t win an award, it was a pleasure to share it and it brings fond memories every time I look at it.
From that experience, I learned that there will be people that love my art and I am so grateful. I also learned that my art won’t speak to everyone or fit into every gallery and that’s okay. My “why” for creating artwork remains the same regardless - it inspires me to seek out the wonder and joy of life and I want to share these feelings and impressions through my art.