"Blowing Rock"

Blowing Rock was my summer destination as a kid. I remember riding in the car with my mother and stopping at the gas station for a Coca=Cola. A soda was the best medicine for car sickness!  There was probably a map spread out on the station wagon seat and notes about the roads we would drive to summer camp. A map is a visual guide to help you find your way. I started painting postcard memories of places I have been and the things I remember about those trips.
My travels to Blowing Rock included Camp Yonahlossee, Cone Manor Park, Tweetsie Railroad, The Green Park Inn, and the beautiful view of the mountains and the mountain laurel from the Blue Ridge Parkway. There were always horses involved either at camp or at the horse show.
For me, a map is a guide, but I am not afraid to go off course and discover. Driving the back roads and finding something new is why we have maps!  When I started driving, I would jot notes on my Atlas map in case I wanted to come back.
Every painting starts with an idea, notes and a map to lead the way. What happens in the process of creating is adventure!