8.06.2008

Tanner's Ridge at Big Meadow

My son attending camp several hours away in the mountains had the added drudgery of having to drive there and back twice. However, with my love of plein air painting, I turned it into several productive trips.

I painted a hand full of scenes as I came north on the Blue Ridge Parkway from Roanoke. Yet I knew that I wanted to paint the rich yellows of a meadow and drove through onto Skyline Drive to Big Meadow. I fell in love.

This is Tanner's Ridge on the back side of Big Meadow. It delighted me to see sky all the way down to the ground. A very windy day, I made generous use of bunji cords so I wouldn't play Mary Poppins. This is a 12x16 oil, a large size for me. It was completed in the field.

A cyclist came by and visited, calling it, "pretty." A while later, a boy in HS stopped and also called it, "pretty." I find that very charming, especially considering that they were my only company for the day on this brisk ridge.


Tanner's Ridge at Big Meadow
12x16
Oil on canvas
SOLD

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Best thing about geography/geology. A ridge/canyon is similar and your ridge reminds of the foothills in Hornitos, California.

Bonnie said...

I received this lovely comment by email. Thank you so very much.

"Your Tanner's Ridge at the backside of Big Meadow made me feel a combination of wistful and the feeling I got watching the movie "Into the Wild" when the main character is alone in the winter in Alaska and sees a herd of moose go by. He got those tears in his eyes you get when you see something amazing, but also your eyes are so cold from the environment that they are a combination type tear up. The landscape feels alive, and wishful, like if that grass and those trees could get and move they would."