Bridges and flowers

Bridge over Parkway

One of the most distinctive features of the Blue Ridge Parkway are its stone bridges. This one(there are 168) allows the parkway to cross under another road.  All of the overpasses except one are stone-faced arches.  The stone is from local quarries or stone was obtained on site from rocks cut during the construction. 11″ x 14″.

Native Orange Azaela

Orange azaleas, really, I’ve never seen them in Florida but I’m not an azalea inspector.  They grow wild along the roadside on the parkway.  I was told that they are a wild variety not a hybrid some are darker orange, others more yellow.  The predominate color looks like orange sherbet.  The leaves are more like rhododendron they’re beautiful.  This is a small painting(8″ x 8″) but still took me over two hours.

 

Only one a day due to Rain, Rain and more Rain

It rained all night and some of the morning. I didn’t have a rain fly to go outside, so I sat in my tent(staying at Linville Falls campground) and had cereal with bananas and almond milk for breakfast.  I couldn’t connect to the internet, forgot to bring any books.  I’m making a list of things to pack for the next trip out, so I as they say, I sat around and contemplated my navel.

I got on the parkway about 11:30 in the morning and was able to finish this painting just as it started to rain again.

on-the-parkway060715-2pm

Monday was more of the same, rain the night before and so foggy that painting a vista was not going to happen so I found a little picnic area with some tree cover and painted these Mountain Laurel under an over sized umbrella that I fastened to my easel with duct tape.  I thought that Mountain Laurel was apart of the Azalea or Rhododendron family but Wikipedia says no, that they are a part of the heather family. Mountain Laurel

Tuesday the fog cleared early on the mountain but looking down into the valley the lower mountain tops looked as if islands in a sea of white. on-the-parkway060915-9am

Wednesday was the brightest day so far, but the clouds are still ever present.  So today, God only knows why, I decided to paint an 18″ x 24″ painting.  Nobody in their right mind paints a plein air painting this large, but who said I was in my right mind.  It’s a view of Grand Father Mountain but not the classic view as seen from Hwy 105, but then again, I’m not on Hwy 105, I’m on the parkway. Back Side of Grandfather Mountain

Well, that’s all for right now, I’m going back to Black Mountain NC, rest for a few days, shop for all the things I forgot, do my chores around the house, go to a Tim Barnwell book signing on Saturday, celebrate my birthday on Sunday and then back to painting on Tuesday, thanks for tuning in.

http://www.barnwellphoto.com/blue-ridge-parkway-vistas/

No internet service, so I’m posting late

June 5th in the morning it was 9:00

On the Parkway060515-9AMJune 5th in the evening about 7:30

On the Parkway060515-8PM

Morning,June 6th, finished at 11:30

On the Parkway060615

Loaded for bear, but I hope I see them from afar

I left Black Mountain(Home Base) on The tentJune 4th and headed for Linville Falls Campground, It rained all day and all night.  I was loaded to the max and dry storage is at a premium when your camping.

All packed All packed-the big box All packed-Canvas