Storm Clouds and a New Home

I really love the loft where I live-did I say I really love it? Well, I do. From this height (on the 4th/top floor but up about 6 stories) you can see north almost to the Virginia border which is about 60 miles away. In the summer, especially in the evenings you have a great box seat to thunderstorms forming and moving east toward the coast, and the lightning displays can really be something.

For example:

This was a few weeks ago when a storm formed north of here; the storm cloud looks like something out of a renaissance painting.

It was catching the evening sun just right

These were taken back last spring

The lightning really put on a show that night

Then back in the early summer when a storm rolled through-literally. This was the craziest cloud I had ever seen-it stretched horizon to horizon, and actually “rolled” across the sky.

And finally a beautiful sunset from last fall

When we finally do move, I’m really going to miss this place; but I can hear the mountains calling, and sunset on the Blue Ridge Parkway is something not to be missed.

-M

Mud Slinging

Literally. Went to the NC mountains this past weekend to visit with family, and ended up down at the river with my niece and nephew. We couldn’t go swimming because they didn’t have their bathing suits, but it’s not like that kept them from having fun.

The river is so nice this time of year even if the water is still really cold.

On the way home, I found a nice antique mall with a few necessities I thought I should pick up.

-a great ambrotype from the late 1850’s

-a nice antique bone brooch (this one will probably end up in my Etsy shop)

-a great old rouge to be transformed into a neckpiece

-and a nice petite tin which will be transformed as well

All in all, it was a great weekend, but now its back to it, Bele Chere is coming up in a little more than 3 weeks!

-M

All News is Big News

Though some is bigger than others- If you have been to my Etsy Store lately, then you probably already know what the BIG NEWS is, but if not, well just see below.

Yep, my wife and I had our first child-a healthy, hungry baby boy named Jeremia. He was born on April 2, and has been the cause of many a sleepless night as of late. However, I wouldn’t trade him in on a mule (as my Mother is prone to saying), meaning I think he’s pretty great.

He’s already almost doubled his weight in 10 weeks, so I can just imagine what it’s going to be like trying to keep this kid fed during his teenage years.

As they say, eat, sleep, poop, that about sums him up at this point, though he will talk your ear off if he gets the chance.

But this isn’t all that has gone on, the spring shows went very well, and I’m currently getting ready for the next- Bele Chere. It’s a monster of a festival attracting about 350,000 people to the Asheville area of the NC mountains the last weekend in July. Seriously, it’s a great show, if you can find a way to go, get there. Good food, good music, good art, need I say more?

I’ve also been working on a lot of new paintings- here are two:

Treeline 2009 20 x 24 x 1.5

Trot II 2009 22 x 34 x 1.5

Click on either one to see more details about them in my Etsy Store. I’m also going to be listing -TOMORROW- all of the jewelry that I was posting about before Jeremia arrived. That includes: Virtue Adrift, The Evening Star, 250 Regrets, and others. So, be looking out for them- they may go fast!

Lastly, I still haven’t finished the website update, but I’m almost there- busy, busy, busy is my new middle name. Until next time… -M