My family kicked off the summer with a trip to North and South Carolina with plans to explore the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Smokey Mountain National Park.  We were delighted to discover that all that beautiful nature has attracted and inspired a community of artists who are looking to Mother Nature as their muse, following a tradition of nature-inspired art in the region. 

The Asheville Folk Center is located along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and displays many examples of creative expression using humble, everyday materials.  There were dolls made of corn husks, a gate made from tree trunks carved to portray members of a family, and examples of woodworking, pottery, basket weaving, and quilting.

 

Many Asheville-based artists have studios in the River Arts District.  We browsed several studios and enjoyed chatting with a few of the artists, including MaryJane Finley of the Odyssey Center, and her Blooming Bowls pictured below.  MaryJane uses a variety of glazes and organic edges that mimic the textural beauty and unexpected color combinations that we find in nature. 

 

Another favorite artist from the Asheville River Arts District Studios was Cheryl Keefer.  I especially connected to the painting below, entitled ‘Sun Hat’.  It reminds me of my mom, who grew up in the intense summer heat of The South, and still never leaves the house without her sun hat.  My best childhood friend began to refer to her as The Hat Lady. My family and I parted ways in Charleston.  The kids headed to their summer camps, and I embarked on my owner summer adventure, 3 weeks of solo travel and time for some personal creative projects. 

I was caught by surprise on the first day, when I wasn’t quite sure what to do with ALL THE TIME ahead of me.  It’s such an unfamiliar feeling to have unstructured time, but it didn’t take me long to remember why I’d planned this sabbatical.  A big reason was the thrill of discovery.  So, I set out to see what I might discover in Charleston. 

I found my way to King Street, and was drawn in to the Le Prince Art Gallery where I spotted the painting above by Curt Butler in the window. 

At the Reiner Fine Art Gallery, I found myself especially captivated by the sculpture by Lorri Acott entitled ‘A Conversation with Myself’.  I had determined that my sabbatical study guide would be Julia Cameron’s book ‘The Artist’s Way’, and the Week #1 writing prompts entail what she refers to as Time Travel.  So, I quickly connected to this representation of conversing with my younger self. 

From Charleston, I made my way through Beaufort, then Savannah, and eventually landed in Atlanta, Georgia spending more time focused on historic homes and gardens.  The Swan House in Atlanta had piqued my curiosity even before I learned that it was used as President Snow’s mansion in the movie, The Hunger Games.  The home was built and designed in the late 1920’s, but the wallpaper in the formal dining room is timeless.  The nature motif connects the interior space to the lush garden setting.  Today, with the resurgence in popularity of wallpaper, we are seeing many new versions of papers with a meandering, whimsical patterns similar to this.

 

I was delighted that my Airbnb in Atlanta was just steps from the Atlanta Botanical Garden, where there happened to be a special exhibit called Origami in the Garden.  These larger than life sculptures by artist Kevin Box elevated the garden experience, and offered a magical way of experiencing origami. 

One of my last stops in Atlanta was to Huff Harrington, a shop that combines furniture, art, décor, and travel.  Artist Geri Eubanks is one of many artists represented by Huff Harrington.  Her painting below entitled ‘Summer Joy’ captures another association I have with my mom and her Southern roots, which is my childhood infatuation with horses.  As I chatted with one of the shop owners, I learned that Huff Harrington offers annual shopping trips to Paris…. and ideas for my next sabbatical are beginning to brew!

Summery Joy by Geri Eubanks at Huff Harrington in Atlanta, Georgia