From the cottage at Crows Chase

A warm welcome to you from Crows Chase Cottage. As another weekend comes to a close, my mind is swirling with all I have been planning and doing. My marketplace page is up and running, both of my upcoming junk journaling classes have been posted as events by the venues, and I have been trying to find time for painting. Lately, I have been driving to Pikeville more often, as my new space has proven difficult to set up properly. Despite numerous re-positioning of my art and lack of sales lately, it is always a pleasant experience walking into Grinning Possum. The working studio/gallery vibe is definitely a unique addition to small town Pikeville and one that is gaining a following rather quickly.  Grinning Possum's blue door Despite the good vibes at both FACS and Grinning Possum, I am feeling stretched "thin....like butter scraped over too much bread". Tolkien has the best quotes. Over the last few weeks I have created a web site, applied for online commerce, opened my onl...

A warm welcome to you from Crows Chase Cottage. As I sit here writing, rain clouds hang heavily in the sky and a lovely refreshing drizzle is falling. What a peaceful end to a busy over extended weekend. Despite being rushed, the days were full of happy events. Friday, we traveled to Knoxville and while there, I was able to visit a larger art supply store. Even better, they were having a massive sale on paints, brushes, easels, canvas, etc. This worked out brilliantly for me, as the large brush I had been needing was now in my price range. There were even display easels marked down 50%! So yes, I snatched up one of those for my floor space at Grinning Possum in Pikeville. And finally, I now own a Bob Ross style painting knife 😀 Hopefully, now I can attempt to paint little barns and cabins without them turning into brown and black blobs 👏 Of course paints were on my list. These Liquitex professional artist paints are quickly winning me over. While the majority of my selection is still...

 A warm welcome to you from Crows Chase Cottage. Another week is upon us, as mid August draws near. Our nightly temps have gotten cooler recently, which brought on a delightful autumnal vibe. It seemed fitting, as yesterday, I completed my painting. After applying what seemed to be 10 layers of grasses and autumn wildflowers, I called it done. Just in time, as tomorrow, it goes on display at The Grinning Possum.  Close up of gate and fence 'October Sunrise' As I prepare to part with it, the realization of how sentimental this painting is to me comes to the forefront. Memories of childhood rambles along this ridge remain fresh in my mind. With those crisp October days being the best for exploring nature in all its brilliance.  Another accomplishment for me this week, while satisfying to have finally completed, was not as enjoyable performing. After buying the domain www.crowschase.com I finally took a few deep breaths, shook out all of the negative vibes and set about desi...

A warm welcome to you from Crows Chase Cottage. Finally, yesterday, I began work on a new canvas 😀 I have already painted in several layers of trees and brown grasses. Definitely a work in progress. It needs details added to the trees, some different field grasses, and of course, I will be adding an old crooked fence. If I get to feeling especially brave, perhaps a little Bob Ross style shed in the background. Not sure yet what the final piece will look like, but I know there will be a YouTube marathon of Bob's cabin tutorials ahead. Even though I knew this piece would take a few days to complete, it felt relaxing to have paint all over my hands again. The feel of the brushes swooping this way and that, then tinkling against the glass rinse jars. How lovely that feeling when everything else melts away, leaving only the canvas and colors. Strangely, it wasn't until my spouse pointed out what I painted up to this point was the ridge line and field that is adjacent to Crows Chase...

  A warm welcome to you from Crows Chase Cottage. As the weekend comes to a close, I wanted to share a few inspirational images from our gardens. Our weather has been a mix of heat, sun, and heavy downpours. My new garden pond is thriving due to the mix of sun and rain. The water has finally cleared after adding aquatic plants. Tadpoles are growing nicely, along with water beetles, miniature invertebrates, and snails.                                                                     We built this small water garden pond to be a beneficial habitat for wildlife but it is also a wonderful area for meditation. Being in nature supports my creativity and is amazingly therapeutic. We are blessed with a large variety of wildlife here at Crows Chase. Of course we feed the crows and songbirds daily. Even the chickens ...

  A warm welcome to you from Crows Chase Cottage. It has been an eventful week, filled with long drives, studio work, and getting to know other artists within our community. Needless to say, I definitely felt overwhelmed with the 'newness' of it all. Several of my mornings now consist of a lovely 45 minute drive along narrow back roads that lead to state route 127. Despite my dislike of driving on mountainous roads, the magnificent scenery is always a reward. It only takes a few minutes after driving down the mountain that the breadth of Sequatchie Valley comes into view. With cloud banks obscuring the upper edges of the valley wall and low hanging rain clouds swooping away to the left, nature's beauty has been on full display this week.    After making my way onto main street, everything moves at a slower pace. I park nearby and make my way to the specialty bakery/cafe next to The Grinning Possum. Their iced coffee is perfect for keeping cool during these humid post rain...