Lake Junaluska Journal, Adventures in Remodeling

We just returned from a big trip to North Carolina, helping our friends remodel their second home. It was very ambitious and involved bringing a huge double wide refrigerator upstairs and another one downstairs--two flights--and tearing out and installing a kitchen. Flooring was laid throughout, wiring and plumbing moved, ceilings scraped, doors and windows moved, and everything painted.

It only took 200 trips to Lowe's and two to the Buttered Biscuit, where the biscuits are 10 inches tall.

Below, two movers were hired to move the fridges and the one in charge constantly berated his helper, Joel. Even when carrying a refrigerator up the stairs, he never stopped talking.

This garden was a few steps away. 

 We took one day off to go to Clingman's Dome in the Smokies.

  

 My motto is: When you can't take another step, stop and paint!

Blowing thistles on Clingman's Dome

A lot was accomplished and there were many sounds of moans, groans, laughter and singing throughout!

The Kayakers, 16x20 Oil on Canvas So Far

I am working on a commission, doing a larger painting of my small work The Kayakers, and I thought I would post the beginning of the painting. When Grandma Moses was asked about her process and how she painted, she responded "I paint down. I start at the top and paint down." As for me, sometimes I sort of "paint down" if it's a landscape, but in this case I started with the principal subject and I'm painting out. 

Since I have painted this subject before, I know what I am aiming for and I know the colors, values and so on, so I concentrated my energy on the most important part of the painting first. Below is the 6x6-inch original small painting of the happy kayakers. It's a square format, but the large one will be a rectangular format and, of course, more detailed.

$99 Click to Purchase