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𝗔 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻It’s that time again—the Artist in Residence program in Blowing Rock at Edgewood Cottage is in full swing for the summer! Each week two really good artists will be displaying and selling their art. I will be in the cottage the week of June 29 - July 5.  My artist partner who will be showing her art is Barbara Capeletti, who lives in Florida when she isn’t at home in Banner Elk. Barb does marvelous watercolor art, and it is my delight to be with her this week. Both Barb and I are Christians and love to paint and share God’s beautiful creation and ready to say a good word about Jesus. I hope you’ll drop by the cottage during June 29 through July 5. Between the two of us, I’m sure you’ll hear several paintings that whisper to you, “I want to go home with you.”  

As usual,  𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 50-60 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀. Yes, Bass Lake and Cone Manor will be featured in such paintings as Across to the Manor, Bass Lake From the Shade, Curiosity (geese), A Beautiful Spot and others. I enjoy painting old buildings out in the rural countryside too, and you’ll see The Old Shed, Blue Ridge Homestead, Chapel of Rest, Life Moves On and other nostalgic paintings. Hopefully you will see Gone With the Wind (An original painting of the Green Park Inn) which sold even as I write this column. If you like rivers you’ll love Joyful Rushing, Wilson Creek Springtime, Fiddler’s Green and such. 

There’ll be some very familiar scenes in these original oil paintings as well, like Middle Fork Rapids (shucks, there ain’t no rapids on Middle Fork river, but it don’t hurt to say there is!), Bertha’s View (what Bertha Cone saw as she prepared to paddle out to the island in Bass Lake), Blackberry Underpass, Grandfather Mountain from Raven Rock Overlook and others. The seasons are all there too, in paintings like Bass Lake in Winter, Globe Road in Fall, Parkway Along Green Hill, Fall Splendor, Springtime and a lot more!

As usual, national parks and other southeast and beyond scenes are represented in my original oil works like Blackwater Falls (West Virginia), Bridal Falls (Rocky Mountain National Park), Canadian Treasure, Nesting Egrets, Fishing Boats at Peggy’s Cove (Nova Scotia), Painting Mirror Lake (Northern Cascades National Park in Washington state), Jerusalem the Golden, The Miner’s Hut, Mountain Splendor (a painting of the Grand Tetons), The Fog Rolls In (Mt Ranier National Park) and a bunch more!

Let me say a word about my painting out at Bass Lake. I try to paint there, morning or afternoon, one day at least each week during the summer and fall. It’s where I meet a lot of the folks who purchase my plein air (fancy French phrase meaning “open air” that artists use) works. I really enjoy meeting folks from not just our local area, or from the southeast, or from all over America, but you’d be surprised to meet the folks who are here for various purposes from Europe, Asia, Africa and the uttermost parts of the earth! And I’m always glad when the conversations turn to spiritual concerns.

Well, that’s enough on art. Both Barb and I look forward to seeing you in a week or so at Edgewood Cottage. We’ll be there each day from June 29 through July 5, from about 9 am to 5 pm. I’ll look for you, and try to have an empty chair for you to stop and rest awhile. 
Oh yes, I will be in the pulpit at College Avenue Baptist Church in Lenoir on July 5, so I’ll get to the cottage around noon. But not to worry; my elves will be there by 9 am or so. Let’s all hurry over to the cottage after we get out of church! 

Earl Davis’ column “Raccoon Theology” appears biweekly in several western North Carolina newspapers. Dr. Davis is a minister (College Avenue Baptist Church, Lenoir), an author, and an artist, earldavisfineart.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]