Painting the Past

NC tobacco bar by M Theresa Brown. Pastel 16 x 20

All through the south, down any country road, are the remains of tobacco barns. They all go back to the time when tobacco was king and the best paying job in the south for the average worker and teenager!
Some, like this one that I created in pastels, are the oldest and made from logs. Others are cinder block, tile and wood siding covered with tar paper. All were built under or in groves of huge shading oak trees. 
Talk to someone about "putting up tobacco" and you will hear of one of the hottest, dirtiest jobs a kid could have over the summer!
As artists, it's important to recognize areas and structures as history and although I am not, by nature, a landscape artist, even I could not resist painting the echoes of history while watching the play of light and shadows across this old time capsule!

Work and more work!

Dummy me misplaced my password (almost a first) , obviously found it and despite the fact that my blog is in sore need of an update, it does not mean I have been idle!

Now I will need to come back and post new images but in the meantime I can tell you that it is lucky that man invented air conditioning! Record heat here in NC and it was with blessed relief that we headed up for 2 weeks of shows in the beautiful mountain town of Blowing Rock, NC. The old grounds are located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and the scenery is spectacular!

Actually Steve went first with the camper and I followed later. But I am working diligently on a large oil in the studio that cannot be easily transported and could not stay too long. Besides, at this particular show, it was Steve's beautiful plein air paintings that they lined up to purchase. No matter. We have the same checking account :-)

Now I have mentioned the Corgi, Rosie. She is easy to travel with and taking her away from home lets the other 4 dogs (non-Corgies) get a break from her. So she gamely hiked with us on a non show day through well maintained horse trails. I will include some links later as anyone or group can go to the grounds and keep their horses there and use the trails all through the mountains.

I returned to 104 degrees and it was hard not to turn around and head back! Images will follow!