Mountain Memories from State Number Four!

'Mountain Memories'                10x8             pastel                ©Karen Margulis
available in my Etsy shop  $155

I have painted this scene so many times. But I finally got it the way I remembered it! This is state number four in my Paint our Beautiful World Challenge.  The state is North Carolina and here is the story.

Years ago my very dear artist friend and I went on a getaway to the mountains of Western North Carolina. We just wanted to spend some time wandering around the countryside with no goal other than take some photos for future paintings. We didn't have a particular place to visit and we didn't have a map. We just set out each morning and followed the rambling country roads.

One morning we took a road that led us to the most amazing meadow. I think this was the moment I discovered my muse......although it would be several years before I would fully embrace my attraction to fields of wildflowers and weeds! We stopped the car and got out for photos. The meadow stretched out before us with the mountains as a cool blue backdrop to the riot of color. The field was filled with Queen Annes Lace and clover and the bees and butterflies were just as happy as we were!

I returned from this trip inspired to try my hand at capturing that magical meadow. One of my early attempts actually won an award in the Southeastern Pastel Society Exhibition back in 2009. It still hangs in my studio.

I have painted many other versions of this place from even more detailed to abstracted but haven't quite captured the moment the way I remembered it. Until today. I look forward to revisiting this meadow in fixture paintings. It never gets boring!