What to do with 2000 visitors in an art studio...

Over the last several days, I've been preparing for our spring Studio Stroll. This is an even that happens this weekend in Asheville's River Arts District and also in the fall and is immensely popular (mostly with locals who spend this time checking in with all their favorite artists). 

"What's a Studio Stroll?"

It used to be the studio stroll meant that for two weekends every year, all the art studios were open to the public and could be visited by, well, by anybody. I don't know how long it went along like that but eventually, some enterprising artist decided to open their art studio to the general public more often than just twice a year, and guess what? People visited their studios. Eventually, artists began to adopt the "open studio" business model and banded together and started advertising that they were here and open to visitors. And so nowadays, people can visit over 200 artists within about a one square mile area and have a good chance of walking in on some artwork actually in the process of being worked on. And because Asheville became known for this business model, I can make a living here doing artwork and greeting visitors from literally all over the country (and other countries). 

So what is the studio stroll like for an artist? That kind of depends on the artist. I love it but it's really exhausting. Imagine being asked by about 2000 people throughout the two days, "hey, why are these paintings so shiny?" "How do you do this?" "Do you really make a living just doing this?" (I love that last question! Ha!) It's honestly great fun talking to so many people who are visiting our studios because they love artwork (so we have something in common right from the start). 

The first couple studio strolls I did I just sat there all day long and greeted people, but not doing anything but sitting there was unbearably boring, so...now I have several canvases ready for the aluminum leaf application (people like watching that) and I will be working on my "Big Mama" 8' x 10' painting when I get tired of the aluminum application. 

You're invited!

So if you're in Asheville or close-ish, please know you're invited by all 200+ artists to pay us a visit. There are free trolleys both Saturday and Sunday. We're ready for you. 

My Creative Muse

I will never get over Claude Monet. He is my artistic hero and by far my favorite artist of all time. He was prolific (with over 2500 sketches and paintings that we know of) and he was an innovator, the father of French Impressionism. His style is all his own and even without his signature, we know precisely who the artist was. He was inspired by nature -- his garden pond at Giverny, sunset on haystacks in the field and rows of poplar trees along the Epte River. What he did for artists was to introduce us to the wild use of color and light. His paintings glow. Each one is a visual feast, leading the viewer to curiosity, exquisite joy and hushed stillness at the mastery of this artist. He was amazing.

Look at the above painting of the poplars. Have you ever seen blue trees? No, but it works here in this painting. The blue shadows he uses accentuate the warm red and orange and gold used to illustrate the sunlight. And that really is the color formula he teaches us -- warm colors and their complimentary cool color right up against each other simulates the play of light and shadow in the real world.

Here is another of my favorites. This second painting depicted above is the same subject matter as the top painting but handled differently. This is a much warmer piece but again, notice the trees -- blue shadows right up against warm gold-green in the background and directly beside bright orange in the upper foreground trees. I love this!

Monet is exactly the kind of artist I want to emulate. I don't live in rural France, but I too am inspired by the awesome nature so close at hand right here in Asheville and Western North Carolina. And being half artist, half mad scientist, my style is all my own and I want people to recognize my own art even before they see the signature. And painting on a metallic background, I too am playing with color and light. And my goal is to present a visual feast to the viewer, leading them to curiosity and exquisite joy. These are all what I aspire to.

So basically, I am just like Monet. Oh come on. Let me dream.

Joys of Life

I love my job. I love dreaming and creating. I love painting. I love living in Asheville and working in the River Arts District. But the joy all these parts of life give me is dwarfed by various small and amazing creatures. See, this weekend, Joy and I were up in Pittsburgh for the baptism of this little dude, our grandson, Elisha Bianco. As you can see, he is awesomely cute. With our kids scattered across the U.S., the short times we have with them (and now, our grandchildren) are treasured. This invigorates me. This is what it's all about -- giving and receiving love to and from the people you value most.

I always thought that being a grandparent just meant you were old. So old. But now that it's my turn to wear that label, I am thinking I was sold a pack of lies. Being a grandparent is a blast. It's so fulfilling. You look at these little vulnerable folk and wonder..."you are 1/4 me!" This is the baby of my baby. This is amazing.

And so, now I will go back to the artistic grindstone, happy and content. Life is good, and exquisite joy is crying to get out and be expressed on canvas with paint.

Children
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Come to me, O ye children!
For I hear you at your play,
And the questions that perplexed me
Have vanished quite away.

Ye open the eastern windows,
That look towards the sun,
Where thoughts are singing swallows
And the brooks of morning run.

In your hearts are the birds and the sunshine,
In your thoughts the brooklet's flow,
But in mine is the wind of Autumn
And the first fall of the snow.

Ah! what would the world be to us
If the children were no more?
We should dread the desert behind us
Worse than the dark before.

What the leaves are to the forest,
With light and air for food,
Ere their sweet and tender juices
Have been hardened into wood, --

That to the world are children;
Through them it feels the glow
Of a brighter and sunnier climate
Than reaches the trunks below.

Come to me, O ye children!
And whisper in my ear
What the birds and the winds are singing
In your sunny atmosphere.

For what are all our contrivings,
And the wisdom of our books,
When compared with your caresses,
And the gladness of your looks?

Ye are better than all the ballads
That ever were sung or said;
For ye are living poems,
And all the rest are dead.

Regarding Art & Beauty

Beauty is an odd thing. It sometimes seems like beauty is a luxury; a very nice “add-on” to life that isn’t really necessary but does a lot to make life nicer. I don’t agree with that take on beauty though. I think beauty is something that human beings need nearly as much as oxygen, food and water. Beauty and the recognition of beauty is so much a part of what makes us different than other animals. I think beauty is spiritual, and nothing short of a primary connection to God. 

And as an artist, as someone who feels deeply and who attempts to create something beautiful on canvas all day long in my art studio here in Asheville, I thought I would spend a few moments and talk about what I do to intentionally grow beauty, because especially today, I think beauty is something that should be being cultivated in large and infinitesimally small ways by all of us every day. 

Beauty often doesn’t just happen, it can be planted and cultivated by our thoughts and acts. For instance, I walk the three miles to work every day rather than save time and drive. Walking is not only great exercise, it’s quiet. Walking is slow. When I walk, I think, I sing, I pray, I meditate. I have come to really treasure this “slow time”. It means I sacrifice nearly an hour and a half every day (if I drove instead of walked) but at the end of the day, I don’t just want to get lots of tasks checked off my “to do” list. I want also to have enjoyed life that day, and I do not enjoy life while rushing from thing to thing. Slowing down allows beauty and creativity to be cultivated and tended to. 

As an artist, I feel deeply. I can’t help that. I have always felt deeply about most everything so I don’t have to try. I have sometimes wished I came with an emotional “on-off switch” so I could turn it off sometimes. However, I came equipped with no such switch, but as time goes by, this emotional awareness is something that really does sensitize me to the beauty around me and when I see it and am in awe of it, I can't help myself...I have to respond. Art is my response. 

Getting Better Acquainted

A couple weeks ago, I received an email by a studio visitor that wanted to include me in their blog. Of course, I said yes because I love attention. :) Here is some of the questions he asked. (And by the way, if you have questions about my artwork or about art in general), feel free to email me. I'm very happy to answer questions or give art advice!

Q&A

Q. Your website mentions various you venturing into dialuminism around 2001. What made you want to start painting this way? 

A. About 17 years ago, I was at an outdoor street art festival in Mt. Dora, FL. At that event, there was an artist that had a booth filled with Greek Orthodox icons. These were legit. He was painting with hand-ground pigments and traditional gel mediums. They were amazing. I had never, ever seen the color of paint do what it was doing on top of 24c gold. It was incredibly rich and intense. After about an hour in the booth, I went home with an idea. I had to try painting on top of gold leaf (I had a couple scraps around) using the medium I was familiar with (oil paint) to see if it could possibly work. And it did. And then I realized I did not need gold to achieve the effect I wanted. Gold works because it is reflective. After a good deal of hunting around for a metallic leaf that would work, I found Italian aluminum leaf (the most pure aluminum leaf there is). That is what I paint on. And I do that because it reflects light back through my paint, creating a "backlit" oil painting. And I do that because when you back-light pigment (as in a stained glass window), you greatly intensify the color.

Q. What is your favorite piece that you've created? 

A. Whatever I happen to be working on at the moment. I'm serious. Every piece I do is my favorite one I've ever done as I'm working on it.

Q.  Who’s your biggest inspiration as an artist?

A. Makoto Fujimura. He is a Japanese-American artist who paints atop metallic leaf as well.

Q. What drew you to the River Arts District? Why Asheville? 

A. In Asheville, in the River Arts District (at least for right now), I can have a art studio that is open to the public six days a week, and because there is a unique community of over 200 artists within a square mile all of whom are basically doing the same thing, there is enough of a presence to attract people from all over the country (and other countries) to our square mile. And because of that, artists can actually make a living creating their art and selling direct to the client.  (Some art studios I recommend in the area.) 

Q.  Do you know of anyone else in the River Arts District who deserves some exposure?

A. Yes. Daniel McClendon (an awesome abstract wild-animal painter), Cindy Walton (one of my favorite cold wax painters) and Matt Tommey (he makes incredible baskets out of wild vines native to the WNC area).

Q. Is Joy also a painter?

A. Yes. Joy is a painter and awesome #1 assistant. She works on her own pieces (all the small work -- she says she doesn't have the patience for the larger pieces). And she assists me on various steps of my work when I'm slammed. A lot of the gold edges on my paintings have been applied by Joy and she's applied a good deal of the aluminum leaf faces I paint on. And she runs to Walmart and Michael's for art supply runs. I am deeply in debt. 

Q.  Any future developments worth mentioning? 

A.  Always. I'm real excited about a 12' long installation piece (on twelve panels) that I sent to the gallery in Oklahoma City that represents me (Kasum Contemporary Fine Art). I'm experimenting with a new idea (also for a large installation piece) featuring aluminum leaf and dichromic film on clear plex panels. This could be super cool because the color of the panels change depending on the angle you are when you see it. I mean, it changes from yellow to orange to blue as you walk around it. More to come on this.

Rainy Sunday Morning Thoughts

I'm looking out my kitchen window, whilst sipping a cup of French roast coffee (a little burnt I think), gazing out at a gray, rainy, dreary Sunday morning in Asheville. No hiking today. No gardening today. I must make peace with being still. But that sounds a lot like boredom.  And for one day a week, I am absolutely fine with enforced stillness.

So there will be no exploring the hillsides and mountain trails of Western North Carolina. The Blue Ridge will have to wait until next week for me. Today, I am sitting, contented in my kitchen window, whilst sipping a cup of French roast coffee, absolutely enjoying a gray, rainy, beautiful Sunday morning in Asheville.

A Florida Sunday.
by Sidney Lanier

From cold Norse caves or buccaneer Southern seas
Oft come repenting tempests here to die;
Bewailing old-time wrecks and robberies,
They shrive to priestly pines with many a sigh,
Breathe salutary balms through lank-lock'd hair
Of sick men's heads, and soon -- this world outworn --
Sink into saintly heavens of stirless air,
Clean from confessional. One died, this morn,
And willed the world to wise Queen Tranquil: she,
Sweet sovereign Lady of all souls that bide
In contemplation, tames the too bright skies
Like that faint agate film, far down descried,
Restraining suns in sudden thoughtful eyes
Which flashed but now. Blest distillation rare
Of o'er-rank brightness filtered waterwise
Through all the earths in heaven -- thou always fair,
Still virgin bride of e'er-creating thought --
Dream-worker, in whose dream the Future's wrought --
Healer of hurts, free balm for bitter wrongs --
Most silent mother of all sounding songs --
Thou that dissolvest hells to make thy heaven --
Thou tempest's heir, that keep'st no tempest leaven --
But after winds' and thunders' wide mischance
Dost brood, and better thine inheritance --
Thou privacy of space, where each grave Star
As in his own still chamber sits afar
To meditate, yet, by thy walls unpent,
Shines to his fellows o'er the firmament --
Oh! as thou liv'st in all this sky and sea
That likewise lovingly do live in thee,
So melt my soul in thee, and thine in me,
Divine Tranquillity!

Personal Thoughts

"How do you decide what to paint?"

A young couple was visiting my studio yesterday and had commented that each of my paintings made them feel quiet and peaceful inside, and that although they each depicted a different landscape, that the resulting emotional impact was the same. I told them that that was the greatest compliment someone could pay me. And then they asked how I decide what to paint. And after pausing for a few moments (because I'm not usually asked that question), I realized the answer to that was simple: I want to go back home to Eden. Please pardon my philosophical/spiritual answer, but the question itself turns out to be a philosophical/spiritual question. Eden is in my ultimate goal. I can't help but long for it and depict it in my imaginings. My faith tradition teaches me that I was made for a Garden...a place that is filled with beauty, peace and safety. A place where people can be completely vulnerable and unashamed. And I can't help it -- this is what I'm depicting with my imagination in every painting that comes off my easel. Quiet woods, mountains reflecting in a serene lake, early morning sunlight poking out of the shade canopy in the forest...each scene I paint depicts a place I want to sit (preferably by myself or with just one or two close companions) and be quite, absorbing beauty as a dry sponge absorbs the water. I was made for that. I think everyone was made for that. That is why I paint what I paint. (See my FAQs for more)

The Conundrum Of The Workshops
by Rudyard Kipling

When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden's green and gold, 
Our father Adam sat under the Tree and scratched with a stick in the mould; 
And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart, 
Till the Devil whispered behind the leaves, "It's pretty, but is it Art?" 

Wherefore he called to his wife, and fled to fashion his work anew -- 
The first of his race who cared a fig for the first, most dread review; 
And he left his lore to the use of his sons -- and that was a glorious gain
When the Devil chuckled "Is it Art?" in the ear of the branded Cain. 

They fought and they talked in the North and the South, 
they talked and they fought in the West, 
Till the waters rose on the pitiful land, and the poor Red Clay had rest -- 
Had rest till that dank blank-canvas dawn when the dove was preened to start, 
And the Devil bubbled below the keel: "It's human, but is it Art?" 

They builded a tower to shiver the sky and wrench the stars apart, 
Till the Devil grunted behind the bricks: "It's striking, but is it Art?" 
The stone was dropped at the quarry-side and the idle derrick swung, 
While each man talked of the aims of Art, and each in an alien tongue. 

The tale is as old as the Eden Tree -- and new as the new-cut tooth -- 
For each man knows ere his lip-thatch grows he is master of Art and Truth; 
And each man hears as the twilight nears, to the beat of his dying heart, 
The Devil drum on the darkened pane: "You did it, but was it Art?" 

We have learned to whittle the Eden Tree to the shape of a surplice-peg, 
We have learned to bottle our parents twain in the yelk of an addled egg, 
We know that the tail must wag the dog, for the horse is drawn by the cart; 
But the Devil whoops, as he whooped of old: "It's clever, but is it Art?" 

When the flicker of London sun falls faint on the Club-room's green and gold, 
The sons of Adam sit them down and scratch with their pens in the mould -- 
They scratch with their pens in the mould of their graves, 
and the ink and the anguish start, 
For the Devil mutters behind the leaves: "It's pretty, but is it Art?" 

Now, if we could win to the Eden Tree where the Four Great Rivers flow, 
And the Wreath of Eve is red on the turf as she left it long ago, 
And if we could come when the sentry slept and softly scurry through, 
By the favour of God we might know as much -- as our father Adam knew!

Favorite Hikes (Inspiration in the Making)...

Asheville Hikes

Hiking and exploring are a huge, huge part of how I regenerate when I'm "spent". Fresh air, exercise and immersion in nature -- that's where I go to recharge and I usually go home inspired with a new idea for my artwork. What does a mountain trail have to do with oil painting and my art studio? Everything.

So if you're visiting Asheville, here are a couple more hikes I am always recommending: Graveyard Fields and Skinny Dip Falls. Both are a wonderful way to spend the day and are both easy hikes (no excuses not to enjoy!).

Graveyard Fields

Graveyard Fields is a super popular hiking destination on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 418.8). The Yellowstone Prong is the water source for two waterfalls in a mile-high valley filled with wildflowers and surrounded by Blue Ridge mountains with 6,000-foot peaks. The area got it's name years ago from the tree stumps and surrounding trees that looked like grave stones in a graveyard setting. The trees were toppled by a huge wind several hundred years ago. Then in 1925, an intense fire burned the recently logged area, and the forest has been slow in recovering since. This provides a stark contrast to most hiking in the Asheville area.

Their beautiful hiking trail (Graveyard Fields Loop) is about four miles. Start from the overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There is a map on the sign at the parking area. Take the trail at the lower end (right side looking away from Parkway) of the parking area. This descends down a paved path through a thick patch of rhododendron, down some steps and to a bridge. Cross the bridge, turn right along the trail until you come to the first trail intersection to the right, and descend a long flight of steps to viewing platform for Lower (or Second) Falls. You can get a closer look from the boulders at the base of the falls. You can even slide down a portion of the waterfall!  This beautiful waterfall is just short hike from the parking area. It's a popular swimming hole to get splash around in the cool mountain water and slide down part of the waterfall. The rocks are slick and there are no lifeguards on duty. So be careful!

Skinny Dip Falls

Skinny Dip Falls are beautiful. Really one of our favorites. It's a refreshing swimming hole and soaking spot on a hot summer day with clear, cold water. And it's a beautiful waterfall setting to enjoy any time of the year without getting wet with multiple cascades and pools. Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway (at Milepost 417 at Looking Glass Rock overlook), it's easy to find at the end of a 1/2 mile hiking trail from the Parkway overlook.

Sorry, Skinny Dip Falls is not clothing-optional.  And In addition to a nice "jump off rock" into a deep pool (about six feet deep), there are several places to wade or have a seat in the cool mountain water.

Inspiration is Everywhere (some of our favorite hiking trails)

Recharging one's batteries (so to speak) is essential to me as an artist. Getting out and hiking is the best way to "reboot" my system. Get some fresh air and miles under my belt and creativity just flows naturally. Maybe everyone is that way but I've always had to get out and breathe, you know?

And because with an open painting studio in Asheville's River Arts District, I am sometimes the unofficial town greeter, and am asked about fun things to do (including hiking). So it seemed like a good idea to share some of my favorite hiking trails around here. 

Dupont Forest Waterfalls

This three-mile hike to two awesome waterfalls is the most popular waterfall hike near Asheville and one of my favorites. The moderate hike has a few hills but is perfect for about all fitness levels and families. Since it's so popular, weekends especially in the summer and fall bring big crowds.

Triple Falls
Triple Falls has three cascades with a total 120-foot drop. Just past an overlook, a trail forks off to the left and heads down to land on a large rock area below the top two falls and atop the third. It's a great place to relax or have a picnic, while you enjoy the views up and down the waterfall.

High Falls
From Triple Falls, continue about 1/2 mile on the High Falls Trail to the largest waterfall, a 150-foot cascade down an inclined plane of granite. En route, you'll see the River Bend Trail to the left. Take this detour to reach the base of High Falls (includes rock hopping along the river).  

Black Balsam Knob

A must hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway (milepost 420.2, about 26 miles from the Asheville exit on the Parkway) is the Black Balsam Knob area that includes some of the most spectacular mountain balds in the Southern Appalachians, including Black Balsam Knob (or Black Balsam Bald), Sam Knob, and Tennent Mountain. These treeless mountaintops in the Pisgah National Forest draw people from all over to soak in the sweeping views with an alpine-like feel. Almost entirely devoid of trees above 6,000 feet elevation, the summits are more reminiscent of New England than North Carolina.

Max Patch

This 4,600-foot mountain was cleared and used as pasture in the 1800s. Today, it's a 350-acre tract of open land on a high knob with 360-degree views. On a clear day, you can see from Mt. Mitchell on the east to the Great Smoky Mountains on the south. What a picnic spot! And great for star gazing and enjoying wildflowers. The summit is a short walk from the parking lot. Max Patch is part of the Pisgah National Forest. The Great Smoky Mountains, only 20 miles away, dominate the southwest horizon. To the west the terrain drops more than 3600 feet into the flatlands of eastern Tennessee. To the west 50 miles, rises the dark ridgeline of the Black Mountains. Endless ridges and peaks fill every vista.

"Where should we eat tonight?"

When people visit Asheville, North Carolina, there is a big decision they make every day: "Where do we eat dinner?" Now you could decide to picnic just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and enjoy a amazing and restful mountain view (this is about my speed), but if you want to find a restaurant downtown, oh my...there are so, SO many choices, and everyone has their own opinion as to the correct answer to this question so...I figured this would be fun to talk about, since I definitely have my favorite hangouts around here. And just a quick note: the list and descriptions below are not in any specific order. I am listing local restaurants as they come to my mind...

Chai Pani

This place is honestly probably my number one favorite restaurant in Asheville. This is a celebration of Indian street food. Heck, some of the best food of any country is its street food, and Chai Pani features chaat - crunchy, spicy, sweet, tangy, brightly flavored Indian street snacks. And because there's nothing more comforting and delicious in any culture than a home cooked meal, Chai Pani also serves thalis - traditional family meals highlighting India's amazing culinary diversity. Either way you go (the chaat or thalis), you won't be sorry.

http://www.chaipaniasheville.com

22 Battery Park Ave
Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 254-4003

The Market Place

The Market Place has been a fixture in downtown Asheville since 1979. Though it’s beginnings rose in the streams and mountains of western North Carolina – a place of mountain trout and small farms – it also has a hand and heart inspired by traditions far from our borders. This mélange of local food prepared with other worldly traditions of the table may have helped the Market Place garner national attention but the keen reverence for the heritage and roots of Appalachia has always remained at the center of what we do. Joy took me here for my birthday last year and it was truly remarkable.

https://marketplace-restaurant.com

20 Wall Street
Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 252-4162

Cúrate

Cúrate is a celebration of traditional Spanish cuisine. If you have ever visited Spain, Cúrate’s menu will transport you back to the country of flamenco, olives, almonds, and sherry. If you’ve never been to Spain, Cúrate will introduce you to the country’s lively tapas bar tradition of small plate dining on foods flavored with a touch of sherry, or perhaps smoky paprika, and always the choicest olive oil.  Cúrate should definitely be on your short list of awesome restaurants to try in Asheville.

https://heirloomhg.com/curate/

13 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 239-2946

Wicked Weed Brewing Pub

If you like great food and amazingly interesting beer, then you need to try Wicked Weed Brewing Pub. Located in downtown Asheville, the Brewpub is the original home of Wicked Weed Brewing housing a full restaurant, downstairs beer bar, bottle shop, and original 15 barrel brewery. If the weather is nice, I'd recommend sitting outside in their ample patio area.

https://wickedweedbrewing.com

91 Biltmore Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 575-9599

The Admiral

This is on my list so that Joy doesn't yell at me. If I want to really celebrate and my my wife happy, I take her to The Admiral. But I have to remember to make reservations several days in advance). I'm not kidding about that. The restaurant itself is absolutely and completely unremarkable. It's a shoddy cinder block building. But OMG, go inside and sit down and look at the menu. It's absolutely amazing. This chill West Asheville American dishes up a globally inspired seasonal menu that changes frequently, featuring plates like Korean fried chicken, duck leg adobo and elk loin. 

https://www.theadmiralasheville.com

West Asheville
400 Haywood Road
Asheville, NC 28806

(828) 252- 2541

For more recommendations and things to do in the area see my page about the River Arts District.