The Blue Ridge Mountains are Home
The Blue Ridge Mountains are Home
I grew up on a farm in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Years later, I have returned and feel that I am seeing this area for the first time. I jokingly asked my father if the mountains had always been this beautiful and this blue. I guess as a child you just take your surroundings for granted.
The painting below was painted after an adventurous day with my father. He is a farmer and we decided to drive through the county looking for barns and views. I have decided that in the future I need to make sure I wear my boots because before I knew it we were driving up to a farmhouse. I asked my father if he knew the people and he replied, “no, but I knew the people who owned this farm 30 years ago”. With that said, he went to the front door. The farmer’s wife and two curious young daughters plus a couple of dogs greeted him. After a few moments of friendly conversation I found myself beside the two curious young daughters with my camera in the backseat of a “Farm Use Only” GMC Jimmy. The farmer’s wife drove us through the fields, up a really steep foothill and then crossed the ridge as I literally shifted my weight in hopes we didn’t tumble sideways back down the foothill. The farmer’s wife smiled and assured me all was safe in the GMC Jimmy.
The view from the top was breathtaking. You could see the all the way to the gap in the mountains where the Smith Mountain Lake Dam is located. I took pictures, heard my father talk about his memories of farming and marveled at the beauty of that November day.
Home in the Blue Ridge – 40x30 Oil on Canvas
Painting Home in the Blue Ridge