Seeing the South with Fresh Eyes + Enrollment Offer for new members!
I think it's true that you really have to leave home to find it again. This has been so real for us each time we've rolled back into the South from our trips west.....
The landscapes we traverse are so impactful for me. My surroundings completely dictate my thoughts and creative processes...always have. As a child romping through the woods I first developed my sense of nature, with it's woods, streams, and fields. These weren't just geographic features for me. These were the shapes, forms, colors, and spirit of the way I interpreted the world around me.
Having the amazing opportunity to travel across country to visit new versions of shapes and spaces, I've been in awe of how vastly different the landscapes are in our great nation. Developing a new, deeper appreciation of the places I didn't grow up with, has expanded my visual warehouse and informed so many more options for portraying the landscape as a painter.
People have often asked me if I have a favorite location from our travels, and I can honestly say that I don't....it would be much like deciding which of your children is your favorite! For me, I just don't have some definitive preference. Every location has been wonderfully full of it's own valuable characteristics and my responses have reflected and celebrated each difference.
Childhood home of Elvis Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi – A humble reminder of small beginnings having a huge impact later.
We traveled a different route back east this year from Wyoming that included bits of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. Making our way east always presents us with a warm and welcoming transformation.... the Rockies, big sky, and vast prairie begin to scale down. Deciduous trees and lush growth begin to take over the horizon line, shrinking the sky once again into a smaller supporting actor of the Eastern landscape.
Mississippi was laden with rolling hills and endless shades of green. Even from the interstate, the streams, rivers, and lakes reflected the sun and shone like a welcome sign to the South. We took time to stop in Tupelo to visit the birthplace of Elvis Presley, and drive through the town wondering what it was like for him as a young man full of dreams in this beautiful southern town.
We've enjoyed coming back home this season, and still enjoy reflecting our our time west with it's rugged beauty, its vastness, and the harsh wildness of it all. Being back in the South is a reminder of how beautiful it really is, in spite of it's scale compared to the west. I'm forever grateful of how it's shaped my life as an artist, and continues to inspire me with it's extravagant shapes and colors. It feels wonderful to be home again.
Check out my latest episode of Think Like a Painter Podcast
I'm currently accepting requests for membership....before rates increase!
I have decided for the first time in 8 quarters to forgo a membership drive, or 'Launch' as they say in the industry. I'll be quite honest with you.... we've been traveling across country after a fruitful, but busy summer in Yellowstone, and engaged in all the activities of returning home after several months away.....the truth is, I just didn't have it in me to prepare and put together a new event for potential new members.
I know that dozens of you have been following and participating in the free offers I've provided over the years. I feel confident that you likely don't need more convincing to know my program has benefitted so many others already.
If you are ready to become a member, I invite you to visit the link below to review membership details and begin your annual membership at the current rate of $395 annual, or $40 per month.
This link will be active till December 31, 2024, as membership costs will rise slightly after the new year. Definitely consider taking advantage of this offer now!
Reach out to me with any questions, and I'll look forward to working with many more of you in the upcoming year!