Drawn to Mountains

I didn't realize before this trip how much I am drawn to mountains. I have drawn and painted them in the Hudson, Mexico, Hawaii, Bhutan (the Himalayas), and now Tennessee, which holds the great Smoky Mountains. I don't know if it's their quiet majesty, mysterious holdings, or sheer grandeur that attracts me every time, but I can't help but put them down on paper, as much as I can. Their sacredness speaks to the soul, to an inner journey we are all making.

Though I did not get to explore the Smoky Mountains national park itself on this trip, some part of the mountain was always in view from where I was staying, at its foothills, at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.

From there, I did 3 drawings of the Smokies. I really do hope to return and draw them in depth one day.

Riding through the road to the Smokies at sunset, the sky and clouds were a dusky pink, the mountain was a soft periwinkle blue, and the river rushed forth from it, sprinkled with rocks. The trees surrounded the mountain on either side, just turning color.

Distant Smokies

Sunrise Mountain

Fantastic sunset. Almost spiritual. That tree feels otherworldly. I felt sometimes as if I were a kid again going to school in the 70's. That's what I liked about Arrowmont. They held on to their traditions. And their looms. I sought quietude in the beautiful library, with an amazing collection of books.

Rainy day at Arrowmont.

A river ran through the back of the lodge I was staying at. Hearing it rush by reminded me of the river behind my house growing up. It was lovely.

One of several stained glass pieces at the Arrowmont School.

Weaving in Nature. I turned the conference I went to into a retreat for myself.