Blue Ridge Mountains on Site Blog with Rabbits Moon Studio

For the next few weeks Rabbits Moon Studio blog will be on site in the Asheville, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge/Smoky Mountains. Back in the Asheville studio...we will be getting everything out and set up again for in the studio. 

Mother and calf in the Blue Ridge mist   

View on our Mountain 

Pumpkin Patch in the late afternoon fall light

Fall is on its way

Rabbit's Moon Studio and House

 We will explore artists, craftsmen, foods, culture and the change of seasons.  We will have a round of visitors who love to do photography and art...so we hope to get them to share with us and all of you.  
The leaves have not turned yet, but the pumpkins are out ready for carving.  For those of you who don't know about pumpkin carving and live in areas where this is not a custom we will share this American custom with you and some recipes using pumpkin.  

Transition

Transition between two Worlds

Today I near the end of my stay in Asheville for now, hopefully to be back in October or November. As I sit by the fire with Da Vinci snuggled up I think of all the art I didn't get done this trip, but I know I took time to fill the bank of experiences and images that will come out later when I do art. I think it is so important for artist to realize sometimes they need to not do anything, to be quite, to reflect. For me as an artist there is a deep reservoir that I must stay in touch with and replenish. I can only do that in quite times by myself. I know families and partners my not always understand us, but it is essential to our creative being. I have not relaxed as much as I would have liked, there was much to do with the house and studio that dealt with repairs after a rental period. But my drives to Potato Branch road, looking at the family farms(that remind me so of England and Wales), visiting with my mountain friends who fed me well, and experience the culture and art of this area of the world has been renewing to my creative self. When I head back to the Florida palms, the warmer more humid weather, I will leave behind the blue mountains with turning falls leaves. I will leave behind the chill of fall coming and the pumpkin patches and scarecrow decorations. I will leave behind a culture that is so different from my Tampa/Cuban/Italian/Greek community I love equally as well. It is like having two lovers both with wonderful exciting possibilities. I am fortunate I can go between both.

Pumpkins are Out/Must be Fall

You know its fall when the pumpkins go up for sale! There is something so beautiful and seasonal. I love the long shadows and angle of the sun at this time of year. It makes the contrast so much more interesting. Taking even a small camera along for sudden unexpected shots, a visual memory journal or ideas for art work later is a good idea. Sometimes I use it like a visual note pad.

Look at the dappled light, the range of oranges and yellows, the texture of the stems and grasses. Our minds eye takes all this in at the moment we see it, but when ones goes back and looks again there is more to see.

I am not sure if other countries sell pumpkins for fall decoration and carve them for halloween. I don't know if it is just an American custom. I would think not, but I will enjoy hearing from all of you what is done in your country. I think there is some part of us that welcomes the season like our ancient ancestors did. There is an excitement and heightening of the senses. For artist that can translate in to creativity.

I grew up in Florida where we don't really have fall. We just go from rainy season to wet. It does get a bit cooler in the winter, but there is not really a fall. I have only experienced a few falls in my life as an adult and I am just like a kid when I get to. The first turn of the leaves, the first hint of coolness, the decorations by the farm mailboxes and in the small towns. A scarecrow here and there.

In Florida when we did have pumpkins, they were trucked in from North of us, like Christmas trees. And when I was a child it was rare to see pumpkins brought down to South Florida.

I think it is not only the season, the colors or temperature, but emotion that is triggered in holidays and traditional festivities. And that emotion can translate to art in many different ways.

Fall is coming, Asheville Studio Dreaming!

Here in Florida it is hard to imagine the leaves turning and fall is on its way in some parts of the world. We are still at 90f in the day and 7o's at night, but it is starting to cool just a bit and the humidity is lower. A trip to my Asheville studio is on my mind! Raku when the temperature cools is another tempting idea. I can hardly wait to feel the crips air, wander the Blue Ridge Parkway and watch the leaves turn! It feeds my soul.