Visual Diary of an Artist Date, Spruce Pine, North Carolina

TWO IMAGES

These two images caught my attention on my artist's date to the pottery show in Spruce pine.  The colors and the visual simplicity were stunning.  The South is dotted by many small towns that red brick and square store fronts with long rectangular bodies inhabit.  There are certain reds and greens that one sees that is not seen elsewhere in the USA.  They can vary in the intensity or hue, but there is a similarity from little town to large lumbering cites like New Orleans and Memphis. 

Spruce Pine, North Carolina

Spruce Pine,  North Carolina

Stanley's(click)

Minimalist in look, maximalist in food!

There is this place off of Jackson Square in the French Quarter called Stanley's.  You can stop in for cafe au lait, or a scrumptious breakfast or lunch.  I had gone with my friends down to the Quarter (as the locals call it), it was hotter than hot...sweat rolling down my back in rivers...I had looked at the various art hung by different artist on the wrought iron fencing, watched the entertainers who paint themselves silver and gold and pretend to be statues, and I had watched the tarot card readers real in their clients for a promise of a glimpse of the future.  So I was tried and ready to sit while my friends kept walking and looking.  I sat down at the counter, order a cafe au lait and watched the waiter take care of other tourist.  It struck me as I looked at the minimalist diner and bare whiter that white tile walls that it looked like Edward Hopper's(click) painting...Night Hawks...people in a diner at night.  See what you think?  But if you go to New Orleans, by all means go and eat at Stanley's...it is well worth the visit!

Stanley's  French Quarter  photo Elizabeth Gordon

Night Hawks by Edward Hopper  from google image

Stanley's  French Quarter New Orleans  photo Elizabeth Gordon

Artsy Interior Design ala Dumont

Artsy Interior Design

On my mountain near Asheville are two wonderful women. Dumont and JB(Judy). They are both creative, caring people. There is little JB can't build and even less that Dumont can't decorate. They are a great team! They have worked on more than 10 houses over the years, remodeling and decorating. Dumont has worked with interior design companies and artists. She can take a found object, something rusty or old and just put it together with great taste. I looked recently at all the houses they have worked on and it was very impressive. Their most recent house was a mountain cabin that had been rented out and needed lots of work. Now, you need to know these to ladies don't see anything modern, edgy or Frank Lloyd Wrightish they don't like. The cabin has a killer view, a million dollar view. So now they are turning a very humble cabin into an architectural wonder...and all by their own two hands with a little help here and there. The next post will show more of their remodeling steps. My hats off to you mountain women!!!