There’s nothing like spending time with your girlfriends. Relaxing, laughing, shopping, eating – it’s the best kind of therapy. And if that girl time is spent at a beautiful house on the shores of a lake, so much the better!
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| All sketches are 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″, watercolor and ink |
Last week, my sister and I took my mother away for a few days to celebrate her birthday at Smith Mountain Lake, in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. A good friend had generously invited us to stay at her guest house, so we had deluxe accommodations and our own personal tour guide to show us around. We had a fantastic time and are looking forward to going back one of these days.
We spent lazy mornings sitting around in our pajamas, reading or sketching, and the rest of the day doing whatever we pleased!
We drove to the Blue Ridge Parkway our first day there and hiked up into the mountains where there was a restored 1800s farm. While I sat on a hillside sketching, a young deer wandered out into the meadow and started grazing on fallen apples under a tree near the garden. After a few minutes, I packed up my stuff and headed down the hill toward the house, getting closer and closer to the deer. Finally, I was within ten feet of her, and she just stood there staring at me, completely unfazed by my presence. I’ve never had a chance to get that close to one before – she was so beautiful!
Driving through the little town of Bedford, we saw a sign advertising a quilt show at the local library, so we stopped to take a look. It was a nice show, definitely worth stopping for. The grounds around the library were gorgeous, too, and I couldn’t resist taking a few minutes to sketch the gazebo surrounded by hydrangeas. I was enjoying myself until I suddenly realized that something nasty was biting my legs – a lot! I don’t know if it was ants or mosquitoes, but you can bet I finished my sketch pronto and practically ran to the van!
I did one more sketch that first day as we toured the lake by boat while waiting for our dinner reservation. It may be a little rough, but it takes me back to that warm summer evening, with the sun, water, and wind, and the mountains all around, feeling happy and contented, spending time with my best buddies.
5 Comments
Beautiful images of your peaceful weekend…..your art seems effortless. I love the details….
Your images make me feel like I was looking over your shoulder! Beautiful summer sketches and memories. Thanks for sharing.
I so love your sketches and the little stories that go with them. Such a delight. Sounds like a wonderful weekend you all had.
Beautiful! I have family that live in Moneta on Smith Mountain Lake. You've certainly captured its beauty in your sketches. I hope you had a chance to stop by The Little Gallery (www.thelittlegallerysml.com) while you were there. It's my sister-in-law's!
Your sketches are amazing. Its so lovely and refreshing to look at.