Early fall view of the famous Barboursville Vineyards in Barboursville, VA. Rows of ripe vines flow into the Blue Ridge mountains. This was a plein air painting that took a couple of tries to get it where I liked it. Now featured on the inside and back cover of "Wine & Country Weddings" magazine by Ivy Publications.
To purchase this and other prints:
To purchase original art:
Purchase this painting here: https://www.catherinetwomey.com/available/monumental-oak
When I hike up a trail approaching a bare area (bald) or rounded hill, I get such an expansive, peaceful feeling. Near my home is the Biltmore Estate which has grounds manicured back in the day (early 1900's) by the famous Frederick Olmsted. I go there often to hike and am often struck by these 100+ year old oaks at the top of the balds. They're so large their branches often hit the ground as they loom over me!
In this painting I was thinking about the cools and warms. This magnificent specimen was just getting a hint of autumn colors. The right side has a variety of purplish and blue/green colors. I was drawn to the brilliant warmth of the trunk as it was hit by the setting sun. Rather than paint in individual leaves, I massed the shapes to suggest their beauty but focused on the patterns of warmth playing against the cools throughout the painting.
This original oil is on stretched canvas with a poplar wood frame. It has painted edges of 1.5".
I visit these lily pads about once a week. Every time I pass by I have to stop and wish them well. I was so struck by this single white lily, glorious in its simplicity and contrasted by the brilliant greens of the surrounding pads.
Imagine the height of the summer. The crickets are rubbing their wings together, providing a chorus to your wanderings through steep hills and low ponds. This grouping made me pause - I saw the varied personalities of each lily pad, highlighted by the one bright white blossom. The copper undersides of the pads were in striking contrast to the cool greens. I now understand what Monet was drawn to; these were incredibly beautiful and evocative.
Fall is approaching and I'm certain these will hibernate soon enough, but they'll hold me through the winter.
This painting is on gallery wrapped canvas with a 1.5" painted border and is wired and ready to hang.
Available here: https://www.catherinetwomey.com/available
WIP Work In Progress, White Lilly on the Biltmore Estate's bass pond. What a challenge it is to work larger, but I'm learning a great deal at 22 X 28". So interesting how each pad has its own look and personality. If you're ever in Asheville (let's hope all this pandemic stuff is done sooner rather then later) call me; I'll show you where it is.
Thanks so much to the collector of this original art! It was a painting done with appreciation for the history and lovely blue shades against the red. Hope you enjoy it in Munich, Germany!
“Running Dog Cloud Shadows”
Please visit:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/124195427509
to place a bid on this original, 12 X 12” painting. A large print of this image is hanging in the Advanced Medicine Collection at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC.
Thank you for your interest!
16 X 20”, oil on canvas
These coneflowers (echinacea) and gladiolus popped up in my front yard, discovered the summer of 2016 after moving into my new home. Fertilization and care caused them to burst with color and height in the summer. I "planted" myself and my easel with canvas in the midst of them. As I spent hours painting, several neighbors wandered by to watch and talk, making for a lovely painting session. Bees and bugs hummed around me as I painted, but they, fortunately, were oblivious to my presence as they frittered from bud to bud. It was like being unseen in the jungle, inspired by the extraordinary beauty and peace of the day.
8 X 10”, acrylics, ink on archival surface
Winter is advancing. The sun sets earlier by minutes, every day. Something extraordinary happens to the sky, however. It seems clearer, crisper, more beautiful then any other time of year. It's energizing. I want to let the paint have a mind of it's own, with a little help from me. I want to capture the contrasts and clarity. Tomorrow, December 12, the full moon of December, called the Full Cold Moon, will arrive overnight tonight just after midnight eastern time, and as it rises it will be joined in the sky by the planets Venus and Saturn, which will be close together after reaching a conjunction on Dec. 11. This painting is unframed. It is on archival RayMar linen panel and is of the highest quality. Acrylics were used, along with inks and flow medium. It is a luminous, 8 X 10" original painting.
For the next two weeks, prints are offered at 30% off. Visit this link to order, and thanks for your interest:
20 X 20”, mounted on archival board ready for framing. Raw canvas.
I hiked the Catawba Falls Trail east of Asheville, trekking through a mossy, shady forest valley to a beautiful series of waterfalls on the Catawba River.
The headwaters of the Catawba River are beautifully scenic. Just east of Asheville, the river tumbles through a rolling forest, cascading in a series of waterfalls and flowing over a mossy riverbed set in a shady, scenic stretch of the Pisgah National Forest. I explored waterfall after waterfall in a sun-dappled valley, hiking just over two miles through a shady forest to the seeping wall of vibrant green moss and tendrils of water known as Catawba Falls.
“Tomales Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore” watercolor, SOLD
"Tomales Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore" just SOLD and shipped; from the client: "This is for my 10 year old daughter. This was our first “big hike”together 10 miles and we share wonderful memories of it.
Thank you for painting it so beautifully. She is so excited to hang up on her room."
Made my day!
Soon to appear on the cover of Select Traveler magazine: "Buck Mountain Vineyards and Blue Ridge Mountains."
For prints: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/vineyard-blue-ridge-on-buck-mountain-road-virginia-catherine-twomey.html
“Sun Over the Blue Ridge”, 12 X 16”, acrylic on raw canvas, ready to hang.
The weather here in Asheville has been rather spectacular the last few days. The nights are getting colder, it's almost Halloween, and this week the time changes. Life moves on!
Another spectacle: the mountain hikes. And - my foot has just "graduated" post surgery to being able to hike again! We headed to Black Balsam Knob and switchbacked to the 360 views. I was mesmerized by the clouds, the changing trees and of course the layers of rocks and hills below the top. Nothing quite as dramatic as the autumn sky and swirling clouds.
I am exploring a new technique. It involves using raw canvas and literally "staining" the canvas using pigments and a wetting agent. I've found working like this leads to very intense, rich colors that leap off the fabric. This allows me as little or as much control as I desire, which is exactly what I was looking for in a technique. 12 X 16" on raw canvas, wired and ready to hang.
Purchase here: https://www.catherinetwomey.com/available/sun-over-the-blue-ridge
This painting was sold a while ago, but I’m happy to say it lives on. “Sedona Afternoon Sun” is currently being added to the Mission Hospital Advanced Medicine Collection.
“Falls At Catawba”; the sound hits you before you can smell the water; the reward is climbing to sit near the soft ferns as the water finds its way down. Is there anything more peaceful than sitting beside a gently flowing waterfall in dappled shade?
The headwaters of the Catawba River are beautifully scenic. Just east of Asheville, the river tumbles through a rolling forest, cascading in a series of waterfalls and flowing over a mossy riverbed set in a shady, scenic stretch of the Pisgah National Forest. This fantastic day hike explores waterfall after waterfall in a sun-dappled valley, hiking just over two miles through a shady forest to the seeping wall of vibrant green moss and tendrils of water known as Catawba Falls.
This painting is original, and is wired and ready to hang. It is unframed. It was painted on raw canvas, allowing the beautiful stains of the paints to saturate and spread. It is enhanced with metallics such as silver and copper.
“Point Reyes Estuary” by C. Twomey
This original watercolor was just returned from being on exhibition at the i.d.e.a. Museum in Phoenix, Arizona as part of the Roadside America exhibit. It is now available for sale. The painting is professionally framed.
This was my first trip to the astounding Point Reyes National Seashore preserve, about 1.5 hours north of San Francisco. I hiked all over the area, and painted this sitting on a hill looking towards the cliffs, watching as the midday tide began to waft in. The gulls and seals were talking to me for the several hours while I painted. For a brief moment as I worked, a coyote came by, paused, and quietly continued on his way.
Point Reyes National Seashore is a vast expanse of protected coastline in Northern California’s Marin County. Beaches here include Wildcat Beach, with the cliffside Alamere Falls. On a rocky headland, the 1870 Point Reyes Lighthouse is a viewpoint for migrating gray whales.
Work In Progress, “Max Patch Hedonism”, 22 X 28” acrylic pours, metallics and hand painting.
Hike a section of the famous Appalachian National Scenic Trail (or A.T.) on top of Max Patch Mountain near Hot Springs. This 4,600-ft. bald mountain was cleared and used as pasture in the 1800s. Today, it's a 350-acre tract of open land on a high knob with 360-degree views. It's one of the most spectacular settings you'll experience in the Blue Ridge.
Acrylic Pour Experimental Pour
I’ve done a lot of paint pouring, but for the first time i’m carefully keeping track of what paints I’m using, what mediums are employed, how the pour goes, etc. This is the first piece I’m happy with. It’s a combination of DecoArt acrylics and distilled water. What a joy to have a moment to do testing and record it.
SOLD to the Mission Hospital Advanced Medicine Collection, "Running Dogs Cloud Shadows," 12 X 12" acrylic. A blustery summer day popped up what I saw as dogs running thru the sky above the layered mountains.
Grateful!!!
SO THANKFUL to the Colorado collector of “East Fall Blue Ridge 3.0” print from:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/east-fall-blue-ridge-no3-catherine-twomey.html
and on my B-Day, no less. Really appreciative! Kind of makes up for the fact that it’s been pouring all day.