REFLECTIONS ON OUR FIRST VISIT TO VERMONT, FALL 2012

 We are back from spending a glorious week and a few days in Vermont. While it's still fresh, I wanted to share some highlights about our travels, including why were there, what we discovered and some photos.

WILDFLOWERS BLOOMING IN STOWE?

Even as the fall colors emerge, we spotted wildflowers blooming in Vermont!

Yes, there are wildflowers blooming on the roadsides in New England, even this time of year! And I'm thrilled that my paintings are adding to the beauty there! To explain how my work ended up in Vermont, I have to backtrack just a bit.

Last March while exhibiting at Art Expo in NYC, a couple of really exciting things happened. First, four of my paintings found new homes with people who came to the show. Two went home immediately and two more were shipped later.

The second really wonderful result of being at Art Expo was that I was approached by two galleries who now represent me and handle my art. The first gallery to invite me to display my work was The Paint Box in Manhattan. My paintings are on exhibit there and there is already one of my paintings now in a private collection after being purchased from The Paint Box.

The other gallery that contacted me was Robert Paul Galleries in Stowe, Vermont. Within a month of exhibiting in New York City, my wildflowers were hanging in this gallery and, so far, three paintings have been purchased by collectors.

This fall, I was invited to be a part of two artists' events at Robert Paul Galleries. On Sunday, Sept. 30, I was one of two artists at a meet-n-greet. Then on Saturday, Oct. 6, my work was featured with that of 3 other artists and we were all on hand for an opening reception.

So that's how my work found its way to Stowe, Vermont, and how David and I found ourselves enjoying a New England Fall!

A CABIN IN THE WOODS...YES, REALLY!

After landing at the airport in Burlington, VT, we arrived in Stowe late Saturday evening and found our way to our cabin. David found this little hide away on a vacation rental website. (This is our second time to use the site and both times have worked out well!).

The cabin was rustic and picturesque at the same time. Located off the main roads and up a narrow little path, it looked like it was meant to be there. We enjoyed coffee on the front porch as a way to greet the morning and watch the leaves turn. By the end of the week, they were beginning to fall from the trees almost like snowflakes tumbling from the tree tops to the ground below. Most mornings we were able to get in a walk up the country road and back, always sure to take our cameras just in case we found a great shot to snap here or there.

EXPLORING VERMONT WITH OUR DAY TRIPS

Each day we picked a direction and took off to see what we would find. And we were never disappointed! Many of the locals would apologize for the weather since it stayed rainy and cloudy for most of the week. But David and I enjoyed every moment of it!

We covered a lot of miles in a week in little red VW bug rental and there's too much to mention every highlight. I am posting a few photos to give you a sense of our adventures!

The first photo here is probably one of the most photographed views in Stowe. It's of the Community Church, which is located on the main drag in Stowe. This church has the tallest steeple in all of Vermont. While it is pretty in a picture, it is a living church with an active congregation. They were having a quilt raffle and a chicken pie supper the week we were there. Gotta love that sense of community!

The next photo is a close up of a tree full of fall color. Ahh...that's why people come here this time of year... to see the color!! We knew going in that we were hitting the "best week" of the season. And that we did! By the time we left, fall was starting to turn into what they call "stick season," that time between the glory of fall and white blankets of snow. We enjoyed getting to be there long enough to almost see the transition. And, I have to mention here, Vermont did get snow the day we were leaving...but we were already flying out and heading home by then!

For one of our day trips, we headed east, up and over the White Mountains and into New Hampshire. This photo of the river was taken just off the Kancamagus Highway on our way back over the White Mountains. A good number of people were there, many with big cameras and tripods...but we could still get a few nature shots. It's an area that both David and I look forward to visiting again! 

One of the most scenic drives (but aren't they all?) is the road that heads west out of Stowe over Mount Mansfield. At the top you reach Smugglers Notch, a famous area for skiing and for sight seeing! Only cars are allowed since there are these huge rocks that you have to work around, carefully watching for cars on the other side. We enjoyed our drive so much when we took it early in the week that we did it again on our way to Burlington where we stayed our last night before flying out early Monday morning.

A fitting end to our amazing trip was this sunset over Lake Champlain, just a few blocks from downtown Burlington. Earlier in the week we had taken a drive down the lake, island hopping from the far north edge just a few miles from the Canadian border to just north of Burlington. We enjoyed this view from the Vermont side and if we would have had time, we would have taken the ferry over to New York. We'll have to save it for our next trip!



OUR TIME AT ROBERT PAUL GALLERIES

Visiting with Bob O'Toole, owner.

Before I sign off for this blog entry, I wanted to say a little more about the gallery. First, the owners, Bob and Gail, are amazing. As I met many of their customers at the receptions, I heard time and again how well liked and respected they are in the community. After spending a little time with them, I see why! The gallery itself is top notch. I am honored to be in the company of so many fine artists and having the pleasure of meeting several during the receptions. If you haven't check out the Robert Paul Galleries website, please do!

My painting at the Stowe Visitor's Center

Not only are my paintings on exhibit at the gallery, but also at the Stowe Visitor's Center, thanks to a special arrangement between them and Robert Paul Galleries! The second photo here shows my work hanging behind the counter at the Visitor's Center!

If you are interested in seeing more photos of my wildflowers exhibit at Robert Paul Galleries, please visit my Facebook Artist Page where I've created an album. And be sure to "like" the page while you are there!

A side note: While I often post little news items and photos to one or more of my facebook pages, I like to make use of this blog when I want to say a little more and create more of story. I hope you enjoyed this entry. Thanks for reading!