The countryside near Grandfather Community is filled with Christmas tree farms. We were told about a retired dentist who had this great barn near Crossnore. In summer Carter displays the American flag over the door and at Christmas, he adds a big wreath.

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Kingsley Plantation is an historic site near the Florida/Georgia border where indigo and other crops were shipped from a nearby estuary.  Slaves were quartered in these coquina-like structures, one of which has been partially restored to show visitors what they were like in the 19th century.  Today, the plantation is a National Park.

When first visiting California, I fell in love with bougainvillea. No where was it more beautiful than at this old mission founded by Father Sera.

This fellow is a Sudawesi Red-knobbed Hornbill. The red ridge on top of his bill is called a casque. He has a fairly large body that's always on the move, like a busy parrot. He was momentarily perched with his back to us and turned to look inquisitively - hence the title.

There is a small town in NE Tennessee called Elizabethton.  Right off main street is a beautiful park where this still-used covered bridge gives one a glimpse of the past.

Lake Michigan is so large and clean, it was a beautiful place to visit.  This lighthouse is now used as Coast Guard family housing.

My first large oil was painted for our home.

Canadian geese are among the many waterfowl that call the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge at the Outer Banks their home.  There are even viewing structures for photos where the birds are unaware of the attention they're receiving.

The most popular destination in the NC mountains is Grandfather Mountain.  Though the mountain remains still, the view surrounding it varies by season.  At no time is it more beautiful than autumn.

Great white egrets are fairly common in Florida, where they nest high above the water areas.  This affords them protection from predators and makes food supplies plentiful.

Pastel lends itself well to a subject with mist.  It was a challenge to capture the movement of the water over the rocks and depict the clarity of the water in this mountain stream.

Yellowstone National Park is known for geysers, many of which erupted while we were there.  There is a lower basin where smaller ones erupt on a constant basis.  This painting placed in the top 200 in Arts for the Parks, 2001, an international contest that received over 2000 entries.

The first painting of December at Anastasia Park was an oil that auctioned at the 2004 River of Hope Gala for the Clay County Cancer Society.  The beach was deserted the day after Christmas; the sand had a pristine look in the late shadows.

Rhodes is a fascinating city in the Greek Isles that is three-in-one.  The modern city is overshadowed by the medieval one and the ancient one.  This Acropolis in the ancient part was filled with bougainvillea and the sun was strong on the courtyard.  It was a perfect example of a Greek city.

We all mourn our country's loss of security after 9/11 and as an artist, I was moved to express myself as others were doing after the tragedy.  I decided to remember New York as it was the last time I saw it, while making a visit to Ellis Island and the Statue.  On the approaching launch, we were all amazed by the dominance of Liberty over the lofty towers on shore.  May our liberty prevail over all foreign and domestic violence brought against us!

This lady was a real challenge.  Only with careful drawing could spots produce the depth and contours of her body.  Jaguars are truly majestic cats.

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