Top of Bridal Veil Falls

One of several waterfalls in the DuPont Forest is Bridal Veil Falls. Located about a half hour from Brevard, NC this waterfall is unique to many of the other falls in the area. This big waterfall allows you to actually hike up the waterfall! The water flow occupies only a portion of the rock mass, the remaining portion of the rock in not so steep that you cannot climb up to the top. I took the picture that inspired this painting fairly close to the top. This artwork probably shows about 1/8 of the entire waterfall, I got some great pictures of the entire falls that I will probably paint later on a larger surface.

Although it was not my intention the blues, whites and grays of the waterfall and rocks set a tone for a cool day. This is accurate considering our visit to the area was in November on a cold, crisp late Autumn day.

Top of Bridal Veil Falls - 12x12" Acrylic on Canvas

Wildcat Falls

Just a short distance from the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina is WIldcat Falls. We came upon this waterfall on a cold November morning but were not disappointed as this is really a picturesque setting. When painting this I tried to show alot of movement not only in the waterfalls but in the surrounding trees as well. The pool at the base of the waterfall was probably about 12" deep in the spot where I stood to take the picture. This shallow water gave hints of the surface with alot of browns and siennas being evident. As the water got deeper at the splash area of the waterfall more blues, greens and even purples became evident in the composition.

This is painted on a 12"x12" canvas - Despite the small area of the surface I was able to get alot of detail into the rocks and trees. People often say my paintings are aboriginal or Aztec in appearance. Perhaps WIldcat Falls defines a bit of both of these styles.

Wildcat Falls - 12x12" Acrylic on Canvas

Approaching Big Bradley Falls

In early November we took a trip to western North Carolina to see some waterfalls. Big Bradley Falls was one of the last stops on our trip. We probably should have done some research on this area before beginning the hike. Big Bradley Falls is a 75' foot waterfall located in a big gorge. We did not realize that a view of the waterfalls was nearly impossible without some rappelling cables and mountain climbing gear. The first ominous sign was a yellow ribbon tied to a tree marking where someone had perished, yet we traveled on anxious to see the falls. Some steep trails off the main trails allowed us some partial views, but these were quite treacherous and dangerous, so we held off trying to get too close.

The painting shown is inspired from a view about 50 yards from the top of the falls. Alot of fall colors and a nice sunset created a strong subject for this work.

Approaching Big Bradley Falls - 12x16" Acrylic on Canvas