"Blue Ridge by the Stream"

24 x 24 Acrylic on canvas Artist Statement:  Painted en plein air on a sunlit day in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Blue Ridge by the Stream captures a quiet moment beside a rocky creekbed. This 24x24 original on canvas centers on a vivid pocket of foliage that caught my eye—its outer leaves lit brightly by the sun, while its depths fell into a near-black shadow. The contrast felt like a peek into another world. Four months pregnant at the time, I took the day slowly, listening to the stream and a good book while letting this scene take shape on the canvas. I chose to leave much of the expressive brushwork intact, allowing the piece to retain the immediacy and dreamlike energy of that afternoon.