Tom Massie on Little River, watercolor
This is a painting of my friend Tom Massie fly fishing for mountain trout. The painting was commissioned by Tom's wife and she didn't want him to know that I was going to paint it. It was drizzling rain and the fish weren't biting so I told Tom that if he didn't mind I would like to take some pictures to show my wife Wanda when we got back. Finally Tom had put up with me enough and hollered out, "Did you come to take pictures or fish?". I put the camera away and picked up my fly rod hoping I had a good image or two to work with.
In our southern mountain trout streams you have to stalk the trout. They are very easily put down by quick movement and especially bright clothing. Tom is wearing camouflage and at first glance, a lot of viewers fail to even notice him in the composition.
Haystack, watercolor
This haystack is located at the mountain farm museum near the Oconaluftee ranger station on the Cherokee side of the park. It is built by the park staff every year much as it would have been years ago by the pioneers who settled the park. A locust pole fence surrounds the hay to keep the livestock from eating it. This is a late summer scene, a very hot afternoon. However, on a summer evening in the park you'll probably find yourself reaching for a sweater.
Homespun, watercolor
This fabric was hanging in a window of the John E. Davis cabin at the mountain farm museum.
According to a pamphlet from the park service: "Davis constructed the house with 'matched' chestnut logs. A log was hewed flat on two sides, then split in half along its length to produce two building logs. These were used in 'matching' positions on opposite walls. The ends of the logs were joined with half-dovetailed notches.
The half-dovetail joint took more time to prepare than some other notches, but it 'locked' the logs together and the downward sloping surfaces of the notch shed rainwater away from the structure. Unlike many log houses, Davis chose to seal the chink, or crack, between the logs with hand-split boards instead of clay. More than 50 years later Davis recalled, 'when it was finished I had myself a pretty fine place'."