Original Oil & Watercolor Paintings
Harpers Ferry, WV is a beautiful little town that sits where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers join together. This also where Maryland, Virginia and West Virgina all meet together. The train track that crosses the river is an impressive view!
And when we were there earlier this year, we had dinner at the Rabbit Hole restaurant, which was a delicious and visually enjoyable experience.
Big, showy fresh blossoms are so much fun to paint!
In January 2025, a snow storm blew through north western Virginia where my daughter lives. They had been visiting some friends for the weekend, and their return trip was a winter wonderland of bright blue skies and snowy trees. They stopped along the way and took some quick photos through the windshield of their car and shared with me.
What a breath-taking scene! I was immediately inspired to create this watercolor, which was so large I had to begin it on the floor. I’m really happy with the results and plan to show it in the Cleveland County artists’ exhibit at the local Art Council in late April and then enter it in the North Carolina state watercolor society exhibition in the fall.
I enjoy spending time in Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury, NC (north of Winston Salem) with its beautiful trails and natural wonders. I painted this waterfall scene with fallen leaves after a visit this past October, 2024.
My husband and I traveled to Maine in May for a canoeing trip on the St. John River. It was a magnificent adventure, and we were so glad that we could go! The St. John River is located in northern Maine and flows north towards Canada. The river is very isolated and beautiful, heavily forested with fir and birch trees.
From the river, we had an impressive view of Mt. Katahdin, which is the highest point in the whole state of Maine. It is also the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail peaking a mile above sea level. Its summit is often obscured by clouds.
I was recently delighted to learn my watercolor painting of a waterfall in Hanging Rock State Park I had entered in the Kings Mountain nature painting contest was selected as the first place winner.
The jurors’ comments were:
We were intrigued by Martha’s use of watercolor to build up impasto passages of paint, as opposed to employing the medium in its typically diluted form. The painting also recalls the “fidelity to nature” reminiscent in the Pre-Raphaelite artists such as John Ruskin and John Everett Millais. Martha has really used vivid color, texture, and detail to bring this subject to life. Congratulations to Martha on her remarkable work.
We enjoyed a wonderful camping experience earlier this year at Hanging Rock State Park in NC. There are numerous trails with such beautiful scenery, including this waterfall.
8 x 10″ matted prints are available of this piece as well as any other painting I have created. Prints fit a standard 11 x 14″ frame and are $35 each with free shipping.
My daughter sent me a photo from a hike she and her husband took this winter. This section of trail passes through the G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area.
Last fall we did a road trip out west and spent some time in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. I painted this inspiring scene of Hickman’s Bridge, which is a huge, impressive, natural stone formation.
I am proud to say I finished this watercolor painting, a massive endeavor because it is so large. It is satisfying to work hard on a project and feel good about that effort when it is complete. This scene is the underside of one of the beach piers in Myrtle Beach, SC, looking out at the Atlantic Ocean.
