My last few blog posts have featured work on paper created several years ago. Now that I’m back in my Garrett County art studio, it’s time to post paintings finished over the winter.
This week Garrett County celebrates the National Road Festival in Grantsville, Maryland – an annual event that celebrates the historic National Road, also known as U.S. Route 40. The National Road Festival is celebrated along the road across Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Piece of History
The National Road was one of the first federally-funded highways in the United States and was built in the early 1800s to connect the eastern seaboard to the western frontier. It played an important role in the country’s westward expansion and is recognized as a National Scenic Byway.
I always enjoy visiting Grantsville and have painted some subject matter from the area more than once, including Stanton’s Mill and the Casselman River Bridge which served as an important link on the National Road from 1813 to 1933.
Trout stocking in Garrett County, Maryland, is an annual event where trout are released into local streams and rivers to supplement the natural population of trout and provide recreational fishing opportunities for anglers. The subject matter around fly fishing has always been one of my favorites.
Garrett County has several popular trout fishing destinations, including the Savage River, the North Branch Potomac River, and the Youghiogheny River. The Maryland DNR regularly stocks these rivers and streams with rainbow, brown, and brook trout during the spring and fall. However, I’ve read they are stocked with mostly rainbow and golden trout this year.
It’s hard to think about summer, but it will be here before we know it.
Save the Date!
Please save the date for the weekend of July 22nd and 23rd, 2023, for the annual Garrett County Artist Studio Tour. The Studio Tour allows you to meet and greet with the talented artists in and around Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County in their studios.
One of my favorite events of the year, my studio will be open and ready with new art.
Below is a sneak peek at an untitled piece that might be on view, provided it does not find a new home beforehand.
Stay tuned to this website and my social media for more details over the coming months.
If you’re interested in one of these pieces, they will be at the Garrett County Arts Council’s Gallery Shop in Oakland, Maryland, after the takedown in March. Please visit the Shop to purchase or see a piece in person.