More of Our 8x10 Original Series

Here's more in the 8x10 original series my husband finished this winter! Such a fun collection.

These trees are lit so beautifully!

This is a view from the Smokey Mountains. You may actually see some scenes in my previous blog that will look similar to this!

Timothy Paul is 3 Months Old!

This is my little nephew at 1 month old! Timothy Paul Mcconnell. Jonathan and I get to take his baby photos, lucky us! He's stole my heart already. 

Today, he's an independent 3 month old. Already determined to cut teeth, try to crawl, want to stand, and never take naps! And still cute as ever. I never thought I could love someone elses child so much. But there's something about your sister, your best friend's child. Or at least for me there is. I cannot imagine loving a little boy more.

Ain't he adorable ya'll?!

The Artist's Life

The Artist’s Life was never even a vision of my future growing up. I was an adventure crazed, fashion floundering, hyper, athletic tom-boy. My vision of creativity was stifled by the need to go, the need to make myself something, instead of settling into who I was.

Many people find themselves reluctant to sit and be, and thus, find themselves prolonging their true, unique self by busying their lives with “everyday adventures”. What is typical in humanity isn’t truly living. I found myself, in the event of finding myself, burying the gem inside me, with the rubble of the World.

In 2006, I took my first overseas trip. It was a mission trip to Honduras, and it was there that I first met Jonathan Howe. At 17 years old, he was the heart throb artist surrounded by a group of your typical, athletic males. The big stature, the athletic flaunting of the young men there, didn’t grab the attention of the girls there… It was the carvings, the paintings, and the beauty that Jonathan created that captured their heart in fact; it also was the flamboyant, unhindered worship of God that grabbed their attention. Silly me, I was still captured by the World’s illustration of beautiful, and totally missed the “be inspired to be different memo”.

But God always seems to guide you, even through your misguided blunders. And luckily, the other girls never captured his attention.

It was 6 years later when I saw him again! My life had moved from trite quests for meaning, to the process of peaceful, pleasant, meaningful, simple pursuits.  I was, who I was, for a specific purpose, and that purpose was valuable to God.

Jonathan was at a small local bible college, and it just so happened that I ended up at the same place, at the same time. It was a year after that, that we got married.

Jonathan was still pursuing his art, and was venturing into doing it full time. He was strong, and established in who he was. Little did I know how much marriage to him would chance me for the better!

We got married, and suddenly I found myself working from home, pursuing a business, submerged in Jonathan’s paintings, and blessed with the time to really think, and invest into what I found myself falling in love with. And ever since, I have seen beauty in new things, what used to be menial things are now blessings in the scope of my life. I can create, I can write, think, clean, travel, and use gifts within me that I never even knew were there. I am finding myself becoming better at LIFE than ever I was when I was running around pursuing fruitless thrills. I am establishing a heritage and a future, instead of wasting away the potential God placed in me.

 Being married to an artist, and living The Artist’s Life means you exist to be creative and flexible, to experiment with new and better things, to make everything around you beautiful, and meaningful. You exist to experience the best, to make the best out of all you do. And when you do all you do to the glory of God, in the scope of creativity that opens doors no one knew existed.

So why did I ever begin this journey I call “The Artists Life”?  Because life is too good to not share it! And frankly, because who wouldn't want to brag about an artist with art like this?! God  is good, all the time!

Smokey Mountain National Park (2)

Cades Cove.... an 11 loop through the Smokeys.  Somehow, you can drive this loop 100 times, and still see a totally new sight every time.

We returned last night with friends, just to walk at night... Not to see the mountains, but to hear them, and to soak up the stars. It was a gorgeous night!

Here are some more pictures of our daytime trip.... I would capture the night for you, if only it were possible!

A beautiful marsh area. This area is fenced off to keep the wild hogs out, but Jonathan found a little spot to climb over.

My favorite kind of fence!

This is the Lawson Cabin... Unique due to it's brick chimney. This was built by Peter Lawson, for he and his new bride! What a romantic huh?! Building a home with a "state of the art" brick chimney! He went all out for his woman.

This is a little "river" that developed in the middle of a field after a week of hard rains.

Grazing contentedly. Jonathan and I were able to walk up quite close to them, they didn't seem to mind the company.

The road less traveled by! We began a cut-through route home, that took us down a one-way gravel road.

A beautiful little waterfall, we drove through the waters path.

This the little Methodist Church I posted the last blog, tucked away in such a huge mountain scape! I love to imagine the wagons full of pioneers, and foot travelers on a Sunday morning.

I don't know what this little stone building used to be.  It now sits lonely and condemned. I love the moss on the roof!

Spring!!!

On the route home, we decided to explore some back roads. Now.... Here's to Tennessee living!

Horses...

old trucks...

classic cars, and mobile homes...

and beautiful sunsets!

Me and hubby say hello!And may you find rich blessings this spring!

Smokey Mountain National Park

The lovely reality of living in East Tennessee is, we are short drive to the beautiful Smokey Mountain National Park. It was such a lovely Saturday, high 60s with a warm breeze, and surrounded by the hints of spring.

My goal this trip: search out any and all sings of spring. Lord knows how desperate all of us has become this year for some warmth and beauty!

You can see, new grass growth in the fields, and snow still laying on the mountain tops.

We took a stroll deep into a field, just so that I could find these pretty Daffodils. Where you see these planted, there was formerly a home in all likely hood.

We even had an unlikely visitor during our field jaunt! My coyote decided that instead of his daytime dreaming, he'd give me some camera time.

He found us a little less than interesting.

Cade’s Cove Methodist Church

In 1902 carpenter/pastor, John D. McCampbell built the pretty white frame structure which became the Cades Cove Methodist church. The buildings two front door design was common in the 1800's in the Smokies and elsewhere. Generally a two front door design allowed men to enter and sit on one side of the chapel and women and children on the other. Some churches even had a divider in the middle of the chapel. However, the Cades Cove's Methodist congregation was more relaxed and sat where they pleased. This is much like Tennessee huh?! Here to enjoy the ride, less interested in trite rituals which diminish life's pleasure. I personally enjoy picking on my hubby as he sits next to me during the service.

It's like my Granddaddy put it this morning, when he's down and out, he's ready to announce that he's ready for a mountain pick-me-up. And that just what I was looking for yesterday.

Spring!

Color in the midst of brown, deadness.

Really, nothing says , "hope", and "new beginnings" like a fresh, new flower. Don't they seem so happy soaking in the sun!

This is the famous Becky Cable house, an industrious woman in the Smokeys, who ran a boarding home, farm, mill, and her brothers children when his wife became ill.

Simplicity inspires so much of design today. And I can see why! This just screams of simple pleasure. Who needs clutter when you are surrounded by work and beauty?

This is the backroom in the house. LOVE this fireplace!

And...

The mill! unfortunately the water wheel was stopped, it makes such a serene sound.

Yesterdays Fords ;)

There are more photos!  Many more! But I can't share them all in one day. Come back to visit, I will show you the Lawson place, and some more of the beautiful Smokey Mountain National Park..

Later.... some paintings too.

Original Series

Jonathan recently devoted some time to a small 8x10 landscape series. Framed, these paintings look beautiful in a collage on a wall. No need to match the frames either. But here are some of them in a couple frame choices Jonathan was keen on!

And there are many more, but if I shared all of them today there would be less anticipation right?!

Thanks for visiting!

A Daughter By Design: The Best Things Come in Two

This was written by my sweet sister, and best friend Hannah Mcconnell. Stop by and visit at her blog: daughterbydesign.blogpot.com

A Daughter By Design: The Best Things Come in Two: "I am a blessed woman. Just over 23 years ago I was born into this world on July 31st preceding my best friend and twin sister Sarah Howe by..."