Great Smoky Mountains National Park Artist in Residence (Week 1)

I was selected as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Artist in Residence! My residency was for September 2023. I got to live out my dream of living in the Smokies, the place where I always want to be. I spent the month painting almost every day and interacting with park visitors. My goal for the month was to get better and more comfortable with plein-air painting. In this post, I will go over the highlights of week one.

Arrival

Due to the Labor Day holiday, I arrived in the Smokies on Tuesday, September 5th. The artist-in-residence program, sponsored by Friends of the Smokies, provided me with housing in the park. My neighbors were park interns and seasonal employees.

Teaching Opportunities

On day two, I went to Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN. Originally founded as a women’s fraternity for skilled workers (baskets, pottery, quilting, etc.) Arrowmont now provides classes for anyone wanting to learn art. They have classes in any art medium that you can think of! The campus is open to visitors. If you are in the area, go check out their galleries and shop!

After meeting with the director, I drove to Kodak to meet up with Friends of the Smokies. We then went to Fulton High School in Knoxville. There I taught a group of art students, a crash course in oil painting and plein air. It was a great time and made me miss interacting with students. They did wonderfully! The goal was to prepare them for an event in the park where a professional plein air painter would instruct them.

That night I drove up to Clingman’s Dome and caught an incredible sunset. It was slightly rainy, on one side of the mountain was the sunset, and on the other was a rainbow! After dark, the clouds drifted away, and I was gifted with the Milky Way.

Cades Cove Vistas

Thursday and Friday I made the long drive to Cades Cove to plein air paint and get reference photos. Once I got there, the sun angles were not what I was expecting, nevertheless, I found some great spots. I found interesting trees with beautiful mountain vistas in the background.

In my favorite spot, dappled light shown on the road from the forest. The valley and mountains peaked through and opening in the background.

I was able to plein air paint at one point. My “Artist in Residence” official sign hung on my truck, and I positioned myself so visitors could see as they drove past. Many visitors gave me positive reviews.

I went back to Arrowmont one night for a dinner they were hosting. But before dinner walked around their current gallery exhibits: Unusual Care: Leslie Smith & Katie Wigglesworth and Degrees of Commitment: Climate, Ecosystems, and Society. Then it was off to the best dining hall experience I have ever had. They were serving lasagna and had a vegetarian option of eggplant parmesan. Moreover, they went a step further and got me a vegan option. It was SO GOOD! Additionally, all of the plates and bowls are ceramics made by former students. I just had to get a cup of decaf after dinner so I could use one of the unique mugs!

I accomplished so much in my first week! Stay tuned for week 2!