Rocky Knob, Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd

Rocky Knob is a magic place with thousands of potential paintings. These two are just a few angle degrees apart (the mountain partly showing on the right side of the top one, is the mountain in the bottom one), but two different seasons. The ribbon in the top one is the BRP. You can see in the bottom one cuts through a bald. What I didn't include were all the black cows that slowly wandered into view. They keep the bald a bald. This is at Saddleback (Saddle?) overlook, just north on the trail from the parking lot, an hour south of Roanoke, close to Chateau Morrisette and Floyd, around mile 169. There is a little visitors center and a campground nearby, both open seasonally. I use my internal frame backpack to carry everything. Run for cover when you hear thunder.  -- Anne Pfeiffer

Cherry Blossom Trail, Greenfield Center, Cloverdale, Virginia

I did this pastel painting looking across the pond at the Greenfield Center, via the Cherry Blossom Trail this past summer. What a fantastic place to paint. I have another one from another angle that I did this fall. I'll post that as well after I catch up on my photography.  You will probably want something on wheels to help you carry your stuff along the dirt and loose, fine gravel path.-- Anne Pfeiffer

Cahas Mountain Overlook on Blue Ridge Parkway

I did this pastel painting plein air at the Cahas Mountain overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway this summer. It was very hot in the valley and quite a few people were driving on the parkway to get out of the heat and stopping at the overlook. It was overcast that day as you can see. I set up my easel and halfway through the painting, a mom and her daughter drove up, got out of their car with their books and just sat on the grass reading. I imagined it must have been sweltering in their house, or else they just needed to be outside but out of the heat. At some point it started sprinkling, which is bad news for a pastel painting. I covered everything up and waited, then went back to painting. This painting sold at our 202 Market Gallery opening, December 7th.  --- Anne Pfeiffer