What a colorful issue is this one!
We have white squirrels, golden hours, yellow trillium and red berries. And then there’s the reason, perhaps, that you picked up this issue: that vibrant, joy-evoking painting on the cover—Sunflower Sonnet, by Tania Dirks, who says this about how she paints and what inspires her: “It wasn’t till I moved to Tennessee and the South that I saw the big picture of how agriculture and the Appalachian landscape inspire a freedom in how I can interpret the energy of the landscape into color, and compositions that remind me of music with the mountains and skies as these big, grand outros.”
Gina Malone, Editor
Feature Artist Ken Wheeler also finds delight in the dazzling colors he applies to his birdhouses, furniture and wall sculptures. That evolution in style began with simply picking up a bright yellow piece of scrap wood, incorporating it into the piece he was working on and admiring that vivid pop of color.
With the lovely weather of late spring, opportunities to get outdoors are too numerous for the time each of us is allotted. But we can certainly try to do it all! Marshall will hold its beloved Mermaid Parade, this year with an accompanying festival, in early June. This will be the first celebration of this long-time tradition for the town since Hurricane Helene, a lovely sign of continuing recovery. The Black Mountain Beautification Committee’s annual garden sale offers lots of thriving beauty for Western North Carolina yards. And don’t miss the WNC Bike Fest, a benefit for trail maintenance, advocacy and infrastructure as well as a great time.
Finally, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. One sentiment heard most often these days is that there’s much to worry about and stress over in current times. The Pollinators Foundation for Wellness & Social Healing has a month-long plan to help people learn about and make time for self-care. The Asheville Salt Cave also has some special healing activities planned for this month and the next. And Judith Canty Graves reminds us of a simple remedy for bringing calm into our daily lives: stepping out into the garden.
Have a beautiful month!
Gina Malone can be reached at gina@thelaurelofasheville.com
