Oriental

“Plein Air Dragon”
6 x 9" watercolor

Oriental North Carolina. Now that’s an oxymoron.

I refer to small paintings such as this as my “postcard paintings.” In fact, that may be what drives many people to purchase them. I do try to take them beyond postcards. But, if I knew why a person purchases the art they do, I might be sitting on a beach in Monte Carlo rather than a bank in Oriental.

In an attempt to squeeze as much out of my travel and to justify all the miles on my car, I try to make it a practice to paint at least one small watercolor each time I go any distance. It adds to my enjoyment of the trip, plus it builds my inventory. And so, when I went to New Bern and Oriental yesterday to drop off artwork for upcoming shows, I took out some time to paint. Hey, how often is it that you run across a dragon en plein air?

Oriental Dragon sculpture: Gary Gresko