Have you ever driven to Highlands, NC? If you haven’t, you should put that on your bucket list. The Appalachian mountains are so beautiful, but there is something special about the hills that make up Highlands.
The land feels timeless- you are likely to see bears, foxes, turkeys, and raccoons as you drive the winding little roads. Your ears will pop as you ascend into the clouds, and the arbor of trees will sometimes open up into windows of scenery, miles of ragged watercolor mountains and skyline. I can’t say enough about how beautiful Highlands is- can you tell it’s my favorite place on earth?
Highlands is also where these two decided to take the next step on their life journey together. Meet the sweet, the brilliant, the accomplished, the gracious Marjorie & Matt:
They hired me to paint their first dance, and they decided to throw an incredibly elegant party at The Farm of The Old Edwards Inn & Spa. Please, if you ever have a weekend to spare and you can’t make it to Scotland, go stay at The Old Edwards Inn & Spa instead. The staff is Scottish, the rooms are like something off a movie set about Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the atmosphere will enchant you. It’s one of the best hotels on earth.
I mean, look at the way they celebrated Matt & Marjorie’s reception:
Do you spy my set-up in the picture above? I was so excited to capture the room in paint- it really deserves to be preserved, don’t you think? I started adding in greens and golds immediately. The pictures don’t really do justice to the filtered light that came in through the leaves of the trees- everything had a misty green glow.
The first dance was really special. They couldn’t stop laughing, they seemed giddy with happiness. It was infectious! The whole room had an energy of joy.
I finished the painting towards the end of dinner, and I’m so grateful that the fabulous photographer, Katherine Miles Jones, captured their reaction!
Doesn’t get any better than that in my line of work! I was thrilled! So without further ado, here is the finished painting:
Thank you so much for reading, and congrats to Marjorie & Matt! Their love is beautiful!
I like how you mentioned that a room like that one needs to be preserved. Pictures can capture the moment but sometimes a painting can really get the job done. It also makes for a great story later on when you get to show your kids and grandchildren.