Where I’m from……

Photo by Nathan Baerreis

Recently, an acquaintance asked me “So, you’re from here?”.

Hadn’t that always been loud and clear? I have a southern accent, I know a thing or two about nature, and I don’t mind getting dirty. Seemed fairly obvious to me.

“Here” is Brasstown, 20 miles from my birthplace. I’m in the very tip on western North Carolina; 2 hours from Atlanta, Asheville and Knoxville. We are surrounded by farms, churches and auto parts stores. To say that we are lacking in diversity is an understatement.

What we do have is sweet, sweet nature. We don’t lack for clean streams and grassy fields for our children to explore. We don’t have to exercise in gyms.

The two main types of people here are:

1- Those who came to wrap themselves in fog, dense forests, fresh air and affordable living

2-Those who, by God, were born unto these mountains and ain’t going nowhere.

So, what the heck happened that caused me to no longer blend as a local? I’m going to be processing that and will write about it soon. Be sure to check back!

I tell you these things because I want you to understand my reasoning and esthetic. I haven’t found a lot of similar artists who incorporate aspects of nature into a piece of modern, abstract art. It’s kind of an anomaly, just like me.