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![[Studio Willingham]](/images/studiowill.gif)
at Mountain Laurel Gallery
Preserving the Appalachian Spirit
Preserving the Appalachian Spirit
In this work, there is a sense that the viewer is actually standing atop a mountain, peering through foreground tree branches and a veil of mist that gently covers the mountaintops in the distance.
Landscape scene near Corbin, Kentucky
White church near Corbin, Kentucky
Watercolor still life of memorable country scene. Now available in open edition print.
A watercolor depiction of an authentic past-time restaurant in Corbin, KY. "Time Expired" is now available in limited edition print.
The watercolor original of The Fallen Confererate began as a challenge to me when I saw a photo of a cannon in an old magazine. Having enjoyed painting tarnished metal objects in other works, I had the inspiration to begin.
On a visit to Laurel Lake near Corbin, KY, I was inspired to paint the tranquil scene. Using watercolor as the medium of the original, this painting was the first completed of the four paintings titled the Yellow Squash Series. The original Laurel Lake has been sold and is in a private collection.
Built in the 1920's, still perched upon the rocks so deftly placed beneath it, the Scott Chapel church house became for me a labor of love.
I first saw Scott Chapel on a drive through the Laurel County countryside with friends in 1997. The weathered boards and rusty, torn metal roof, sparked my artist nature to take on the challenge. I attempted to portray Scott Chapel's steadfastness -- it had withstood the test of time gracefully.
Scott Chapel is one of the four in the Yellow Squash Series. The watercolor original is in a private collection.
At the request of a friend to paint a picture of the friend's father-in-law who had been a mail carrier, I composed the oil painting. The painting depicts Delbert Pennington upon Old Gray in the year 1931, as the pair descend an Eastern Kentucky mountain. In Mountain Delivery, I hoped to reveal the Appalachian spirit of endurance necessary to cope with the challanges faced in the rural environment. One of the Yellow Squash Series, the original Mountain Delivery remains in my personal collection.
From a story told to me by my mother Thelma (Feltner) Willingham, I began this watercolor original. Mother often told of her having lived in Harlan County, KY, with her grandparents and of crossing the Cumberland River to get to the garden. The river divided the farm, and swinging bridges were the means of getting to the other side. The young girl on the bridge represents my mother as she ventured across to help Grandpa with the garden chores. The original remains in my personal collection.