Hi, I'm Vanessa. I usually blog over here at 2ndspring and can also be found over on Flickr . Nice to meet you all!
And I do paint, though I don't do it nearly as often as I would like.
I usually reserve my brushes and color for a very special
week during the summer.
This is when my mom and I load up the car and drive to the middle of nowhere Nevada. After almost 6 hours of driving south from Reno we turn onto a dirt road and bump our way past more sage brush then you can count. With a trail of dust following our car we arrive in Belmont, NV. This is where we will spend the next five days painting, catching up with fellow artist/friends and enjoy shared meals and laughter. I also sneak off to take photos since I am usually full of inspiration when I am there!
above, the church where we gather to paint and learn
below, down town Belmont
Belmont used to be a booming mining town and was once the county seat for Nye County. If you are interested in finding it on a map just look about half way between Reno and Las Vegas. I doubt it is on any map but if you find Tonopah you are close. There is no electricity in this town (unless you have a generator-wind solar or gas will do) and the horses probably out number the humans.
It is a sweet little spot away from everything, completely and wonderfully unplugged. There is a b&b, restaurant and a bar or two (depending on the day of the week different places are open) and a packing service for hunters who come into town. There are a few ranches in the area and great hot springs if you care for a soak. In the evenings, if we are lucky, the clouds and the sun get their turn painting as the sun sets. I have never seen such amazing colors in the sky.
Here are a few of my results from previous years.
Thanks for joining me today!
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