Artist in Residence: Devil's Fork State Park

I just spent a week staring at the most beautiful green lake. I hiked, I paddled, and I made lots of art! This was my third artist residency through South Carolina State Parks and this year I was assigned to Devil’s Fork State Park in the northwest part of the state, where I’m starting to think there are more waterfalls than people. The landscape was gorgeous and there was so much to explore. Although I had a very full week, I feel like I could have spent a year there!

Every day I got up before sunrise and headed out for a hike in a new place. I averaged 4-7 miles each day, usually on a trail that lead to a waterfall or two, and soaked up as much inspiration as I could. In the afternoons, I enjoyed the panoramic view of Lake Jocassee from my cabin porch, making needle felted landscapes and painted pendants inspired by my surroundings. It was so easy to find inspiration. Not only does Devil’s Fork boast a lake so clear and green it looks like pool water, but there’s the majestic Blueridge mountains at the horizon, and of course acres and acres of magical woodlands full of creatures and flowers. This place has it all.

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to get to know another State Park in this intimate way and it’s even more special this time because this residency is the one and only thing on the calendar for 2020 that didn’t get canceled. It was the one thing I got to keep, I got to look forward to almost a full year, and the experience did not disappoint in any way.

I hope you enjoy this short video recap of my time at the park! All needle felted wool paintings are available here, the one mixed media fiber art piece at the beginning of this post is available here, the painted landscape pendants can be purchased here, and the laser engraved pendants are here. Use coupon code JOCASSEE now through 10/15 to get 20% off your order of $50 or more at www.onceagainsam.com

Once Again Sam’s Nature Report:

• 6 Bald Eagles

• Countless monarch butterflies (on their way to Mexico)

• 1 Otter

• 4 Great blue herons

• Many fishies-a-swimmin’

• 5 Belted king fishers

• 1 Bear (possibly)

• 2 Deer

• Several chipmunks

• All the squirrels

• 17 Waterfalls

• 0 Snakes (hooray!)

The Mountains in Autumn

It’s the first week of October, and sadly everything is still green here in Greenville, SC. However, I’m daydreaming about the mountains in fall, and it’s showing through in both my jewelry and fiber art. Burnt reds, golds, deep orange tones, shades of sienna, olive greens … they’re coming soon to my backyard, but until then, they’re alive and well in my studio.

A small collection of needle felted wool landscapes showcasing my favorite season are now available on my website. These small to medium pieces are framed and ready to hang. If you’re after something specific or have a special scene in mind, please get your commissions in at least 3 weeks in advance!

My all new painted landscape pendant series titled “The Mountains in Autumn” are also available online as of today. Checkout this new Maker’s Eye View process video showing how I create these one-of-a-kind pieces from start to finish.

It's the start of the fall season here, and I'm wishing for bright foliage and mountain drives! Checkout my process of making painted landscape pendants using simple painting techniques and a laser cutter. Pendants can be purchased here: http://www.onceagainsam.com/landscape-painting-pendant-the-mountains-in-autumn/

And lastly, a new colorway for my popular splatter painted series called “Autumn Leaves,” which features all those vibrant seasonal colors I crave, is also live on the website. I painted this series in tandem with the autumn landscape shown above, so the colors are identical between the two collections. I personally love the way the splatter painted earrings look when paired with the landscape pendant. They’re the same colors but it’s not overly matchy.

TIP: An easy way to filter down all of these new autumn launches on my site is to type “Autumn” in the search bar. It makes things really simple!