STEVENSON RIDGE - AN ARTIST'S VIEW

I've been neglecting the blog again. Sorry, my friends. It's that 80/20 thing which has now moved to a 99/1 thing.

But I did get out the other week and shoot, thanks to the wonderful folks at Stevenson Ridge; special thanks to Jennifer LaRock.

Simple. Serene. Idyllic. That was my morning at this beautiful lodge/bed and breakfast/inn. There are many words to describe Stevenson Ridge, but I'll stick with my three - simple, serene, idyllic.

Stevenson Ridge is an 87-acre historical property. On that property you'll see some of the best in historical building restoration, the guest houses actually - and my three descriptive words - unique, pristine, charming.

I stuck to the exterior of the property as these buildings, like most historical buildings, intrigued me. While I didn't capture all the properties (yeah, I forgot my map and missed a few), I did make my way around to several and it wasn't always the building itself that caught my attention, but the small details of the buildings that captured my eye.

At the backside of the lodge is where it happens. On my first visit to Stevenson Ridge, the pond centered on the property was so calming. I stood on the balcony of the lodge and took it in - the small dock, the benches, the trees, the oar sticking up out of the pond. I have no idea what story goes with the oar, but it catches my attention. Probably because I just know there has to be a story.

The morning of my shoot, I took it all in again, only this time I had marvelous morning light and beautiful reflections of the Riddick House shimmering off the surface of the pond. I can just see myself sitting on the deck overlooking the pond in the quiet morning sipping a cup of joe.

 

From the Riddick House, I made my way over to the Log Home. This place has a charm you wouldn't believe and that's only from the outside. The idea of dropping the camera and curling up in a rocker with a good book certainly crossed my mind that morning.

 

With the porch of the Log Home just calling out for relaxation, I have one question that continues to plaque my mind, even now - what's with the bathtub on the porch? Not so much the bathtub itself, that's just charm, but the can on a stick jutting out of the bathtub. Ah, yet another story of intrigue.

I moved onward. I think I found the Adrian Cabin next. This is another one of those charming porch features. The Adrian Cabin is a small cabin which reminds me that it should be in snow covered ground, so I'd have to think winter here, even in summer. The porch was decked out with this old crate and again, I was drawn into comfort and a good book, along with a tall glass of iced tea with a lemon floating on top, sweating on the table (of course, I'm back to summer). Irresistible.

From the cabin, I hiked over to the Servant's Quarters. The first thing I noticed here was the blue hurricane lamp hanging from the eaves over the door of the house. The Servant's Quarters is very basic, until you trek around to the back. A small deck invites you in. A green door with a porcelain handle beckons you toward the house. An outside bath house (shower) dares you to give up the comforts of home.

Last we come upon the Spy Hill House. A simple two-story cottage with a view of the pond. I liked the detail of the door on this building.

And by the pond, we find the boat, with one oar, which may explain the oar sticking out of the water.

 

On my adventure to Stevenson Ridge, I missed the Corn Crib and the Civil War House. I asked if I could come back in the fall to again capture the charm of this place, and when I'm out shooting the property with the leaves in full fall color, I will be sure to collect images of the two missing properties.

ON THE CORNER OF SOPHIA AND HANOVER

Last weekend, I spend Sunday morning roaming the streets of downtown Fredericksburg. The great thing about Fredericksburg is that I can go there every day of the week and find something new to shoot. And so it happened on Sunday.

I always start my excursion at the Silversmith House (the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts) and just start walking in whatever direction my feet take me. On Sunday, I stopped at the Silversmith House to take some shots of their beautiful marigolds, then walked half a block to end up on the corner of Sophia and Hanover. Now I have walked this route many times in the past five years, but for some reason I only noticed this particular work of art that day.

There's this mural on the wall of what appears to be life in Fredricksburg in the long ago past that has unfortunately deteriorated over time. At one point, it was a beautiful work of art. My best bet was to shoot pieces of the mural.

I have a fascination with murals, wall art, signs painted on old brick from the days I worked with muralist Tim O'Connor in California. No, I didn't have anything to do with the murals, I worked other areas of his business, but I was intrigued with his work. He's produced three murals in 29 Palms, Good Times at Smith's Ranch; Jack Cones; and Johnnie Hastie. I had the opportunity of seeing Smith's Ranch from its conception to its completion. Tim's a great artist and I learned many things from him. Because of him, I appreciate what I see painted on the sides of buildings.

So, back to our mural. The next time you visit downtown Fredericksburg, take a walk to the corner of Sophia and Hanover and take a look at what once was a beautiful piece of art. In many ways, though the paint is peeling and faded, this mural is still a fine piece of art.