Antique Sunsets Made Daily – Sunset, Monday, 15 October 2012

William Van Doren, ANTIQUE SUNSETS MADE DAILY. Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

Anyone familiar with Sperryville, Virginia, will know where I stole my title ... although my meaning’s a bit different.

From Sperryville Cemetery – Sunset, Saturday, 29 September 2012

William Van Doren, FROM SPERRYVILLE CEMETERY. Sunset from Sperryville, Rappahannock County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

It can be difficult to see the sunset from Sperryville itself, because it’s right next to the Blue Ridge. So I drove a mile or so east to the cemetery, up on a little rise. The crowd there was a lot quieter than the one at the opening for the fantastic show of new work by Mike Fitts at Haley Fine Art.

Michael Fitts at Haley Fine Art

There’s no way I’m going to miss the opening reception for the Mike Fitts show at Haley Fine Art in the beautiful little town of Sperryville, Virginia, on September 29th. (Show goes up September 27th.) Sperryville alone would be worth the trip, the Haley gallery alone is worth the trip, and the work of Michael Fitts would be more than worth the trip. Did I mention that it’s worth the trip? 

Somewhere in Rappahannock (Sunset, Sunday, 20 November 2011)

William Van Doren, SOMEWHERE IN RAPPAHANNOCK (Sunset from Rt. 211 between Flint Hill and Sperryville, Rappahannock County, Va.) Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

I love small, “local” mountains, and none more than those of Rappahannock County, Virginia. This loose impression, after driving through at sunset between Flint Hill and Sperryville, doesn’t begin to do the place justice, but I hope I can have more chances in the future.