Come Paint the Setting Sun on NC Roadless Wild Lands near Asheville, NC

Come be a part of a unique MountainTrue happening where we will celebrate through art the presence of roadless wild lands in North Carolina. Join artist and teacher John Springer as he guides us in the introductory concepts of color harmony and watercolor sketching.

We will start the outing with the short hike up to the Craggy Pinnacle Overlook. We will observe the land around us and discuss what we see. We will discover how to create the colors we observe in nature from red, blue and yellow. After this introductory guidance, we will spend the autumn afternoon painting the Craggy Mountain Roadless Area, ending at sunset.

This event is meant to raise awareness of the threat to our NC wild lands through the proposed rescission of the Roadless Rule, put forward by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on August 20th, 2026. The work we create will be presented as visual counter-evidence to the idea that these places need roads at all – roads that could open them up to logging, mineral extraction and habitat destruction. Beauty and wonder exist in partnership with vast natural spaces and biological diversity. Let’s paint to celebrate what still exists and what is fragile.

The Teacher’s Approach:
John’s approach to teaching painting and drawing is to always maintain a beginner’s mindset. In this way one can give pure and honest voice to the experience in the changing environment around you. He is not concerned with the creation of articulate masterpieces, but rather creating work that gives an effect of the wholeness and atmosphere, maintaining within it the unique vivacity of the artist’s imaginative experience of observations. John adheres to principles found within both eastern and western art revolving around the study of light and volume. He demonstrates how by focusing on the essential elements in a motif you can create movement in a painting and evoke life.

Registration for this event is free, however, if you would like to help cover the cost of supplies, we invite you to make an optional donation.

Artists will have the option to donate their art to MountainTrue to use for future fundraising initiatives or to take their art home with them.

Meet-up: at 2 pm at the Craggy Pinnacle Overlook (milepost 364.1 on the Blue Ridge Parkway) parking lot. A lower elevation back-up will be determined and communicated should the wind or weather end up extreme.

What to bring: This workshop involves a short 0.7 mile hike up to the overlook. All the art materials and paper will be provided by John. Please bring a daypack with adequate food and water, as well as warmth and wind layers. It will get chilly up there, so several layers, a beanie and gloves are recommended. Hot drinks will be provided, so bring a mug or thermos. We may come down after sunset, so a headlamp is recommended. You may bring a Crazy Creek or camp chair if you would like.

About the artist:
John Springer (b. 1990, Columbus, GA) is an American artist who lives in Aix-en-Provence, France. He received his MFA from American College of the Mediterranean in 2023 and a BS in Natural Resources and the Environment from The University of the South in Sewanee, TN in 2012. His work has been featured in galleries, fairs and universities. John’s personal gallery Society of Irregulars features the work of himself and two other France-based painters. He conducts group exhibitions of the collection in the United Sates throughout the year.