A Vision of Spring

Today, the last day of February, winter and spring coexist in chilly bright paradox, with fitful sun, shivering daffodils, a cold north wind, and a soft blue sky sporadically clouded with snow flurries. Winter, which we worried would never come, is holding sway, but not enough to freeze the signs and harbingers of Spring from our yards and hearts.

All winter, Marcus has been conjuring Spring, breathing a blush into the gray days in his work on the Biltmore Estate's spring wine label, Biltmore in Bloom.

Following his lovely and well-loved Christmas wine label, Biltmore Winter, the estate once again selected Marcus to create the art that will adorn their special release 2013 Spring wine, a Rose' of Pinot Grigio.

Marcus' interpretation of spring arriving at the Biltmore Estate is, once again, a fantasy of beauty and majesty. Tulips, of a vibrant pink hue gardeners dream of, dominate the foreground en masse. The delicate flowers are juxtaposed against the background scene of the majestic mansion seemingly hovering in the spring forest, appearing more ethereal than the flowers, a reversal that can only happen in the magic of springtime. Above the entirety, the misty Blue Ridge Mountains and the new spring sky widen the horizon, opening portal of possibility for all who traipse the springtime landscape, searching for such wonder as the painting portrays.

About his work, Marcus writes, The tulips are definitely the stars of the design. I wanted the flowers to be elevated in the landscape, reigning above the house, creating good depth and inviting the eye to journey within the painting towards the magic of the estate, and beyond to the mountains and spring sky. Flower power prevails!

And flower power (and a good glass of wine) is just what the end of February needs! Snowy River Limited is pleased to announce that the prints of Biltmore in Bloom will be available for purchase. If you are local to Western North Carolina, you can find the prints and the book Flight of the Mind at Weaverville's Art Accents frame shop and gallery. A variety of framing options are also available. View these online at Marcus' official site. Online purchase is also available through the website.

Stay tuned for the official press release of Marcus' spring wine label for the Biltmore Estate. In the meantime, check out our February 2012 posts when we were at the height of the Christmas wine label voting contest, and enjoyed the luxury of a leap year.

Grace in the Waiting

Marcus and Anne with advance copy of Flight of the Mind.

The promise that "good things come to those who wait," is perhaps as old as Christmas. To a child awaiting the arrival of a parade or party, the reassurance often rings like a hollow admonishment to be patient and quell her rising excitement. For those of us hurtling head-long towards the end of the year, the promise, though cliche, can serve as a reminder of how harmful it can be to rush only to arrive at the inevitable unprepared, with spent souls.


In the Christian calendar we are currently in the midst of Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Our culture doesn't give Advent much shrift, but it serves as an observance of a necessary waiting period, time to prepare for the gift of the incarnation, getting ready for the possibility of God becoming Human. Advent coincides with the longest nights of the year, leading up to Solstice, the longest actual night and the pivot point of the year, getting the world ready for the possibility of a fresh start in seasons to come.

It takes grace to wait with patience. Ask any expectant mother, any artist, any child, any commuter waiting on the morning traffic, any lover awaiting the return of the beloved. Whether we wait in fear, anxiety, or peace, it is often the hardest (and perhaps the most necessary) part of any journey.


Just ask Marcus and Anne, for that matter! We are currently in a forced period of waiting on the book, Flight of the Mind. A testament that has been 26 years in the living and a year and half in the making is now, at the eleventh hour, held up in a port in California, hostage to a union strike. Honestly, we would have preferred pirates. Repeating the mantra, "good things come, good things come" still doesn't keep us from nail-biting, bargaining with powers beyond our control, and wishing the books could literally grow the wings of Marcus' imagination. If you have ordered a book, you will be receiving communication soon about the outlook on arrival.

Along with grace, it never hurts to have a little fortification against long nights and seemingly endless periods of anticipation. The tradition of luminaries, lighting the way for the advent of the awaited event, does the work of shoring us up for the long haul. A illuminated path marked out in the formless void and darkness of the wait provides a thread to follow, directing the soul to the ultimate point. This evening from 6-9pm, Weaverville hosts its Annual Candlelight Stroll through downtown, complete with a luminary leading visitors to celebrate with music, horse and buggy rides, shopping and Santa. Marcus and Anne will be at Art Accents on Main Street with an advance copy of the book, the first official preview of Fight of the Mind. By all accounts, the book is beautiful and well worth the wait. Come see for yourself and join us in our grace-full wait. In this journey of a lifetime, a little patience could be a good thing in itself.