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.

Biltmore Wine Unveiling

Time seems to be speeding up a bit as we anticipate the arrival of the book, begin to take our first orders, and prepare for the Mars Hill College Homecoming reading. Intoxicated by the season and the winds of change, we are giddy. Or could that headlong rush be the wine. . .?

This past Saturday, Marcus and Anne celebrated the unveiling of the Biltmore Christmas wine, a beautiful bottle emblazoned with Marcus' painting, Biltmore Winter. The lovely winter-blue vision sets the perfect scene for the wine, a semi-sweet blend of Gerwurztamier, Riesling and Muscat. The wine will soon be officially available at the Estate. The full-sized painting is included, with the blessings and permission of the Biltmore Company, in the book, Flight of the Mind. The gathering at Lake James was festive and included Dini Pickering, vice-chair of the Biltmore Board of Directors and granddaughter of George Vanderbilt, who we are sure would have recognized the magic in Marcus' scene. 

We can't think of a better way to spend a winter evening than sipping a glass of wine and getting lost in Marcus' vision of winter wonder.

Marcus and Anne toast with Dini and Chuck Pickering.

But those clean crisp snows are still a few months away, and there are many adventures in store for fall. . . This Saturday, we hope Marcus takes a bottle or two with him as he takes to the skies, literally. Stay tuned for a detailed account of his airborne odyssey on the thermals and over the mountain landscape inhabited by the birds he paints so well. . ..

A book, a bottle and a toast!

The Biltmore Estate has announced the winner of the wine label contest. . .
Out of nine fine designs, the winner was Marcus's creation, Biltmore Winter.


Visit the Biltmore Estate site to see the ranking and official announcement.

Visit our post about Marcus's idea behind Biltmore Winter.

Here's what Marcus and Anne have to say about the matter:

THRILLED!!!
What a joy to report Biltmore Estate wine label success!
Biltmore Winter will be the 2012 Christmas wine LABEL!
This victory that would not have been achieved without the enormous networking effort generously provided by an overwhelming amount of people, family, friends and friends of friends. The networking puzzle is an intricate process that generated the energy to achieve the impossible.
HOW SWEET IT IS!!!
Sincere thanks to everyone who shared the passion.
Hugs, handshakes and a hearty toast.....
Marcus, Anne

The book Flight of the Mind will be available by the time Biltmore releases their Christmas wine in the late summer/early autumn. There's talk of "A Book and a Bottle" launch. Check back for more details on the festivities as we finish up work on the book and raise a glass to the impossible possibility!

Time outside of time

A sketch from How Time Flies.

We return to one of our favorite themes on leap-day 2012: time. My leap-day dream involves breaking out of the linear conception of time where seconds make up minutes and minutes make up hours and one day piles on the next in the rubble of weeks, months years. When I was younger I imagined that February 29th was a magic day, because it was so rare. In this one day, surely, the possibility of all days, past and future, exist. I could crawl through a hollow tree and end up in an alternate universe where the people didn't keep time, never ran out of time, and lived happily without ever having to worry about being late.

Another leap-day dream would be that words have colors, form, texture and the immediate deep impact that painted images do. Imagination and words falter when it comes to re-conceiving time.  Perhaps the problem is the human heartbeat, temporal bodies living eternal experiences.

Maybe this February 29th, I'll meet a raven who has stolen a pocket watch, and I can barter something precious to hitch a ride and see time from a different angle.

Nevertheless, we are running out of time to vote for Marcus's label, so take a couple heartbeats to do this and make a toast to a day that happens every once in a while.

Here is Marcus's lovely leap-day dream:
I dream of a beach worthy wheelchair and endless healthy years to enjoy.
I dream of world peas.
I am living a dream!

What's yours? Feel free to add it below and extend this day's feeling of timelessness as long as possible.

February Longing and Crayola Daydreams

Time and the weather are two elemental forces that influence human cares more than any others. The month of February intensifies this effect: the shortest month with the most infuriating weather. February teases flowers into bloom often to freeze them overnight. It brings the loveliest sunrises and the harshest winds. The four-year boon of an extra day ends up feeling just like any other day and is consumed as quickly as the rest.

But this year, with the gift of our extra day, let's vow to make February 29th a day to dream.

An interesting fact from Marcus' forthcoming book is that his first set of paints was a Crayola(R) watercolor set, bought for cheap and brought home by Anne and his sister Amanda for fun. And it was in the spirit of fun, with perhaps a little hopeful longing too, that Marcus took up the brush and began to once again color his days with creativity, wonder and imagination. Marcus's situation was as cold and inhospitable as February, but with the tease of a little art, the windows of his mind were thrown open and the promise of spring's new life - a transformation - flooded in.

And really, a set of good paints and crayons is exactly what February needs to lengthen the shadows, stretch out the hours, and bring the blush back to the world.

There is still precious time to vote for Marcus'wine label "Biltmore Winter" in the Biltmore Estate contest. Simply click the link and cast your vote.

What's your leap-year dream? Check back here on February 29th when I'll be posting dreams of all colors, and perhaps we'll have a voting contest to see which dream we'd most like to live.

Glimpse the Magic!

Check out this short film, created by Bob Peck of revpictures. It gives an intriguing glimpse into how Marcus creates his magic. And if you haven't already voted, the film provides an easy link for you to go directly to the Biltmore Estate wine label page where you can show your support for Marcus and his lovely fantasy "Biltmore Winter." If you have voted, spread the word and share this with all your friends. We are so grateful for all the support! A toast to all of you!

Wine, paint and your vote!

We are excited to announce that Marcus' piece "Biltmore Winter" is in the running for the Biltmore Estate's wine label contest. 

We need your vote! The deadline is February 29th, so there is time for you to forward this to your friends and family.
Click this Biltmore Estate link to go directly to the page where you can vote for his label.

Marcus' piece is a fantasy in blue and gold, magical and serene. Here's what he has to say about the inspiration for the piece:


The Biltmore House is a enchanted treasure of Western North Carolina, and I wanted to invoke this in my design.The choice of water as the central element reflects the magic of the place, creating compositional depth and mirrored reality. The dominant blue saturation creates the perfect support for the hint of snow and golden glow which imbues the scene with festive holiday warmth.


He has promised a wine tasting along with the book launch if he wins, so make your vote count and we will all celebrate together!