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Outer Banks History & Hidden Gems

Outer Banks history and places known only to those who live on the Outer Banks, or hidden gems, has been a topic that needed to be addressed by Outer Banks Revealed. And then came this e-mail:

I have a website that I am building, actually an artist's blog and I found your website. Great stuff on it. I like your idea. Not the usual chamber junk. I am trying to do a similar thing from an artist view. I have been here for 25 years and have some unique insight. I would like to add your site to my links. Could you reciprocate somehow? My blog is OBX Vintage Art

Any questions you might have about the OBX, I will be happy to answer.Maybe you could add an Outer Banks history section?

And with that simple note, I was introduced to Judith Bailey of Nags Head NC (formerly of Ohio) and my "Outer Banks History & Hidden Gems" quandary was solved. How? Well, every month, Judith is going to provide another great "Outer Banks Hidden Gem" that only a local would know. In the process, she is going to share with you a unique seasonal topic and a little Outer Banks history.

Judith is an artist and has been kind enough to share some of her work here. A thumbnail of some of her Outer Banks art along with the inspiration for the piece, is presented below, with a link on how you can acquire it. Take a look!

Who is Judith Bailey?

Judith Bailey, a native of Northern Ohio, has been living on the Outer Banks for almost 30 years. She began painting professionally in 2005. She has attended colleges both in Ohio and North Carolina. Mentored by her artist mother and photographer father, she developed a deep love of nature and made it her life’s work to portray the beauty of the natural world in a variety of mediums: watercolor, acrylic, oil and pastel painting, pen and ink drawing. Ms. Bailey works as a graphic artist as a "day-job" but off hours, when she is not gardening or relaxing on the beach, you will find her paddling a kayak, walking the dunes or biking the back roads of the Outer Banks looking for images worthy of creative expression. She is also an avid history buff and more than a few paintings are nostalgic representations of the Outer Banks as it once was. She is affiliated with Dare County Arts Council, Daily Painters of North Carolina, Pastel Artists International, Landscape Artists International, and Seascape Artists International. Her philosophy of art comes from her mother who told her to "follow the light, day after day." Good advice, even for non-artists.

Judith is a local Outer Banks artist. Follow this link to visit her blog and see more great work that she has completed and a story about each (and usually a little Outer Banks history as inspiration)!

Judith's Art

Elegantly Shabby: Next to the new Nags Head Post Office sat two houses for quite a long time that were typical Nags Header architecture and this 50's era style charter boat. At one time the boat functioned as a sign for an antique shop. The house had a sign that said, "Elegantly Shabby," a great comment on relaxed beach living.

The Grassy Hills: Long ago, local residents referred to the beautiful dunes that are so abundant on the northern Outer Banks as "Grassy Hills." Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on Highway 12 on your way to Hatteras villages is virtually an unspoiled wilderness of wildlife and windswept ocean dunes. Pastel on sanded paper.

Marshes Light: Here is an historic view of a common sight in Manteo today. Marshes Light is a reconstruction on the Manteo waterfront of an old screwpile lighthouse that was out in the sound between the mainland and Roanoke Island. There is also a restored shad boat at the dock and on certain summer days it can be seen at sail in Shallowbag Bay. This painting is acrylic on canvas.

Pamlico Harbor: This scene was painted from a black and white post card from the 1940's on Hatteras Island. The front boat is the locally famous Jackie Faye, a round-sterned work boat, typical of the era before motors and winches, as the rounded stern facilitated hauling in the net. This boat was on exhibit on Hatteras Island pre-Isabel but was lost at sea. But here it is in painting form.

Takin' a Break: There is one place on the Outer Banks where you can photograph the sun setting over the ocean without having to drive to California and that is Cape Point on the tip of Hatteras Island. This painting shows a break in the rain clouds, a break in the water and a break in the water's reflections so it is called, "Takin' a Break at Cape Point."