Noccalula Falls

I painted the oil original, "Noccalula Falls," while participating in the Southeastern Plein Air Festival conducted by the Gadsden Museum of Art in Gadsden, Alabama. According to a legend, a native Indian tribe lived in the area, and the tribe's chief, Noccalula, had a beautiful daughter. Her father turned down all of her suitors and decided to select a husband for her. Unfortunately, she had her heart set on another brave and begged her father to allow her to marry the true love of her life. When her father denied her petition, she escaped to the falls on the day of her scheduled wedding and took her own life. A statue of the maiden stands guard over the Falls today.

I selected a view of the Falls to paint that is different from that normally selected by most artists. I wanted to show a more unusual perspective of the Falls.