Where the Horses Wandered by Lauren Stepp. “Exploring texture and imagination in Kenilworth.” Carolina Home + Garden

“The streets of Asheville’s Kenilworth neighborhood twist and turn like brushstrokes on a canvas — an apt setting for painter Pat Crowl, who delights in layering color and texture until her pieces pulse with energy. “I love to experiment with acrylic mediums and texture,” she says. “Often, I start with a textured acrylic background and build up layers of paint using watercolor, watercolor crayons, or painted collage paper. For me, each new painting is a chance to try a new color palette or an unconventional composition.” Crowl’s mixed-media works range from abstracts and florals to landscapes drawn from her imagination, each reflecting her playful yet deliberate approach. Since moving to Kenilworth in 2019, she’s found inspiration in the neighborhood’s mature trees, eclectic homes, and quiet charm — “a perfect balance between urban and rural,” as she describes it. This October marks her third appearance in the Kenilworth Artists Association Studio Tour. The two-day event features 27 artists opening their homes and studios, with five percent of sales benefiting Loving Food Resources, a nonprofit serving Western North Carolinians living with HIV/AIDS or in hospice care.

The Kenilworth Artists Association Studio Tour happens October 11-12 from 10am-5pm. See more at kenilworthartists.org.