Lucky Blue Black Snake

• original acrylic painting by Waynesville, NC artist Natalie Bloom
• 8 x 8 x 1.5 inches on gallery wrapped canvas with sides painted turquoise

Spotting a black snake is supposed to be lucky, a sign of growth and change. Take this painting home and you’ll spot one every day, along with literal four-leaf clovers. That’s manifesting, right?
Though yes, this snake is technically blue, it’s a black rat snake. They are native to Western North Carolina as well as the Trout Lily named for its bloom coinciding with Trout season. In the spring, I am in awe of how they grow out of the mossy river bank, looking stoic like orchids, but without all the high-maintenance needs for survival.