In the first room of Rob Levin’s studio, his designs — elongated and pointed, intricate and etched, brilliantly hued — catch the morning sun. In the second and third rooms, ceiling-high stacks of branches and bamboo dominate. In the fourth, shelves hold dozens of pieces awaiting completion. This last room, where Levin watches the seasons change outside, is where the true work gets done, on a decades-old bench surrounded by glass furnaces — plus corrugated tin panels to protect him from the heat his remarkable creations require.
Feature image: To create “ribbons” of glass on a finished piece (above left), Levin adds globules of hot glass while the piece is still in progress.
Why does this Haywood County town have some of the cleanest water in the state? It’s the result of the community’s efforts to keep the forests in its watershed pristine.
The spectacular views in North Carolina’s High Country aren’t just inspiration for writers, painters, and sculptors. Those landscapes — the rugged gray face of Grandfather Mountain, the vibrant fall leaves, the deep green meadows — are brushstrokes on Earth’s own canvas.
The sprawling vineyards and wide-open skies that stretch for miles across seven North Carolina counties offer relaxing getaways — not to mention some of the state’s finest wines — for Sunday drivers aching to escape the rush of city life.
Nothing lasts forever — and that’s what makes many of our cherished moments so special.
