North Carolina native and award-winning artist, “Cotton” Ketchie, has been preserving the rural beauty and heritage of his beloved state in transparent watercolors for nearly thirty years. His travels have taken him on the back roads of all one-hundred counties. Over the years, he has perfected his own sensitive style of realism.

In 2004, Ketchie was the featured artist for the Governor’s Conference on Tourism. His works have been selected yearly for the North Carolina Wildlife calendar and his painting titled, “Fishing Buddies” will be showcased in the 2011 calendar during the month of August. Ketchie’s works can be found in collections throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

Ketchie’s photography has also gained recognition and has been highly praised for capturing the rustic beauty of rural North Carolina.

His first two books, Memories of a Country Boy and A Country Boy’s Education have delighted readers with his antics as a country boy growing up in rural North Carolina in the 1950’s.   His first novel, Little Did They Know, is a love story/suspense yarn that is set in Mooresville and western North Carolina. A sequel to Ketchie’s first novel,  Trouble in Love Valley,  is set in the edge of the Brushy Mountains of Iredell County and is scheduled for release in the Fall 2010.

Ketchie and his wife, Vickie, own “Cotton” Ketchie’s Landmark Galleries, Inc. in Mooresville, North Carolina where his original watercolors, limited prints, photographs, and books are available.

“Cotton” and Vickie are both involved extensively in their community.  Together they work through their Exchange Club for the prevention of child abuse. Vickie is 2010-11 President for the North Carolina District Exchange Clubs and “Cotton” serves as President-Elect of the Mooresville/Lake Norman Rotary Club.

More information about Cotton Ketchie can be found at  www.landmark-galleries.com