Eight weeks from yesterday, on February 6th, Doug and I will be returning to Tanzania for the fifth time! We can hardly wait to get there, see our friends at Instinct Tours, and enjoy another two week safari. This time it will just be us, so we'll have some flexibility to explore new areas and investigate some exciting options for future group safaris. We are looking forward to spending a great amount of time with our friend Makinda, working closely with him to assure that the Instinct Tours package will continue to offer the VERY BEST safari adventure out there! Once again, we will be visiting Unity School and seeing first hand the improvements that your donations provided this past summer.

Believe it or not, preparation and planning are already well underway for THREE AMAZING TRIPS IN 2026. Since the dates were announced last month, we already have travelers who are committed to joining us for each one of the three tours. If you happened to miss the announcement earlier, check out the 2026 options below. MAMAS AND BABIES SAFARI will be February 19th (departing US) through March 5th (returning home). Do you love seeing wildlife babies with their mamas? This safari is just for you!COOL SEASON SAFARI is set for June 12th (departing US) through June 25th (return home). For all who hesitate to go to Africa because you think it's unbearably hot, June is a wonderful month to visit when temperatures are pleasant and weather is great!GREAT MIGRATION SAFARI takes place from September 4th (departing US) through September 17th (return home). See the incredible migration of millions of wildebeest, gazelles, and zebras as they make their annual trek across over 600 miles of The Serengeti. For all who enjoy nature's more dramatic side, you may want to consider this adventure. One thing I know for sure is that each trip will be uniquely wonderful! Because tourism is literally exploding right now in Tanzania, we have to begin right away firming up plans for 2026, in order to secure the very best accommodations and itinerary. Estimated cost is projected to be less than $7500 per person, plus flights. Please contact us by private message or leave a comment below with your name and email address if you are interested in going with us in 2026. Your name will be added to our growing list, without obligation. As planning progresses over the next few months, you will receive updates by email. We already have travelers who are joining us for their second and third time. THAT ALONE SPEAKS VOLUMES! ... See MoreSee Less

GOOD NEWS!

From now through the end of 2025, enjoy a 25% price reduction on all of our wall art, including canvases, metals, and matted prints at Grit & Grace Market.We stock beautiful fine art photographic artwork from right here in Tennessee to around the world! Inventory includes work from all four seasons.Give the gift of art to someone you love this Christmas! It's a gift that will be enjoyed for many years to come. ... See MoreSee Less

We have two BIG EVENTS tomorrow and are hoping many of you will join us for at least one of them.

1. It's Christmas Market Day at Grit & Grace! All of our wall art (canvases, metals, and matted prints) will be 25% OFF, and calendars are reduced by 20%. We also have restocked our boxed notecards, 5 X 7 deluxe card sets, and individual greeting cards for this special day. Come by our gallery (inside the store) and enjoy a fabulous selection of artwork.2. For the first time ever, Maryville Makers are having a Christmas Market on the campus of Maryville College. We'll be setting up our tent and taking several great gift options to this event. Take 20% OFF all wall art, including canvases, metals, and matted prints. We'll also have notecards, greeting card sets, and calendars (reduced by 20%) The market begins at 10:00 am and goes until 3:00. Don't let the cold stand in your way!SURPRISE SOMEONE WITH THE GIFT OF ART THIS CHRISTMAS! (For best viewing, click on each picture and see accompanying commentary.) ... See MoreSee Less

It was a great weekend for Photo Journey!

Our website (through Fine Art America) hit a milestone by surpassing 300 sales. More than I ever could have imagined when we started! November was a record month with 13 online sales.With recent orders, we now have made 90 sales through our Etsy shop.Five large, framed canvases (see images below) found their permanent homes and left our Painted Tree Boutiques - Knoxville, TN gallery over the weekend.Thank you to our wonderful customers! We love and appreciate you. ... See MoreSee Less

We love to bring our customers special images from right here in east Tennessee to other locations of our beautiful country to around the world!

Right now we have the best selection ever at our gallery in Grit & Grace Market. See some of the landscapes now available and GREATLY REDUCED for our biggest sale of the year, coming up this weekend.Take 30% OFF ALL REGULARLY PRICED WALL ART, 25% OFF REGULARLY PRICED MATTED PRINTS, and 20% OFF 2025 CALENDARS!Sale begins Black Friday and continues through Sunday.This sale applies to all followers and friends of Marcy's Photo Journey. If you see something you'd like to have in your home or office and do not live near either on of our gallery locations, let us know this weekend to receive the discounted price. We will gladly ship your artwork to your home! ... See MoreSee Less

Just a small glimpse of images we have in our Knoxville gallery! See fine art photography from right here in Knoxville to the Great Smokies to around the world.

Take 30% OFF ALL REGULARLY PRICED WALL ART, including framed canvases and metals, from Black Friday through Cyber Monday. Selected items are reduced for even greater savings.Be sure to check ALL THREE locations in Painted Tree Boutiques...see us in G 9-10 (local and US travel), B-15 (world travel), and D-22 (wildlife and birds). Also take 20% off our "Smoky Mountain Memories 2025" calendars during this sale. ... See MoreSee Less

TODAY'S WEBSITE SALES!!

How about a Neyland Stadium coffee mug for your favorite VOLS fan? Or a beautiful tote bag showing off the Cades Cove horses for that family member who loves the Smokies? Maybe a jigsaw puzzle for that hard to buy for father-in-law?All of those items, plus beach towels, stationery, yoga mats, and other lifestyle selections are 25% OFF TODAY ONLY!Choose from over 5,000 fine art photography images and personalize a special gift for someone on your list. Just go to marcysphotography.com and get started. It's easy!(To fully appreciate the quality of these products, view each image full screen. Thanks to those who visited the website yesterday and took advantage of the previous sale.) ... See MoreSee Less

25% OFF ALL HOUSEHOLD ITEMS TODAY ONLY!

If you're looking for a great gift or something special for your own home, our website is offering substantial savings today. Just in case you haven't heard, any of our images can be captured on throw pillows, shower curtains, blankets, towels, Christmas ornaments, and many other home decor items.Check out the savings TODAY ONLY at marcysphotography.com ... See MoreSee Less

Look for our "Smoky Mountain Memories 2025" wall calendars this weekend in both galleries! Enjoy a preview of each month below, with a frameable, seasonal image on each page.

Calendars are 11 X 17 and are priced at $32.50. If you'd like to have a calendar shipped to your home, please contact us for shipping cost. ... See MoreSee Less

RECENT SALES!

Although we haven't been able to devote much time to our business over the two months, we feel very blessed to have had several sales. It's still not too late to place a special order for Christmas. Both galleries are currently well-stocked with a great variety of artwork and cards, and calendars are coming this weekend. We'd love to have you stop by and take a look! If you aren't near either gallery (Knoxville or Cleveland, TN), ordering on the website is easy. Find us at marcysphotography.com. ... See MoreSee Less

Had I any choice, I wouldn't have chosen Fall, my favorite season, to be recovering from surgery. We only made it to Cades Cove twice, and one of those times was after shoulder surgery, so I couldn't take pictures. Although I was inside the vast majority of the time during the last couple of months, it looked like we had a colorful, but very dry, season. Here's a few images from after knee surgery and before shoulder replacement! ... See MoreSee Less

2026 SAFARI DATES ARE NOW OFFICIAL!

There are so many reasons that Doug and I love to take friends and family with us to Tanzania. We truly love sharing the adventure with others and witnessing our travelers experience for themselves the joy and excitement of the people and wildlife of this amazing country. No trip is ever the same because each time we go, there are brand new friends to meet and territories to explore.We also love supporting Unity School and assisting our dear friend Makinda with his new safari company, Instinct Tours. Although we never could have foreseen Tanzania as such a big focus of our retirement years, we knew when we first visited there in 2021 that we would be back. Next February, we will be returning for the fifth time, with two more great adventures in May and September of 2024.And then it's on to 2026! Think about joining us for one of the following:MAMAS AND BABIES SAFARI will be February 19th (departing US) through March 5th (returning home). Do you love seeing wildlife babies with their mamas? This safari is just for you!COOL SEASON SAFARI is set for June 12th (departing US) through June 25th (return home). For all who hesitate to go to Africa because you think it's unbearably hot, June is a wonderful month to visit when temperatures are pleasant and weather is great!GREAT MIGRATION SAFARI takes place from September 4th (departing US) through September 17th (return home). See the incredible migration of millions of wildebeest, gazelles, and zebras as they make their annual trek across over 600 miles of The Serengeti. For all who enjoy nature's more dramatic side, you may want to consider this adventure. One thing I know for sure is that each trip will be uniquely wonderful! Because tourism is literally exploding right now in Tanzania, we have to begin right away firming up plans for 2026, in order to secure the very best accommodations and itinerary. Please contact us by private message or leave a comment below with your name and email address if you want to go with us in 2026. We already have travelers who are joining us for their second and third time. THAT ALONE SHOULD SPEAK VOLUMES! ... See MoreSee Less

2026 SAFARI ADVENTURES IN TANZANIA!

It's now time to get serious about planning for our three exciting trips to Africa in 2026. Marcy's Photo Journey will once again be working with Arnold Makinda of Instinct Tours, located in Arusha, Tanzania, to make your dream of a first-class safari a reality.We will be traveling over a period of two weeks during the months of February, June, and September. Specific dates will be announced in the next couple of weeks as we work out itinerary and accommodation details. Our objective is to provide the VERY BEST CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND WILDLIFE VIEWING EXPERIENCE for our participants. We offer excellence in itinerary, accommodations, and guide services, within the context of a small group setting. Have you ever considered a trip to Africa, but were daunted by the distance and planning? Doug and I are here to help facilitate, answer questions and concerns, and escort you there and back. We guide you through the visa process, immunization requirements, flight recommendations, and much more. Each trip has only 18 spots available, and we are beginning our list of interested prospects today. To be added to the list, we need names of passengers and email addresses. Cost of safari package will be around $7000 per person. In addition, travelers are responsible for international flights from their home airport to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. ... See MoreSee Less

Although summer is always slow for our business, we have managed to have a few sales during the past two months. It's always fun for us to see where website sales are headed. Enjoy this peek into what customers have purchased recently! ... See MoreSee Less

Good morning!

If any one out there is seriously considering joining us for a private safari experience in Tanzania next February (see previous post), time is of the essence.We routinely check flights, and today they are less than half of what we normally have to pay to fly to Mount Kilimanjaro International airport. Please contact us now if you are interested, so that we can proceed with firm dates and reservations. The availability window on this adventure will close by September 18th. ... See MoreSee Less

A RARE OPPORTUNITY!!

As you know, we had to cancel our February safari trip because we lost some of the group and didn't believe we could make it work. Since the day we canceled, Doug and I have been sad that we made that decision. We are now seriously considering going on our own anyway.The February timeframe has been wonderful for us during the last couple of years, and we have seen so many wildlife babies and mamas, in addition to exploring Lake Ndutu, and witnessing early herds beginning migration. WE ARE LOOKING FOR ONE COUPLE OR TWO SINGLES WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN A PRIVATE SAFARI SITUATION WITH JUST US! Normally, for a private experience such as this, cost is greater than when you have a larger group. However, we are planning to offer this unique experience at the same cost as our larger groups.It will be just four of us with Makinda, owner of Instinct Tours, and we will have one safari vehicle. This situation gives us more freedom to adjust our schedule to the needs and desires of only four people. IT IS AN INCREDIBLE OPTION FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS BECAUSE WE WILL BE ABLE TO STAY AS LONG AS NECESSARY AT ANY GIVEN SITE TO GET THAT SPECIAL SHOT. We only have a week to ten days to hear from you (VERY INTERESTED PARTIES ONLY, PLEASE) in order to secure necessary accommodations. Cost is $7000 per person, plus plane fare (much less during February which is technically "off season"), for a two week safari trip. Includes top notch accommodations, meals, expert naturalist guide services, and all transportation services.If you've been thinking about doing a safari trip, you won't find a better one. Come with us to Tanzania in February!(The following photos, and thousands more, were taken on our February 2024 adventure.) ... See MoreSee Less

Have you been to Painted Tree Boutiques lately? Doug and I have been putting in some long hours reorganizing and refreshing our galleries there. We have now located all Knoxville, Smoky Mountains, and other scenic landscapes in G-9 & 10, travel images in B-15, and all of our wildlife and birds in D-22.

A few of our images are also placed in other locations in the store as an enhancement to furniture items for sale. IT'S A GOOD LOOK ALL THE WAY AROUND. Come see us soon! ... See MoreSee Less

One of our favorite things to do is create an art piece for a customer's home! Just in case you don't know or have momentarily forgotten, WE DO CUSTOM WORK TO YOUR SPECIFIC SPECIFICATONS.

It's now time to take orders for the upcoming holiday season, and we are ready to help you with that special gift for your friend or loved one. There's a very good chance that we have an image that would make the perfect gift...a special place, favorite bird, flower, animal, etc.You're in the driver's seat! Let us know in the next few weeks if you are interested in pursuing this option. You choose the image, size and format, and we'll get started. In past years, we have discovered that a custom piece is a wonderful choice for those parents who seem to have everything, and it's always difficult to choose the right gift.Today's featured images are custom orders that we delivered to a couple of Cleveland customers yesterday! ... See MoreSee Less

Now all framed and ready to go!

We're excited to debut several stunning new travel images that are coming to our galleries this week. From the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Namibia, and Belgium, we're confident that you will love the detail, color, and texture inherent in each one. Whether you're looking for the old world charm of Europe, the unique ambiance of a Scandinavian morning, or the magic of a desert dawn in Namibia, we have it.Think about adding a piece of artwork from somewhere you've been or somewhere you'd love to go someday! Which one is your favorite?(HELP US PROMOTE OUR NEW WORK BY SHARING THIS POST.) ... See MoreSee Less

"Norwegian Spring" is one of my favorite images captured during our trip to Norway this past May. Doug is now putting the finishing touches on the gray, barn wood frame of this large, 49 X 33 inch canvas, and we're so happy with the way the frame sets off the picture.

Coming to our gallery at Grit & Grace Market the first of next week! You will love the texture detail and red pop of color of the quaint, fishing cabins in this image from Norway's Lofoten Islands.As evidenced by the context photos below, this one looks great in a living room, bedroom, or office space.(ALL SHARES GREATLY APPRECIATED!) ... See MoreSee Less

Looking for a touch of nature to be the focal point for your favorite room? "Snake River Autumn" might be just what you are looking for!

One of the brand new pieces that will be coming to a Marcy's Photo Journey gallery soon, the 38 X 26 framed canvas packs a lot of punch. You'll love this glimpse of the Snake River, with its vibrant colors and textures, as it flows through Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Notice the versatility of the artwork in the context photos below...nature has a way of fitting in anywhere!If this one speaks to you, it's not too late to choose your frame color or purchase it unframed. Contact us for details. WE SHIP!(SHARES GREATLY APPRECIATED!) ... See MoreSee Less

Doug now has 24 new canvases in his frame shop as we prepare for fall festivals and the holiday season! He worked from very early until almost bedtime yesterday using both planer and saw to get all of the wood ready for final cuts.

A few of our favorite travel images are coming to the galleries soon, including "Venetian Spring, " pictured below. When framed, dimensions are 32 X 42, and, as you can see in the context images, many variations in frame color look great with this one. Captured along the Grand Canal at sunset with an iconic gondola in the foreground, this image certainly depicts Venice at its best! If you've ever traveled to Italy or just dreamed of traveling to Italy, you will appreciate the detail, warm tones, and architectural beauty of this artwork. We opted for a vertical orientation because verticals are so versatile and will set off that spot behind a pair of chairs or look fantastic above a fireplace, allowing spots for mantle accents on either side. It would also fit perfectly in a dining room or office setting!Consider something completely fresh and new for your home this fall. Surround yourself with things you love!If you are not local and are interested in purchasing this piece for your home or office, remember that WE SHIP. Contact us for details.(You can help us promote our new work by sharing this post. All shares are greatly appreciated.) ... See MoreSee Less