shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileVirginia

in the Blue Ridge foothills of southern Virginia

Philpott Lake

Name: Philpott Lake — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— a long quiet reservoir, held between wooded ridges.

— Virginia wall art on a ceramic tile, made to order

from $22

$58

6 × 6 in, glossy, hidden mount · all sizes, murals and mounts ↓

Finished by hand in Knoxville. Free US shipping over $75, on your wall in about ten days. Damaged in transit? Free replacement within 30 days; other returns within 30 days. Returns · Contact

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— Beside the kettle, propped on the counter.

— On the nightstand, catching the morning.

— shown in a slim black floating frame · 6 × 6 in

— bring it home

Philpott Lake, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— comes gift-ready

Each tile ships in a kraft box, tied with cream ribbon, with a handwritten note from the studio if you'd like to add one.

— or build a grouping

Three or five different vistas, hung together — a chapter of places you've been, or want to go.

— a note from the studio

“A Corps of Engineers lake on the Smith River, threaded between the ridges where Franklin, Henry, and Patrick counties meet. About 2,880 acres of water, a hundred miles of shoreline, and almost no houses on it. Boat ramps, a handful of campgrounds, and long arms of cove where the water stays dark green into the afternoon. Walleye, smallmouth, the occasional muskie. Most days, the loudest sound is a paddle. from the studio

from the studio

— about Philpott Lake

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

Philpott Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Smith River in the Blue Ridge foothills of southern Virginia, spread across Franklin, Henry, and Patrick counties. The lake holds about 2,880 acres of water at summer pool with roughly 100 miles of shoreline, almost all of it Corps-owned and undeveloped. It was created by Philpott Dam, a 220-foot concrete gravity structure completed in 1953 for flood control, hydropower, and recreation. Public access is through a network of Corps day-use areas, boat ramps, and campgrounds operated out of the Philpott Lake project office.

— informed by USACE — Philpott Lake, Wikipedia

— the water

The lake is cold and deep through the summer, falling away to more than 150 feet near the dam. Walleye is the headline fishery — Philpott holds a long-standing state reputation for the species — alongside smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and the occasional muskellunge stocked by Virginia's Department of Wildlife Resources. The Smith River below the dam runs cold year-round on the tailwater release, supporting a designated trophy trout section followed by anglers from across the state. A Virginia freshwater fishing licence is required for anglers sixteen and older.

— informed by Virginia DWR — Philpott Reservoir

— the visit

Recreation areas around the lake are run by the Corps and include Philpott Park, Bowens Creek, Goose Point, Salthouse Branch, Horseshoe Point, and Jamison Mill. Day-use areas charge a small per-vehicle fee in season; campgrounds take reservations through Recreation.gov. Boat ramps are open year-round, weather permitting, and a no-wake speed limit is enforced after dark across the lake. The project office near the dam answers visitor questions on weekdays; primary season runs late spring through early fall.

— informed by USACE — Visit Philpott

— where

United States · Franklin, Henry, and Patrick counties, Virginia

— within

Philpott Lake

— position

36.7833° N · 80.0397° W

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

8 km SW

Fairy Stone State Park

state park

1 km S

Smith River tailwater

trout fishery

30 km NW

Blue Ridge Parkway

scenic parkway

Philpott Lake

Fairy Stone State Park

Smith River tailwater

Blue Ridge Parkway

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Philpott Lake — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

Philpott Lake lies in the Blue Ridge foothills of southern Virginia, spread across Franklin, Henry, and Patrick counties, about half an hour northwest of Martinsville. Bassett and Stuart are the nearest small towns.

The lake covers about 2,880 acres at summer pool with roughly 100 miles of shoreline. Most of that shoreline is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and remains undeveloped wooded land.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, manages the lake and dam through the Philpott Lake project office. The dam was built for flood control, hydropower, and recreation and was completed in 1953.

The lake holds walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, and bluegill, with the occasional stocked muskellunge. The Smith River tailwater below the dam is a designated trophy trout section, fed by cold water released from the lake.

Yes. Corps campgrounds at Goose Point, Salthouse Branch, and Horseshoe Point take reservations through Recreation.gov. Standard sites have tables and fire rings; some loops offer electric and water hookups in season.

Construction of Philpott Dam was completed in 1953. The dam is a 220-foot concrete gravity structure on the Smith River, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control, hydroelectric power, and recreation in the Roanoke basin.

— about the piece in your home

It travels well to walleye anglers, to Smith River trout anglers, and to families with summers on the lake. A Small or Medium with a studio note is the right register for a fishing cabin or a den wall.

The deep greens and slate tones sit easily in cabin and lake-house interiors, in Mountain-modern rooms, and in studies with leather and wood. It also holds against soft white in a Coastal-modern living room.

A single Large carries a console or hearth wall. Above a sofa, a four-tile Mural fills the wall comfortably; a nine-tile Mural reads as a small landscape window in a larger lake-house living room.

Yes. The Dura Satin or Matte finish handles bathroom moisture and kitchen splash with no special care. The Glossy finish is reserved for dry walls in living rooms, studies, and bedrooms.

A soft microfibre cloth with water is enough for routine care. For a kitchen tile with cooking residue, a drop of mild dish soap on the cloth is safe; skip abrasive sponges and bleach-based sprays.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original work from a single studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Reid Wender chooses each place and signs off on each piece; no licensing, no third-party art.

— if this one stayed with you