Saturday, September 12, 2009

Along the Cumberland





I have been painting along the Cumberland River at Cheatham lake and wildlife management area. The paintings above were done in an area near the dam that is a huge river bottom surrounded by bluffs on all sides. It's gorgeous the way the land lays in between the ridges. As I was painting the fourth generation owner of part of it pulled up to chat and see what I had going and told me that during the Civil War, yankee gunboats would come up the river headed to Nashville and his ancestors lived right on the river in a nice home they had built there. When the boats started coming and going they moved back up in the back of the farm in between the ridges to hide because they thought being on the river with the Union army up and down was too dangerous. When you're standing there painting with all the modern trappings of the lives we lead around you, you forget what has actually transpired on the land you're occupying for that moment and how much it has changed in those few generations. Maybe a hundred and fifty years from now they will tell stories of this "great plein air painter who stood on these acient river banks and cranked off 8x10 masterpieces...."

5 comments:

Keith Tilley said...

"great plein air painter who stood on these acient river banks and cranked off 8x10 masterpieces...."

Spoken by a tour guide at the Kevin Menck Visitor Centre perhaps. ;)

The paintings will be an enduring record of their time though. These ones are really nice. There's a wonderful tranquillity about them. The reflections are superb, and I like the birds in the second one.

mike rooney studios said...

your two greatest strengths combined. trees and reflections of trees. nice man!

Claire Beadon Carnell said...

Your work is beautiful. Your link was in someone's blog roll, and I am glad I clicked on it.

Kevin Menck said...

The Kevin Menck Visitor Center. Good one, Tilley. I actually pictured it in my mind briefly.

Mike- Thanks! How did your summer go? Hope you guys are staying busy over there.

Claire- Thanks for the comment. I always like to hear I have picked up another blogger.

Anonymous said...

Great work again! I just look at them and am blown away! You've really captured it here.
I would love to look into the suggested reading list that you mentioned.. Can I get that from you again?? I remember southwestern art magazine... but remember you said some others too.
my email is fosshouse@comcast.net
Thanks!! Tiffany