Happenings in Middle Tennessee

Recently I have had the good luck to attend a few quality happenings here in our area.

As I was painting the painting above in the Leiper's Fork area I could hear a sound check in the distance.  If you ever hear a sound check in the Leiper's Fork area, run to it. I guarantee it will be a show like none other. The area is full of talented and pedigreed musicians and when they get together it is a show. The sound check I had heard was for two bands to play on the back porch there in the fork. The Hog Slop Stringband and L'Angelus.  To say these bands were talented and tight would be an understatement. If they come anywhere near you, go.

My second southern cultural experience was the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival's rendition of "Comedy of Errors". It is Shakespeare set in late 19th century S.C. and it is clever and funny and is held under a large tent on the campus of The Webb School in Bell Buckle Tennessee. Take a picnic, bottle of wine and a blanket and make an evening of it. It is a great way to spend a summer evening.

And thirdly, I spent July the fourth at the Nashville fireworks display downtown. What a fireworks show! Geez. We have friends that have an apartment on the hill at Lea Street at the grassy field above the old KDF building. Great view and easy parking. Sweet. Thanks Sherri. Something else that if you haven't done you might want to try at least once. It's awesome. The roar and bang factor is phenomenal. We were a half mile away and it shook the whole building we were in. As it was happening I imagined the din and concussion of Paris streets during the Franco Prussian war of 1870, Gettysburg, or the charge of the 4th and 13th Light Dragoons, 17th Lancers and the 8th and 11th Hussars straight up a mile long valley in Balaclava into and through a line of cannon in a constant state of fire. What could that have possibly felt and sounded like? I was flinching at a firework show a half mile away. Not being from a military background it is incomprehensible to me what can compel a soldier to complete a mission in that type of chaos and shock. They call it bravery but to me bravery is living your life openly as you are, amidst bigotry and hate, it is sitting at the front of the bus when society tells you you don't have the right, or stepping up with courage and dignity and taking that first step in a long and arduous battle with cancer. Those things take courage. Combat is something else entirely, something I don't have a word for or understand. Is it training? Teaching the mind to do something that is completely abnormal to every ounce of fiber in the human psyche that says flee? All I know is that it is possible and works because every time we as a nation stand up and point and say "there, there is your enemy" the military strap on their boots, set their jaw and hurl themselves at the dogs of war.
"Theirs not to make reply,
  Theirs not to reason why,
  Theirs but to do and die:
  Into the Valley of Death"
Tennyson

Painting Flowers

I usually don't paint flowers. I struggle with some of the color with my three color palette and the drawing and rendering can be a little complicated and delicate. When done right though they are of course gorgeous. I submit Richard Schmid and Dan Gerhartz right off the top of my head.
But I do have a couple I like to paint. And they are both weeds. Mention them here in Middle Tennessee and the farmers cringe. One is the Creeping Buttercup and the other is the Thistle. The thistle has about as much character to me as anything. They have a long Celtic history and are the national flower of Scotland and are prickly and tough and will grow anywhere with a little sun. And when they bloom they're beautiful . Beautiful, tenacious, delicate and full of character. Yikes, I just described my two daughters to a tee.

On The Shoulders Of Giants

As plein air painters, being exposed to crowds and having contact with the public as we paint, we are all asked questions about what we do and how we do it. But I have noticed there are certain questions that are asked repeatedly:
Whatcha' doin'?
How long you been doin' that?
Do you know Bob Ross?
The first two I understand. They're pertinent. But the last?
When asked the third question I always respond with this "yeah, I know who he is" that is laced with a tone that says,"I can't believe you asked me that. I am a serious artist." And I am asked this question over and over and over. I have thought about putting a counter on my blog and keeping up with how many times I am asked, "do you know Bob Ross?"
But I had an incident recently that has caused me to re-think my response to the question.
I had a slow leak on an outside faucet and called a plumbing company to come and fix it. When the plumber shows up, he walked in and saw my easel and painting set up and didn't ask "where's the leak?" or "what's the problem?' Nope. The very first thing out of his mouth,"Do you know Bob Ross?"
I started to respond with my patented smug "yeah" but then I noticed here is a guy standing in my studio and we have started an artistic dialog thanks to Bob Ross. He goes on to tell me that he has a mother and cousin who paint consistently due to the Bob Ross t.v. show exposure. And that is usually how the stories go when people talk about Bob Ross. "I have a cousin..." or "I have a mother-law..." or a neighbor or a retired executive or bored housewife or, or, or...  There are thousands and thousands of people out there who Bob Ross made believe they could be artists and he got them up off the couch and in front of the easel and got them started. Thousands. I have them show up for my classes and workshops. And I bet almost all the other artists I know, at some point, have had Bob Ross started students. Bob Ross exposed people to art that may never had the opportunity or resources to begin an artistic life. He got them started. And some may argue the artistic merit of his style and methods but you have to admit, he has had a huge impact on art in this country. People don't come up to me and ask,"hey, you know that John Singer Sargent guy?" I've never been asked. But how many people out there got to John Singer Sargent via Bob Ross?  How many has he started on that quest and journey and constant lifelong pursuit for the betterment of their craft?  I guarantee  more than anybody else you can think of.
So the next time I am asked, "do you know Bob Ross?"
"You mean that artistic titan that has had such an impact on the arts? You mean that creative powerhouse with that quite soft hypnotising demeanor? The guy with the afro?"
"Oh hell yeah I know him."
Just don't ask me about Thomas Kinkade. I'm still working on that one.

12x16

A 12x16 done afield. That is massive for me.

After calming down from that first initial burst of frenetic paint application to block in the big stuff it didn't seem to be any more time consuming than a 9x12.  Go figure. Granted it wasn't the most complicated painting I have ever done but again having only about 2 hours in it was quite surprising especially since I didn't abandon the number 1 brush I use. You gotta' dance with the one that brung ya'.

The other photo is mid-painting in a field of roundbales.  It's that time here in Tennessee. Roundbales seem to be everywhere you look.

The Three Hour Time Limit

I have an imaginary time limit when I paint outside. If I have painted for three hours I generally have a problem or just finished fighting a problem. I tell myself that if I don't have it done at the end of three hours stop and re-group. Quit fighting it. Such was the case a few weeks ago on the painting above. The distant trees and hills went just fine. Like clockwork. But when I started laying in the foreground field my head just couldn't make it happen. I tried rows to the left, rows to the right, foreground textures, vegetation, rocks, posts, trees, etc., etc. Nothing made me happy and the three hours had expired so I scraped off the bottom half and when I got back to the truck I threw it in the tool box and there it stayed for about two and a half weeks.
Last week I revisited the same spot at the same time, fetched the half painting from the tool box and painted the foreground field in about 15 minutes. 15 minutes. That was all it took. I don't know if I was tired or frustrated on the first attempt but putting it away and recalibrating my head made a difference. I typically don't have the patience to go back a second time or try it later when I get it home. I am ready to move on to the next one. But I do believe in stepping away for awhile to let your head clear. I think it saved this one.

Heat Sissy Steps Up

I have always admitted I am the biggest heat sissy that has ever plein air painted. I'm an eskimo. So if you would have told me I would be painting outside at 2:00 in the afternoon in 96 degree heat last Thursday I would have called you a liar. Yet there I stood, painting, sweating and whining.
Anne Blair Brown had called me the night before and suggested we go downtown for a few cityscapes. We would meet at 8:00 so I assumed I would be back in an climate controlled environment by 10:00. My bad.
We painted first on Rutledge street downtown. The area I picked had one small shade tree and that was the only shade I saw in that area so that's where I set up and apparently it was the same shade that most of the homeless use. Spent an hour talking to "homeless Mike" and he actually had some very pointed questions about what I do for a living. It was 10:00 and he had just finished his first stove pipe so I noticed the questions becoming a little less pointed.

After finishing that painting and regrouping at the Farmer's Market my painting posse, Anne, Cathleen Windham and Bitsy King all turned to each other and said,"what now?" Being the only man I couldn't be the one to snivel and cry about the heat so I said "whatever". That's how I wound up standing on the bank of the Cumberland River in 96 degree heat. All and all it wasn't that bad in the shade and I got some paintings done and got to use the heat for an excuse to spend the evening with the "posse" at an East Nashville establishment for conversation and libations.

I will say this about the summer though. There is a thick humid density to the atmosphere that you don't get as well in the winter that is fun to try and paint. It creates real grey atmospheric perspective that is a challenge to try and pull off but when you stick it it looks fantastic.

Commissions

I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do a few commissions over the past few weeks. It's always fun to get to attempt to capture a piece of land and it's individual characteristics. Each landscape I step up to has a certain personality. They are all a bit different. If you don't believe me, ask the guy who farms it or hunts on it or just spends his free time walking around on it. You could drive them there blindfolded in the trunk of a car and as soon as they got out would know where they were. Thats why when someone asks me about my philosophy on painting landscapes I like to say I paint portraits. Portraits of the landscape. I try desperately to capture the look and feel and characteristics of that land and region and "personality" of that place. Lately I have have gone nutty on Douglas Fryer landscapes. He paints the landscape as it looks and feels, with all it's weather and textures and moods. Doesn't try to glamorize it or fluff it up. Paints the character of it. Guarantee, just by looking at his landscapes I would know where I was if I were ever blindfolded, thrown in the trunk of a car, driven to Utah and thrown out. And please, just take my word for it.

Also, while painting in Charleston with PAPSE I met Richard Oversmith who has an acquaintance that is the colorman and proprietor of Blue Ridge Oil Colors. His name is Eric Silver and he was kind enough to send me samples in the colors I use. After using them they reminded me of Holbein paints. Bear in mind I am no expert and I am sure Eric would answer any questions you may have, but compared to the Windsor Newton paints I use they seemed more soft and buttery. If you want to check 'em out, www.blueridgeoilpaint.com.

Chestnut Demos

Just a quick blog to keep the momentum. These were a couple of demos I did for the Chestnut Group about two weeks ago during their "Paint Your Heart Out" series of workshops. Had a great class except for the heat. Painting mid to late afternoon in 90+ degree heat was a bit miserable but everyone came through like troopers.

A New Look

Thought I would change the look of my blog a bit and maybe it would inspire me to post more. I don't think it is the look that prevents my posting but the free time necessary.

We had a great opening for the Cumberland Society Show at Leiper's Creek Gallery last Saturday night. Large crowd, great party and brisk sales. I saw a lot of people I hadn't seen for awhile and the gallery looked fabulous with all the art hanging in it. Proud to be part of a group of such accomplished artists. The show will be hanging at the gallery until the 29th so if you haven't been, drop in and take a look.

I have been trying to get to the field when I can and due time limitations this time of year, my field work has been sparse. Thanks to some extraordinarily cool weather a week ago I got to paint full days. However a lot of it was in a slow drizzle. The paintings posted here were all done in that cool spell. I have the feeling though the cool spells are gone for awhile.

CSOP Show

A couple of paintings I will have at the Cumberland Society Show at Leiper's Creek Gallery starting the 14th of May. I am as excited about seeing the other artist's work as I am mine. I haven't seen but a few of the pieces they have done for the show and I remember when I would go to their shows before I was part of the group how motivational it was for me. That was how I learned. Just gleaned their paintings to death. So I think it will be a motivational experience for me. That and a couple of sales would be highly motivational.

Apple

I got an iphone recently due to the fact I washed my old flip phone in the washing machine and for anybody wondering, yep, that's bad for them. Loooove the new iphone. Can do itunes, weather, texting, well, you all probably know because I feel like the last person alive that didn't have a smart phone. So I used the camera feature to photo my paintings for this blog entry and I'll be damned, better photos than my digital camera. And I just stood them up under a florescent light in my garage. No sweat, no hassle. It seems like every Apple product I have ever bought has done that. Taken out the sweat, taken out the hassle.

The pieces here are 6x6's I did yesterday. I have been seeing some beautiful 6x6's done for the Randy Higbee show and have about 20 6x6 panels that I have never used so after seeing the show pieces got motivated. It is a wonderfully fun size to paint to. Oh, and you know how I say if you do this long enough you're going to find a jackass. Found one! Apparently if you drive by his house more than once he is going to pull you over to find out if you're going to steal his push mower or dirt bike or whatever he has laying in his yard. After he pulled me over I "explained" the situation to him and left him a business mailer with my contact info just in case he becomes a collector at some point. Got some great 6x6's I can sell him.

Spring Greens

Everything is "springy" here right now. Lots of spring greens and storms about every 15 minutes. Violent storms. I happened to be at my daughter's school recently when the tornado siren went off and got to spend an extraordinary evening with 70 students in the basement of the Webb School gym. When the evening was over I had developed a deep appreciation for the patience and tolerance of teachers and faculty.

The paintings posted were all done last week. I had the chance to paint with Jason Saunders and Anne Blair Brown on Thursday and Friday had the opportunity to do a demo for the art classes at Christ Presbyterian Academy. They came to Leiper's Creek Gallery and due to severe weather and torrential rains yet again, I got to do the demo through the back window of the gallery. Not ideal, but I was just glad I didn't have to do it in a storm shelter.

Recent Work

One from last week and one from mid-March, right before spring blooming.

Both are at Leiper's Creek Gallery.

PAP-SE Paint Out

I got in last Saturday night from a week long paint out with Plein Air Painters of the Southeast. We met in Charleston, SC the Saturday before and conducted a bit of business and painted for a week in the Charleston area. I have to say its a great group to be affiliated with. I watched some beautiful work done over a weeks time. I just wish the weather had been as accommodating. It rained EVERY DAY. Not just one day or two. EVERY DAY. And cold. We painted off porches and docks and pavilions. My Open Box M got so wet it warped. But I have to say, it slowed most of them down not one bit. Still they painted on. I painted one morning on a fishing pier that extended out in the marsh. Terribly cold and the wind was howling. There was a group of trees about 60 yds off to my right and when I would hear a gust of wind hit the trees I knew to grab my gear and hang on. After the gust would pass I would paint until I heard the next one hit the trees.

As far as my painting, I felt a struggle all week. Don't know if it was the weather, the landscape, or what. Painting Charleston for me was about as comfortable as wool underwear. I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to find paintings. Looking, cropping, guessing. Painting Charleston was kinda' like a bad prom date. Just tried to make uncomfortable small talk until the evening was over. I know as an artist I am supposed to jump out and be able to paint anything. I can and do. But you can definitely tell the ones where I felt the connection to and passion for.

Interiors

When I paint in the woods I refer to it as "painting in the interior" as opposed to the fields and open spaces. It is the hardest painting I do because of all the stuff. It is a hodge podge of shapes and values and pieces and light and confusion. It takes filtering. And time. And patience. Three very distinct deficiencies in my personality and life. So... I have decided to make an effort to include it in my routine because when it is done it is gorgeous. I have seen some Aspevig interiors that are so spot on that you can smell the woods and see that wonderful diffused light that permeates everything under the canopy that is created by the tree tops. And for filtering and putting the EXACT number of strokes necessary to say what needs to be said, nobody does it better than Marc Hanson. He can filter and put the perfect stroke right where it needs to be to say everything that needs to be said. Nails it.

I have been painting in the Cheatham Wildlife Management area between hunting seasons there. They have 20,000 acres of interiors. Lots of hardwood timber on ridges and in hollows. If you go make sure its during the periods where there is no hunting or the wildlife officers there will make sure it's the most expensive painting trip you have ever been on.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow....

I have been taking a little heat lately because with all the snow we have had here in Middle Tennessee I have implied that I could stand a little more. Didn't go over so well. I understand that when your kids will be going to school on July the 4th and the tow truck drivers around here are starting to shop for property in Belle Meade you may be kind of tired of it. I understand that. But there is still something illogical about me that would like another snow storm tonight. I love walking in it, hunting in it, painting in it, and especially driving in it. Yeah, driving in it. I know. I think I may enjoy the cold and snow because I have never had to deal with real snow and cold. The kind that covers the windows on your house and lands in October and stays until May. I went to Door County Wisconsin once and as I stood gazing at the Green Bay one of the locals told me, "yeah, you can drive across it in your truck in January."

It's a Bay. A big one. Sheesh.

If you really want to get a chill, read The Endurance. It's the story of Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition in 1914. After arriving in the Antarctic area, their ship, the Endurance, was trapped in the pack ice and eventually crushed, crushed, by the ice. They walked for miles dragging and carrying their lifeboats and equipment until reaching open water where they endured some of the most brutally cold conditions I have ever heard of humans enduring. All before the advent of Gore-tex and Thinsulate. The descriptions of the cold and ice they suffered is unbelievable. Did this for months and months over thousands of mile. A testament to the resilience of the human species.

The piece above was done on the last day we had snow and as I painted it the snow in it was completely gone by the time I had finished and I haven't seen any since. Sigh.

"Well My Mama's Not Here Now, Is She?"

And it's a good thing because she never would have allowed me to scale a 30ft. limestone bluff into a raging river gorge. And Kay Keyes Farrar's mom wasn't there either so she went with me.

Was it worth it? After the edge of the initial adrenaline surge subsided, yeah, well worth it.

We were painting with the Chestnut Group Saturday in an area right outside Cookeville Tennessee called Cummins Falls. It was bought by a private land owner who gave the Tennessee Parks and Greenway Foundation a year to generate enough money to purchase it and save it for posterity.

Enter, the Chestnuts.

They will be having a show on the 24th of February at the Belle Meade Mansion to raise funds for the purchase so we are making an effort to get out there and paint it.

If there is anyone out there who is going to try and get to the bottom of the falls, be prepared, there is no easy way to do it. We had initially began to hike but ran into some hikers who said maybe up to an hour to get in plus a knee deep river crossing three different times. We bailed. On the way back we noticed an area on the bluff that didn't look so "bluffy". We contemplated the climb about two seconds and then over the edge we go. There were a couple of areas at the top that had a pretty high "pucker" factor and after that it was just a matter of keeping your footing. Someone before us had the foresight to tie ropes at the lower areas so you could climb back out. Had they not been there it would have been a lot of muddy hands and knees climbing at the bottom. Oh, and I wouldn't suggest doing this with your gear on your back. Maybe lower it with ropes, then climb.

Once down there though, it was gorgeous. Boulder strewn river gorge, huge sheer bluffs on both sides, and the roar in your whole body of the falls at the end. The photos I had seen of it didn't even come close to the magnitude and weight and scale of this place. And being there as a light snow fell was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

After climbing back out and a little coffee, provided by the parks folks (Thanks!), we painted along the river at the top and then home that afternoon with nothing more than a little mud on our clothes. With the drive only an hour and a half it's not a bad day trip. Hopefully it will wind up in the hands of the Parks and Greenway Foundation because when you're there you realize how unique this is and what a jewel it is for our state.

Battle of Nashville

I spent the day Sunday painting with Anne Blair Brown. We started on 12th Ave., a trendy urban area with unique restaurants and shops, and ended up painting in the "Gulch", another hip upscale urban oasis. Got a pretty nice street scene out of the 12th area but in the Gulch we tried to paint some trains parked in the train yard down from the Union Station. After getting started they had to move the trains. Not sure why but I'm not a train engineer. Just got my drawing straightened out and here go the trains. They would back them up, pull them forward, move one then two, up, back, etc. Didn't look terribly productive but like I said, I'm not an engineer. Anne actually finished a nice train sketch even with the moving of the subject matter. She said it is the equivalent of painting livestock. Square, metal, graffiti sprayed livestock.

Planned on painting another but Anne had a social engagement that went late and we were afraid to start another so I headed home. On the way I spotted the Battle of Nashville Monument in a small green space along Granny White Pike and had a little time before dark so whipped in and set up. From the parking lot there you get the view above. I have seen a couple of paintings of this thing and Michael Shane Neal did one that was just incredible. So I thought I would throw my name in the hat.

Sheesh. It was a drawing nightmare. That and the fact the sun was in, the sun was out, the sun was in, etc., etc.. I did the profile because I could just set up by the truck and save time but someday when I have the time would love to go down and try it from the front. Composition is another issue that makes it tough because it is thin and tall. The portion I did is just the bronze area.

The battle that this thing memorializes is the battle that raged in the areas of town that are now Forest Hills, Green Hills, Brentwood and down streets like Granny White and Franklin Road. Areas that are now some of the most affluent areas of Davidson County. It is hard to imagine what went on in these areas when you are looking at gated neighborhoods and million dollar homes. Apparently after getting thrashed at the Battle of Franklin, General Hood moved his army up to the outskirts of Nashville. There he ran into the defensive lines of Schofield, who had defeated him at Franklin and then moved to Nashville to join his army with that of Gen. George Thomas who had been defending Nashville. When you drive through the south end of Nashville there are little metal signs everywhere you look commemorating the major areas of battle. I recently went to the area of Shy's Hill, where some of the most horrific action took place. I think it may have been one of the first areas where the confederates began to break and retreat. It sits in a tiny little space with houses and drives ways and swimming pools. It makes it hard to imagine the din and noise of the mayhem of December of 1864.

More Snow!

I complained because I don't get to paint snow enough and voila! I'm getting to paint snow enough.

We have had another snow and this one was a wet snow on a relatively warm day. I had been painting in the studio the past few days due to rain and it was REALLY good to be back outside again. I know there's a lot to be said for studio painting but I ain't saying it. I think that's what caused me to shift from illustration to this to begin with. That isolation of the studio will have you climbing the walls after a couple of days. It might be different if I had a studio with a couple of other artists around but here at home it's just me and the dog and I'm sure he's getting a little tired of me asking for his opinion.

Classes at Leiper's Creek

I will be teaching classes again at Leiper's Creek Gallery starting the 27th of this month. The classes will be every Thursday night from 6:00 to 9:00 for six weeks. The class will be on the fundamentals of landscape painting. If you are interested contact Kay Farrar at kay@leiperscreekgallery.com .

Another Snow Painting

I know the snow paintings have a reputation of not selling well, but to me they are the most fun to paint. I love how the landscape looks with snow on it. I'm sure if I lived up north in, say, Alaska, I might grow to hate it. Too much of a good thing. But since I don't see a lot, I just love it. I will say this though. Since I don't see a lot or paint a lot I have a hard time rendering it. It's tough.

I looked up a painter named T. Allen Lawson when I got home after finishing the painting above. I think he handles snow as well as anybody. His snow paintings are beautiful. What I see in his paintings is what I see when I am out there, especially on a grey day like we have had for the past week. There is not a lot of color to the snow fields, a pretty consistant color of grey that leans toward a plum(?) maybe. It has red as well as the blue. And real tight value shifts and temperature changes. I have a habit of making it too blue and then over correcting and making it too warm creating this wonderful muddy effect. There is a precision to a grey snowfield, that perfect value and temperature that if you miss by a little, it reeks.

The painting above was done about two miles from my home. There is an area near where I live that they have been able to keep some of the old dry stack stone walls, some I assume are from pre-civil war, and when the snow is on top of them they are absolutely gorgeous.

It's Not the Heat, It's the Humidity...

and it's not the cold, it's the wind.

The temperature this morning was not that bad, maybe upper 20's t0 low 30's. But the wind. Geeeez. It would blow gusts so strong it would pick up snow and blow it sideways to almost whiteout conditions. It looked like something in the Dakotas. Fortunately it was just those heavy gusts that caused it and I could get a little done between. But it was still bad. So bad that I bailed out after one. Had enough.

Hopefully the wind will settle down a bit tomorrow and I can get something done.

Tennessee Snow

We have had a snow in Tennessee. And it was a good one. For Tennessee.

I am sure the folks that have relocated here from the north may wonder what all the hoopla is about but for us it is a good one. I guess we here in Nashville may have 3-4 inches and some of the counties south of us have had 7-8. I painted here this morning and got one done and will paint around here again tomorrow but as ours starts to melt I may move down to Bedford County later in the week hoping theirs may last a little longer. I will post paintings when I get photos.

This morning I spent a few hours just riding and looking and I hit all the hills famous for the sledding. Suicide Hill, Steeplechase, Natchez Trace. Saw one kid sledding with a kayak. And it worked.

We have more snow predicted for morning but hopefully I will be able to put in a full day painting. Unless I come up with a good kayak.

R.I.P.

What you are looking at is the finest automobile that has ever been made. I know Justin Bieber thinks his 200,000 dollar Ferrari F430 is "all that" but I don't think it could carry a field dressed deer to the checking station. There.

I bought this truck in 1994 and at that time it was the finest truck on the road. And every day I would get up and it would start so I just kept starting it and driving it. Little did I know I would be driving it 16 years and 365,000 miles later. It has been on more logging roads than paved roads, has been in/through about every river/creek/tributary in middle Tennessee and has pulled every boat I have owned and every trailer I have hooked to it without fail.

A couple of years ago I was having a little trouble passing emissions testing and I found a mechanic that could get me through. He helped me the last few years with leaks and noises I couldn't decipher and kept me going. I told him that I took my daughter to her first day of kindergarten in that truck and I wanted to take her to her high school graduation in May in that truck so we had to keep it running. Unfortunately neither the truck or my mechanic made it.

I had a "miss" in the truck last summer so I decided to change my spark plugs hoping that would do it and I noticed that a couple of my plugs were wet and gummy and oily on the ends which is the automotive equivalent of finding "a lump". And it was terminal. I worked with my mechanic and we determined that I was leaking oil in the number 4 and the number 6 cylinders. A rebuild or a brand new motor was all that would fix it. Dang it.

I called the mechanic's shop the end of September:

"Joe there?"

"Joe is no longer with us."

"What'a ya' mean? He can't quit, he owns the place. Has there been a coup?"

"No, I mean Joe died."

Thunderstruck.

Apparently it was a heart attack. Joe was, maybe, retirement age but to see him work he was a fireball of energy and grease. Could work me under the table. And it was fun to watch him work and get after a problem in a vehicle. Didn't seem like the kind of guy that would ever die.

I sold my truck off last week. For scrap I guess. I picture Joe getting to heaven and saying, "Lord, I'm gonna' need something to work on."

Lord said" I know just the truck. It has oil leaking into the 4 and 6 cylinder."

God's going to LOVE driving my old truck. And as for those damn brand new Michelin tires I put on it right before it broke down, you're welcome.

So here's to Joe Gallagher and Chevrolet Silverado VIN number 2GCEK19K5R1141478. I will sorely miss you both.

White Christmas

We actually had a white Christmas here in middle Tennessee, the first in years and from what I have seen on the news lately we weren't the only ones. It looks like most of the country is buried in snow right now. Unfortunately here in Tennessee it came and went quickly. And due to the schedule of the holidays I didn't get out in it enough. The two I have posted here were done days after Christmas, at the last of the snow, one on a gravel bar in the Harpeth River and the other in Leiper's Fork.

Also, if you get the chance, there is an interesting blog I follow by a guy named Stapleton Kearns. His blog is full of artistic info and his December 14 and 15 entries are about innominate color. He explains as well as anyone, including me, how I use color and the palette I use.

When I use the three color palette I use, especially painting landscapes, I see almost everything as innominate color. They are all mixtures of the three "leaning" toward red, or green or whatever. I don't even see it as a color. I see it as an innominate mix and I compare it to what I see and ask, " is it cooler or warmer or darker or lighter?" then tweak my puddle in that direction. I compare it to tuning a guitar string. You turn it up and down and listen to it until you hit the note then stop. Then do the next one in relation to that one. And then the next one and then the next one, etc..

And I got a new camera from Santa Clause and the images seem to be a bit green/blue. I need a camera that shoots innominate color with a "cooler/warmer, lighter/darker" button.