"We're Not In Kansas Anymore..."

Plein Air Nashville painted in Centennial Park again on Saturday. We delayed the start because our weathermen in town said we were going to have some pretty severe weather right at sun up on Saturday and then clearing by afternoon so we opted to paint at two o'clock. Most looked like they were going for the flower garden but I chose the Parthenon again, doing the opposite side from the one I painted last time. Apparently I set up on "gawkers row." I have never had so many spectators. At one point I had a semi-circle of about 10-15 people standing around me. I couldn't backup one step. The best was a group of 6, 8-10 year old African American girls who were dying to see what I was doing without coming over to ask. I could tell they were playing closer and closer until one finally leaned over and peaked. "Ooohh ya'll he's painting! Come check it out! He's good! You got a website?! Mom, can we go to his website when we get home?!He's good! How long you been doin' this?! He's good! You're good!" I have never had such an enthusiastic crowd. I gave them one of my mailers with my website on it and told them to send an e-mail but haven't heard from them yet. It was pretty cool watching kids that age go that nutty over painting. But then again, they could be like that about everything.
As I was cleaning up getting ready to leave, the tornado warning sirens in town went off. Apparently one of the most strategic and effective locations for a tornado siren in Davidson County was about 50 yards to my right. When it went off everybody in the park kind of looked at each other. When they figured it out people started running for their vehicles and shelters. It was a bit frightening. I headed straight for home having called my family and telling them to take cover. Little did I know at the time I was driving west on highway 100 and the tornado was heading east on highway 100. As I was looking at the most awesome looking sky I have ever seen my artistic brain did not comprehend the danger of it. No. It immediately started comparing the values in the clouds."I wonder if I could mix that and pull it off. Man, those values are close. Oooh those are nice grays." I guess when I got to St. Peter at the gate I'd have asked for 2 more hours and loaded palette.