"Night Moves"
oil on canvas
24" x 30"
For the seventh April in a row, I made a trip down to little New Harmony, Indiana to paint a few pictures over a long weekend. I ended up with 16 finished paintings, including the one above, which was about five shy of where I wanted to be. I had a great time on my annual retreat, regardless of the "work" created. A plein air painting event takes place in New Harmony this time every year, allowing painting folk from across the Midwest to gather in one place and enjoy one another's company. I caught up with some old friends and met some folks I hope to paint with in the future. A lot of great people make sure painters like myself have a good time while we're in town...I'm thankful they haven't run me off yet.
I might post some other works from the weekend with a better synopsis of my annual New Harmony experience, but for now, I'll just sum up what happened this year with a top 10, in no specific order...
1. I spent a long time creating some special panels to paint on during the trip...I didn't use a single one of them.
2. I wiped off the same painting twice...I rarely wipe anything off.
3. I visited a cypress swamp outside of Mt. Vernon, Indiana, supposedly the only one north of the Ohio River. It was a cool experience, but I didn't paint anything while there.
3. In said swamp, I almost stepped on a Cottonmouth. I'm no herpetologist, but I know enough about snakes to know I almost made a trip to the hospital. The snake was large, and according to what I've read, about as large as they get here in their northernmost territory, the southernmost part of Indiana. At around three and a half feet long, and almost entirely black, I've learned it must've been a mature adult snake. My friend, Larry, confirmed the snake's identity while prodding it with a stick as it was sunning in our path (don't try this at home kids). The snake immediately flattened out, coiled up, and opened up its white mouth. Larry persuaded it to strike the stick a few times before scaring it off. The rest of our hike in the swamp was precarious, as black tree roots, similar in color and size to the snake, offered us the best traction in the muddy parts of the trail.
4. I ruined my favorite straw hat.
5. I channeled my inner Matt Foley while painting from my VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!
6. I rekindled my love of Stroh's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
7. I painted a gravedigger and met the man who operates the morbid machinery, by chance, the next day.
8. I picked no less than 14 ticks off of my body over the three day trip.
9. I saw a sasquatch for the second time (it's on old New Harmony Road, somewhere between New Harmony and Mt. Vernon...just look for the creature waiving its arms on the horizon)
10. I got to trade stories and tall tales for the umpteenth time with my good friend, the snake charmer himself, Larry. I went on a painting trip...but the painting was just something to keep the two of us busy and out of jail while we roamed around the southern tip of the state looking for trouble. JESUS CRIMENETLY, what kind of bear spray do we need!
