Diamond Rio Motel8X10 Oil on Board
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Diamond City, Arkansas sits on beautiful Bull Shoals Lake in the north central portion of the state. It is at the extreme northern end of scenic Highway 7. In fact, Highway 7 pretty much runs right into the lake. It is mostly a retirement community and many of the residents moved there from out of state. I grew up not very far from here and have many memories of evenings swimming at the lake. It was especially nice after a day of hauling hay.
The Diamond Rio Motel was a prominent location in town but it is no more. All that remains is this sign and an old flower bed. I don't when the motel was actually torn down.
I decided to make the lake visible in this painting even though in real life it cannot be seen from this location, at least not in the summer. It's conveyed as a tiny little swatch of yellow just above the treeline on the right hand side of the painting. Missouri is on the opposite shore.
We went back up that way last year for the 4th of July and this is when I captured the reference photos for this piece. I don't know if we'll make it back up there this year but I hope so. I especially want to hit Marion County, which borders Boone to the east.
On tap for tomorrow... a trip down I-40 to Pope County!
there's a great little church just west of yellville about 5 miles called "cedar grove methodist church." it's pretty old - not sure how old, but there's some good history there. i think it'd make a great setting for your marion county subject.
ReplyDeleteof course there's the old bridge over the white river in cotter that is half in marion county. that's also a pretty cool place.
ahhhh my old stomping grounds.
Cool! I'll definitely check that church out. I've seen the bridge for sure. I'm sure I could make a great painting out of it too! I have 2 other places on my agenda for Marion with Dodd City School being the only one I'll divulge. I have read that Dodd City School was burned this past winter though. I hope the info is wrong. The other is a little horseshoe waterfall that I feel pretty certain is so secret it isn't even included in Tim Ernst's book!
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