Killing Time with Ghosts

"Killing Time with Ghosts"

9X12, Oil on Panel

From the ghost town of Rush, AR.

#12 of 50

Rea Valley Barn

Rea Valley Barn

6X8, Oil on Panel

SOLD

Long past due to add something here.  But this is old from the White River Plein Air this spring.  That was a cold, dreary day.  And now here it is, another cold dreary day before I return to this blog.  Time has a way of slipping through our fingers.

Keesee Church, Monarch, Marion County

Keesee Church

8X10, Oil on Panel

SOLD

At the beginning of May, I attended my first ever plein air competition, Plein Air on the White River in the northern part of the state.  This area is close to where I grew up so I know it well.  The competition is centered around the town of Cotter.  The White River has been dammed up in several places, forming Beaver, Bull Shoals, and Table Rock Lakes.  The water that pours out of Bull Shoals Dam is cold and provides a great habitat for trout, making Cotter a haven for fly fishermen.  Most attendees spent a lot of time around the river near Cotter painting the typical scenes.  I, however, in typical contrarian fashion, struck out far and wide and found things no one else would have looked for.  This little church is tucked down a long valley about 20 miles from Cotter near Monarch.  Monarch isn't really a town anymore even though a lot of people still refer to it almost as if it is.  I used to pass by this church often.

Toney Bend, between Buffalo Point and Rush, Marion County

Toney Bend, Buffalo National River

20X24, Oil on Panel

Available

Here at Toney Bend, the river loops back on itself and starts on a 7 mile circle around that closes on the other side of this mountain.  If you were to climb up this terraced slope, you would find your way blocked again by the river at the bottom of the other side.  Someday in the far future, the river will break down this mountain and meet itself.  At the apex of the 7 mile circle is Rush Landing.

For the past several months, I've been using Flake White almost exclusively.  I had realized from the very beginning that flake can do some marvelous things but that it has some distinct disadvantages.  I think I'm finaly beginning to get a handle on the strengths and weaknesses of both flake and titanium such that I can leverage the strengths of both in the same painting.

Dying Light at Rush, Marion Co.

Dying Light at Rush

12X16, Oil on Panel

Available

This is based on a plein air I did during the summer at Rush on the Buffalo River.  I had lots of trouble with the color when I was there but I thought the concept and scene were very worthy.

Rush is so named because it was once a mining town.  Zinc was the primary resource extracted there.  While most of the boom town that sprung up practically overnight here is gone, a few structures remain.  The national park service is not actively preserving these structures, however.  There is a trail that runs around one of the old talus piles and if one does not know what they are looking at, they would probably never realize what it was.  Truly a testament to the transient nature of human culture and civilization.  Mother Earth can very quickly cover over our clever industriousness.

White Hole - Downstream, Marion County

White Hole - Downstream

6X8, Oil on Oak Panel

SOLD

White Hole is a public access area on the White River just a couple of bends downstream from Bull Shoals Lock and Dam.  This is a very popular area with the fly fishers and really anyone looking to hook a trout or two. There are quite a few resorts on this stretch of the river including Gaston's and the White Hole Resort.  At the top of the bluff shown here is the White River Inn.  I chose to leave it out.

Marion County, I'm not done with you yet.  I know way too many of your secrets!