Killing Time with Ghosts

"Killing Time with Ghosts"

9X12, Oil on Panel

From the ghost town of Rush, AR.

#12 of 50

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.