Painting Trip, Day 11, Part 1

(Note… still catching up, so this post is about the class on Thurs, Sep 17, 2015)

Today was another great day. I have lots of photos so I’ll have to post this day in two parts. I can’t believe what a grand time I am having!

The Art Workshop with Colley Whisson from Australia is now half over. We are in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee, a really beautiful spot in the country. I can’t get over all the scenery around here… horse farms with endless fences, fields of hay bales that stretch on forever, and country or bluegrass music everywhere. I was raised on this music and it strikes a home-chord with me whenever I hear it.

I think I’m finally getting used to schlepping all my stuff into the backyard of the gallery each day. Yes, it’s a pain in the patutti – but mostly because I haven’t stayed in shape enough to do it. I have to say that this extra walking and setting up every day has reminded me that I NEED to be more active and would be better off for it.

The gallery is very gracious. They put out a table each day with coffee, snacks, and cold water that lasts us all day. I think the landscaping company is separate from them and the gallery can’t control when the yard will be a muddy swamp. So we all just have to deal with it. And I am rather getting used to it all!

Today’s demo is a seascape – something I’ve never tried before. But I love how Colley is expanding our range each day and encouraging us to branch out and do things we aren’t used to. It really is the only way to learn new things. Here’s Colley starting a demo – I love how rough and simple he starts a painting.

Here’s the majority of the class on this “stage” (which I’ve been calling a “shelter.”) They actually call this a lawn chair theater and show movies here on Friday nights.

Once again I’m set up under the shade tree in the yard and I really like this spot. Now I need to ask myself… why is it I never go out and paint on-site when at home? Hmmmmm…. Here’s where 3 us (Camille, Jerry and me) are set up in the yard…

I didn’t need to go over to Puckett’s today for a food run because I had plenty of left-overs from last night. But guess what I missed??? Danielle (from the class) popped over for a take-out lunch and guess who was there…

Mike from American Pickers!!! He had stopped in for lunch but was recognized immediately. Danielle, the cutie, got her picture with him pronto. Isn’t this fun???

All of us in the class are getting the hang of Colley’s methods and we’re getting a little faster each day. Colley, of course, is a fantastic teacher. He gets round to each of us numerous times a day in addition to the 3 or 4 demos he does. And he doesn’t lollygag at all. When he comes down off that stage to visit us in the yard, he RUNS. He’s like the pony express coming to the rescue. Such energy! And he’s a kind, gentle, soft-spoken man. What a treat to be around him and learn from him. He’s very generous and eats lunch with the group. It’s fun to listen to his accent when he talks and the different words he uses for things.

I kidded Colley for saying “yeh, yeh” all the time. It’s what he says every time he agrees with you or tries to make a point. When I mentioned it in the group demo, he automatically responded “yeh, yeh,” and blushed for saying it again. Everyone laughed and got a kick out of it.

Of course he also says “mate” a lot and when painting a chicken in one of his scenes, he explained that in Australia they call them “chooks.” Colley says it is not a compliment to be called an “old chook,” a phrase the teens often use. We’ve had a lot of laughs over things like this.

There were no chooks in today’s water scene. Here’s mine. I don’t think I’ve ever done a water scene like this and I’m really pleased with it…

Some in the class wanted to go to dinner together, so Kay from the gallery made us reservations at a place in Cool Springs (other side of Franklin TN) called BrickTop’s. Kay printed me out some MapQuest directions since I get lost so easily and I ran back to the B&B, took a shower and actually put on a dress! I’ve been a grubby mess ever since I left home almost two weeks ago and it was about time!

However, when I showed my host, Rainey, the Mapquest directions, he said, “oh there’s a better way from here!” And he proceeded to draw me another map. Now I should know better… because whenever someone tells me there’s a better way I should ignore that advice. It’s not them… it’s me. I simply don’t do well with directions – even explicit ones.

But… all showered and gussied up, I was ready to tackle it. I got to the end of Carl Road and there in the splendor of the evening sun was a field of those round hay bales. I had to take some photos. This meant driving up the road a ways, parking in a drive and walking back, but I was up for it. I got a good 15 shots of this beautiful field…

As I was walking back to my car a nice lady stopped to see if I was in trouble. How great is that? I was a happy camper as I set back off for Cool Springs to have dinner. And I immediately got lost. Ugh. But typical.

In downtown Franklin I pulled over and asked a couple walking down the street for directions. “Oh honey, you aren’t anywhere close!” And the girl took my paper, turned it over and drew me a new map. Off I went.

I drove forever and got lost again. Daggone it!

I stopped at a convenient mart and asked again. The young man behind the counter acted like I was speaking another language. So the guy buying a loaf of bread said, “come over here with me and I’ll tell you where to go.” I did. Thankfully he was pretty articulate and this time I found my way. But now I was more than an hour late and figured everyone would be finished with their meal.

They pretty much were, but I placed a quick order and was able to have a few bites while visiting with Robin and Kay – two ladies about my age from Alabama. We hit it off well and I begged them to let me follow them back. They were taking Colley clear back to Leiper’s Fork, so it was perfect.

I thought I would know where to turn off but I missed Carl Rd as usual. It was too dark for me to see it in time but that was ok. The gallery was just one more mile down the road so I decided to go there and turn around. I knew my way back. And boy was I glad I did!

You see, during the day, Puckett’s looks like this…

Yummy yummy food to choose from…

Lots of mix and match old-time tables to sit at…

The pitmaster smoking and barbecuing beautiful cuts of meat…

Posters of upcoming music events tacked on the front door…

A gorgeous setting of picnic tables under a shelter covered with an enormous wisteria vine…

And then at night it turns into this…

Stay tuned for what happened next….

Advertisement