License and Registration Please: 7

After today, there’s tomorrow.

But I won’t be painting tomorrow, at least not in the Adirondacks. I’m going to keep this short (yay, I know) because I must be leaving about 4am to get to Richmond VA in time for registration.

On the agenda for today was painting at Tupper Lake, Bog River Falls, and then a closing party at our hosts summer home just around the corner.

With painting gear, plenty of gas and a feeling this is going to be the best day of painting ever because this is it, I’m out of here after today I set out on the 35 minute drive to Bog River Falls. There are good things and bad things about jumping out on your own to get to a painting location instead of caravaning over with the group. The good thing is you don’t have to wait for everyone to get ready to go, you can go at your own driving speed, and you get to the best painting spots for yourself. The bad thing is you don’t know where all the best painting spots are. I did get a pretty good painting place here, but I wanted to get out on a little (okay it probably weighed 10 tons) boulder in the river, and I had brought my hip-waders to do just that, cut across the river without getting wet, but the water was up and rushing through at such a rate I know if I had tried I’d have been swept away with the current… so I stayed put.

Next on to Tupper Lake, just a few miles around the bend.  I ended up setting up along the highway in what I thought was a pretty wide shoulder. The view was across the lake at a couple little islands popping up out of the lake that are pretty typical of this area. The sun was coming in and and, then out and in. It did not really know what it was going to do, so I worked with it.

If I something catches my eye along the highway, or roadside, I tend to pullover and paint. Not always the safest thing, and if it looks like I’m going to be a hazard, or that it really does look dangerous, I’ll not do it. But I’ve a few wonderful Facebook friends that were concerned and have sent me little warning triangles you set on the road, and a bright yellow reflective  vest. Now I can be seen by orbiting satellites I believe.

I set up and painted, and while doing so I had some motorcyclists stop and take pictures, and a family stop and visit. Next a State Trooper drove by, saw me and made a U-turn with his flashing lights on and pulled in behind me. (now flashing lights would be a good way to get people to slow down and avoid me, hmmm?)

The officer was a nice guy, and really enjoyed the painting, but he said that parking my car straight across from where I was painting was creating a possible bottleneck and wanted to know if I could move the car a little. I guess I wasn’t thinking when I saw what I wanted to paint, pulled the car way way over, grabbed my gear and crossed the street.

The officer did have some nice things to say about the painting, and asked for my card, I told him that this was the first time a policeman had asked for my card instead of my “License and Registration” please.

The party at Eric’s house was splendid. A home to simply die for, I’ll post some pics of it on my FB page, so check that out. Everyone was cleaned up and ready for a little meeting and greeting fun.

Always a sad thing when something like this comes to a close. You remember going off toe camp and meeting some great people, you build a friendship, now with not just the art in common, but a week painting with each other at “Paint Camp” what a blast!

I don’t think the final count has been done, but I believe there were about 900 paintings in the “Great Room”  from all of the artists. Simply incredible, all made by wonderful people of wonderful places.