Larry comes with us to paintoutdoors.

The sun is trying to rise, as well as myself. Today, Larry is coming to paint with Phil and Tim outdoors. Larry is a Professor of Art at Taylor University with tenure. His lovely wife Dana has blessed us with his presence to paint together. Thank you Dana. We'll take real good care of your man. We fed Larry and now we are headed away from a big storm that is driving us slowly towards Wabash, a really beautiful little town. The rain is behind us still and the clouds are dark gray in the northwest. Tim is driving and he is letting Larry choose where we will paint today.

Our first stop in Wabash is in Charley Creek Park a lightly wooded park with hills and of course Charley Creek running through the park. We set up under a park shelter because after breakfast and driving around, the rain, thunder and lightning have caught up with us. We start painting, drawing, and pasteling under the open shelter moving slowly in towards the center as the rain starts to blow in from the four open sides. The trouble is the poor lighting from the overcast sky and the dark shadow cast from the roof overhead make selecting color difficult. I am using my paint as wet as possible with the rain assisting. Drawing in basic large key shapes and adding wet buttery layers of color side by side in the key shape areas. I go back and redefine edges and add more similar color trying to keep the paint surface interesting.

It is so dark by now I am unaware that I have raised my color key upwards to compensate for the lack of natural light. Tim is having similar problems with just seeing his pastels. Larry being rusty from not being able to do his own art work due to his last semster course schedule is muttering. However it is happy artist muttering. He is struggling through his first graphite and charcoal drawing. I don't think he is excited about the subject he has chosen but he pushes on. All the while thunder cracks overhead and lightning is striking nearby.

We are dedicated to paintingoutdoors painters. After about two hours I have completed two small acryloc 8"x10"s on canvas of the area near the old asylum. Tim has completed two on of the flag and monument tribute toWabash war veterans and a second view of the park. Larry is not cussing under his breath but is using a ancient Irish dialect having to do with his lack of bringing the right materials...he is winging it. After we finish up the rain has finally past over us and the sun comes out. We walk around town and stop to start our third painting a record in the last few months. Larry crosses the track and sets up. He is sitting on his art carry-all pail working on a small graphite and charcoal sketch of a few small shotgun style houses. Tim has focused on the RR tracks. Only minutes later a large freight train roars past not too many feet from his chair. He's used to it being a RRer for 25 years.

I am taking a further back view from the tracks in the shade of a brick church on the corner. The sun is hot so the shade gives me a chance to keep my paints wet a little longer. Again after and hour I pack up my stuff and Tim is spraying his third pastel. I walk over to round up Larry and he is doing a "sweet" little graphite drawing with the main focus on one house and the sides are vignetted with simple gray marks. Nice piece Larry! I have them pose for pictures and shoot a few frames of each of our works. Dana calls and its time to send Larry packing home. He's a family man in a big way. I have trouble from time to time recalling their names, Ariel, Ben, Maggie, Olive, Isabel, Dove, _______,  _________,and the new baby soon to arrive. Sorry kids the ones Ive forgotten. I'm old.

 

Tim suggests we stop for and ice cream before we return this 'knight back to his castle.' Chocolate Almond for me and Hot fudge sundaes for Tim and Larry.  We sit and get to telling stories and are slowly starting to cry and double up from the laughter. Earlier we had stopped at an old book storre run by a 'straight man comedian' from Vaudeville. He had all the lines ready and never missed a beat.

It took him 15 minutes to run Tim's plastic card to pay for some books I bought. He was into his routine and we were a captive audience. Back home again we sent Larry off to Dana. Tim and I sit on the apron of the garage and finish a couple of Michelob darks and said a litany for retired guys...
"Oh,Timothy take a nap for us," 
"Oh Philip, pack up the car."
" Oh Larry, floor it to get home"
"All of you keep your boards taped"
"For next week's outing."
And now here's the rest of the art...

and two of the three handsome guys. I took the picture.