Tuesday, November 9, 2010

ANGUS, IT"S TIME TO FIDDLE AWAY THE AFTERNOON.

Today is  one of the closing days of fall as the leaves drop away and leave the trees bare as upturned . Tim and I are headed out to paint up near Macy in 'Amish country.' Carolyn has decided to tag along. "Bring your fiddle. we ask." We stop at SUBWAY and have lunch. It's modest with very little greasy aftertaste. It's cold these mornings so we decided to start in the afternoon. I am driving today. I promise to find a place today since Carolyn is coming along. We head up where Tim said that a herd of cattle had been grazing and laid down in the afternoon to chew their cud. Sounded like a challenge. After about a half hour later I spot a herd of Angus mozying around a field in groups of two or three. There!, that's where we'll paint today. It's been thirty minutes and that's the rule. We stop and unload. Carolyn is cold and she can't play the fiddle with her fingers chilled . Sit in the car with the sun on you I suggest. Tim plants himself west of the car in direct sunlight,while I am to the rear of the hatchback of my Scion. Carolyn is tuning up.

The cows feel like a good subject today but in the shade my paint and fingers both don't want to cooperate. I figure I'll concentrate on a colored drawing made with paint strokes like soft pastels  that Tim works with. Carolyn is playing a mournful tune that fits today with the passing of summer. It really helps put me and Tim in the mood to paint. Funny how powerful music can be. 
We work feverishly, me in the cold while Tim in the sun getting hot,to get something down on the paper. Carolyn continues to soldier o playing a reel,a jig,and a few other sailing tunes. I am tuned in to the work in front of me and the drawing starts to take shape. Tim judging by his results was reacting in a similar fashion. Carolyn says the temperature has caused the strings to lay nearer the neck which gives the music a gravely sound but I like it. It is 'homey' and familiar. As we near the second hour Tim announces he is almost done and  have a few more minutes to tie the drawing together the cows with the land. A few added color strokes of acrylic rose madder finishes up the painting. I'm done I announce. Tim has sprayed his pastel as the scent of the fixative is overpowering. Carolyn has been walking around for the last half hour just looking at the cattle grazing almost half-heartedly as they too know the snow is coming. We pack up and I turn up the car heat to warm myself and Carolyn up. Tim says he had been sweating out in the direct sunlight.I should have moved but the shade of the hatch had cooled my color palette so that in direct sunlight it would be even more intense. We bid the cows goodbye with a few loud 'moos' and drove back to Tim and Carolyn's little piece of heaven in the country. He was ready for a nap and I back to my school work getting ready for classes on Thursday and Friday later this week. Carolyn gathered up her fiddle and case and headed for the house. Tim walked me to the gate and with a "Laaaaaater" I replied, "Laaaaaaater" as I drove out of sight. A good day with friends with the fiddle music still playing in my head.

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