If painting were a sport I’d certainly be a true weekend warrior. In my mind standing up for eight hours at a time, back and forth hundreds of times to get a longer look just might qualify for exercise. I have to remind myself to take a break and drink some water or walk around a bit. This week I should have gone for dip in the lake while I was up at Allatoona on Saturday. It was a glorious day and all I had to do was take off my shirt and jump in.
I drove up HWY 92 out of Woodstock about twenty miles northwest and then straight north on Old Alabama Rd. to Lake Allatoona. This is the red headed step child to Lake Lanier, but it’s closer. After a search on Google I decided to give the dam a try but I never got that far. I found a day use beach and was lucky that I remembered to bring some cash because they charged me four bucks to get in—It was worth it though. The view was enhanced with sailboats from the near by yacht club. The first is a long view farther north through a channel up past a dock and a group of trees, I stuck some of the many kids in that were having a good time. Might have needed a second tree in the front—I thought the littl
e girl was enough but…
Afterward I walked back to the car with the first painting and noticed the abstract pattern of the lake behind the pine trees and the forest beyond. I found the best spot to take advantage of this and set up for a 12 x12″. This one went together quickly and again I just had to include some of the bathers and picnickers to give it the flavor that it had.
I was pleased with both and also with the new Centurion Linen that I used for the boards. I bought a 60 x 6 yard roll from Jerry’s on the web and it was delivered in four days—for free plus 25% off. Nice slick surface that I really like and for me makes all the difference. Let’s me slide the brush around and the oil primed surface is so much less absorbent than gesso. Let’s face it, this is not a cheep vocation so you must look for the best equipment at the best price. I’ve settled into making my own boards and this saves me a lot of money and I’m use to using canvas but I just love the look that the linen gives me. It’s a bit more but I think it’s worth it.
Sunday I headed to the river and ended up over near Willio Rd. in Roswell. I’ve been here quite a few times before and the reason is there is a good deck you can set up on with view up and down the river. You do have to put up with fisherman though—they think they own the place but in the end usually warm up to the weird guy painting. I did a view looking south with one of the scull boats very common and then I did a close in view of the woods directly across the river. This was a bit different for me without anything but the water and the trees. I had to work hard , but in the end I think it’s the best of the weekend.
