When I got to the location I had chosen to paint, I began setting up my easel, and found I had left my paints at home. I remembered Richard Schmid forgetting his brushes one day, and using palette knives to complete his day's work, but I saw no way around my dilemma. I suppose I could have tried grinding the dirt at my feet in linseed oil, but I knew that wouldn't get me far. I packed up, and headed back for my paints.
Before I reached the edge of the field, I received a phone call which I had to take. That ate up a lot of time.
I finally made it home, got my paints, and went back to the field. I unpacked, and set up, again. By this time, I was really behind schedule.
After twenty minutes of painting, two vehicles pulled up. Sergeant Hall was nice about it when he asked me to leave, but his questions were still comical. ("No, officer, I was not intending on stealing one of the state's cows." - Yes, that question did come up.). I was on state property, and I was not allowed to be there.
After taking this photograph, I wiped the canvas clean. Hopefully next time I pull this particular panel out, I'l be able to put down some real paint!
So much for painting today.
4 comments:
That's a funny story. So their thought was, you paint the cow, then steal it? I admire your perseverance. Hope you get another shot at it soon.
Wow this is the second time you have had run in with the police when painting. What gives with New Jersey?
I never have this problem in New England. I sometimes paint in Vermont and I always on state or sometimes private land and in all the years I have been painting I never had a problem.
Is this a park? You mention that it is state property, you live in the state and pay taxes and yet you can't use the property you help pay to maintain.
In Britain there is this law called right of way which gives people the right to walk on public and private land on designated right of ways.
You see these fences with gates and small ladders all over the country.
We fought a revolution for more freedom, and yet the Brits have more than we do.
I guess your now a painter/cattle rustler...
I have to ask when this cop asked you if you were planing on steeling a cow how on earth did he think you were going to do this?
Tie it to your car and drag it home?
Can you see why I want to leave?
Artists just look dangerous, and everyone knows those Ford minivans are the vehicle of choice of modern-day cattle rustlers.
It is state property, but it is not part of a park (though it abuts a playground/park area). It's actually owned by the state's corrections department, though it is unused, and the houses on the property are abandoned and were available to purchase from the state a few years back. The prisoners from the nearby prison don't work the farm because at some point, farm labor was considered "cruel and unusual punishment." The dairy cows are maintained by a private citizen.
The local park where I like to walk with my son has great walking trails, a reservoir, and lots of wonderful sites to paint. Unfortunately, during certain segments of the year, gates are put up, and NJ residents are not allowed to use the property without first paying a $5 fee. I refuse to pay the fee when they let me walk the rest of the year for free, but I may have to rethink my stand considering I'm tired of men with badges and guns harassing me while I paint.
I like James Gurney's "Art Department" traffic cones he uses to reserve space when he paints in his local towns. I should see if I could get away with that here!
My goodness what a day! Hey everyone knows that artists are dangerous types. Got to watch 'em like hawks. They might just steal a great view and ran away with it on their canvases!
Sure there have been days when I have forgotten my canvas, paints, canvas and paints...even forgotten my easel and yeah, gotten bumped from my painting spot, followed by some creepy dude to my car, but never all in one day! Holy smokes! :)
Hey just think of the interesting stories you get to tell your kids when the are older. For certain, artists do not lead dull lives! LOL!
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