Caney Fork -
The Caney Fork watershed here in our home county Jackson has been a favorite area of mine for many years. Not only has it provided a wealth of subject matter, it has been the home of many of our closest friends, some of whom have been kind enough to take me to meet many of the long time residents of the area. Through these introductions additional close friendships have been created which have resulted in some wonderful painting opportunities.
Nicholson Cove I
Nicholson Cove was the home of Frances and Ben Nicholson. My wife Wanda and I were introduced to them through some good friends who later named their first child after Ben. The Nicholson's farm provided a large number of painting subjects.
Approaching Storm, watercolor
This is a painting of the barn at Nicholson's. There is an interesting ladder structure nailed to the exterior wall which provided outside access to the loft area. The old galvanized gate was almost always left open as by the time I came to know the Nicholsons, they were no longer keeping livestock except for maybe an occasional horse or two as a convenience to friends.
Ben and Detail, watercolor
Ben Nicholson. I never had a problem getting Ben to pose for me. He was quite a willing subject. He always wore his suspenders and I hardly ever remember seeing him without slips of paper in his shirt pocket. He had a collection of walking sticks, one of which he was never without on his excursions. On one trip to Nicholson's it had been a while since we had visited. Ben looked up at Wanda and I from his lawn chair and calmly said: "I thought you'd quit me". He always seemed to enjoy people's visits and I guess living in that remote area it was a treat to have company. Their farm was at the head of the cove. Supposedly there was an old wagon track that you could follow across the ridge to the next watershed but I think it had long since grown over.
Digging Wild Garlic, watercolor
Ben had an herb garden and his garlic was very prized. He kept a Mason jar of moonshine hidden there and he thought his wife Frances didn't know about it. She did. I was sad to learn one day that someone had slipped into the herb garden overnight and stolen Ben's entire crop of ginseng plants.
Ram Pump, watercolor
Here is Ben in the snow melt washing herbs at the overflow of his Ram pump. For those who don't know - a Ram pump is an ingenious device used in the mountains to provide water to a residence. It uses gravity to pump the water. Obviously it requires a location with a water source that lends itself to this method due to the geography of the property. Quit an interesting tool........