Jeffrey Baumgartner - Chicago Actor and Artist
  • Home
  • Homes and Structures
  • Plein Air & Urban Landscape
  • Landscapes & Marine/Water
  • Figurative
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Actor Photos

"Every artist was first an amateur." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

5/11/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
Lake Manawa, Boy Scout Island (photo)

Day 3 - Friday

Arrived Lake Manawa state park camp just east of Omaha just before dark; again, set up tent in the blackness, twenty feet from a very cool lake, could hear waves all night. Fairly rainy and temperature dropped to a bitter cold.  Next morning, loaded up and as I headed out of the park, impulsively stopped at what is called Boy Scout Island and set up to paint. Two hours and a cool little scene encompassing a corner of the lake, and a fallen tree with a spirited cottonwood towering above it. A good exercise, not a great painting, and that is simply all right.

About 11am, a stop-over in Williamsburg to the Java Lounge and a chance to check email on their WiFi. A kindly gentleman sees my over-packed vehicle, stops to chat, what becomes a twenty minute conversation at my Kia, where I learn about Bob’s children and grand-children and retirement and his experiences in military service as well as travels and tribulations. I even get a quick and very charming history lesson on the town. Oh, and his rhubarb wine that he makes himself. He contacted a local winery who tested it and tasted it and told Bob, “it’s terrific, but I can’t sell this for you. It’s more than the allowed alcohol content.” Bob just looked at me and smiled, “It’s about 17%.”

Truly, a nice moment, I enjoyed it very much. I am learning one has to be open and ready to meet folks when traveling. As Hamlet says to his buddy Horatio, “and like a stranger, welcome it.”

I make the push and land in Colorado, at a wonderful state park at Jackson Lake. I camp in the “cove” and the picnic table has a tin wind guard around and above it. Terrific. I will re-organize the stuff in the car. Set-up camp and decide to pay for an electric site so as to utilize both the laptop for posting to the blog and in order to watch a plein air dvd, as well as use the little electric heater. Good plan, temps dipped into the 30’s but manageable and again, wet and rainy.

I had also decided that I would try to get a big breakfast each day to re-fuel and would forego lunch and, at least today, went without dinner, opting instead for almonds and trail mix.

I am striking distance from Greeley where tomorrow I get to visit briefly with Christi (Loutas) Segal and her family; Christi and I were in the theater program together at U of Wyo.


 





2 Comments
Tiffany
5/19/2012 10:42:55 pm

Ooh yeah, meeting people on the way is always so sweet and refreshing. Now you dont have to talk to yourself and you are also reminded that it is not just you and your world out there. There are other little worlds that exist and are just as important. Keep on rocking on sir!

- Tiffany

Reply
BigMouseWorld link
5/27/2022 04:43:38 am

Thank you for sharing thiss

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Jeffrey Baumgartner

    A professional actor for over twenty-five years, Jeffrey is an accomplished oil painter based in Chicago.  In 2008, he established  JB ArtWorks studio gallery. 

    Archives

    January 2014
    June 2013
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

    Categories

    All
    Destination: Maine 2012
    Travel Painting

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.