Stones River National Battlefield, Sunday, October, 6, 2024

Today was my first day as "artist in residence" at Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Murfreesboro is a southern suburb of Nashville, TN.  Last night, I flew into Nashville, rented a car and checked into the TRU by Hilton hotel in Murfreesboro, a mile away from the Battlefield. I had twin 43# suitcases filled with my art supplies, my easel, and my folding transport wagon.

My hotel is adequate. I got a good night sleep. The battlefield actually offers accommodations to artists in residence, but they are currently under repair. Even so, I'm happy to be at a reputable hotel after becoming infested with fleas last year when I was artist in residence at a different national park. This morning, I enjoyed the hotel's buffet breakfast. I'm fascinated by the automated pancake-making machines at these hotels. After breakfast, I loaded my gear into the rental car and made a quick stop at Walmart. I purchased a $15 folding stool. I couldn't fit a stool into my checked luggage; so for $15 I'll get my money's worth out of this stool this week.

This is a Civil War battlefield which is relatively flat in a forested plain along the Stones River. The forests are a mix of juniper and deciduous trees with frequent clearings, fields or meadows. The national battlefield is part of the national park system and encompasses more than 500 acres. This morning I immediately noticed that because this is amid suburbia, and because it was Sunday morning, there were many walkers, dog-walkers, joggers, and runners enjoying the numerous trails of the battlefield.

I introduced myself at the visitor center (although my primary contact here is off duty until Tuesday), and did a brief reconnaissance of the area seeking a suitable place to paint. I towed my wagon 1/3 of a mile from the visitor center parking lot where I found a shaded spot that was wide enough that my easel wouldn't obstruct the pathway.

I set up my easel and started to paint. I had conversations with a few passersby. It was a delightful blue-sky day and actually became quite warm as the day progressed. By midday, my back was tired from my perch on the stool, and I was overheated and hungry. I packed up my gear and went off to find lunch.

This is the largest "canvas" I brought for this week. I expect this to be my primary image this week. My concept for this image is a beautiful landscape in the foreground with the foreboding "blue and gray" of the impending storm, representing the twom sides of the Civil War. if I can get it satisfactory completed, I'll probably donate this to the battlefield's foundation. I expect to be tweaking this image all week.

I also worked on two smaller images today. This is my preferred image size: 4x6" – – it's a greeting card, so I can put it in an envelope and mail it. You might notice that these images lack fine detail and are just quick representations of whatever I'm representing. I think of them as "watercolor sketches."  You might also notice that I only put my name on an image after I'm done working on it. Sometimes I'm never done.

The forecast for the rest of the week is for a great weather with temperatures that will be even more comfortable than today's. Let's see what tomorrow brings.