ARTservancy 2020-2021 is a yearlong residency program/collaboration between Gallery 224 in Port Washington, WI, and the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust. 17 artists were chosen, and each selected a land trust preserve to engage with to create a body of artwork. The objective of ARTservancy is to promote the visionary work of both the artists and the land conservation, culminating in an exhibition at Gallery 224.
I am honored and excited to have been selected as one of the artists participating in this yearlong Residency.
I will be painting exclusively “en plein air” at Spirit Lake Preserve, located in Mequon, WI.
I’ve been there about 5 times since October and each time I go it’s been a wonderful adventure. I’ve gone 3 times taking our daughter’s dog Louise with me. Louise is a very good girl and a most excellent companion, and though I love the solitude of trekking out to this remote spot, it is nice to have some company. The 2 times I’ve been there this winter though, I left her back home. There is a long road-I’m thinking at least ¼ mile-before you get to the woodsey/lakesey part of the preserve. Louise of course loves the hike, but I’m hauling a heavy backpack, a folding chair and a bag with lunch and various sundries, so I’m not as thrilled on this path through a corn field.
Anyway, we have had a ton of snow and this path is not plowed, so I figured Louise wouldn’t be good with trying to walk through snow which would cover her head. Now, as I said, going to Spirit Lake is a wonderful adventure. It’s a beautiful place to paint with a huge variety of natural ecosystems to explore. Both Louise and I have loved roaming this preserve but even a good girl needs to have some parameters-hence the leash. I rigged a few leashes together and brought the ground screw to attach it to, so that I could let her roam and I could paint. It worked like a charm-the first time! You need to know that Louise is a people dog. Just loves ‘em. Wants to share that love up close. She also loves other dogs. Wants to share lots of barks and chases. You also need to know that though remote, evidently Spirit Lake is a favorite place for local people to enjoy walking, along with their own dogs. This fact clashes with my desire for perfect solitude but does not clash with Louise’s desire for social interaction. Our last time there together this dichotomy came to a head. I had been painting away, blissfully unaware that because of the spot I had screwed Louise’s leash into, she had me surrounded by that long tether. I’m sure the couple and their dog were so entranced by the lovely natural surroundings that though they heard Louise, they did not see what was transpiring behind them. I can’t fault them-I wasn’t paying attention to them either. I think you can guess what happened. I’m not going to paint you a picture, but suffice it to say I had no more Gamsol (“paint thinner”) but I did have a somewhat different looking painting and brushes in the underbrush. It took me a while to set up again, get untangled from the leash, and try to find a better place to screw Louise to, but it all ended happily, and I completed a nice painting.
I’m looking forward to many more adventures with Louise at Spirit Lake. You can see my completed paintings on my website (www.tomsmithfineart.com) on the “ARTservancy” page. Do go take a look!
