MAIN STREET BRIDGE • 24 inches x 30 inches • ©2011 Marie Scott
OK, so maybe this isn’t the setting Chris Farley had in mind when he talked about living in a van down by the river.
In contrast, I would actually LOVE living down by THIS RIVER (preferably in a luxury condo — not a van.)
The location of this oil painting is at the Reedy River at Fall’s Park in downtown Greenville, SC. My studio is just about a block past the small blue walking bridge in the center of the painting.
I began this piece during the Flat Out Under Pressure competition last January, and then spent several more days working on it this past month.
During the contest, we only had 24 hours to create a painting from start to finish. Needless to say, after 24 hours it still needed a little bit of work, as there’s only so much you can do with a canvas completely saturated in wet oil paint.
Having my studio “down by the river” this fall has been inspiring on several different levels. I hear ducks quacking while I’m painting, and the daily explosion of the flock of pigeons who can appear and then disappear in just an instant. I eat my gluten-free-brown-bag-lunch, sitting between two waterfalls, watching people across the river eating outside at Larkin’s, wondering to myself “who eats at such an upscale restaurant in the middle of the day???”
Unlike Chris Foley, all-in-all MY experience “down by the river” has been a good one. Stretching, but good.
To see photos of this painting in progress and to read about the Flat Out Under Pressure competition, click here.
