Friday, August 5, 2011

Try, try again...

After having a sound sleep and a delicious brunch I wandered around Milwaukee looking for intriguing painting subjects. I biked into a heavily industrial area and set up my easel near a dilapidated warehouse. About 5 minutes into the painting a man (who claimed affiliation with a different nearby warehouse) walked over to tell me I wasn't allowed to paint there. I was on the sidewalk so I'm pretty sure that I was, in fact, 'allowed' to paint there, but I left anyhow.

I found another painting spot near the lake with a view of a coal plant. I painted for about an hour and a half, and then as I was cleaning up I knocked over my container of turpentine and it spilled on the painting. Spilling turpentine on a painting is like shaking an etch-a-sketch. I watched my efforts dissolve...

I scooped up my melted painting, packed up my painting gear, and pointed myself back towards my friends' house. While walking my bike and talking on the phone I crossed under a bridge and had a slight misunderstanding with a man who thought that perhaps I wouldn't mind if he helped himself to my phone. Wrong. I'm glad I had my mace.

Tomorrow: paint (with better luck, hopefully) on my way out of Milwaukee and bike about 50 miles to Illinois Beach State Park.

7 comments:

  1. Jen, that's an amazing story! Keep at it, I'm so impressed with what you're doing (and with your melty painting- still looks really good)! Can't wait to see/hear more!
    ~short Jenn

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  2. Is that shiner from the dude trying to steal your phone? Boy, Jen, you are a hard-ass! Wouldn't want to come up against you in a dark alley! :)

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  3. Up side is if these shenanigans keep up you'll be able to sell the story to Random House!

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  4. Jen, I am sorry that you had such an unfortunate encounter, but I'm glad that you were able to send the jerk packing. Sadly you received a painful momento. I hope this is the end such nonsense!

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  5. Thanks guys! Hopefully I got the drama over and done with at the beginning of the trip!

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  6. Be safe! You are a tough gal! If you need me yo meet up and help you kick some ass, just give a holler!

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  7. I don't know how I missed these first posts! I'm so glad you're okay and hope that a-hole has an allergic reaction and gets hives in his eyeballs for weeks.

    Personally LOVE the melted painting! You are so talented. How did I not know you were an artist, anyway?

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