Jon Houglum’s studio at Cowee School is empty.
He was told when the school stopped welcoming visitors to encourage social distancing that he would still be allowed to come in and paint by himself, but with about 15 miles separating his home from the school, he decided to pack up his supplies and bring them home. And he’s been on a spree of creativity ever since.
Over the past 15 years, Houglum has made a habit of getting outside and painting the scenic landscapes of Macon County whenever the weather permits, but now he feels more motivated than ever.
As a freelance artist and painting teacher, it’s about as much as he can do right now to work alone in nature. He said that most of his students are hesitant about coming out for classes right now, even if there’s plenty of room to achieve social distancing standards.
“With the lockdown we’re on, I have a lot of students who don’t want to get within 10 feet of another person,” Houglum said.
That hasn’t stopped him from being productive, though. Houglum has painted more than a dozen new pieces in the past four weeks based on everything from snapshots of his native Minnesota sent to him by relatives to the façade of Mount Hope Baptist Church. He’s visited Parker Meadows alone about eight times so far, staking out a spot along Cartoogechaye Creek and translating it to the canvas during sessions of up to five hours at a time.
“You’ve just got to paint whatever you can see,” Houglum said. “I’m trying to paint as much of this park as I can. We’re very fortunate to have a spot like this.”
Houglum isn’t alone in his appreciation of plain air painting. Sally Mass, a student of his for the past seven years, has joined him a few times at Parker Meadows. She feels that the experience of painting outdoors with the company of a friend and advisor has helped her make good progress on her work.
“All you have to do is like it and he’ll get you along from there,” Mass said.
Carol Conti of the Macon County Arts Association has also been out at the park with them. She said that the simplicity and calm of painting outdoors always makes for a rejuvenating experience, but in the midst of a worldwide crisis, it’s especially necessary to take a breather every now and then.
“I like to come here, feel the wind on my face, listen to the water flow and enjoy the calm of it all,” Conti said. “It’s a great way for someone to find a moment of peace among the chaos.”
Houglum is already running out of room in his home workshop to store all of his new paintings. He’s already converted his woodworking table into a painting table, and even with his wife claiming several of his new pieces for their house before he can sell them, he’s still running out of room on the walls of his woodshop to display everything he’s made. He said it’s a good problem to have, though. He feels closer to nature and to his home in Macon County while painting this way than at any other time.
“The advantage of painting on location is that you gain a sense of familiarity with a place,” Houglum said. “Nature is the best teacher that you’ll ever have.”
That hasn’t stopped him from being productive, though. Houglum has painted more than a dozen new pieces in the past four weeks based on everything from snapshots of his native Minnesota sent to him by relatives to the façade of Mount Hope Baptist Church. He’s visited Parker Meadows alone about eight times so far, staking out a spot along Cartoogechaye Creek and translating it to the canvas during sessions of up to five hours at a time.
“You’ve just got to paint whatever you can see,” Houglum said. “I’m trying to paint as much of this park as I can. We’re very fortunate to have a spot like this.”
Houglum isn’t alone in his appreciation of plain air painting. Sally Mass, a student of his for the past seven years, has joined him a few times at Parker Meadows. She feels that the experience of painting outdoors with the company of a friend and advisor has helped her make good progress on her work.
“All you have to do is like it and he’ll get you along from there,” Mass said.
Carol Conti of the Macon County Arts Association has also been out at the park with them. She said that the simplicity and calm of painting outdoors always makes for a rejuvenating experience, but in the midst of a worldwide crisis, it’s especially necessary to take a breather every now and then.
“I like to come here, feel the wind on my face, listen to the water flow and enjoy the calm of it all,” Conti said. “It’s a great way for someone to find a moment of peace among the chaos.”
Houglum is already running out of room in his home workshop to store all of his new paintings. He’s already converted his woodworking table into a painting table, and even with his wife claiming several of his new pieces for their house before he can sell them, he’s still running out of room on the walls of his woodshop to display everything he’s made. He said it’s a good problem to have, though. He feels closer to nature and to his home in Macon County while painting this way than at any other time.
“The advantage of painting on location is that you gain a sense of familiarity with a place,” Houglum said. “Nature is the best teacher that you’ll ever have.”