Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Mobile, Alabama #1

Well, the dust has settled on my new life and it is time to get back to work.  After going through all my art work and thinking about what is and is not of value to me into the future I have decided to work on some more pure color pieces in oil and try my hand at water colors again.  Both require drying time so I can alternate between the two.  More about that as I complete some pieces.

In the meantime I have been wondering quite a bit since the election about my country.  I have only visited a couple of states and since I really don't like to travel am unlikely to visit many more. I do like to travel around on Google maps, however, and I am curious.  What can be learned from simply traveling the roads?  I have decided to find out by visiting each state, in alphabetical order and spending a month there, all from the comfort of my sitting room in front of my MAC.  I plan to paint one piece for each state.

Yesterday I began with the roads leading out of Mobile, Alabama.  I found a road called Cottage Hill Road which sounded as if it would lead to something picturesque.  I spent at least 45 minutes on this road and those which followed.  Most of what I saw were shopping malls with CVS, WAWA, WELLS FARGO, TACO BELL , etc.  The housing was one story ranches surrounded by big lawns or developments with names like Quail Crossing.  There was no poverty or great wealth in evidence.  Nothing seemed older than 50 years at the most.  I saw one white person and one brown person and two horses.



Here is the only garden found although in the upscale homes there were definitely signs of lawn maintenance.


                                          

                                            This was the only sign of life and age.




This is how the trip felt to me.


In the Presidential election Mobile voted 55.62% for Trump and 42.01% for Clinton.