Images from Mammoth Cave National Park. 
March 5-19, 2003
The largest cave system in the world is right under our noses. Between Louisville and Nashville off of Interstate 65 in Mammoth Cave Kentucky. Scott found that early March is not a busy tourist season at the Park, so he was able to enjoy some solitude while staying as Artist in Residence for two weeks.
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In the photos above and left, we see the feature known as
Cleveland Avenue.This room takes you deep into other main nearby chambers
of the cave. Tough to draw in these low light conditions, but Scott suceeds
in capturing the essence of the geology. Scott was allowed to work inside
the cave only through special permission of the Park Service's Ann Davis.
Usually only tour groups are allowed inside the caves. No chance to stop
and paint.
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If you want to cross the Green River here, you'll have to take your chances
on Houchins Ferry. Hou cares?
Well my friend, John D. Houchins was known as the best flatboat pilots
on the Green River. He established Houchins Ferry as early as 1815 and
it's still in use. (Although it is said that old John is not.)
Anyhou, when a boy J.D. Houchins was chasin' an old wounded b'ar and it
vanished into a hole, and wouldn;t you know it, the boy had discovered
Mammoth Cave! (Minor credit to the b'ar, who knew it was there all along.)
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Well Scott didn't see any bears, but he did see the "aero bridge ascent" while in the cave and drew us this picture of same. After a seven hour caving marathon, he commented:
"Pilates Schmilates, crawling is tough!"
It sure is.
When
it was designated as a National Park in 1941 there were actual people
living within the parks borders. The vestiges of their lives remain in
these churches and cemeteries kept up as an outdoor museum. Not everything
worth seeing in the park is underground!
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The photo above is of the Joppa Missionary Baptist Church, founed in 1862. The church on the left is the Good Spring United Baptist Church established in 1842.
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This church is the Mammoth Cave Baptist Church. They're not "united"
or "missionary" and that's because they were there first! Founded
in 1827, they couldn't even get a softball league started for 15 years.
Nothing but inter-team scrimmages for all those years...
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And now, back to nature. Scott found an observation platform which overlooked
the beautiful Green River at a place called "Turn Key Bend".
One way to paint when it's threatening to rain is to set up the easel
on the deck, nice and close to the lightning! We've got three pictures
to show you, and a website with a live webcam. You can see the Green River
for yourself by clicking
here.
All images and text ©swp2002-2004. Use in any media prohibited without written consent of the owner.