Mark’s Notes On The Go

This weekend was the 13th annual Beaver Creek Festival in Montezuma, Georgia.

I decided this year to both get a booth as well as enter some photography in the art show held in conjunction with it. The photos in the event had to be of local scenes, which was not a problem for me.

The good news is that BOTH of my entries placed in the show! That’s a real honor in a home town show.

Best In Show

Third Place - Advanced Beginner Category

We also had a table in the show. Because it was at home and the booth fee was so reasonable, I figured it was worth making a go of it and did my first festival. Had an incredible time. Sold a half dozen prints and gave out plenty of cards, and had a lot of nice comments.

The best part of it, aside from the minimal investment, was seeing so many people I knew. My weekend trips home are usually to see my folks. I usually see people at the festival anyway, but being in the festival sitting in one spot, I saw so many more.

I’m not sure I’m heading on the festival routes tomorrow. It’s definitely an investment in time. It also would mean investing in more fixtures than just a table and a few photo stands. I’d need print bins, a tent, and more. Not sure about that. I think at the moment, I’d like to look into getting my photos into some shops on commission.

Anyway, I’m nice and sunburned now. Foresight is not my forte. Although tired and beet red, I’m a happy camper. I’d do it all again tomorrow.

Though the distance between us grows, we’re never really apart.

This photo was taken on the Chattahoochee River front in Roswell, Georgia at sunrise. The golden light mixes with the mist rising from the lake for a magical effect.

The wake of the boat cuts through the current of the river and creates a line connecting the two people in this scene. The story between these figures is unimportant, but the viewer gets to imagine what might be happening in this golden moment.

I’ve entered two pieces in the Macon County Historical Society Art and Photography show this year. The show is listed as taking place Thursday October 25th from 4pm to 6pm.

All entries will also be on display that following Saturday, October 27th, at the musuem in the historic Montezuma Depot, as part of the annual Beaver Creek Festival. All entries in the photo competition are of local scenes. Since it’s been little advertised, one would suspect that most entries will be by local artists.

I am also going to have a little booth in the Beaver Creek festival as well this year. In addition to other photos I have matted and bagged, I’ve printed up some local images for this show.

Entries for the Macon County Historical Society Art Show

One of the office tower’s in downtown Atlanta. I love the architecture of this building. It’s reminiscent of art deco. Built in the early 1990’s, but given the style, it’s hard to easily place it.

The angle in this photo was achieved from a neighboring observation deck. From this vantage point, 191 Peachtree Tower appears to loom far above the skyline, but of course if viewed from other directions, it’s one of many towers that make up the downtown and Midtown skylines.

This print will also be on view as part of an exhibit on the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll at the Granite Room on November 23rd.

Available on Redbubble

This has been an often visited spot for me. Over and over, I just have to go back and perfect my attempts at capturing it. And this is easy, because this is home, where I grew up.

Not this building of course, but this small town, Montezuma, Georgia, USA. Never a large town, it has a population in the neighborhood of 5,000 people, and, like much of small town America, it has an uncertain future. Like myself, so few stay. There are so few opportunities there.

But it has an old history, built around the railroad, literally. A nearby community called Traveler’s Rest, heard that the railroad would bypass them in favor of this site, and they moved their town to the present day site of Montezuma. One town grew and another ceased to exist. Local lore has it that the new town was named after the historical Aztec king by returning soldiers from the Mexican American War. The dates are close as the city was officially established in 1854.

This early 20th century depot was the police station when I first remember, and after the city offices moved out, it decayed for years and the railroad threatened to raze it. Ultimately it was saved and houses a museum today, in a small town that owes it’s past to the railroad and its future… is to be determined.

Heart of Home Print available on RedBubble