Tallulah Spring Springwatercolor and others

Another rather unknown spring along the chain of springs in Saratoga Springs, is the Tallulah Spring. It's located a few feet south of the Polaris, up in the bushes.

When the state took over the property now known as the Spa State Park, they renamed the springs, giving them Native American titles. They replaced the drab old name of "Pump Well #4 and changed it to Tallulah. 
 Tallulah is Choctaw or Creek for "leaping waters" and Old English for "Princess of Abundance." It does retain a female name, and, according to Trent, the Saratoga Water Witch, represents female qualities and the vagina itself. Just look at the photos, you decide...

 This is a very photogenic spring, I took a hefty amount of photos, check it out...

     This one looks like I stumbled upon a crime scene

What happens in the dark, comes out in the light....

Tallulah's crevice slit

One of the best photos you ever saw, 

all photos by George DeMers

She's a squirter 

This stuff is so carbonated, it's like club soda 

I got in there and got a smear of mineral deposit 

I coated the entire page with mineral deposit, and Tallulah water, I hope you dig it, I'll be back to paint this one again, there is so much mineral deposit chillin everywhere! 

Come out to the ART IN THE PARK JULY 9th! 

I'll be there selling my watercolor series, thanks for checkin it out! 

http://saratoga-arts.org/exhibitions/artinthepark

I have covered the history of these next springs in previous posts, check the right side column, but, here's some newer additions! 

*Ceiling Fan Watermark 

Saratoga Springwater Fed Oregano Experiment

 I decided that I wanted to try to grow different plants using various springs from the chain of springs in Saratoga. I figured I'd use oregano, because it is a hearty herb that could withstand a strong dousing of highly concentrated mineral water. 
 Each plant is watered at the same time, in the same dirt, in the same size pots, in the same sunlight. The only variable is, each one is watered with a different spring. Here's is my first photos-

KARISTA SPRING 

DEER PARK

POLARIS 

HATHORN

TALLULAH

HIGH ROCK 

 OLD RED 

 HATHORN #3

HAYES 

Look out for my tomatoes in my next post!

Karista Spring Springwatercolor

 The most ferruginous or iron rich spring of the springs in Saratoga Springs, is the Karista Spring in the Spa State Park. Not only is it the most ferruginous in the park, but also the most iron rich water IN THE WORLD. Karista gets it's name, aptly so, from the Iroquois term for iron. In 1915, when the state took over the property, it was simply named Flat Well #2, by the company that owned the property. 

photo of Flat Well #2 from Spa State Park archive

 In 1925, a fountain was made, and a pavilion was built over it. It has recently been renovated and I read more renovations are to come! It sits along the west side of the Geyser Creek in the park, in what is now a picnic area. This a sweet place to go for lunch, and this spring is an added treat, make sure it's a part of your visit!

  In the 1930's the state searched the property for the best mud to use for mud baths at the bath houses. They found the area around Karista to be the perfect mud, for the low laying valley had held an abundance of decomposed leaf matter that melded with the iron rich dirt, and seemed to work wonders for the skin. I dug around for this dirt, and found some nice red clay-like action! 

To get a good idea of it's iron rich properties, here's a photo of the Karista dirt, next to potting soil in my garden... 

The mineral deposit has a few shades of red, from orange to maroon, and worked great in my watercolor. 

The fountain seems to dry heave, then, blasts and gurgles, then dry heaves again, repeatedly. Though it's random, it's blasts of the closest thing to earth's blood, will fill the jug quite quickly. 

And finally, after being Boy Scout prepared and remembering to wear deet free bug spray, I fought armies of young and hungry mosquitos to render the latest in the series.....

Karista Spring

Old Red Spring Springwatercolor

Old Red Spring is one of the oldest springs of the chain of springs in Saratoga Springs. In 1784 a bath house was erected at this site, making it the first bath house in America.

The water has been known for centuries to cure skin ailments. Along with curing skin ailments, it has these other redeeming qualities, it cures- gout, heartburn, kidney difficulties, inflamed eyes and/or mucous membranes, it revitalizes blood circulation, and stimulates appetite. There was such a demand for the water at one point, there was a bottling plant built on the property. I found a bottle on Ebay for sale, from back before it was just a young "Red" greenhorn, and not so "Old" I guess....

Anyway, I heard the mineral content is not the same as it used to be, here's an old breakdown of the old recipe...

 I have read that about 200 years ago, the old Sadler Cemetery used to be up the hill from the Old Red Spring, (now the Roohan's property) until they dug up the graves and moved them to Greenridge Cemetery, that must have produced some nice runoff. 

  Also, back in the early 90's I was in high school or whatever, and we had a class called PIG (Precipitation In Government or something) and we had to go to City Council meetings. NiMo had spent our bill money on polluting our local area, including where we get our drinking water. They are still cleaning it up to this day, and high school was forever ago!!! I remember sitting in on this one, and thinking, I ain't drinking that one past High Rock, on that goofy 3 way corner!

  

 Coupled with that random brick public works utility looking building that emits sewage smell, Starks and Bardino's, it's hard to believe that Old Red stuff is good to ingest. 

  

  I went to see if there is any mineral deposit, or if it's just tap water like some of our other springs seem to be, and lo and behold, it is actual mineral water folks! 

So, I used the mineral deposit for my painting, along with the Old Red Springwater, I hope you like it! 

Check out my other blog posts, under archive, right hand column, and go to my art show opening Sunday May 1st at Putnam Den, 4:30 pm-6 pm!!!!

High Rock Springwatercolor 2016

  I am proud to announce that the culmination of my quest to watercolor paint a painting of each of the springs of Saratoga, using each spring's water and mineral deposit, in it's respective painting, has led to an art show-
 Opening this coming SUNDAY MAY1st at 4:30 pm at the Putnam Den, downtown Saratoga!!!!! 
 My wife and I will be making pizzas with pizza dough made from various springs, and serving spring water, you must not miss this!!!!!!!

  Last year I made my first High Rock Springwatercolor, along with it's history post, 
http://briefingsfromaspacitymetalhead.blogspot.com/2015/11/high-rock-spring-water-color.html  once you've checked out my long winded detail of the spring, gather 'round and take a gander at my latest effort, I hope you dig it!

 It seems to me, for I could not find any to paint with, but, there is absolutely zero mineral deposit at High Rock, the water is crystal clear, and quite tasty. The pizza dough made from it, tastes great too!!!!

Tons more to come, stop in this weekend MAY 1st, at 4:30- 6 and check out my SARATOGA SPRINGWATERCOLOR SERIES!!!!!

Orenda Spring Watercolor #2

Orenda Spring at the Saratoga Spa State Park, painted with the fart water that is Orenda. The water also works as a laxative, so it comes out the other end smelling the same! I made a blog post and watercolor featuring Orenda last year, check it out http://briefingsfromaspacitymetalhead.blogspot.com/2015/07/springwater-colors.html 
  
  I was able to peel off the mineral deposit and use it for the brown in the painting. Hope ya dig it. 

 Come to my art opening on Sunday May 1st 5pm, Putnam Den Saratoga !!! I will be offering free pizza with doughs made from various spring waters!!! 

Saratoga Springwatercolor Art Opening May 1st Putnam Den!

 Hey! Come check out my Saratoga Springwatercolor Series official art opening SUNDAY MAY 1st at the PUTNAM DEN 5pm!!! I will be there, selling my paintings, and serving FREE PIZZA WITH DOUGH MADE FROM THE SPRINGWATER! YES! EACH PIZZA WILL REPRESENT A DIFFERENT SPRING!!!!! SUNDAY MAY 1st 5pm. 

After that, I have the 20th anniversary party for my radio show, The Full Metal Racket Show!!!! Myself, known as George Burnz (with zero grace) and my co-host, the Metal Pig aka The Pied Piper of the Apocalypse, have a killer night in store for you!!!

 We have Ventura, California's Night Demon, along with Visigoth from  S.L.C., Utah, Neutron Rats from Ballston Spa, and Foaming at the Mouth from the Spa City! All in good taste, and just downright good wholesome fun! An evening you cannot afford to miss!!!

Anyway....Dang! A polar vortex that kicked off spring, was like playing a Led Zep record backwards, and summoning the dark lord known as hewhoshallremaincoldashell! So, now that the sun has shown it's shiny face, I got off my tuchus and rendered some repeats, to test my agile progression and fine tuning of the art of watercoloring, ha!.... 

 To some readers unaware of what I am currently undertaking, I am rendering a watercolor representation of each spring I find tasteful (!), using it's respective spring water that it emits. I have since painted almost 20 fountains, and established a fluid bond with our town's surname. 

 To follow up on my last post, the Rosemary spring,

 https://www.facebook.com/thecrystalspasaratoga/posts/752478231518748 I was contacted by the husband of the grand daughter of Rosemary, and I sold him the painting. I couldn't have asked for a better home. Come down to my art opening, I'll chat history, water, heavy metal, whatever floats yer boat! I promise, the art looks better in person!

 So, here's Columbian Spring, where, I heard it stopped flowing so, now it's just piped in Saratoga tap water, but shhh keep it under your hat for now... here, read this 

http://briefingsfromaspacitymetalhead.blogspot.com/2015/07/saratoga-springwatercolors-continued.html

I met a burmese python while painting the Columbian Spring, he even got a drink! 

Then I walked down a few pink steps, to the Congress Spring!

I omitted the background - a gargantuan condo that overshadows our city park....

I'll end on a nice note, read my archive, it's on the right column, it might 'learn ya a thing er twoo'