Springtime & Flowers
All You Have to do is Bring the Paint
Spring time is my favorite season because the weather fluctuates between hot & cold, & the sights are truly stunning & breathtaking. You never know what to except in terms of the weather in New England. Everything changes so rapidly & we can get big swings in cold & warm fronts. The true beauty of all places heavily rely on the time of the day as well. Whether getting up early to beat the sunrise, or waiting until the end of the day to get the last glimpse of light before nighttime, the lighting plays a huge factor in photography. This stands true when chasing freight trains & walking on te railroad tracks. Timing is essential & you could easily miss the moment if you’re not prepared. On this day, I was late for the sunrise & too early for the sunset. The clouds were grey & the atmosphere felt gloomy. Right before I stepped foot on the track, I could feel the rain start to drizzle down on my head & the pavement.
If you’re already there & the rain is downpouring, I think it’s a good time to paint & draw. Light rain gives you a cool sensation. Not cool as in the coolest in the school, but temperature wise it feels great. It only slightly impacts the way the paint sticks to surfaces, but the important part is still the act of creativity & legacy. When I see a freight train laid up, I know it’s time is only temporary & it could be moved at any time. I think of it as seeing something special & unique for the first time every time. The country is so big & the railroads lead to every corner of it. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of freight trains there are still in commission & running. If you’re lucky, you may see the same freight train twice, but rarely do you get that ultimate pleasure.
Most of the time it’s like stumbling upon gold & knowing it won’t be there long. I get excited when I hear a train passing by. Even Amtrak has it’s own beauty, seeing moving trains is a thing of art in itself. The structural integrity & the craftmanship it took to make those metal giants is outstanding. A little bit of rain isn’t going to stand in the way of seeing history in the making. I find myself traversing the tracks on cloudy days & sunny days. I’ve even been painting in the snow. It’s about the experience that you’re getting & the joy of doing something you like. Doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be real.
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Right now as of July 15, 2025 if you’re in MA & want to experience some of the most beautiful sights imaginable & the places where paintings are reality, visit the Shelbourne Falls’ Bridge of Flowers opens daily from 8 AM - 8 PM. Pets aren’t allowed, but it’s nice to walk across something as beautiful & as nature-focused as a whole bridge of flowers. You get to really enjoy the moment if you time your walk to coincide with the sunset.
They just reponed the path after a few years off for restoration. $3 million dollars & 2 years later, they’re back open to the public. I haven’t been back since the restoration happened, but I plan on making a trip out there soon. It’s beautiful & not only for nature lovers. Bridge of Flowers, definitely worth the drive if you’re in or around the area. You can see what they have in season now if you check out their website.
https://www.bridgeofflowersmass.org/gallery
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Seeing monikers & paintings in the real world are similar to flowers in my mind. Yes, some of them are similar & have characteristics that resemble each other, but every one is unique & beautiful in their own way. No 2 tags (signatures) are the same, even when done by the same person in the same locations, each tag will have it’s one flair & flash. In the following pictures, I found a bunch of different handstyles & monikers. They all have their own life. The first picture was something crossed out, maybe a mistake or maybe a bitter soul angry at someone else’s success? The world may never know & I find that fact more intriguing than knowing the real answers.
That’ll wrap up today’s article. It’s Friday & I want to go have some fun. I don’t mind working everyday, I mind the company & the people I work for. They are the true masterminds behind my paycheck forcing me to return day after day of torture & boredom. One day I will be free of those obligations, not the ones of work, but the ones of making someone else rich off the sweat & tears produced by the hardworking staff that’s getting paid the bare minimum to bust their asses everyday. Here’s to the few that broke free from the rat race & are passionately pursing their dreams. I’ll get there soon.
Peace & Love from the 413
I have a few more pictures of freight trains below for a small fee. Your money goes straight back into the artform & the creation of new content. Zines, stickers, & canvases are all something you pay for when you support my cause. Think about lending $5 a month to a great cause.
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