Tonkawas and a Long-Gone Luxury Spa: Painting Seider Springs

Everyone has heard of Barton Springs, but it’s hardly the only natural spring in Austin.

Springs are not uncommon throughout the Edwards Plateau Hill County of Texas. As rainfall in the area soaks into the rocky terrain, it slowly dissolves the crumbly limestone beneath, creating cracks, channels and caverns where the water collects. Gravity and pressure do the rest, causing the groundwater to pop out of rocky places where it can flow into the nearest creek. Some have run for centuries thanks to nature’s leaky plumbing.

Seider Springs park is one of my favorite quiet corners in town. It lays along the Shoal Creek trail between 34th and 38th streets, a small pocket of mercifully undeveloped real estate. In the late 19th century, a country resort occupied the spot, built around the abundant springs that ran clear year around. Drinking spring water was big among the healthy set back then. Years before that, a confrontation between one of the town’s settlers and some Tonkawa Native Americans ended badly in a grove of live oaks just across the creek. Scalps were lifted. But it’s a pretty spot. Some of the oaks still stand there. On some days, the springs still gurgle from the creek bank. But with large hospitals built on either side of the creek, I’m not sure the groundwater is as healthy and clean as it once was.

I set up to paint the springs there on Sunday afternoon. The light and shadows did not fullly cooperate with my plan and I ended up painting more what I imagined the springs to be rather than how they appear these days. Eight colors and three brushes. Wild birds and Seton helicopters came and went.

You can find my big Seider Springs painting here, and the tiny version here. For more Texas paintings from a local Austin artist, mosey on over to the gallery.

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