Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds light and variable.

Stephanie Smith looks at the scenery for inspiration Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Jessi Iturbide, 3, uses watercolors to paint Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Scarlet Townzen, 8, uses watercolors to paint Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Stephanie and David Smith grab painting materials Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Watercolors and other paint supplies Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Angela Cain and son Kayson Crymes, 10, pose for a photo together Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Lucy Beth Fugler, 6, poses with a painting she’s worked on Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Obed Gonzalez, Obed Gonzalez Jr., 9, Danza Davis and Evolet Gonzalez, 1, pose for a photo Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Juliet Townzen and daughter Scarlet Townzen, 8, along with Cierra Itrubide and her four daughters, Jozie, 7, Jayme, 5, Jessi, 3, and Jae, 2, pose for a photo Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Stephanie Smith looks at the scenery for inspiration Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Jessi Iturbide, 3, uses watercolors to paint Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Scarlet Townzen, 8, uses watercolors to paint Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Stephanie and David Smith grab painting materials Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Watercolors and other paint supplies Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Angela Cain and son Kayson Crymes, 10, pose for a photo together Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Lucy Beth Fugler, 6, poses with a painting she’s worked on Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Obed Gonzalez, Obed Gonzalez Jr., 9, Danza Davis and Evolet Gonzalez, 1, pose for a photo Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Juliet Townzen and daughter Scarlet Townzen, 8, along with Cierra Itrubide and her four daughters, Jozie, 7, Jayme, 5, Jessi, 3, and Jae, 2, pose for a photo Saturday as part of an Art in the Park event at Martin Creek Lake State Park in Tatum.

Stephanie and David Smith decided to round off their summer full of camping across the United States by enjoying some artistic relaxation in nature.

Saturday Martin Creek State Park held its Art in the Park event, where residents were invited to sit under the Trammel Trace Pavilion and take part in some water color painting. Materials like watercolors, paint brushes, paper, backing, cups and more were provided by park staff for those in attendance.

The Smiths were busy grabbing paper, paints, pastels and brushes before finding a place to sit. They said they chose to join the event after hearing about it online.

“We looked at the park and saw the little link that talked about activities and I like to do lots of crafts and things like that so it intrigued me,” Stephanie Smith said.

She and her husband of 27 years are fulltime RV-ers and just finished the final leg of a cross country camping trip that started in Texas and went through eight states. The couple stayed at numerous state parks throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas and made their final stop at Martin Creek, Stephanie Smith said.

It was their first time at the state park in Tatum and they said they were enjoying it thus far, along with all the other Texas state parks they’d camped in.

“Texas state parks are some of our favorites,” Stephanie Smith said.

She was using the natural landscape around her as inspiration for her painting and used pastels as a base for her work. She could be seen observing the land around her and then going back to her work to try to recreate what she saw. David Smith was painting a desert scene and said he was trying to get acclimated to using watercolors as he hadn’t done so since Elementary school.

Carley and Chris Fugler brought their daughter Lucy Beth, 6, to the event after hearing about it on the park’s Facebook page. The family, from Carthage, often keeps up with the park’s events and have become regulars, Chris Fugler said.

“We like to tent camp out a lot out here ‘cause it’s close to home and this is one of the nicest parks we’ve ever been to,” Carley Fugler said. “It’s always clean, they’re always friendly, we’ve never had any issues out here.”

She added that the family liked to come to the park because it was quiet and peaceful and gave them something to do together where they could get away.

“I’ve been working long hours and this is just a nice little close getaway to have family time,” Chris Fugler said.

As for Lucy Beth, she enjoys the opportunity to be out in nature. She said she was having fun because “I just like painting.”

I'm Yoleyne Romero and my beat includes city/county government. I'm a graduate from The University of Texas at Tyler with a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication. I have a dog named Okami that provides endless sunshine in my life.

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