This painting includes rough bark, gnarly, twisted branches and shadow shapes in the strong morning sunlight. The more I look, other bright colors are evident. We have many different trees on our property and have viewed these cottonwoods in all seasons. I’m always looking for interesting trees with a lot of character when driving, and I often stop to get a photo to work from later.

What caught my eye were the shapes and red and green colors.   Usually the signage attracts my interest too, and while painting it I noticed the name ”Love Block” at the top of one of the buildings.  Many times there is a date on top from when they built it, or a name.  As times are changing, with the move away from rural towns, I chose to document these buildings and remember that life once revolved around them.

I’m attracted to architectural structures and have never painted it from this angle (from State Street, looking at it from a northeast direction). The oblong sign on the corner, the lacy ironwork of the balcony, the striped awnings, rustic bricks, the old-style lampposts are part of our historic district. Old Glory adds a special burst of color in the shady side of the hotel.

I took the photo of this old dairy barn many years ago on a trip to the historic barn in Cantril, Iowa. On the way home, the sky turned black and I pulled over to the shoulder of the road to take some photos of this barn. Most of the roof had fallen in, and the tin shingles were rattling and blowing in the wind. I took the pics just in time — after I jumped back into the car it began raining heavily. The storm gave me the idea to do a tornado. I’m not sure if the barn is still standing — I haven’t traveled in that direction since my first trip.

Then manner in which I approach painting them is different from most artists. By painting my papers first with heavy body acrylics and then cutting them into collage shapes, I achieve a descriptive, textured painting in bold, bright colors. I feel these textures capture the identity of the structures and give them character, as do the saturated colors. In this design, I focused on the windmill and its shadow.

This particular barn is located near Seymour, Iowa. I’m not sure if it’s still there. What drew me to this barn was the leaning cupola on top and the strong shadow patterns. I wanted to capture the texture of the weathered boards.

I was also interested in presenting the design in a square format, instead of the typical horizontal composition; it adds strength to the barn structure, enhancing the angles and shapes. I added the sheep because farm animals are important to Iowa life — these add bright color and whimsy to the design.