I love the old barn structures — they have so much character. When we moved to Iowa in the early 1980s, I began to travel the area of southern Iowa, taking reference photos and making sketches on site. Throughout the years, most of these barns have disappeared. They are icons of Iowa and my work represents my impressions.

This particular barn was located east of Centerville. The tin roof was in pieces. When I took the photo, a storm was coming up and the wind was banging the loose shingles. What attracted me were the shapes of the barn, the broken roof, the silos, shed and poles. I have done many different sketches and paintings of this structure.