I’m really getting into the abstract patterns of locomotives. In this design, I zeroed in on the rectangular or square shapes with the circular, ovoid shadow patterns. They struck me as I was taking the photos on a bright, sunny morning. Many different warm and cool reds were used in this composition. The dark pieces […] more »
A Daily Painting of one of my famous Iowa barns. Although the barn has disappeared from the landscape, it is still full of character in this piece, with its raggedy roof and weathered boards. Using artistic license, I added bits of bright color to give it more life. It was quite drab and plain. The […] more »
I have been thinking about doing portraiture in watercolor for a long time, and when our goat Zooey had kids, it was the perfect moment. I couldn’t resist painting my husband holding baby George. As usual, I worked from reference photos and edited the background to keep the portrait uncluttered. I feel it was successful […] more »
This is one of my Daily Paintings which was done in one sitting. I enjoy painting Iowa landscapes with all the typical elements of farm life. This one includes a tractor, silos, shed, old tire, and hay bale. I like the casual composition — nothing too orderly with the random placement of things. more »
I enjoy working on larger collages, and this is an old barn in southeast Iowa. As always, I worked from my photo and edited the shapes. This is a close-up of just part of the barn. The shapes are simple and I try not to get too detailed — which is one of the reasons […] more »
I have continued my rusted wheels series of the old threshing machine. I love the details! I was interested in how the parts interconnected with each other. It is only a small section of the whole shebang. I used a limited palette and focused on a strong design and value pattern. This watercolor took me […] more »
Due to the disappearance of old barns in Iowa, I have decided to paint a few more of these relics. These structures are dilapidated and full of great character. This particular barn is located in northwest Iowa near the Spencer area. I worked from a photo given to me by a friend. There is a […] more »
This painting is done from a photo of the old Zephyr engine located in Albia, Iowa. Currently I am working on a series of different train engines in collage. I find these old engines fascinating and love painting them using my acrylic hand-painted papers. All the details on the engines add interest: the bell, railing, […] more »
My goal for this piece was to design an abstract collage in a small, square format. A lot of my colored paper scraps were accumulating on my art table, and I saw the possibility for an interesting composition. After arranging the scraps of paper on a piece of foam board, I tacked the edges down […] more »
This collage is a continuation of my popular train engine series. I have been doing engines for a number of years now. This one is a close-up of a Union Pacific. I used one of my reference photos for this. The details of the engine caught my eye: the shadow shapes, the numerals and flag, […] more »