Ramshackle Fence
July 12, 2011
I’m still fascinated with old barn structures. My sister-in-law sent me this photo of a barn in northwest Iowa, near Boyden. Not sure if it’s still standing. I liked the character of the rickety fence in the foreground — it has been patched with numerous boards. So far in painting these barn motifs, I haven’t […] more »
Quixotic Cupelo
May 20, 2011
I enjoyed doing a close-up of this raggedy cupelo. It was almost falling off. The barn is located in southeastern Iowa, near the town of Seymour. more »
Bishop’s Bales
May 6, 2011
This is an open shed with hay bales, located in southern Iowa. The photo was approximately taken in 1995, when I went in search of barns to photograph. My idea was to document many of the old structures that were disappearing from the rural areas. This is a typical Midwest scene found around the countryside […] more »
Tornado
July 10, 2010
This design started horizontal, but I decided to change the format and the initial sketch. I thought it would be more dramatic as a vertical composition. 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 […] more »
Stucco Barn, Exline, Iowa
February 2, 2010
This structure has intrigued me because of the shapes and the gnarled tree. I have painted it a number of times and found the sun and shadow patterns interesting. The bright white fence contributed to its character and the textured field beyond. It also has numerous small window opening, probably to dry the hay stored […] more »
Casting A Shadow
January 16, 2010
I am still interested in these old barn structures — their shapes and details fascinate me. And they are fast disappearing from the landscape. I feel they best describe Iowa because agriculture is the top priority here. This barn is located in Mahaska County, Iowa. Then manner in which I approach painting them is different […] more »
Iowa Series #65 (Red Sheep, Blue Sheep)
July 4, 2009
My inspiration for this piece came from traveling through the Iowa countryside the summer of 1995. I wanted to document local barns because I realized they are rapidly disappearing from the landscape and are interesting structures with lots of character. This particular barn is located near Seymour, Iowa. I’m not sure if it’s still there. […] more »
Two at a Time
October 28, 2008
Just to keep things interesting, I have been working on two different paintings simultaneously. I believe this pushes me to keep my work fresh and uniquely distinctive. I began this week on the watercolor of the glassware still life, which includes the tall amber-colored bottle. This bottle was also a part of my teapot series […] more »
New Barn Collage
October 22, 2008
This has been a busy week so far. I intended to finish a portrait commission and start the barn collage, besides finishing the Des Moines cityscape. As usual, things got interrupted for good reasons. In my mind, I like to think and plan colors ahead and let the thoughts simmer for a while. I sorted […] more »
Wickfield Pavilion
October 1, 2008
Yesterday while planning my next barnscape, I came across a design I penciled last October of the Wickfield Pavilion, a historic round barn in Cantril, Iowa. I decided the design looked good and will work on it after finishing the Des Moines cityscape. Figuring out the colors for the barn will be a challenge — […] more »