Recently I have been painting some scenes of Bentonsport, a very scenic area on the Des Moines River in southeast Iowa. Last year I painted some of the shops on Main Street. This is a small brick church with the classic tall spire, surrounded by tall pine trees and brick wall in the foreground. It […] more »
I decided a few months ago to paint the small, rural towns in Iowa. Having grown up in a large city, I was unfamilar with these areas and find them interesting, particularly the old buildings and signage. This painting depicts Seymour, Iowa. I traveled there to take reference photos for a commission and drove around […] more »
I’m painting my way around Albia’s square. This pale yellow building on the corner is a landmark and on the historic register. It is interesting sandwiched between the other businesses. The other points of interest are the global lights and parked vehicles along the curb. The building colors are a primary triad of yellow, gray-blue and brick […] more »
I’m doing another storefront composition on the other side of the street. Many of these old buildings have intricate details, which I’ve simplified, of course. Also in evidence is the old blue mailbox — something you don’t see anymore. I did go back recently to see if the box was there, but it has been […] more »
I cannot resist painting small town rural America. The small businesses come & go and I find the old buildings quaint and full of character. I worked from a photo taken a few years ago when I had an errand to run in Albia. This scene is on the east side of the square, which […] more »
This is another painting of my never-ending fascination with barns in our area. I’ve painted this before from a different view. It is a round dairy barn on the historic register located off Highway 2 in southern Iowa. Supposedly they danced on the third floor of this large barn and farm workers lived there too. […] more »
I am enthralled with the old buildings found in rural Iowa. The photo I used as a reference was taken many years ago, so who knows if this view is changed! It was a beautiful, sunny day with the cerulean sky color I love. I also like the water tower peeking from behind the red […] more »
This is a partial view of the west side of the Albia square storefronts. Having lived in Centerville for a number of years, I’ve been interested in small towns and their changing businesses and old buildings. We drive through this quaint town numerous times and I snapped a few pictures for reference. What caught my eye […] more »