This painting began with numerous sketches and photographs. The angular, rusty shapes attracted my attention and I found myself searching out these old industrial areas. Centerville has a lot of interesting places to paint. I completed a full-size sketch of this to begin with, seeking out big, abstract shapes and value patterns. I find this […] more »
This is my third watercolor of one of the most popular eating places in Centerville — Raymond’s Dairy Creme. Since it changed ownership and there is a new sign in place, I thought it would be nice to do an updated version. I always begin with a photograph for reference to work from, so I […] more »
This is a realistic watercolor painting of the newly-renovated bandshell in Centerville, Iowa. Many people have asked me to paint this structure because of the good memories it holds for them. I worked from my photograph, which includes the historic courthouse behind it. more »
Occasionally I find myself drawn to the small town local scenes. I have done numerous sketches of Centerville’s back alleys and even had one published in The Best of Sketching & Drawing by Rockport Book Publishers. This old shoe repair sign caught my eye years ago; in fact, I took the photograph in 1996. The […] more »
This is a business that used to be on the northwest corner of the Centerville square a few years ago. Maybe a better title would be “remember when?” The storefronts and signage change occasionally and this is what attracts me to the subject matter. I like painting the old brick buildings. Most of the details are […] more »
It was fun painting a favorite restaurant on the “largest square in the world!” I worked from my photo, and enjoyed painting the sunlit buildings on the north side of our city square, plus two guys sauntering inside for their lunch. The picturesque buildings have been a favorite subject matter for me. The businesses come […] more »
Eateries are popular with customers, so I painted an angled view of this popular restaurant in Centerville, Iowa, owned and operated by the Derbys. It features the bright blue awning with their name, beige bricks, and neon signs in the window. The ladies’ fashion store next door has closed and now houses the Flower Center. I’ve […] more »
Over the years I’ve been painting places of local interest, and this is one that someone asked me to do. There’s quite a large number of churches in our small community, and I was told this church is still going strong even though there’s a very small number attending. It started out as mostly a Swedish […] more »
This pencil drawing was a commission and is composed of four views of the Centerville Produce company over the years — particularly the different feed sale signs. It is located on Highway 5 South on the Levee in Centerville, Iowa, which used to be a bustling community in earlier years. Some of the other views include […] more »
These engines caught my eye on the drive to the recycling center. I am interested in painting subjects with a local flavor, and these machines are similar to the incinerators I painted a decade ago. Colors, details and value patterns were important to my design. Exhibited in Arts in Harmony 2013, Elk River Area Arts […] more »