This painting is a continuation of my engine series. It is a close-up of an engine I photographed in the Albia trainyard in winter. I wanted to focus on the abstract design qualities and omit some of the details. I drew the large shapes first and then added some of the important details. A limited […] more »
In the back of my mind, I have always wanted to do another bicycle design in collage. When I received an invitation for an upcoming show with a bicycle theme, I got to work right away! I took a few photos of an antique bicycle, which was my reference for this composition. The main objective […] more »
This collage is a continuation of my Iowa barn series that I began in 1994. I used a reference photo given to my by a friend. This barn is in northwest Iowa. All of my barn collages have been done from actual barns found in southeast Iowa, or friends who send me pictures from their areas. […] 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 »
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 »
This is just a small piece of the whole shebang. It looks like a fairy-tale castle, with an unimaginable amount of rooms, chimneys, and turrets. Here I’ve painted one of the towers and chimneys. I worked from a photo taken many years ago. It was a challenge to paint, but I am pleased with the result. Architecture is one […] more »
I began painting this watercolor at the beginning of March and it took me almost a month, longer than usual. I had the abstract shapes in my mind a long time, since taking the photo of this dilapidated hay baler. It was sitting all rusted in a field. A friend of mine, who took me […] more »