Sometimes Commissioned Pieces are Fun

I created this commission for T. Holmes-- who requested cows, a pasture, their Bar H gate and her husband's tractor, which creates an eclectic farm scene. I am so glad she didn't want chickens too.

Another Family Home

The client told me it was very important to get the look of the bricks in this house. It is their family's old farmhouse and it has been in the family for many years, as the previous house had. This one was built by an ancestor from reclaimed bricks and the bricks are extremely uneven. It adds to the charm of the house and makes it unique.

I liked the woody setting but the bricks were a challenge to present accurately.

11" x 14"

Laura's Retreat

oil on canvas

I'm No Expert on Cows

I am not an expert but I just love watching them and when I am out painting and their are cows around happily chewing their cud, I get happy just watching them. I am NOT thinking about burgers; instead I'm just basking in their tranquility. They are such peaceful animals. We painted in Williams County last year and these cows were amazingly beautiful (to me). I took some pictures of them in the water and on the banks. I even snapped a shot of the bull when he crossed the stream to check us out. He figured we were harmless-- he was right.

This is a composition featuring a mother and her calf. I think they are Jersey cows, but I'm not positive.

14" x 11"

oil on canvas

Bad Paintings Can Become...

... Good Paintings! Well, OK, not always, but sometimes.  We've all had bad hair days. I know my hair is so thick and my nights so fitful that I wake up and see one in the mirror every morning. What about a "bad painting day". C'mon, admit it. You've had them. The painting is w\awful but you don't admit it, at least not right away. Gradually you come to realize there's a reason it has been hanging out in the the box with the other questionable paintings and you decide it can be saved. It's a choice between saving or doing a 'paintover.' If you follow this blog you know I'm a big fan of paintovers. This painting was only half bad so I spent a few minutes turning it into a painting I have been wanting to do for a long time: soybean fields!

You might be asking yourself what's so special about soybean fields. Well, my friend, let me tell you! They are gorgeous in the right light and at the right time of year. In September they turn a dusky yellow gold that vibrates nicely against the green foliage. I have clear memories, aided by a few photographs, of what that looks like, so I gave my painting a makeover last night.

The fields around my house may not get a chance to be harvested, due to the severe drought we are experiencing.

Soybean Fields Forever

11" x 14"

A few paintings I did in the Lewiston area of Pennsylvania

Penn's Valley is a really nice area to paint it. It has a bit of everything: rustic buildings, bubbling brooks, blue mountains and lots of farmland.