Sunday, September 28, 2008

Sheepish



I painted this yesterday. In fragments of the day actually. Painted a little. Went to my Mom for coffee (a Saturday morning ritual). Painted a little more. Had lunch. Went to the college homecoming football game. Painted...

This is a scene west of town. I have been walking out there almost daily and it has been great. This is the most beautiful season of the year in my opinion and harvest time is gorgeous here in Iowa. These sheep graze and seem oblivious to any of the beauty. That can be said for us all I suppose.

Inquire about purchasing - $100

Monday, September 22, 2008

Adrian Peterson



Well, it was a great weekend in Minneapolis. I love exploring the Twin Cities and we found a couple of great new spots to eat. One in particular, the Band Box Diner will be the subject of an upcoming painting.

I love the visual stimulation of the city. Lots of things to take in and so many things to do. A great variety of people to watch and such diverse neighborhoods of which we've only scratched the surface. Also since I work in graphic design too, I find I'm inspired by the bombardment of advertising I see throughout the city. Everything you look at is begging for your attention.

The painting I'm posting is one I did this past year. My youngest son, Jack has a Minnesota Vikings themed bedroom. (Yes, it has purple paint) I did this painting of Adrian Peterson the Vike's hot-shot running back and it now hangs prominently in Jack's bedroom. Jack likes the painting (it's the start of his art collection). I hope you do too.

We went to see Peterson and the rest of the Vikings yesterday and they beat the Carolina Panthers by a score of 20-10.

Not for sale

Monday, September 15, 2008

Mickey's Diner - No. 1



We're making plans to go to Minneapolis this upcoming weekend. One of our favorite places to eat while in the Twin Cities, is Mickey's Diner in St. Paul. The food is outstanding, the waitresses are ornery and the atmosphere is classic. I've got bunches of photos I've taken there, and will likely do paintings from a number of them.

If you know anything about me, you know I've got a soft spot for days gone by and old stuff in general. The beauty and simplicity of this old diner is right up my alley.

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Thursday, September 11, 2008

Shades of Gray



I painted this last night and thought I'd get it posted tonight. This is the Carnes elevator. Carnes is a couple houses, and the elevator. My original thought was that I liked the composition of the photo, but that the shot was gray and dismal. I figured I'd punch up the color. Then as I began painting, I began to change my mind.

I have an affection for gray. I think it comes from my Grandfather. He was a gray lover. An oil painter too, but when he'd paint objects (like for instance a chair, bench or a shelf) he often used gray. His favorite color.

So anyway, I decided that I'd use the shades of gray, increase the contrast in the values of gray and then punched up just the green at the bottom. I think I like that.

It's going to be tough to post some of the things I paint for this. In my mind I want to work at it, refine it. Fuss over it. That's not what I want to do here. Well, at least not all the time.

Inquire about purchasing - $100

Monday, September 8, 2008

Gravel Road at Dusk



I don't particularly think of myself as a landscape artist, but I plan on painting things for this blog that I otherwise typically might not paint. That seems like part of the fun to me.

This is a scene just a couple of miles South of Maurice, where I live. We are blessed with some wonderful sunsets here in the midwest.

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Saturday, September 6, 2008

Birthday Cake



This is a 5x7" oil painting on hard board. I plan on posting mostly smaller paintings that I can do somewhat quickly. It's good for me to loosen up my brush a bit since I tend to gravitate toward painting in a detailed style.

My Mom almost always bakes this cake for all of our family birthdays. We all love it and she loves making them for everyone. She loves spending her days in the kitchen and we are the lucky ones who have gotten to eat all her masterpieces all these years. I know I'm partial, but she is an artist in her kitchen creations.

I don't have the whole e-bay thing figured out for this blog, so until that happens just click here to contact me with questions or if you're interested in this piece (pun intended).

SOLD