Chapel of Love

Chapel of Love I | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

Chapel of Love II| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

This is a small commission for a friend. She is giving it as a wedding gift to a couple who were recently wed in this lovely church in upstate New York. The church sits on a the edge of a lake.

I painted the more detailed version first, and then decided to do a version that was a little more loose and painterly. There are things I like about each version. I'd be curious to know which version you prefer, and why.

Sunlit Tulip

Sunlit Tulip| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

Spring is here. Whew–it was a long, cold and snowy winter here in Iowa so we're all ready for spring. I was just outside and saw that our tulips are just beginning to emerge from the dirt.

I dug through my photos from last spring and found some I shot in Orange City. My good friends, Brett and Nora Mulder, are the owners of the Tulip Town Bulb Company and their gardens last year were in glorious bloom with every variety of tulip under the sun. I took a lot of photos there.

Brett could tell you exactly what variety this is, but I'll just say it is the red/yellow kind.

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Coffee Couple

Coffee Couple| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

The pleasure of a great cup of coffee is tough to beat, unless you combine that cup of coffee with the conversation of a good friend. Then it's even better.

I think I like the old lady and all the stuff in the background better than the figures in the foreground.

In the midst of your busy day today, take time to enjoy a cup of joe with someone. You'll be glad you did.

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When the Chips are Down

When the Chips are Down | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

There are several flavors of Doritos these days, but my favorite is still Nacho Cheese. My wife's famous taco salad is the main reason we buy these, since we try to limit the junk food in our cupboards. I picked the empty bag up off the kitchen counter and was ready to throw it in the trash, when I was struck by the colorful shiny bag of reds and golds.

Maybe it's because I'm a graphic artist, but I love good packaging. I think when most people go to the grocery store they look at the food choices. I look at the color, fonts and design of the labels and boxes.

I like the contrast between the bright red sunlit side of the bag and the deep cooler colors on the dark side.

An empty Doritos bag and an economy in recession inspired the title.

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Picasso Coffee Pot

Picasso Coffee Pot | 5"x8" | oil on hardboard

The percolator coffee pot. It was the common form of brewing coffee until the 70s, when the automatic drip pot became the brewing method of choice. Remember the Joe DiMaggio commercials for Mr. Coffee?

I picked this pot up at the Goodwill store in LeMars a couple months ago thinking it might be a good subject for a painting. This is a pot made by Hoover. The little knob at the base allowed you to make it mild or strong.

The title of the painting came from the first thoughts I had as I started to paint the chrome. I was painting the shapes and reflections as I saw them (see detail below), but when I'd look at the painting, all I could see were odd shapes of a variety of colors, much like a Picasso cubist painting. Then, all of a sudden those random shapes started looking like the chrome coffee pot I was attempting to create.


Picasso Coffee Pot | detail

You've got to admit that the shape and style of these chrome beauties sure are nicer to look at than a Mr. Coffee maker.

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