Learning Commons Painting - Part 1

It has been quite some time since I last posted. It has not been that I haven't been working on art, but rather just been busy with life and art I suppose. Or are life and art the same thing? I thought I'd share with you a project that began in April and was just installed last week.

 Back in April, a Call for Art was sent out by my alma mater, Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. They were in the final stages in constructing the new Learning Commons which is to house the college's library and information resources.

Included in the Call for Art were details of the facility, including color schemes, fabrics, surfaces and more.

Judging by these elements and after giving it some thought, I decided to submit a proposed piece of art that would be created specifically for the structure. A piece inspired by the design elements of the facility, by the purpose of the building, and by the mission of the college itself.

I really wanted to have a piece of my art selected for this library, because for the past 30 years, a large artwork of mine graced the old Ramaker Library at Northwestern. When I was a student at NWC, I painted a 4'x105' mural that has since remained on the upper level of that building. I thought it would be nice to have a piece of my work in the new library as well. I'm not certain what they plan to do with that piece, as they will be converting Ramaker into an office building for the college. I think I'll try to get in there and take some photos in the next week. I'll post those for you to see.

So, the image I submitted to the selection committee was one I created in Photoshop. It is a graphic representation of a corn crib. A simple structure, but one that has intrigued me the last few years. You see, this particular corn crib sits just to the south of the Pizza Ranch Support Center, where I work each day. I have sat in the main conference room there and gazed out the window at this structure. The light changes on it throughout the day and the simple geometric shadows have always made me want to paint it. Here is a photo of it.

Those simple shapes, angles and patterns seemed to fit with the details I saw in the Learning Commons interior design. Below is the sketch/rendering I initially submitted for consideration.

This is obviously very different in style from the way you are familiar with seeing me paint. More on that another day. To be continued...

houses the college’s library and information resources - See more at: http://www.nwciowa.edu/news/press/3465/students-to-benefit-from-campus-improvements#sthash.gtNNMyGF.dpuf

Learning Commons houses the college’s library and information resources - See more at: http://www.nwciowa.edu/news/press/3465/students-to-benefit-from-campus-improvements#sthash.gtNNMyGF.dpuf

Learning Commons houses the college’s library and information resources - See more at: http://www.nwciowa.edu/news/press/3465/students-to-benefit-from-campus-improvements#sthash.gtNNMyGF.dpuf

View of Landscape West of Maurice

View of Landscape West of Maurice | 30"x40" | oil on canvas

This is a fairly large work that I recently bartered for a new custom iron railing created by, Lauren Ochsner, a talented local artisan. His acreage can actually be seen in the distance toward the far right of the painting.

Lauren stopped me on the street not long after I delivered the painting. He said he had already framed it and hung it in his home. One of his adult sons saw it and said, "Dad, I'd like to have that after you and Mom are gone." Well, we both had a chuckle over that, but it did make me feel pretty good.

I think it's one of the things I enjoy most about being an artist–that hopefully many of my pieces will be enjoyed long after I leave this earth. I know I still continue to get constant enjoyment out of viewing the paintings of my grandfather, and he has been gone nearly 40 years already.

This painting reminds me of those 17th century Dutch landscapes that I love so much. Flat land with big billowing clouds.

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Cornstalks

Cornstalks | 6"x6" | oil on hardboard

This winter seems like it has had an abundance of gray days. Gray, snowy, overcast and frequently foggy. While a sunny day is almost always a welcome sight, I have developed an appreciation for the grayness of this kind of day. The whiteness of the snow combined with gray skies gives everything a gray muted tone. Even a bright red stop sign becomes muted on a gray winter day. I could imagine artist Andrew Wyeth painting a scene like this if he had lived in Iowa.

I was driving home from LeMars recently (on one of these gray days) when my eyes were drawn to these cornstalks in the field along the road. I returned later and shot some photos. I'm sure there were some other motorists who drove by thinking to themselves, "What is this kook doing shooting photos of an empty, snow-filled cornfield?"

I'm including another close-up so you can get a little closer look.


Cornstalks | detail

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Fields of Green

Fields of Green| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

It has been a week of rain and stormy weather here in Sioux County. Fields near town were flattened by 70mph winds and other areas suffered the wrath of golf ball to softball sized hail.

These are fields South of Maurice that escaped unscathed, and are benefiting from the generous amounts of rain. Remnants of rain clouds hang in the sky. I like how the purple shades in the clouds contrast with the lush shades of green.

We spent the weekend in Des Moines, and on the drive home Sunday I was again inspired by the beauty of our state. How it ever became stereotyped as flat I will never know. I guess compared to Colorado we're flat. But if you compare us to Nebraska...

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Three Kernels

Three Kernels | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

This one's a little corny. I couldn't resist. I found these on the road, bright and yellow on the black asphalt. They jumped out at me. I took them home and photographed them on white in bright sunlight.

When you take something seemingly ordinary like a kernel of corn, and begin to study it closely you begin to appreciate its' attributes. Nothing else in the world that I can think of has this shape, and the shades of yellow range from rich deep golds to lemony bright.

I've included an extra detail image of one of the kernels to give you an extra close look. Click on the photo to see it even larger.



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