Art Meets Agriculture - Juried Show in Platteville

This piece, along with 3 others were accepted into the Art Meets Agriculture show at UW-Platteville. The opening will be September 29 - this tuesday - from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

24"x36"

Amish Oat Shocks

Oat shocks are very interesting. Amish farmers cut down the grain, and bind it together in 7 bundles, and then stack them together so they can dry in the field. When one comes across a field of them, it is almost an unbelievable scene, commerical farming focuses on high volume and overall production, it is refreshing to see smaller farms that stick to time honored traditions.

Last year, Josh Hess and I found a field of oat shocks out by Hill Point. We painted out there every day, until they were thrashed. This year, during the same week in late July, Jim Splitgerber and I were driving along, and found another field of them towards Ironton.

This first was painted very rapidly. The goal was to capture the late afternoon light.

12"x16" oil on canvas.

This second was mid day, when I had a bit more time.

12"x16" oil on canvas.

Available at the Blue Heron.

Morning Light

I have really enjoyed waking up (semi) early to go out and paint. The morning haze simplifies everything, and the colors are amazing, while they last. I usually am out painting by 7:30 a.m., and the effect lasts anywhere from 15-45 minutes. It takes longer than that to paint a canvas of this size, so it is very important to take a mental snapshot and rely on visual memory. It's a great exercise.

This first one was painted a few weeks ago. As I drove through the countryside I could see sheets of moisture that were suspended in the air. It was almost like smoke.


Morning on Terrytown. 18"x24".

I pass this farm every morning that I work.

Morning on Hwy. H. 16"x20".