What's Your 20? Study, Crossroads

 

Study, Crossroads
12 x 12 inch oil on panel

Study, Crossroads, a plein air landscape, is the second addition to my "What's Your 20?" series of works to celebrate my 20th anniversary of working as a professional artist. I painted this subject on location in East Tennessee, and it drew my interest because of how it evoked my childhood in southern Wisconsin: A towering, cloud-studded sky over a vast landscape. 

This subject was indeed at a rural crossroad, but the title has a more nuanced meaning for me. It's been one helluva summer here in Tennessee. My Dad has been in and out of the hospital, dodging death a couple of times. I've tried to help both him and my Mom as best as I can, and sometimes it's difficult to come back to my easel and paint. When I got out to this location, I felt the inexorable pull between youth and, shall we say, NOT youth? 

It's been an emotional summer. I was very happy to have the opportunity to work outside in such a beautiful location to capture this magical moment. 

What's Your 20? A new series of paintings....

This year is my 20th anniversary working as a 

full-time professional artist!

And, oh, the stories that I could tell you. I've met so many wonderful people through my profession, both interested patrons and fellow artists. It's still the greatest source of joy for me when someone chooses to invest in a painting that I created. 

Along the way, I've made plenty of mistakes -- everything from leaving home without an essential part of my show display to putting the hanging wire onto a piece upside down. I've felt the lowest of lows, from disastrous outdoor art shows marred by terrible weather (hurricane rainfalls, high winds, sleet, and more!) to having my cargo van vandalized. 

But I just keep going. That really is the secret sauce to all of this. As is having the help of my supportive husband, Tim. We don't always match at art shows, but sometimes there aren't many alternatives left in the suitcase during a trip (!)

As I mark this occasion, I look back and realize that my next outdoor art show, The Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this weekend has been in the making for the past couple of decades, as well as my lifetime. To celebrate this anniversary, I'm introducing a new series called, "What's Your 20?" Colloquially this shorthand expression is a way of asking, "What's your location?"

In this series of paintings, I'll share where I've been in my career by highlighting many of my favorite themes. I'll also foreshadow where I'm going, with some new ideas and fresh ways of seeing, as referenced by Picasso in his famous quote, "It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."

"What's Your 20?" Kicks off with a new landscape from the Great Smoky Mountains, Winter Haven.

I chose this debut subject because it bridges my past with my present. Moreover, I believe one of my responsibilities as an artist is to showcase the beauty that surrounds us each day, even a cold day, and even in the midst of the challenging issues that confront us in our modern world.

From my earliest memories of ice skating -- wobbling around on the Yahara River in southern Wisconsin wearing my brothers' hand-me-down hockey skates -- right up to my present-day home in east Tennessee, winter is integral to my identity as an artist. It's a season of restoration, and nothing clarifies the contours of the land like a fresh, fluffy layer of snow, which -- incidentally -- is never "just white."

“What’s Your 20?” will continue now through the end of this year with a featured painting each month. 

It Starts With Your Idea

 "Golden Horizon I and II" oil on canvas diptych; each painting 40 x 60 inches

When I exhibit my artwork at outdoor shows, interested patrons often ask me, "How do you come up with your ideas?"

In general, I don't suffer from the artistic equivalent of writer's block, so generating new ideas isn't really a problem for me. If anything, the challenge is finding sufficient time to create all of the things I have floating around in my head. My poor, beleagured husband would be the first to tell you that I'm the worst travel partner ever because I'm always stopping and looking at new things whenever we go places. We can never get from point A to point B in a straight line. 

This tendency to meander through life's subjects is exactly why I enjoy working with clients on commissions. Custom paintings are fun projects because they start with my client's idea, and then we collaborate to make their vision a reality. It's one of the occasions when I can flip things around and say, "It starts with your idea."

A good example of this is a recent landscape diptych that I created, "Golden Horizon I and II." My client was interested in vivid fall colors, mountains, and a bold, contemporary statement. She sent me some landscape photos from around her home out west and the colors she wanted to emphasize. Then I created some small-scale initial studies for her review. After consulting with her about the studies, I painted the finished, full-size works. 

The finished works are oils on canvas, each measuring 40" wide by 60" tall. Below you can see some behind-the-scenes photos of the process behind these paintings in my Knoxville, Tennessee studio.  If you have an idea for a landscape or cityscape painting that you’d like to make a reality, contact me and we can discuss what you’d like.

 

Priming one of the canvases in my studio.
House painting brushes aren't just for painting houses...

 

 

 

 

The client's colors from her decor.

 

 

 

The first block-in of shapes and color. 

This is a really fun part of the process.

 

 

One of the best parts of my job is what I describe as "Swimming in color." 

 

 

 

Another great part of my job? A studio mascot!

Maple was kind enough to glam up a pose for this photo

Study - Follow Me. And Why I Paint...

Study, Follow Me
8 x 12 inch oil on panel

My outdoor art show season didn't get rolling until this past August because of the disruptions from the pandemic. After sitting on the sidelines for over a year, I was thrilled just to be back on the road, sharing my artwork, and meeting interested patrons. 

Although it's already the end of the year, it's also the beginning of a whole new collection of artwork as I participate in 25 Days of Minis. For my first painting in this year's collection, I offer this new landscape painting from central Pennsylvania's Black Moshannon State Park called "Study, Follow Me," 8 x 12 inch oil on panel.

As I look back on this condensed year, I am incredibly grateful for your support and for the privilege of being able to create artwork for a living. With this in mind, the overall theme to my collection of minis is a renewed focus on why I paint. Now through the series conclusion on December 25, I'll introduce an original oil painting each day that offers a prism into what I love about my profession. 

That's me, in my studio, with
the first landscape in this year's 25 Days of Minis

I chose "Study, Follow Me" as my introduction this year because whenever I make a painting, I endeavor to place you directly in my subject, as if you could walk along with me and share the beauty of the moment. This composition invites you into one of central Pennsylvania's true jewels among its state parks during peak fall foliage. Black Moshannon State Park is one of my favorite places on earth, and after a prolonged absence following the pandemic shutdown, I was elated to return there this past October and walk along the Star Mill Trail. The morning light transformed this moment along the trail into something magical.

Join me this month as I unveil a new painting each day. I'll alternate between a landscape and cityscape and you can return here for more insight about each new painting. Enjoy!

Plein Air Painting as Therapy

The start of a new landscape on my field easel in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Over this past year, retreating into nature has helped me deal with
world events and life changes.

Yesterday, I talked on the phone to a fellow artist and dear friend of mine. Because we live in different parts of the country, we don't connect all that often. But it's the kind of friendship that's easy to rekindle. We just "get" each other, and despite long intervals between our conversations, we can reconnect easily and it's always fun to catch up on what we're doing with our painting. 

As our nation and the world recently marked the one-year anniversaries of the declaration of a pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, I've been reflecting a lot on how much my art business and my painting have changed over this past year. Last year, all of my outdoor art shows were canceled and I pivoted entirely to online selling through my portfolio site. Thankfully, my clients have been very supportive and with new Internet technologies, it's easier than ever before to sell original artwork while "socially distanced." 

Still, it's been a challenging time. I miss the personal connection of meeting patrons at art shows. On a lighter note, I do hereby pledge to never again whine about rain during an outdoor art show (at this point, I'd be very happy to just exhibit at one). But on a more serious note, as we mark this one-year anniversary, my head is awash in different thoughts. I've been deeply saddened by the profound suffering and loss of this past year. For example, my friend told me yesterday that her father-in-law passed away from Covid-19 just last month, highlighting again how all of the grim statistics are not just numbers, they are beloved people in our lives. 

At the same time, I am deeply grateful for my ability to work as an artist. Throughout this last year, I explored the beauty of the everyday in my immediate surroundings of Knoxville, the Great Smoky Mountains, and Tennessee state parks. Sharing these places in my artwork is my way of trying to contribute something positive during difficult times. Even in the darkest of times, there's beauty out there for us. 

With the rollout of vaccines, I'm cautiously optimistic that I can take these new works on the road later this year and begin to reconnect with interested patrons at art shows and exhibitions. Until then, I'll keep chugging along in my studio and in my "outdoor office" of plein air painting whenever I need a little therapy to deal with all that's happening. I look forward to seeing you in-person at an event (hopefully!) later this year.

20 First Dates: Awaiting Takeoff

 

 Awaiting Takeoff, 12 x 24 oil on panel

A summertime connection through an airport brought this magical moment to me. I was traveling to a family reunion in Wisconsin (go Badgers, go Packers), and as our plane approached Michigan a line of thunderstorms roared through. After we landed and waited for our next flight, this was the westward view as the remnants of the billowing storm clouds dissolved into this amazing sunset.

Although I am a nervous flier, as we roll into month 7-ish of this pandemic, even I am growing restless and wishing that I could wander to a new destination. I'm still holding out for the ability to teleport, like they do on Star Trek, but until that time, I may have to steel myself to get back on a plane when conditions permit. 

I'm hopeful that our ability to travel more widely will return in the near future. Until then, I thought I'd share this magical moment from the Detroit Metro Airport. Who knew there can be such beauty at an airport?

Detail of Awaiting, Takeoff

 

 Framed view of Awaiting, Takeoff

12 x 24 oil on panel 

Framed in a black canvas floater

 

 

 

20 First Dates: Study, Stream Crossing

 

Study, Stream Crossing

16 x 20 inch oil on panel

The fourth painting in my series of 20 First Dates features a summertime woodland subject from the Pine Ridge Falls hiking trail in northeast Tennessee. I don't know about you, but when I get stressed out the best remedy is the great outdoors (and a pint of chocolate ice cream). As we've all dealt with new challenges this year, the ability to get outside and hike has never been more important for me. I discovered this gorgeous moment during a mild June afternoon.

When I first began my career as an artist, I was intimidated by the prospect of painting water, whether it was in my landscapes or my cityscapes. It just seemed like it would be difficult. But after years of practice and various subjects, what I've discovered is that I love the myriad colors and movement within water. It takes on an abstract quality for me, as you can see in the detail view shown here. I enjoy playing with its form and energy and it's why I'll often feature it within interior woodland subjects like this.

 

Study, Stream Crossing, detail

16 x 20 inch oil on panel

 

Framed view of Study, Stream Crossing

 

  

 

20 First Dates

My husband, Tim, and I goofing around at an outdoor art show. 2020 has seen the cancellation of all our art shows and we really miss doing them. Fingers crossed that we get things turned around for 2021.
 

Well, there's no getting around it. 2020 has been an unusually challenging year. I won't rehash all that's gone wrong. There's not enough room for that here (!), and I know many of you are facing issues that you probably never foresaw a year ago at this time and hope you won't still have at this time next year.

As September begins, I want to reorient myself and share a new body of artwork with you. There's still a lot of beauty in our world. Sometimes the unrelenting news cycle and the problems in our nation may lead us to forget what's positive. 

The start of September also marks the 20th anniversary of my first date with my husband, Tim. Meeting him helped me to become the artist that I am today. When we met back in Madison, Wisconsin, I was working as a web developer and computer programmer. Without his help, I would not have realized my dream of being a painter. Tim has been my best friend and most enthusiastic supporter of my artwork since our first meeting. His kindness, compassion, and wit have helped me weather the ups and downs of life as an artist.

Although 2020 has been "meh" for many of us so far, I want to celebrate this occasion with you. I'm kicking off a new series of paintings, 20 First Dates. Now through November 7, I’ll share a new painting fresh from my easel each Tuesday and Saturday. Anything from cityscapes to landscapes to plein air works – it will always be something new! 

You can follow along with each new "painting date" here on my blog or on my Instagram. To receive a sneak preview of each new painting one day early, please join my mailing list. And if you have any questions about a painting, feel free to contact me. I look forward to sharing these new dates, er, paintings, with you in the coming weeks.

Lights, Camera...

This past week, East Tennessee PBS reached out to me and came to my studio to interview me about my artwork for their program, "Tennessee Life." What a fun day!

It's always gratifying when others take an interest in what we do, and I appreciated the opportunity to share more with them about my artwork as part of a larger program they're producing to feature east Tennessee landscapes and cityscapes.

The program producer, Stephanie Aldrich, and her camera man, Brudd, hauled all of their lights, cameras, and production equipment up to my studio in the second floor of our home and set up for a wide-ranging interview about my background, current work including my painting series of "Thirty from Tennessee," and how I landed in Knoxville last summer. We even ventured outdoors for a brief stop along the Tennessee River to see how I set up for my plein air field work. Luckily, we finally had a day without rain (!).

The interview segment will air during the third weekend in April, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all comes together. I'll post a link to their YouTube channel when it's available. I'm grateful for this opportunity and I hope it will be the first of many steps in introducing my artwork to Tennessee as my husband and I continue to settle into Knoxville following our relocation from Pennsylvania last summer.

Finding Center, or "Centre"?

Work in progress on my field easel: From the verdant Buffalo Run Farm, just south of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

Despite a lot of heavy rainfall this spring (my garden tomatoes are giving me dirty looks), I've managed to thread the needle on a few beautiful days to get out in the field and do some plein air landscape painting as I begin work on a really cool and exciting project for later this year.

I'm partnering with a friend and fellow artist, Alice Kelsey, as well as a local non-profit land conservation group, Clearwater Conservancy, to feature the scenery of our home surroundings here in Centre County, Pennsylvania. The exhibition will open in early November at the State College Framing Company and Gallery and it will highlight the juxtaposition of our area's rural beauty with the small towns and notable landmarks of our area. I'll have more specifics for you later this summer.

Work in progress on my field easel: From the gorgeous panoramic of Everhart Farm, along the edge of State College, Pennsylvania.

We're calling this exhibition "Finding Centre," a play on our county's name and a reference to the balance between town and country themes. Thanks to Clearwater Conservancy, we've been out to some truly beautiful properties. Last week, we spent time on a farm that dates back to the late 1800s, and we got to meet a 3-week old foal! My outdoor art show season has begun in earnest, and after returning from a soggy, stormy, and exhausting trip to an event in Illinois, the opportunity to pet the muzzle of a baby horse was exactly the balm I needed for my soul. It did indeed help me to get re-centered and re-energized.

Baby Horses? Yes, please.

I'll post more photos of our outings as we work on this project throughout the summer. Stay tuned for more sneak previews!

Reflections on 2016

My parents were right. Each year goes by a little faster than the last.

2016 proved this point for me. As I look back, I can't believe how fast this year came and went. Overall, it was a good year both personally and professionally.

Before I dig into 2017, I want to reflect on some of my personal favorite paintings from 2016. Yes, I know, I'm not supposed to play favorites. But while I like to refer to my paintings as "my children," it's only a figure of speech. So, therefore, I get to play favorites at the end of the year.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the paintings from this past year that really stuck with me (for the right reasons!). Enjoy, and I'll see you in 2017.

Parallel Universe 18 x 18 pastel.

I thought that this piece from the heart of Chicago captured the woman and the brilliant summer light effectively.

 

Please Continue to Pull Forward 12 x 24 pastel.

I chose this piece because of its unusual subject matter and its optimistic title. What better philosophy for how to proceed through life?

 

Woodward Avenue, Detroit 6 x 12 pastel.

Luminous light, bright colors, and strong shapes made this piece from Detroit pop.

 

Skyscape No. 9, Sapphire Spring 8 x 12 pastel.

I have positive vibes about this landscape because I discovered the subject while on a bike ride.

 

Twilight Highway 8 x 12 pastel.

Sunset in central Wisconsin, my home state.

 

Follow My Gaze 16 x 30 oil on linen.

A wonderful portrait and portal into another world.

 

Star Gazers 36 x 36 oil on canvas.

I wanted to begin working in oils because it would allow me to work larger. Here's one of my first larger pieces in oil.

Custom Artwork

It's been a topsy turvy fall here with bouts of very mild weather juxtaposed with some chilly days and a few snowflakes. When the weather cools down and the allure of working outdoors on my painting or in my garden lessens, I find it easier to focus on big projects in my studio. Right now, I'm working on custom commissioned pieces for several clients and I thought I'd share with you a peek at one of the projects.

I was asked by a Penn State College of Engineering alum to create a series of works highlighting the beautiful campus in State College, Pennsylvania during the fall. Since moving to this area back in 2004, I've been dazzled by the gorgeous autumn foliage of both the town and the surrounding state parks, so this idea appealed to me.

We began working together earlier this year to identify subjects and compositions that were meaningful to him. I like to give people some options when they approach me with an idea, so in this instance I created a series of black and white sketches first. From there, we identified the best compositions and I created initial color studies. Following some minor adjustments based on client feedback, these color studies will become the basis for the larger, final paintings that I'll complete in the coming winter months.

Shown here are the initial black and white sketches for a couple of the compositions we selected: the Nittany Lion Statue on the Penn State University campus and the Old Main administrative building on campus. If you'd like to commission a custom painting, you can contact me through my web site. Happy Holidays!

Initial black and white study featuring a composition of the Penn State Nittany Lion statue.

Second black and white study featuring a composition of the Penn State Nittany Lion statue.

Color Study 12 x 18 oil on canvas of the selected composition that will serve as the basis for the larger final painting.

Initial black and white study featuring a composition of Old Main on the Penn State University campus.

Second black and white study featuring a composition of Old Main on the Penn State University campus.

Color Study 12 x 16 oil on canvas of the selected composition that will serve as the basis for the larger final painting.

Thank You

Yippee! Another outdoor art show season is in the books and I'm looking forward to a quiet winter with less travel and more studio time in the months ahead.

I'm already sending out show applications for 2016, but as I look back at this past season I want to say thank you to everyone who came out to my events and who helped make this another successful year of traveling and exhibiting my artwork in locations ranging from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with many other stops in between. It's a tough grind sometimes because I never know how the weather will shake out or even how world geopolitical events can affect consumer sentiment. I can get so busy with the minute details (Do my van tires have enough air? Do I have labels for everything? Did I remember to bring picture hanging hooks?) that I sometimes lose sight of what I have right here in my local area.

Nonetheless, I got a pleasant reminder that there's no place like home last week when it was brought to my attention that readers of State College Magazine voted and helped me take the Bronze Award for "Best Local Artist" in their Best of 2015 reader survey. That was a fantastic surprise for me and I really appreciate your votes and your support of my artwork.

It only makes sense then that with the conclusion of my outdoor art show season this past month, I'm sticking closer to home with my remaining exhibitions for 2015. This month and throughout the upcoming holiday season, you can find my recent oil and pastel paintings at several venues around the State College area. When I don't need "all hands on deck" for an out-of-state show, I enjoy sharing my artwork at both traditional and unconventional venues in my hometown.

Study, Lower Manhattan 6 x 12 original pastel.

First, I've partnered with Moyer Jewelers in downtown State College to share my recent pastel landscapes and cityscapes in the gorgeous storefront display windows at the corner of Allen Street and College Avenue. Due to the window sizes, this exhibition features small format pieces. These are fun, colorful works that I sometimes use as initial studies to work out ideas for larger format pieces in the future. I like creating these works because it's kind of liberating: there's no pressure to "get it all right" with a large format, and I can take some risks with color and composition that might be harder to pull off in a large, in-your-face format.

Winter Pines, Indigo 8 x 12 original pastel.

Unfortunately, due to a boneheaded digital camera maneuver on my part, I deleted my studio photos of these new works, so I can only share them with you right now as they appear in the display window. Once this exhibition concludes, I'll get them properly photographed and onto my web site. In the meantime, you'll just have to swing by the shop in downtown and check them out for yourself.

Study, Moshannon Reflections 8 x 12 original pastel.

The next local exhibition features my original oil landscapes and cityscapes at National Penn Bank at 2541 East College Avenue in State College through the end of November. This show features works of varying sizes as well as some of my limited edition prints.

Study, 6th Avenue Rain 6 x 12 original pastel.

Finally, you can see my recent original oil landscape paintings at the State College Framing Company and Gallery in the Hills Shopping Plaza. These works will be on display through the end of this year. For more information, please call the gallery at (814) 234-7336.

Wisconsin, Long Overdue

Late this past week, I returned from a wonderful painting trip to my home state of Wisconsin. I began my career as an artist over a decade ago, right after my husband and I moved out of Wisconsin to the mid-Atlantic region. I've never been back to my beautiful state to paint until this past week, and what a wonderful week it was.

I traveled with my good friend and fellow artist, Lisa Mitchell, and we spent just shy of one week traversing the Door County peninsula in east central Wisconsin enjoying subjects ranging from farms to rugged Lake Michigan shorelines under the most ideal summer conditions. It's been a busy summer for me with several outdoor art shows, and the opportunity to focus exclusively on painting for an extended period of time was a true treat. That, and sampling the many slices of cherry pie, a regional specialty, made the week magical.

Cave Point, 8 x 8. Thanks to its rugged, rocky cliffs, this is one of the most popular points on the peninsula, and that made painting here a challenge. This initial block-in was early in my workday. I got it mostly completed, but as the day heated up, so did the crowds and I had people teeming around my easel.

For the sake of travel portability, I traveled with my oil painting field kit. It's probably the heaviest I've ever traveled, with one full-size suitcase devoted just to my oil painting gear. But thanks to Southwest Airlines, the bags flew free and intact (hooray!), so it all went as well as possible.

Over the past decade, the art scene in Door County has exploded with a nationally recognized plein air painting event held each July. I don't know whether I'll ever participate in that event in the future, but I was just happy to be back home and enjoying the great scenery.

Lavendar Field, inland, 11 x 14. Did someone say purple? How could I resist this subject in the interior portion of the peninsula.

I worked on a series of small landscape pieces. All of these works are on Belgian linen panels, which offered a great, compact format for painting while on the road. Given my relative newness to the oil medium, I'm slower with my oil painting than I am with my pastel work, so I wasn't able to complete any of these motifs out in the field. But many pieces are close and just require a few refinements in my studio to complete them. In the meantime, I'm sharing a couple of snap shots with you to give you a sense of just how gorgeous this part of our country is. My fall is busy with more outdoor art shows, but stay tuned in the coming months for the completed versions of these works on my web site. Enjoy!

Impressions of Centre County, Pennsylvania

It's (already) mid-July, and that means it's time for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. This will be my eleventh year of participation, and sometimes I have to sit back and marvel a bit at how much I've learned between now and my first year as an exhibitor. At times, it was a steep learning curve, but with the help of my husband and my family, I persevered. I'm happy to report that I've progressed from renting a truck to purchasing a new van of my own for my art shows. With the best set up that I've had to date, I'm looking forward to this year's show with some new ideas and works.

Impression: The Guardians original oil on paper.
This captures a couple of my favorite trees along Old Gatesburg Road just outside of State College. I always admire these trees' silhouettes when I ride my bike in and out of town.

 

For this year's show, I'm pleased to introduce a new series of "Sketch Impressions" inspired by my beautiful surroundings here in the rolling mountains of Centre County, Pennsylvania. These small format works are original oil paintings on paper, and they're a looser, more gestural interpretation of ideas that I may expand upon in the future as larger format works. These pieces are great, liberating ways to explore ideas with a better energy than the more formal approach I sometimes take to my bigger pieces. In some cases, they may be more conceptual and experimental than what you would typically see in my artwork, and I'm excited about this new direction. I'm starting with landscapes, but you can expect to see this approach used in my cityscapes, too, as well as additional locations throughout Pennsylvania. All good things in good time.

During this year's show, you'll be able to find me in Booth O-49 along Fairmount Street in State College during the art show. Shown here are a few of the first pieces from this new "Impressions" series that I'll feature in my booth.

Impression: Bellefonte Sky original oil on paper.
I caught this view just south of Bellefonte while on my way home this past winter.

 

Impression: Summer Sweep original oil on paper.
Sweeping, dramatic summer clouds billow over the landscape just north of State College earlier this summer.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Spring jumped ahead to summer here with warm temperatures and thunderstorms already a frequent occurence before the end of May. I'm busy getting ready for my summer art show season, but when I have the time I like to sneak out and do some field work in this mild weather.

Photo: My reference photo of my plein air farm subject from this past weekend,
with a partial rainbow in the background

This past weekend, I spent an evening working at a location near our home and I caught this farm under a gorgeous, dramatic sky. The evening alternated between rain and brilliant sunshine, and the clouds were stunning throughout the changes. Shortly after I set up my easel, it rained briefly. And then that gave way to a delightful rainbow right over the farm itself, as if I was given a message from on high that I'd chosen a great subject. This wonderful coincidence got me thinking: You can't make this stuff up.

I often get asked at art shows whether I "made up" my piece or staged something. "Was it really like that?" people will ask me with a heavy dose of skepticism.

Yes!

Detail: My painting in progress.
This will be an 8 x 16 oil on canvas panel.

One of the aspects that I most enjoy about being an artist is the reward of pausing and noticing the details of life that many other people miss. We all see things differently. An engineer may see the structural flaws in an old barn like this one, whereas I see a sun-faded beauty that works well with the summer sky in the background. These little details and everyday examples of interesting subjects mean that I don't have to make up anything. It's all right there for me to explore; I don't need to fabricate compositions or embellish.

I think this is why I like to read nonfiction books. I don't often have the luxury of sitting still to read, so when I have the time, I like to read history or works about contemporary topics. My time to read is so scarce, and I find details in these books that are so compelling that I don't need fiction to hold my interest. For example, did you know that dust from the Great American Dust Bowl darkened our nation's capital? This is from one of my favorite authors, Timothy Egan, and his book, The Worst Hard Time.

I could prattle on here with tons of other arcane facts, but I think you get the idea. There's beauty all around us. It's up to us to see it and appreciate it. You don't have to make this stuff up.