My Kind of Town

If you know Chicago, you know this place. I used gouache in this painting, which is an opaque water-based paint. It has the workability of watercolor and the coverage similar to acrylic paint. I plan to do a series of Chicago scenes like this one. I'll post them as they become available.

Jack

It's been almost a year since tornadoes tore through Hood County. In the aftermath many tree services were out, cutting the way back to normalcy. Here is one worker aptly named Jack.

Afternoon Shadows

The idea for this painting was from a street scene in Montreal. The buildings were grey, but when I painted it, the walls just cried out for more color. So I obliged.

Hay There

Here is a pair of barns, setting in a field of blowing grains. I don't remember where the picture was taken, but I'd like to paint it again. The painting wasn't about the likeness to the landscape, but about the variations of color and shape. 

Old Blue

This is a small road painting, just 8x8, but still has all the elements of my larger works. I enjoy the journey that my paintings take me on while I work on them. This had sold, so good-bye Old Blue, enjoy your new home.

Nine Heads are Better Than One

I don't consider myself a floral painter, so of course I had to challenge myself when a rogue sunflower sprouted up in my garden. The flower head was painted on an 8x8 canvas panel. I was satisfied with it, but during the process, a lot of "what ifs" came to mind. I painted it 4 times and liked the process of grouping them together. Then I kept going, completing 12 panels. This painting is an arrangement of my nine favorites, with the rejected ones getting a nice whitewash.

Field with Greens

This painting was from a drive in Will County, Illinois. There are so many interesting barns and the farm fields go on forever. The colors weren't as vivid as they are painted, but I love to push the color green. It is always mixed from an assortment of blues and yellows, often with a touch of red or orange.