View from this Side

Is formal symmetry always a bad thing in art?


I am such a left brained, type A, logical thinking person.  I went into painting with no natural flare for art.  So much of what makes art aesthetically pleasing was (sometimes still is) so foreign to me.  I still have to remind my self... if one is on this side, put two on that side... don't put it right in the center... put an odd number of them rather than two or four...  Maybe that's why I've never referred to myself as an "artist."  I just say, "I paint."  


I love this painting, but I think maybe I'm not supposed to.  It is, after all, quite symmetrical.  But, there's another reason I love this painting.  I used a palette knife for much of it.  I haven't used that technique much, and I don't know why.  I loved the effect... painterly...  I guess it scares me...  You take big globs of paint and smear... Yikes!  The thing is, I this is the style I loved before I began to paint on my own. Hmmm...
Maybe I should give it another try.

Barn by the Pond

What gives an old barn such personality?


What a perfect setting! A charming old barn beside a little pond with mountains in the background... I can just imagine the days when there were calves in the barnyard, hay in the loft, ducks in the pond, and a mule or two in the stables.

On the way home from a spring hike through the Ozark Mountains near the Buffalo River, we stopped many times to take photos of great farm scenes. Maybe we'll return. I'd like to see this scene in summer and in the fall.

This painting was fortunate to be featured in a couple of Etsy treasuries (collection of art pieces and vintage items) called Spring in the Barnyard or  Home on the Range.  Click and enjoy a celebration of farm life.

[SOLD]

Original Oil Painting on 10"x 20" Wrapped Canvas

Chapel in the Alps

le Tour de France anyone?

No, this chapel isn't on the route of the big bicycle race. And, no it's not even in France. But... I have been watching the Tour for the last few days. It's put me in a European frame of mind, I guess. Seeing all those castles and cathedrals and amazing old buildings is part of the reason for watching. So, why would a very non-sport person like me care?

Several years ago I hurt my back and spent most of July in bed. The Tour was on every day. The next July I broke my leg and had another extended bed stay. Again, the Tour was on, and this time I knew the riders and rules. Since then I've just been hooked.

This painting is one that comes from a place near where my son-in-law lived as a child. Switzerland? or maybe Germany? I love the majesty of the Alps in the background, the vineyards behind the church, and the gentle little river in the foreground. I love the simplicity of this little church placed in such an awe-inspiring setting.