#194 - Monet's Pond

 8" x 10" oil on panel

Now for something completely different from my normal rural Illinois! My son and daughter-in-law were recently in Giverny visiting Monet's home and studio and he sent me the picture I painted this from. 

#193 - Down the Road

 12" x 16" Oil on canvas panel

A scene from a November drive in the country.

#192 - 2020

 8" x 10" Oil on canvas panel

This scene grabbed my attention as I was driving by because it summed up so much of what life has been like lately: a lot of work, heads down, moving forward, trying not to notice how bleak it is around us. Hang in there, we'll get over the horizon and it will be spring again soon.

I had a hard time coming up with a title for this one and then just decided to call it 2020.

#191 - Corner Coffee

 12" x 9" Oil on canvas panel

Had a great breakfast and latte at Black Lodge Coffee Roasters in New Harmony, Indiana last fall. Nice people, cool place and great coffee.

#190 - Harvest Time

 9" x 12" Oil on canvas panel

Happy Thanksgiving!

#189 - Summer Scoops

16" x 12" Oil on canvas panel

This scene is from a summer walk in Oak Park when my son and daughter-in-law lived there a couple years ago. Already missing those summer nights!

#188 - Autumn Farm

 12" x 16" Plein Air,  oil on canvas panel

I took the day off last Friday and just drove out into the country to paint. I found myself in an old cemetery up on a bluff overlooking this farm.

#187 - Autumn Blaze

 12" x 16" oil on canvas panel

We were driving out in the country a couple weeks ago on a beautiful Saturday morning and those 6 blazing trees stopped me in my tracks. 

#186 - Pickets and Pickup

 12" x 16" oil on canvas panel

SOLD

Encountered this scene recently and snapped a picture to paint later. Loved the backlit shadow and the highlights on the cool old chevy truck.

#185 - Walking West

 

12" x 16" Oil on canvas panel

We love to take a walk after work and before dinner at the Kishwaukee Headwaters Conservation Area. I love this time of year as the landscape is full of so many different colors that are not green! 

#184 - Tennessee Barn

 

12" x 16" Oil on canvas panel

Passes this barn on a recent roadtrip and had to paint it.

#183 - Under the Tracks

 

8" x 10" Oil on panel

A favorite feature in my hometown is this railroad tunnel that dates from the 1860s. It's constantly in use by those in the know when trains close other gates.

#182 - Colorado Elevation

 16" x 12" Oil on gesso panel

Another painting from a picture taken in rural Colorado on our way to the mountains.

#181 - August Corn

 

9" x 12" Oil on gessoed panel

This is the time of year you can almost hear the corn grow. 

#180 - Making Hay

 

9" x 12" oil on gessoed panel

Came across this awesome barn and stacked hay on a drive recently through rural Colorado.

#179 - House at the 240 Spur

9" x 12" Oil on gessoed panel

I liked the morning sun hitting this little house in MO. I especially liked the road signs pointing the way out of town.

#178 - Snowmelt

8" x 10" Oil on canvas panel

We were beginning our drive home from CO and stopped at a park in Winter Park for lunch. We spent a wonderful lunch next to this mountain stream.

#177 - Rocky Mountain Picnic

8" x 10" Oil on canvas panel

We took a roadtrip to CO recently and went jeeping for a day up in the mountains. This was the scene where we stopped to have a picnic lunch.

#176 - Cutting Through

16" x 12" oil on canvas panel

Another alley painting from a recent roadtrip to Rocheport, MO.

#175 - KU Campanile

10" x 8" oil on canvas panel

My son just graduated from the University of Kansas and the Campanile on campus normally plays a big part on graduation day. This year, not so much...

#174 - Morning Shortcut

14" x 11" oil on canvas

Had a quick trip to MO recently and stayed in a little town near the Missouri River. Encounter this view on my way for morning coffee.

#173 - Bourbon Bottle Daisies

16" x 12" oil on canvas panel

I love painting old bottles and this bourbon bottle has been on my radar for a while now. The daisies in the backyard gave me a good reason to give it a go.

#172 - Coming Ashore

11" x 14" oil on canvas panel

I was drawn to the wealth of colors in the water on this one.

#171 - Fast Lane

9" x 12" Oil on canvas panel

Since I can't take a road trip, it was nice to escape with this for a couple hours.

#170 - Bourscheid Castle

16" x 20" Oil on canvas panel

Painted from a picture taken on a beautiful October morning in Luxembourg when we visited my son and daughter-in-law.

#169 - Springtime in Woodstock

12" x 9" Oil on canvas panel

There's no place like home, Woodstock, IL.

#168 - Morning Sunshine

9" x 12" Oil on canvas panel

My wife took the reference picture on an early June morning last year. Looking forward to June days again, when a bit of normalcy returns.

#167 - Easter Bouquet

16" x 8" Oil on canvas panel

It was a beautiful day in northern Illinois so I cut a couple flowers from the yard and put them into an old bottle I've been meaning to paint for a long time.

#166 - Three's a Crowd

8" x 10" Oil on gessoed panel

Swiss army knife, blue cheese and green olives: these are a few of my favorite things.

#165 - Social Distancing

11" x 14" Oil on canvas panel

My son let me paint from a picture he took of Montrose Harbor last summer in Chicago. Back when things were normal...

#164 - Illinois Summer

12" x 16" Oil on canvas panel

All the craziness in the world right now makes me nostalgic for the lazy, carefree days of last summer.

#163 - Palm Beetle

16" x 8" Oil on canvas panel

My first car was a blue 1967 VW Beetle, just like this one. My son knew that and snapped a picture of this beauty when he was in Southern California a while back.

#162 - Busse Woods

8" x 10" Oil on canvas panel

Plein Air

Just east of busy, congested Schaumburg, IL are Busse Woods, a part of the Cook County Forest Preserve. A great spot to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon.

#161 - Out to Pasture

16" x 12" oil on canvas panel

I passed these two old gems on a drive through the country last summer. I have not been able to figure out the make and model of the green car in front. Any ideas?

#160 - Winter Sunlight

8" x 10" oil on canvas panel

I took this picture on the way home from a family get-together on New Years Day. I was intrigued by the silo's shadow and the deep blues in the shadows.

#159 - Four Peaks

12" x 16" oil on canvas panel
SOLD

Another scene from my commute home. I should have a commute home show.

#158 - Beachfront Vacancy

12" x 16" Oil on canvas panel
SOLD

Now for something completely different...I visited Fort Myers Beach a couple weeks ago and passed this inviting hammock in the shade on a long hot walk.

#157 - Low Sun Behind Me

8" x 10" Oil on panel
Sold

Another shot from my commute home; the setting sun was behind me and creating a wonderful glow on the farms buildings.

#156 - Winter Contrails

8" x 10" Oil on canvas panel
SOLD

A sunset with contrails over a frozen pond caught my eye on another commute home.