Self-Portrait

No, not my self-portrait.

But now that I have your attention....

My friend Carlene Dingman-Atwater

did a 45 minute demonstration

and painted herself

on canvas of course.

In front of 

40+ people

at the Fort Madison Art Center

last Friday

The demonstration was part of the finale

of her 52 Faces Project

Carlene spent the last year painting

one portrait a week

of 52 community volunteers.

Did I take a picture of the whole exhibit?

No, I wasn't thinking ahead

about this post.

Needless to say the portraits were beautiful.

Did I mention the Volunteers get to keep their Portraits?

Along with the portraits is a printed piece 

about the volunteer and their organization.

Wonderful....

If you missed it in Fort Madison

the exhibit will be on display in

Mt. Pleasant

at Iowa Wesleyan College

in March.

2014 Calendar

My nice friends at Community First Bank asked me to create

 another pen and ink for their calendar this year.

Wickfield Pavillion

Cantril, Iowa

I decided to make it more of a landscape than a

portrait of a building as I did in 

previous years.

Apple-ista

Ok, I really have done quite a few paintings this year.  

But I haven't posted any for a long time.  I think it has been since March?

These are the paintings that are going to the Fort Madison Art Center Member Show.

     

                       "Apple-ista" 8" x 8"  $95.00   Oil on panel 

                                      Framed in rustic black

                                  "Passed By". 8" x 10". $110.  Oil on panel

                                                  In a silver frame

           The Fort Madison Art Center receives a portion of every sale.  Pay them a visit or

       Contact me for more details.

Day 29 - 30 Paintings - Hilltop

I'm still working on

using brighter colors.

"Hilltop" - oil on Board - 5 x 7

Maybe a bit too bright?

2014 Calendar

Here is my pen and ink for the 2014 Community First Bank Calendar. 

 I have always been intrigued by the 

Italianate belfry on the Methodist Church in Birmingham, Iowa.  

The bank has a branch office there so I decided to "branch out" beyond Keosauqua this year.

Some people have called the facade "the Alamo" style.  

Along the River

I just dropped this painting off at the Fairfield Art Association Member Show in Fairfield, Iowa.

In October Carlene Dingman Atwater and I went out to paint for a few hours along the Des Moines River in Farmington, Iowa.  

We set up undercover at the picnic shelter "just in case".  

The sun came out from beneath the clouds for a moment before the storm hit.

Lightening, thunder and wind challenged us but we persevered.  

And then I went back to the studio and "fixed" my painting.

                                  "Autumn Finale".  12" x 12". Oil on Canvas

Quiet Corner

The little pond in the corner of the 

Bentonsport Rose Garden

is quite charming and is

a lovely place for an artist to paint.

"Quiet Corner"

9" x 12"  oil on panel

$150

The Rose Garden is planted and maintained by

local volunteers.  

They do a great job in a challenging location.

The Rose Garden is planted within the stone walls 

of a historic mill pond that is

 subject to periodic flooding from the Des Moines River.

Bonaparte's Bridge

I really haven't done much plein air painting this summer

for various reasons.

This little painting was actually done in my studio.

 I went to Bonaparte (Iowa) to paint 

with my Fort Madison artist friend Carlene Atwater in May.

"Bonaparte's Bridge"

4" x 8" - Oil on canvas

I did a plein air painting using the old Glove Factory building as my subject.  It is now a lovely Inn and has a wonderful facade.  I wasn't happy with that painting so....

I had taken a photo of the Bonaparte Bridge

 because I've always loved it's

faded green paint.

And...I had this wee little canvas.

So I cut my losses and had fun painting this little darling.

So...

Here is a not very good photo of the Bonaparte Inn.

I hear it is for sale.

It has been very sensitively remodeled

 and has a ballroom on the top floor.

Any takers?