The Marquess Barn, 9x12

"The Marquess Barn" 9x12" Pastel on sanded paper

Last Saturday morning I gave a two hour demo at Amato's Gallery and here is what I came up with. Of course, chatting with visitors is my favorite part, but because of the crowd, I chose to wait to finish it up. So I brought it home to my quiet place in the studio to finish. For me, there is no place like my studio to "contemplate the universe" as I work in quiet solitude. Interestingly enough, today I had a discussion with another artist about what we think about when we create. I have never been able to clearly explain what thoughts go through my mind while I am painting, but I think it is sort of a meditation, or maybe my mind is in complete concentration. Whatever it is, I like it a lot and think that it does a world of good.

This barn is the view from our family's farm house in Creswell, OR. This is the Marquess Barn, just south of our property line. Even though Spring is in full force at the time of this post, the photo reference for this painting is of course during the height of last Fall. There is so much beauty in this area of our nation: quiet, rolling hills with an occasional horse dotting the landscape, a broken down tractor or a winding river that divides a farmers land. This is what I search for as we drive home to the farm.