Along the Way

Along the Way

• 30” x 30”, Oil on Ampersand Gessobord
• $3500
• Prints may be ordered. Price depends on size.

  “Along the Way” only exists because this canvas was wounded. A commissioned portrait fell off the easel, denting a corner. The damage reminded me of old treasure maps. Following the idea, I began researching stories (our dearest treasures) from my home area around the Mississippi River and along the way, this painting developed. In the upper left of the panel the Upper Mississippi River Valley is illustrated, including Great Lakes Superior and Michigan. The stories are rooted in the highlighted area of the map. They are the myths, legends, histories, experiences, ideas that came while the painting developed.
  The viewer brings another point of view to the painting.Images include:

• A flock of migrating Mallard ducks seen from above as they fly over the
  rhythmic patterns found in farm country
• The unpredictable wind demon, the tornado
• Red outlined Native American burial mounds found north of Canton, MO
• A bison overlooks a flooded plain
• The West Quincy floodplain shows a home, silo and a Spam truck, stories
  from the flood of 1993
• S.H. Tuley’s steam powered thresher with crew and horses at work
• Migrating snow geese fly throughout the painting
• Migrating Monarch butterflies are found throughout the painting
• Potawatomie Native Americans “Trail of Death” walk from IN to KS in the fall of 1838
• Sites of toxic industries
• Hannibal, MO before settlement
• Fire and prairie with Butterfly Milkweed
• Mark Twain Lake and portions of the Salt River before it merges with the Mississippi River
• Samuel Clemens birthplace, a state historical site near Mark Twain Lake
• Images of slavery. The red (out)lines indicate some current policies that restrict advancement
• The Picture Cave, on private land, the cave walls are filled with images. It was a sacred place for Native Americans who once lived here
• The Missouri River cuts across the lower left corner of the map
• Some crops raised in this region: apple, soybeans, corn, wheat, grapes
• Rhythmic patterns of cultivated land
• Trains travel along the waterways, one carrying a future energy source, fins of wind turbines
• Checkerboard pattern indicating a large city
• At the top center is an image of Mormons crossing the Mississippi River in the winter of 1838 and 1839 under threat of death from Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs
• The Copper Trail follows the Mississippi River. Native Americans created beautiful objects from the material
• Ice Age hills
• Woolly Mammoth
• Catfish is eagle’s dinner
• Birch-bark canoe and me on the water
• Old ferry boat
• Tug pushes barges up the river
• Lincoln-Douglas debate in Quincy, IL
• Potawatomie blanket, a robe of fine dress, beautifully crafted
• Soapstone pipe, Native American
• Mama bear and cub
• Buck
• Trail through a sun dappled old-growth forest
• Coyote howls at the full moon as it rises above the river
• Native American Stone River Map
• Rock with a pictograph of a water panther from the Native American tradition
• Nettle plant with roots
• Paddle-wheeler ruins buried in the soil
• Male turkey
• Native American Mound Village. Cahokia tells a good story about this civilization.

A Water Map

Confluences of the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri Rivers

• 15.5” x 11.5”
• Watercolor
• $350 – unframed, $450 – framed

Midwest rivers carry valuable silt to the Gulf of Mexico making them thick and brown. Jokingly, we say “almost thick enough to plow”. Therefore it is with artistic license that I have painted the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois Rivers as crystal clear streams in this water map.

Dashiell

Dashiell

• 18” x 18”, approximate
• Conte on paper
• Private Collection

Dashiell’s namesake may or may not be the mystery writer, Mr. Hammett, but that’s what inspired Dash’s portrait. This noir drawing shows the subject dressed as a detective, the Sandia Mountains backlit by the rising moon which also lights the Rio Grande River as it flows past the playset. There’s a story in this somewhere. Maybe Dashiell will write it in a few years.

Alice

Alice with Chili

Oil on Canvas
48″ x 24″ approximate

Portraits are a favorite subject matter. Composing a painting of someone with (or without) their chosen symbols is enjoyable for me as the painter and, it is my hope, that that energy holds for the life of the work. Alice is a beautiful person who lives a life of compassion and love. Some of her chosen symbols include her 15 year old dog, Chili, her plant – nettles, the Admiral (nettle) butterfly, snake, cottonwood, gnarled oaks, coyote and owl. The figure sits cross-legged with Chili at sunset/rise on a misty river with deep space evident through the leaves. The water reflects some internal parts of the human body; bones, organs, muscles. The monad/jewel above the figure is representative of someone who strives to live through her higher self.

Aesa

• Chalk pastel on pastel paper
• 10” x 8” approximately

I like Aesa’s spunk, inherited from the rest of her family.

Whispers

• Watercolor plus mixed media
• 14” x 34”
• $1250
• Giclée Print, 10.5” x 25.5” $395
  

Whispers is a painting of Eighth Street storefronts in Baldwin City, Kansas. Maple leaves float through the air, freshened after a passing storm. The contemporary street scene shows folks going about their business, enjoying life. Then there are images of the past. Vaguely visible are fossils, Native Americans, activity on the Santa Fe Trail, John Brown as depicted by J.S. Curry, Black Jack Battlefield in 1856, women’s bridge, historic Baker University building, Bibles, bison, log cabin, quilters and the open prairie.

Grands 2016

Grandchildren – 2016

• Colored Pencil on Illustration Board
• 16″ x 20″
• NFS

A snapshot in time using a Josef Albers color exercise. Albers’ teaches us to step out of the comfortable and allow for insight. This piece plays with gravity, space and perception.

Phoe

Phoenix

• Mixed media on watercolor paper
• Approx 12″ x 14″
• In a private collection

The young boy has the phoenix rising from the flames on his shirt and holds a rock with a petroglyph of Kokopelli. Behind him is an ancient kiva found in Chaco Canyon. A starry dragon’s tail encircles the moon while a fiery comet shoots from his mouth.

Miles, 1 year

Miles, one year

• Oil on Ampersand Gessobord
• 16″ x 12″
• In a private collection

At one year, Miles’ smile is shy, sly, bashful, endearing, precious and encouraging. He juggles the earth, moon and sun, surrounded by our planet and deep space. A small figure of Miles floats in space tethered to his rocket ship near an asteroid mining operation. Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and multiple asteroids can be found. Animals in the painting are moose, bison, fox, deer, rabbit and bottle-nose dolphins. Besides space there are a northern landscape, wetlands, prairie, ocean with schools of fish and an underground den. Prairie flowers include butterfly milkweed, blazing star and echinacea.The birds are the sandhill crane and red-headed woodpecker. Trees are birch and black cherry. Bugs are the earthworm and the pollinating bee.
Two of my many wishes for Miles is that he enjoys learning and sharing that joy.
The varied perspectives of this portrait were inspired by MC Escher’s “Other World”.

Remembering George Paley

George and Nancy

George Paley died this week. What joy he brought to his friendships. Encouraging, always curious, he loved sharing his ideas and projects with others. You could join him in the journey or not. While exhibiting casualness and a wry sense of humor, he brought a vital energy and creativity to his endeavors. His efforts were full throttle forward. Many will miss George terribly, but will take a deep breath to shrink the lump in our throats, and be grateful for his love and his friendship.
This is a link to Joanna Hlavacek’s lovely tribute to George and Judy in our local paper.