I have always been fascinated with the colorful buildings in the world. These buildings can be found in many major cities in the US. California, Florida, Arizona to name a few. France and Italy are known to have some of the most colorful displays of houses along with Greece, Denmark, Mexico and South Africa. My question was “Why do they paint them these colors?” I was curious, so this is what I came up with. One reason is because of weather. When climates are hot and humid it was a way to reduce heat absorption from the sun. Another reason was that almost every single town built on the water,…

Florals have been a popular subject for artists for centuries. From Monet’s Gardens to VanGogh’s Sunflowers, we have enjoyed this subject as much as it has been painted. I had the challenge of painting a floral, after the passing of a friend’s father. It was quite different that any other arrangement I had ever painted. On his homestead, where he and she enjoyed time together, there was a pond. After laying him to rest, she went to the pond to reflect. She tossed the flowers into the pond, in his honor. It was a cold winter day. When she went back to the pond the following week, to her amazement,…

Due to the COVID 19 shutdown, many have relied on social media streaming to keep active during this pandemic. Many local artist were scheduled for art shows at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center with mine being March and April. Unfortunately this shutdown has affected all schedules. They are doing a wonderful job keeping their audience tuned in with the Empty Concert Series streaming live on their Facebook page – Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Sharing the MCCC art show here with an Online Art Exhibit is the next best option. Go to GALLERY/ACRYLIC PAINTINGS to view. Please support the local arts. Stay SAFE and ENJOY!

Did you know that local art is always on display at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center in downtown Marion IL? If you didn’t, now you know! Many very talented artists and photographers have displayed at the MCCC over the years. I was honored with an invitation to display my paintings at this wonderful historic facility for the months of March and April 2020. They will be ready to view on March 3rd. Everything will be available for purchase. If you are planning to attend an event at the MCCC, I invite you to stop and take a look at my exhibit. If you are just in the Marion area…

There’s just something about old rusty things. At first glance, you might think of it’s a piece of junk that was abandoned and left to litter the environment. That’s partly right. Let’s go just a bit further with this concept. What is considered junk to some people is considered a treasure to others – we all have heard this before. There are photographers who travel all over the world to find and photograph old abandoned cars. There is actually an abandoned car museum in White Georgia called Old Car City. It covers 34 acres and has over 4000 American cars, trucks, and vans placed in such a way that is…

Street musicians or street performers, are generally people who perform in public places for gratuities. Perhaps some think these people are homeless, but many in fact are not. Granted though, most are below the poverty line. Many use the donations as their main source of income, have homes, families, and other jobs. Street musicians – performers or “Busking” is one of the world’s oldest professions and can be found anywhere. It is very legal and cannot be confused for begging which is not legal. Busking cannot be prohibited in an area where other forms of free speech are not prohibited. Street musicians have become socially accepted and thrive in cities…

I personally have always felt more comfortable painting realism. I think it has to do with the dreaded perfectionist in me. I admire anyone who can paint this way. There’s something about putting that little dot of light on the edge of a glass that gives me great satisfaction – But, I also admire those artists who can spread their paint loosely across their canvas in a painterly way. I then ask myself, why can I not do this? That is when I decided to escape the ‘stay in the lines’ painting style and step out of the box. I knew this would be difficult. Shouldn’t it be easier to…