This original painting is 16" x 20" oil on stretched canvas, completed May, 2009, signed and dated on the front, and the painting name is located on the back frame.

The Azeleas and Dogwoods lure many flowers lovers down this path at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington D.C.

This original painting is 16" x 20" oil on stretched canvas, completed May, 2009, signed and dated on the front, and the painting name is located on the back frame.

Barns sometimes may not look as good as most and may not be worth painting. Then sometimes barns have a story that makes it worth painting as this one does. This farm started some time around 1926 on 54 acres.  The farmer had a new wife and later 6 childern, but just before Christmas 1940 he died.  This left the mother with a 54 acre farm, 6 childern ages 5 to 13 alone.  All the friends agreed the childers needs to be placed in an orphanage.

She vowed to do what she could, and with Gods help, she would provide a living for herself and the childern.  She faced many problems, the farm wasn't paid for, and taxes were due, a grocery bill needed to be paid and now the funeral expenses.  So she took them on one at a time, went to a local bank and they provided a loan of $800 to pay the taxes and property. She went to the store where she owed $4.35.  The owner told them that she and the 3 boys (9,11,&13) could pay the bill by cleaning some land for him. She never bought groceries on credit again.  The funeral director told her she could make payments in small amounts when she could, it was paid off in 7 years.

They had a small amount of tobacco growing, which would bring in some money. The oldest boy started plowing to plant a garden, and then went to other homes to plow for them and make some money. She ordered baby chickens by mail, keep them under a warm lamp, so they would grow. Soon they had fried chicken to eat, eggs and more baby chickens to raise. She purchased 2 small pigs and later they were 200 pounds, which provided a lot of food for them.  She had some turkeys which she sold to other families for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She was willing to work and teach her childern to work also.  She would clean houses, do laundry and work the fields.  She never refused a job and she made sure the childern also worked and stayed in school.

She wasn't a perfect mother, and she didn't raise perfect childern, but she left a great heritage in the way she lived her life. Many of us think we have it hard today, I don't believe we ever came close to what they went through. Maybe this is why this barn is still standing for her heritage and her life near Salvisa, Kentucky. 

This original painting is 16" x 20" oil on stretched canvas, completed May, 2009, signed and dated on the front, and the painting name is located on the back frame.

The barn is the center of labor, and center of family well being. It also stood for both community & family unity and honest sweat. Farmers took pride in keeping a neat barn, painting, repairs were the chores to keep a proper barn.  The barn is an icon, an image that stood for something of value to the farmer and family. Old barns become welcome sites to review,even this one in Ellensburg, Washington. 

This painting inspiration came from Bill Alexander. This painting is 16" x 20" oil on stretched canvas, completed May, 2009, signed and dated on the front, and the painting name is located on the back frame.

This painting is an adaptation of Bill Alexander and his style of painting.  This setting was put together from his DVD of a 1986 painting. 

This original painting is 16" x 20" oil on stretched canvas, completed May, 2009, signed and dated on the front, and the painting name is located on the back frame.

This painting is another Arabian horse located on a Eastern Kentucky horse ranch. 

This original painting is 16" x 20" oil on stretched canvas, completed May., 2009, signed and dated on the front, and the painting name is located on the back frame.

The painting shows a sunset with light yellow background and darker landscape in the front.