Blog

I spent the day recently scouting barns on the Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City, MI. I found numerous lovelies, including several quilt barns. These barns usually feature a prominent painting of a traditional quilt square pattern mounted on the wall or gable. There are a number of variations on the idea, however, including one barn I discovered near Harrisville, MI. Instead of a quilt square, it's decorated with a large painting of the barn itself, with a cow next to it. I love a visual joke! In my mind's eye I can already see paintings of barns within barns within barns....  As summer yields to autumn and then winter in these northern climes, it's good to have such notions taking root. There's plenty of studio time ahead!

Before I skip too far into the future, however, I'm reminded to stop and appreciate the bounty of the harvest so evident at this time of year. The Old Mission Peninsula, as well as much of northern Michigan, is dotted with the farm stands that so appealed to me when I first visited this area. Not only is the produce local—everywhere you're surrounded by apricot, peach, apple and cherry orchards—all of the commerce is done strictly on the honor system! I suppose farmers wouldn't continue this practice if it didn't produce some profit for them—a reminder that a good product will sell itself in the right marketplace.

I've just shipped off several of my barn paintings to the dk Gallery in Marietta, GA for their "Farm to Table" show celebrating agriculture with art. It's a real treat to show my work in the town where I grew up. In fact, one of my early attempts to make art was for a Cobb County drawing contest. The picture showed a farmer driving his donkey-drawn cart down a road in front of Kennesaw Mountain, presumably bringing his harvest to the market on the Square which was how it was done then, even as late as the early 1960s. The 3 barn paintings I'll exhibit at dk Gallery are a far sight more accomplished. If you're in the Atlanta area, I hope you'll check out the show opening September 6 with a reception from 5-9 p.m. I wish I could be there but I'll be painting one of those barns in northeast Michigan.