Barn

Art's Barn  Oil on Canvas (16 x 20)

A couple of summers ago, my sisters and I visited a friends home which is an old farm situated on a pretty piece of land about 15 minutes from home.  I took several reference photos that day, with every intention of getting back to spend some time painting on site.  I never did. 

Every so often I'd come across the photos.  Last week I began this painting of her barn and I finished it today.  It's such a great old barn, kinda weathered and falling apart.  Most intriquing to me is the opening from the door in front through the back door, you can see through to the view behind the barn. The whitish rectangle in the painting is the opening.  In my reference photo the view is from back to front so the white I've shown is actually her house.

 That day carried the weight of summer-- heavy with moisture plus the sounds of a summer afternoon. Looking through that opening, the negative space was the frame for the sensations of that day.

This summer I'll paint en plein air at her house, painting the view through the opening to the back.

 (Linda if you're reading this, can I come and paint at your house again?)

When we bought our Christmas Tree

When we bought our Christmas Tree, I couldn't resist taking pictures of the barn at the tree farm. Like many of the barns in our area (probably a reflection of the passing of an era across the country) this one is falling down, dilapidated and very cool to look at. Great colors, textures and sky holes. It was built in the early 1800's and was a home before it was a barn.
I only had my cell phone with me, so the pics are cell phonish. The owner says I can come back to take more pics. (I'd like to bring my son who'd love it, plus he has a great camera.) The owner also said that people used to come to draw and paint the barn. (Before it was in its intriquing, beautiful state of disrepair and I think; unfortunately it is dying unless someone saves it.)