ABANDONED FARMHOUSE

     One thing I've always enjoyed about Plein Air Painting is the "Search". I had to drive down many miles of old roads in rural Kansas to find this place. The road up to the farm was just a couple of ruts. There were some old antique farm equipment around the property and a broken down kids swing. The day I was standing there doing the painting, I started hearing kids playing while dad was out on the tractor planting the crops and mom doing laundry on a wash board. It was like the past was speaking to me.

GEUDA BARN

     I am kinda missing my Kansas family this year because I haven't been back there to visit in many years. This is an old barn that I see when I go to visit my sister Liona Sue in Geuda. I think it has a population of 80 maybe. I grew up back there and it seems when I go back to visit, my feet always seem to be more connected to the ground. That must be why they say "Getting back to your roots", or not?

URBAN SUNDOWN

     I was intrigued by the atmosphere created by those last rays of sun disappearing behind the hill and everyone on their way home.

CRYSTAL COVE

     This is a very enchanting place I found when I was painting over on the California Coast. I drove into an old hamburger stand overlooking these sort of beach shacks down along the ocean. I was painting the scene on top of a picnic table when someone drove up in a little car filled with their belongings. I overheard the person talking to someone about having to move out of this little beach colony. I went ahead and drove down to the beach and was totally blown out by the character of the place. I hiked and painted there many times during the Laguna Plein Air events in subsequent years. There was a movement to keep the area from being demolished and instead turned into a historic sight. I donated a painting to that cause for the "Crystal Cove Alliance"