Home Farm
14" x 18"
Oil

I threw some scraps out for the chickens for them to stay busy for a few minutes while I painted them. And busy they were! It's tricky painting a moving object, but it's a fun challenge. Glad I only had three at the time.

Pasque Flower

8"x10"

There is a spot on our land that has never been tilled because it's rocky and steep. It's a special place because of that. It's a remnant of the oak savanna prairie that used to cover this part of the state. There are grasses and plants growing there that are no longer growing most places.The Pasque Flower is one of them. It's the first to flower in the spring- usually around Easter time (hence the name). It grows on south-facing rocky hillsides. It's a sweet little flower that sends up its blossoms before the leaves. It marks the beginning of spring for me.

Mickey

We sold Aly's horse this week. She's off to college and on to new things and Mickey deserves a lot more attention than I can give her. It's a bit like packing away her dolls. The end of a great stage in life, but great new things lie ahead. Mickey has a new sweetie now who will enjoy her just as much as Aly did.

Sour Dough

11"x14"

Nothing like a loaf of bread fresh from the oven. There is always a bit of lore that goes with a good sour dough. This one has it's origins in an Alaskan mining camp from the late 18oo's. Soon we'll be drizzling fresh Maple syrup over hot sour dough pancakes....

Tapping Maples

6"x8"

You know spring is right around the corner when the sap begins to flow. It's a bit of a trek to the little grove of Maples, but it's a great excuse to walk the woods a couple of times a day. The bird's songs are different now and the woods are drippy and fresh.

Fresh Snow

12"x16"

Ok, so I chickened out again, but paint really does get too sticky when it's too cold and it's been COLD. One morning its was -45. I am fortunate to have such a pretty view out my kitchen window.

Winter's Heat

8"x10"

They say heating with wood warms you twice. Actually it's much more than that-cutting, hauling, splitting, stacking, and then hauling down to the house to be burned. There is a real comfort in a good woodpile. Let the winter winds blow...

The Dilemma

There is so much to paint here on our little farm. Life is so full, and that’s the rub. By the time I get home from work, or my studio, my time is filled with keeping things running smoothly. Hauling wood and filling the hungry bellies of the wood stoves and the hungry bellies of my family, feeding out round bales, filling water tanks, butchering deer ... Even had to show our Amish neighbors this fall how to butcher a turkey. Not that they don’t know how to butcher, they just don’t understand how we “English” like our turkeys. But it was a fun day and I came home with a turkey for ourselves.
Right now apple butter is bubbling on the wood stove, bread is rising on the warming shelf, and soup is simmering on the stove. The dishes are piled high, and I’m too tired to paint. The wind is whistling outside and the temp is dropping fast, but it’s cozy in here. Better finish up so I can head to bed.

At The Feeder

9"x12"

Gardner Road

8"x10"

Three Eggs

6"x8" Oil on Panel

There was a cat curled up in the nesting box this evening when I went to gather the eggs. Looked like a cozy place to take a nap. In the winter the barn cats help keep the eggs from freezing before we get to them.

Sunrise
7"x9" Oil on Panel

After fighting the wind and cold yesterday, I decided to paint the view out the kitchen window this morning. Every day it's a fresh scene. I never grow tired of it.

9N

6"x8" Oil on panel

How many "paintings" I have seen while on this tractor circling the fields ? And how many has she seen in her lifetime of work? Deer and Coyotes aren't afraid of you when your on a tractor. Raking hay gets the mice scurrying around and makes them an easy catch for the coyotes. Our kids learned to drive on this tractor. I imagine many have.

The Beginning

In the summer of 2000, we bought our farm nestled in a valley just off the ridge in Vernon County, Wisconsin. It’s been a wonderful place to raise our kids. Plenty of room to roam, to raise animals and to garden. Although I’ve painted throughout the years, much of what I’ve painted has been in the areas surrounding our little farm. My hope with this blogsite is to record everyday life here on our forty acres in a series of small paintings. There is a painting at every turn, and so, I paint...