Paintings & Photographs
Abstracts
I have always loved geometrics, textures and colors. Painting what I call “Abstracts” allows me to focus on those elements of painting exclusively, which I am thoroughly enjoying. My explorations are enhanced by the use of cold wax as a medium and collaged gel plate images. While I often incorporate references to recognizable objects, there is no effort to duplicate reality, as in my other work. Two artists whose work I admire and whom I have been learning from in this endeavor are Martha Prideaux and Lisa Boardwine.
The abstracts are all on panel, sometimes on paper affixed to a panel. They are unframed and edge-painted so they require no framing.
Barns & Rust
The love of geometrics, textures and colors also attracts me to old barns and vehicles. The Shenandoah Valley, where we now live, is full of these relics, and there is no dearth of them in neighboring West Virginia, where we spend considerable time. But more than just the peeling paint, the failing roofs, the interesting textures, they suggest a history and a past, times that are quickly fading in the face of our urbanized and computerized present.
All of these works are oil on panel, framed with natural wood with a black shadowbox. The occasional work that is framed entirely in black is so noted.
Environments
Many, if not most of these, are plein air paintings; that is, paintings created almost entirely on-site, in the open air. Plein air paintings tend to be smaller because they must be done quickly to capture the rapidly changing light. The process is exhilarating. There are few things more intoxicating than standing in the open air with nothing between you and your subject but an easel, some paint, and your brushes. Exhausting, but fun!
I have spent many wonderful summer weeks at Nimrod Hall, a former boy’s camp which found new life as an artist’s haven in the late 1980s and lasted until quite recently. (It is located on the bank of the Cowpasture River, just outside Millboro Springs in Bath County, Virginia. The setting is extraordinarily beautiful.) I learned a great deal there from numerous excellent plein air artists, including Sara Linda Poly. My good friend and fellow artist Margaret Buchanan often painted there with me.
All of these paintings are oil on panel and, unless otherwise noted, are framed in natural wood with a black shadowbox. All black frames are specifically noted.
Trains
My love of complex surfaces is also evident in my fascination with trains – rust, peeling layers of paint, graffiti, all bearing witness to a complex history. The geometrics of train cars, particularly when viewed broadside, are also immensely appealing. To me, trains are as close as you can get to abstraction, but they are real. And they are magic. There is an unexplained exoticism about trains that arises out of our memories, their historical importance in this country, and their connection with travel everywhere.
The train paintings are oil on panel and, unless otherwise noted, are unframed. The unframed works are edge-painted so they require no framing.
Mexico
I have spent more than 15 years visiting Oaxaca, Mexico, usually once a year for an extended time. Oaxaca is a beautiful place, much like the American Southwest, and an enticing place to paint. I love painting there. The works created in Oaxaca stay there and can be purchased there, but not in the US. Shipping back and forth from Mexico is expensive and unreliable. We stay at the same place every year, Casa Raab, a lovely bed & breakfast built by the owner’s parents back in the 70s. In recent years it has also become known as the Friends of Megan Animal Rescue. I’m president of this non-profit organization. All proceeds from my paintings sold in Oaxaca go to support the animal rescue.
Shown here is a very small selection of available paintings (one must go to Oaxaca to see more!). They are all oil on panel.
Vintage Photo Paintings
For about a decade (from 2004-2014) I was fascinated by vintage photos. They capture a fleeting moment in time, which then disappears forever. This is especially true with family photos, and those are what first drew me to this genre. Eventually, I began to search other sources – Library of Congress, the historical archives of localities that interested me. All capture an often poignant vision of the past and “days gone by.” Although originally I kept the gray or sepia tones, I began transforming the photos more completely by colorizing them, which turned out to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of this work. I have not worked in this genre for quite awhile, but who knows? Perhaps one day it will again appeal to me. Only a few paintings remain from that period and are available.
They are oil on panel and edge-painted.
Photographs
My love of and fascination with train surfaces has also found expression in photography. Virtually all of my photographs are close-ups of train surfaces, both here and in Mexico. Sometimes one can’t improve upon the surface itself!
All of the photographs are mounted on Masonite and protected with a matte acrylic film. A 1” floater on the back allows for hanging. Framing is not recommended or needed. Several of the photographs (not shown here) are available at the Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center in Clifton Forge, VA.
Commissions
Although it is not my primary focus, I do paint on commission, when requested. As you can see from the selection below, those requests often come in relation to a beloved pet or a favorite photograph of a dear family member. Others, however, involve very lively family activities and even trains. Pricing depends on size of the work and the amount of effort involved.
