"The Locket" - Up close you can see all the various layers of paint and colors. The texture in my paintings is inspired by the chipped paint seen in old houses. Using a pallette knife, I achieve the texture by appling several layers of oil paint.
My grandma bought her first camera in the 1930s and did an excellent job documenting her memories. I now use many of her photos for my artwork.
I represent the memories of inhabitants by using old black and white snapshots as a reference. Through the use of these images, I have created visual stories of the people who once occupied the homes. The figure takes on the form of the wall decaying similarly, and the people are shown chipping and fading away with the house itself.
"Caretaker" and "Childs Play"
I am passionate about abandoned houses because they are an essential part of our history. They remind me of when people were first settling on the prairie due to the Homestead Act in the late 1800's. The economy has since changed, and because of the lack of opportunities in rural areas, people have migrated to cities. The houses now sit empty on the prairie but the memories of the homes, are still very much alive. They remind me of our ancestor's journey settling in the midwest and the hardship that they faced while establishing their roots on the vast, unpredictable prairie.
Original photo used as a reference for "Childs Play"
I love the bird's nest above the window because it plays perfectly with the tree in the painting. The floral wallpaper is typical of old houses and it shows up a lot in my art because it reminds me of my grandparent's farmhouse. The little girl in “Child’s Play” sits in a tree day dreaming. The painting captures the imagination of children and is a reminder of how pure their creativity is.
”Enduring Riders” is a painting of two young riders, a boy, and a girl. The artwork is inspired by the stories I would hear from my grandpa about how he would have to trek across the countryside to school every morning on his horse.
I capture these memories because I am proud of my rural home and I want to honor the stories of those who made rural living possible long ago. Their sacrifices to settle here and create the rural communities that exist today was a significant contribution to our generation. Their journey is now an essential part of our story.
