Keysers Ridge, Maryland

"Keysers Ridge," Maryland, oil on masonite 6.5 x 8.

“I saw the wind blow so hard on Keyser’s Ridge, that it took six men to hold the hair on one man’s head.”

In the early days of the National Road, this stretch was often “snowed up” with drifts up to twenty feet deep. Stagecoaches and freight wagons were stopped here for days at a time. When they could travel, they sometimes left the blocked roadbeds and rolled across the nearby “skirting glades.”

I turned the heat on in the Jeep as I drove over Keysers Ridge at sunset on Thursday. Not much there, just a small truck stop and a McDonalds.  The National Road (rt 40) crosses the ridge, and leads west into the Allegheny Mountains.  It is a beautiful road to travel any time of the year.

Peterbilt 379

"Peterbilt" oil on canvas 48 x 24.  Work in progress.

The Joy of Painting on Loose Pre-Gessoed Canvas

Oil on canvas 14 x 18.

Perhaps I should have stretched up some nice linen. However, having the ends of some canvas rolls to just tack onto a board and start working on is a no pressure situation. If I mess up (which is often the case) the work becomes part of the flotsam of neglected art over there in the corner of my studio.  I have a lot of this scrap canvas, which was purchased when I worked near an art supply store a few years ago.

Mennonite Girl

This is a painting I started the other day. It has been a great day to paint, raining all day, cool, nowhere to go. The canvas is tacked to a board, just under 18 x 24 inches.
I have a whole lot of canvas that I bought on several rolls around the studio. These are the ends of rolls that Plaza Art had up front for quick sale. A quick and easy way to just start a piece quickly by tacking the canvas on a drawing board.

If youth but knew; if age but could

"If youth but knew; if age but could," oil on linen 18 x 24

Corn Maze II

Here there is a bit more done to the piece, still though, lots to work out.

Corn Maze

Work in progress. Oil on linen, 18" x 24.'