Memorial Day Post

A few photos in honor of Memorial Day 2020.

These first photos were of my mother and dad on their wedding day. Dad was just back from 3 1/2 years fighting in the Pacific during World War II

This painting is from a photograph my wife took of the flag flying over the Pearl Harbor Museum when she visited Hawaii.

This photo is in the Oshkosh Catholic Cemetery on of the last memorial days I visited the cemetery. the gravestone isn't of my family's . .it was just one which caught my eye while I was at the cemetery.

This was the photo of my Dad once he became a marine. Notice the youth in his face compared to his wedding photo. He had grown up and been through lots during the war.

recent landscapes

All of these paintings were done in the last week. This first is of cat tail's or willows  at sunrise.

This is a a famous rock formation in Nebraska, Chimney Rock, though the chimney is about gone.

this was of a waterfall up in Northern Nebraska.

This was a stream up that way also.

Recent paintings

Acrylic- this was of a flower, that I saw which reminded me of a flower in my grandmother's garden. .It was a called a "morningstar" . .Always thought that a pretty name . . . . 

Watercolor- this painting, actually got published, it was entitled "the outsider" because one of these circles is not connected to the others. I was sorta playing when I painted this . . . 

Watercolor- This a painting of my family's ranch, with the river . .I paint scenes from here lots, when I am down, or depressed, or just sensing my mortality . . . . .

Watercolor- Just playing again. I saw on the computer a dog dressed in a sweater, and wondered if dogs would evolve in the next 100 years, to become more like people. This was my answer.

Watercolor- Another painting in which I was playing. Wondered if I could make it look as if this was a face . . . .

Acrylic- just had leftover paint, and decided to make a gorilla, calf combo . . . . . 

Acrylic-this was another of the ranch . . .just used a different color, I normally don't use . . .

Paintings gone

These are paintings no longer in my possession because I either sold them, or gave them away . .I believe I sold most of these.

This painting is entitled "nightmare" . . .and was one of the first abstracts I did. It really got under my skin, but I truly loved it also . . .

this one I entitled "summer dreams" . .I loved all of the bright colors in this paintings . .I almost see an elf or Tinkerbell in this painting.

This is a surreal painting of the park in my hometown. I loved this painting. I can show you the spot I painted it from . . . . . .it was entitled "waterway in Harmon park"

This painting is untitled. It was of the Dismal River, which runs through the ranch my family once owned . . .The whole river seems sacred . .it has this holy aura. . .

This painting is also untitled. It is of a sand hill lake. It was on the way to the refuge near Valentine, Nebraska.

This painting is entitled 'the inferno". I thought it looked hot, like the center of a blazing fire. I loved the movement and the way it makes the eye move. . . .

flowers

I love flowers, but I am not skilled at painting flowers. I seem to find myself painting the impression of flowers, or what they cause my senses to see. Below are some examples.

I started this painting of a flower and it evolved other directions. I see a little purple man in the painting, and maybe the start of some flowers . . . . .

This painting always brings Wimbledon to mind. I don't know why, it is a painting of some flowers, maybe it was painted at that time of year. I really don't know . .why it invokes Wimbledon when I see this painting. 

This painting, I painted when I came in from a rain shower one Spring. One of my last images as I entered the house, was of flowers in our garden getting pelted by the rain.  I sought to capture what I saw on canvas . . . .It was really an interesting image. . . .

These were some large sunflower type of flowers, though they were not sunflowers, but I thought them interesting enough to try to paint . . . .

This painting was of a boutique of flowers that someone had picked, and I just really liked the colors of the flowers, and the color of the sky in the background. . .I believe they were in a mason jar on an outdoor table. . . . .

paintings

Here are three paintings I came across which I enjoy. The first is entitled "the attraction".  I painted this and really enjoyed it. I know it is a bit blurry, but you get the picture. . . .

the one is entitled "lost in the crowd" . .had to smile, someone asked why, I painted homer simpson in my painting. . .I said I didn't . . .but he wasn't convinced . . . .

this one is entitled "marble face", I didn't notice until after I was done, that it actually looked like a face . .at least to me it does.