Murals and decorative painting: 1991 to 2010

 

As with window painting, mural and decorative painting is always subject to the expectations of those who have commissioned the work. While not inclusive of all of the work (example: the Todd County museum also commissioned many murals for interior dioramas and displays, which are not displayed here) during the years of roughly 1991 to 2010, this is a fair representation. Missing are also a large mural painted for the kids waiting area at the Long Prairie CentraCare Clinic. Remodeling was done around this mural several times but the area is no longer a clinic. Several murals were completed for the St. Mary's education center and this, too, is no longer used. The large military airplane mural, as well as a large eagle and decorative painting were created for the Long Prairie VFW and this building was demolished several years ago.

The painting of the dinosaurs in two little boys bedroom are memorable as an artistic failure. Those little boys, depicted riding the dinosaurs, thought that when the painting was finished the dinosaurs would come off the wall and they could really ride them! Art can only go so far in meeting  expectations.

Window painting: decade of the 1990s

 Window painting may not seem like a serious pursuit for an artist. Yet this exercise in painting in public, in atmospheric variables, and with time limitations, was valuable time spent in creative development.

Watercolors 1992

 

It was another two glorious hours spent in the woods this morning! I've been working in roughly the same part of the woods for the last two weeks. There are so many trees down from either natural falls or cuts. It provides a great workout.

An owl hooted from the far corner of the land when I went out. I saw wood chips beneath a large tree but no tracks and realized a woodpecker had been foraging for food. The rabbits, squirrels and deer have been very busy leaving tracks in the 3-4 inches of snow.

My difficulty of the day was that both chainsaws' chains came off several times. The good part is that I've become proficient at putting them back on out there in the woods.