The Highlands of Western Pennsylvania

(12x24 acrylic on canvas)

click image for larger view

Yes, the highlands. This painting depicts a view from Haining Hill near Springs, Pennsylvania – about 3 miles, as the crow flies, from the highest elevation in Pennsylvania (Mt. Davis, 3,213 ft).

Rolling picturesque farmland, not rich by any means, but certainly picturesque. As you stand atop Haining Hill you get a real sense of being ‘on top of the world’. The topography is rolling with prominent ridges, all part of the ancient Allegheny Plateau. Some interesting history in this area as well. Further south from this point is the remnants of General Braddock’s road, which old Route 40 follows and which Interstate 68 parallels.

The view that you see depicted is looking southeast towards Springs, very near the area where my father and I were raised. In fact, we used to gather hickory nuts in that woods in the distance off to the left of the dirt road. Yes, that's a dirt road and for some of you that's a rare sight, but I'll leave that for another discussion...

Evening at the Forgotten Gate

Someone's left the gate open, for a long time. I came across this scene on one of my back road excursions on Maryland's Eastern shore. A sort of faded elegance draped in late day gold. Obviously someone took great pains to create a memorable entrance. Now it appears to be forgotten -- except for someone who stopped and thought it worth a painting.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed painting it...

(orig. 5x7 acrylic on gesso board)

Who Grows Your Food?

It's easy to forget that up until relatively recently (within the last 60 years) most people still lived a rural existence, and small farms were the norm. Nowadays it seems that we have entered the age of agri-business and corporate farming. So who grows your food? Has it arrived at your dinner table after having traversed the continent in the back of some refrigerator truck, specially-bred to withstand the rigors of shipping? Or did you buy it direct from the grower, handing him or her cash and chatting about the weather? (no swipe your card and wait for the cashier)

Rest at least somewhat assured that there are still small farms to be found in this country. People working very hard to produce food for their families and to earn enough cash to buy the necessities of life. Yes, farming is an honorable profession but it's not one that we honor very often, do we?

This is an actual farm not far from where I grew up. I wish there were more of them like this.

(original 6x8 acrylic on canvas board)