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| Heartland oil/canvas 30 x 48 x .5 |
Dussel farm's barn burned to the ground a week ago. I was painting that afternoon in my studio. Breaking my solitude was a rash of sirens that carried on for what seemed to be hours. It wasn't until the next day that we realized their source. We were saddened for the Dussel family and for our community, a township that was once rural and now being overtaken with housing developments and commercial properties. I have painted this barn many times....this last one, "Heartland" makes it the focal point.
I painted the beautiful rolling hills where Walmart now reigns.
I painted the spires on an aging barn....spires that were removed a few months later for safety reasons, I believe.
While viewing my own work in retrospect, I usually take note of how my process has evolved. But an event like this brings to mind an historical viewpoint that I have never really consider....subjects of paintings that no longer exist...rolling hills, spires, people and, yes, barns. Time marches on.
Heartland can be seen at Gallery C in Raleigh.
