Date Night in Reykjavík
2017
Oil on canvas
36 in. x 24 in.
"Date Night in Reykjavík" came about after a trip to Iceland in 2016.
I was in Reykjavík, Iceland in May, 2016. At that time of year, the sun doesn't set until 11:30 pm. There was something striking in the austere beauty of the earth, sky and water, loneliness and togetherness. I was intrigued by the people walking along the shoreline, 2 by 2, bundled up against the cold air. The people were walking along the sculpture and shore walk, which parallels the "Sæbraut", or Icelandic Sea Highway, in the foreground. I really liked the composition—the intersecting lines of horizon and roadway, with the vertical lines of streetlight and road sign created an interesting rhythm.
My vantage-point for the painting was just north of the Höfði House, one of the most famous landmarks in Iceland.
"Quaker Oats, Sunrise, February 9" is another work selected for juried competition at the 2017 Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition. The oil painting depicts the Quaker Oats cereal plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on a cold Sunday morning. I was intrigued by the warm sunlight and cool shadows on this Cedar Rapids, Iowa, landmark, the largest cereal factory in the world. I was fascinated by the repeated image of the silos, the reflections on the wet interstate pavement, and the steamy atmosphere.
Quaker Oats, Sunrise, February 9
2017
Oil on canvas
36 in. x 36 in.
My wife and I were having breakfast in the restaurant at the top of the hotel, just south of this scene, in 2014, when I got the idea for this painting. I started preliminary sketches on October 1, 2016, and put the finishing touches on it June 7, 2017.
The Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Salon has a rich and vibrant history, going back to 1854. Many of Iowa's finest artists have won prizes at the state fair, including renown regional artist Grant Wood. Beginning in 1929, Wood won prizes in oil painting four years in a row, before receiving national recognition for his iconic masterpiece, "American Gothic". This is the third year my paintings have been selected for the Iowa State Fair.
Over 1 million people attend the Iowa State Fair annually.