It is a misnomer that the prairie is as flat as a pancake, for there are some really lovely hills undulating like slow green waves. Mysterious places where I imagine many a traveler has stopped to listen to the wind and marvel vast expanse of what lies ahead. Created with stone, embedded grain, rust, paint […]
Category: Fresh off the easel
Burning the Flint Hills
In the spring, plains ranchers burn off last year’s tall grass to clear the pasture, in doing so the Earth releases the old and makes way for something new. Within days, bright growth rises above the charred earth and the world grows again. Created with stone, embedded Kansas grain, tarry earth pigments, rust and paint. […]
Running Grass
This piece celebrates the shortgrass prairie. The root system of prairie plants are deep. Often with more biomass below than above, they preserve the soil, and in doing so, nature reminds us of the importance of inner strength. Made with stone texture and colored with earth pigments, iron, acrylic and the fresh ash of Eastern […]
An American Quilt
I’m excited to show a collection of autumn earthy works with ceramic artist Barbara Jo Stevens beginning October 19 at the Hays Arts Council. Here’s a preview of one of my newest pieces, An American Quilt. This 13 section painting is my take on an American quilt, a quintessential staple of the pioneering life. My grandmother […]
When the Grass Changes
If you ask me what the prairie’s most magical season is, I’d tell you it’s the onset of autumn. The time when the earth burns off an abundance of energy before resting. A grand opus to growth. And for a glimpse, we are surrounded by that majesty. Tall Indian Grass inked in deep russet. Families […]
Lughnasadh
The Celtic Wheel of the Year focuses on the change seasons. It is a reminder to pause and take stock of our life. The cross-quarter of late summer is Lughnasadh, a celebration of the early grain harvest. It is the first Gaelic harvest festival, a reminder that small things well nurtured mature into great things. […]
Wolf Moon
Born deep in the crevice of the winter sky, the Wolf Moon is the first full moon of the new year, ushering in choice. It challenges us to persevere in the face of difficulty. I used handmade stone texture to sculpt a river of milky ice flowing around the moon to symbolize the progression of […]
Prairie in Midwinter
This piece celebrates the prairie land in midwinter, a time when fragile daylight gently embraces the dark fallow soil. Nature’s quiet encourages reflection and rest. Acrylic with handmade texture, ground prairie gypsum and limestone, topsoil, rainwater, iron and earth pigments to inspire grounding. 24×24 […]
Sedona Crossroads
This piece is a symbol of faith and decision-making. A daily reminder we may choose a direction. Acrylic with earthen material including Sedona sandstone, prairie limestone and iron oxidized to rust to remind us time is fleeting. 24×24 […]
Stone Person
Stone People as record keepers of earth history. My rendition depicts an ancient stone person in the body of prairie sandstone, witness to millennia of time as the ancient ocean slowly receded to grassland. Imagine sagas of buffalo herds, antelope and wanderers traversing the Great Plains. Acrylic with limestone, sandstone and iron oxidized to rust. […]
