The landscape painter Wolf Kahn in conversation would refer to the Barn as the “American Parthenon”.  A provocative thought,  I would have to agree. The scale in the landscape they occupy mimics the same scale as a Parthenon. And there it is, a mass of geometry in light. Such economy of form that functions.  Unfortunately like the Parthenon the American Barns are a disappearing icon of our country.
     The painting “End of day” was painted in Illinois. This group of buildings was on route 173 just along the boarder with Wisconsin. I just love the scale of the barn revealed by the figure standing there. I get that sense I am looking through the foreground space to the figure who is further off. Just amazing visually. 
     The painting “Dusk at Svensens ” was from that same area. I still remember it. It was evening and I turned off route 173 going north and there was this long dip in the road like you were going down a hill but the road was going up and there it was on the right. Just sitting there in all of it’s history. This unbelievable barn engulfed in in this evening light. The fading sky in that chromatic blue and that light on. That light on it just floored me. I can still see it. How incredible. Just had to paint it.  The collector who purchased it has since become a close friend. Great when it works out like that.
The painting ‘7 A.M.” was from a morning out in Western North Carolina, a place called Fines Creek. We went out to see about a used rotto tiller. I had walked away to see if I could find the seller. When I headed back there was this morning light on the barn and a figure for scale. Perfect!. Thus 7 A.M. as it was. I find the placement of the subject interesting in that it is so frontal. All most flattened but the light is giving depth to the space that it illuminates.