I’m a huge fan of repurposing items where I can to reduce the amount of stuff that goes to landfill.

My frames are all handmade by me from reclaimed wood from our local “Amish Walmart.” The boxes are found all over the place.

I am big on the idea that an artist should create everything when it comes to producing a piece of art. I believe that an artist is at their best when they produce the whole piece. 

They say that life is a journey not a destination  More people need to hear that.

I once considered myself to have been an artist since I was a kid. I’ve spent years trying my hand at everything in art. Drawing, cartoons, origami, Chinese watercolor, printmaking, digital graphic design... the list goes on. 

Here’s what I’m currently working on. This piece features “The Driftless Cafe” in Viroqua. A superb cafe that specializes in farm to table food.  

Today, I spent much of the day in the garage getting things in order ready for an intense session of making frames. I managed to crank this frame out for “The Ride Home” which features an Amish buggy riding up the highway during a fall evening. The frame was made out of old barn wood from an Amish barn.

Now that might sound like a bold, and slightly unethical, statement. But trust me, it’s true.

I studied art at school and I was pretty good at it. I studied it throughout my time at high school and into college. I remember a saying (although the source of it escapes me) that saying is “Steal like an artist.”

“Grounding” is the term given to the application of a “ground” color onto the canvas which will then be painted over. It’s the first step in the process of painting and should (almost) never be skipped.