I painted this from a photo I took in Zell Mo. Zell, which is in Ste. Genevieve county, is a very scenic old town complete with rolling hills, farms and an old Cathloic church. One may get the sense of the 'good old days' while visiting here. Very peaceful.
So the story goes: I was laid off from my construction job one year during the winter months. So out of boredom my oldest daughter and I went to the local pet shop and bought a pair of mice. I then told her how I always had pet mice growing up and how they make great pets. Since then, we continue to keep mice as pets, and for me they provide a good subject matter to paint. 
This painting shows a scene from Chaumette Winery in Ste. Genevieve Mo. I painted this from a photograph. Later, it was selected and bought by the Ste. Genevieve Art Guild to be raffeled at their annual Christmas Art Show. I had just joined the Guild that same year. The old French town has a rich history in the arts. Many artist lived and painted there in the 1930's. Thomas Hart Benton comes to mind. 
At one time I worked for a pest control company. I sprayed this house on a quarterly basis. One day the owner asked If I could paint his house for him. So, the following weekend my family and I drove over there and took many pictures. Six weeks later I finished it and the owner seemed very pleased, but fidgety. He later explained to me that he was getting a divorce and selling his house. He hung the painting on the wall in his dinning room and said the painting would be better off If it was left behind for the new owners. I was a bit disappointed because I liked him and wanted him to have the painting. But I also realized later that the house had become a symbol of their failed marriage. 
This is a painting I did of my younger sister Lorna standing inside a Starbucks restaurant. I gave it to her for a wedding gift. In this picture her face is washed out a bit....I apologize for that...but here again my decorative daub style has resurfaced along with a very realistic face and fur coat. Also, this is the first painting that I began to hide little mice in.
There is nothing more relaxing than watching your fish swim in the quiet of the night. As an artist, I wanted to recapture this experience in a painting. My only light source as I painted was the luminous glow of the aquarium. The fish portrayed here is a Lion Head goldfish. It floated, weightless as its iridescent scales radiated like the light of the full moon. I miss this painting. I gave this painting to our downstairs neighbor for helping us move on two occasions. I think she thought it was a weird gift. 
This is a parody of Vangogh's Old Man in Sorrow. I asked my self, 'why is this man in sorrow'? I don't think Vangogh tells us why. In his lap I added a book titled Postmodernism. On the floor I added a second book titled Darwinism. On the wall I added a window with another book titled The Bible. In this painting I portrayed this old man struggling with his identity and place in this world. Is he a product of Man's wisdom or God's?
