Post Office

Painting No. 145,
Post Office, Stewart Indian School
Carson City, Nevada
6"x 8", oil on linen
November 23, 2011

Late afternoon shadows from an old Cottonwood Tree fall across the front of the boarded-up Post Office at the Stewart Indian School. This building was build in 1925...well built I might add, the stone work and mortar are still very tight. I think it could last another 100 years. The old flag pole has been repainted several times, and probably hasn't seen a flag raised on it for 20 years or more.

I used a different approach to applying under-painting to this panel. I applied the under-painting as an opposite color of the overall scene, which in this case was variations of yellow ochre. The opposite color being a violet grey, gave the painting a subdued look, together with the limited palette added to the moody effect.

Fading Light, Stewart Indian School

Painting No. 136
Fading Light, Stewart Indian School
8" x 8"
oil on canvas
October 18, 2011

Summer is gone.
It's not coming back for a long time.
The cool afternoons and evenings of mid- Fall have invaded the Eagle Valley, and I have come back to the school to finish my series of paintings.
Why is it that we gravitate to certain scenes? There are over 80 buildings on this site, yet I find myself drawn to only a few. I walk the dirt roads that separate the old teacher housing buildings in search of a good composition, and time after time I end-up on the same corner composing one of three buildings. I have purposely decided to do all the paintings in 8"x 8" panels. This format seams to fit the box shape of the buildings and helps me to control the framimg.
The overgrown schrubs, golden Foxtail's and nearly barren trees seamed to add to the loneliness of the scene and the boarded-up emptiness of the house.

Water Tower

Painting No. 130, Water Tower
Stewart Indian School, Carson City, Nevada
8"x 8", oil on linen panel
September 1, 2011

Standing over the facility, like a giant sci-fi robot, the water tower is surrounded by trees and buildings. It's silvery exterior reflecting the local color.
This is painting 6 of 10 in a series painted at the school.

Abandoned Road

Painting No. 126, Abandoned Road
Stewart Indian School, Carson City, Nevada
8"x 8", oil on linen panel
August 12, 2011

Today was warm but not terrible, I feel sorry for those Texans experiencing 100+ temperatures for over a month.
I'm back at the Stewart Indian School for painting number 5 of 10. I thought that I should try to convey the sense of loneliness and solitude that permeates this place. This dirt road was once a designated street that separated the Cafeteria and Band Building from the employee housing. Now it's mostly ignored by the locals. After standing in the same spot for 2 hours I still haven't seen a soul.