Improving, Learning, Growing

Always Trying to Improve, Learn & Grow

Art can be such a struggle!

You study,

you work

you practice

you study,

you work,

you practice.

You get frustrated!

Rinse and repeat!

This is my story with this painting.

We have some pretty interesting barns

 where I live in Kentucky.

Many have been standing for as long as I can remember.

We have a barn I love on U.S. 42 in Carrollton.

It sits on a hillside and part of it's on stone stilts.

It's an old tobacco barn.

Many barns in this part of the country were tobacco barns.

I've painted it plein air.

I've photographed it.

I've drawn it.

I've painted it in the studio many times.

This was my best effort and I was never happy with it.

It was toooo tight.  

The other day I was in the studio and I was looking through some old work that I love the scene but not the painting.

This one was is that pile.

I looked and looked at it to decide 

what I thought needed changing.

The path going into it isn't right.

The roof is right because they maintain the barn so well,

but I thought it would look better a little more distressed.

I re-worked it for a little while and was 

much more happy with the results.

Not crazy about it yet,

but happier.

I added some rust and missing pieces on the roof.

It's not accurate to the actual barn, but it looks better I think.

I warmed up the inside of the barn wall

 as if a light was left on in there.

I completely changed the driveway going into the barn.

There isn't actually a driveway there, but it needed one

I thought.

I lightened up the side of the barn on the stilts

and tried to show more where the doors are.

Tobacco hangs in levels in a barn like this.

The doors on the sides are opened or closed

as the tobacco dries so air can pass through more evenly

so it doesn't scorch.  

After the fall rains, then you want the tobacco 

to absorb moisture as it goes "in case"

so it can be stripped and baled and taken to market.

Carrollton, KY was once the burley tobacco capital of the world and there used to be huge tobacco warehouses all over the county.  Now most are gone as the market has completely changed.

Years ago every yard with any size at all would have tobacco growing there and nearly every farm had tobacco bases.

You were given an allotment by the state and you were allowed to grow only so much.  People rented other peoples bases if they were not going to use it.

Raising tobacco is a very labor intensive product and students used to get out of school if they were needed on the farm to plant or harvest or strip tobacco.  It became almost impossible to find help to work the fields.

Tornadoes, age and abandonment have taken its toll on tobacco barns all around me.

But this barn stands and is maintained.

I love the stone stilts.

I am fairly happy with this painting.

But I have many more of it I can always use to 

improve, learn and grow my skills and knowledge.

If you've enjoyed this post, I'd love to have you share it with anyone you think would be interested.

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If you are a homeschool family who would like to add art to your curriculum, I invite you to join my private Facebook group, Painter Nation Homeschool Art Club.

I post daily, M-F and I go live once a week with a live drawing or painting class.  I try to do that on Monday at 10 a.m., but sometimes I've had to change it.

Click HERE to go to the Facebook page.  

Ask to join and 3 questions will pop up.

I ask that everyone answer the 3 questions so I have a better understanding of how I can best help you.

Once you answer the 3 questions, I can open the door and welcome you in to our group.

This group was designed to create a place for basic art student education and a place to share your work for feedback, and a place to encourage each other.

Please join us now.

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If you have it on your bucket list to learn to paint and/or draw I have created a private Facebook group especially for you.  I hop in there every day, M-F and I go live on Wednesday at 1 p.m. to teach a painting or drawing class.

Click HERE to join our group.

I know how difficult it is to find basic beginner instruction for adults who finally are taking the time to do something they've wanted to do for years, learn to paint and draw.

If this is you, please join us in a very safe, friendly environment where everyone is learning and wants to share what they've learned.  

There are 3 questions when you ask to join so again, I can know how best to help you achieve your goals.  

Answer the 3 questions and I can open the door and say

"Come on in!"

I can't wait to say that to you.  

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You can visit my website by clicking HERE.

I have a FREE blog on there that also has lots of information expressly created for beginner artists.  

I also have individual classes and my full blown art course there and there will be more classes coming in the very near future.  

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by today.

P.S.  I almost forgot.  I have a YouTube channel where I also teach beginning painting and drawing lessons.

And, guess what?  It's FREE too!