People Denim
The Card Game
I sketched these three men at different locations and times. I decided it might be nice if they met on my canvas for a game of cards. I think they are having a nice time.
Pa Reads the Paper
Each noon Pa came in from the field and ate dinner. After dinner he pulled his pipe from a pocket in his overall bib, filled it with Prince Albert smoking tobacco and went to sit in the front room with the newspaper. He would turn on the radio which was powered by a six-volt car battery and one b-battery. This was his time to read and listen to the livestock and grain prices broadcast from WNAX, Yankton, South Dakota. This was followed by a half-hour of lively Bohemian music after which he returned to the field.
Cousin Art
There was nobody quite like cousin Art. Ma cooked and did housekeeping for this kind-hearted bachelor for 25 years. I captured this picture of him playing his button accordion on a blustery, cool South Dakota day in 1952. Sometimes he played the piano and a harmonica at the same time, supporting the harmonica in some sort of metal brace worn around his neck. A lighted cigarette was always nearby. Ma's spoon collection hangs on the wall and her geraniums, planted in pots made from red, two-pound, Prince Albert tobacco cans, rest on the window sill and piano. Art wore two pair of overalls on this particular day -- the newer pair underneath.
Farm Boy
This fourteen-year old working farm boy was the fourth son and the youngest of our large family. He had six sisters.
Farmer Brother Don
This painting of the eldest in our large family was done from a 1963 photograph. He was farming at that time and also had a large egg-laying operation. Once laid, the eggs came rolling down a slightly sloped screen into a little gathering area. It was interesting to see.
Ma Feeds the Chickens
Noon Meal on the Farm
In 1952 there were still lots of small independent farmers in South Dakota. It was spring planting time at the farm of my brother Don. He and the hired man had come in at noon for a robust homecooked meal that would fortify them for more hard field work in the afternoon.
Pa and His Tractor
It was D-day in June, 1945 and Pa was working in his South Dakota field. When his tractor got to the end of the field row on this particular day he was happy to pull off his gloves and greet one of his sons who had just arrived home on furlough from the Air Force. Pa had two sons in the Air Force at that time and a third son joined up later. A box camera photograph taken by my sister was the basis for this painting.
Checking the Cattle
Riding in the back of a pickup truck across a South Dakota pasture can be a rough ride.
Pa Builds a New Outhouse
When an old outhouse (outside toilet); developed an ominous tilt, it had one of two problems: it was about to fall into the pit below or it was architecturally unsound. The old outhouse here needed attention in both areas. An abandoned milk separator rusts away in the background between the two buildings. This painting was done from a box camera photograph taken of Pa as he built a new outhouse (outside toilet); for the farm.
Rained Out Farmers Meet for Coffee
These farmers planned on being in the field on this particular day but the rain made them change plans. This newly-available time was used to exchange farm problems over a cup of coffee with local farmer friends - a valuable way to share their experiences. .. after which they roll the dice to see who will pay.
The Workshop
My brother, a South Dakota farmer, sits in his woodshop in the 1980's. The dog has a lot to act humble about. The night before I sketched this, he was left alone on the farm. He amused himself with an evening of chasing chickens about the farm yard. He successfully caught and killed six hens.