Pochade Paintings

BY BRIAN STEWART

	At the Border I painted this in southern Arizona near the town of Arivaca close to the Mexican border. It’s typical of the dilapidated shacks surrounded by mesquite that you find in that part of the country. I was attracted to the color and character of the place and felt it would not be there much longer. 6 x 8 in an artist-made gilded, traditional frame.

	Bail Bondsman I don’t have much experience with bail bondsmen or getting out of jail, but I do know that bail bondsmen don’t have as cute of offices as this one. It was surrounded by planters and the different colored lights hitting them made it irresistible. This is in Mississippi near Natchez. 6 x 8 in an artist-made gilded, traditional frame.

	Lilac Drive In the 30’s when cars and car trips were still a novelty, the Twin Cities had a beltway around it at the cities’ edge that is now part of Hwy 100 or then known as Lilac Drive. The city built picnic areas at interchanges with Beehive BBQs and tables. People would have lunch and watch the traffic go by as entertainment. The remnants of these picnic areas are still there today. 6 x 8 in an artist-made gilded, traditional frame. SOLD

	Once a Prairie Home This old, abandoned house in northern Minnesota spoke of an older, by-gone way of life. “One large room held an entire family”, I was told by some neighbors who saw me painting this. The threatening sky just seemed to add to the story. 6 x 8 in an artist-made, gilded, traditional frame.

	Madison County Yes, this is one of the famous covered bridges in Madison County, Iowa, glamorized by the book and later the movie starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. Most of the bridges are well preserved but no longer in use. They attract visitors from around the country. The thing I remember most about this painting was almost getting attacked by a pack of angry farm dogs. Had it not been for a quick acting owner – who knows? 6 x 8 in an artist-made, gilded, traditional frame.

	The Hockey House I found this old boat house on the west end of Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota. A large lake, it serves sportsmen year around. This shack that sat between the lake and an adjacent pond served as a hockey warming house in the winter. The sight of many hockey games, I’m sure. The early morning view at sunrise looking east seemed to give it a nice feel. 6 x 8 in an artist-made, gilded, traditional frame.

	One of Ten Thousand Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” and they all add to its richness and culture; inner city lakes, suburban lakes and wilderness lakes. This is Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. The river flowing from it is the beginning of the Mississippi River. 6 x 8 in an artist-made, gilded, traditional frame.

	Elvis’ Place This is the house that Elvis Presley was born and raised in. Located in Tupelo, MS, its representative of many of the small sharecroppers or Hurricane houses of that period. Built by his father in the early 30’s, it is two rooms, one behind the other. Today it is a museum visited by fans from around the world. 6 x 8 in an artist-made, gilded, traditional frame.

	CCC Tower The Civilian Conservation Corps was an offshoot of FDR’s WPA Program and New Deal. It employed young men who did rural construction projects that ranged from building bridges, roads, cabins, etc. that were part of our parks and wilderness areas. The structures were of indigenous materials and were always beautifully designed with an Arts & Crafts feel. They are just today being appreciated as an art form and social program. I’ve painted many of them and plan to do more. This one is on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. 6 x 8 in an artist-made, gilded, traditional frame.

	Mississippi Modern Old Art Deco styled trailers are a favorite of mine, particularly the ones with that forward leaning design. It’s like they’re going nowhere fast. I found this one in an impoverished, run down area of rural Mississippi. It looked “modern” in comparison to it’s surroundings. 6 x 8 in an artist-made, gilded, traditional frame.

	The Petrol Shack This old corrugated tin shack is in south Minneapolis is the office of a wholesale gasoline station. With the old truck along side, it felt like it was 1940…and I’m always a sucker to paint something that feels like 1940. 6 x 8 in an artist-made, gilded, traditional frame.

	Preservation Hall This is what many consider to be the home of New Orleans jazz and American jazz in general. Long a venue and gathering place for great musicians it still has nightly sessions featuring seasoned vets and younger gifted musicians who will carry the torch. Never having seen a coat of paint since the original, I believe, I tried to capture that in this sketch. The instrument cases over the door serve as a sign and logo and are known the world over. 6 x 8 in an artist-made, gilded, traditional frame.