The landscape in Pennsylvania has inspired painters for over two centuries, and it is obvious why. When you spend time in the region, the beauty is inescapable. The low mountains are accessible and inviting, with lush forests and plentiful streams. With just about an even four seasons, you can experience the changes in weather and the land fully, from hot summers to cold frigid winters.

Still life is the most controllable of all subjects for the painter. Painting objects present many challenges for the painter. Surfaces, shadows in a shallow space, which create what is called compressed values, or low contrast. The objects in these paintings are meaningful or playful.  The drama is invented by juxtaposed objects. 

“Wading In”, a 48”x60” oil painting on canvas, is the largest I have done with figures, landscape, and still life. It took me a year to complete. And I had been planning the painting for quite a while with many sketches, small paintings, pastel drawings, and a year of figure study. 

The entire idea of the painting is based on where I live, and my experience with these scenes and scenery. The two creeks, the Yellow Breeches and the Conodoguinet, were both destinations for city folk to relax and cool in the summer. Both creeks served this purpose and became recreational areas, spiritual retreats, and later amusement parks.

See the Video for this painting on YouTube, The Story of Wading In Video