Stan Metzger Gallery - Rural Retrospectives

 

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Most of my works are Rural Retrospective paintings, done from my perspective as a child, and conceptualized from vivid memories of my personal boyhood experiences, and presented against backdrops of real and imagined landscapes, in an effort to record and preserve a part of the history of my family, and that of my neighbors, back to 1850’s.

Although the days of men farming with horses, boys going all summer without shoes, and neighbors helping neighbors with wheat harvests and making hay, faded quickly while I was growing up on a small family farm in the 1940’s and 1950’s, my personal memories of that time still play with my senses.

As I work on each piece, I can recall the many neighbors that I am so grateful to have known, and the beauty of these people as they lived, doing ordinary chores. These creations help me re-experiences the gone but not forgotten sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and feelings from that era.

It is my hope that, through my art, you may better understand and relive these more simple and romantic times of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s in the rural Midwestern United States.

DISCRIPTION OF WORK

Heavy body acrylics, thinned with mixing medium, and painted in layers on canvas, linen, and gesso board. I use subtle brush stokes, causing the painted surface to be almost completely smooth. I frame each piece, place it in my private, personal gallery, and study it on a daily basis for weeks, making necessary adjustments, before I consider it completed.

SIGNED & NUMBERED LIMITED ADDITION PRINTS

Unless otherwise indicated, all Giclee prints on canvas are limited to 150 prints, and those on paper are limited to 250 prints. They are rolled and mailed in shipping tubes by Priority Mail.

The cost of shipping and handling is $29.95 per print, which is added to price at time of order.

 

Watermelons

24" by 36" - Acrylics on Canvas

This scene is painted from my perspective as a ten year old child. The noontime sun shines brightly down on a wagon load of watermelons, and the cargo still looks like a million dollars to me.

Readying the Sleigh

24" by 36" - Acrylics on Canvas

A generous snowfall in 1912 made my grandparent‘s courtship more romantic, however, my grandmother’s impatience never improved. I can still hear her telling him to “hurry up”.

Original $1,795

Original $1,795

20" by 30 " Canvas Print - $395
20" by 30 " Canvas Print - $395
12" by 18" Paper Print - $145
12" by 18" Paper Print - $145

 

 

 

Wall Cloud

30" by 40" - Acrylics on Canvas

The almost total silence of riding this fully loaded hayrack will be broken in eight seconds when the huge clap of thunder reaches them. This will be the last load of the day.

Frosty Morning

24" by 36" - Acrylic on Canvas

The last week of December brings the longest morning shadows from the southeast sky. Although the green has all but disappeared, it has been replaced by the rich and beautiful complimentary colors of gold and lavender.

Original $2,495

Original $1,795

18" by 24" Canvas Print - $295
20" by 30 " Canvas Print - $395
12" by 16" Paper Print - $145
12" by 18" Paper Print - $145

 

 

 

First Meeting

30" by 24" - Acrylics on Canvas

A proud grandmother introduces her first grandchild, who lives in a town far away, to the calf in the barnyard. Although farmer’s sons and daughters moved away from the farm as soon as they could, they always sent their children back to spend a part of their summer there.

Pasture Nap

18" by 24" - Acrylics on Linen

This is a self portrait of me lying in the pasture with my dog. Because of their quiet, domesticated nature, milk cows pose no threat to a pasture napper.


Original $1,495

Original $950

20" by 25" Canvas Print - $345
15" by 20" Canvas Print - $245
12" by 15" Paper Print - $145
12" by 16" Paper Print - $145

 

 

 

Old North Orchard

18" by 24" - Acrylics on Linen

As a part of our current neighborhood, the Rees family orchard is still largely intact after more than century.


Foggy Morning

16" by 20" - Acrylics on Canvas

Foggy mornings always gave me the opportunity to imagine the barn and silo were actually a beautiful European cathedral. The sheep just kept on eating hay.

Original Sold

Original $750

15" by 20" Canvas Print - $245
12" by 15" Paper Print - $145
12" by 16" Paper Print - $145

 

 

 

Daily Ritual

24" by 30" - Acrylics on Canvas

As the youngest child, one of my daily chores was to find the cows and bring them back to the barn for the evening milking time. It was Tippy's chore to help.

Weeding

24" by 36" - Acrylics on Canvas

This scene is reminiscent of how several neighbor ladies maintained beautiful flower gardens. And when ever I saw the guttering downspouts converging, I knew that there had to be a cistern.

Original $ 1,495

Original $ 1,795

20" by 25" Canvas Print - $345
20" by 30 " Canvas Print - $395
12" by 15" Paper Print - $145
12" by 18" Paper Print - $145

 

 

Bringing in the Wash

24" by 36" - Acrylics on Canvas

 

First One Home

16" by 20" - Acrylics on Canvas

Milk cows always know the evening routine, and it seemed that Sandy would head for the barn as soon as she saw me coming out into the pasture.


Original $ 1,795

Original $750

20" by 30 " Canvas Print - $395
12" by 18" Paper Print - $145

 

 

Under the Osage Orange

18" by 24" - Acrylics on Linen

 

 

 

Quiet Before the Storm

30" by 40 " - Acrylics on Canvas

Created from the artist’s imagination, this scene shows how an oldest son tends to be the family caretaker, as this young man has opened the door to the storm cellar and encourages the family to take shelter. This also depicts the four main crops of Kansas; hay, corn, wheat, and tornados.

Original $950
Original $2,495

15" by 20" Canvas Print - $245

12" by 16" Paper Print - $145

 

 

Cooling Shed (Study)

16" by 20" - Gesso Board

Before the invention of refrigeration, farmers relied on cold groundwater, either from springs or wells, to cool fresh milk. Spring houses and cooling sheds were common, and this imaginary setting uses water, pumped by a windmill, into a large basin behind the farmer.

Cooling Shed

24" by 30 " - Acrylics on Canvas

This painting was inspired by the painting of artist N.C. Wyeth entitled The Spring House. This scene shows fresh milk pouring into a milk can which will soon be placed in a water basin located behind the farmer, and filled by water pumped from a well. The milk was thus cooled before transporting it to the local creamery.

Original $750

Original $1,495

 

 

After Supper (Study)

16" by 20" - Gesso Board

This scene is painted from my vivid childhood memory of our closest neighbors. Although educated as teachers, Gail and Ollie Schuster Stark farmed with their unmarried son “Pete”. After supper, they would gather on their back steps and visit while Ollie groomed the family dog.


After Supper

24" by 36 " - Acrylics on Canvas

Created from the artist’s memory, this is the home of his closest boyhood neighbors, Gail and Ollie Stark, and their unmarried son, “Pete”. Although these buildings were far from the any floodplain, the Army Corp of Engineers destroyed this beautiful home after buying the farm as a part of constructing Perry Lake in the late 1960’s.

Original $750

Original $1495

 

 

Taking the Long Way Home

18" by 24" - Acrylics on Canvas

 

Original was Donated to The Capper Foundation's Holiday Collection

 

 

The Last Load of the Day

24" by 36 " - Acrylics on Canvas

Tippy leads Doll and Pete as they pull a load of hay and three generations of farmers. Riding a fully loaded hay wagon is so quiet that they can hear singing birds, buzzing bees, and a loud clap of thunder in approximately seven seconds.

 

Original $ 1,795

 

 

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