June.

Nothing much is happening at the farm these days. It's quiet and everything surrounding is busy growing. The grass requires mowing every few days.
We are growing soybeans instead of corn this year. It seems strange to be able to see to the other end of the property at this time of year. We're used to a corn curtain by now.
The beans are good for the soil, so we're growing them this year and maybe next year too. Everything is so green. These photos will seem so different in eight months.
The house renovation is still underway. We are waiting for a time when all of the parties involved can meet to form a plan of action. Making that happen is turning into a bigger challenge than expected.

Two members of the large herd we have. They're eating something in the soybean field. I wouldn't be surprised if they eat the entire soybean field.

It's difficult to see in this photo, but I planted a dawn redwood at the base of the giant oak tree that was cut down. I hear they grow fast. Hopefully it will be a big tree in my lifetime.

Mowing, mowing, and more mowing.

Zanesville Museum of Arts 71st Ohio Exhibition

End of the Line on display at Spindletop Hall in Lexington Kentucky in autumn 2014.

I was thrilled to exhibit my painting End of the Line in the Zanesville Museum of Art's 71st Annual Ohio Exhibition. The show opened last week and will run throughout the summer. There were over 60 pieces in the show, which was open to artists from Ohio or who have Ohio roots. Below is a photo of the opening from their page on facebook. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of my picture in the show but it had a good spot by the refreshment table.
This is the second time End of the Line was exhibited in a show. Last fall it was accepted in the American Academy of Equine Art's Shades of Blue and Grey: the Horse in the Civil War. I truly enjoyed painting this narrative, historical picture and look forward to doing another. I have to round up some more models, human and horse.

Grasping at anything...

We attended at small farm workshop at oardc a few weeks ago. One of the farmers we met there swears by using Ibars of Irish spring deodorant soap as a deer repellant. I can't wait to see if this actually works or not, but the soap does have a strong perfume smell. It's manly yes but I like it too.

The demo continues

Now that the weather is warmer, we are finally getting back to the kitchen remodel. The layout will be similar to the one before, but instead of an L shaped counter space, the counters will be U shaped. We are going to try to hopefully change the size and height of the windows. The center window over the sink hopefully will get a bit taller, and the two side windows will be narrower to allow space for a fridge and stove.
The entry to the kitchen from the dining room features a wide doorway, about six feet across. When we tore out the trim around it and some of the wall above it, we found the header and some of the framing to the original door. It was much smaller, a standard size door. It looks like the kitchen was updated sometime in the late sixties when they widened the doorway to the dining area and removed the door. They were the pioneers of open concept. Thoughtfully, they left the original door upstairs. I guess they thought someone might want to put it back some day. I thought about it, but I think I'll leave the doorway the way it is. It is nice to see the other rooms on the main floor.
The powder room on the first floor isn't original to the house either. I think it was added in the eighties or early nineties. I've spent a lot of time trying to guess how the space was configured before the bathroom was added.
The place is a mess right now but hopefully we will be able to finish the demo and start rebuilding the space soon.

The kitchen after we removed most of the panelling. The floor is next.

Spring thaw

The I'm not sure when I've ever seen the ground this saturated with water