Kansas
Kansas (2017)
24¼x18¼ Pastel on Pastel Paper
Original is Sold
When you’re a different kind of boy like Clark or Lex, growing up in a rural place such as the farmlands of the Midwest isn’t as easy as a big city where you can get lost in the crowd or find your clique. But if you’re lucky, you can find someone to at least have fun with in the cornfields until you run off to the big Metropolis.
Even though I plan out pieces and have ideas beforehand, I'm never 100% sure what direction a painting will take. I had this idea for a couple of Country Boys, but who they are, their stories, and their relationship to each other only came into focus as I was working on it. As the dark-haired figure took shape, I thought, "Hey, he looks like a young..." which took me right to a painting suggestion my husband has made a few times, and suddenly it revealed itself. It was there just waiting for me to connect the dots. Working in pastel, I focused on the vibrant, golden light of the Midwest Autumn, contrasting the rough texture of the dry corn stalks with the smooth, athletic physiques of the two men in this intimate moment of connection.
