A Recent Commission

Man at Dangberg Ranch, 20" x 28", oil on canvas.
Dangberg Ranch, a historic site and now a State Park, is located on the outskirts of Carson City, Nevada.

This painting, although more representational than some of my more recent pieces, continues with my exploration of the human condition in contemporary society. While the term "contemporary society" suggests the idea of populated cities at the forefront of technology and current political events, such a connotation should be considered improper. We live in a global society, impacting the global environment, climate, and human condition everywhere.

Here, snow is on the mountain and the grass is green. The sky is blue. But tomorrow it could be rainy and cold, or blazing hot, scorching the grass to a dry yellow. Not only is the climate significant, but the current economic crisis has a substantial impact on the future of the State Park. Such instabilities are metaphorically represented in the subtle contrasting colors, hints of dry grass, a broken fence, a lone cow, and snow-topped mountains on a sunny day. Carson City can be a land of highs and lows, and the man ponders as he walks the land...