Where Square - Where Art and Location Meet

A tradition that my family started many years ago was to collect some type of art from a place we had visited. It may have been a small magnet, an art print from a local artist, a coffee mug with an identifiable skyline and usually an ornament for the Christmas tree. When I look around my home, I see evidence of many locations that we have visited and places that have enriched our lives.

Evidence of all of the " Wheres" provides a sense of accomplishment and purpose.. Where we have traveled. Where our family has lived. Where we are wanting to visit. Where an important event occurred.

My enjoyment of painting Urban Landscapes, especially in a square format, led me to create a collection of paintings called Where Squares. These paintings are a result of my impressions of a place which encompass local signage, architecture and landscaping. I photograph around the city/town and make my compostitions based on pleasing elements from the street scenes. I chose to paint these urban landscapes in watercolor and on a Claybord panel which are 12 x 12 inches and have a 1.5 inch raised frame. Once completed, the painting is sealed with an acrylic varnish which gives a slight satin finish. The painting can be displayed framed or unframed.

I plan to dedicate a wall in my home to display Where Squares from all of the places I have lived. I have lived in 8 different cities or towns and I would like to also include one from Edinburgh, Scotland, Dublin, Ireland and London, UK since I am of Scottish-Irish and English heritage. So far, I have completed Where Squares from only three of the places where I have lived.

I will be passing through Memphis next month, so I hope to do some photography to capture an interesting street scape scene from the downtown area. I lived in Memphis for 5 years in the late 1980's