“The Broken Swing”

Although I spent many years traveling around the country with my work and painting many landmarks that only the locals would appreciate, I also did several local Indiana shows. One of them, being Amish Acres, in Nappanee, Indiana.  I exhibited there 30 times since 1976, receiving many awards and watching the festival grow from the apple orchard, (When I started) to the huge festival it has become today.  I did several paintings from this area.

One of them was Weldy School, an Amish School that was located just west of the town.  I was also fascinated in the school yard with the playground equipment they had. I painted the old brick school building, since then been demolished and replaced with a new school.  They had a hand water pump outside the school which I also painted.

The broken swing gained plenty of interest as it tells a subtle story, with the stubby yellow pencil nestled in the grass and the swing hanging by just one chain.