Sentinels of the Prairie

Grain elevators like the one depicted in the painting below are ubiquitous in Kansas. This grain elevator located on US Highway 50 several miles west of Hutchinson is still in use, although no longer served by rail. The Kansas elevators take many interesting shapes. The corrugated metal skins cover a rough-hewn board structure. The weather- rain, blistering sunshine, temperature swings, and wind driven dust- all take their toll, producing rich red rust stains and matte finishes of galvanized metal. Their geometrics and shadows produce unique perspectives. They are fun to paint. Eventually, they will disappear from the landscape as they wither. Concrete cylinders of immense size have, for the most part, already replaced them. It's an evolution of the inanimate.