My sketchbook visits to our local farms orchards and vineyards began during the 2010 harvest season. I followed men and women up and down along the rows of vegetables, berries and flowers quickly sketching their bending and stretching repetitious motions as they gathered the harvest into boxes and buckets.
In my Ashland studio I began my process of outlining select sketches with brush and acrylic paint on 3/4 inch sheets of plywood. This plywood outline was then cut and routed by my assistant Barney Johnson. Finally, many layers of paint selectively mixed with sand were applied to the varied routed surface depths of each 5′ panel.
With the 2012 permanent installation of 26 panels at the Medford International Airport, I share my vision of the dignity, pride and hard work of our local farmers and farm workers with an extended community. However my Oregon agriculture series continues to grow with sketchbook visit to our local pear orchards and vineyards.
