These images are all based on actual scenes from across America during the 20th century, all drawn from an incredibly huge collection of archival photographs, created by a government program known as the Farm Security Administration, housed in the Library of Congress.
The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was created in the Department of Agriculture in 1937. The FSA and its predecessor, the Resettlement Administration (RA), were New Deal programs designed to assist poor farmers during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Over 77,000 black-and-white documentary still photographs, along with 644 color photographs, were taken during its eight-year existence.
From these photos, I selected a limited number which I thought were perfect compositions for paintings just the way they were. Using these black & white photos as reference, I painted these scenes on large canvases, bringing them to life with color. I tried to be as accurate as possible, using books on collectibles to get the colors correct, where possible, and taking my best guess at everything else (although I doubt that there's anyone around now who could dispute the accuracy).
The collection is small right now. This is a work in progress. I still have a long list in waiting.
Click the sign below to view the paintings.
