Treasures in the Barn

“Treasures in the Barn” is a portrait of Wyoming artist Charles Dayton looking at his paintings stored in his barn. He invited me to see what he called his “dirty little secret.” I was shocked to see the paintings tossed in among the trash, dirt and even old tires. There was a barn owl living in the rafters.
I wanted to capture Charles in the moment of reflecting on a painting he pulled out of the pile. We wonder what he was thinking. In addition, I was fascinated with the irony of the beautiful finished paintings among the discarded trash. I wanted to tell this story.
This is an oil on linen. The lines of the frames and the perspective of the windows lead the viewer to the focal point, Charles. The cool blue of his shirt contrast with the warm tones of the barn interior.