Spring Houses, 16 x 20, oil on linen

Cambria County was a winter wonderland last year. It reminded me so much of my childhood. It used to snow from late October until April – that's what it seemed like anyway. I did this painting late last winter when a fresh white blanket covered everything. The scene is near Loretto, PA on what used to be the Schwab Estate. You can't tell from this painting but there is probably three feet of snow on the ground. Shadows from a group of trees on the right created the nice pattern in the foreground and on the roofs.

Braddock Houses, For Sale, 16 x 20, oil on linen

Braddock, Pennsylvania is full of despair. You can feel it when you drive around. Lately the community has been dealt another blow because the hospital there just closed. Unemployment is 15.8% compared to the national average of 9.7%.This was once a thriving mill town but now you see boarded-up storefronts and lots of houses are for sale–cheap. Lawns of these houses are overgrown with huge weeds and many are unoccupied. The dark sky tells this sad story while the crisp light gives hope that things can only get better.