This is a commissioned oil painting I just completed for the Nebraska Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America. It depicts the evolution of road grading/earth moving equipment over the years. In the center you see the modern version, in full color. Around the center image are five images of earlier versions, painted in sepia tones to look like historical photos.

This was a very interesting project. Several people have said, "you painted what??" when I told them about the painting. But, whether you are painting a landscape, a figure, a still life, a portrait or a road grader, the basics are all the same. You work out your composition. You look for shapes, value patterns, color. You look for your darkest dark and your lightest light, and gauge your values accordingly. Compare, compare, compare. I think the parts I enjoyed the most were the historical photos...painting them as really value studies, with almost no "color" at all...a good exercise for all artists.

The painting measures 24x30 and was painted on double primed Claussens linen, my favorite. The painting itself took about a week to complete, not including the preparatory sketches.

Lesson learned: it can be a lot of fun to stretch beyond your comfort zone and paint subjects you are not familiar with. It really helps you grow!