Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial
8x10 inches
Oil on Masonite panel.

I wanted this to be finished so I could post it for Independence Day, but didn't quite get it finished in time. Although Abraham Lincoln is not one of the founding fathers, he did save the nation, so I thought him appropriate for that day when we concentrate on our republic.

My son, Bob, is an attorney, and I painted this for use on his web site. It will be included with this quote from Mr. Lincoln's second inaugural address. "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

I used a photo I took of the Lincoln Memorial in 2006 as the inspiration for this painting. This was painted using only Torrit grey and white on a black surface.

I am going to enter this in the Torrit Grey Painting Competition. Torrit grey tubes were given out free to artists in some art stores earlier this year. By hosting the competition, Robert Gamblin invites painters to experiment with the first dimension of Gamblin Color Space: VALUE. See how light & dark values can have as much impact as color.

Click here to see the paintings that I currently have on eBay.

Click here to go to Bill Brauker Art

Lady of the Lake

Lady of the Lake
16 X 20 inches
Oil on canvas.

This is the latest in my series of paintings called, Ladies of Legend and Literature.

I finished this a couple of weeks ago, and was not sure how I felt about it. I hung it on the wall and have lived with it for awhile, and now like it quite a bit. You know how it is, many of us are never completely satisfied with our work.

The Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father. Different writers and copyists give her name variously as Nimue, Viviane, Elaine, Niniane, Nivian, Nyneve, Nimueh and other variations. (Wikipedia)

The Rower

The Rower
8x10 inches
Oil on Masonite panel.

This is my painting for the current Different Strokes project, which was started by Karin Jurick, a great artist, who graciously gives of her time and advice to bring people together in the creation of art. She posted a photo of a woman rowing on Lake Michigan. As a former long-time resident of Michigan, I have been to the great lake many times. It was wonderful trying to recreate the blues and greens of a hazy summer day.

Click here to see the paintings that I currently have on eBay, including this one.

Click here to go to Bill Brauker Art

Lake Granby, Colorado

Lake Granby, Colorado

9 x 12 inches
Oil on Masonite panel.

The painting is the result of a beautiful day spent in Grand County, Colorado. There is so much beauty here, that sometimes it is almost too much, to try and capture it, using only a brush, paint and a wood panel. But I try.

Click here to see the paintings that I currently have on eBay, including this one.

Click here to go to Bill Brauker Art

Water Nymph

Water Nymph
9 x 12 inches
Oil on Masonite panel.

The painting was inspired by a photo by Dave Levingston, a great photographer from Dayton, Ohio, who has graciously allowed me to use some of his work for my paintings. You can see his photos, many of which consist of tasteful artistic nudes, here.

Click here to see the paintings that I currently have on eBay, including this one.

Click here to go to Bill Brauker Art

Barn

Barn
5 x 7 inches
Oil on Masonite panel.

Another farm painting. I love this time of the year out in the country. When I was a boy, every summer, my brother Jim and I (and in later years, my brother Jack and sister Robin) would go out to the farm and stay with my Grandma Brauker and Uncle Chuck. They are both long gone now, and the house was eventually sold and torn down, but the old barn still stands and whenever I get back to Coldwater, Michigan, I drive by to make sure she's still standing. (Click the link below to see photos of my Grandmother, the barn and a painting I did of the barn last year.)

It was a magical time for us, riding the tractor, (see photo below) feeding the chickens, and the fun of gathering up their eggs, watching Uncle Chuck milk the cows, playing in the hayloft and so much more. There was no running water in the house, just a pump outside and a large pipe that went into the kitchen. Still Grandma whipped up incredible meals on the ancient large cast iron wood stove that sat like a tank on one end of the kitchen. There was no bathroom, so we got familiar with the two holer in the outhouse, which was located a discreet distance from the back door. At night we had a chamber pot under the bed. And speaking of night, oh how dark it was. At home we had a street light in front of our house, but when Grandma tucked us in, gave us a kiss and said good night, the light went off, and total darkness enveloped us. The only thing we could see was a small florescent cross that hung on the wall across the room. We were comforted by that as it slowly faded and we drifted off to sleep.

Riding with Uncle Chuck on his wonderful old Ford tractor.
I am on the left, my brother, Jim on the right.
My guess is that this is the summer of 1954. That is
the chicken coop in the background.

Click here to see more photos.

Click here to see the paintings that I currently have on eBay, including this one.

Click here to go to Bill Brauker Art

Farmland

Farmland
5 x 7 inches
Oil on Masonite panel.

This is my painting for the current Different Strokes project, which was started by Karin Jurick, a great artist, who graciously gives of her time and advice to bring people together in the creation of art. She posted a black and white shot of a farm she photographed in Pennsylvania, and it was up to us to interpret the colors. It was a fun project and I thank her for always challenging us.

Click here to see the paintings that I currently have on eBay, including this one.

Click here to go to Bill Brauker Art