Face of Fear

Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 12x16

What is she afraid of, giant mutated insects, creatures from outer space or just plain murderers ...who knows? Another tribute to the pulps and B movies has emerged from my brush! These are a lot of fun to paint and I hope that others enjoy them also. $800.00

Man in the Shadows

Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 16x12

Another addition to my "Sin, sex and cigarettes" series. A hardboiled private eye reaches for his gun in this nod to the cover art of the pulp detective magazines. $800.00

"He was tired of the run-a-round and this alley was as good as anywhere for a bloody showdown!"

Mean in Green

Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 16x12

This is another painting in my ongoing series "Sin, sex and cigarettes" a salute to the cover art of the pulp magazines. This could be that double crossing client I referred to in my "City Noir" piece. This grieving widow chose to wear green rather than black to compliment her eyes and the setting sun cast shadows through the window blinds. $800.00

The Final Voyage

Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 16x20

A Tribute to my Dad

Robert Standish Shropshire died early this morning at age 97. I received a call from my sister, just as I finished this painting that my Dad was failing and might pass at any time. My wife and I drove to the hospice care center and made it in time to say our last farewell and were at his side for the end. For me, painting is my one solace, my strength, and my haven when everything is falling apart and my heart is breaking. I started this the day I heard he was being transferred to hospice care.

This painting shows Bark Lake Bob piloting his pontoon boat the LaBob (a combination of my Dad’s name and my Mother’s name Lavon) on an evening cruise. He loved life and being at his cottage and nothing gave him more pleasure than to take family and guests on a boat tour of the lake, especially on the 4th of July to see the fireworks. He also loved me and my paintings and I wish he could have seen this one before he slowly cruised away into the sunset. I loved you Dad, and I miss you already.

Milwaukee My Hometown

Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 16x20

Available from the artist for $950.00

I was born and raised in Milwaukee and began my art career in this great city by a great lake! As a teenager I was awarded scholarships to the Saturday Art Program at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Some of the best and most talented student artists in the city were given an opportunity to create art with professional materials and study with top notch art instructors, like Eugene Mecikalski and Ralph Cieslik, every week. We were also given free reign of the art museum and its world class collection of art to study, discuss, inspire and enjoy. I knew my way around the art museum like my own room. What an opportunity for a young artist to have! But the best part was meeting other kids that loved art as much as I did. Keith Halonen was one of them. You can view his website at http://keithhalonen.com/artist.htm , check his Biography.

To my knowledge there has never been a program like it before or since and I'll always be grateful to my city for a chance to be part of it during my "wonder years". Thank you Milwaukee!

Miss Ruby

Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 16x12

Sin, sex and cigarettes ...these were the essential elements of a good cover for every vintage pulp magazine. I think Miss Ruby embodies all that and more. I am currently working on an ongoing series of tribute paintings that reflect my lifelong interest in pulp literature and cover art, from "Weird Tales" to "True Detective" and from the gritty back alleys to the castles of a forgotten race. My Kindle is loaded with enough classics, sword and sorcery, adventure, fantasy, science fiction and pulp fiction to keep me inspired for a long time to come. $800.00

Old Chicago

Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 16x12

Here's my artist's rendering of the intersection of State and Randolph in Chicago. I loved the old black and white photograph that this is based on. The three story beer bottle dwarfs the pedestrians scurrying about their business on the sidewalks of the city. I think a little washed out color adds to the period feel of the piece. chicago skyline prints