Northern Solitude

Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 16x20

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Chipmunk Island Trude Lake Wisconsin

Original Painting - Acrylic on Canvas 16x20

Chipmunk Island

When I was young and my son was still a boy, we camped out on tiny Chipmunk Island on Trude Lake in Northern Wisconsin. We named it after the only other occupant we encountered besides mosquitoes. I’ve never been much of a camper but this memory is a good one.

Mystery of the Lake

Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 16x20

A sense of impending doom and the rising wind of an approaching storm creates many unanswered questions. Who is this woman? Why is she standing on the shore? Why is she wearing a formal gown in the forest? Is she holding a wand ...casting a spell? Quoting Edgar Degas, "A painting requires a little mystery, some vagueness, some fantasy. When you always make your meaning perfectly plain you end up boring people." See more Halloween images here; halloween art

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.

Moonlight Bay

Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 12x16

I painted this for my Dad. He is 97 years old and wanted a new painting for his room. I know how much he loved spending time at his lake cottage and I remember that he would often sing (off key) a song called "Moonlight Bay" whenever he took us on an evening lake cruise. NFS

Dusk

Original painting - Acrylic on canvas 9x12

This small study was painted to capture that fleeting moment just before the sun sinks below the horizon and night begins. I wanted to soften and blur the edges to show that dreamlike stillness before darkness decends. SOLD