These paintings are vignettes that are meant to work together, like free verse. They were made in 2018 as a reflection on the rural neighborhood where I have lived for most of my adult life and are marked by the affection and tension I have towards it.  It is a place occupied by rural poverty, but also gentrification. Since these are places most of us drive by and never really 'see', I painted many of them in the brilliant greens of spring and summer, against stark white skies, to emphasize the sense of isolation and worth.  I focus on the sad beauty of the abandoned farmlands and buildings, the sense of loss in young people who leave because they see no future for themselves here, and the tenacity of my neighbors and family who remain.