This week we present a whimsical picture inspired by a book I haven’t actually read (though the story of Captain Ahab and his vengeful search for the great white whale seems to belong to popular culture). Here we see a whaling ship in the distance and the dreaded Moby Dick gliding silently below. Although our … More Moby Dick
Hello everyone, Today’s painting is one that is featured as the banner for my new website. We needed one that was graphic and also fit the necessary dimensions. We hope you like this painting and the new layout! I started this painting after America went into Iraq, hence the red, white and blue on left-hand … More Baghdad
Kalypso, the daughter of Atlas, rescues Odysseus after a shipwreck and keeps him on her island for seven years. Though she is not without her charms, Odysseus longs to return to his home. I wanted to give Kalypso a wild animal look, and him a look of longing out to sea, and eyes are an … More Kalypso
For this post, we are showing again a drawing and the resulting painting. In this case, the drawing and the painting are extremely similar. This drawing has a sort of Guernica feeling to it. I think the graphic marks reflect the violence of the theme. The theme is Mars, the bringer of war (according to … More Mars
Today’s post features two pictures, which truly share a theme, but were painted years apart. The first is called “Circus”. The scene shows a temporary spectacle with tents and sea air. The composition has a jaunty feel like a merry-go-round. The second painting was completed very recently (this year!). The composition is packed with repeating … More Circus and Boardwalk
Here are three paintings of places I have lived. I don’t typically paint houses, but I do fences if you pay me enough! … In all seriousness though, these are a departure from my usual themes, but they have meaning for my family and friends. This is a painting of the first house my wife … More Houses
Today’s blog will feature a couple of illustrations I did 25 years ago. Although both depict winter scenes for Christmas, they were painted in the full heat of summer in my un-air-conditioned studio, which is why I thought of them today. I hope in seeing them they will have the same cooling effect for you. … More Illustrations
The Bible’s first couple is a theme I have painted many times, original sin and all that. Featured here are two such paintings that are painted very differently, but both depict the same scene. Here, perhaps it is not known if Eve has tasted the fruit yet, but Adam still seems curious. Although the paint … More Adam and Eve
Once again, here is a sketch and the painting that resulted from it. The natural progression would be to a more formal composition in the painting to result in a more permanent image. The theme perhaps came to me from several visits to the Stratford Festival, and the title of both works is “Shakespeare”. One … More Shakespeare
Happy father’s day weekend, everyone! For this week’s post, I have chosen a painting with a family theme. We took our kids to the beach often when they were young, and as my son was an avid sandcastle builder, I thought I would capture the scene. That’s my foot sticking out of the water and … More Happy Father’s Day!
Barry Trower 