Giant Horse Barn

Oil on canvas on panel, 6" x 6" -- Click Here to Bid

I had a very special opportunity to visit a big sawmill in Lewiston, Idaho, a few days ago, through my husband's connection. We had a nice tour through this facility that was built in the 1920s. The operation of the mill was very interesting. But to the artist's eyes, everything was even more fascinating to see: colors and shapes of the machines and building, etc.. I learned a lot about how the modern lumber industry works, and how people are making the wooden parts of our houses as sustainably and efficiently as possible. For example, bark and sawdust are sent to a nearby powerplant to make electricity and the steam that comes back to dry the boards in huge kilns. Wood chips go to a paper mill in the same industrial complex.
   I think I'll do a series of studies of this mill. To start, I painted the giant old barn that used to house the draft horses, based on my photo and imagination. This is probably the largest horse barn I've ever seen. Some of the old wooden buildings, including this barn, are gradually being demolished to accommodate a new operation system. I wanted to preserve these historic images in my paintings before the buildings disappear.