Recently I had the honour of being included in the South Simcoe Arts Council 'Art on Main' annual exhibit.  This year the theme was farming, which is entirely appropriate given that the region includes some of the richest farm land in Southern Ontario.  With a background in the agriculture business myself, I was imediately intrigued and had a few paintings that I thought would be spot on for the show.  A juried showcase was part of the festival, and I was fortunate to be awarded second overall for my piece entitled 'Working the Back Field'.  
My strong connection and interest in the farming way of life ensures that these themes will be featured in future painting efforts of mine. 

My curiosity and wonderment at the limitless variety of textures and details Mother Nature imprints her offerings with, often draws me in for close up study.  
This painting is primarily about lily pads, which when observed up close, present a slick, almost shimmering surface, especially under the revealing sunlight of mid day. 
For a little something extra, I utilized some molding paste under the paint to build up the edges of the pads, especially where they overlapped, for a heightened sense of reality by way of a mild 3D effect.