Oil Paintings
Three Oaks, Michigan
These paintings represent only a small portion of my experience while painting in Southwestern Michigan during the summer of 2006. In this atmosphere of wamth and friendliness, I was able to settle in quickly, while lodging at Aron Packer’s gallery, and glean some of the rich and unique history of Three Oaks. The success of the Featherbone Factory changed the very existence and character of Three Oaks by nearly doubling its population in the 1890s. The Dewey Cannon, a memorial to the Spanish-American War, was the result of local residents’ donations, which represented the highest per capita donation of any place in the country. The people that I met and spoke with while painting embodied a legacy of embracing change and celebrating their continuing sense of place in the community. The residents of Three Oaks greatly enriched and deepened my experience, sharing their stories and memories with me.