You are currently viewing Because of the River: Art of Small Town, Wisconsin

Because of the River: Art of Small Town, Wisconsin

  • Post author:
  • Post published:September 2, 2018
  • Post category:art

I want to tell you about one of my favorite recent paintings. The inspiration for this handsome piece came from a gorgeous little town in Wisconsin.

“Because of the River”

This is a painting of a large, historic gristmill in the city of Cedarburg, WI.

A few years ago, my wife and I were on our way to Milwaukee to pick my son up from the airport. He was flying in from Rehoboth Beach, DE, and Milwaukee had good deals on flights.

Anyway, we decided to take a detour through Cedarburg. I had seen it on a Google Maps, and thought it looked like a nice place to visit.

I was right! What a neat town! We were charmed by the architecture, the shops, the art, and the activity. The streets were bustling with people.

Cedarburg was settled in the 1840’s. A wooden gristmill was built in 1844 on Cedar Creek. In the 1850’s, this structure was replaced by the impressive, five-story, stone gristmill that stands today. The stone building and the creek are the subject of this painting.

Cedarburg is now a destination for tourists. It seems that every weekend there is some sort of festival or event.

Best of all, there’s a great arts scene in Cedarburg. The mills have become shops, studios and art galleries.

There are also galleries throughout the town’s historic buildings, along with specialty food shops, antique stores, cafes, and restaurants.

For more about Cedarburg, visit http://www.cedarburg.org/ 

or:

 http://www.ci.cedarburg.wi.us/

All because of the river.

Cedar Creek, to be more specific. Hence the title.

Own it today!

Because of the River

Look at the river walk. You can see the pebbles in the asphalt. You can see how the ground has shifted, maybe washed away, causing the surface of the walk to crack and sag a little. The path disappears in a tunnel of trees, leading you to a bridge across the creek. The imposing stone building glows in the diffused Wisconsin light. The road leads to something behind the massive trees. Approaching storm clouds billow and swirl in the background as rays of sunlight manage to get through. The serenity of the scene is reflected in the broken ripples of the gently flowing Cedar Creek.

The painting is composed on an 11X14 canvas. The price is $250.00, unframed.

 

For a small amount more, I can frame it for you. For more about that, visit my online gallery entry here.

By the way, this isn’t the first time I’ve painted the gristmill in Cedarburg. My friend Brian M. bought this painting from me last year.