Prairie and Woodland School by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

This is a wildlife and nature area behind my old house. The prairie was planted by me and my Father in 1986. The boxelder forest is behind the prairie area. This is the place where I learned, played, and painted.

Poem from the book {The Lion and the Sun} by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

                   A poem for Lake Superior

                    Doing hours, doing time

               Where falling down is a crime

                   Getting old, getting tired

         The stairway becomes more of a chore

           The kids berate you for holding on

              Like a piece of steel or granite

They don't understand a man that won't kiss their ass and turn that sweet charm on

Just a woodland creature bobbin in Neptunes World

That Ancient blue inland sea that makes you shiver in it's ice cold dance

Paddling, eating, dreaming is the only place I belong

For each trip I make, I sink a treasure chest to the black depths for safe passage

A gift of ancient crinoid, colored glass of green and orange, a pearl necklace, coral fossil, a nautilius from Sanibel, a sea shell from the mouth of the Mississippi, a bag of B.B, pellets for shooting golfers in the butt, a piece of ancient dinosaur poop (it hasn't been verified but I'd like to think it is)

I am hoping Gitche Gumee and I have the same sense of humor.

                    With Love, Troy.

Poem from the book {The Lion and the Sun} by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

    

The Secret Door by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

It's a strange looking door with a round emblem, and a buzzer locking system. I used to ride my bicycle by it going to school in Newton. I don't know if this building exists anymore.

Tulip and Arrow by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Untitled by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Hawkeye by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

This is one of my first splatter paintings from the 90s. It has a deep yellow Hawkeye background. The painting is actually rectangular, the semi gloss acrylic didn't shoot well without a polarizing lens. Dimensions: 48 x 72 inches on stretched canvas. 

Untitled Abstract by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Untitled Abstract by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Untitled Abstract by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Fall Maple Tree by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

This is a sugar maple behind my house and barn, in Homestead, Iowa.

Untitled by Artist troy Richard Thomas

Paddling the Root River by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

This is my parents paddling in front of me on the Root River in Southern Minnesota. The Root has a much wider valley than the tighter more narrow canyon of the Upper Iowa River. 

Blue Abstract by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Untitled by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Embryionic by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Chance Negative Print by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

The Saplings on Island No. 8 by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Sing to the Clouds by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Red by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Doodle Art by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Poetry from the book {Bunny Hop} by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Sitting in your easy chair drifting off into the atmosphere

Shall we see who lives within the whiperwill

The round robin lets down her hair, I know you're in there

Sitting under the cottonwood tree with the fool I and me

The quiet sound of the snowy owl

With the heat generated I burn a circle in the snow

I feel the trees slumber, its limbs fold around me

The child smiling, the child turning away

In the stove pipe dungeon the sky is clear

You want to walk away but you never do

You are not trapped but the book begins, it raps you on the shins

Shall we start over again in the ghost town

Your tears wash away all the dirt and pain.

Poetry from the book {Bunny Hop} by Artist Troy Richard Thomas 

Untitled Abstract by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Abstract Coffee Makers and Mixers by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

   Preview painting for Maytag Company mural.

Dirty Dog Conglomeration by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Basswood Lake by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Point at Miners Beach by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

This is the rocky point leading to Falcon Cove, near Potato Patch Falls. I will be coming back through Picture Rocks next year, I will be happy to see it all over again. Erosion at the park constantly changes the face of the sandstone wall.

Sunset lake Superior by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Artist at age 3

Artist at age 3 doing some rock hopping in Smokey Mountains National Park. Something I still do to this day. 

Bunny on Wheels by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Olympiad by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Still Life Pitchfork by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Levinson Jewelry Chicago by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Poetry from the book { The Lion and the Sun} by artist Troy Richard Thomas

                         The plumbers game

My family hires a plumber to work on a downstairs bathroom

It probably took him about 15 minutes to sweat the pipes and set the faucet in

My Mother has sneaky suspicion of plumbers, so she goes downstairs to check on his work habits

She opens the door to find the plumber laying on the tile floor with his butt crack showing reading a Hot Rod magazine

He was trying to rack up the minutes to make an hours work

My Mother tells him to gather his things and get out of the house

He tries to show my Mother that he has accomplished the job by turning on and off the faucet

As he is leaving the house

Our family dog who lays like a mop on the floor 99 percent of the time, and one percent of the time he's chasing the mailman or meter reader

The dog seeing my Mother upset with a guy, a stranger in our home who is looking guilty and scared of my Mom

The dog vaults down the stairs and bites the plumber on the ass as he leaves

The clanging van of pipes quickly exits our driveway.

Poetry from the book {The Lion and the Sun} by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Downtown Chicago by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Went to Chicago in the 90s with my Father, to go to a photo shoot at Leo Burnett. They were photographing Old Lonely Repairman actor Gordon Jump. Went to visit Aunt Maude, and went to the museum to see the submarine again. I went to all the art museums and several galleries. I walked around Chicago doing photography for two days. I ate at Unos and the Cheeseburger place.  I rarely go to cities anymore, the forest is more my thing. You know your in the city when you here an ambulance every 10 minutes. 

Chicago Negative Blocking by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Atikaki by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Crew paddling out of a portage headed for a small falls or rapids. Your boat stalls in the shallows, you portage up to Trell Lake. Atikaki Provincial Park.

Pattern by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Scarecrow by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Untitled by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Poetry from the book { The Lion and the Sun} by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

A couple comes to my studio gallery and tells me they hate artwork

A woman tells me she doesn't like abstract art, yet she's wearing a Pollack print on her dress

A woman comes in and sits down on my paint palette

A kid wearing a French beret puts his hand in my palette, and then looks at his hand

Kid walks in the studio and tells his parents "look there's artwork on the walls"

A man walks into the studio and tells me it isn't possible for me to work in multiple styles. I'm only showing three out of forty

A lady from New York tells me she doesn't want to look at any goddamn art, she's just here for the history tour

A little girl shows up with her paint and palette and tells me she's going to paint with me. She sets her easel and tells me to get painting

A guy comes to my studio and talks for three hours. Just when I thought he had left he comes back with a record player and shares his record collection. I've never been very good at breaking off conversations

Woman says there needs to be more pain and misery represented in my paintings

A woman comes to the studio and tells me she knows nothing about art, yet she says I am painting everything wrong

A guy dripping chewing tobacco tells me he hates my artwork

Man from Omaha says I shouldn't want to sell paintings cause people are stupid and ugly inside just like me

An Amana man whose wife had just died is dancing around my studio and acting all happy

This guys in my gallery and he says "so you wanna sell paintings or something"

Old girlfriend comes to my studio, doesn't tell me who she is. I knew her when she was 16, not 45. She is an older beauty, looks like her Mom witch isn't a bad thing

A van stops in front of my sign. Eight people get out of the van, gather around my sign and take a group picture and never come into the gallery

A man in an expensive sports car stops at the gallery. Takes his Afghan dog around my yard, takes a shit and leaves

A woman shows up at the studio and tells me her husband is ill and that she will be available soon

Two drunken college girls show up at the studio. I'm drunk, their drunk, I go to the fridge to get the whipped cream

A family of fat people come to the gallery. They tell their 320 pound 12 year old child to finish his candy bar and big gulp Pepsi, so that he can make room for an Amana meal

A German man walks into the gallery. He looks like he walked out of the Death Star. He tells me that he must preview the gallery before his family can come

A group of sorority girls come to my studio and tell me they'd like to have a slumber party with me. I rush to my room to get on my Hugh Hefner sleeping jacket, slippers, and plastic corn cob pipe that emits bubbles.

Poetry from the book {The Lion and the Sun} by Artist Troy Richard Thomas  

 

Poetry from the book {Bunny Hop} by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

The train stopped in Denver and I was on my way to Aspen where the rich play in their Lincoln log mansions

I was going to play it like Robin Hood, only keep the money for myself

I was dressed in heavy combat gear to rob the rich, drunk, and flabby

The snow was deep and it was bitterly cold

The old residents could no longer afford to live in Aspen, it was now populated by politicians, freaks, and gurus

If I had opened a phsyiciatry office I would have made a mint

I was trashing the health spas and robbing Avon ladies and driving off in their pink cadillacs

I was not a wit at technology and so crashed through plate windows and sky lights

I was drawn to a fire in the far distant forest

People were chanting and dancing naked around the heat

The trees did a mock ballet

I joined them in dance and beat on an old Indian drum

They told me they were calling a UFO

I asked them why they would call such a creature

And they said, that they wanted to be taken to a new heaven because this one was broken

I was being tracked and I was tumbling through heavy terrain

Search helicopters glided overhead whispering for my body

I had stumbled and fallen down a deep ravine into a creek bed full of water

I was freezing, the ice and snow had captured me

The best you can do is go down in joy

I had found Shangri La once on the Mississippi River and I am not sure weather you can ever find it again.

Poetry from the book {Bunny Hop} by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

 

Animal Skull by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Mississippi River by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Untitled by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Storm Moving through Newton Iowa by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Farm field in Newton behind our house. An area we played in and built forts on. 

Upper Iowa River by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Upper Iowa River 18 x 24 inches Oil on canvas
                                     $200

Untitled Abstract by artist Troy Richard Thomas

Blacksmith and lily Lake Pattern by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

At one time Amana had three blacksmiths. The triangle wedges represent lily lake on Japanese fans. 

Untitled by artist Troy Richard Thomas

Untitled by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Untitled Abstract by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Vice Grips by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

Ozette Washinton by Artist Troy Richard thomas

This is a fern and moss draped forest trail that leads to a beach on the Pacific Ocean in Olympic National Park.

Prairie Cones by Artist Troy Richard Thomas

These are prairie cones from the prairie I planted in 1985 in Newton Iowa. 

Oak leaves by Artist Troy Richard Thomas