Uh oh, my painting is getting rusty!

And the painting is peeling!!! Well, not the painting's oil paint.

My artistic inspiration sometimes comes from unusual places. A case in point: Stuart's Apple Farm (my neighborhood orchard). But it's not about rolling hills with rows of trees and fabulously farm fresh apples. Not this time anyway. It's the fascinating old rusty farm stuff like this gas pump. What a relic!

Rust and peeling paint have been intriguing me lately. Maybe it's the patterns, or the lack of a predictable pattern! You can't have preconceived notions about how rust should look. You just have to go with it. This old gas pump has rust and peeling paint - which made tackling painted type worth the challenge!

"Fuel Fossil" 9x12" ©2013 Dorothy Lorenze

In other art-seeking adventures I recently visited the site of a historic home being renovated by the Somers Land Trust. I had gone in search of an interesting chunk of old wood to use as a surface for still life objects but ended up taking lots of photos of old wall studs and peeling window sills. Oh the possibilities. Just wait.

Meanwhile, back on the farm... literally: apples are already available at Stuart's. They are crisp and tart and sweet. Seriously, is your mouth watering yet? Go get some. And while you are there, pay homage to an original "fuel fossil," in the rust... so to speak.