Suspended Narratives
Drunk Round Faced Cowboy — After Raymer is a painting I created following my 2023 artist residency at the Red Barn Studio in Lindsborg, Kansas. During the residency, artists are introduced to the home and studio of Lester Raymer through guided tours that explore his life, work, and artistic practice. One detail that particularly stuck with me was Raymer’s pot fillers—small, rounded figurative compositions that offered a playful approach to character and form.
In a moment of procrastination from the work I had originally set out to accomplish, I began creating a few small portraits influenced by Raymer’s approach. While his work provided a point of departure, my own paintings embrace vivid colors, exaggerated features, and a distinctly different visual language. There is little danger of confusing my work with his, or his with mine.
What began as a playful diversion has become an occasional practice I continue to revisit. These small paintings are fun, spontaneous studies that allow me to experiment with character, color, and form without the expectations of a larger, more involved project. Looking back, my first residency at the Red Barn Studio had a greater influence on my artistic practice than I initially realized. Raymer’s work continues to offer unexpected points of departure, reminding me that even a little procrastination can lead to something worth pursuing.
To learn more about Lester Raymer and the Red Barn Studio, visit redbarnstudio.org.