Welcome!
Hi! I hope you enjoy looking at these old barns, reading their stories, and viewing my paintings of them.
"Preserving American history ... one old barn at a time."
Welcome to the wonderful world of barns and my Ohio barn project, a humble attempt to preserve Ohio history by painting pictures of old barns and writing essays about them. Proceeds from most of the paintings raise funds for the 4H, historical society, or another worthy charity in the counties where the barns are located. In fact, I’ll come to your county if you can find someone familiar with your old barns, someone who is passionate enough about barns to do some leg work ahead of my visit. Use the contact form to get in touch with me regarding this.
ARE THE PAINTINGS FOR SALE? Yes, though most of them are or will be featured in fundraisers, which are found on the events page. For those who can't make it to the fundraisers, go to my fine art website, www.robertkroeger.com, for a look at my paintings, barns, marine, and the doors of Santa Fe. They can be purchased on that site.
Why and how? This crazy old barn in Ohio’s Licking County started it. “Granville Gray” as I call him, planted the idea – quite by accident. When, on our annual wedding anniversary weekend in 2012, my wife and I turned down the road to our bed and breakfast, we passed this gentle gray giant. Its roof sagging, its side boards warped and tilted – a few missing here and there, the barn grabbed me. Disheveled, it begged for attention. I don’t know how or why, but the idea sprang into my head that I had to find out more.
So, the next day I met the owner in the small old (1830) farmhouse next to the barn and learned about its story. I told Mr. Hall that I’d eventually start this project and, sure enough, in late 2015, I presented him with a small study painting of his barn. Isn’t it funny how ideas mushroom?
As time passed, I thought more about my project and decided to write an essay on each barn that had a story behind it. If, after I finish 75-100 barn paintings with significant stories behind them, I can find a willing publisher, I’ll compile them into a book – paintings, essays, and barn photos: a look at early Ohio history, a time when farm work took the place of smartphones and computers.
MY PAINTINGS. I use the thick impasto oil technique on Masonite panels and I prefer to use original barn wood – from the barn I paint – to frame the painting. You can find out more about this impasto stuff on my bio page.