January 7 — The Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS) is hosting an online auction of original paintings.
This online auction is for an original painting by artist Robert Kruger for the 2023 Barnes Calendar for Champaign County, which will be used as a funding mechanism to help the museum operate.
A retired dentist living in Cincinnati, Kroger began his “barn trip” in the early 2000s after staying at a rural bed and breakfast in Licking County. While there, he saw a lone deteriorating barn, “Granville Grey”, “with a sagging roof, no planks, slightly slanted corners, and a dilapidated state.”
This started Kroger’s Ohio Barn Project, where he painted the barn, talked to the owner, and wrote a story about each structure that can be found at www.barnart.weebly.com.
Kruger used impasto oil in the painting, which was applied with a knife rather than a brush, resulting in many raised ridges. Because the oil protrudes from the canvas, it can reflect light in different ways, giving him a third dimension that is not possible with traditional oils.
Many of our painting frames are made from painting barns, but all frames are made from old barn wood.
Kruger’s work is featured in the book The Historic Barn of Ohio, available at the museum for $24, and a limited number of 2023 calendars are available for $15.
The online auction ends at 12:00 PM on January 20th. To bid, please visit www.champaigncountyhistoricalmuseum.org.
