Viroqua Farmers Market

Viroqua Farmers Market is an 11x14 oil painting capturing one of the most community-rich corners of small-town Wisconsin. Painted en plein air on a warm May morning in 2023, this piece was created from across the street—brush in hand, sun overhead, and conversations unfolding around me.

I didn’t plan to paint this scene that day, but once I sat down and looked at the view from across the road, it all clicked. The layout, the movement, the rhythm of people gathering at tents and stands. A few passersby stopped to chat and said, “Wow, this is actually a great view of the market.” I agreed—there’s always a reason to paint, and sometimes, the best scenes are the ones we overlook.

The painting captures the cheerful busyness of a Saturday morning market: colorful canopies, bustling vendors, fresh produce, and neighbors catching up under the soft Driftless light. There’s an intimacy in the perspective—framed not as a postcard, but as a lived-in moment from the edge of the sidewalk.

My palette here leans warm and vibrant, in a post-impressionist style that lets texture and color lead the way. It’s not a documentary rendering—it’s how it felt to be there. Alive. Local. Real.