Exploring: (The Thompson Boys and Their Dogs)

This painting was sheer joy.

As usual, I took my video camera, as these two boys, their mom, and their dogs all led me on a hike down a fairly muddy creek bed behind their home on Cincinnati's west side. It had just rained, and they kept apologizing for the dirt. No apology needed! It brought me back to great memories of when I was their age, hiking in the woods near my home, hunting for turtles and fossils, just as they were.

Dogs went this way, boys went that way, but I managed to pull it all together into one moment. The painting was a surprise Christmas present for Dad, and somehow these guys kept the secret from August 'til December... something I never could have done.

Daniel Brooks Grove loved to draw as a child, but when his seventh grade art teacher passed some tubes of oil colors and a few brushes around her classroom, a young artist was born (Thank you, Miss Hunter!).

From that day on, Dan pursued many venues in the realm of art, from film-making to book illustration. As time went on, he turned his attention to the fine arts, combining his God-given skills and passion with a great appreciation for the Old Masters. Working from life or photographs, Daniel has painted young and old alike, including the family pets.

Dan's works are available for sale, or he can be commissioned for your own special projects.