If you've lived or spent much time in small town America, we don't have to tell you that the local racetrack is many time THE focus of the weekend's activities. "Saturday nights," Dave Barnhouse remembers, "was a time of high excitement, and the speedway a great place to rub shoulders and visit with neighbors." In its colorful details, the driver pictured makes last minute engine adjustments on his '38 Ford coupe. And he's not the only racing devotee in his family... even his son, who is seated in his pedal car which is painted to match his hero's big car is here to furnish some moral support!

" Collectors tell me they often put themselves in my art. It's a way we all can relive some of the happiest moments of our youth."

Dave Barnhouse recreates the best of times in his definition of rural and small town America. His portraits are glimpses of life the way he remembers it from his childhood. Barnhouse is a self-described "country boy" from Richmond, Ohio who grew up in small towns and connects physically and emotionally with those environments.

Barnhouse's work captures the Americana genre, as he works with illumination and adds a nostalgic touch to give viewers the feeling they are actually present and part of the painting."