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Additional Reference Materials



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Oct 15, 2015

I thought it would be nice to put all three paintings together. Prints of "One on One" are available for pick-up at the Heal...more

Oct 09, 2015

It's official. Last painting installed. :-( Always mixed feelings. Thanks, Rick Kozin. And thank you to the Polk Count...more

Sep 24, 2015

I was hoping to have installed this painting before now, but having had gallbladder surgery and my doctor telling me that I n...more

Aug 13, 2015

This will be the last general update until the installation. I'm anxious to get things finished up over the next few days....more

Aug 06, 2015

Probably one more post after this one next week....more

Jul 30, 2015

Oops! A problem with jpeg compression... here we go!...more

Jul 30, 2015

Won't be too long now. A couple more days to complete the right side, then on to the left. Should just be a couple of more ...more

Jul 16, 2015

I had to bite the bullet and send this now because I wasn't where I wanted it to be. But here we go! ...more

Jun 25, 2015

This week dropped off wood to Ray Layton (many, many thanks, Ray) for the construction of the frame. ...more

Jun 17, 2015

...more

Jun 09, 2015

I've added a photo I put on facebook of me staring at my work. I do spend a lot of time doing that and it's a big part of wh...more

Jun 03, 2015

As the work progresses there are times when it's like playing "Where's Waldo?" ...more

May 28, 2015

A couple of more characters to add. Alway something to tidy up, something like a marching band learning a new piece. ...more

May 22, 2015

Things are a bit chaotic right now. Kathy had to be moved upwards 4 inches, Hailey's arms are too long and thick. I extended...more

May 13, 2015

Some adjustments....more

May 05, 2015

Artists spend a lot of time thinking... Rescaled the fence and house behind, lots of fiddling around with the tree shadows...more

Apr 29, 2015

Getting on the downhill side of things. ...more

Apr 22, 2015

I really enjoyed watching Hailey and Teagen play. They are good sports, have fun, and enjoy the game. There was something e...more

Apr 16, 2015

Added another house behind Hailey. ...more

Apr 07, 2015

Blocking in Hailey's triple appearance. Fine art has a lot of sub-categories with a great deal of disagreement about which...more

Apr 03, 2015

I understand that the sport of basketball was invented in 1891 at Springfield College in Massachusetts to pass the winter wit...more

Mar 20, 2015

Started developing the basketball and began working on the neighborhood in the background....more

Mar 13, 2015

Working my way towards my players, Hailey and Teagan Bullock.....more

Mar 06, 2015

There is a lot of experimentation involved in painting. Almost feel like I've been through every season of the year (except ...more

Feb 27, 2015

I've been learning how to make my own basketball net. But before the net can be painted, the trees have to be finished....more

Feb 11, 2015

Building up the sky and beginning leaves. Anxious to get on to the figures. Before I do, though, I want to get this area o...more

Feb 11, 2015

Building up the sky and beginning leaves. Anxious to get on to the figures. Before I do, though, I want to get this area o...more

Dec 09, 2014

Working on the sky. Studio is a mess. Becky is so tolerant of me....more

Nov 14, 2014

Some under-painting here. Hoop is at the right height, but had to move the backboard up a bit. Looking forward to making so...more

Sep 02, 2014

Blocking in color. I'll be focusing some attention on the upper half of the painting, determining the overall light sources ...more

Aug 06, 2014

Sorry for the delay. Just finished the World Food Prize painting and now I can focus a bit more. This painting has rea...more

May 29, 2014

Many thanks to Hailey and Teagan Bullock for posing (actually playing a serious game) for my basketball reference video in th...more

Apr 18, 2014

It's taken me awhile to come around, but I began to realize that I couldn't "see" the urban concept in a basketball court bec...more

Feb 24, 2014

Canvas has been stretched and I'm glad to be back on track with the third painting, "Shirts and Skins". I asked Becky t...more

Jan 18, 2014

Originally this painting was about playground activities and basketball was in the background. While I liked the idea, and t...more

Dec 02, 2013

Stretchers are built for the next painting in our series. The theme was originally centered on playground activities, but I'...more

Nov 16, 2013

Many thanks to Ray Layton for his beautiful frame of "Weightless"...and...it was a perfect fit! And thanks to Rick Kozin for...more

Nov 05, 2013

Oh happy day! Many, many thanks to Ray Layton for his work on the frame. It looks great. And, I'm so happy to have signed ...more

Oct 18, 2013

I know I sent out an update recently, but because things are rapidly progressing with this painting, I wanted to share one mo...more

Oct 11, 2013

I've been continuing to work on the background and development of the blue swimsuit lady fingers. Lots of adjustments. ...more

Sep 26, 2013

I'm a little bit behind where I wanted to be, I've been reworking the background and beginning to add more rubber ducks. P...more

Sep 09, 2013

I've been making some adjustments and responding to some very helpful criticism that led me to make some changes in the backg...more

Sep 03, 2013

I've been reconstructing some difficult poses to make them appear more reasonable and beginning to place the background of th...more

Aug 22, 2013

Finally sorted out the diver behind the blue swimsuit lady. I'm planning that he will be wearing goggles and a nose plug....more

Aug 12, 2013

Some small progress as I work through the challenges of an active summer. I've posted my August-September newsletter on lin...more

Jul 29, 2013

Working through some compositional issues (who goes where). I think I've figured out that there is one more swimmer who will...more

Jul 17, 2013

There are times when painting is a lot like wrestling. In this case the intertwining of figures makes that a more accurate a...more

Jul 08, 2013

I can't believe how hot it is here today. The humidity makes me feel like I'm the one who is swimming! ...more

Jun 24, 2013

A friend of mine stopped by today and suggested that we take a picture for the "historical" record. I told him, "No way! I'...more

Jun 17, 2013

I have to say that linen is my favorite surface and that it has been worth the work of stretching. It's a very taut, smooth,...more

May 29, 2013

I'm very grateful for your support and interest and now that Bike Club is installed, I'm anxious to get started on the painti...more

May 08, 2013

Frame sections are completed. I'll fit the corners together with dowels later today. Many thanks to Ankeny Budget Truck Ren...more

Apr 30, 2013

Gluing up the frame. The core of the frame is cedar, the exterior is white oak. Looking for a van to transport the painting...more

Apr 23, 2013

Signed today. Tomorrow I start on the frame. Looking forward to our May 17th event....more

Apr 20, 2013

Almost there. Just a couple things: spokes on two wheels, part of a bicycle frame, that sort of thing. Monday I'll be start...more

Apr 11, 2013

Nearly finished, just a few days left to complete the image and do a little polishing. Many thanks to Ichi Bike for their co...more

Apr 08, 2013

Coming to the conclusion, about two weeks to go I think, then on to the frame, scan, and installation. The lady on the right...more

Apr 02, 2013

Getting my figures rounded out, then I'll get back to the wheels and ultimately the remainder of the foreground. I'd like to...more

Mar 28, 2013

Making good progress. More wheels. Getting the remaining portraits worked out. ...more

Mar 25, 2013

Working toward the lower area and to the right. Looking forward to the installation in May and the event May 17th for our un...more

Mar 18, 2013

Some refinement of the left and center, bike bath, some more leaves and other odds and ends....more

Mar 14, 2013

Figure on the right will be in the foreground. I'm looking forward to painting the dog. Getting my schedule worked out. I ...more

Mar 09, 2013

Working through the oak leaves and portraits. ...more

Mar 07, 2013

I have to apologize for the lighting. Hard to get the entire painted area without some glare.Over the next few days the obje...more

Mar 06, 2013

My strategy at this milestone will be to focus on all the portraits and figure positions, then move to the wheels and details...more

Mar 01, 2013

Started putting in the Black Eyed Susans and the young lad in the middle. ...more

Feb 27, 2013

Finally able to get around to wheel spokes, chains, and brakes. My friend Jon Pocock will appear as the young boy. Mollie...more

Feb 22, 2013

Much done by way of refinement. Milkweed. Tires and wheels. I've learned how to build a bicycle wheel. About 1/2 way. ...more

Feb 20, 2013

Sculpting forms a bit. I'll be rebuilding foreground vegetation after I get the rims and spokes in place. Sorry photos are ...more

Feb 18, 2013

My good friend Jon Pocock came by today with his bicycle and helmet to allow me to use him as a model. Got some good pictur...more

Feb 15, 2013

I've begun to develop the images of the two women a little further to the right. But I have to go back and complete the bicy...more

Feb 13, 2013

Working on the left figure....more

Feb 11, 2013

Working on the left hand figure.Changed leg position for my friend with the red helmet. ...more

Feb 09, 2013

Overall. Leg position of our recumbant biker, Starting to paint arms and hands on our friends with the helmets. ...more

Feb 07, 2013

Tennis shoes today, starting to build bicycle wheels. I'm all over the place....more

Feb 05, 2013

More development of background. Color and contrast adjustments. Lots of helmet styles. Looks like I'll be working from lef...more

Feb 02, 2013

Starting to get some traction. Lots of wonderful, entangled bits of detail....more

Feb 01, 2013

Bicycle frames and parts, layering in more detail on the background trees and adjusting clouds. Lots of little things that b...more

Jan 30, 2013

Spent most of the time working on the sky and background trees, Much to be done with our friend who is standing on his bike ...more

Jan 29, 2013

Working in the sky today. Important of course because of the mess it will make on the lower part of the canvas. Not a probl...more

Jan 28, 2013

Shoes aren't right, and getting the feet at the right position for the pedals is proving to be interesting. Lots of work to ...more

Jan 24, 2013

Starting work on the next "layer". Learning how to build a recombant bicycle and testing color relationships....more

Jan 21, 2013

Starting to build in some background contrast. (All of this is under painting.) ...more

Jan 19, 2013

Getting the stretchers made was a piece of cake compared to stretching an 11 foot long canvas. But I was very pleased with t...more

Jan 18, 2013

Stretching a large canvas is quite difficult and one of the hardest jobs of beginning a painting. There are still a few smal...more

Jan 16, 2013

Wood has been milled, stretchers have been constructed. Tomorrow canvas arrives and will be stretched, and so will begin the...more

Jan 11, 2013

It may not look like it, but my studio is cleared out to make room for the first painting. I'll be working on stretcher bars...more

Jan 01, 2013

I've started to populate some explanatory webpages about each concept in my proposal. Please let me know what you think....more

Dec 29, 2012

This is the last concept sketch, I call "Play Ground"....more

Dec 28, 2012

This is the completed preliminary for "Bike Club". Of course there are lots of details yet that will find their way into the...more

Dec 26, 2012

Continued work on "Bike Club" with context that has the club traveling through a small town....more

Dec 18, 2012

Busy day. I've been working on a system to allow sponsorship by the square inch of each painting in the series. And continu...more

Dec 15, 2012

Just completed an explanatory video posted on YouTube. http://youtu.be/uLoW7QUqu6E...more

Dec 14, 2012

Some progress on the bike club image (6' x 11') painting. Finished rendering a short camera pass in the interior of the lobb...more

Dec 12, 2012

Sorry, for the previous email, bit of a technical difficulty. I've set up a facebook page and would invite you to visit ...more

Dec 11, 2012

This is the largest of the 6 paintings (conceptually) at 6' by 11', depicting the activity of cycling which is very popular i...more

Dec 10, 2012

Rest is as important as activity. Something like music. Spaces between notes. And, it likely isn't necessary to do the sam...more

Dec 08, 2012

I've begun to add to the computer model the more refined sketches and the rough sketches to begin to visualize the whole....more

Dec 07, 2012

There's jumping rope (awkwardly) and skipping rope. I prefer this version....more

Dec 06, 2012

It's easy to forget how hard it was to do something that is so natural for any adult today as to learn to walk. But there ar...more

Dec 06, 2012

Added a child to the stream....more

Dec 05, 2012

Walking is another pleasure that can also be competitive. In this version of this activity, walking is combined with wading ...more

Dec 05, 2012

Working a little bit here on project branding....more

Dec 03, 2012

The simplicity of walking. Strolling. Power walking, whatever works. Walking is a great way to exercise, and if you are wa...more

Dec 01, 2012

Sports are by their nature competitive, but within each there is a great breadth of potential for the simplicity of play beyo...more

Nov 29, 2012

Swimming is a popular activity and presents an opportunity to have a lot of fun with an underwater scene at a public pool, or...more

Nov 27, 2012

I've uploaded to the "Additional Reference Materials" link a pdf file of the interior of the Polk County Health Department Lo...more

Nov 27, 2012

These are my "figments", just exploratory figures to generate ideas and compositions. As ideas become more refined, they are...more

Nov 24, 2012

Another alternative, my preference, is a six painting version (still retains overall approximate area) along with a series of...more

Nov 23, 2012

Current Circumstances The Polk County Health Department provides a wide spectrum of services to the community and local go...more

click here to email Dick Shook
Dick Shook Web Site
Polk County Health

There was (is) a two fold purpose in this project. The first was to address the very common issue of a waiting room. Especially one connected with medical procedures; even for something as simple as an inoculation which for some people can be somewhat stressful. In the Polk County Health Department, the waiting room is large and tall. Small pictures just don't work as well since they are harder to see and seem overly small in comparision.

In my experience, most of the waiting rooms that I've been in have been decorated, but not always in a way that is engagingly entertaining or interesting. A picture might be mildly interesting, but often generic, or, more of a useful decorative and colorful touch. Anyway, waiting presents an opportunity for artistic expression and inspiration. One of the goals of this artistic inspiration is about physical activity. An invitation to anyone and everyone to enjoy life by moving about.

This is a challenging project in that the idea is to invite, inspire, and motivate people to move by using pictures that are by there nature static. So in one very important sense this Art Initiative is intended as positive propaganda.

As the artist, my satisfaction is in the play of the imagery and in the discovery by myself and others of notions and meanings that emerge through observation over time. If I were to define the "art" in the art, it would be in these moments of discovery, some of which are intentional and others which are not. My favorite works of art unfold in this way with an inviting depth and richness. That's my objective, and hopefully that is what people will experience.



who-tv segment
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Dick Shook Media
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Dick Shook

KCCI Interview
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Many thanks to these donors!



UnitedHealthCare Community Plan

Marilyn J. Kittleson
Lynette and Larry Sherer
Jason D. Meyer
The Pocock Family
The Clawson Family
The Bartlett Family
The Baughman Family
Raymond Layton
Scott T. Slater
Peoria United Methodist Church
Lowen Visual Imaging
Ankeny Budget Truck Rental
Corporate Image
Becky and Jim Mile-Polka
Anonymous
The Schoelemer Family
Scheels All Sports-Scheels Hardware
Ichi Bike

If you'd like to make a donation, I'd greatly appreciate it. Sorry, though, donations are no longer tax deductible.

Checks can be mailed to:

Dick Shook
Polk County Art Initiative
408 Linn St.
Slater, Iowa 50244
Or, donate online via paypal: