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Edmund R. Collens

The field below Edmond "Ipper" Collens' house is being readied for spring planting, the rich soil worked up into fat, dark brown clods stubbled with last year's mangled corn stalks. West of Collens' 1812 home stands a red barn; toward the east, overlooking the plowed field, is an Amish family's house. And further down the main highway is the picturesque, historical commons of Mesopotamia, home to Civil War encampments, hitching posts replete with Amish buggies, century homes and the General Store. Borrowing earthy colors from the Amish landscape, Collens paints the simple lifestyle of his neighbors as they bring sap to the sugarhouse, enjoy an ice cream cone at the General Store, plow a spring field or pull their children on sleds behind a buggy. "I have always been kind of attached to the agricultural way of life since I was a kid working on the farm," He said. "I like to focus on the everyday aspects of life. The Amish have a very picturesque life style. I don't like to romanticize them in any way, but I paint them just the way they are."

(Taken from the Star Beacon, March 25, 2000 by Carl E. Feather)

Called "Ipper" by his family and friends, Edmund works from his home in Mesopotamia, Ohio. As a child he spent many enjoyable vacations in the countryside with his parents, and became friends with his Amish neighbors. He learned to appreciate their way of life. His deep respect for these "plain people" is reflected in many of his paintings. In 1975, while a student of architecture at Ohio State University, Collens discovered his artistic ability. Currently, Collens has four children and devotes his talents six months of the year to painting. His subjects include seasonal depiction of Amish farms, maple sugar bushes, Amish people, horse teams and farmyards.

(Taken from an article by Dr. Thomas L. Newcomb, Bend of the River, December 1988)

"Passing Through The Pickets"

Edition Size:750, Canvas Size 16.75”x23.75”

Framed

Unframed

$270.00

$125.00

"False Advertising"

Edition Size: 1,100, Canvas Size: 6.75”x9.25”

Framed

Unframed

$69.00

$14.00

"Louis and Julie"

Edition Size:1,100, Canvas Size: 5.0”x8.75”

Framed

Unframed

$69.00

$14.00

"Dawn at the Mesopotamia"

Edition Size:500, Canvas Size: 7.25”x10.5”

Framed

Unframed

$84.00

$35.00

"First Fruit"

Edition Size: 1,100, Canvas Size:12”x16”

Framed

Unframed

$97.00

$20.00