Simmons paints ?bright spot? for brother

Not everyone has an artist brother who can give life and color to garage doors.

Tim Simmons of rural Fairfield has Grant Wood-style scenery on his double garage doors, painted by his brother Perry Simmons, who is an art teacher at Studebaker Elementary in Des Moines.

?Perry likes to drive my Jeep when he comes down, so I traded him the privilege for the painting,? Simmons said. ?I had been wanting him to do it since he did a Monet-style painting on his garage doors, but I thought Grant Wood fit my place better than Monet.?

The scene is a rural one with hills, fields, fences, trees and a house. Tim points out a road from the house that flows from one garage door to the other, leading the eye into the next painting.

Perry Simmons uses spray cans for most of the work, with smaller details brushed in later. The doors are then sealed with a laquer finish to preserve against the weather.

?I like to get up in the morning and look out here and see these colorful doors,? Simmons said. ?It?s a bright spot in my day.?

For this article and photo, see the Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.