Local Artist Paints Economic Crisis

According Buckley, "Artists always feel the economy before anybody else..."

So when his commissions started dropping back in 2006, he predicted a dip in the economy. But instead of pouting, he picked up a paintbrush and now he's paint-bucket-deep in a series expressing the current economy.

"We all have to work together to get out of this economic mess, I'm showing different things that make me sad and that would make George Washington cry," Buckley explains.

So Buckley's own troubles are now the crux of his creativity. This series tackles his economic take on subjects like health care , the federal reserve, and a weakening middle class.

"I went and asked a lot of people, how would you represent the middle class getting poorer, and then based on what they've told me, I've come up with my own little series," he says.

"What I'm doing is having symbols in our currency and making allegories with them," he continues.

Some symbols include the dollar bill, lady liberty, the liberty bell and the torch.

Right now, Buckley has created 12 pieces reflecting the economy and he hopes to reach 100, what he will call "A hundred bucks."

Buckley says, "It's a different way to show what's going on, we can talk about this or I can show you."

He also hopes this series will help people examine their own lives in relation to the economy.

"I'm wanting to put some meaning behind my paintings, I think these are important because it will make people think about what's going on," Buckley says.

To see more of Claude Buckley's work, visit claudebuckley.com.