The Capitol Dome

are doing are usually doing things that aren't terribly good. So it's years before I like my own paintings. But the painting of Nathan Hale 3 for the National Veterans Shrine at the American Village in Montevallo, AL pleases me because it has helped lots of children understand important things about American history. I did it in the form of a nineteenth-century parade banner, and surrounding the figure of the boy-hero, I painted a series of vignettes telling his story, like a graphic novel. History painting is an excellent way to tell stories, which is the key to teaching history. I also like the painting of John Quincy Adams going for a swim—well, his servant going for a swim, in the [Tiber] creek, south of the White House. I ONE LIFE TO LOSE: NATHAN HALE, 96" x 48" oil on canvas I am fascinated by the popular arts of the eighteenth and nineteenth century and how patriotic symbols and stories were used to inspire. This painting tells the story of Nathan Hale, the boy hero, who was one of the first American spies recruited by General Washington. (left) TIBER CREEK: THE BATHERS (1825), 48" x 72" oil on canvas This painting, which tells the story of how John Quincy Adams nearly drowned during a swimming outing, also gives the fullest account of the environment about the White House in 1825. The plants and animals in the foreground are all detailed in early accounts by naturalists of the area around Tiber Creek (now covered over by Constitution Ave, NW). It also shows Thomas Jefferson's ha ha (a wall below ground level) and his magnificent gate onto Pennsylvania Avenue. Most impor- tantly, it shows that the area was not the swamp as is now popularly believed, but part of the idyllic landscape selected by George Washington for the Federal City. (below) 38 THE CAPITOL DOME

• Cover