Since high school, when he first got into art, 66-year-old William Coulter of Auburn, Neb., never had a hard time slowing down and taking things in. He started out painting still lifes and still does, using oils along with printmaking and watercolor to capture peaceful moments in nature, old Brownville, Neb., architecture or antiques he's grown fond of. "I just like the patterns and shapes of things of years gone by," Coulter says. While Coulter says his technique has improved in his decades as an artist, the subjects themselves have remained consistent. And if his art has a message, it's an easy one. "It's just a fast-moving world," Coulter says. "These simple things right in front of us ... just observe them and enjoy them." Coulter has 17 of his pieces on display at the Schoolhouse Art Gallery and Nature Center in Brownville, Neb., through Aug. 30, with a reception from 4 to 7 p.m. July 12.