"Power Couples: Selections from the Permanent Collection"

There is an exhibit at the James J. Hill House in St. Paul, MN called "Power Couples" on view through May 15, 2016.  During the installation I was inspired to try my hand at painting a portrait of Robin and me.  Here is the result of my efforts and an example of one of the paintings in the exhibit that portrays Clara Mairs and Clement Haupers (one of my favorites).

Newer Artwork

Dunn Bros Coffee Cafe Art Sale

During the month of September 2015 I will be offering for sale 26 framed, colorful painting at the Dunn Bros Coffee Cafe at 4648 East Lake St. in Minneapolis, MN.  It's next to the Longfellow Grill restaurant and overlooking the Mississippi River at the Lake St Bridge.

Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibit.

The annual Fine Arts Exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair is a hard nut to crack.  Last year 2,200 artworks were submitted and only 325 were accepted into the show.  This will only be the third time over many years of trying that I have been included in this show.  It's an abstract painting,  28" x 22", oil on canvas and titled "City Nocturne".

Park Point

Minnesota Point, also known as the Park Point neighborhood of Duluth, Minnesota is a long, narrow sand bar that extends 7 miles out from the Canal Park Lift Bridge.  One of the public access areas to this lovely sand beach is this path with the view opening up from just over a rise from the parking area.  Also, a more abstract view of the morning sunrise over Lake Superior.

Port Wing Plein Air Painting Festival

One hour east of Duluth, MN is the small town of Port Wing.  It's along the South Shore of Lake Superior in Wisconsin.  Less traveled than the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota it has it's own charm and beauty.  There are five towns dotted along the coast of this inland sea from west to east - Port Wing, Herbster, Cornucopia, Red Cliff and Bayfield, WI.  I have a generous friend who owns a cabin on Bark Point in Herbster.  So, I was lucky to be able to stay there while I participated in the 6th annual Port Wing Plein Air Painting Festival.  27 artists enjoyed two and a half days of painting within a 4 mile radius of Port Wing.  There is a lovely sand beach, marina, area high school, art gallery, restaurant and a couple of bars in this town.  Unexpectedly I found the subjects for two paintings along the alley behind the houses in the small residential area of town.  Here the older out-buildings had a "road less traveled" charm.  One of the two paintings that sold in the exhibit was my "quick paint".  With just 90 minutes to complete a painting in the marina area I forgot to take a photo of this painting before turning it in to meet the deadline.  Here are the other paintings from Port Wing, WI.

Lakescape

I never seem to tire of painting Lake Superior.  It's our inland sea that has so many faces.

Lake Superior Beckons

I did a series of paintings based on a photograph that a friend took of the road to his cabin on the south shore of Lake Superior.  All the same, but different.

George Morrison Exhibit

There is a wonderful retrospective exhibit of artwork by George Morrison at the Minnesota History Center in Saint Paul. (www.minnesotahistorycenter.org/exhibits/modern-spirit-art-of-george-morrison)   I did this smaller 12" x 16" version of one of my favorite paintings in the exhibit.

Flying the Colors

I have three painting in The Outdoor Painters of Minnesota Show at the FrameWorks Gallery on Ford Parkway in the Highland area of St. Paul.  All are nicely framed and priced at $175.  It runs through January 3, 2015.

Grand Marais Plein Air Painting Competition

I enjoyed painting up in Grand Marais, MN this week.  The little tombolo on the lake walk portion of the Superior Hiking Trail is now an island because of the higher lake water levels.  I had to use a little artistic license to include the full moon in my Night Paint (it sets quite a bit further south over the Sawtooth Mts.).  The painting of the lighthouse was part of the Quick Paint event .  The painting had to be completed in 90 minutes.  The stylized view of Lake Superior was done looking out the motel window on a rainy day.

Rag Rug

I'm enjoying doing a series of paintings inspired by the simple patterns and multi-colored rag rugs we have around the house.

We're all the same, but different.

Grand Marais Fisherman

Every morning a fisherman goes out in Lake Superior from Grand Marais, MN.  He catches lake trout, whitefish and lake herring for the restaurants in town.  I decided to paint a scene from my mind's eye of him rushing back to the safe harbor as a storm approached and more easily the stationary boat  behind  the Dockside Market and Cafe.

North Shore of Lake Superior

When I need an attitude adjustment or to recharge my batteries I like to visit the North Shore of Lake Superior.  It never fails to refresh and reinvigorate that feeling of well being that escapes during the daily grind in town.  A new adventure this time was a boat trip out of the Silver Bay Marina along the lake shore to Split Rock Lighthouse.  Also, walking along the sandy beach on Park Point in Duluth that is seven miles long and watching the "salties" (the 1000' ore boats) coming and going from the harbor.

Facebook Profile Picture

I started out hoping to replace the generic blank male character on my Facebook page with a self portrait.  It took a few tries.

Robert Thom

I bought a wonderful oil painting at an antique store six blocks from our house.  It's signed "Thom" in the lower right hand corner and has an inked stamp on the back "Robert Thom and Sons, Birmingham, Michigan".  According to the internet Robert Thom and Sons was dissolved in 1966 after being in business for 48 years.  Robert Thom appears to have painted in a realistic, illustrated style compared to Norman Rockwell.  He was commissioned to paint an illustrated history of medicine by Park-Davis Pharmaceuticals.  He exhibited at the Vancouver Art Gallery and Smithsonian Institution and has artwork in the collection of the White House and the Baseball Hall of Fame.  One person on the internet mentions owning a painting by Robert Thom that is in the style of kinetic op art.  It is 20" x 40", oil on canvas and has a nice original fame.  Robert Thom lived from 1915 -1979 and a son was born in 1955.