Minnesota Twins Celebrity Auction

This is my second year participating in the Minnesota Twins dinner for Boys and Girls Clubs. It was held at the Capital Grill in downtown Minneapolis once again and the dinner and the company were fantastic. This year it was hosted by Brian Dozier and his wife Renne who did a fabulous job of keeping the event fun throughout the evening. This event does wonderful things for young kids who need help and I look forward to participating again next year. From the pictures here you can see it was definitely a great time.

Hide & Seek

This is the newest of the "Farm Series" of paintings. If you grew up on a farm you know how cold it is on an early morning in January when the sun is just rising above the horizon. You also understand how it plays on all the usually vibrant colors of the farm but are muted temporarily by winter.  This painting  once featured "Elsie" looking down but it was too obvious for me and the composition so I ended up with this nice palette of reds, purples and cream colors. Signed prints of this piece will be available soon. Watch the "Farm Series" on the "Berger Fine Arts website.

"Field Of Dreams"

This piece depicts a 1964 Ford Galaxy parked rather prominently on the "Field Of Dreams" baseball field in Dyersville Iowa. I was commissioned to create a scene with this beautifully restored Galaxy for the owner of the car and his family playing ball on the Field Of Dreams field " their favorite family movie. The car was sold and the family wanted something to remember it by. There is symbolism all over this painting the obvious being the open car door with the corn in the foreground. If you have seen the movie "one of my favorite movies also" you will understand the and symbolism and composition. I was disappointed when I visited the Dyersville field to see how much it's changed over the years. There are different buildings and t-shirt shacks all around the field. Needless to say I painted the scene the way it was in the movie. This was a 44" x 28" acrylic painting.

Face In Lace

This is another example of an idea sketch for a painting. This 20"x20" pencil drawing is done on crescent board and was one of three sketches with this one being an early version which was never completed. The original painting went into an entirely different direction but it's one of those ideas left over that I  would like to finish some day.  

Pencil Sketches

All of my paintings start from ideas that are made into pencil sketches done on paper or what ever is that is available at the time. This enables me to work and think about how I want to draw the final piece. It also allows me to change pieces to the total composition before I commit the finished idea to paint. Not all sketches make it into paintings. Some are sold as is and some are sold along with the original finished painting when purchased. But then again I have a lot that I just decide to keep.

A letter to Grandma

This piece is the newest addition to the "Farm Series". It features a rural scene that I remember being repeated every day on the farm. Someone had to go pick up the mail usually not to the late afternoon and you did not want to miss any news that may have come in from someone special. It was always a big event to the "mail picker". let your imagination figure out what is being played out in this scene.
Signed prints of this piece will be available in the "Farm Series" at Berger Fine Arts web site.

Matt Olson Fundraiser

This painting was created and auctioned off to help Matt Olson and his family meet medical costs after Matt suffered a spinal cord injury playing Hockey. I was honored to be able to help the Olson's anyway I could during this very tough time. The piece features Matt's old high school jersey and number hanging by a window overlooking an every day scene in Minnesota during the winter. My prayers and thoughts are with Matt and the Olson family

Hawkeye Nights

This is a sketch I completed for the " Make A Wish Foundation" that will be auctioned off tonight at their fundraiser in Iowa. This is the third year that I have participated and have really been happy with the funds they are able to raise to help kids who need some smiles.

This piece of course features a rural setting with the watchful eye of the hawk.  With the barn light acting as a stage light a tango is the only appropriate dance to celebrate a beautiful fall night in Iowa under the stars. This painting just makes me smile.

Art for a Foreign Novel In Armenia

I was recently contacted by a Armenian publisher who wanted to use one of American flags that are part of the "Constitution Series" featuring the evolution of the American flag since the revolution. Above is the printer spread and how it will be used for a cover on a novel featuring the American writer William Faulkner. What never ceases to amaze me is how far my art reaches with the help of the internet and how much original  fine art is in demand for a variety of uses. Regardless of borders and language barriers its very rewarding to know that my art can have an impact on people all over the world, in this case cover art for a book novel featuring an American icon Faulkner in a foreign country. Very neat.