Portraits

This idea started some time back in late 2011 – drawing, sketching and painting a whole lot of portraits of famous and notable Minnesotans, or folks who made an impact on MN. This is a sample of what could turn out to be hundreds of portraits.

I have always had a love for creating portraits going way back to grade school, and later I made a pretty good living off of drawing caricatures at fairs and stuff. These particular ones are sort of a combination of serious renderings to more cartoonish sketches. In my approach, I am considering everyone from local basketball great Lindsay Whalen to pro golfer Patty Berg, Chief Little Crow of the Mdewakanton Dakota Sioux to American Indian Activist Dennis Banks, Garrison Keillor to John Madden, and many more influential one time and permanent residents of the land of 10,000 lakes.

The scale of each portrait varies, and they can range from acrylic paint on canvas or wood to rough sketches and water colors. Some of them take on a scrapbook quality (especially the water color ones).

Once I have a satisfying amount of portraits, I will then start hanging them on a large wall collaging them in the shape of the Minnesota.

The project as a whole is both a history lesson for me and a tribute to the people who have shaped this state.

Finally Revealed!

The work is titled "Sunday Afternoon - Green Bay". It is my latest installment of the stadiums and ballparks series. Though I am a Minnesotan and grew up in a Vikings family, the arch rivals Green Bay Packers and Lambeau Field became the backdrop of the new painting.

Some may ask why I would paint this particular scene, and my answer is simple. Green Bay is the ultimate football town. I mean, the streets in this town are named after their legendary team – Lombardi Ave., Bart Starr Rd. and Reggie White Way. They even have a steakhouse in the name of ol' number 4, Brett Favre. This town is not crazy, they are certifiably insane!

The narrative for this painting is not so much about the team itself, but about the people of the community on which it stands. It is the only NFL team owned by the people and the only non-profit team in all professional sports throughout the U.S.. More than half of the composition is of the neighborhood and it's close proximity the the stadium. This makes for such a unique scene.

Although, as I am writing this blog, the Packers just got eliminated from the playoffs in a disappointing loss to the NY Giants. Well... there's always next year.

One step closer to reveal new work

Here is the teaser to the new piece. And no, I have not developed a new style in the vein of Gerhard Richter or Chuck Close. Though they are like gods to me. I am obscuring the picture to the point of being unrecognizable. However, maybe not impossible to guess what it is. The houses in this particular area are pretty accurate. And who knows, maybe one of them is yours.

By the weeks end, I will reveal its true self in all it's glory.

New Painting Soon to be Announced!

Hey to all. I am please to announce my next soon to be finished piece. I don't wanna give it away, but I will say it is going to be finished by the middle of the month. And it is going to raise some eyebrows.

I am totally diggin it so far! The only clue I am going to give is that it has to do with this time of year. And the fever in the air is high for this particular pastime. I will give you the answer in the next few days. Till then, keep guessing.