Learning Commons Painting - Part 1

It has been quite some time since I last posted. It has not been that I haven't been working on art, but rather just been busy with life and art I suppose. Or are life and art the same thing? I thought I'd share with you a project that began in April and was just installed last week.

 Back in April, a Call for Art was sent out by my alma mater, Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. They were in the final stages in constructing the new Learning Commons which is to house the college's library and information resources.

Included in the Call for Art were details of the facility, including color schemes, fabrics, surfaces and more.

Judging by these elements and after giving it some thought, I decided to submit a proposed piece of art that would be created specifically for the structure. A piece inspired by the design elements of the facility, by the purpose of the building, and by the mission of the college itself.

I really wanted to have a piece of my art selected for this library, because for the past 30 years, a large artwork of mine graced the old Ramaker Library at Northwestern. When I was a student at NWC, I painted a 4'x105' mural that has since remained on the upper level of that building. I thought it would be nice to have a piece of my work in the new library as well. I'm not certain what they plan to do with that piece, as they will be converting Ramaker into an office building for the college. I think I'll try to get in there and take some photos in the next week. I'll post those for you to see.

So, the image I submitted to the selection committee was one I created in Photoshop. It is a graphic representation of a corn crib. A simple structure, but one that has intrigued me the last few years. You see, this particular corn crib sits just to the south of the Pizza Ranch Support Center, where I work each day. I have sat in the main conference room there and gazed out the window at this structure. The light changes on it throughout the day and the simple geometric shadows have always made me want to paint it. Here is a photo of it.

Those simple shapes, angles and patterns seemed to fit with the details I saw in the Learning Commons interior design. Below is the sketch/rendering I initially submitted for consideration.

This is obviously very different in style from the way you are familiar with seeing me paint. More on that another day. To be continued...

houses the college’s library and information resources - See more at: http://www.nwciowa.edu/news/press/3465/students-to-benefit-from-campus-improvements#sthash.gtNNMyGF.dpuf

Learning Commons houses the college’s library and information resources - See more at: http://www.nwciowa.edu/news/press/3465/students-to-benefit-from-campus-improvements#sthash.gtNNMyGF.dpuf

Learning Commons houses the college’s library and information resources - See more at: http://www.nwciowa.edu/news/press/3465/students-to-benefit-from-campus-improvements#sthash.gtNNMyGF.dpuf

Todd's Cottonwoods

This is a quick sketch I did as my contribution to a 50th birthday scrapbook created by many of my co-workers for our company president and friend, Adrie Groeneweg. Adrie likes nature and particularly trees. I even did a tree commission for him a couple years ago.

I based this sketch on a photo posted on Facebook and shot by another friend, Todd Thompson. In addition to being a great writer and friend, Todd has a good eye for photography too. He says about these trees "My two favorite trees in the world. Cottonwoods. My great uncle L.D. moved here in 1914 and he said they were big trees then."

The Storm

The Storm | 8"x10" | Sharpie on paper

It hit a week ago today.

I was fast asleep when my wife nudged me. She had heard the wind and rain outside our bedroom window, but now there were voices outside that same window. She peered out the blinds to find firemen with flashlights roaming about. We looked out our front door and a huge limb had fallen out of the tree directly in front to of our house, and a massive ash tree belonging to our neighbor had also fallen across our driveway and blocked the road.

It was very evident that a serious storm had blown through Maurice, and our once picture perfect town had been changed in an instant. One family in town lost their home. A handful of other buildings destroyed too. Countless trees snapped off, uprooted or seriously damaged.

At daybreak, cleanup began and the days that followed showed the kindness of strangers, the strength of the midwestern work ethic, the beauty of small town life and the definition of community.

I thought it was fitting to sketch this in black and white today. I really didn't enjoy creating this, but felt the need to create it and post it.

It has been a week filled with a variety of emotions for me. I was sad the day after the storm. 80-100mph winds had shredded parts of the town I love. But life goes on and with each passing day things look more normal around here. We will all get use to the new normal after a period of time–and God is still good.

Spillway Drive-In

Spillway Drive-In| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

After the last couple weeks of winter weather and sub-zero temps, I figured we were due for a glimpse of summer. This is the Spillway Drive-In that sits on the south edge of Spirit Lake, IA. I don't think it has been open for the last couple of years, but perhaps someone will feel a bit of nostalgia and re-open it.

For me, there are two drive-ins that I frequent. Bob's Drive-Inn in LeMars and the Dairy Dandy in Sheldon. Both still have that nostalgic charm from a bygone era. My favorite menu item? They both make a very good peanut butter malt. Summer can't come soon enough.

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Maurice Elevator at Dusk

Maurice Elevator at Dusk | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

This elevator is the one that stands right here in Maurice, just a few blocks from our house. It has of course been around for a very long time and the old tin siding has a beautiful tarnished silver finish. I have always admired the way the sun lights the building at different times of the day–particularly late in the day when the warm sunlight creates dramatic geometric panels of light and shadow.

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Vicks Corner

Vicks Corner | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

If you're at all familiar with Okoboji, you know where Vicks Corner is. Although I have no idea who Vick is, this building is a landmark that has been a part of the Okoboji area as long as I can remember. A gas station, garage, bait shop and grocery store. It was a "convenience store" long before they started calling them that.

It also reminds me of other corners around here. My favorites are Perkins Corner and the Million Dollar Corner. Perkins Corner is near Hull and the once thriving town of Perkins. My Grandpa and Grandma Vander Stelt lived there for a time as a couple of newlyweds. Perkins is not much more than a few houses these days. The Million Dollar Corner is two miles north of Maurice at the intersection of highways 75 and 10. It was dubbed that because it cost the then astronomical amount back in the day when they built the intersection. Also the home of a gas station and cafe which had the same name.

What corners have special meaning to you?

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12 Feet

12 Feet | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

As promised, another Okoboji painting. I typically do not enjoy the task of titling my paintings. My titles often are pretty straightforward. But there are times like this painting where I find a title that makes me smile. I couldn't decide whether to title it "4 foot 8" or "12 Feet". In the end, 12 feet seemed like the better choice.

More cut-off figures. I like the composition, angularity and colors.

This was at the pool at our resort. We always stay at Triggs Bay Resort. It's one of the few family run resorts remaining at the lakes.

I've also been working on a new commission piece. I thought it might be interesting to give you a glimpse of it. (see detail below) This is a tight shot of a small section of the painting. It is a painting that focuses on the theme of serving others. It is coming along pretty nicely. I'll post more glimpses as it progresses.



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Beach Babes

Beach Babes| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

We just returned from a week of vacation – our yearly pilgrimage to Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes. There are a slew of jokes you could make about Iowa and its' lakes, or lack thereof. With Minnesota hoarding 10,000+ lakes, it leaves very few for Iowans to claim as our own and even fewer that we can call "great". We always stay at the same family resort every year and this is a scene on the beach there.

The bold colors and bright sunlight create some vibrant contrast and make for lively color. While the woman and child are the focus of the piece, I like the swimmer in the water and the partial figure cut off on the right.


Beach Babes| detail

This detail of the swimmer shows how a figure can be captured in a few simple strokes, and the bright white highlight on the shoulder gives the viewer the impression that the skin is wet.

I hope many of you have had the opportunity to take a vacation this Summer. It's good to relax, recharge your mental batteries, and spend time with family.

Stay tuned for more Okoboji paintings.

Available for $100

Bale Out

Bale Out| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

More round, er..uh...square bales.

I've never considered myself a landscape painter. My Grandfather was a painter of landscapes. He painted them almost exclusively. I'm not sure why they didn't become my passion, but I do enjoy painting them; especially at this small size.

Available for $100

Cake Walk

Cake Walk| 6"x6" | oil on hardboard

In honor of my 50th blog entry, I'm introducing a new square format. Almost all of the paintings on this blog thus far have been 5x7" but I now have prepared a bunch of 6x6" panels so you'll be seeing square pieces now too from time to time.

A few weeks ago we had our annual church picnic. If there is any event that is quintessentially small town, it is our church picnic. Many of our traditions and community celebrations have come and gone, but the Maurice church picnic remains, even after well over 100 years.

I like taking photos at the picnic and this year was another beautiful summer evening. They block off the street and do a kids carnival, including things like a football throw, face painting, fish pond and more. The cake walk is always a hit. Both of my boys won a cake this year so we had a nice supply of cake...for a few days. My sons like cake.

This scene captures the long shadows of late day sunlight. Something about the cutoff figure at the top center kinda completes the composition nicely. It brings the eye back around in a circular direction.

Below is a photo of those in attendance at the picnic this year. A big group for a small town. Click on it for a closer look.

Fields of Green

Fields of Green| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

It has been a week of rain and stormy weather here in Sioux County. Fields near town were flattened by 70mph winds and other areas suffered the wrath of golf ball to softball sized hail.

These are fields South of Maurice that escaped unscathed, and are benefiting from the generous amounts of rain. Remnants of rain clouds hang in the sky. I like how the purple shades in the clouds contrast with the lush shades of green.

We spent the weekend in Des Moines, and on the drive home Sunday I was again inspired by the beauty of our state. How it ever became stereotyped as flat I will never know. I guess compared to Colorado we're flat. But if you compare us to Nebraska...

Available for $100

Field North of Maurice

Field North of Maurice| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

Here is a painting of a freshly cut field just North of town. The sky gives the impression that rain is looming and the combination of the two is a bad thing. It reminds me ever so slightly of one of my favorite Van Gogh paintings.


Wheat Field with Crows | Vincent Van Gogh

Wheat Field with Crows is one of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings and probably the one most subject to speculation. It was executed in July 1890, in the last weeks of Van Gogh’s life. Many have claimed it was his last work, seeing the dramatic, cloudy sky filled with crows and the cut-off path as obvious clues to his impending fate.

I saw this piece at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam over 25 years ago and still remember being struck by the dark beauty of it.

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