Nelson County Arts Council Winter Art Auction

NCAC Winter Art Auction
March 7, 2010

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#104
Donna Opoien, Pekin ND
Angry Clouds Over Center Lutheran Church
(rural McVille, ND)
Photography - Metallic Print
11x14 photo, matted and framed to 16x20

The Nelson County Arts Council would like to thank each
person that visited our Winter Art Auction
website. We appreciate those that submitted bids and hope that
you will consider visiting us again during the 2011 Winter Art
Auction. Those of you that submitted bids will notice that some
winning bids were very close to our online bids. Only one online bid
held as the winning bid. We had a wonderful crowd this year and
raised $6880 for our Stump Lake Fine Arts Youth Camp.
Our sincere gratitude is sent to each and every one of you.
A special acknowledgment and thank you for your contribution to
the Winter Art Auction:
McVille State Bank, McVille ND, Sponsorship
Halvorson-Boote Auction Service, Binford ND, Auctioneers
Farmers and Merchants State Bank, Tolna ND, Clerks
The 32 North Dakota Artists that supported us through the donation
of their artwork.
If you have any questions, please contact me at the following
address, phone or email:
Brenda Bjorlie
NCAC Director
PO Box 66
Pekin ND 58361
701-296-4515
bebjorlie@stellarnet.com

#101
N. Boyd Hagen, Michigan, ND
“The Home Place”
8” X 10” framed - Watercolor

#103
Annette Rorvig, McVille ND
“Klinge Korner”
Acrylic
12” X 24”

Photographs are most successful, I believe, when they not only show beauty but evoke a sense of wonder or mystery. Nature offers
an infinity of views and changing light. There are great photographs waiting to be found everywhere, every day, however, they are not
always easily found. These clouds over Center Lutheran Church of rural McVille were quickly changing and shortly gone.

Doug’s Dogs’ is the latest theme in the series of themes that I have been working with since 1995. The series was started in 2005, and
originally called ‘Scrap Pile Dogs’. The use of found objects in their construction adds to their intentional folksy quality and gives them
their unexpected individual personalities. Their pedigrees may be questionable, but their role as faithful friend and companion is clearly
defined. To date 175 dog forms have been created but now and then a cat and bird have been creeping in. Dog-shaped household
objects such as oil lamps and purely decorative figures of dogs were popular in ancient Roman homes, and the very Roman tradition of
an image of a dog inscribed with the words ‘cave canem’ or ‘beware of dog’, persists today. Most of Doug’s Dogs have been released
to good homes as they do not bark or bite, require only an occasional dusting, and will not chew up your favorite pair of shoes.

#102
Doug Pfliger, Minot ND
“Sitters: The Books of Dog
Wood, metal and paint
Size each: 8-3/4"H x 8-1/4"L x 4" W

New ideas and energy flow with ease when Nelda can afford the time to focus without interruption. She brings old traditional design
elements into the future by creating her process in gold, silver, copper and other precious and semi-precious materials. By bridging the
gap, so to speak, she brings the old into today and pushes them past the boundaries of tomorrow. Thus pushing the envelope, but yet
retaining the spirit of her culture, her most valuable asset. Keeping her work fresh and new inspires her to take her work to new
horizons. Nelda’s one-of-a-kind Amuletic Forms with Audio Esthetics have been published in numerous books, newspapers and
periodicals, such as the North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment. Her art is worn or adorn the walls of art patrons throughout the
U.S. Her work can be enjoed at the Museum of American Art and on the website of The National Museum of the American Indian. An
annual commission since 2003 has given Nelda the opportunity to design and create the North Dakota Governor’s Award for the Arts.

#105
Nelda Schrupp, Lakota
Copper & Montana Agate Pendent/Pin w/Sterling
Silver Chain
Chain is 18" L Pendent/Pin 1.25" X 2 .5”

#106
Donna Chalimonczyk, Fargo ND
“Reflections”
Watercolor – Unframed
16” x 12” double matted

Painting winter scenes can be a challenge - everything is white, white, white! Or is it? To an artist, winter can be full of color, shapes
and shadows. Paintings can take us from "oh, another dreary day" to, "Wow! Look at the way the shadows fall across the snow; how
the winter sun kisses the snow in soft dreamlike hues." The contrast of the trees and houses against the snow can be dramatic.
Painting winter is one way to chase the doldrums away!

#109
Jeff Hoff, Jamestown ND
“Moose Study”
5” x 7” Unframed - Acrylic on masonite

#108
Josh Hagen, Michigan ND
“Stickman Portrait #3" - Pen
11” X 14” Framed

#107
Sheri Tuchsherer, York ND
“Sunflower”
9.5” X 9.5” Photo Albums
38 pages - Watercolor

An early interest in flowers developed from Sheri’s father who frequently brought home wildflowers picked during his work and walks in
the fields and pasture hills. She began identifying wildflowers using guidebooks and eventually started drawing and then painting the
specimens she found. Her goal is to share her amazement in the beautiful details in each flower and to remind the viewer of the
miracles of nature.

#110
James Hanson, Devils Lake, ND
“St. Malo’s Retreat
Photography - 20" x 24" - Framed

Photography is a gift to myself. While I was serving in Vietnam, I took a few pictures and I was bitten with the shutterbug. Now, since I
retired several years ago, I find I am once again fascinated with the eye of the camera . I have traveled to Gettysburg, Washington, DC,
Rocky Mountains and places in between. In a word it's been a lifesaver. I enjoy taking pictures of landscapes. There is amazing scenery in
the natural world that surrounds us and I try to capture it through my eyes with the camera. In my journey there are still many more
luscious views of landscapes to be seen and captured in the United States.

#111
Anna Jacobson, Fargo, ND
“Junction ND 114-08”
32" X 19" Collograph

#112
Judi Koehmstedt, Fargo, ND
“Coots”
Watercolor – Unframed
9.25” X 12.25”

I painted this watercolor about 8 years ago, using a photo I had taken of several men sitting on a park bench, as a reference. Last year I
decided to "re-model" it and changed the casually dressed man into a woman. I used some Acrylics to add color and contrast, which it
lacked. It is titled "Old golfers never die, they just dress funny"… the canes could be old golf clubs. I enjoy painting "plain folks"
enjoying life, mostly.

#113
Theresa Paul, Edgeley
“The Wave” - 14/20 gold fill wire and beads
Necklace: 3”W x 1.25”H (without chain) w/chain 12” Long
Earings: 3/4” W x 1.5”L

I especially love the flow and sense of movement that can be achieved by sculpting pieces from silver, copper and gold-filled wire.
Combining these designs with a wide variety of beads and semi-precious stones. I strive to contribute to the art of adornment with
delicate, dramatic, fun and unique jewelry. My hope is that each piece will serve as wearable art, to be constantly enjoyed by the person
wearing it. I will be more than happy to extend the length of the chain without additional cost.

#114
Brad and Netty Berger, Fargo ND
"Ned's House" Found Objects
16”x 16” x 10” tall

#115
Robert Kurkowski, Fargo ND
Small Clay Jug
5.25” X 4.25”

A friend of mine,a potter, when asked about his aesthetic theories said, "I just make pots.". This small server is just that, a pot. I made it
with the aesthetic intention of making something that would be beautiful, useful and give delight to its owner. Simple goals, but, like all
simple things, surprisingly difficult to archive. My hope is you'll feel as if I'm getting closer to achieving it. I hope you find this useful.

#116
Linda Whitney, Valley City, ND
“Bluegill III" Encaustic Fish
11” X 14”
Wraparound Canvas with no frame

My encaustic fish are markers of childhood memories…like postcards from the past. During each summer father took my younger
brothers and I fishing in Johnson Lake for pan fish. It was so exciting to pull them in, one right after the other! It took longer to bait the
hook than it did to catch a fish! And, we always felt so grown up to bring home dinner. Of course someone had to clean those fish and
then cook them. The material, the aesthetic choice, and the image are wedded together in the encaustic process. Together the three
are the foundation for my story telling. The image is the reminder, the mark on the map that keys the memory. The beeswax with its
bright pigment and layers allows the mood, the meaning, and perhaps the ambiguity of the tale. The wonderful smell and heat of the
beeswax also underlines those hot summer days spent on the lake. The improvisation is the jumping off point taken in a particular
moment. Together they form the creative energy of my process.

#117
Michelle Lynch, Michigan, ND
“California Graces”
Pen and Ink Wash
11” X 14” Framed

#118
Black Pinto Horse, Monte Yellow Bird, Sr.,
Great Falls MT
“The Tree of Life and the Thunderbird”
10" x 20"Oil on canvas, bells and beadwork

Artist Interpretation: The Tree of life is illustrated in this piece as a ceremonial decorated tree used by many First Nations tribes. This
tree represents the generations of life, the present (Trunk), our ancestors (the roots), the children (branches) and the future generations
(buds, leaves). The colored ribbons or prayer flags, symbolize the directions and the colored roots are the four nations. Bells are used
to annunciate the four divine powers. The Creator’s Thunderbird is a messenger from one power to another. The beating of his wings
creates the winds and he is associated with the elements; rain, thunder and lighting. The eagle too is a messenger from creator to
mankind, although he is mistaken for the thunderbird by some, they are separate powers.
Artist Statement: I was recently awarded the First Peoples Fellowship, in which I am working towards illustrating and authoring, “The
Porcupine and the Buffalo”, a story that was passed onto me to teach about boundaries and being careful about the people you bring
close. It is one of my favorite stories, passed on to me by my Grandpa, to tell during my educational programs, very popular, loved by
young and old; a very successful tool to teach about healthy relationships. I have a message to share and feel honored to be able to
pass on the messages within the bright colors, symbols, 3-dimensional elements and images I apply to the canvas as well as antique
ledger paper.

#119
N. Boyd Hagen, Michigan ND
“Blood On The Prairie" - Watercolor
8” X 11” Framed

#120
Tam Goodman Wisthoff, Towner ND
“Twelve Ladies Grazing" Oil
23.5” X 27.5”

#121
Jennifer Parker, Tolna ND
"Boxed"
Colored Pencil 16” X 20”

#122
Andrew Knudson, Towner ND
“You’re not catching me, Buddy" - Watercolor
20” X 22” Framed

#123
Sue Morrissey, Valley City ND
“Remedy or Peach Pit Wisdom”
18" x 8" x 3", ( without the paper script)
An assemblage of ceramic, natural seeds and beads

I’ve been exhibiting my work professionally for over 25 years. I work in many mediums both, two and three-dimensionally. My work is
figurative, sometimes with a humorous bent, and almost always with a degree of metaphor. Raised in North Dakota, I have lived and
worked in five Midwestern states before returning to my North Dakota roots in 1996. I currently reside and work in Valley City. The
assemblage piece that I call ‘Remedy,’ or Peach Pit Wisdom is based on the bit of prose inscribed in it. The poem was attributed to
Mother Goose, a fact in itself intriguing. It is a playful piece formed by combining elements such as: peach pits, doll clothespins from my
youth, and a broken shard of ceramic onto a ceramic platter I made with the poem scribed on the sides and stampe
onto the oval suspended.

#124
Don Paul, Edgeley ND
Copper Bowl
2” X 7”

Combining basic natural materials into simple shapes using a minimum number of steps can produce elegant decorative and/or
functional results. Some of my work incorporates copper, brass, bamboo, mica, and wood in a manner which emphasizes each
materials most interesting characteristics while complimenting the other elements. Alternatively, a single material can be manipulated
into multiple forms and shapes through the use of various processes with each process building upon the previous one. My recent foray
into the field of Fold-Forming copper is leading me into new and interesting processes which result in one-of-a-kind sculptural pieces. I
am eagerly exploring this challenging new art form and plan to pursue it as far as possible.

#125
Bill Rivas, Lakota ND
“Red Headed Woodpecker”
Oil on Canvas/Pallet Knife 13” X 15”

#126
Alfred Jason Lindell, Park River ND
"Prairie Blossom"
Fused & slumped glass, 2010 - 13" dia. x 3" deep

#127
Greg Vettel, Thompson ND
“Starship”
28” x 10” Welded Harley-Davidson Parts

This rural Thompson, North Dakota, native received his B.A. from Minot State University in art and graphic design. He’s spent 38 years
studying and repairing all types of mechanisms from motorcycles to telescopes before becoming the Exhibition Coordinator and
Registrar at the North Dakota Museum of Art. This former automobile, motorcycle, and truck technician transformed his love of
machines into sculpture and prints made of and inspired by discarded Harley Davidson parts, which he has exhibited extensively
throughout the region and are in private collections across the country. Professionally, he has served as three time President of the
North Dakota Art Gallery Association and is a new board member and Vice President of the Grand Forks County Historical Society. He
purchased the thirty-acre family farmstead and has filled it with his wild and eclectic collection of motorcycles, cars, boats, machines
and works of art. He has placed his second piece of public sculpture in the Rainbow Gardens, Mayville, ND and continues to create
mechanical sculptures as time allows.

#128
Sherry Rude, Tolna ND
“The Rose”
Hand Painted Porcelain Vase
11” X 6” X 2”

#129
Monte Breckheimer, Pekin
“Russian Egg”
Goose Egg, Gourds, Clay, Found Object 9” X 5”

I am intrigued by the beautiful Easter eggs a Faberge Jeweler of St. Petersburg Russia had made for the Czar Nicholas II to give as a
gift to his wife Alexandra and to his Mother. After the murder of his family, including his wife and five children, the eggs became
scattered throughout Museums in Russia, Europe and USA and in the hands of Private collectors. I decided to try to imitate Faberge, but
instead of gold, Platinum, enamel and precious stones I used stuff I had saved in my junk containers.

#130
Adam Kemp, Grand Forks ND
Untitled - Acrylic on Canvas 24” X 30”

#131
Janet Jacobson and Diane Schill, Hannah ND - The Wooly Girls
"Hannah Frost"
Felted wool wall hanging, handmade wool felt, willow twig and handspun yarn.
8" x 14.5"

#132
Sheri Tuchsherer, York ND
“Prairie Rose"
9.5” X 9.5” Photo Album– 38 pages
Watercolor

#133
Mary Weaver, Grand Forks ND
“Stump Lake, Nelson County, Aug. ‘09”
Oil on Canvas Board
9.5 “ X 12”

#134
Cecil Loe, McVille ND
Wooden Box Crafted by Clifford Satern
Telemark Rosemaling
3.5” X 3.5” X 2.5” tall

Ned's Cottage is part of the Gnome Village created by my wife and I. Gnomes are an intelligent and clever race of little people. They can
create anything they need from objects they have found on the ground, usually the forest floor. They lead simple lives enriched with many
friends, good music, and dancing in the moonlight. The house is a study in perspective on several different levels. This artist statement
may be found in the mailbox on the house.

I'm not trying to be a camera, a feel for something is what I'm after. I may stretch color, shape or composition sometimes but I don't
want to manipulate a point for effect at the expense of truth. I apply the paint heavily with a pallet knife because I enjoy painting thickly,
carving and mixing the paint as I go. It is a tactile way for me to sculpturally render a two dimensional painting. I strive to reproduce
some of the truth and beauty of my subject while working as quickly as I can for the freshness that spontaneity provides in wet paint.

I was born in England and raised on the Caribbean Island of Barbados. As a child, my interests revolved around film and music. At
school I struggled with the visual arts and my interest turned to performing arts when I began my university studies in the United States.
I had completely given up on ever being able to capture the beauty of a moment on paper until I met and married Josh Hagen, who
became my teacher. I watched him work and asked many questions – he’s very patient. Eventually I started to believe I could, so, I’d try,
and surprised myself every now and then when something worked. Being a member of the Nelson County Arts Council and a Hagen
(an art council in itself) gives me the confidence to start showing my work. The community here is so positive. People support each
other – art can really thrive in a community like this.

The piece depicts a midwinter morning following one of those cold
foggy nights. Everything is covered in frost which reduces the colors of the landscape to shades of white, gray and tan. Working in felt
likewise requires a reduction of detail to leave only elemental shapes of the frosty prairie landscape

I graduated from Concordia College in 2003 with a BA in Studio Arts with an emphasis in printmaking. Currently I am attending the
University of North Dakota, where I am working on my Masters in Fine Arts. Coming from the flat plains of rural North Dakota, I learned the
value of simple beauty. My work is not filled with complex details or bright commercial colors, but rich, full earthtone colors and textured
details of the great American Midwest. I grew up on a small family-owned organic farm. The family farm lifestyle and the fundamentals of
organic farming have been ingrained in me by myparents, Terry and Janet, and thus the basis of my work. Organic farming is a process
that works with nature’s cycles. Growing up in such an unconventional lifestyle found its voice in the color, texture and process of my work.

Doc Hagen and his wife, Caroline, were born and raised in Devils Lake ND. Doc has been in active medical practice in Nelson County
since 1971. After moving their home, Troll Hagen, over the ice of Devils Lake in 1998, they have resided north of Lakota. For Doc, art is a
passion and affords him a means of putting visualized imagination upon paper for posterity – to create what was not there before for
others to see. The NCAC renewed his interest in watercolor painting through a workshop instructed by the Fargo artist, Michael Dunn.
Doc relates that “if you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.”

This piece is inspired by a recent reference trip I was on this past fall in Grand Teton National Park. This bull moose was out on a
remote island which made it a challenge and we needed to reach by kayak. We were very fortunate to get the opportunity to photograph
and study this regal bull over a 2-day stretch. I’m looking forward to doing many more moose paintings in the future.

Josh Hagen was born and raised in McVille. He studied at Jamestown College and later received his Masters at the Savannah College
of Art and Design, where he met his wife, Michelle Lynch. They moved to Los Angeles where Josh began working mainly in film as a
storyboard artist, a conceptual illustrator and a sculptor. Later they moved back to North Dakota and Josh started his own pre-
visualization company – Troll Hagen Studios. Josh has always had a fascination with creating things out of the ordinary, which is why
he has an interest in turning pointillism on its ear with his stickman portraits.

This piece is the result of trying to incorporate free space into my work while straying from the clean, straight lines that have become
prominent in my work; moving into more complex curves. It is a departure from much of what I have made in the past in style and
content. Historically, I have approached my subject but have worked to keep it on the peripheral; here, I am attempting to address the
Prairie directly & openly. It would also seem that when the ditches are full of snow, my mind has a tendency to drift towards flowers.

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Annette is a retired teacher and art-specialist of Dakota Prairie. She and “Red” live near the cows on the Sheyenne River
south of McVille.

I started painting after the children left for college – about 1960. My first encouragement was when I received a prize for a thrashing
scene sent to a farmer’s magazine. Later my daughter, Annette, an artist and school art instructor encouraged me to do rosemaling.
Now at age, 93 and a half, it’s easier to rosemal. It helps to be busy doing things when aging – I’d certainly recommend it for everyone!

Nelson
County
Arts
Council

Are we just a puppet on strings, boxed in and formed by the meaninglessness around us?

This past summer, I had the opportunity to visit Stump Lake during the Fine Arts Youth Camp. The beauty of the area quickly found a
place in my heart to “pull up” when the spirit needed refreshing. The surroundings are perfect for the students’ creativity. While
admiring all the lush foliage, I could not overlook the fact that the increasing water level had killed many, many trees. I knew then that I
had to paint this lovely park as it was that day in August. This painting is the result of one of the pictures I took that day.

Artist Statement:

Adam was raised in a small village northeast of London in the Essex countryside. After graduation from Newcastle Upon Tyne
University, he moved to Grand Forks to attend the University of North Dakota where he graduated with a Masters in Fine Arts. Longing
for the countryside, Kemp spent his spare time during the winter of 2008-2009 painting on location at the Frank Matejcek Black Angus
Farm/Ranch west of Grand Forks. After a period of time, upon his arrival at the farm a group of cows would come out to greet him. It
became evident that #127 enjoyed being his model as she would stay with him for hours. He did a series of ten portraits of #127 and a
couple of her daily companions. Knowing that attempting to paint a black object was going to be a challenge, Kemp looked for the
effect that light had on the hair and how the dark hair absorbed the light. Using as little black paint as possible, Kemp has produced a
large series of Black Angus cows and their environment.

Artist Statement:

My passion is landscape in oils, plein air. Painting in any medium, any style, anywhere is a joy! But… When the weather is warm,
you will find me on location in field or pasture painting lush green grasses, our resilient, graceful trees and the inhabitants of the
land - North Dakota blessings.

Artist Statement:

Andrew is a born and raised North Dakotan. His strong roots and love of the north plains reflect strongly in his artwork. As an artist he
strives to create unique art, to separate his work from other artists and to keep the creation process engaging. As an avid outdoorsman
and horseman, it is a relaxed and natural transition for him to combine his work of creatures that roam the land with that of nature – from
bones and hides to feathers and leaves.

Artist Statement:

#135
John Bartunek, Grafton ND
Fused Dichroic Glass
1” X 3” w/Sterling Silver Omega Chain.

John has been working with glass for over ten years. He first started in stained glass and graduated to fused glass when an
artist friend let him experiment with her pottery kiln. In the last few years, his main focus has been on jewelry, especially lampworked
beads. John is drawn to the organic and unpredictable nature of working with molten glass. While he produces the beads and other
glasswork, his wife, Peggy, designs the jewelry - "she has the eye for color and design".

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Artist Statement:

Different china paint (overglaze) colors have many different ingredients that include minerals, such as iron or gold, and flux, a substance
that enables other ingredients in the paint to “melt” into the glazed surface of the porcelain during the firing process. The pigments of china
paint are mineral based and fuse at different temperatures. Therefore the various colors must have different amounts of flux so they will all
fuse in the kiln at the same temperature. There is no “white” china paint color. The white of the porcelain must be retained where desired
as once the piece is fired it cannot be undone. Since the paints are translucent, each firing must be perfect or it shows on the final firing.
Gold, Platinum and other luster are also used to decorate porcelain. They adhere to the top of the glaze as opposed to “melting” in. That’s
why antique pieces look as though the gold rim has been rubbed off – it has. I fire my pieces to cone .017 which is approximately 1400
degrees Fahrenheit. This usually takes three to four hours but the kiln cannot be opened until it and the piece have cooled down so it does
not shatter from thermal shock. Most of my pieces have two to four painting/firings. This piece has four firings

Front

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Artist Statement:

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