TOM MAAKESTAD | NOVELLAS

Raised in rural Northfield, Minnesota in a family of artists among a community of farmers, Maakestad has always used his knowledge and appreciation of the land as a source of inspiration for his work. Maakestad describes the origins of his new body of work: “In this exhibition I am working with subject matter that I’ve encountered throughout the year and I am using a variety of media to fit the specific subject. For example, in the winter I was skate skiing, mainly at William O’Brien State Park near Marine on St Croix. I developed a series of dry pastel drawings from these daily trips, mainly responding to the specific color pallet of the winter woods and prairie. 

“In the spring and summer I have transitioned to works from the St Croix River where we often float a pontoon and spend lazy afternoons and evenings. These pieces have evolved into small and larger oil paintings on canvas and board. Finally, I’m working on summer landscapes from around the state during the verdant, sometimes hot, late afternoons. These are completed in both oil pastel and oil paint. The overall body of this exhibition is a group of novellas — long short stories or short novels.”

Gallery Hours
Tuesdays - Saturdays 12 to 5.

Related Videos:

• "Novellas" by Tom Maakestad Episode 1
• "Novellas" by Tom Maakestad Episode 2