news & events

Art 4 Shelter artist: Jim Denomie

Posted on May 14th, 2020

World–renowned and award-winning professional artist, Jim Denomie is admired for his colorful and expansive oil paintings, often 5’ x 7” to 9 x 12” in size, that capture his surroundings and the richness of his Ojibwe heritage in surreal style. 

From the time he was six or seven years old,

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Art 4 Shelter artist: Davie Duke 

Posted on May 14th, 2020

Davie Duke is a trained painter and self-taught sculptor. For the past two years he has focused on oil painting on canvas. Davie’s recent work, what he calls the “Black and White” series, is a collection of larger oil paintings on canvas that include thought-provoking displays of dots and circles,

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Art 4 Shelter artist: Paul Nelson 

Posted on May 4th, 2020

Professional photographer Paul Nelson creatively captures nature and wildlife themes in his artwork. Partnering with conservation groups, he photographs songbirds against a white background as they fly from bird banding studies. This video shows the process: https://wildbirdsflying.com/about/

“Ten years ago, I had an idea to create a photographic version of a bird  field guide. 

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Art 4 Shelter artist: Peter Mathews

Posted on May 4th, 2020

A career draftsman and designer, Peter Mathews is an artist at heart. From a young age, he loved to draw and paint. He was later voted most artistic in his senior class. Interested in a career that utilized his artistic talents, he compromised on a drafting career, and recently is focused on building a successful residential drafting service. 

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Art 4 Shelter artist: Deann Speltz

Posted on May 13th, 2019

Talented artist and Art 4 Shelter committee member, Deann Speltz is dedicated to creating art and supporting the important work of Simpson Housing Services through Art 4 Shelter. She began contributing her work to Art 4 Shelter four years ago after first attending the event. Deann later joined the Art 4 Shelter committee because her two sisters-in-law were members of the coordinating team.

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Art 4 Shelter artist: Madeleine Lowry

Posted on May 13th, 2019

Madeleine Lowry’s artistic repertoire encompasses drawing, painting, collage, encaustic, and other techniques. Impressionism, color field art, and process-based art are her favorite styles. She identifies most with impressionist landscapes. 

Madeleine has been painting since she was twelve years old. “When I was young, I wanted to be able to paint like Zoltan Szabo,” she says.  

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Art 4 Shelter Artist: Marla Gamble

Posted on May 6th, 2019

Marla Gamble has been a self–employed professional artist for nearly 50 years. “I decided I would be an artist in fifth grade, but when I helped a classmate complete a Picasso–inspired art project which won her the first prize, I was committed to being a professional artist,” she says. 

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Art 4 Shelter Artist: Annette Fournet

Posted on April 29th, 2019

As an acclaimed fine art photographer, Annette’s work is influenced predominately by photography, both analogue and digital, and also by other media such as painting. Themes in her art include Wabi-sabi, longing, and currently the concept of women as goddesses. 

Annette’s interest in art began when she was very young.

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Art 4 Shelter Artist: Bonnie Folkerts 

Posted on April 23rd, 2019

Bonnie’s artwork in acyrlic and watercolor is inspired by nature — plant life, landscapes, and many animals.  Bonnie’s appreciation of nature and art began in her early childhood as she worked beside her mother, an avid gardener, in their flower beds. “Time spent in nature, whether on the North Shore of Lake Superior or on my travels,

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Art 4 Shelter Artist: Karen Anderson

Posted on April 15th, 2019

Karen Anderson finds herself continually challenged and fascinated by watercolor. The landscapes of Minnesota’s North Shore are her inspiration. “My paintings are an attempt to understand God by trying to capture the beauty in nature,” she says. Karen has also quilted and enjoyed landscape design. She finds it interesting to see how concepts of design apply across mediums.  

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