Last night was a big first step into the commercial art world: being featured in a group show. It’s name: Newvember.

The 3rd Annual group show at the ecce gallery in Fargo, ND featured an enthusiastic crowd at the opening reception on November 7, 2014. I was giddy to be apart of it.

It took 14 years for me to arrive at this place. Welcome to November in Minnesota. My new November I spell like this: NEWVEMBER. And it looks like this:

​
Mark Weiler, the founder & director for ecce gallery, hosted his third annual group show in Fargo, ND last night. Smashing hit. I first met Mark after hanging my art show at a coffee shop next door, (Geo)Graphic Animal Portraits. A month later, I spoke with him after he expressed interest in my work. I told him the next edition of my work would be displayed at the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center, the largest cancer center between Minneapolis and Seattle.  Seven prints from the series are currently being displayed between the waiting room and the treatment center, probably the longest hallway anyone will care to visit. My grandfather died from colon cancer at age 55 (I was age one), and he played baseball for a farm team with Roger Maris (his autograph still hangs in my old bedroom back home). When sentimentality draws in, everything comes close to home.

I imagine my Grandpa Kern would be beam with pride at this show.

Happy seller (left) meet happy buyers (middle) meet happy artist (right):

A gallery book featured pricing details for each artist. Red stickers at the end of the night proved the methodology worked!

One of my favorite parts of the night was meeting numerous talented artists also featured in the show. To hear their challenges and rewards helps to realize they we are much the same. Often I feel I work in a bubble, so to connect with other artists makes the whole creative process worth it (almost like art therapy for art therapists, for free!).

Of course it is an honor when client purchases work. I was completely blown away when ANOTHER ARTIST purchased MY WORK! Special thanks to painter Kelly Thompson from Grand Forks, ND who had his first NYC gallery exhibit this year at Dacia Gallery. Kelly, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I hope your new art offers joy and inspiration!

If the entire evening couldn’t be topped, who showed up?? none other than the awesome, spirited, warm-hugging John Lamb, one of my very first buyers. Moments before he bought my piece this summer, I told him I didn’t have a ND sales tax license, so we drove 1.5 miles down the road, crossed the border, pulled off in a shady parking lot, and then I handed him the goods. Completely legit in the eyes of MN tax peeps, I’m proud to report! True story. Cheers to being a righteous creative business owner!


PAUSE. The above right photo features the work of Charles Beck, at 91, still influences my work. I share 5 lessons from Charles Beck after he critiqued my work (from in this series). Many of his works hang proudly in our home.

I blogged about the importance of building community as an artist earlier this week. Yet tonight, everything seemed REAL.

When I get a chance to MEET THE ARTIST, It’s bliss. Actually, it’s an amazing experience because we all share the same fears.struggles.obstacles to make our work a reality. Andrew Stark and his family (left) and Kelly Thompson (right) next to his paintings which I hope one day to hang in my office.

The very first person I met was Warren Kessler (below, left) who sold one of his intricate works, a painting of a dollar bill I swear was a photograph. Yes, he has patience and is a super nice guy I’d love to do a creative retreat with! To the right was another fellow photographer who enthusiastically introduced herself just as I was about to leave, meet Meghan Duda (right). She teaches architectural photography at NDSU and B&W photography at Minnesota State University Moorhead and I am sure we’d geek out, especially with a tech camera and my PhaseOne IQ 160 digital back. She also had the opportunity to hang work at the Plains Art Museum… legit.

I return to the heart of my art: to make people feel better. After all, art is a powerful subjective force that can shift emotions. For the good.

Special thanks to Mark Weiler affording me the amazing opportunity to be apart of your gallery! Cheers!

My two pieces of artworks which sold, photographed in the Lofoten Islands in Norway on a PhaseOne 645DF camera with IQ 140 medium format digital back. I find this the perfect tool for landscape photography and animal portraiture.

“Lofoten Snacktime” represents a compositional strong-hold in the series, focused on painterly lighting, composition, and a moment. Several viewers commented: “It looked like a painting.” My response: “Thank you.”

Meet “Hazel,” one of my favorite prints from the series is Norway, named after my wife’s grandmother who grew up in the Red River Valley:

Upon return, Willy helped me to celebrate by rolling out the red carpet (he ran in between my legs, twice). That’s what goldendoodles do when they are excited!

Special thanks to the amazing staff at The Photo Touch for their customer service and printing expertise. I couldn’t have done this show without you! I just love that Hahnemuhle fine-art paper!