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What's up with the Frogs
It all started when Bart’s son was born in 2006. He quit his corporate job in the pursuit of happiness and time to be together with family. In 2007 Bart was asked to be the featured artist for the month at a winery in Spokane. Not having any body of work to show for he was asked to come up with a theme for the show. The title of show was “From the Earth” which is where the story of the frogs begins. Without having any paintings for the show, Bart frantically began painting wine still lifes with something “from the earth”. That included wine images with frogs, ravens, cats, butterflies, dragonflies, etc. The show was a hit, but Bart still struggled to become one with the frogs….now really how can a serious, talented artist just paint frogs?
Throughout the first year as a full time artist Bart continued to paint frogs and ravens, but at that time was still painting cityscapes, seascapes, and outdoor landscapes that he wanted to keep pursuing. He continued to show at various art shows throughout the Northwest. One side of his booth featured frogs and ravens and the other side of the booth displayed his other style. There were many times when customers would come in his booth thinking that two different artists were showing.
During the summer of 2008 Bart noticed that his sales had picked up with ravens and frogs. He decided to shift his focus from cityscapes and outdoor landscapes to pursue the frogs. One night over a glass of wine he and his wife Heidi began the list of his next frog paintings. The debut of the new frog images was at a summer show in Carlton, Oregon. They were such a hit that he sold the majority of the new originals. Over the next year Bart’s sales with ravens and frogs increased and in 2009 he finally accepted and came to terms that he was meant to paint frogs and ravens.
Now that Bart has come to accept his calling he often dreams of new paintings and never seems to run out ideas. He loves to come up with original, creative images that tell a story, reflect a personal experience, or just make you laugh. His goal is to bring a smile to the viewer and bring some happiness to the world.
Bart has been painting his whole life. Born in Chicago, he fell in love with art at the Art Institute of Chicago. He pursued his passion and received his BFA in 1999 from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver, Colorado. He currently lives in Bend, Oregon with his wife Heidi and son Jon.
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