You are invited to help us “Celebrate Our Students” on Saturday, December 1st, from 2:00 to 4:00, at our Open House at the North Shore Campus, 300 W. 3rd Street, Grand Marais. There will be an artist reception featuring Tim Young. He will be showing his work and at 2:30 will talk about his experiences as an artist completing a nursing degree. This is also an excellent opportunity to buy some of Tim’s artwork, and he is generously donating 20% of those sales to support Cook County Higher Education.

We chose the theme “Celebrate Our Students” because our students are so amazing! Our students have a 90% completion rate (the national average is 75%), they obtain local employment at a living wage income – with benefits – and thus contribute to the economic growth and vitality of our community. They work very hard at their studies, and sacrifice family time, personal time (and even sleep) to excel at their coursework. They deserve acknowledgement and praise for their achievements. Heart-healthy refreshments will be available.

Thank you so much for your continued support. We value your involvement with this vibrant, growing organization. If you cannot attend the Open House event, would you please consider renewing or upgrading your friendship level? We are using the friendship dollars to build our endowment to reach our $35,000 benchmark. Thanks to a generous patron of education, Dennis Rysdahl of Bluefin Bay in Tofte, we have matching funds on the table, so this is an excellent time to make your contribution count even more. Please mail your contribution, stop in and give a gift in person, or pledge online at www.northshorecampus.org.

Thank you again, and I hope we will see you at the Open House.

December 1, 2012, 2:30 pm
I’ll be speaking at an art opening at the Higher Education campus in Grand Marais, MN

December 15, 2012
New work opening at the Coho Cafe, Bluefin Bay, Tofte, MN

36″ x 24″, Acrylic on canvas

Fish in trees. It’s about camouflage, it’s about whimsy. It’s about fishing, logging, preserving and honoring the old growth pines that remain. It’s about remembering and imagining, celebrating and mourning. It’s about earthlings, whether they walk the paths, swim the lakes, or dig their roots deep to tower above the earth.

There are fish that walk on dry land, and even climb trees! In some parts of the world, they swim among mangrove roots, and in others, they climb the flood plain waters to pick fruit from high branches. Fish are sometimes dropped from trees by birds of prey, and sometimes mysteriously fall from trees in backyards to survive when put in water.

From across the room, I hope you see trees inviting and compelling enough to take a closer look, and then to be surprised by fish dancing in your swimming eyes.

I’ve dreamed of fish swimming through air only to duck behind furniture when I enter the room. I’ve dreamed of whales swimming above my bed on a cold winter night. All of these things and more influence what I paint, allowing me to share what migrates through my mind from time to time.

14.5″ x 18″, acrylic on wood

July 28, 2012, I spent the morning downtown painting dragons on people in support of the Dragonboat Festival.

This first picture was taken by Don Davison (thanks Don!), the rest were shot with my phone.