My original oil paintings are created using a layering technique where layers of paint and/or glaze are applied over the course of days, weeks and even months in the case of larger work. This gives my paintings a richness and depth that I like to compare to the complex flavors of fine cuisine. The style and some techniques that I use is similar to that of early realist painters. The positioning of subjects within the painting create a sense of intimacy and I invite you, the viewer, to the ‘farm’ experience
Much of our regional art expresses the powerful forces and moods of Lake Superior and the beauty that surrounds it. Yet the region is filled with stories that are as powerful, but sometimes hidden in the shadow of our great lake. Early European settlers brought their cultural practices and knowledge of farmsteading to a region of short summers and long winters, not unlike many of their homelands. Their livestock provided food, protection and labor, in exchange, the farmer tended to and cared for them, my art as well as my farm parallel this tradition. Visiting an abandoned farmstead, you can imagine the stories that the barn and buildings would tell. These stories, this collected wisdom of early European and American farmsteading, are becoming lost to an urban populace.
I hope my art tells the story of our region, of the great lake and hundreds of small, Scandinavian farmsteads that dot our area. Some young, hard working farmers are once again choosing to pick up the traditions of living with the animals, working the land and embracing the seasons. I dedicate my art to them and the bounty and richness they contribute to our area . If my animals could, I think they would tell you a story of how proud they are to contribute to this small farm. Some offer meat while others offer a portrait to paint. It is such a privilege to be part of this cycle of life, death and hope. I hope you will see it too.
Original Oil Paintings by - David Grote
Click on any of the photos to view gallery
