Sioux City artist offers West Lake portrait
By Greg Drees, Journal correspondent | Posted: Friday, June 08, 2007
ARNOLDS PARK, Iowa -- As a wildlife artist, he finds subject matter in uncommon, wild landscapes. Though more domesticated, the beauty of the Iowa Great Lakes has now captured his heart, resulting in a piece of Okoboji lore.
Robert Sissel's "An Evening to Remember" -- a depiction of the Queen II excursion boat, an antique wooden boat and the amusement park on moon-soaked West Lake Okoboji -- is finding its way into homes near and far.
Sissel, who owns Northwood Gallery at Lakeport Commons in Sioux City, plans a series of Okoboji portraits.
"People are always coming into the gallery asking for something Okoboji," Sissel said. "It's a unique area. There's a lot of inspiration there."
The concept for "An Evening to Remember" began in conversation with Sioux City-area art lovers who have been longtime Sissel fans. Mark Peterson of Dakota Dunes, S.D., had purchased a pair of Sissel originals depicting the expedition of Lewis and Clark. The pieces -- "River of the Big Canoes" and "Late Summer Council" -- are images of the Missouri River journey in Siouxland.
"They were put in the family business office in the board room and they tied in well with my father’s western art," Peterson said.
Peterson and others, most of whom have lake homes in Okoboji, encouraged Sissel to paint "An Evening to Remember."
"Bob had come to me asking my thoughts on a piece about Okoboji," Peterson remembered. "I always thought his artistic style would lend itself well to the nostalgic essence of the area. I told him the Queen II embodied that."
Irving Jensen of Sioux City, a lifelong lover of the lakes area, told Sissel the rendition should have a classic wooden boat in it. "Someone else then said the painting wouldn't be complete without the amusement park," Sissel said. "And it all came together."
Working in his usual medium of acrylic, Sissel began to create a timeless painting. Studying photographs of the Queen II, wooden boats and the amusement park by David Thoreson and Fred Cerwick, he searched for the perfect image.
"I tried to put something together I thought might have happened years ago or just last week," Sissel explained. "And I knew from the start I wanted the scene to be under a full moon."
What resulted, after three months of work, was Sissel's first painting depicting a scene of the Iowa Great Lakes, a rendition capturing the allure of West Okoboji.
The original sold to David and Lori Schmit of Sioux City, who also own a home on West Lake Okoboji. "We absolutely love it," David said. "It reminds us of many nights on the lake."
Two sizes of limited edition canvas prints of "An Evening to Remember" -- 18" by 27" ($425) and 24" by 36" ($725) -- are being handled in the lakes area by Side Street Gallery and Frame Shoppe in Arnolds Park, Carol's Cottage at Shaw Paint & Glass in Okoboji and CR Gallery in Milford. The print is also available at Northwood Gallery in Sioux City.
For Sissel, who gained notoriety as a wildlife artist, delving into the mystique of the Iowa Great Lakes is exciting. "I definitely see a series of paintings coming of this," Sissel said. "The lakes area has a rich history and as an artist, it holds immeasurable beauty."
For more on the work of artist Robert Sissel, visit his website at www.robertsissel.com.
Breakout:
Portrait of the artist
Who: Robert Sissel, artist and owner of Northwood Gallery in Lakeport Commons, Sioux City.
Age: 54
Family: Wife Nancy.
Medium: Acrylic originals. Limited edition Giclee-produced canvas prints, using more than 4 million ink droplets, creating in excess of 500 shades of highly saturated and dynamic color.
Education: "A small Nebraska college."
Career history: After symposiums with distinguished artists from America and Europe, he returned to the Midwest and opened Northwood Gallery in 1981. He found inspiration in nature and its creatures, in time, became recognized as one of Iowa's leading wildlife artists.
Artistic distinctions: Best of Show at national wildlife art shows in Kansas City, Detroit and Minneapolis; Iowa Habitat Stamp winner, 1989; Iowa Trout Stamp winner, 1989.
Future ambitions: "To come full circle as a person and an artist."
Robert Sissel's "An Evening to Remember" -- a depiction of the Queen II excursion boat, an antique wooden boat and the amusement park on moon-soaked West Lake Okoboji -- is finding its way into homes near and far.
Sissel, who owns Northwood Gallery at Lakeport Commons in Sioux City, plans a series of Okoboji portraits.
"People are always coming into the gallery asking for something Okoboji," Sissel said. "It's a unique area. There's a lot of inspiration there."
The concept for "An Evening to Remember" began in conversation with Sioux City-area art lovers who have been longtime Sissel fans. Mark Peterson of Dakota Dunes, S.D., had purchased a pair of Sissel originals depicting the expedition of Lewis and Clark. The pieces -- "River of the Big Canoes" and "Late Summer Council" -- are images of the Missouri River journey in Siouxland.
"They were put in the family business office in the board room and they tied in well with my father’s western art," Peterson said.
Peterson and others, most of whom have lake homes in Okoboji, encouraged Sissel to paint "An Evening to Remember."
"Bob had come to me asking my thoughts on a piece about Okoboji," Peterson remembered. "I always thought his artistic style would lend itself well to the nostalgic essence of the area. I told him the Queen II embodied that."
Irving Jensen of Sioux City, a lifelong lover of the lakes area, told Sissel the rendition should have a classic wooden boat in it. "Someone else then said the painting wouldn't be complete without the amusement park," Sissel said. "And it all came together."
Working in his usual medium of acrylic, Sissel began to create a timeless painting. Studying photographs of the Queen II, wooden boats and the amusement park by David Thoreson and Fred Cerwick, he searched for the perfect image.
"I tried to put something together I thought might have happened years ago or just last week," Sissel explained. "And I knew from the start I wanted the scene to be under a full moon."
What resulted, after three months of work, was Sissel's first painting depicting a scene of the Iowa Great Lakes, a rendition capturing the allure of West Okoboji.
The original sold to David and Lori Schmit of Sioux City, who also own a home on West Lake Okoboji. "We absolutely love it," David said. "It reminds us of many nights on the lake."
Two sizes of limited edition canvas prints of "An Evening to Remember" -- 18" by 27" ($425) and 24" by 36" ($725) -- are being handled in the lakes area by Side Street Gallery and Frame Shoppe in Arnolds Park, Carol's Cottage at Shaw Paint & Glass in Okoboji and CR Gallery in Milford. The print is also available at Northwood Gallery in Sioux City.
For Sissel, who gained notoriety as a wildlife artist, delving into the mystique of the Iowa Great Lakes is exciting. "I definitely see a series of paintings coming of this," Sissel said. "The lakes area has a rich history and as an artist, it holds immeasurable beauty."
For more on the work of artist Robert Sissel, visit his website at www.robertsissel.com.
Breakout:
Portrait of the artist
Who: Robert Sissel, artist and owner of Northwood Gallery in Lakeport Commons, Sioux City.
Age: 54
Family: Wife Nancy.
Medium: Acrylic originals. Limited edition Giclee-produced canvas prints, using more than 4 million ink droplets, creating in excess of 500 shades of highly saturated and dynamic color.
Education: "A small Nebraska college."
Career history: After symposiums with distinguished artists from America and Europe, he returned to the Midwest and opened Northwood Gallery in 1981. He found inspiration in nature and its creatures, in time, became recognized as one of Iowa's leading wildlife artists.
Artistic distinctions: Best of Show at national wildlife art shows in Kansas City, Detroit and Minneapolis; Iowa Habitat Stamp winner, 1989; Iowa Trout Stamp winner, 1989.
Future ambitions: "To come full circle as a person and an artist."
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