Tom Maakestad works with oil paint, oil pastel and dry pastel using regional landscapes as his main focal point. In the early morning or late afternoon, he looks for vast expanses or the complexities formed by merging land masses with light and shadow. Maakestad’s color pallet is frequently limited to what Im viewing at that time of year.

Midwestern subject matter makes up the bulk of Tom’s work. The area around his parents farm in south central Minnesota has elements that he appreciates about this part of the country: long views from open ridge lines remind him of bus rides from his youth when valley bottoms were shrouded in fog, or sunsets that heighten the landforms and tree rows. All of these factors combine to create intriguing material from which Maakestad uses to start pictures.

Dimensions: 17″ x 13″