About the work

This mixed-media artwork features a painterly version of the state of Minnesota. Here, impasto applications of white paint combine with bolder colors across the piece to form a work suggestive of the symbols unique to the state. The background appears in variegated brushstrokes of green, complementing hints of a purplish-red wash across the state, both collectively representative of the red pine, the state tree. Bodies of water are rendered in deep shades of blue, to represent the designated state muffin, blueberry. Completing the piece are the layers of white paint intermixed with subtle hints of color, notably a reddish orange, used to symbolize the qualities of the state gemstone, Lake Superior agate, which is characterized by its sedimentary layers stained by industrial iron.