Prints and Note Cards Available (so far) of Mother’s (Marion Gunderson) Watercolors

December 11, 2010 by

Note Cards: The background for this note card image is taken from the lower left corner of Grain Elevator II (Pocahontas, Iowa). The heart is taken from Rag Dolls. This post includes a link for these note cards and for each of the 27 watercolors of which we've had prints made. (Click on photo to enlarge image.)

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To date four of my family members have played a part in having giclee prints made of 27 of Mother’s (Marion Abbott Gunderson 1919-2004) 150+ watercolors. Hopefully tomorrow on December 12, in time for holiday gift giving, there will be a Fort Dodge Messenger column about the prints. As a result of the prints, so far $3,300 has been given to the Rolfe Public Library. The funds will go toward library-related projects, the current one being the digitizing of 101 years of Rolfe newspapers so that they will be available on the Internet.

Update December 12, 2010: To read today’s Messenger column, click here. (The blizzard is delaying deliveries of the Messenger. Any word-of-mouth that you can help with by sharing the link to the column* and/or this blog post will be appreciated.)

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INFORMATION ABOUT MOTHER’S PRINTS/WATERCOLORS

For contact information and information about where these prints may be seen/purchased “in person” click here.

For online ordering information click here.

For background information about some of the original watercolors click here.

For a tribute to Mother click here. For a 1951 Des Moines Tribune article about Mother click here. For blog posts referring to the Barr Art Association click here.

If you don’t want to go to any of those links and just want to contact me directly, that is 100% fine! Louise Gunderson Shimon: 515-465-2746; 14106 Green Dr., Perry, Iowa 50220; mariongundersonart@gmail.com (I’ll be gone part of the week. If you call and get no answer, please leave a message and Bill will get it to me.)

If you have information about any of Mother’s watercolors that you think we might not know about, if you’d let me know, my family would appreciate it so much.

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"Railway Station and Grain Elevator" at Gilmore City, Iowa, painted in 1951. 13.25" W x 17.25" H limited edition prints are available, $35. For those who wish to display the watercolors of the Rolfe, Gilmore City, and Pocahontas grain elevators in a grouping, we have chosen this standard size for all three. The Rolfe Depot prints are very close in size of the grain elevator prints. Also, if matted, a standard sized frame may be used instead of a custom frame.

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TIMELINE

Here is a timeline of when Mother painted the 27 watercolors of which we’ve had prints made so far. Note cards are also available.

1949: Bowling, Sandbox, Ear of Iowa Corn, Grain Elevator I (Pocahontas, Iowa), Grain Elevator II (Pocahontas, Iowa)

1950: Brush and Shaving Mug (pair of watercolors, one dated, one not dated)

1951: Depot (Rolfe, Iowa), Railway Station and Grain Elevator (Gilmore City, Iowa), ISU Heating Plant (Ames, Iowa)

1952: Santa

1953: Coat Tree

1954: Angel in Wine and Blue, Churchyard

1957: Farmstead

1963: El Toro (The Bull)

1966: Eyelashes Under Hat, Yellow Chrysanthemums

1967: Tomatoes

1968: Bright Tulips

1969: Red Flower

1971: Pumpkins

1975: The Farm

1976: Tulips

1993: Rag Dolls

Dates unknown: Grain Elevator (Rolfe, Iowa), Bunny, Picnic Basket

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* Messenger column link: http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/535042/Christmas-art–Christmas-gifts–It-s-a-festive-season.html

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Perry’s Lighted Christmas Parade

December 8, 2010 by

Always on the Friday night just after Thanksgiving is Perry’s (Iowa) annual Lighted Christmas Parade.

In the fourth photo are Marines who served with Lance Corporal Josh Davis. These Marines traveled to Perry to honor Josh who was killed on May 7th of this year while serving in Afghanistan.

Clicking on the photos will enlarge the images.

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For these photos taken November 26, 2010, I used my 50mm lens and f/1.4 and ISO 1600 settings. The shutter speed varied.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Hallelujah Chorus Video — “This was a much needed smile.”

December 6, 2010 by

On Facebook yesterday one of my friends posted the link to this joyful video.

One of the commenters on the YouTube site said about the video, “Bravo. This was a kindness. Many of us out in real world are having our asses handed to us by life right now. This was a much needed smile!” :  )

 

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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The Mouser Transition — Mouser Unleashed!

December 4, 2010 by

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Between September 27th when Mouser (my dad’s cat*) came to live with Bill and me, and October 14th, Mouser’s only outdoor experiences were when he was on a harness/leash. I was afraid to let him loose outside for fear that we’d never see him again.

On October 14th Peggy, my next-older sister, and her husband, Jeff, came to Perry to visit Mouser. (That’s right. Not to visit me. To visit Mouser.) Since on that day there were three of us to corral Mouser if needed, we let him outside for about 45 minutes. Unleashed and free.

All of these photos were taken by Jeff. The first two are of Peggy and Mouser in the garage. Clicking on the photos will magnify all of them.

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* Click on the following hyperlinks to read the previous “Mouser Transition” posts. Part I —  Part II — Part III

I plan to sometime early in the new year get back to writing more about Rolfe-related topics. Until then I plan to bask mostly in the wonders of Christmas and also in sweet memories of my dad, being this will be the first Christmas in my entire life without him.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry — I mean Garfield — Street

December 2, 2010 by

Here is what I “saw” yesterday during my trip to Rolfe. #1 and #3 are the only ones that took place at Garfield Street (a.k.a. Main Street) locations in Rolfe, Iowa. But, with so much going on, I felt like Marco in Dr. Seuss’ Mulberry Street story!*

1. Approval for Rolfe newspapers online project

On November 17th the Rolfe Public Library board approved the contract with Heritage Microfilm for the “Rolfe Newspapers Online” project. Yesterday the first check toward the project was mailed to Heritage. THE BALL IS ROLLING!

Are donations toward the project still needed? The answer is, “It depends.”

The comlete project will cost about $4,000. From private donations $740 has been collected specifically for the newspaper project. The balance of funds has been raised via prints of Mother’s watercolors. The library board plans to put a chunk of those funds toward the newspaper project; it is also hoping to retain a portion of the prints funds for other library-related projects. For that to happen, yes, donations toward the project are still needed.

Project and how-to-donate information is at this link.

2. P-l-e-a-s-e click on this image to magnify the detail of the granite.

While in Rolfe I visited the cemetery. When Jackson and I were at the cemetery last summer, he affectionately put this heart sticker (pictured) on Mother’s (Marion Abbott Gunderson) side of the grave marker, and a smile sticker on Daddy’s side of the marker. Both stickers are still there.

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3. Another watercolor: Eyelashes Under Hat

I stopped at Wild Faces Gallery to approve another proof of one of Mother’s watercolors. We’ve named the prints of this whimsical watercolor Eyelashes Under Hat. (Below is just a portion of the image.)

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4. A new (to me, anyway) kind of pizza

On my way to Rolfe I saw something at the Casey’s in Jefferson that I had never seen or heard of. Mac ‘n’ Cheese Pizza. Ok, so this wasn’t even in Rolfe, but it was part of my meandering “Mulberry Street” day.

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* Do you know what the setting was for Dr. Seuss as he wrote And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street? And, do you know what Dr. Seuss’ real name was?

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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This One’s for You, Mother

November 30, 2010 by

Today, November 30, 2010, marks the six-year anniversary of Mother (Marion Gunderson) passing away.

Although Mother sometimes gave the appearance of being prim and proper, those close to her knew she was fun (e.g., as I explained in my Priscilla’s of Boston post). And, she was a great listener. Also, she worked to educate her six children beyond our formal schooling, but repeatedly said, “It doesn’t matter what you know; what’s more important is when you need information, you know where to find it!” True blue Marion the Librarian!

Since starting this blog, I’ve spent so much time researching history that I sometimes wonder if I miss elements of the present. That’s made me wonder if Mother ever felt that way. Then I realize how empty-handed (as far as knowledge of our roots) our family, and the Rolfe community to some extent, would be if Mother hadn’t conducted her extensive genealogical and community research.

Recently I received the advice that researching the past is good as long as a person mixes it up with the reality of the present and also with helping mankind move forward. Clara’s (my oldest sister) post from a year ago shows that Mother did exactly that: loved helping others connect with the past, mixed it with reality of the present…and quietly helped so many people move forward. If you missed it last year (or even if you read it) I hope today you’ll read Clara’s endearing post “Remembering Mother — Marion Gunderson.”

In this photo Mother is getting painting supplies ready for 1987 Christmas-time painting with six of her seven grandchildren at Gunderland. L to R: Mother, Abby, Jonathan, me, Josh and Katie. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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Works of art in progress! L to R: Tim, Katie, Josh, Abby and Christina. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Geraniums in the Fall (actually, anytime)

November 27, 2010 by

What a difference one week of fall can make. All four photos in this post include geraniums. To enlarge the photos, just click on them.

The top photo was taken one week ago on November 20th. The second photo* was taken today, the 27th.

The third photo is of the geranium watercolor painted by Mother (Marion Gunderson) in 1972. Mother was partial to geraniums, planting them in the several-feet-long brick flower planters at Gunderland following each Memorial Day. (Because of her fondness of them, ever since I was a little girl, on Mother’s Day I gave Mother a potted geranium.)

The bottom photo was taken May 29, 2005, six months after Mother passed away. The photo is of Daddy (Deane Gunderson) placing a geranium on Mother’s grave at Clinton-Garfield Cemetery in Rolfe, Iowa. Mother passed away peacefully on November 30, 2004.

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* The second photo was taken with the combination of three accessories: 1. 50 mm lens, 2. Kenko 36mm extension tube and 3. Kenko 12 mm extension tube. Shutter: 1/8. Aperture: f/9.0. Exposure Bias: 0.0. ISO: 400. Manual focus. (I was so close to the geranium that I couldn’t get the camera to focus automatically any better than just a blur.) It was approaching dusk, so gettting dark; I used Photoshop to lighten up the photo just a tad, but not much.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Our Holiday Tree Tradition

November 26, 2010 by

Our Concolor Fir Tree (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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Today Bill, Katie and I made our annual the-morning-after-Thanksgiving trip to choose and cut down the tree for Bill’s and my home. Because our traditional tree farm no longer sells cut-your-own trees, today our tree farm of choice was Hill’s Tree Farm located 1/2 mile south of the west edge of Minburn. The ad says that Hill’s Tree Farm is “open”: “Fri. 10-5 * Sat. 10-5 * Sun. 1-5 or by appointment.” Contact information given in the ad is 515-677-2389 or hchill@netins.net.

At Hill’s Tree Farm patrons have the choice of cutting their own trees or choosing from fresh pre-cut trees. As for tree variety, we compromised by choosing a Concolor Fir tree since Bill likes shorter needle trees and I like longer needle trees.

I’ve never really paid attention to the names of different varieties of Christmas trees; I appreciated that Hill’s Tree Farm had a little plot that included one of each variety of their trees.

Plot of six varieties of trees. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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Close-ups of six varieties of trees. Clockwise from upper left: Concolor Fir, Douglas Fir, Scotch Pine, Canaan Fir, Fraser Fir and White Pine. (Click on photo to see the differences.)

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s home page.)

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Newt Gingrich Brings Valley Forge to Life

November 17, 2010 by

November 16, 2010: Newt Gingrich speaking in Iowa State University's Memorial Union about his most recent book.

Newt Gingrich was in Ames last night. In the Great Hall of the Memorial Union on Iowa State’s campus, Newt promoted his (written with William Forstchen) most recent book, Valley Forge.

Bill and I attended the approximately thirty-minute lecture in which Newt spoke illustratively about his and Forstchen’s research.

Valley Forge is a work of fiction, but so grounded in fact. If it is even half as interesting as listening to Newt speak, reading it will provide an understanding of the elements George Washington and his army endured, and the sacrifices they made to forge America.

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Although I realize Newt’s book tour may double as a litmus test for a potential continuation of his political career, Newt did not focus on present-day politics. I wish I could say that about the Q and A session following Newt’s speech. Before Newt needed to be elsewhere on campus by 8:00 PM for Fox’s Hannity show, approximately six people had the open-microphone opportunity to ask Newt questions. Hmmm…mostly bee-in-a-bonnet/attitude questions. At least the last question was about the novel.

Newt and me after his speech at the Memorial Union last night. There was so little time for signing before Newt had to get ready for the Hannity show. I literally had about five seconds to scurry behind the table and have some guy (accompanying Newt?) quickly snap this photo.

Three or four years ago, at a Barnes & Noble I attended Newt’s similar lecture and book signing for Pearl Harbor. (In at least one of his books, Newt intentionally puts a “what if” twist in the plot. I know that he did this with one of his Pearl Harbor books. Others of his books align closely, throughout their entirety, with his research. If you read any of his books, Google the titles to see which books have the “twist” and which ones don’t.)

So, where am I going with this?

When I was in high school I had the same history teacher for three year-long classes: American History, World History, and Government. For three years that teacher taught by reading aloud from the text books. Literally. Ask anyone who went to Rolfe high school during the early- and mid-’70s. Also, all three years, before every test and quiz, that teacher revealed to every class every quiz/test question AND (get this) all of the answers.

Three years of non-thinking high school history? Two alive 30-minute sessions with Newt? You get the picture. So…get his books.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Thirty-Five Years of The Glory of Love

November 16, 2010 by

These Grant Wood-like announcements were given to guests at Bill's and my wedding reception on November 15, 1975. The building in the background is what I remember as the hog house at Gunderland. It is the middle building in "The Farm" (below) watercolor by Mother, painted the same year Bill and I were married. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Thirty-five years ago today Bill and I were married. November 15, 1975, in Rolfe, Iowa, with — get this — temperatures hovering around 75 degrees. As I’m beginning this post, “The Glory of Love” by the Platters is playing throughout the house. Perfect.

In the spring (anyway, that’s when my memory says it was) of 1975 the Gunderson side of the family was sitting around the living room at Gunderland. The topic of discussion was Iowa State’s upcoming 1975 football schedule, including the Nebraska/ISU game on November 15th. To which Bill and I surprised everyone by saying that was the date we had chosen for our wedding day. Football schedule — out. Wedding planning — in!

There’s only one time in my life I remember my mother telling a fib. It was when, in the spring of 1975, she and I were visiting sister Marti in Boston. We decided to take in bridal gown shopping at Priscilla’s where “the Nixon girls bought their dresses.” Good golly, Miss Molly!!!!! My mother and I were sitting up on something that seemed like a pedestal atop five or six tiered carpeted stairs while different (I think?) women took turns sashaying in to present dresses to us. Mother and I expected that the dresses might cost just a little more than at Lillian’s in Fort Dodge. We just had no idea that wedding dresses could be SO EXPENSIVE. I tried on a few dresses but, between ladies bringing out dresses, Mother and I quickly whispered to each other that we were out of our league.

Having been brought up that it isn’t kosher to even tell a white lie, I was like “You go girl!” when Mother, cool, calm and collected, told the clerk that the reason we weren’t making our minds up that day about a dress was because we just didn’t know if we had seen anything we liked. She continued with saying that if we went back to Iowa and later decided on a dress from Priscilla’s, we’d be back. We walked out of the store knowing we’d never return, but also feeling like the cat that swallowed the canary.

Back to the actual wedding day … the sequence of the day was 1. ceremony 2. church reception 3. dinner at the Legion Hall and 4. barn dance at Gunderland. (Hmmm. None of those buildings — church, Legion Hall, or barn — are standing any longer.)

In preparation for the barn dance, Bill and Daddy nailed sheets of plywood to cover blemishes of the haymow floor so we had a smooth floor to dance on. Two bands played: Ralph Zarnow’s big-band-sound from Des Moines and the rock band named the Country Knights from Palmer. Just now Bill said, “It was a helluva good time!”

"The Farm" by Mother (Marion Gunderson), 1975. The middle building was behind Bill and me when the above photo was taken. Sizes/Pricing: Small ~7.5" H x 10" W, $15. Medium limited edition 10" H x ~13.5" W, $25. (Click on image to enlarge.)

Does anyone know who won? Nebraska? Iowa State?

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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