“Northern Solitudes” on view June 8 to July 14, will reflect the landscapes, horizons and special places that inspire two influential St. Croix Valley artists. Oil Painter Mary Jo Van Dell and photographer John Kaul capture the beauty and intrigue of our amazing waterways. “Northern Solitudes” is presented by ArtReach St. Croix with Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and St. Croix 360.
For more than a decade John Kaul has plied the waters of the St. Croix River, the Brule, BWCA and other locations in his kayak with his camera focused on landscape and wildlife. In the course of his travels he has chronicled the beauty of nature’s garden and its inhabitants. For Kaul, who describes himself as an artist locked up in the body of a lobbyist, the landscapes of pristine locations in the St. Croix River Valley and northern Minnesota and Wisconsin offer an unlimited supply of visual treats.
Contemporary landscape oil painter Mary Jo Van Dell is admittedly seduced by the brooding landscape, and finds inspiration in the woods, lakes, prairies, coasts and wilderness areas of northern Minnesota, Canada and beyond. Her paintings are recognized by her minimalist technique, limited use of palette and often somber and moody sense. Her work is part of private and public collections including the National Park Service and The Minnesota Historical Society.
