Chasing Arnold Flaten

The Gift Box I 2005  walnut, 18" tall, 9" each side     unknown location (K. Arneson?) Heavy walnut box highlighting the gifts of the Spirit, with supporting texts on each side.. this is an example of where the woodgrain becomes part of the design, supporting and highlighting the texts.

The Viola Studio            2001, maple 24"x 4"  collection of Eva Sheie Kiser Sometimes just for fun, I'll try something different.  For daughter and musician Eva, this was just to see if we could create a relief image of the viola, the music of which I have come to love through her.  It was challenging to cut away the background with a textured effect to highlight the instrument.

Peace and Grace   2019  for Torunn and Pat Harty walnut, 18"x24", votive candle stand w/brass Some texts and choral works are deep in the traditions of the college choirs of the Midwest, and this one is from " E'en so, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come " by Paul Manz.  This is a beloved work, sung often by The Gustavus Choir, The National Lutheran Choir, and many others.  The work arose from a medical crisis in the Manz family, and I'm sure it resonated again with Torunn (alto) and Pat after a difficult year.  I was honored to use the text, and grateful to be asked to do it for them.

Psalm 23 70x20", white birch. Dec 2019 Zion Lutheran Church, Anoka MN commissioned by D. Legrid in memory of husband, David Done as a matching piece to another birch prayer panel, also in the Zion chapel (the Hebrews 'great cloud of witnesses ' text).  The chapel also includes the columbarium, and it was important to use a text that fit the space and the function.  It's a text of great comfort to many, those who have lost loved ones, but also those who pray and meditate in that quiet space. Thirteen shelves are used for votive candles, usually in the color of the season of the church year.

The Peace Post Minnesota walnut, 6x6x60", November 2019  This work was acquired by Linda Holmen in support of the National Lutheran Choir, and is in the Holmen collection in St. Cloud, MN. Given a dry old walnut 6x6, I pondered for quite a while what to do with it.. it didn't make sense to mill it into boards.. then I remembered a few other 3D works that might apply in this case-- an 'ujamaa' (an ebony carving of the village or family, from Tanzania) and the central obelisk in Oslo, Norway in the Vigeland sculpture park.. Rather than figures, mine uses repeated text of 'love-joy-peace' with the open cathedral arch in the center for a votive candle.  There's also a slot for another candle at the top, not shown in this pic.  this is also reminiscent of the entry beams of the Art Barn at St. Olaf.  Arnold left several corners of those beams unfinished, waiting for someone else to contribute.