Creating a work of art can be very satisfying. It's even more gratifying when that work is displayed in a place that accentuates both the art and space in which it is displayed. Such is the case with the Water Tower tryptic. The series of three paintings was purchased by collector Russ Nieland of TrueNorth Wealth Management in September, 2017.
Russ and his wife Marsha discovered the 3 paintings while surveying the 2017 NewBo Arts Festival in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. With the help of interior decorator Laurie Wiles, Russ made the decision to purchase the work for his offices at TrueNorth Wealth Management. TrueNorth is located in the recently renovated Mott Building, an historic warehouse and one of the oldest riverfront commercial buildings in Cedar Rapids. The Mott Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Water Tower Tryptic, 2012.
TrueNorth Wealth Management offices, Mott Building, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The Mott Building was built in 1900 as a shop for a farm windmill company and was part of an industrial district on the west side of the Cedar River. The water tower depicted in the tryptic is located just a few blocks east of Mr Nieland's office. It took some extra work before the tryptic was installed—the center panel became warped and needed to be re-stretched. However, the final results were very pleasing to the eye. Russ likes to collect art created by local artists, and I am proud to have my work included in his collection.
Water Tower, Sunrise (left); Water Tower, 7:15 AM (center) and Water Tower, 9:00 AM (right)
Oil on canvas, 24 x 48 in. (Tryptic, 72 x 48 in.)
The Water Tower paintings with real thing in the background, on display during the NewBo Arts Festival, September 3, 2017.