Artist Spotlight: The magic of Rick Lundsten

Rick Lundsten is a watercolor gouache painter who has won numerous local, state, national and international accolades. Two Loons caries a wide range of Ricks work in both original and prints. His love of this Northland area and the focus of detail of his work produce spectacular images that we are proud to represent.

We wanted to introduce Rick and give him an opportunity to tell a little about his motivations and inner thoughts regarding several of his wonderful paintings.

Meet Rick Lundsten:

I ́ve been painting for about 35 years and have always had a fascination with painting water. As a Minnesotan, I ́ve had an abundance of lakes and streams to use as subject matter, but I was always fascinated by nautical themed art. The nearest thing we as mid-westerners do to anything nautical is the Great Lakes. My dad grew up around Lake Superior and many of my family vacations were in the Duluth/North Shore area. I was always in awe of the incredible scenery of the rustic north shore of Lake Superior. I remember my parents commenting that it was like going to ̈a different country. ̈

As my life continues to unfold I ́ve had the opportunity to travel to both the east and west coasts of the United States and have experienced the beauty in some capacity of both sides of the nation. My interest in maritime and nautical art has grown as a result of this. But there is just something truly special and unique about the Great Lakes and the unique ships that have sailed them. My artwork has featured ships and work vessels of different eras as well as scenic great lakes images. Most are pretty easy to identify for those who share the love of this ̈Different Country. ̈

“”Secured” won the bronze award in a Camelback gallery online show. The show was themed “Shades of Red 2021.” Was an international online show. It also won the Grumbacher award in the 2022 NorthStar Watermedia show. This show is a National show and competition. It won Honorable Mention in the Minnesota Watercolor Society Spring show 2022.

In my painting ̈Secured ̈, I depicted vessels of the Great Lakes tugboat fleet at rest in their home port of Duluth. The Huron was built in 1974 and spent most of her service life in the U.S. Navy. She was scrapped in 2019. The Kentucky was built in 1929 and still serves today. This picture has a special place in my heart due to the fact that I had lost both of my parents during the time I was painting it. They had both seen the painting in its early stages, but neither saw the finished work. It is dedicated to their memory.

“Storm Warning” Is the recipient of the 2019 Artworks Art and Frame award in the NorthStar Watermedia National show. Also at the Artists of Minnesota show 2019 it received Second Place and Peoples Choice. In 2020 it was given Honorable Mention at the Minnesota Watercolor Society Spring Show. In 2022 it was published in the October issue of “Artistonish”, which is an international art promotional publication.

The other painting I want to focus on is ́Storm Warning. ̈ As with all of my work, it is rendered in watercolor and gouache. It is a portrayal of the very recognizable Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior's north shore. Split Rock is one of the world's most photographed and visited lighthouses due to its accessibility and awe inspiring surroundings. It has been a subject and inspiration to countless artists and photographers for over a century.

As I continue to strive for growth and development as an artist, the unique splendor of the great lakes and its vessels will always be an integral part of what I do. I hope you find joy and inspiration in my work.

Two Loons 2023 "Meet the Artist" Summer Art Series

Two Loons is proud to represent a wide array of local artists here in the Lincoln Park Craft District. We hope that you will visit us to view more of these fine artists that represent the imagery and the lifestyle of our great Northland community.

Beginning in June, Two Loons will host a different local artisan each week at our gallery to meet and discuss their work. This is an excellent opportunity for patrons to put a face with these creations and gather unique insite regarding the artist and their work. We invite you to come meet Rick and many of our other wonderful artists during these events.

Please leave your comments and share your experiences in our forum.

Let's get started!

We have been threatening to do a blog along with our website for some time now and this is as good of time as any to get it started. Recently we spoke with a marketing consultant who identified a Blog associated with our website as being a priority. They even offered to ghost write it for us. I know that’s the way the world is going. We just received an invitation from Google for their new AI blog writer. Much of the content of regional magazines is nothing more than paid promotional pieces authored by the advertisers themselves. But this all goes a little against our grain to present an image that lacks the foibles and imperfections that make us authentic.

Let’s start by telling everyone how we got started here at Two Loons and a bit about what our motivations were getting into the Art, Gift, Apparel, and Décor market here in Lincoln Park. As we progress in the coming weeks we can add some fun content and delve deeper into our product lines while venturing afield to explore specific topics that relate to the North Shore area. From time to time we will turn the pen over to some of our artists to tell their stories and talk about their work.

Seven years ago, when we began this voyage we had choices to make. We planned to open a retail shop upon our retirement and had been looking for a location near the Gordon, Wisconsin “home” that we purchased. When the opportunity arose to purchase a building in Lincoln Park, we jumped at it. Growing up in the Twin City metro, Duluth had always been our go to destination, and we spent a huge amount of time exploring the city and the North Shore. We felt at home here.

Lincoln Park was still on the cusp of economic development. We needed to format plans that would address the need to renovate a 100 year old building that had been vacant for over 5 years and embrace the ever changing demographics base with an eye on where we wanted to go with the business. Our ultimate goal was to produce a shop that was comfortable and fun for both our customers and ourselves. We wanted to express our values and tastes while embracing the natural beauty and history of aspects that drew us to the area. At the same time, it was important for us to seize on contemporary preferences and tastes.

One of the takeaways from our familiarity with the area was the immense talents of local artists. Lincoln Park had begun to embrace the “Craft District” moniker and as we looked around the community this seemed more to describe the more industrial aspects of the district. We could see the need for a retail outlet for local artists within Lincoln Park that could build upon the “Craft District” marketing effort and offer quality display space for both new and established artists. But art alone could not produce the environment we were looking for or sustain the cash flow needed to maintain a successful business environment. We wanted to create a space where visitors were exposed to new and unique offering with each visit. Something casual yet fun that would appeal to a wide range of interests. A place where visitors could be exposed to fine art as well as decorative accessories, gifts, and apparel.

Lincoln Park has gone through many changes in the last 7 years, and we have seen a massive shift in our customer base. Gone are the comments referring to the “rough and tumble” nature of Lincoln Park. To the credit of other like minded entrepreneurs, huge changes have taken place in the district and Two Loons has willingly adjusted its business model and product selection accordingly. The challenge has been working through the constant construction around us. In 2022 Two Loons was voted the 2nd best Art Gallery in Duluth News Tribune’s 2022 Best of the Best Contest.

Two Loons wears many hats. Both new and established artists display their work in our showroom. Shoppers can browse unique gift items for special occasions or add a unique design element to their home or cabin that expresses their personality and interests. We stock a wide range of ever changing casual apparel that is affordable and timely. Growth has been slow but steady and we continue to refine our offerings while looking at the changes and potential ahead.

Lori preparing the floors during restoration.

Get Involved!

We invite you to participate and become actively involved in discussions. Let us know what you think and provide ideas and information about the topics.

Finding our Blog.

We have made it quick and convenient for you to find our blog through our website at TwoLoons.mn, and our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TwoLoons.mn or just Google us. #TwoLoons