Minnesota Artist Raymond Wattenhofer

A biography on the artist behind RaymondWattenhofer.com

Raymond Wattenhofer is a visual artist currently living in north central Minnesota. He is an oil painter whose work has been described as representational, full of light and color.

Wattenhofer is involved in creating oil paintings of landscape scenes that are dynamic in composition and color. “The landscape is forever changing and I am fascinated by the beauty it lays before me as I watch and listen,” he says. Wattenhofer paints both en plein air and in the studio. Most of his paintings are horizontal with an occasional vertical format, in sizes ranging from 6” x 8” to 36” x 40”. His time is divided between collecting reference material, painting on location and painting in his studio. The scenes he paints are from diverse areas and are not about a specific location or subject but about his response to what he sees. The finished painting becomes universal and recognized by art connoisseurs from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Throughout his career, Wattenhofer has endeavored to create art that conveys a personal response to his surroundings. Having a close connection to the land since his boyhood has helped him to recognize what elements are important in describing the context he sees on canvas. Keeping his palette simple contributes to maintaining clean, bright color and enhances the speed in which a painting is executed. Even though his paintings have been described as representational, they lean toward impressionism in style and color. He prefers early morning or late afternoon light to other times of the day. The artist says, “There is magic in the light during early morning and late afternoon.”

Oil paint and canvas are his choice of media in expressing his response to the color and shapes in the landscapes God has created. Wattenhofer says, “The land has so many stories to tell and it never seems to tell the same one twice.” Painting is his way of expressing his response to the land and its beauty.

My Artist Quintessence

Fine Art For Selective People

Art is a reflection of any given culture in any given period of time. I create art that represents a small part of our present day cultural disposition.

As an artist I use present day tools and materials to make representational art. As I work I keep in mind that I am a witness to the beauty God has created and only an instrument when representing God’s creation.

My hope is to convey my emotional response to the tranquility and beauty of my surroundings by primarily using shapes and color. In essence, each piece of my work is a snapshot in time that will never be repeated, locked in place for contemplation.

I do not do, what I do by choice. I am called to be who I am. That is why I am an artist.

Raymond Wattenhofer

EXHIBITS:

Custer State Game, Custer, SD
Blue Dog Gallery, Lead, SD
Center for Western Studies, Augustana Colege, Sioux Falls, SD
Copenhagen Gallery, Solvang, CA
Gray Gallery, St. Cloud, MN
Image Gallery, Edina, MN
Overland Trail Gallery, Jackson Hole, WY
Pine Cone Gallery, Pequot Lakes, MN
Savage’s Western Art Gallery, Sioux Falls, SD
Tallery Gallery, Bemidji, MN
White Oak Gallery, Edina, MN

COMMISSIONS:

St. Peter The Apostle Catholic Church, 4’ x 9.5’ Oil Painting
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 3/4 Life Size Bronze Crucifix
Riverside Methodist Church, Heroic Size Flaming Cross
Blandin Foundation, Heroic Size Bronze Sculpture
Keenan and Clarey, Heroic Size Bronze Sculpture
Several Private Commissions

COLLECTIONS:

Private Collections: Large Number
Corporate Collections: Limited Number

AWARDS:

Grand Prize Purchase Award, Rough Rider International Art Exhibit
Best of Show, Rushmore Mutual Insurance
Artist of the Year, Augustana College
Best Sculpture, Augustana College

CAREER:

1976 - Present
Studio Artist: Creating drawings, paintings, 3D sculpture, product promotion,
marketing

LIFE ENRICHING ACTIVITIES:

Kayaking, camping, biking, walking, cooking, music, reading and collecting fine art

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT:

Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree: Bemidji State Univesity, Bemidji, MN
Major: Studio Art
Emphasis: 2D/3D Visual Design, Drawing, Painting
Art Certificate: Minneapolis Art Instruction School, Minneapolis, MN

MILITARY:

U.S. Coast Guard Honorable Discharge 1971