My Father
Harold Leonard Nordstrom June 15, 1933 - August 15, 2020
Harold Leonard Nordstrom was reunited in heaven on Saturday August 15th 2020. He was born on June 15th, 1933 in Hamilton ND, the youngest of 3 children born to James and Madeline Nordstrom. Harold enlisted in the Air Force right after high school where he spent 2 years stationed in Japan. He also served at air bases in Florida, Mississippi, California, and Arizona. After 4 years of enlistment, Harold worked for Boeing in Seattle for 1 year, then started his career in the Civil Aeronautics Administration which later became known as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Harold was stationed in Roswell NM, Summit AK, Grand Forks ND, Houghton MI, Alexandria MN, Point Barrow AK, and Aberdeen SD. Harold retired from the FAA in Huron SD in 1993, after over 30 years of selfless public service.
While stationed in Summit AK, Harold met and married Martha Terman on February 17th, 1962. They had 4 children; John, Rebekah, Jacque, and Tom. While living in Alexandria MN, Harold lost Martha after she succumbed to her long battle with breast cancer in 1983.
Harold married Sandra Anderson on March 2nd 1985 in Alexandria MN. Sandra had 2 children from a previous marriage; Maryann and Christine. In retirement Harold and Sandra spent 3 months at McMurdo Station in Antarctica supporting scientific research. Harold loved the ice and snow, and amazingly was able to live and work near both the north pole and the south pole over his career.
Harold was preceded in death by his parents James and Madeline Nordstrom, his siblings Fred Nordstrom and Dorothy Maywald, and his wife Martha Nordstrom
Harold is survived by his wife Sandra Nordstrom, his children John Nordstrom (Sindy) of Mansfield OH, Rebekah Nordstrom-Koss (Alexander) of Flagstaff AZ, Jacque Nordstrom-LeDoux (Daniel) of Parker CO, Tom Nordstrom of Huron SD, Maryann Anderson-Stern (Barry) of Minneapolis MN, and Christine Anderson-Ihrig (Tim) of Tulsa OK, 11 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren
Harold was a lover of music, playing the guitar in is younger years and always seeming to have a tune at the ready. He was also an avid reader, particularly enjoying books on WWII history and arctic/antarctic exploration. But what Harold loved most was his family. He thoroughly enjoyed being a father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Harold was loved by all, and will be deeply missed. A quote from Harold that best describes him is this; “My heritage is my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, my home state and my country; and optimism and confidence for a brighter future.”
Internment will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis MN on October 1, 2020 at 1:30p Grave site W-1643
September 2020 Daily Painting Challenge
It’s September, so it’s that time of the year again! Time for the 30 Day Painting Challenge sponsored by Strada Easel. This fabulous daily painting challenge invites artists from all over the world to create a work of art, from life, every day over the month of September. The rules are quite strict, participants must work from life only, so no photo references or painting from memory allowed. This makes for a powerful learning tool using repetition and visual concentration to work towards mastery. At the same time, the challenge helps to reaffirm the important place that art making has in my life.
As with many of us, I have had a difficult year. As an empathic person, living through a global pandemic has been difficult. Hope and creativity ebb as I work to process lock down and its aftermath. Just as I was making creative headway within my new reality, I lost an immediate family member a couple of weeks ago and my world has stopped. Again. Allowing myself to lean into this Daily Painting Challenge, and creating community with painters from all over the world through shared art making, is like a panacea to my emotional wounds.
Over the course of this challenge, I might not make my most beautiful work as I work myself out of my pit of despair. No, that’s not correct. This month I WILL be making my most beautiful work BECAUSE I am working myself out of my pit of despair by doing what I love. Thank you for showing up to encourage me along on my journey!
Lift Off!
While looking forward to the shiny new year that lies before me, Iʼd like to take a brief moment to think back and absorb the past 365 days of my life. These recently bygone days have been so incredible, I have to pinch myself that they really happened!
For a quick refresher, I lost my job at the end of 2015. So in 2016, with the support of my partner Alex Koss, I decided to embark on this amazing journey that is called Rebekah Nordstrom Artworks. During 2016, I focused on setting up my business as an oil painter, and building my website and social media platforms.I set up a LLC, developed a mission statement, etc. Creatively, I participated in a couple of “30 Paintings in 30 Days” challenges offered by Lisa Saeta and Strada Easel. Because of these challenges, with the support of my dear friend Suzanne Stiebla, owner of 12.12 Studio in downtown Flagstaff, I was incredibly, able to have 2 one- woman exhibitions of my work.
In 2017 I decided to complete an oil painting every day of the year. This challenge is the root of many “firsts” in 2017, it was incredible!! Early in the year, I was in the first exhibition outside my immediate area by being juried into The Art of Planetary Science in Tucson, AZ. I painted my first exhibition piece called “Language of the Land” for the powerful
show Hope and Trauma in a Poisoned Land at the Coconino Center for the Arts. This exhibition is important to me because it mashed up my passion for plein air painting and environmental activism. I competed in my first plein air competition at the Grand Staircase Escalante Plein Air Festival, and though I didnʼt win any prizes, I met some awesome people, and learned a ton. I also got into my first gallery The Artists Gallery in downtown Flagstaff, AZ. Plus I completed over 378 original oil paintings. What a year!
So, whatʼs in store for 2019? How do I better the amazing 2017 you ask? I proudly proclaim that 2019 is my year of refinement. I am going to start the refinement process by completing a sketch everyday this year, while continuing to paint everyday. As I have not been painting for very long, neither have I been drawing for very long. I want to focus on improving my draftsmanship, and face my subject matter fears straight on. I have also joined a year long online workshop taught by Kenn Backhaus through Tucson Art Academy Online. This workshop will guide me to a deeper understanding of the act of painting. 365 days of instruction is thrilling and scary as it is the first time that my work is being looked at with a critical eye.
Iʼll be delving into some of the ideas for 2019 that I have touched on in this blog, in future blogs. As Rebekah Nordstrom Artworks evolves and grows, Iʼm glad that you are willing to come along for the ride. By reading and sharing my blog, visiting my website and social media platforms, and by receiving and pouring over my newsletter, you encourage me to keep going, to keep growing. For that I am eternally grateful! Thank you for supporting artists by buying original art!
Cheerio! Rebekah
