A square multicolored impasto painting of spiral receding towards the center of the frame. 

The Distant Past

Rhythmic folds of fabric and color evoke uncanny sensations of skin, blood, and internal organs.

Epithelium

One of spring's gift to us all is the beautiful iris.  This iris is has a mix of vivid, deep purples and almost blinding yellow.  The size of the blossom looks almost top heavy on the delicate stem.

Simple Elegant Iris

In 2016 UMD studied and tested the St. Louis River estuary water and sediment for PCB and mercury levels. These chemicals are toxic and had been found building up in fish eaten by the neighboring communities. Women of child bearing age, nursing mothers, women considering getting pregnant with in 7 years and children under 15 were advised to eat only 1 meal/week of bluegill bullheads and perch, 1 meal/month of bass, carp, catfish, crappies ad walleye under 22". This group was advised not to eat any muskies or walleye over 22". 

Reading Near the St. Louis River

A young girl climbing on playground equipment with black birds with bright blue background

Less Than Lonely

This canvas was first painted gold and after letting it dry, I squeezed out red acrylic in a gestural manor. I think I achieved a cool composition with little re-work. I love the raised texture of red lines and blobs on gold.

Splash

It is a squarish painting of a white vase with orange poppies, on a blue background. 

Poppies on Blue

A painting of an owl standing on a branch with the last green leaf left. On the background is starring sky with a bright crescent moon.

Owl On A Branch

A short prose that represents how we each see art, even when others may feel it is not expressive.  Anyone can be an artist, but great art comes from within.

This is my art...

A lush watercolor composed of exploding wide, wet blue horizontal strokes with deep red emerging  from the center on a field of muted yellow. 



Early Blues

A detailed botanical painting of a yellow slipper-orchid flower.

Greater Yellow Lady's-Slipper

A still life, including two pots, one is pouring.  The painting is a study in shapes and color.

pouring tea pot

A painting of a man face side profile surrounded by gold and a dark blue background. Above the figures hat has the words "Spaceships don't come equipped with rear view mirrors" in a hand written font.

Spaceships

Red, yellow blue, green and white abstract animals in a quarter circle ring.

The Circus

A painting of a vibrant woman in her nineties, diligently doing hand work on a tapestry full of color that is draped across her lap. Her white hair glows as does her spirit, evident of a life well lived.

Tapestry

An abstract painting based on a collage of orange and violet early morning light with the broken landscape of a Cannon River flood in Minnesota.

Small Trembles 8

Abstract Painting that evokes spring flowers. Purple and red energetic brush strokes on a background of bright yellow and orange. 

Garden Jam 

A large area of green paint applied with abstract expressionist brush strokes to the upper left of the surface, a red brush stroke at the bottom left on a brown and grey surface flecked with specks of bright orange paint. 

Untitled

A painting of a prairie in early spring, with a snow-covered trail leading through the pale yellow field toward a stand of brown trees.

Path Snow Melts Last

A tall feminine being is wading in a body of deep purple water, looming over the horizon, the sky a mix of lavenders, rosy pinks and red. A bright orange and red globe floats in the sky hovering between her hands just in front of her chest, illuminating the figure's naked skin and reflecting off the water below.

Seismic Meditation

A zoomed in painting of an orange mushroom growing in shadow. 

Through the Magnifying Glass

A painting of two elephants nuzzling together. The picture is a close up, side view of the pair: one eye of each can be see. The tusk of the one of the left is also visible along with part of the ear of the elephant on the right. Small bits of blue background appear in the bottom corners. 

Pair of Phants

A meandering river through a lush green landscape vanishing into a marsh in the distance. 

River Running

A painting from atop a hill covered in wildflowers, looking down on the shoreline of an aquamarine ocean, dotted with rocky cliffs and sea stacks.

"summer's end"

A painting of a face of an older woman of color expressing rage and disappointment, emerging from a dark espresso halo ending in a flash of white against a brilliant red background.

Consequences

A plein air painting of a rocky shoreline with scattered pine and birch trees along the coast of Lake Superior. Cool slate-gray water and sky suggest an overcast, chilly day. Rust-colored lichen on the rock is echoed in faint warmth in the clouds on the horizon.

North Shore at Cove Point

A drawing of a crow in black ink on paper with a blue swirled acrylic background and a clear acrylic spray gloss finish.

Crow

A black on white (sumi-e ink with bamboo brush strokes) painting of a young man holding a rabbit   In his arms and feeding it. 

Madhav Feeding Angel Her Medicine 

Painting of a person, hunched over, conveying the impression of weariness or cold. Person is seated cross-legged on a newspaper that is on a blanket on the sidewalk and has a jar or cup in front of them. The figure is wearing a hooded jacket and their head is bowed. You don't know their race, age, gender. The colors are soft and muted -yellow sidewalk, violet concrete wall. The colors' softness contrast with the feeling of cold and weariness given by the figure's posture.  

A painting of a puppy with a soft young coat of mixed light hair, looking up, eyes fixed on the viewer.

Captivated

A collage of vintage images including ornate title page from a book about flowers, a crown at the top of the image, and a colorized image of a peacock all encased in wax with tints and hues of golds and blue-greens.

The Distant Past, 2019

Nana Yaw Aforo