Tom Maakestad works with oil paint, oil pastel and dry pastel using regional landscapes as his main focal point. In the early morning or late afternoon, he looks for vast expanses or the complexities formed by merging land masses with light and shadow. Maakestad’s color pallet is frequently limited to what he’s viewing at that time of year.

The area around his parent’s farm in south central Minnesota has elements that he appreciates about this part of the country: long views from open ridge lines remind him of bus rides from his youth when valley bottoms were shrouded in fog, or sunsets that heighten the landforms and tree rows. 

His work is held in many collections including the Mayo Clinic, The US Embassy in Oslo, Norway and the Minnesota Museum of American Art.

Maakestad’s art will be for sale and a portion of sales will go to Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church.