Viewing 149 of 723 pictures within search

Previous   Next

Dakota Memories By Les Kouba

Dakota Memories - North Dakota Centennial Print painted by Minnesota wildlife artist Les Kouba

The particular homestead in the painting is neat Brinsmade in central North Dakota, but it tells a universal story of a dedicated people in the heartland of America. The special qualities they possessed have become a cherished national asset in the building of America.

North Dakota’s Centennial is a nostalgic time of warm memories and quiet recollection of a simpler era. The painting eulogizes in rich quiet recollection of a simpler era. The painting eulogizes in rich symbolism the sunset of a day, the autumn of the year, the close of a century of statehood, and the ending of a way of life.

There is a mood of melancholy and sadness for what we leave behind, but the Thanksgiving with joy and satisfaction for what has been accomplished in a hundred years as a state.

The visual drama of the dark clouds in the northwest suggests a changing season and the ending of the day; the late afternoon sun breaks through with promises of a new day and another century. The radiant shafts of sunlight, as in a great cathedral, create a feeling of reverence, reflecting our religious heritage and its profound influence on American life.

True to his genre as a wildlife artist, Les Kouba has featured some blue and snow geese making a brief stop for rest and feeding in the stubble field before hurrying south. They could be the last flock of the season and hint also at the ending of an era.

Those familiar with the Kouba mystique will know to search for hidden subtleties in his painting. In the foreground are the waving native grasses where the prairie wild rose, North Dakota’s state flower, grows. On closer observation, a Dakota “flickertail” can be found hidden in the autumnal undertones. A Dakota tomahawk evokes haunting memories of the Indians and the great herds of buffalo that once roamed these grasslands.

Although the old farmstead in the painting still stands, the lights have long since gone out. However, Kouba has chosen to leave the flickering lights on in the house and barn as a symbol of the American dreams that sill burns on.

The Western meadow lark, North Dakota’s state bird, sits atop the old corner-post, singing vespers at eventide. In the morning, he will awaken us to a new day and sing a prelude of faith and hope for the next century.

Dakota Memories by Les Kouba is available for sale as a signed and numbered limited edition art print with a x image size priced at $__ unframed.

Order yours today. All artwork is professionally boxed and insured and guaranteed to arrive in mint condition. All of the prints have been hand signed by wildlife artist Les C. Kouba.

Previous Image   Next Image

First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page