They say a picture paints a thousand words. Those who have been to camp will agree that this artwork created by Bow Narrows guest Dean Matson captures at least that and more. 

Dean’s brother Terry and nephew Neil have been coming up to Bow Narrows for years, but 2017 was Dean’s first trip to Red Lake and our camp. Since that visit, Dean has created three stunning pieces of Red Lake artwork. “Fishing at Sunset” is based on a photo Terry took of Neil a few years ago. “Red Lake Waterfall” and “Red Lake Sunset” were painted from photos that Dean took during his visit with us last year. 

“I mostly work in soft pastels now and on 400-grit sandpaper. It has a very ‘toothy’ surface that allows me to layer many colors together. I also work with scratch board which is basically an etching on a black surface leaving a white image that can be colorized with ink. This method is best for furry animals and birds. I have done quite a few dog portraits with that medium as well,” Dean explained.

Anyone interested in contacting him to get prints of these pieces or to talk about having a favorite photo of their Bow Narrows trip, pets, wildlife, or other scenery recreated, can email him at drmatson1@gmail.com. Sounds like a great gift for the fishing enthusiast in your life! Thanks for sharing your artwork with us, Dean.

Dean Matson’s Red Lake Art