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Gary Guderian
A Painterly Journey

“Every painting is seen in the mind long before I touch the brush.”

 

Self Portrait (Acrylic)

Growing up on a dairy farm in a small town near Alexandria, Gary Guderian has always loved animals. Waterfowl, black bears, deer, owls, moose, fox, polar bears, bighorn sheep, lions, and frogs adorn the walls of his rural Brainerd home. At first glance, many of them look like photographs taken while on a hike or from a hunting blind. At second glance, the self-taught artist’s signature can be seen at the bottom: Guderian.    

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“When I was growing up, my mother had a ‘how to draw’ book,” Guderian recalls with a smile. “I would use it to give my siblings drawing lessons.” That creative interest at a young age led to a commercial art degree from Alexandria Technical College. He spent most of his career working in national and regional advertising agencies. Guderian met his wife while living in Helena, Montana, and three of their four children were born there. They’ve lived in Brainerd since 1987, raising their family in a country setting with chickens, dogs, and horses. He’s currently the creative director at Range Printing, publisher of Lake Country Journal magazine. He’s responsible for the look, feel, and layout of this magazine, as well as assisting with photography, illustrations, and ad design. 

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Heading for Cover—Whitetail Deer:  We humans have high-tech weather reports, and even then, we’re often wrong. Isn’t it amazing how animals in the wild, like these deer, can sense a storm and know when to head for cover? (Acrylic 16” x 9.75”)

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Waveriders—Pintail Ducks: Who’s to say strong winds on the lake mean it’s time to head for shore? Perhaps for ducks, catching rollers is a thrill not to be missed. (Acrylic 16" x 8")

In 2004, while recovering from back surgery, Guderian started painting as a form of therapy. “It’s now my outlet,” he explains. “Time flies. Two hours can go by, and it feels like thirty minutes. The rest of the world is shut out, and the only thing I think about is what’s on the easel. It’s relaxing and clears my mind. When I’m done, it’s nice to have something to show for the work I’ve put into it.”

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“When I began painting, my style was more realistic,” says Guderian. “Now, I’m trying to loosen up, be more painterly, or impressionistic. I’m working on not having it be so perfect; letting the flaws be part of the painting.” To achieve this goal, a practice technique he uses is speed painting—having an idea and just getting it down on his board as quickly as possible, not thinking too much about the final outcome. 

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He’s also experimented with different media over the years. After initially using artisan oils, which have long dry times, he switched to acrylics. “I initially stayed away from acrylics because they dry out so quickly on the palette,” Guderian notes. “Then I found a wet palette that keeps the paint from drying out between painting sessions. That was a game changer.” Hardboard is the surface of choice for his work as it allows for certain different effects than canvas.

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Cold Night—Gray Wolves:  Despite the kind of cold that freezes the breath mid-howl, it’s almost as if these ever-watchful predators are challenging Mother Nature to bring it on. (Acrylic 16" x 12")

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Clear Sailing—Bald Eagles: These majestic birds glory in warm thermal updrafts that give them the lift to glide almost effortlessly. Proof that on the quintessential “perfect summer day,” we’re not the only ones to feel like we’re soaring. (Acrylic 14" x 14")

“I probably spend more time looking for references than painting,” he laughs. “The goal is to capture animals in a natural way, not staged. As the artist, I also have control of the composition, so a lot of time is spent figuring out where to place the animal(s) and other elements.” Getting a new idea ready for painting can take hours.

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Once he works out all the details, Guderian transfers the scene to the hardboard he has primed with white paint. He then uses a brownish color to rough in the main shapes. “It’s monochromatic at first,” he describes. “Little by little, I start building the painting, going back and forth between adding light or dark.” He thinks of it as not really painting a moose or a duck, but actually painting light. “Everything we see is based on how light affects it,” he explains.

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At times, getting it just right can be frustrating for him. “At points I wonder, ‘Why can’t I do this?’ The back and forth between fixing what’s wrong, painting over it, changing it . . . over and over. Eventually, I get to a point where it looks good.” Guderian acknowledges it’s good to know when to stop and accept what it is. “People may not try something because they might fail and think it’s a bad thing. But it’s okay. Not every painting is a success. I still end up tossing some work out. The ‘happy accidents’ along the way make it all worthwhile though.”

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Guderian proclaims he doesn’t like to do things twice, so the variety of species he’s rendered is quite impressive. While he doesn’t have a favorite animal, he shares some artistic insights on a couple of them. “Birds are the hardest for me,” he notes. “It’s just hard to fake feathers well. The trick is to paint enough feathers but not every single one. Black bears are easier because there’s just a lot of mass to them, and you can get by with more.”

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Another childhood memory comes to mind for Guderian as he thinks about his craft. “There was a plaque on the wall by our telephone,” he recalls. “It read, ‘Life is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God.’ I love being able to create something with my art. I’ve tried other things such as woodworking, but drawing and painting is really my God-given gift.”  

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Out of the Fog—Moose: While fog may muddle humanity’s best efforts to navigate outdoors, the mighty moose keep calm and carry on. They rely on their keen senses of smell and hearing to find food and detect danger. (Acrylic 18" x 13")

Editor’s note: The very first issue of Lake Country Journal, March/April 1997, featured a profile of Gary Guderian and highlighted the deck of playing cards he designed with a Western theme. You can find that issue (and every issue since) at the Crow Wing County Historical Society.

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