The Spotlight April 17, 2009

La Crosse painter Jake Grotelueschen has been creating art ever since he was little, mostly drawing and painting from reality, still life drawings and photographs.  When he first started painting from “instinct” three years ago it was the first time he felt “connected” to what he was doing.  “It was something inside of me, something I was feeling that I could not express in words,” said Jake. 

Using process and experimentation as a starting point his work is an investigation of feeling, emotion, and experiences.  He says he usually does not rely on themes as a primary source of motivation but rather inspiration develeped “in the moment.” Many of his paintings have a history of layers and textures that are portrayed as a history of his personal stories and experiences.  His painting “Still Feel You so far Away” has been added to Coulee Region Art’s permanent slide show.  Click on the Local Area Artists box below to view the show.