Prolific Art Concepts
by Jeffrey A. Nord, Sergeant First Class (Retired Reserves)
About the Artist
I am a 4th generation South Dakotan. My great grandfather, Andrew Nord, immigrated from Sweden in the mid to late 1800s and settled in Bruce, SD, before South Dakota became a State. My grandfather's sister, Florence Nord, was a professional artist. Before my grandfather, Roy, passed away in 1972, he used to often doodle pictures for me and my siblings when we came to visit him and grandma, Caroline, in Madison, SD. Not sure if it was nature or nurture that got me into it, but it seems I have always been interested in art.
I am a 3rd generation Army Veteran. My grandfather, Roy, served in WWI in France as Commander of Company K, 350th Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division (Nicknamed "The Blue Devils"). My father, Roger, served in the Korean War with Company G, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. My uncle, Alan, served in the Vietnam War and retired from the Army as a Major General. As for me, I served a total of 33 years in all Army Components (Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard). I graduated basic training twice (Artillery basic training at Ft Sill, OK, in 1978 and Infantry basic training at Ft Benning, GA, in 1993). In 1991, I was a Sergeant in the 299th Engineer Battalion and served in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. In 1995, while assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, I served in Macedonia as part of United Nations peacekeeping operations, code-named "Operation Able Sentry". I spent the last 15 years of my military career working full-time for the South Dakota Army National Guard in Rapid City and Pierre, SD, before my service ended, due to medical discharge and subsequent retirement as a Sergeant First Class on June 10, 2014.
Upon graduating Salem High School (now McCook Central High School), South Dakota, in 1979, I told my Dad I wanted to go to college to take art and fulfill my dream of becoming an artist. He said he didn't think that was a good idea, that there were too many "starving artists" out in the world, and encouraged me to take Business instead. So, wanting to please my dad and trusting that he knew best from his past experience, I followed his advice. After completing all my required Business classes in my first three years at Dakota State College (now Dakota State University), I spent my senior year taking almost all Art classes and really enjoyed them.
I took art for only that one year and graduated in 1983 with a Business Administration degree (no Art degree), then went on to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD, to pursue a Master's Degree in Business Management and an Army Reserve commission as a 2nd Lieutenant though the ROTC program. But none of that worked out. My 2nd semester, I ended up dropping out of all my classes, except ROTC, because my heart wasn't into Business after the prior year of Art classes.
In the summer of 1984, I completed ROTC Advanced Camp and Cadet Troop Leadership Training at Fort Lewis, WA. When I returned to Vermillion, I realized continuing with an MBA was pointless, since I had dropped all my business classes the prior semester. I also realized that getting a second major in Art was not going to happen, since I maxed out my student loans as an undergrad and couldn't borrow any more money to pay for college. So, I moved to California and joined the working world as an accounting clerk.
PRICKLEY BUSH
I painted each side of this piece with a different color to give a different appearance when the piece was rotated horizonatally. Small holes in each wedge would have allowed clear tubing to be threaded through with oil and fluorescent paint pumped through the tube, like a mood lamp, but I didn't get that far.
SILVER TREE
The first image shows two wood sculptures fit together to appear as one. I tried to create an organic-looking tree, despite all branches being formed in angles, instead of curves. The second image shows the two pieces separated from each other. To combine them, I placed the taller one over the shorter one. Both were spray-painted silver.
1983 - Wood Sculptures
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
May 1983 - Dakota State College
At age 22, I was already trying to think outside the box when I created this uniquely-framed oil painting with a square hole (box) in the middle.
I'VE LOST MY MARBLES
May 1983 - Dakota State College
Here I am with my oil painting of marbles. Above that is a funny sign that read: "Unless your mother is enrolled in this class, clean up after yourself". I have no idea where my Marbles painting is now. For that matter, I don't know where any of my early works from college are. They're either lost or destroyed.
TAKING A RISK ON TECTONICS
May 1983 - Dakota State College
When I painted this, I was thinking of the board game Risk and recalling an old, science education film I watched in middle school on plate tectonics. The verticle and diagonal lines represented fault lines in the plates. I'm not sure why I didn't hang this and the Marbles painting up on the wall before the photos were taken, but now kind of wish I had.
1983 - The Young Artist - Dakota State College
Introduction
2014 - An Old Dream With A New Perspective
WRITING
MY STORY:
In March 2015, I embarked on a 6-month project of writing my military memoirs online. I completed posting my story, "LIFER", onto this website in August 2015. It has lots of interesting stories and pictures, and includes several links.
MY FATHER'S STORY:
On April 1, 2016, I completed posting my father's Korean War story on my site (under the HOME tab). He was a radio operator (in the rank of corporal) and endured some horrific battles, including the Battle for Hill 200, in which he was only one of 30 remaining survivors in his company not killed or wounded. His acting Company Commander was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during that battle.
MY GRANDFATHER'S STORY:
In January 2018, I finished writing my grandfather's biography and posted to my site (also under the HOME tab). In 1912, he was the lead cofounder of Hobo Day at South Dakota State University. He served as a company commander in France during World War I and was congratulated by General John (Blackjack) Pershing during an inspection in France soon after the war ended. My grandfather served most of his career as a lawyer, then later, as a judge. In 1943, Governor Sharpe appointed him to a 4-year term as the first Director of Tax and Licensing for South Dakota.
In the future, I plan to write about my uncle who was a Major General in the Army and served a unique 34-year career in the Chemical Corps.
WOODWORKING
In November 2014, after 5 months and over 50 unsuccessful attempts to find work since losing my full-time job with the 152nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, I decided to try and make something happen on my own.
So, taking a page from Terry Redlin's playbook, I started an art business that included woodworking as a compliment to the art.
Since starting the woodworking, I made 4 shop shelves and 3 rolling work tables to get set up for operation. Then made a pirate ship, combination park bench/picnic table, kid's art/drafting table, queen bed frame with headboard, kitchen table, fishing rig-making station and some miscellaneous other projects.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Before my mom went to a nursing home in 2010, she gave me all her photo albums for safekeeping. I later scanned all her photos, then borrowed my father's photo albums, scanning all his pictures as well. The result was a consolidated, digital photo album that I burned to DVD and sent to all my relatives.
The project fueled my interest in digital photography and archiving.
On March 30, 2015, I sent 45 roles of 35 mm film, containing 1157 images, to www.vistapixmedia.com, so they could digitize the images to a thumbdrive. Both their prices and online reviews made them the best choice. Also, the owner who started the company is a military spouse.
I photographed this sunset on my (former) front porch at West Capitol Avenue in Pierre, SD.
VIDEO
Ever since my son, Andrew, was born in 2011, I started recording and archiving numerous videos of him. He is such a cute kid. I now have a wonderful collection of what I consider to be some awesome gems for YouTube.
Little batman is wearing daddy's slippers again.
COOKING
In my opinion, cooking is probably the only art form that appeals to the sense of sight, smell AND taste.
During my junior and senior years at Salem High School in Salem, SD, I cooked nearly 40 hours a week at Dakota House Café after school and on weekends.
I literally cooked my way through college, working part-time at Dairy Queen and the Dakota State College Trojan Center Dining Facility.
In June 2000, I completed the Army Reserve Food Service Specialist Course at Camp Parks, CA.
In 2010, I began watching the Cooking Channel on TV, becoming more knowledgable and inspired as a result.
Since 2013, I've been photographing some of the meals I've prepared.
The food you see below is baked walleye, garnished with green pepper and onion, pesto rotini and assorted leaf salad.
RETIREMENT
Holding back tears, I accepted my 3rd award of the Meritorious Service Medal during my retirement ceremony at the National Guard Armory in Pierre, SD, on June 8, 2014. For over 33 years, I focused my creative energy trying to solve work-related problems, never giving much thought to the dream I abandoned after graduating from college. Retirement made me a little sentimental and I began reflecting on the past and remembered that old dream. I began painting again and I'm so glad I did; just wish I had started sooner. Along with art, I have kept busy after retirement with job hunting and some other things below.
WEBSITE
On October 10, 2014, I created this website on www.wix.com to post my artworks on there. In early March of 2015, I began posting content about my Military Service. I wrote many stories about my wild and crazy 33-year career. There were so many, that it turned into a 6-chapter book, with many pictures included. I spent an incredible amount of time on this project and it will all be worth it when my son is old enough to read "Lifer". I also added the following content: .
Salem High School Graduation Photo
I sometimes wondered what would have happened had I pursued an Art degree from the beginning. The reality is that I can't go back in time and will never know what would have happened, had I chosen that course. Perhaps my father's advice saved me from bankruptcy. Who knows? At this point, all I can do is make the most of my time and be happy with what I'm doing.
People have said I'm a very prolific artist, so thought that would be a good word to use in the title of this website, "Prolific Art Concepts". I'm always open to new ideas and constantly try to think outside the box (conceptualize) new ways of doing things, to get a better or more interesting result. So, I added the word "concepts" to the website title. It's easier to say than "conceptualizations".
I have no purchase/payment features, because Wix charges a monthly fee for that service. If you are interested in any of my works, please email me at jeffnord@pie.midco.net.
This is my basement workshop on Pierre Street. When my son was about 3 years old, I bought large wooden letters to spell his full name, "ANDREW ROGER JULIO NORD", spray-painted each name a different color, glued each name on a piece of black foam-core board, then hung all four names in his bedroom. I did this in the hope that it would help him learn his alphabet quicker. I only rented the basement workshop for about nine months before it got wet after heavy summer rain. I didn't want to risk breathing mold, so I moved my workshop to my apartment garage.