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Saturday, September 20, 2008

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Paintings by Minnesota author will be up for auction

By JOHN HANSEN

Entertainment Editor

When Jon Hassler lived in Brainerd from 1968-80, he enjoyed a burst of creativity that launched his writing career. During the same time, his less-storied painting career also took off.

More than 30 paintings by the late "Staggerford" author, unearthed in July in a Bloomington storage building by family and friends, will be featured in a silent auction at 1 p.m. Sept. 28 in the Central Lakes College library, which will be renamed the Jon Hassler Library. Proceeds will go to a scholarship fund.

In "My Staggerford Journal," Hassler wrote that he took up oil painting between 1970-75, the same period in which he sold his first six short stories.

"The subjects were calculated to appeal to tourists - lakes, boats, pine trees, farmsteads," Hassler wrote. "And I enjoyed some success at selling them at summer art fairs in the lake country of northern Minnesota."

Jon Hassler (left) was best known for his writing. But more than 30 paintings by Hassler have been found in a Bloomington storage building.

Hassler was actually off by two years, because the earliest painting at the silent auction is dated 1968, according to Brainerd artist Evelyn Matthies, who cleaned the paintings in advance of the auction.

"There was a lot of repair needed because they'd been stored in a metal building and they had gotten moldy," Matthies said. "Most of them aren't framed. They're all on stretch canvas. We decided it's better for the person who buys it to select the frame."

Starting bids will range from $10 to $700, and most of the paintings are 18 or 20 inches wide; cash or checks will be accepted on successful bids.

Cleaning the paintings was a nostalgic experience for Matthies, who taught with Hassler at CLC (then Brainerd Community College).

"His office was next to mine at BCC," she said. "He'd come in with sketches and ask, Do you think this would make a good painting?'

If you go

What: Jon Hassler Library dedication.

When: Sept. 28. A silent auction of Hassler paintings in the library will start at 1 p.m. and continue until 30 minutes after the program, which will be at 2 p.m. in the Chalberg Theatre.

Where: Central Lakes College, Brainerd.

Phone: RSVP by Wednesday at 855-8135 or 855-8266.

Online: The Jon Hassler art collection may be viewed at www.clcmn.edu/library.

"He paints like he writes. It's very homespun, a lot of feeling in it, a lot of emotion. It's basically landscapes. When I reviewed these images, some of his writings came to mind, like he was illustrating them, although I know he wasn't. He used subdued colors in most of them; he did a lot with golds. I know he'd drive around and paint barns - that was his subject matter for a while, and he used to frame his work with barn wood."

Hassler often used aspects from his own life in his fiction, so it's not surprising that artists pop up in his writing.

Crosby's Joe Plut, a Hassler historian who will give a 20-minute talk as part of the library dedication, pointed to a few examples: "Connor in Rookery Blues' paints mothers and daughters; Jemmy in the book Jemmy' takes art lessons; and Libby in North of Hope' paints as a hobby."

Jon Hassler (left) was best known for his writing. But more than 30 paintings by Hassler have been found in a Bloomington storage building.

Hassler talked about his painting career in a 1997 interview with Plut.

"It seems to be such a different pursuit," said Hassler, who shifted from oils to watercolors in the 1990s. "Painting relaxes me and writing doesn't relax me. When you form something with your hands, it's relaxing. To do something entirely in your brain is kind of stressful.

"I notice differences more than similarities. In my paintings, there are no people, there are lonesome landscapes. In my novels, there are 65 characters at least in each novel, so my books teem with human life and my landscapes don't. It's as if by looking at landscapes, it's a way to rest my eyes."

Jon Hassler (left) was best known for his writing. But more than 30 paintings by Hassler have been found in a Bloomington storage building.

JOHN HANSEN may be reached at john.hansen@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5863.

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