FUN ART studio/gallery

painting to the jazz at jazz central, minneapolis

Continuing Tim's tradition of painting to live music, he's reconnected well with the jazz community in the Twin Cities - interpreting what he's hearing in the music in acrylic on canvas. At Jazz Central in January, Tim interpreted the music of the Chris Bates/Dave Hagedorn/Phil Hey trio and then created two possible CD cover designs with the evening's creations.

tim's photography choosen by the odd luminary

I'mpleased to announce that some of my photography will be featured on "TheOddLuminary" site and for sale as posters for $35 (including the image above). Check it out when you get a chance - lots of fun art, sculpture, photography and other oddities. theoddluminary.com

Open by appointment through the winter...

We'll be moving at the end of March - but there is still time to COME FOR THE VIEW - STAY FOR THE ART - All throughout the winter, you can see my art in my warm gallery - and see the incredible (winter-expanded) view of the St. Croix River. Just call my anytime at 612-240-6679 and I'll happily open for you within 30 minutes if I'm in town. Click here for directions.

birds: avian in acrylic show a huge success

The Flying Pig in Algoma was nice enough to give me their entire upstairs back gallery to Tr 40 of my bird paintings. The room was a great space - we even had birds chirping throughout the exhibit (which was held over an additiional two months due to its popularity). The show is available to tour if you know of a gallery who's sensibilities match, let me know. You can see a short video of some of the paintings in the show (with the tweeting soundtrack) here.

watch for my "rusted nova" on abc television's "despirate housewives" this season!

My painting "Rusted Nova" (shown above in its original two-canvas configuration) was chosen to decorate the set of "Despirate Housewives" in their seventh season (2011-12). A 44" print on canvas was purchased through my print store. Not a ton of money - just bragging rights - and exposure. We think it's pretty cool! The original painting was sold at g42 (can't remember to whom - but if it was you, let me know).

prepare to lose your lunch

Being a humor author and comedian (as well as an artist), I couldn't resist the opportunity to parody those educational television painting instructors. So, I came up with Jön Jinkelheimer. There are actually usable painting techniques taught in these six-minute videos (or the 11+ minute versions if you have the patience of Job and a galvanized stomach). Click to "Painting with Jön" for links to the episodes.

virtual art opening (24/7/365)

Check out our "virtual art opening." Pour yourself the beverage of your choice and click here to enjoy five new galleries organized by genre/subject matter.

tim's art is now being licensed!

We are pleased to announce that Tim's art is now being made available for licensing (for use on manufactured products, from prints that you might find at Target stores to stone coasters that you'd find at gift shops, from apparel imprints to serving trays... you get the picture. Tim's work is being featured on coasters and other household items and on large prints that will be available worldwide via HP's Big Canvas division. If you have interest in licensing an image for something you are working on - from a printed publication to a retail product - just drop me an email and we'll talk.

a real gallery opening captured by photographer tess haun

Take a peak at some really nice (and delightfully unusual) photo documentation of the Gallery 42's Sturgeon Bay grand opening reception (2010) as captured by Tess Haun. Click here.

check out my painting demonstration videos

I've done a few videos documenting my methods of painting with acrylic on canvas. My first offering was "How to Paint a Pig" followed by a landscape painting. You can find a list of all my videos on this page.

"beet it" painting serves as inspiration for chef's creation.

My painting, "Beet it" was chosen (along with art by Monet, Chagall, Van Gogh and Picasso), as inspiration for an art-inspired dish in Calgary, Alberta. Chaine des Rotisseurs hosted a dinner at the Calgary Petroleum Club on September 19th. The theme of the dinner was "Under the Influences" food inspired by art, music and literature. They let me know that his painting inspired a palate cleanser dish: iced beet puree, orange seville droplets.

"Beet It" was created to live jazz at one of Gallery 42's art and music jams in 2009.

the art of beer

I like beer. Good beer - fancy pants micro brew beers. Check out the cool beer labels that I'm shlemping around to various microbrewries. These labels incorporate my paintings, design and even name generation. What's next... wine labels? Hey, I can swill a good boxed wine just like the next guy. Click here to see the labels and buy an "Art of Brewing" poster of 12 labels.

this is cool... morphing women

When crusing around the internet, I found a wonderful video by Philip Scott Johnson comprised of 500 years of female portraiture morphing into each other. Make sure you turn on your speakers to enjoy the cello music while you make his journey through art history.

I have my own female art video - not quite as elegant and classical as this one. Mine is called "Girlie Show" - you can watch it here.

tim nyberg bio/vita

For the past thirty years, Tim Nyberg has been a graphic designer and illustrator my entire career - creating anything and everything from logos, magazines, video titling and packaging to the set for Jerry Seinfeld's first HBO special. His clients range from Fortune 500 companies to the ma and pa business on the corner.

"What I've enjoyed most about my recent (eight year) excursion into "fine art" (which I prefer to call "fun art") has been the lack of a client and/or art director hovering over me determining when a piece is "finished". It's been quite freeing – and I think that shows in my art. Of course, the money isn't quite as predictable, but I'll take a liberated artist's spirit over money any day. (Make no mistake, my paintings are for sale and I do still have bills to pay.)"

About the diversity in Tim's painting styles:
I find that exploring and not being tied to one particular genre is quite valuable in the evolution of my work. The non-objective pieces I create during live music performances inform my tighter objective pieces and visa versa. Will I ever arrive at one particular style? I hope not... that would take all of the fun out of it. I love being surprised by spontaneity.

I relate to this quote by Pablo Picasso: "God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on trying other things."

gallery shows:
(most recent at top)

chilkoot cafe - one man show (birds), february 2015
showroom, uptown minneapolis(birds) november, 2014
white bear center for the arts - member show- winter 2014
three sister's eclectic arts, lowertown st. paul october - december 2014
A-Z-gallery, lowertown st. paul, juror's award december 2014
winter works... art opener, st. croix valley may 3-4, 2014
juried show, white bear center for the arts, april 2014
olive's white bear lake, mn - ongoing exhibition 2014
chilkoot cafe - one man show (coffee and tea), march 2014
jazz central - "good vibes" painting to the chris bates trio (january 8, 2014)
art preserve studio gallery, woodbury, mn - acrylic and whimsy show - dual show with mike judy (nov 2013)
sideshow entertainers, stillwater, mn library gallery (October-December 2013)
chilkoot cafe (one man show - "found glasses") november 2013
graphic designers as artists show, art raech st. croix, stillwater, mn october 2013
door prize for portraiture, baileys harbor, wi, june 2013
northern vineyards winery, stillwater, mn, spring 2013
chilkoot cafe - one man show (fish), april 2013
door prize for portraiture, baileys harbor, wi, june 2012
third avenue playhouse, lobby exhibit summer 2012
miller art museum, passion for pets show, winter 2012
miller art museum, juried show, fall, 2011
associated bank lobby exhibition - one man show, september 2011
the flying pig, algoma, wi, one-man show - "birds" avian in acrylic, fall 2011
corner cafe - one man show, sturgeon bay, wi summer 2011
trout museum of art, appleton, wi - members' exhibition, august, 2011
st. paul art crawl, fall, 2011
door prize for portraiture, baileys harbor, wi july 2011
brew - one man show, ellison bay, wi june 2011
bistro beverages, tamarack gallery, stillwater, mn summer 2011
one man show - bird art, the flying pig, algoma, wi, september 2011
the flying pig, algoma, wi (various originals and prints/cards), summer 2011
door prize for portraiture, baileys harbor, wi june 2011
st. paul art crawl, carleton artist lofts, april 2011
caggio gallery, featured exhibition, milwaukee april, may, june 2011
BBDO advertising, minneapolis - one-man show - 2010
dunn brothers coffee, minneapolis - featured artist 2010
story starters solo exhibition- the flying pig gallery and greenspace, algoma, wi 2010
"etudes" abstract studies - gallery 42, sturgeon bay, wi 2010
one man show - glas coffeehouse, sturgeon bay, wi, 2010
miller art center, sturgeon bay, invitational exhibit,
2010firefly trading company (ongoing exhibit)
jeffery taylor gallery (ongoing exhibit) - 2010/2011
door prize for portraiture, baileys harbor, wi - june, 2010
member's exhibition - appleton art center, appleton, wi 2009
avian and abstracts - gallery 42, sturgeon bay, wi 2009
faculty recitial - lawrence university / conservatory of music, appleton, wisconsin, 2009 performance art
one man show - grand reopening, gallery 42, sturgeon bay, wi 2009
juried show - miller art museum, sturgeon bay, wi, 2009 • JURORS AWARD hardy gallery 2009 collection invitational, ephraim, wi
one man show, glas coffeehouse, sturgeon bay, wi, 2009
eau claire jazz festival and art crawl - university of wisconsin, eau claire, 2009 performance art
member's exhibition, appleton art center, appleton, wi, 2008
one man show - jay's cafe, st. paul, mn, 2008
exhibition - bluefront café, sturgeon bay, wi 2008–present
juried show - miller art center, sturgeon bay, wi, 2008
guest artist - chagall exhibition, appleton art center, wi, 2008 performance art
one man show - Door County Memorial Hospital, 2008
juried show - hardy gallery, ephraim, wi, 2008
one man show - mr. hellsinki, fish creek, wi, 2008
one man show - fairfield center for contemporary art, sturgeon bay, wi, 2007
juried show - hardy gallery, ephraim, wi, 2007
one man show - kick coffee, sturgeon bay, wi, 2006
-
collections:
not in any particular order
Jerry Seinfeld (entertainer/comedian)
Dana Carvey (entertainer/comedian)
Dr. Russell Lucas, University of MN Heart Hospital
Diane Keaton (entertainer)
Gustavus Adolphus College
Bethel University
General Mills (Corporate)
General Steve Kelly
General Motors (Corporate)
Lawrence University
Mr. and Mrs. Carl and Sandy Zapffee
Rosewood Corporation
Dr. and Mrs. Lee Tomboulian
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Villasenor
DeWoskin Investments
Isuzu Corporate
Door County Candy Company
Fiduciary Management, Inc.
Hyundai Corporate
Roseville Area Schools
Warren Hanson (author)
BBG Entertainment
Joel Hodgson (entertainer/comedian)
Recycled Greetings
Longmeadow Press
Charlene Baumbich (author)
Fiduciary Management/Ted Kellner
Shea's Salon
Birch Lake Vision Centers
Meckler Music House
Electric Picture Company
Harper Perrenial
Schander Orthodontics
Evan Montgomery (musician)
Workman Publishing
Andrews McMeel Universal (publishers)
Orchard Supply Hardware
William Ersland (Illustrator)
Young Life
Habitat for Humanity
Door County Visitor Bureau
Bistro at Liberty Square
McDonald's Corporate (Minnesota)
LeBistro Restaurants
Mike McCartney (artist)
Triple Espresso Entertainment
Finnegan's Brewing
Bozell Advertising
Small World Market
Dr. Jankowski, Mayo Clinic
Kick Coffee
Aachen Germany Primeflex Corporation
Seymour Golf Club, Vancouver, BC
Joe Locke (musician)
and many other private collections

Tim's painting, "Beet it" was chosen (along with art by Monet, Chagall, Van Gogh and Picasso), as inspiration for an art-inspired dish in Calgary, Alberta. Chaine des Rotisseurs hosted a dinner at the Calgary Petroleum Club on September 19th. The theme of the dinner was "Under the Influences" food inspired by art, music and literature. They let Tim know that his painting inspired a palate cleanser dish: iced beet puree, orange seville droplets.

The painting, Beet It was created to live jazz at a Gallery 42's art and music jam.

Read the fresh art blog
Tim has started blog about his fine art experiences. Click here to read the blog - and feel free to your thoughts and questions.

Tim recently completed a painting of a violin for the Door County String Academy fundraiser auction. The violin was painted to represent all genre of music that the violin is used for - from classical to bluegrass, jazz to alternative rock. Tim listed to a variety of this music while painting the instrument and attempted to pick up the variety of colors, textures and moods that the instrument can create. For information about bidding on the original, click here. If you would rather own a print of the violin with the "Jazz Violin" graphic, you can order one in any size and matting/framing that you desire here.

allery Forty Two on YouTube
We just posted a YouTube page that will feature videos by Tim Nyberg. The frist two are video samplers of Tim's paintings and photography. You can click on the YouTube icon on the left to watch the videos. In the future we will post videos of Tim's art and music jams, "TIM Talks" - informal artist talks about new works, and other materials that is benefits from video support. Stay tuned!

The Art of Music - Tim recently completed a painted violin to be auctioned for the Door County String Academy. The art on the violin was created to represent the various music genre that use violin - from classical to jazz, bluegrass to alternative. Tim listened the various genre listed while painting the violin to capture the various moods, colors and textures that the instrument is used to create. You can purchase a poster print of the violin by clicking on my print gallery link on the left.

TinyBudget Artwërks: Our own economic stimulus package.
We've added our popular Tiny Budget Artwërks ($19.95 framed prints) to the G42 online store. These are perfect little gifts of art that are easy to buy - easy to ship. Tim will sign each print and include a FREE copy of his video Duct Tape: the Video with every purchase through the end of the year. Click the G42 store icon above or click directly to the Tiny Budget Artwërks page.

It's paint-over time.
I'll often grab a painting off the wall that doesn't interest me any longer and paint over it. The experience often yields are better painting - both becase I've grown in my style, but also because the texture and colors of the previous painting come into play with the new work. I've posted a few of these painting transformations here if you are interested in seeing the results of the process. Hopefully, it wasn't a painting you were interested in purchasing that got the makeover. - Tim

We've added bunch of our art reproduction prints and photography (like those shown above) to our custom order stores - click the links on the left. These are matted and framed to order (like those shown above). If you see any originals that are not shown in these galleries that you desire in a framed print, please let us know. We've ordered some for show at the gallery and they look great! This is the perfect way to still get a copy of that painting that you deliberated a bit to long on... Thanks!

If you're one of the many people that have requested commissioned cartoon portraits from Tim, you can finally get them! Tim's art (based on your photos) are now being featured at ProfilePaintings.com. This innovative new concept allows people to have a custom portrait (in either acrylic on canvas or digital photo-treatment montage) created for use as their profile icons on FaceBook, MySpace... If you choose the painting option, you will get the 18" square painting on canvas shipped to you, and digital files emailed to you for use on your email, online communities, etc.. Click to ProfilePaintings.com for complete information.

empty easel (on online arts community) is featuring an article about Tim's painting to music. You can click here to read the Empty Easel article. And, click to our events page to read more about the art and music jams that happen at Gallery Forty Two and other venues around the midwest.

I thought it might be fun/interesting to document the steps that my paintings go through from white canvas to the final piece. This is a four by six foot painting that is based on a small study (you can see the study on the right above and hanging over the sink in the slideshow). What's not shown is the spraying of various stages of paint with windex and wiping to get smears and/or a pitted look (depending on the dryness of the paint layers), scratching the surface with my finger nails or the other end of the brush. I'm always stepping back, looking, sipping a beverage, reassessing, and trying to achieve a unified look to the design. In some ways, I prefer the study to this larger version, but, that's okay, I can always paint over it. But, in the meantime, the creation of this piece has been documented in the short animated sequence above.

Check out the cool beer labels Tim is shlemping around to various microbrewries. These labels incorporate Tim's paintings, design and even name generation. Next? Wine labels! click here

< Tim just created this poster of his beer labels. These faux labels combine Tim's painting, design and humor into a colorful addition to any pub or rec room. Order it online at by clicking on the print gallery link above left. You can customize the size, matting and framing to suit your personal decorating needs.

When crusing around the internet (no, I haven't found the end yet(), I found a wonderful video by Philip Scott Johnson comprised of 500 years of female portraiture morphing into each other. Make sure you turn on your speakers to enjoy the cello music while you make his journey through art history.

Philip also has other morphing art videos on his YouTube page that you may wish to watch. click here.

John began his work in clay in the early 1970s on an Army base in Virginia. Following the acquisition of an art degree, he paid his dues by making production honey pots for a year.

Turula moved on to wheel thrown, burnished, salt fired “big round things,” a college and museum school teaching career. He then left the wheel for hand-built figures - ideas that started as doodles - “little trains of thought that I’d try to get to stand upright.” Now, John’s work is human scale sculpture - stacked hand-built components - “unplanned beyond a notion.”
John lives and creates in his Bay City, Wisconsin studio. More of his work may be viewed online at www.nopointink.com.

Gallery Forty Two is delighted to add George Ouimette to its list of guest artists. George teaches art at Southern Door High School. His art reflects his surroundings - usually combining found wood with clay to create one-of-a-kind vessel based pieces. You can see more of George's art online at OuimetteStudio.com.

When I paint, sometimes I have a subject matter in mind, sometimes they just appear as the painting materializes. In this case, the later was true. This painting was a paint-over of another piece - something I do often as an evolving artist (see extreme make-over below) - I love seeing a history to the canvas and purposely let old colors and textures live on in the new painting. Upon turning the canvas during the painting process it resembled a profile of a human head.

The profile reminded me of the 1952 Anacin commercial (no, I'm not quite that old, apparently they ran it for a while) with the banging hammers. I mistakenly thought it was Bayer when I named the piece. But the errant title actually had a deeper meaning for me. While on the train ride from Düsseldorf to Köln, Germany, we passed by the Bayer headquarters and our escort apologetically revealed that the nerve gas used in the concentration camps was manufactured by Bayer. The image reminded me of the Anacin commercial, but was foreboding and/or disturbing enough to work with the Bayer reference as well.

But, sometimes, the images are just simple and playful with no deep meaning. They don't necessarily bring to mind anything immediately, I have to stare at them for a while.

The painting on the left, "Smilin' Dave's Refrigerator," was so named because it reminded me of the art of a college painting instructor, Dave Johnson, who was always smiling. During Dave's first show at my college, we were struck by the retro refrigerator shapes in all of his paintings and thought it would be a good idea to place a 1950's refrigerator into the show (complete with a "Refrigerator, mixed media, NFS" title next to it). The department chair didn't think much of our prank, but Dave kept smilin' just the same.

Some paintings are cathartic, working out the angst of everyday life. One such painting is "Bush and Cheney Arrive in Hell" (right). Not surprisingly, this is a title that gets a lot of comments from gallery visitors and usually primes the pump for conversation. While painting, I was filled with frustration about the direction our country has taken under the Bush administration - coupled the disturbing thought that our tax money has been used for complicity in killing of well over 100,000 of God's children - so, I named the piece appropriately. It helped a llittle bit.

I guess this reflects life. Sometimes things that plop in front of us are meaningful, deep and worthy of extra thought. And other times they're just a funny little blip that's meant to entertain us and not really meant for anything but pure enjoyment. You'll find both extremes in my art. - Tim

For the past thirty years, Tim Nyberg has been a graphic designer and illustrator for everyone from Fortune 500 companies to the corner retailer, from McDonald’s to small cafes, for national magazines, bookcovers, web sites, and his own humor books - most notibly the “Duct Tape Books.”

Tim brings his commercial art sensibilities to his fine art and enjoys exploring and blurring the line between the two. If you walk through his gallery and smile or chuckle, it’s payment enough for Tim (although your purchases are certainly appreciated as well). You can see samples of Tim's work at GalleryFortyTwo.com

About the diversity in Tim's painting styles:
I'm constantly exploring in my art - not afraid to try new things - not afraid to fail. Really, what's the worst that can happen? I've wasted a little paint. I just paint over it and the underlying "failed experiment" just adds to the richness of the new image.

I can relate to this quote by Pablo Picasso: "God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on trying other things."

gallery shows:
(most recent at top)
corner cafe - one man show, sturgeon bay, wi summer 2011
st. paul art crawl, fall, 2011
door prize for portraiture, baileys harbor, wi july 2011
brew - one man show, ellison bay, wi june 2011
bistro beverages, tamarack gallery, stillwater, mn summer 2011
one man show - bird art, the flying pig, algoma, wi, september 2011
the flying pig, algoma, wi (various originals and prints/cards), summer 2011
st. paul art crawl, carleton artist lofts, april 2011
caggio gallery, milwaukee april, may, june 2011
BBDO advertising, minneapolis - featured artist - lobby show 2010
dunn brothers coffee, minneapolis - featured artist 2010
story starters - the flying pig gallery and greenspace, algoma, wi 2010
"etudes" abstract studies - gallery 42, sturgeon bay, wi 2010
one man show - glas coffeehouse, sturgeon bay, wi, 2010
miller art center, sturgeon bay, invitational exhibit,
2010firefly trading company (ongoing exhibit)
j. jeffery taylor gallery (ongoing exhibit / abstracts)
member's exhibition - appleton art center, appleton, wi 2009
avian and abstracts - gallery 42, sturgeon bay, wi 2009
one man show - grand reopening, gallery 42, sturgeon bay, wi 2009
juried show - miller art museum, sturgeon bay, wi, 2009 • JURORS AWARD hardy gallery 2009 collection invitational, ephraim, wi
one man show, glas coffeehouse, sturgeon bay, wi, 2009e
au claire jazz festival and art crawl - university of wisconsin, eau claire, 2009
member's exhibition, appleton art center, appleton, wi, 2008
one man show - jay's cafe, st. paul, mn, 2008
exhibition - bluefront café, sturgeon bay, wi 2008–present
juried show - miller art center, sturgeon bay, wi, 2008
guest artist - chagall exhibition, appleton art center, wi, 2008
one man show - Door County Memorial Hospital, 2008
juried show - hardy gallery, ephraim, wi, 2008
one man show - mr. hellsinki, fish creek, wi, 2008
one man show - fairfield center for contemporary art, sturgeon bay, wi, 2007
juried show - hardy gallery, ephraim, wi, 2007
one man show - kick coffee, sturgeon bay, wi, 2006

collections:
(not in any particular order)
Jerry Seinfeld (entertainer/comedian)
Dana Carvey (entertainer/comedian)
Dr. Russell Lucas, University of MN Heart Hospital
Gustavus Adolphus College
Bethel University
General Mills (Corporate)
(Ret.) Air Force General Steve Kelly
General Motors (Corporate)
Lawrence University
Mr. and Mrs. Carl and Sandy Zapffee
Rosewood Corporation
Dr. and Mrs. Lee Tomboulian
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Villasenor
DeWoskin Investments
Isuzu Corporate
Door County Candy Company
Hyundai Corporate
Roseville Area Schools
Author, Warren Hanson
BBG Entertainment
Joel Hodgson (entertainer/comedian)
Recycled Greetings
Longmeadow Press
Author, Charlene Baumbich
Shea's Salon
Birch Lake Vision Centers
Meckler Music House
Electric Picture Company
Harper Perrenial
Musician, Evan Montgomery
Workman Publishing
Andrews McMeel Publishers
Orchard Supply Hardware
Illustrator, William Ersland
Young Life
Habitat for Humanity
Door County Visitor Bureau
Bistro at Liberty Square
McDonald's Corporate (Minnesota)
LeBistro Restaurants
Artist, Mike McCartney
Triple Espresso Entertainment
Finnegan's Brewing
Bozell Advertising
Small World Market
Dr. Jankowski, Mayo Clinic
Kick Coffee
Aachen Germany Primeflex Corporation
Seymour Golf Club, Vancouver, BC
Grammy winner, Joe Locke
Nautial Inn, Door County, WI
and many other private collections

The moment you walk into Tim Nyberg’s Gallery Forty Two in Juddville, your senses are snapped into check. The vivid colors, the intense images, the abstract faces of cartoonish people…it all rolls over you at once like a sensational wave. His artwork has been described as non-objective, whimsical, and contemporary, and certainly unique. And that’s just the artwork. The man behind it all is just as complex, just as diverse. In one moment he’s describing the twenty-five “or so” books he’s written, in the next, the years he’s spent doing stand up comedy, and finally to the present, to the opening of an art gallery.

“I became too prolific, so I had to get a gallery,” Nyberg says with a slow, brooding grin spreading across his face. After studying art, theater, and graphic design in college, Tim went on to become an illustrator. He founded “Duct Tape Guys,” a hysterical take on the uses of duct tape that launched a series of related books. And then there was the stand up comedy. Tim is quite unlike the mental image one would usually conjure up for a stand up comedian. He is not in-your-face, or assaulting on the senses; rather, he’s somewhat soft-spoken and modest, but with a sly look on his face that leads you to believe that Tim’s got a secret.

Nyberg first came to the county in 1975 and returned again in 1990. He met his wife Julie at Bethel, who had roots in the county. After spending years in the Twin Cities, they decided to return to Door County in 2005, and Tim began to scheme about opening a gallery. “When we began to remodel in Sturgeon Bay, I had space to make art and began to create. I painted in college, but I wanted to return to it,” he explains. I’m flabbergasted when he tells me that he’s only been back at painting again for merely two years. The quality and quantity of the work in the gallery looks both experienced and fresh.

As we discuss his path to Gallery Forty Two I find myself drawn to a series of paintings on one wall. He explains that these particular pieces were created musically. Over the course of the summer since his opening on June 21, Nyberg has had live music events. Sometimes it’s Celtic music, and other times, jazz. Tim finds a comfortable spot to listen with a bare canvas, and lets the music guide him. “Some strokes represent tempo, some, rhythmic bass. There are no rules. I brush in time with the music,” he describes. Each song or piece has different character, and as I pass by each canvas, I can see the music he was listening to when he painted. It’s moving, beautiful, and evocative.

The scope of Tim’s work is wide and fascinating, that after being engrossed in these musical pieces, I suddenly find myself staring into the 3-D faces of circus people. In particular, there is one of a trapeze artist that is literally coming out of the wall. His trapeze is connected to the ceiling of the gallery, and you can see the motion the piece has, as the trapeze artist is coming out of the painting and “swinging” into the room. There’s an entire series like this, including a tightrope walker.

When asked what he enjoys most about running a gallery, Nyberg says, “I love seeing people walk through the door and smiling when they see something that they’re drawn to. And I like creating the artwork. Each piece is as much of a surprise for me as someone walking around a corner and seeing it for the first time.”

The space that Nyberg has created for himself at Gallery Forty Two seems to match the artist. It is both quirky and moving, hysterical and thought-provoking. The multiplicity of Nyberg’s talents complement the wide range of artwork he creates. Whatever secret Tim Nyberg seems to have undulating and rippling beneath the surface has piqued my curiosity, and if his artwork is any hint, the well has just been tapped.