Editor’s note: After more than four years writing Inland Art for Community Word, Paul Krainak is focusing on other projects, notably a blog “Bad at Sports” accessed at http://badatsports.com/2021/sub-rural/. He recommended Nichole Gronvold Roller as his replacement. Her column will run semimonthly.

NICHOLE GRONVOLD ROLLER

Originally from Minnesota, I have lived over half my life in Central Illinois and consider it my home. I have a few personality traits remaining that tie me to Minnesota, mostly an accent that reveals itself when I project my voice or speak passionately. I moved to Illinois in 1997 and shortly afterward started teaching art at Tremont High School where I still teach. I live in the village of Tremont with my husband and three children.

My love of the Midwest parallels the numerous reasons why people complain about living in the region; the unpredictable weather shifts, harsh winters and stifling hot summers. I don’t mind Central Illinois’ flat, expansive landscape as I prefer to have a full view of storms rolling in during the spring. I like knowing it is the height of summer when I hear the rhythmic high-pitched sounds of the cicadas that I uncommonly find soothing. On cloudy, cold days I don’t feel the need to be as productive; therefore, have less guilt about taking the day off to read. As for the fall, I think most of us agree, it is pretty spectacular to live in the Midwest.

The process of looking and experiencing my environment is an important component of my art-making method. The changing of the landscape, influenced by the season often materializes within my abstract paintings and is evident in the selection of my color palette, implied textures and patterning. My home is in a rural setting and my backyard feels endless as it borders cultivated fields with one section melting into another. During the winter months, fields are empty, revealing the strong directional lines left by the plows, and the ground changing only slightly with either a dusting of snow or covering. During the spring, the intense green sprouts of corn or soybeans; the plantings dependent on what was grown the year before, are a sharp contrast to the black earth. Summer is fast and full, overbearing with the thickness of humidity, and fall is covered with rich ocher’s warmth.

Even though my art is devoid of the figure, I often think of people being present in the spaces I am creating. Humans leave an impression on the landscape through agriculture, urban and rural development; building roads, erecting signage, bridges, factories, domestic and public spaces. The theme of nature and architecture; human-made structures in harmony or discord to nature is a subject I never tire of investigating.

“Corridor” by Nichole Gronvold Roller, acrylic ink and spray paint on wood panel, 30 inches by 30 inches. (IMAGE SUPPLIED BY THE ARTIST)

Equally of importance to my artistic practice is viewing art in person. During the pandemic, many art organizations made great efforts in providing art exhibitions that were accessible through online venues that previously were not as popular or user-friendly. Possibly we all became a little better at using technology? While this has helped curb my need to visit art in person, I am eager to once again be in a public space surrounded by a community of people with a similar appreciation. As I look forward to galleries and museums welcoming visitors again, I am enthusiastically mapping out where I want to go and what I want to see first. I am probably not alone in daydreaming about fulfilling conveniences I missed during the pandemic. While my interest in art is eclectic, I believe artists may learn from each other regardless of having similar or varying intentions. I look forward to highlighting artists, art institutions and supporters in the area that I feel invested in and value.

Nichole Gronvold Roller is a painter who received a B.F.A. in Art Education from Minnesota State University of Moorhead, an M.A. in Art Education from Boston University, and an M.A. in Painting from Bradley University. She is currently an M.F.A. candidate at Bradley University. She is represented by the BoxHeart Gallery, Pittsburgh, Penn., and James May Gallery, Dousman, Wis. Her paintings can also be found with Leslie Tyler Design, Peoria, Ill., and The Painting Center (Art File), New York, N.Y.