(PNAN-ND) – Art, agriculture and aeronautics, including wife Maggie and ‘meow son’ Charlie make their presence daily in Robert Bykonen’s life in Grand Forks. But more people have Bob on their radar – his artworks are on view in various offices of Governor and First Lady Dalrymple’s and the Attorney General’s in the Capitol Building in Bismarck.
As part of the North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) program, artists in the region are invited to submit their bio with photographs or slides of their works, to go on display as a representation of their region. Artist Bykonen’s works will remain on view through March.
With his ‘founding’ roots in Rolla, located in the north central part of the “Peace Garden State,” Bob grew up on the farm, where his strong work ethics were formed, tending to the needs of the cattle, horses and other animals, including the chores related to grain production.
These everyday responsibilities gave him his own creative window to the world and the appreciation of the much wildlife in the region and on the range in the West, like also what makes the cowboy, as depicted in the artworks by C.M. Russell and Frederic Remington.
After graduation from the University of North Dakota, Bob began teaching art education, however his youthful upbringing on the farm met with is free-spirited personality, tackling another life skill, agricultural aviation, which he has been doing this for over four decades, logging over 22,000 hours in the sky, mainly crop-dusting, however he will be hanging up his wings soon and swapping them for the brushes to concentrate full-time on his art.
To get to know Bob more, see http://bykonenart.com or email rbykonen@gra.midco.net or toot his ‘horn’ at 701.772.4391.