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   Longville Lakes Arts Center announces its fourth Featured Artist Show, Crop Art by Linda Paulsen. The show begins with a reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 21st at the Arts Center on the corner of Highway 84 and Co. Rd. 5. Her art will be on exhibit until October 19th. The Arts Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

   Crop Art is a mosaic-style painting made of seeds and other plant materials. The artist meticulously places seeds on the artist’s drawing, one by one, using glue, toothpicks and tweezers. Linda Paulsen collects seeds from her garden and gets them from farm crop stores and nurseries. Her collection of seeds is stored in some 130 bottles. You can see some of them in the photo. At the show she includes cards identifying seeds used in each of her paintings. When it is complete, the painting is protected with a coat of polyurethane to protect it from mice and insects.  

   Paulsen began competing at the Minnesota State Fair in 1967 and she has competed in the State Fair for 56 years. She has won best of show 12 times and won many ribbons. Some of her works include paint, such as Betty White and The Spanish Lady. Some of her works use plant materials other than seeds, such as the pine needles on Lion the King of the Jungle and corn husks on Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift. The latter are part of the series of Celebrity Paintings, she started in 1992. Her paintings are just as nuanced as those realized in oil, acrylic or watercolor. It is amazing the depth, value and perspective she achieves with seeds. 

   Please come and visit with Linda and enjoy her art at the reception. If you cannot, then stop in and take a look. You will be delighted. 

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