Inspired Media

More than a hobby: Lori Biwer-Stewart, linocut printmaker
Story and photos by Sara Friedl-Putnam • Originally published in the Fall 2015 Inspire(d)
Artwork by Lori Biwer-Stewart

Like many artists, Lori Biwer-Stewart discovered her calling very early in life.

“I’ve loved to express myself artistically for as long as I can remember,” she says, recalling long, happy hours doodling and drawing as a child growing up on a farm outside Elma, Iowa. “It’s the only thing I ever thought I could do really well.”

That conviction – and a naturally curious mind – led Lori to a commercial design degree at Hawkeye Institute of Technology in Waterloo, Iowa, and, a few years later, a basic printmaking class at MacNider Art Museum in Mason City. Armed with an abundance of natural talent, an expansive library of reference books, a deep love of the art form, and, yes, two printing presses, she began making (and selling) linocut prints out of her home in Osage, Iowa, more than 20 years ago.

Today she is known across the Midwest for her crisp, whimsical work, which explores themes like youth and innocence, relationships, and spiritual awakenings through the use of symbolic images like birds, doors, or keys. “The carving process is very therapeutic for me and has gotten me through many bad moments,” Lori says, candidly referring to her longtime struggle with depression. “Some people can write well or tell interesting stories – I much prefer to speak through the images and symbolism in my linocuts.”

Popularized by the likes of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso in the early- to mid-1900s, linocut is a deceptively simple, relatively inexpensive “relief” printmaking technique in which the artist uses a knife or gouge to carve a design into a sheet of linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wood block), inks the linoleum with a brayer (i.e. roller), and impresses the image onto paper either by hand or with a press. It was the ability to use the technique to create bold, decorative designs that first piqued Lori’s interest.

“Linocut printing enables artistic expression like no other art form – the cut of the knife creates a primitive feel that only adds to the intent and intensity of the message being communicated,” she says. “Sometimes my work is dark and sometimes it’s fun, but it’s always thought-provoking; whatever the image is, my goal is always to make the viewer think and question.”

She does exactly that in pieces like “Me and You,” in which a floating red balloon tied to an empty yellow chair symbolizes the yin and yang found in so many relationships…and “Fireflies,” in which a jar of fireflies nestled among wildflowers conjures up childhood memories of capturing the magical insects on hot summer nights…and “Shiny Things,” in which crows hording small gleaming objects suggest the tendency of so many to collect things they don’t really need. The three works are among more than 70 linocuts currently displayed on her website, www.lbstewart.com.

Her always eye-catching work has earned Lori, who also works as a graphic artist at Curries in Mason City, more than a few awards at art festivals over the past two decades. Yet, despite the accolades, she admits she still struggles with the challenges of “getting out there” and marketing her work, especially through social media. She encourages other artists just starting out to stay on top of current social-media trends and to do what she has done from the start – stay true to self. “Do what really interests you – whatever subject that is, whatever medium that is,” she says. “You will never find joy in your art if you are just creating what you think people will buy.”

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Sara Friedl-Putnam has never considered herself particularly “artsy” or “craftsy,” but after being inspired by the talented women she profiled in this issue is seriously contemplating making a few gifts this coming holiday season.

Biwer-Stewart will display her work at the Wausau, Wisconsin, Festival of Arts on September 12-13 and the Autumn Artistry in Osage on September 19. Her work is also available in galleries across the Driftless Region and online at www.lbstewart.com.

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“More Than a Hobby” is a special section of the Fall 2015 Inspire(d) Magazine. We’ve highlighted doers and makers in the Driftless region who are turning what they do like to do into so much more than a hobby – it’s a living! We love that. Stay tuned for additional More Than a Hobby features online in the coming weeks!

Ever wondered what falls into the gourd family? How about the history of gourds? We wondered! The result, was, of course, an infographic! Enjoy!

Interviewed by friend Becky Olafsen • Originally published in the Fall 2015 Inspire(d)

Becky and her husband, Peter, frequently share the pew with Marvin Wicks at Greenfield Lutheran in Harmony, Minnesota. With a sparkling smile and laughing shoulders, Marvin comments on the world and weather until the service begins. However, Marvin is sometimes absent from that pew because he is in the church cockpit, running the videotaping and audio controls.

Marvin is no stranger to a control panel, being a United States Air Force veteran of 23-year’s service as a fighter pilot during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. This “gentle gentleman” is also a veteran of the agricultural conflicts of the Driftless Area. After serving all over the U.S. and around the world, Marvin came back to the area and farmed near Eyota, Minnesota with his wife and children. After 23 more years of service on the farm, he and his wife retired to Harmony.

In retirement, Marvin has been active as an ARP tax preparer, a chip carver in the Norwegian traditional style, and as a volunteer with the Winneshiek County and Harmony Historical Societies. He has studied many local historical events, but when asked about the most interesting, he replied, “The removal of the Winnebago Indians from the area. They were removed from Wisconsin and promised a permanent home in Northeast Iowa. Then the United States government decided to move them to Minnesota to allow white families to settle in the area. An enormous logistical undertaking to move thousands of Indians, animals, and wagons hundreds of miles. A sad chapter in our history, but a fascinating story.”

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
As part of my military training, ”Your power is in your ability to decide.”

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A pilot. At the age of 10-12 years it was a great event to see an airplane in the sky. The entire family would be out in the yard watching as one “puttered” by. I was lucky enough to live my dream. I got my private pilot’s license in Decorah at age 17 in 1945, and I began Air Force training two years later.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
A bible for hope and care of the mind, a parachute for shelter from the elements, and a large knife to aid in survival. I guess military training stays with you.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
Always concerned, maybe even worried, for the unexpected, which results in my detailed planning, which leads to anticipation and pleasure as events unfold.

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Norwegian desserts six days a week with English plum pudding on Sunday. I grew up with Norwegian pastries, and England is one of the places I was stationed.

What have you learned in your lifetime?
As you meet people from such varied backgrounds, it is amazing to me how much we are all the same. I think our travels and living around the world have added to the realization of all the good things available in our own backyard, the Driftless Area.

Of all the places you have visited which one stands out?
I would love to revisit the ruins in Athens and at Leptis Magna, an abandoned Roman ruins on the north coast of Libya. The significance of what these people accomplished so many years ago brings to mind our insignificance as we rush through our busy lives.

What is a favorite memory?
All my favorite memories revolve around my family and all the places we lived. But, the special memories begin on my wedding day after several months of separation during the Korean War. Often asked where I met my wife, I say I never did, meet her, that is. We grew up together on nearby family farms south of Burr Oak, Iowa. Our wedding day, beautiful sunshine, surrounded by happy family and friends, the pastor telling me to visualize my bride on a pedestal. After 59 years with her, four years without her, I carry that vision still.