Polk County
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Polk County Itemizer-Observer • January 21, 2015 7A
PAINTING
HIS DREAM
Dallas native rediscovers his passion
for art via his own studio and gallery
Kunke said this quote by Van Gogh sums up his
creative process. More recently, he has taken on
sculpting, carving birds like the one pictured.
• Story and Photos by Jolene Guzman / The Itemizer-Observer •
D
ALLAS — He didn’t know were married. She discovered his
painting ability and encouraged
it at the time, but Dallas
him to take his work “out of the
artist Tom Kunke had an
closet.”
early clue at what he would be
“None of this would have hap-
doing in his second career.
pened without her inspiration,”
When he was in elementary
school in Dallas — kindergarten or Kunke said. “I would have still
been putting my paintings in a
first grade — an Itemizer-Observer
closet. She made me put them up
photographer took a picture of
on a wall.”
him painting during class while
Kunke’s first art show at the
two friends looked on.
Bush Barn Art Center in Salem in
Kunke, 51, recalls that it was
July 2010 was a success and even-
around President’s Day, so the
tually led to the couple wanting to
painting was of George Washing-
open Tom Kunke Art Studio and
ton cutting down a cherry tree.
Gallery on Main Street in Dallas a
He still has a copy of the photo.
little more than a year ago.
Throughout his first career as a
“I’ve actually had people come
college professor at Warner Pacific
in and say ‘We
College in Port-
think you are a
land, he would
little bit crazy,’”
run across it.
Kunke said.
“Would get a
“We’ve heard we
big smile on my
are crazy or
face because I
dumb to start a
thought, ‘Well,
gallery in Dallas.
maybe someday
You know, I don’t
in the future I will
really think it is
get to paint
too crazy to do
again,’” he said. “I
something that
worked as a pro-
you love to do
fessor for like 25
and that you are
years, but in the
passionate about.
back of my mind
We prefer to
it was always in
think of ourselves
there to think
as brave.”
about painting
Kunke said he’s
again.”
still pinching
Kunke did pick
himself because
up a paint brush
he can’t believe
during college —
What: Tom Kunke Art Stu-
the turn his life
but as a house
dio and Gallery.
has taken. In five
painter to help
Where: 357 Main St., Dallas.
years he has
get through
Hours: Tuesday, Wednes-
begun a career as
school. He also
day and Thursday, 1 to 5 p.m.;
an artist, re-
took an art class
Saturdays by appointment.
turned to his
for elementary
For more information:
hometown — he’s
teachers. His pro-
971-409-7686; online at
the son of long-
www.tomkunkeart.com; email
fessor, artist
to tom@tomkunkeart.com.
time Dallas High
James Kirk, who
School basketball
is now retired and
coach and super-
living in Mon-
intendent Gordon Kunke — and fi-
mouth, used to tease him, calling
nally, opened an art studio.
his painting style “primitive.”
“I never would have guessed we
“He would never have guessed I
would have been doing this five
would end up doing this,” Kunke
years ago,” he said.
said. “I would have never guessed
It was about that time he got se-
that for myself.”
rious about painting, developing a
Years later, Kunke became what
unique abstract style that doesn’t
he calls a “closet painter.” He actu-
require the use of a brush. Instead,
ally would paint and then put his
creations in his closet, unwilling to he uses a palette knife to pile paint
onto a canvas in multiple layers,
show them publicly.
mixes colors and scrape it off to re-
Then Kunke met his future wife,
Conni. Coincidently, their first date veal layers underneath.
Sometimes the paintings depict
was at an art gallery. Soon they
With the support of his wife, Conni (left), Tom Kunke has embarked on a second career as an artist. His
abstract paintings have been well-received and late last year, the couple opened a gallery and art studio.
Painting a Dream
Kunke’s art is abstract and he creates his piece in an unusual way,
using a palette knife instead of a brush to pile on and scrape off paint.
discernable objects — he has a
number of paintings of Dallas-area
landmarks in his studio — others
are less representational. Often,
Kunke doesn’t know where he’s
headed with a painting at the be-
ginning. Sometimes their origin is
just a vision of color and texture
he tries to duplicate on the canvas.
“They are a journey. You kind of
walk with them and that’s why it’s
difficult to let some of them go,”
Kunke said.
He said his favorite pieces are
those that he has fun creating. He
said people can tell which paint-
ings he enjoyed the most — espe-
cially Conni, who Kunke calls “the
brains” of the studio operation.
“Your heart just bubbles because
he’s like a kid in a candy store,”
said Conni, who often serves as his
alarm clock when he’s lost track of
time painting. “He’s so excited and
so passionate about this.”
Now people are starting to take
notice of his work and the gallery.
Kunke has invited other local
artists to show their work in the
studio and has established part-
nerships with Amalie Robert Win-
ery of Dallas to do wine tasting
during shows, as well as Partner-
ships in Community Living’s furni-
ture shop in Dallas to make dis-
play pedestals. The couple has also
hosted school field trips to the stu-
dio and Tom has visited high
school art classes.
Kunke has even dabbled in
wood sculpting, making birds
carved out of walnut.
Outside of his wife’s support,
Kunke said the best encouragement
came from Kirk, who visited the
gallery before its December show.
“When he left, he said ‘I’m
proud of you,’” Kunke said. “That
made me feel really good.”
The gallery will host another
show starting Memorial Day week-
end entitled “Iconic Willamette
Valley.” Kunke hopes to establish
more relationships with area
artists and businesses, keeping his
childhood interest and now sec-
ond-chance occupation growing.
“I think the things that we
sometimes dream about or aspire
to do as kids, we don’t always get a
chance to do,” Kunke said, “but
I’ve been really blessed to have a
second career to do something I’m
really passionate about.”
Photo courtesy of Tom Kunke
ITEMIZER-OBSERVER ARCHIVES
A premonition? Perhaps. A young Tom Kunke paints in his Dallas el-
ementary school class in this long-ago taken Itemizer-Observer photo.
Kunke has begun painting Dallas
landmarks, such at the grain ele-
vator on the south side of town.
Photo courtesy of Tom Kunke
Kunke painted the Muir & McDonald Tannery before it was torn down.