Svenska Fortitude - Memoirs of John Ostlund, A Swedish Immigrant Pioneer in Minnesota is my first published work, but there are more projects to come. I have been a freelance artist in central Minn...view moreSvenska Fortitude - Memoirs of John Ostlund, A Swedish Immigrant Pioneer in Minnesota is my first published work, but there are more projects to come. I have been a freelance artist in central Minnesota since 1987. My business name is Braided Stream Arts. A braided stream has multi-threaded channels that branch and merge, continuously reforming as they flow. I am a nature loving artist and feel that my art also consists of multi-threaded channels of many different mediums with underlying themes and traits that merge as they flow through my thoughts and hands. I have a long career as a memorial artist. Most of that art consists of creating finely detailed pen and ink drawings for customized personal monuments and Veteran's Memorials. I also do freelance portraits and portrait collages in black pencil. I paint colorful murals in children's rooms and churches, schools and businesses. The art that I am most passionate about is typically nature inspired. I design unique essential oil diffusing jewelry, stained glass mosaics and love to hit the great outdoors with my camera to capture and share the natural beauty that is all around us.view less