Art Chowder January | February, Issue 25 | Page 22

L
add Bjorneby likes to hike, and
enjoys the idea that life is a journey
with both smooth and not-so-smooth
patches. As both minister and artist
he’s walked many paths throughout
his life, in the Pacific Northwest, and
beyond.
The outdoors is where he finds
solace and inspiration. His paintings,
derived from the things that catch
his eye and imagination along the
way (flowers, birds, etc.), are both
serene and beautiful. They impart
a sense of peaceful wonder and an
appreciation for things both simple
and breathtaking. Keep reading to
learn more about this gentle man and
soulful artist.
Art Chowder: Ladd, please tell us
where you are from.
L. Bjorneby: I grew up in Kalispell,
Montana. My dad’s mother, with her
parents and grandmother, came as
homesteaders in 1897.
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ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE
Art Chowder: That’s remarkable! How
did you end up in Spokane?
L. Bjorneby: My uncle and aunt lived in
Spokane, so I’ve been here at least once
a year for my whole life.  Growing up in
Montana, this was the big city!  I moved
here thirty-one years ago when called
by Central Lutheran Church to be their
associate pastor.  Other than nine years
in Yakima, I’ve been in Spokane County
ever since.  
Art Chowder: Living in Montana, did
you spend a lot of time outdoors?
L. Bjorneby: I did. My dad (and I)
loved to walk and bike. I had an uncle
with a home at Flathead Lake, and a
godmother who had a cabin at Big Fork.
She was probably the strongest influence
on my loving the outdoors. My parents
were busy working all summer but she
was a teacher and had summers off. She
would take care of me and we would
go out to the cabin, hike, explore, find
wildlife and everything that’s growing.
Art Chowder: What made you pursue
art?
L. Bjorneby: I grew up in a family where
art was a part of life, and art was in
the air in Kalispell. My mother was a
portraitist in charcoal and chalk, an
oil painter, and a weaver. My dad was
a second-generation jeweler who tried
wood carving in retirement.
When I was thirteen we visited my
grandfather’s home in Norway and met
his nieces who, like their aunts before
them, were professional weavers.  My
grandfather and his father wrote poetry,
and everyone sang!  I can say it never
occurred to me that I wouldn’t find my
niche, a kind of art I wanted to do as a
part of life. In fact, I still have my first
oil painting, done when I was five.
Art Chowder: Your website states
you’ve taken a few art classes. Which
mediums did you study and which do
you use (mostly) now?