by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
For years, Bud Netka of Sartell has been fascinated by the old round barn in south Sartell, and recently he decided to paint its portrait, so to speak.
One day, he drove over to the barn and took its picture. Back home, he used the photo as a guide to paint the picture. Later, after the paint on the canvas dried, another idea occurred to him: Why not paint himself into the painting, a painting of the artist painting the painting?
He went back to the barn and took a selfie-photo of him with his artist’s easel containing the just-finished painting, showing the actual barn in the distance.
Then he went back home and painted another full-scale barn painting. Except in this one, he painted – in the left foreground – part of his face and his arm holding the paintbrush, painting on the canvas propped in the easel.
And still later, Netka had another idea: Why not put a third painting of the barn propped on the easel in front of the second painting. And so he did. He painted a picture of a picture of a picture – a painting that could be titled “Triple Self-portrait with Barn.”
The round barn, which is a century old if not more, is a landmark ruin located near Lake St. Francis in south Sartell. It’s near the site of many developments in what is sometimes referred to as “Town Square,” which is meant to be a kind of downtown hub of activity in the coming years. It is the site of the Chateau Waters senior-living complex and the soon-to-be-built Sartell Community Center, along with trails and recreational amenities.
Netka said he hopes the old round barn can be repurposed into some social use, such as a place to house the artifacts of the Sartell Historical Society. Anybody who has ideas for preserving the barn should call Netka at 320-260-2556.
Bud Netka of Sartell holds a painting he created showing the old round barn in south Sartell, near the site of many developments clustered around Lake Francis, inclucing the upcoming Sartell Community Center. Netka, long fascinated by the old barn, is hoping it can be repurposed for some social use, such as a Sartell Historical Society museum. Netka has long painted many of the scenic areas and landmarks in Sartell.
Bud Netka’s painting of the old round barn in Sartell is actually a painting within a painting within a painting, as this photo shows, with its three barns and three Bud Netka’s. The painting is meant to evoke the contemplation of a historical landmark as reflected through careful observation recorded for posterity via brush-and-paint.
