Art director Kristen Vasgaard selected Scott Hull Associates Clint Hansen to do a collection of classically inspired portraits for a new young adult book series for her publishing house Thomas Nelson. She chose Clint because of his experience within museum display and collegiate hall-of-fame’s.

The collection of 67 prints, which are targeted towards readers age 25-65, features historical figures in the science, art and literary community. Spanning centuries of artists, Clint’s goal was to bridge the differences between the people on the very diverse timeline. Clint used a variety of resources and references, often of very poor quality, to maintain a consistent feel and create a series of engaging historical portraits.

The biggest challenge to this series was creating a consistent style of illustration when the source imagery was so varied. For some illustrations they had actual photographs to reference, because the characters lived recently. However, some people did not even have formal portraits to reference and we had to rely on other illustrations or iconography that was centuries old.

Kristen glows over Clint’s results, “The overall effect is detailed looking and polished. The final product exceeded our expectations. Clint’s custom illustrations unify the series and add a sophistication and uniqueness that we would not have achieved without them. Clint is great about meeting deadlines and is very easy to work with. He willingly makes any revisions or changes and has a great attitude.”

The art committee at Iowa State, directed by Lynette Pohlman, asked Clint Hansen for a work of art that would draw its viewers into the experience of what it is to be an Iowa Stater. The college wanted this piece to be a catalyst for reminiscing and a tool to spark conversations within the entranceway of the Alumni Center.

Clint’s attention to detail and passion for the job, being an ISU alumni himself, made this a seamless collaboration. He listened closely to the committee’s direction and sketched out their ideas before proceeding with the mural itself. The finished piece contains over 28,000 pieces of stained glass mosaic, the same as the University’s enrollment. As with the students attending the school, each piece is unique and it came from different places all over the globe. Once brought together, adhered by what they have experienced through ISU, the result is a beautiful, unified whole that communicates the excellence of the University.

From installation, the art has brought to mind the past and given a bright representation of hope for the future, filling the room with all the emotion and celebration it was consigned to do.