arl Rhame was born and raised in south Minneapolis when Willie Mays played briefly for the Minneapolis Millers at Nicollet Park, when the Lakers were winning NBA championships in Minneapolis, and when the University of Minnesota Gophers won the National Title and made two trips to the Rose Bowl while playing outdoors at Memorial Stadium. Every free moment involved competing in Minneapolis parks with neighborhood buddies in baseball, basketball, football, hockey and tennis.

Summers were spent at Cass Lake, Minnesota, giving him a deep respect and enjoyment of the beauty and wildlife of the remote North Country. This tradition continued after a tour with the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations in Washington DC and after earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. Carl’s wife, Andrea (who spent her summers at Rainy Lake on the Minnesota-Canadian border), and their two sons Eric and Colin have enjoyed many trips to Lake Superior’s north and south shores as well as the BWCA in all seasons. They have also been drawn to the rugged northern shoreline on both coasts as well as mountains of the west.

Carl has played acoustic guitar since his teens, back when coffee houses and Coffman Union on and around the U of M campus provided a venue for many folk and blues musicians including Bob Dylan and Koerner, Ray and Glover.

This background: sports, nature and music are the source of endless subject matter for pencil, pen and ink and charcoal sketches and watercolor paintings. “It is my hope,” Carl says, “that people will view my work and remember a similar enjoyable experience.”