The Unnatural Selection project is a series of 6 paintings that I began working on in 2018. This series includes paintings of a bison, wolf, grizzly bear, pollinators, sea turtles, and polar bear. Each of these paintings tells the history of persecution of each species (or group of species) in North America: thirty million bison were slaughtered to create farms–many of which were not sustainable–and control Indigenous people; two million wolves were killed letting prey populations explode; grizzly bears were nearly eliminated from the lower 48 states entirely; habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change stressing pollinators and threatening our food supply. All of these stories are unique to each animal yet they are all intertwined to tell the cost to nature in the name of “progress.”
Each painting took 8-12 months from research to completion and in July of 2023 I finished the final painting, “The Polar Bear.” Watch the timelapse below of the making of “The Grizzly” to get a better understanding of the process.
More than just creating art, these paintings work to inspire and educate viewers to take action in protecting the natural world and biodiversity. Additionally, a portion of all print sales is donated to non-profit organizations working to protect these species. With the paintings released thus far I have partnered with the Wolf Conservation Center, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, University of Minnesota Bee Lab, and Minnesota Master Naturalist. Check out the video below about the fourth painting in the series, “Pollinators.”
Checkout a timelapse of creating the latest painting in the series, “The Sea Turtle.” This painting was completed in the summer of 2022.
Limited edition archival prints are for sale in my Etsy shop. Including purchasing the entire series to date at a 20% discount.
Notable recognition of the Unnatural Selection project:
•”Canis Lupus” was used as the cover of the book “Winter of the Wolf” written by the board president of the Wolf Conservation Center, Martha Handler.
•Featured on local CBS affiliate in March of 2020.
•”Canis Lupus” was featured in the Star Tribune, August 28, 2020.
•”Canis Lupus” was voted as the Fine Arts “People’s Choice” winner at the Minnesota State Fair, September 2020.
•Feature story in print and online by the Southwest News Media, October 2020.
•Selected by Colossal founder Christopher Jobson and published in issue 24 of create! Magazine in February of 2021.
•”The Grizzly” was featured in the Star Tribune, September 2, 2022.
•”The Grizzly” was awarded the Fine Arts “First Glance Award” by the Minnesota State Fair Foundation and was voted as the “People’s Choice” winner at the Minnesota State Fair, September 2022.
•”The Grizzly” was selected and awarded 3rd place by curator Stefano Catalani as part of the 2023 Interstate group exhibition at the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery at Central Washington University, November 2023. “…his [Fremstad’s] work is absolutely stunning. It’s a tour de force. It’s a piéce de résistance.” – Stefano Catalani
•February – April 2024, a solo exhibition Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood, WA
•February 8, 2024 Travel Tacoma article
•February, 12 2024 Oly Arts article
•February 27, 2024 Tacoma Weekly article
