A. Nadine Pickthorn

Nadine Pickthorn grew up in a large, happy family, the seventh of eight children.  She was born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1944.  During her early years, Nadine often drew pictures of her siblings and then the family would try to figure out which brother or sister was depicted. Her interest in drawing was evident. Nadine always had a strong work ethic – she approached each undertaking in her life with the desire to go above and beyond. For example, when she and Jerry moved to their new home in Fort Peck, she saw there were only two trees on the entire property. That just wouldn’t do for a girl from Minnesota, so she planted 1,500 trees along the driveway and another 1,000 trees throughout the property – all with a shovel and hard work She pours her heart and soul into her paintings and wants her paintings to “take you there.” She uses traditional surfaces, such as canvas, clayboard, and watercolor paper, along with non-traditional surfaces, such as lichen-covered sandstone, preserved leaves and even turkey feathers.

Nadine paints everything from dragonflies and butterflies to birds of all kinds, particularly cardinals and blue jays. She excels at painting wildlife, including moose, coyotes, foxes, rabbits, owls, mountain goats, cougars, bears and raccoons. Nadine believes her art is a calling, a way to show how beautiful God’s creation is. She believes that what she is doing is what she is meant to be doing.  

Her recognition and successes are abundant. Among the most prestigious are People’s Choice – C.M. Russell Auction, the Western Reflection Art Show, People’s Choice – Rough Rider International Art Show, and the Pacific Rim Wildlife Art Show.

Nadine’s work has even been featured by The Franklin Mint.  Her artwork for The Franklin Mint includes blankets, cards, and a four-plate collection, titled Thunder in the Canyon, depicting the wild ponies of the canyon and their ghostly riders. The collection celebrates legends of the Old West, representing the spirits of the Indian warriors who were once the ponies’ masters. Nadine appreciates her family and the beauty of the world around her, and she is not defeated by adversity. These things bring her nearer to God, and then God hands her a paintbrush. Whether drawing from joy or sadness, Nadine wants to knock people’s socks off with her God-given talent.