Born in Alta Vista, Iowa in the early 1950’s Andy Sinnwell experienced what would be considered the normal farm life of the fifties and sixties. Raised by his mother Adella and father Urban, Andy was often found working on the farm with his siblings. However, the steady set of chores and farm work never callused his love for the land he worked. Observing the natural beauty and appeal of the Iowa landscape, Andy found himself eager to express his creativity.
Alta Vista, Iowa is a small town nestled in the heart of Northeast Iowa with deep traditional roots. Adventuring through the wildlife and landscapes of the farm and surrounding wildlife, Andy became captivated by the beauty Iowa possessed. He eventually found an outlet for his creativity through sketching, painting and even sometimes his father’s 8mm camera.
After high school, Andy sought to hone his artistic skills at Hawkeye College. After graduation from Hawkeye in Waterloo, Andy went on to start his own business Sinnwell’s Customizing in Forest City, Iowa. Settled down with his sweetheart Karen Sinnwell and their children. Forest City soon became the hub for his creativity.
Andy started his business by using his mechanical knowledge and passion for creating original work to customize vehicles. This included classic car restoration, commercial and personal vehicle customizing, custom painting. Still Andy’s true passion was the capture of what he saw as the true beauty of Iowa through painting. He has over his careered used various mediums for this expression including deer hide, sandblasted barn doors, rusted saw blades and many types of tree cuts. Over Andy’s 25 years of professional art, he has become one of Iowa’s leading wildlife artists. He is an award-winning artist who has been featured in publications such as Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, the Des Moines Register and many other Iowa newspapers and televisions stations.
Although, Andy will take contractual work for signs, custom paintings or sketching, his focus in recent years has been predominantly with oil and acrylic on canvass. Many of his award-winning art are featured on this site. He remains dedicated to capturing new and the lesser-known beauty of Iowa.