Brock Mosher expressed himself through art from an early age. His adoptive parents noticed that he spent a lot of time drawing with pencil and paper. At first glance, his art looked like scribbles, consisting of many lines shooting across the paper. However, when Jan and Tom Mosher listened to Brock’s explanation of his art, they realized it told a story, and was a way of sharing his experiences in the world around him.
At school, teachers dismissed Brock’s art as messy scrawls until Jan asked them if they had listened to his art. “You can’t listen to art!” they would say, but began to understand him when they did take the time to listen.
“I’d tell the teachers that if they listened to what Brock meant to express with his art, perhaps they could help him to refine his scribbles into something recognizable,” says Jan.
After a while, his art evolved and improved. Jan says that she thinks that the best piece of Brock’s art, free of extraneous strokes, one which needed no explaining, was a simple Valentine card, an expression of love from Brock to his girlfriend (now wife) Nikki. He was in the hospital, recovering from a severe bout with Crohn’s disease. Disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to get out and go to a store to buy Nikki a present, Jan suggested that Nikki might like one of his handmade cards from him even more.
A hill, in the middle of the 8 ½ by 11 piece of paper, is flanked on the right by a tree in vibrant leaf. On the left, half-way up the hill, is Brock, walking toward Nikki, who is recognizable on the right, is approaching the hill, walking toward Brock. From Brock, a series of red hearts arc up to a large red heart at the top of hill. From Nikki, a series of pink hearts arc up toward the one large heart. What girl could resist such a romantic message?
Brock also found Jan’s old wood-burning tool set, which she taught him how to use to express his artistic talent. He enjoyed using that tool for about 10 years before it died. Lucky for him, he got a new wood-burning tool set as a Christmas gift, so he has been able to continue to create his drawings and sayings on wood – sometimes designing plaques, or other times, coasters, as gifts. He either finds pieces of wood around town or is given them by people who have the odd leftover pieces they no longer have a use for. His father, Tom, cuts the wood into usable pieces for him.
Brock’s art is his way of expressing his energy and emotions to others. He now also finds sayings from others, which he burns into the wood and adds vibrant colors.
Brock’s wife, Nikki, makes gnomes out of old socks. Brock and Nikki decided to form a business selling their creations, B & N Art Expressions. They are sold at Art and Sol, located at 66 W. Fourth Street in Winona. The shop, owned by Sarah Bach Lumsden, sells art of all kinds on commission and allows the artists to designate a non-profit organization to receive 10% of the sales. Brock decided he wanted to donate the 10% of his proceeds to HCO.
Nikki and Brock also sell items at their kiosk in the Winona Mall. The mall’s owner, John Alexander, gave the kiosk to Brock after Brock had asked if he could perhaps use it. “It’s yours,” John said, so Brock and Nikki sell their wares, and sometimes artwork created by their friends, at their very own kiosk. They are also thinking about selling items during the 100-mile garage sale and perhaps at the Farmers’ Market in downtown Winona. Lucky people may get Brock’s creations for gifts, too.
Brock’s art continues to delight and inspire all those who see it. Between work, running his business, checking out what’s going on around town, and his art – Brock is enjoying his busy, but fulfilling, life.