(Editor’s note: This story is reprinted from a recent issue of the HIT newsletter.)

By Joely Mathern

For the News

Jeff Bergman has often referred to himself as a starving artist.

Jeff has worked for HIT Inc. for the past 12 years in residential services (he currently works sleep nights in ISLA), but in his time off he loves to create. He is a talented sculptor.

After high school Jeff saw an artist who did bronze work, and thought, “I could do that.”

So he did.

And since, he has participated in four art shows.

Jeff works with a variety of materials, including clay, ice, and wood.

Ask if he has a favorite piece, and he’ll tell you he doesn’t believe in favorites. He has put a lot of work into each piece.

How does he come up with the ideas for his art work? Jeff said he does a lot of thinking. An idea will just come to him. He can visualize it.

And then it is just a matter of working with the material to create the image he has in his mind. An artist can make it seem so simple.

Jeff comes from a creative and artistically talented family. His mother sews. His dad does woodwork. And Jeff’s uncle is an inventor.

Jeff loves working with his father, Bob, on woodwork and together they have a website, bergmanartistry.shutterfly.com. Jeff and Bob have done some beautifully creative pieces, including a table Jeff currently uses as his work station. When Jeff has time off from his job at HIT, he often travels to Bottineau to work with his father in his workshop.

Recently, Jeff did a piece based on “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.”  Jeff did the sculpture and his father built a frame for it.

Together, they presented this piece as a gift to Ernie Jelleberg, a veteran of World War II who currently lives in Bottineau.

Ernie was at Iwo Jima at the time the famous picture, that was the basis for the sculpture, was taken.

One of the greatest feelings is seeing someone react to his work, he said.

Jeff has donated four of the Iwo Jima pieces. One of the pieces will be going to the Headquarters of the United State Marine Corp in Washington, and another to a local auction raising money for cancer research.

Every piece Jeff works on becomes his obsession.

Each piece he does represents something he has a passion for, from wildlife to history. And e does a great deal of research on each subject.

Jeff doesn’t do his art work to get rich. It is simply his passion.

And his legacy.

“It’s something that will be around when I’m not,” he said.