Ben Freeland with his big brother Jacob. Ben lives in Wilmington NC with his parents and older brother. Last December Ben was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer. Ben has been receiving treatment in Chapel Hill, NC. His fight has been a long and especially difficult one, and unfortunately it is nowhere near being over. Ben is a tough cookie and has constantly amazed everyone with his strength, wisdom and sense of humor. Another Wilmington child lost his fight this year, and our Benny was worried about that boy's family.  This is from a five year old child! We, the friends of Ben, are asking you to contribute to a fund to help alleviate the financial distress that accompanies situations like these. Please scroll down to see the work of a Smithsonian artist who is donating her work to help Ben.

Lori K Gordon is a Mississippi Gulf Coast artist whose work may be found in the Smithsonian Institution, Safeco Corporate Collection, Mississippi Humanities Council, Katrina Museum, University of Southern Mississippi, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Kentucky, and Art Across Arkansas, a joint venture of the Thea Foundation and William J. Clinton Foundation, and in the Alice Moseley Museum.  Private collectors include President and First Lady Barrack and Michelle Obama, former President and First Lady Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter, Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts, ESPN announcer Jon Miller, singer Faith Hill, CNN's Tom Freeman and producer Don Wilson. She is represented by Brown's Fine Art in Jackson, MS, Sumner & Dene in Albuquerque, NM; Atelier 24 Lexington in Asheville, NC and Gallery 220 in Bay St Louis, MS.

Gordon works in a variety of styles and with an abundance of mediums and is perhaps best known for "Labat: A Creole Legacy" which has been acquired by the Smithsonian Institution, and for The Katrina Collection, her series of mixed media assemblages which incorporate storm debris from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Gustav. Click on the images to the right to see more of Gordon's work.

The following images will be printed on canvas and shipped to you in a mailing tube.  The beginning bid prices listed with each print will be used by the artist to pay for the printing. Any amount bid over the initial price will be donated to the family of Ben Freeland. This is not set up as an auction; multiple prints on canvas are available, ready for stretching and framing. Each print is signed by the artist. There will be a $10 packaging/shipping charge added to your order. Payment may be made by check or credit card. To order prints, please email the artist at lorikgordon@gmail.com. Checks may be made out to Lori K Gordon and sent to Lori K Gordon, 32 Pinetucky Road, Carriere, MS  39426. Credit card information may be emailed or phoned to the artist at 228.342.0877 and prints purchased by credit card are subject to a 4% processing fee. The artist will provide you with documentation  that your donation, less the specified printing and shipping costs, has been donated to the family of Ben Freeland. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Print 12   16" x 20"    Bidding starts at $33.

As Amtrak's City of New Orleans approaches its namesake, the train passes slowly through the edges of Lake Pontchartrain. These magnificent cypress trees never fail to take my breath away. This print normally sells for $150 unframed, and $275 framed. 

   

Print 11      12" x 6"      Bidding starts at $13.

I have watched hundreds of sunrises on the Mississippi Sound; sometimes in the company of friends but more often alone. I can't think of a better way to start a day than when I would jump on my bicycle as the sky was getting light, coffee cup in hand, and make my way to the beach in time to watch that big ball of orange rising over the water. This painting was my tribute to those beautiful early morning hours. This print normally sells for $65 unframed, $150 framed.

Print 10   20" x 10"   Bidding starts at $24  

This egret once made daily visits to the bayou on my Clermont Harbor property. They are magnificent creatures, and we never tired of them. This print normally sells for $100 unframed, and $200 framed.

 Print 9        20" x 10"       Bidding starts at $24    

The barrier islands of the Gulf Coast are not only remarkable for their beauty, but for their importance to the health and safety of all life along the coast. This print normally sells for $100 unframed, and $200 framed.

 Print 8    20" x 10" Bidding starts at $24

This was the last painting I did of the shoreline in Hancock County, Mississippi before Hurricane Katrina struck in late August of 2005. Interestingly enough, I named the painting "End of the Road." This print normally sells for $100 unframed, and $200 framed.

 Print 7     18" x 14"    Bidding starts at $28

The Great White Egret is one of the most stunning creatures to be found along the Gulf Coast. This print normally sells for $125 unframed, and $240 framed.

Print 6     20" x 10"    Bidding starts at $24

This painting was called Out from Venice, and it depicts the wonderful area around Venice, Louisiana, where the Mississippi River finally makes its way into the Gulf of Mexico. The sun was just coming up as our boat worked its way along the channels. This print normally sells for $100 unframed and $200 framed.

Print 5     20" x 10"      Bidding starts at $24

The barrier islands of the Gulf of Mexico provide protection for the coastline and harbor a variety of life forms. This print normally sells for $100 unframed, and $200 framed.

Print 4     20" x 10"       Bidding starts at $24

This beach at Clermont Harbor was long the site of my many hours spent watching the sun come up and go down, sometimes in the company of friends and more often, in solitude. This print normally sells for $100 unframed, and $200 framed.

    Print 3   20" x 10"   Bidding starts at $24

This is a painting of the bayou behind my former home in Clermont Harbor. The egret in the tree would regularly visit our dock, hoping to nab the stray shrimp we would pull up in our cast net. This print normally sells for $100 unframed, and $200 framed.                                        

Print 2      14" x 10"      Bidding starts at $18

This mimosa tree grew on a spit of sand in front of Buccaneer State Park in Hancock County, Mississippi. It survived the damage caused by Katrina for a time, but eventually succumbed. This was another sunrise painting, my favorite time to be on the beach.   This print normally sells for $75 unframed and $140 framed.              

Print 1

Print 1    8" x 16"     Bidding starts at $18

This painting was one I did of the coastline near my pre-Katrina home on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It was sunrise, and the colors filtering through the clouds were spectacular. This print normally sells for $75 unframed and $140 framed.