Semper Cool

I just read the book "Semper Cool" by Barry Fixler.  It was an interesting read because, as the subtitle of the book states, it's about Barry's "Fond Memories of Vietnam".  "Semper Cool" is a very easy to read page turner that isn't loaded down with a bunch of military jargon but rather an honest up-front account of one marine's experience in Vietnam.  Barry not only survived Khe Sanh, but a 13 month plus deployment in Vietnam as well.  I would recommend it for any adult, although I will warn you that in contains adult language and describes the death and destruction associated with war in detail.  Thanks Barry, Semper Fi!

Painted rock gets Slipknot rocker's attention

Munson: Painted rock gets Slipknot rocker's attention:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20101212/NEWS03/12120332/Munson-Painted-rock-gets-Slipknot-rocker-s-attention 

Slipknot & The Freedom Rock...part two

Des Moines Register columnist Kyle Munson has done a story about, among other things, me meeting Slipknot percussionist Chris Fehn.  It will run in the Sunday paper on 12/12/10 and there is a link to part of the story below.  Also, there's a poll on what Chris should visit next in our great state of Iowa.  Make sure you vote!
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/12/11/slipknot-and-the-freedom-rock-photos-plus-a-poll/
Photo byAndrea Melendez/The Register

The Freedom Rock® Calendar Special

*click the picture for a large view

Patriotic Snowman Painting

If you've been by Sorensen Studios lately, you may have noticed some new exterior artwork. Check out Bubba's Christmas tribute on the south side of the studio. 

Of course it wouldn't be Bubba's artwork if it wasn't some how patriotic. I just love the snow man is saluting the American Flag with a yellow ribbon as his scarf. And if you really like this painting-it's even available in it's own Christmas Card. 

If you are interested in hiring Bubba for an original painting/mural or graphic design, please contact Sorensen Studios at 641.343.7110 ext. 1 or email us at sorensenstudios@yahoo.com.

Want to purchase the "Patriotic Snow Man Cards" and live out of town/state? No problem-we can send them to you. Just give us a call!

107.9 Radio Broadcast

Tune in to 107.9 in southwest Iowa to hear our live radio broad cast. You're going to love our give away prize...but you have to listen to take advantage! 11:00a.m.-12:00p.m.

Happy Listening!

4th Veterans Day Appearance

Our 4th and final "Veterans Day" appearance of 2010 was at the Lions of Iowa District 9SW Convention. We were treated to a very nice supper and greeted by so many American Patriots and Veterans.

Bubba spoke to the crowd about The Freedom Rock® and his efforts in supporting America's Veterans; which the Lions Club should applaud itself for as well! Especially, Ardie Klemish, might I add. She and her husband, Ken, dedicate much of their time in support of our military men and women. We would like to thank them for inviting us to be a part of their special night.

Also-check out their district pin which features "The Freedom Rock®" on it. If you would like to purchase one, please contact Ardie Klemish at: kanda@iowatelecom.net
Proceeds directly benefit America's service men and women.

Photo Explanation:
1 - Table Setting
2 - Bubba speaking to guests about The Freedom Rock®
3 - Presentation/Folding of the American Flag by Veterans and crosses/flogs in honor of those who've passed
4 - Lions District 9SW pin featuring The Freedom Rock® logo
5 - Bubba's "The Beautiful" painting on display

If you are interested in having Bubba come speak to your group about The Freedom Rock®, please call or email at 641.343.7110 or sorensenstudios@yahoo.com

photo credit: Sorensen Studios

3rd Veterans Day Appearance

Our 3rd Veterans Day Appearance was in Maryville, Missouri at the Maryville Middle School.
Bubba spoke to a group of middle school students and staff. It was by far one of the most well behaved schools we have visited in awhile-you all should be very proud! They had great questions and seemed to be very genuinely interested in The Freedom Rock®. But most importantly they were very appreciative of our Nation's Heroes-just who we love to speak to!


Thanks again you Spoofhound'ers!


Pictured L to R: Principal Kevin Pitts & Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II
photo credit: Sorensen Studios

2nd Veterans Day Appearance

Our second appearance was no where other than at The Freedom Rock®. We planned on adding five different Viet Nam Veterans ashes to the north side on Veterans Day. One veterans ashes being added had family present but the rest were sent to us from all over the country. Here are a few pictures of the event.

For those of you that don't know, in 2006 while Bubba was re-painting The Freedom Rock®, some Viet Nam Veterans stopped by on their way to the wall in D.C. and had the remains of some fellow Viet Nam brothers. They asked Bubba if they could sprinkle the ashes at the base of the rock in which Bubba replied, "They will just blow away. Why don't you just pour them into my paint and I will put them directly on The Freedom Rock® and they will be there forever". Ever since then we receive requests from all over to put their loved ones on the "Viet Nam Tribute" (north side) of The Freedom Rock®; making it a true memorial.

What an amazing experience that was to watch as Bubba took the ashes, poured them into his green paint and spread them onto The Freedom Rock® with his paint brush. There were definitely some tears gathering in my eyes especially as I glanced at the family who were completely silent.

P.S. In the middle of all this, a woman came with more ashes in hopes that we would be at The Freedom Rock® so she could add her fallen soldiers on a special Veterans Holiday. We ended up adding 7 different veterans ashes that day.

*click the photos to learn more about them.

photo credit: Sorensen Studios

Chris Fehn

It was amazing to me that Chris Fehn of the band Slipknot had even heard of The Freedom Rock® but when my wife told me he was coming to visit it, and then come down to our studio I was blown away.

Chris was cool enough to bring his iconic mask to pose for some pics with my artwork and even signed the Slipknot "s" I had painted in my work area.

After some talking we decided to eat at my In-Laws restaurant "The Old Hotel" in Greenfield, Iowa. It was a great evening and I want to thank Kathy and Heather for helping to get this together.

Patriotic Snowman Christmas Cards!

Honor the troops while sending out your Christmas cards this year!
Please stop by or call/email the studio if you're interested in purchasing: 641.343.7110 (leave a message) OR sorensenstudios@yahoo.com

Click the above image for more information.

photo credit: SORENSEN STUDIOS

700 Club cont'd

Watch Bubba & The Freedom Rock® on the 700 Club by clicking the link below. They did an amazing job and we'd like to thank them so much for their support!

And most importantly-THANK YOU VETERANS FOR OUR FREEDOM! We had a very fun-filled day of appearances and had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful veterans. We'll try to blog soon about all of that!

Ray Sorensen: Freedom Rock Features on The 700 Club CBN.com

The Mohawk

The Freedom Rock® was featured in The Mohawk newsletter.
Click the left image to learn more.

Thanks for your support guys!

The 700 Club

Bubba and The Freedom Rock® will be featured on The 700 Club, this Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11th. Watch this one on one interview with The Freedom Rock® artist himself as they interview him at his artwork/photography studio in Greenfield, IA.

For more information, click the Press Release to the left.

We had very exciting visitor stop by the studio today, Sergeant First Class Troy Lusk. What an honor it was to meet and visit with him. We love when our military heroes pay us a visit! We hope you enjoy your 2011 Freedom Rock® Calendar, Troy. God Bless!

pictured: SFC Troy Lusk (left) & Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II (right)

photo courtesy: Maria Sorensen, www.sorensenstudios.us

The Freedom Rock® Hoodie is here!

New!! The Freedom Rock® Hoodie. Made in America and shouldn't shrink with regular washing. Click Here to order yours before they're gone.

We had a tour bus at The Freedom Rock® today. It was a great turn out! I snapped a few pictures on my cell phone of the bus leaving and a few of the visitors getting their picture with Bubba.

Thank you again to all of you who support Bubba and The Freedom Rock®. It is much appreciated! And most of all thank you to our service men and women.

So out of no where yesterday, Bubba said, "Want me to paint something as a back drop for the photo gallery?" Of course my response was YES as I jumped for joy! When he asked me what I wanted, I simply said, just do whatever comes to you. I knew anything he came up with was going to be great and I was right! I love this addition to our photography gallery...it was the perfect touch! And of course don't forget to look for the hidden love note which Bubba leaves me in all of his murals....can you see it? The camera has a M and R to represent us. I have a closer picture so you can see. Thanks again, Hun!

p.s. If you're interested in original artwork by Bubba, don't hesitate to contact us for afree quote!

Here are some action shots of him doing his thing, along with the final outcome with our Photographic Float Wraps placed on top.

Illahee Hills

Bubba was invited to the Illahee Hills Community breakfast and program on Friday, August 27th in Urbandale, Iowa. "Honoring Veterans Day" was the theme for this event. Bubba was asked to share his experience in painting The Freedom Rock® and involvement in supporting our nation's heros. We had a great time meeting all of you and appreciate the opportunity. Special thanks to P.J. and all the staff at Illahee Hills for your support of The Freedom Rock®.

Rock Near Ottawa, IL

This is a rock that Bubba painted near Ottawa, Illinois. It sits along Interstate 80 just west of the Ottawa exit. The rock pays tribute to two WWII veterans, Dominic Datti & Harold Martin.
The rock sits in Carol Miller's yard and Harold is her father and Dominic was a very dear friend to her. Dominic placed the rock in the yard before he passed away and Carol thought it would be a great to have Bubba paint it in Honor of them.

Governor's Charity Steer Show 2

Bubba and Kimberly (owner of the steer "Pee Wee") got fifth place at the Governor's Charity Steer Show! The show was held on Saturday, August 14th at the Pioneer Livestock Pavillion at the Iowa State Fair.

The Governor's Charity Steer Show raises money for the Ronald McDonald Houses of Iowa. This year the charity raised $108,430! Kim's steer, Pee Wee was auctioned for $6,700, courtesy of First National Bank of Fontanelle, Massena, Anita & Correctionville. Thank you for your support First National Bank! Thank you to the Jones family for inviting us to be a part of such a wonderful charity organization. Great job Kim & Bubba!

Here are a few pictures from the event.

Photo Courtesy: Maria Sorensen, Sorensen Studios

Governor's Charity Steer Show

Bubba was invited to be a guest at the Governor's Charity Steer Show!

The Governor's Charity Steer Show will celebrate its 28th anniversary at the Iowa State Fair. The show ring competition takes place Saturday, August 14th, at 4:00 p.m., in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair.

Immediately following the competition, the steers will be sold at an auction, with proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald Houses of Iowa. Both the show ring event and the auction are open to the general public.

Come out and support this wonderful charity which has raised more than $1.7 million and cheer along Bubba!

Tour Bus @ Sorensen Studios

Sorensen Studios (home of The Freedom Rock®) had a lot of visitors last Thursday. Here is a picture of everyone who stopped by the studio. We hope you all enjoyed your visit-and hope you can make it back in the future.

The McDole Family

We were lucky enough to have lunch with the family of Glenn McDole and some wonderful people from the Iowa Work Force Development this past Monday. It was so nice chatting with all of you; we really enjoyed ourselves and hope you all did as well. What an honor to meet with a true American Hero's family! Thank you for everything.

Below is a picture of us with the family of Glenn McDole, including his daughter, Kath McDole. (Glenn McDole)

Ray & Maria Sorensen

Bus Tours

The Freedom Rock® was visited by two different bus tours this week. Thank you all for visiting and we hope you enjoyed your trip!

Bubba painted the new Adair County Mutual signs for the Adair County Fair.

If you're interested in artwork by Bubba, give Sorensen Studios a call at 641.343.7110 or send an email to sorensenstudios@yahoo.com.

The Freedom Rock® was visited by a very interesting supporter of our troops!

For more information check out: www.americanspiritmustang.com

Thank, Scott and Lynette for bring The American Spirit Mustang by. We enjoyed meeting you both and seeing this wonderful masterpiece.

Casey Fun Days

Bubba and Maria were the Grand Marshall(s) for the Casey Fun Days Parade in Casey, Iowa.

Casey, Iowa has always been great supporters of our military men and women and Bubba's patriotic artwork. Thank you for having us, Casey. We had fun!

A special "Thank You" to the Casey American Legion Auxiliary for your support of The Freedom Rock®.

(photos courtesy of Dorothy Dillinger)

Cross & Crescent Magazine

I attended Iowa State University in the late nineties and early 2000's and while there was a proud member of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity...and a still proud alum. So I was very honored that they wanted to include me in their July issue of "Cross and Crescent". Although I'm far from being a hero, I appreciate the time and effort put into the article. Thanks to all my Lambda Chi brothers who shaped who I am today. Click the link below to read article:
http://www.crossandcrescent.com/2010/07/everyday-hero/

Garden Rock Raffle

Garden rock to be raffled at 4:30pm on July 4th,2010 on the Public Square in Greenfield, Iowa. The Proceeds go to the Chamber Main Street & Development of Greenfield.

You can buy raffle tickets for $5 (or 3 tickets for $10) buy visiting the Greenfield Chamber or calling 641-743-8444. You do not have to be present to win, they will give you a call if they draw your ticket. You are responsible for delivery of rock if you are not located in the Greenfield area.

Also, you can join us for "Breakfast with Bubba" (Pancake Breakfast) all morning on July 4th, 2010 near the Public Square in Greenfield, Iowa.

My artwork on airline luggage carts...

Delta Airlines put my artwork on luggage/coffin carts for the military men and women who are leaving for service or coming back home.

The cart with the flags on it carries our fallen soldiers off the plane on the way to their final resting place. It's an American flag that I painted in the KC Cafe(Casey, IA) and I put it into Photoshop and put the seals of all the branches of our military on it, with the saying "all gave some, but some gave all.".

The luggage cart has my eagle painting on the back and the '03 and '09 rock paintings on each side, as well as, the KC Cafe flag on top. They put my "Bubba" signature in the bottom corner of the luggage cart.

Photos: The Freedom Rock - Photos - KCCI Des Moines

Photos: The Freedom Rock - Photos - KCCI Des Moines

Fox & Friends Interview

Fox & Friends

Sorry for the late notice but I'll be on "Fox & Friends" on the Fox News Channel Wed May 19th at 7:50AM Central Time.

Eagle / US Flag

This Eagle/US Flag painting was done in Acrylic on a 30"x20" canvas. It is a gift for someone from Minnesota. The state of Minnesota is hidden in the chest of the eagle. I hope they enjoyed their gift!