Peter Gaustad considers himself an eclectic artist.

Gaustad is a drawer and digital illustrator who frequently explores different art techniques and mediums.

“I’ve always been into illustration, and my work is kind of on the edge of fine art and illustration,” Gaustad says.

Gaustad holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine arts and spent 20 years of his career as an art teacher. He began learning digital and graphic design technology while teaching at The Art Institutes International Minnesota. He also is known for his graphic illustrations depicting the legendary creature Bigfoot.

“All my life for whatever reason, I’ve always loved gorillas and apes. And so I just kind of gave into it,” Gaustad says.

Gaustad’s fascination with Bigfoot began at 11 years old when he visited a traveling Bigfoot museum at a fairground in Minnesota. He considers himself a skeptic but enjoys documenting information on Bigfoot sightings and creating art inspired by the creature.

“What I like about it is the idea that maybe we don’t know everything, you know? I like the mystery of it,” Gaustad adds.

Gaustad’s Bigfoot designs are photographic images that he then digitally enhances. He finds that this style of art sometimes causes confusion among observers who don’t understand that the image is no longer real.

“When you’re using photo-based technology really effectively, people buy right into it,” Gaustad says. “So now I’m really suspect of every photo I see.'”

Gaustad moved to Estes Park from Minnesota in July 2015. His move to Colorado inspired him to create a collection of digital illustrations that he houses on www.bigwestimages.com.

“Big West came out of my excitement of moving to Colorado. The images grew up out of me being here and things that I’ve seen,” Gaustad says. “The West has this certain mystique about it.”

Other projects Gaustad has worked on include sculptures, oil paintings and water color designs. Gaustad is also working to fulfill a long-time goal of writing and illustrating his own children’s book.

After several years of working with digital illustrations and images, Gaustad is beginning to reconnect with more traditional art forms and mediums. The local art culture and environment of Estes Park have helped him slow down and appreciate the little details found in art.

“With digital, after a while you almost get lost,” Gaustad says. “I’m back into really enjoying the drawing and getting back into painting and things like that. In some ways, moving here is an unexpected advantage.”

To view more of Gaustad’s work, visit www.bigfootimages3.com, www.bigwestimages.com and www.shortpet.com.