image coming
soon!
Laurie Baker
Watercolor
Inspired by my artistic uncle near Black Hammer, near Spring Grove, MN, I majored in art. I was learning how to use color, and passed back some inspiration to him, making his later paintings a joyful riot of color. A painting is operating on ‘all four cylinders’ for me when it has color pizzazz and a design and depth that invite me to roam around. The composition of dark and light, as well as color are what pull to subject matter. My favorite color is palette mud.
Doris Besikof
Oil
I have had an interest in painting since being introduced to the medium of oil in the mid-1990s. I moved to California in 1997 and delved deeper into the craft. In 2000 I retired from practicing law and devoted all my energy to the new-found passion. I am a Caledonia, MN native and currently live in San Diego, CA. I have exhibited my art in the San Diego Bay area in addition to teaching classes. “It is rewarding to watch people who have never painted before suddenly realize they can express what they feel through painting.”
Kay M. Capps-Cross
Art Quilting
I am an art quilter who uses much black and white (with an ever-present splash of color) because it challenges me and seems to work the best for expressing my ideas and spirit. All of my pieces have a story and are fun to make. I believe in no-stress quilting. My studio is located within my home and all my design ideas come from a desire to honor the things I love-- my children, my friends, my family.... my life!
Doug Eckheart
Watercolor, Oil, Drawings
My work and life are intricately woven together through a long-term residency of 40 years in northeast Iowa, a region of little known, yet uncommon natural beauty. My art expresses alove and deep appreciation for the subtle moods and mysteries found in nature as revealed throught the ever-chaging season. Color, shape, testure and light are transformed and modified to portray nature as a life force. My art has been exhibited in New York City, Chicago, Des Moines, Malta and Norway.
Joni Finnegan
Oil, Watercolor
Inspired by a deep appreciation and love of nature, Joni’ Finnegan’s oil paintings on canvas and pallets are drawn from the visual feasts of the wandering landscapes and waterscapes that surround us. Capturing that perfect moment before the light changes when working en plein air outdoors often necessitates a small sketch painting with refining touches and finishing in her home studio. Her paintings reflect the softer side of our outdoor world bringing beauty, peace and tranquility to the viewer. Joni resides in the country near Lanesboro, MN.
Jim Hollender
Watercolor
Artist statement coming soon…
Carl Homstad
Woodcut
Each piece I create is a combination. Natural elements are put in or left out, made bigger or smaller, moved here or there. Different places are combined to make an interesting composition.A place and time are combined to show nature at extraordinary moments, like the last rays of the sun . Although my pictures are based on certain times and places, they exist only in my mind. I like it when they remind you of a place you know, because it means it is also in your mind . A combination of minds.
Greta Ingvalson (1959-2006)
Digital Photography
My art has been a continuing process. I began photographing and working in my father’s darkroom at the age of 10. My vision has been shaped through the enjoyment of books, theater, music, history, mythology and the arts. My digital works include many layers and different photographs to make a final image. Some take months to complete. I am often surprised that my thoughts and feelings have coalesced into a visual expression of exactly how I view a particular topic.
David Kamm
Printmaking
Some of my work is inspired by the trees that inhabit our area of the country. The images are not intended as botanical studies, but rather are responses to the forms and shapes of these majestic forms of life.
Barb Keith
Glass Mosaics
I am a self-taught artist living in Lanesboro, Minnesota. My artwork continues to evolve and change. In the last few years, my path has taken me almost exclusively into the realm of public art. I create pieces mainly for hospitals and clinics, but also a library, the Minneapolis airport, an arena/event center, a university and other public spaces. This work is very important to me, because I know what an impact art can have on people. It can be very healing and uplifting, educational and fun. It is my honor to create work for the public to enjoy.
Vicky Kurk
Stained Glass
Living in the country on Clover Hill gives me inspiration for nature’s beauty. I enjoy designing and creating unique glass pieces, it speaks without any words. Great satisfaction fills me when the glass reflects my smile, I know it’s finished. My drawings are adapted to lead lines that structurally support the glass. Every piece has its special place throughout the creation. The spectacular display of color drives me to construct windows. Detail is passion to me. Hand painting and kiln firing brings in another dimension. This artistic creation magnifies the special warmth one feels in their heart.
Jenna Landsom
Oil
My childhood and early adult life, spent in scenic rural Minnesota, have left an indelible impression on me. In a tumultuous and unpredictable world, it is most often these colorful images of life and light that define my sense of belonging, and represent the place I call home. The subjects I choose intrigue me in that they are alive, reliable in their slow, steady, constant change, yet retain a sense of mystery and wonderment.
Mary Lingen
Oil, Acrylic
I am most interested in creating a maze of color and shapes that express my experience of a place. At some point in my artistic development, I began to look at shapes as vehicles for color and expression. I often use grids like webbing or the weave of a fabric-- it connects and separates shapes. Circles or curves have such an expressive nature, they can be energetic or calming or playful. Triangles can have a strong but forbidding feel to them if their sides are truly straight. Irregular shapes are beginning to enter my art, most often as a conglomerate mass of simpler shapes. Because the repetitive use of shapes pleases me, their edges are never obscured through texture or painterly brushwork. Their color is flat, expressive, descriptive and intuitive.
Anna Marie Pavlik
Printmaking
Artist statement coming soon…
Hans Schuab
Watercolor
I have always been fascinated by nature and its beauty. Born in Switzerland, I have traveled globally and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the oceans, the Alps, the desert and the hotspots of the islands and city life. Retired and living in Excelsior, MN, some of my inspirations are landscapes and forests, the shores of Lake Superior, and a floral paradise at the Arboretum in Chaska, MN.
Hiroshi Tanaka
Oil
Musicians, especially jazz musicians, are my favorite theme. I try to express the motions and rhythms that I feel when they are playing. My style in influenced by cubism. Although mine is not exactly cubism, I believe the cubist style is well matched to the theme of my work. My favorite media is oil, but I am also comfortable with acrylic. A pen is a very important tool. I need something very sharp and strong with which to finish my paintings. I also paint on metal; I like the metal texture created through scratching. The lines, made by scratching, are very sharp and strong. If someone seeing my artwork feels the atmosphere of my motives, I will be happy.
Larry Welo
Etching
When my career began in 1974, I learned by doing. Northeastern Iowa is a visually stimulating place and, living there, I drew the things around me. The places that I drew became the subjects of my etchings. It became more than drawing places, however. My survival was determined by what I made. Evolving from looking at places came seeing. Seeing meant that from daily observation and translation through drawing, I developed the skill of looking at the world in terms of two-dimensional designs. Looking is something that I was born with. Seeing, and communicating what is seen, is something that has been learned.
Mary Ann Gloe
Watercolor
In a former life, I was primarily a representational artist, working from the reality of my scenic surroundings. In 2006 and 2007, I enrolled in experimental watercolor workshops taught by nationally known artists John Salminen and Mary Ann Beckwith. These workshops focused on creating texture, pattern, movement and color, disregarding subject matter, for the most part. And that focus has become my focus in recent years. In 2008, my non-representation work, entitled “Out of the Depths,” won the top award in the Iowa Watercolor Society’s statewide competition held in Ames, IA. Although I still create realistically, I thrill to the excitement of experimental work.
Kathleen Koski
Oil
Sharp distinctive realism describes this versatile artist. Comfortable in all subject matter and media, she approaches her work as a discipline. This is evident in her portraiture and richly detailed lush naturescapes. Her photo-realistic portraits of flowers breathe perfume. Her weathered patinated painting of birdhouses, paths and barns arouse nostalgia. All inspire peace.
Studying first with Tony Yawarski, a fine watercolorist, she then completed university studies in art in 1974 In her native Wisconsin. During five successive summers she was invited to tour France and study privately with master painter Lucien Ruolle. She has also taught at the college and high school level in addition to conducting workshops.
Kate Pearce
Watercolor
I describe my work as abstract landscape. I’m attracted to the idea of aesthetic; finding that which is naturally pleasing to the eye in proportion and color. I’m never sure how each one will turn out. Using acrylic paint and plenty of water on canvas results in a watercolor effect. I usually start with a color scheme and let the paint and water work from there. I want are to be accessible and afordable. Each frame is custom made shigh I strethc using 2” gallery wrap. They are lightweight and can usually be hung on a nail or removable wall hooks. I also create custom pieces.
Jensine Wing
Oil
The colors I see all around overwhelm me with a sense of awe at the beauty, and I feel compelled to re-create this into a painting. My goal in painting is to transform a photographic likeness into a work of art by moving beyond the camera’s ability to capture an image. I use it as a starting point, but I re-compose, and exaggerate the major points of interest in order to bring to life a work of art.
Wendy Ike
Watercolor
Wendy is a horse crazy nature artist. Although she has kept her hand in design since college, she took a hiatus from painting to raise her two children in rural Plum City, WI. Now having some extra time, she is inspired to “get back at it” by her beautiful surroundings, living on a horse farm in a peaceful valley. She has actively picked up her love for photography and painting. Her work reflects her passion for nature and her equine partners. Ike has been a landscape designer and been consigned for commercial clientele as well.
Betty Dowe
Acrylic
I began taking classes in Rosemaling in 1978. In 1980, I began teaching the beginning classes and continued to explore the different styles and patterns. Living in Decorah I was able to take advantage of Rosemaling classes at Vesterheim Museum. First 11 years I painted in oils but now use acrylics. I have taught Rosemaling classes in IA., MN. and FL. This art is like a therapy and I enjoy doing programs and classes.
Dell Magnuson-Secor
Watercolor
I have always been intrigued with art. My parents were a great influence and recognized my talents at an early age. Because of the encouragement of family and friends, I have een able to pursue my life journey. We all have God-given talents and it is an avenue He uses to express Himself through us. He is the Master Creator and we are his instruments. I often listen to Classical or Christian music when painting abstract work.
Dell graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in her hometown of Mt. Pleasant, IA with a B.A. in art and subsequently taught art in the public school system for over 20 years. As well as several organizations, Dell is a member of the Iowa Artists, Historian of the Iowa Watercolor Society and President of the Cedar Rapids Area Creative Artists.
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