Welcome back to a more regular library and art gallery experience!! We hope you enjoy being in the library and take a little time to browse the gallery while you're here. Deborah Beenken's fluid art is in the gallery May 1- June 14.

Here's her artist's statement:
"I am a self-taught mixed media abstract artist currently working in fluid art. I was drawn to fluid art because of its free-flowing process. What I didn’t realize was I had to let go of any preconceived ideas of having total control over the movement of the paint. I had to “go with the flow” which has not been an easy for me to do. In my mixed media abstract artwork, I have control and a very specific direction of where each piece of work is going. In fluid art, the paint has a mind of its own and tends to go where it wants to.
 
I’ve always been attracted to lively, vivid colors. Most of my pieces showcase my love of color. Bright colors bring me joy and simply make me happy. It has taken a lot of trial and error to find my perfect product-to-paint ratio and finding which colors work well together and which ones do not. Fluid art has become a relaxing release for me. Release of everyday stress, emotions, and frustrations."

– Deborah Beenken, DeBe Creative Art

The library closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak just a couple days after Dina Bechman hung her artwork in the gallery. We're sorry we missed her show time. But she has agreed to share her work with us in 2021, again in March and April!

We look forward to when the library reopens and we can see local artist's work in the gallery. We hope everyone stays healthy until then!

The Iowa Watercolor Society was organized in 1977 by a small group of enthusiastic watercolorists. Which means they are 39 years old this year! IWS now celebrates well over 150 members and offers the opportunity for interested painters to network with artists statewide. Find out more about them at www.iowawatercolorsociety.org

This miniature show has become an annual event at our gallery and we hope you enjoy another year of wonderful little paintings. Get up close and enjoy!

Artists include:
Ann Pisarik
Anna L Conway
Carleen Hon
Connie Guillaume
Debra Garner
Jean McReynolds
Kathy Strohl
Linda Schanus
Lisa M Christensen
Marilyn Romine
Martha Rhoades
Mary Johnson
Mayela Fonseca
Rich Parker
Susan C Colby
Susan D Jauron

Exploring the visual differences between the less-traveled paths of both US coasts and the Midwestern "no coast," Direction depicts a desolate country of architectural landscapes and forgotten facades, with an occasional familiar landmark through photography.

Utilizing his professional background in graphic design, Jeremy Downs is influenced by principles including color theory and careful composition to create a unique portrayal of each location. He focuses primarily on the inanimate, while highlighting the subject's essense via use of exaggerated while often complementary color.

He enjoys exploring and capturing these pieces of history, while still possible. As a growing number of the buildings photographed are demolished, Jeremy feels fortunate to have witnessed the former effect on their surrounding and vice versa.

Gary and Kathleen are native Iowans, who currently reside near Madrid, Iowa.Gary has been photographing for over 50 years.  He began with film and moved to digital photography, enhancing his skills through photo workshops and seminars, and striving to understand more about the birds, insects, plants and animals that share our world. ​

Kathleen has had an interest in photography for several years, first taking snapshots of the gardens and pets, then becoming more active especially in landscape photography.

Gary enjoys photographing nature in any form, but also finds pleasure in capturing uncommon views of common subjects, with the Des Moines area offering many beautiful opportunities. His photos are primarily of Iowa, but he and Kathleen also enjoy traveling and capturing photos around the United States.  State, county and National Parks are favorite places to shoot photos. Weekend trips and vacations are always planned with photographic opportunities in mind.  Residing near several parks and their own bird and butterfly gardens provide opportunities to photograph birds and wildlife.

Visit www.garyhoardphotography.com for more information

Patrick is primarily self-taught. His work has developed over the past 20 years, starting with more representative work, and gradually becoming more and more abstract. This was not a conscious decision, it just happened. 
 
Patrick explains, "I rarely start a painting with any preconceived notion of where it will end up. I may have a specific color or shape in mind, but there’s very little forethought on what the final painting will look like. Instead, I begin painting and let the emerging composition direct me.  I continue to work it until it develops into a balanced, dramatic, and (hopefully) aesthetically pleasing form.  At that point, I know it’s done.  If it never gets to that point (and many don’t), I re-prime the canvas and start over.  This exhibit is a collection of work I’ve completed over the past year or two.  I appreciate you taking the time to look and I hope you like it."

Dennis Reynolds enjoys creating art that explores a deeper understanding of people and our perception of places (sometimes under appreciated or common place). You can often see in his paintings a desire to blur the lines between specific subject matter and abstract colors and forms.  His most recent work includes the use of pen and ink line work with the vigorous application of colors with oil paints. He likes to explore the use of perspective combined with the effect of light and shadows to evoke movement and emotions.  He has recently been exploring the effects of “color temperatures” within his paintings.

His work is often guided by diverse ways of understanding art including the desire to provide or express:

• a narrative experience
• a memorable life story
• a density of meaning
• craftsmanship
• an expression of the unique qualities of a place, culture and time
• an innovative way of experiencing a place

In addition to creating paintings, Dennis creates public art that results in responsive and innovative “places” that combine art + environment including Bridges and the recently installed In-The-Loop, both in Des Moines’ East Village.

Dennis@ReynoldsUrbanDesign.com  
913-961-0999    www.ReynoldsUrbanDesign.com

Laura Todd, painter, says her greatest goal as an artist is to paint works of art that will bring joy and inspiration to others. Photographs are her main source of inspiration. She paints her own interpretation of the photograph by highlighting the contrast between the soft and bold and hyping up the color. Bright color is found in nearly all of her artwork because it simply makes her very happy. In the words of her college painting instructor, Ken, "If it were not for color I would be drawing instead of painting". Laura's joy is to share this happiness by taking what is already beautiful and honoring that beauty through the gift of art.

The Iowa Watercolor Society (IWS) is happy to present the first miniature show of 2019. The show contains watercolors from various IWS members across the state. Artists are encouraged to be as creative as possible, using diverse materials and different kids of paper.

More details about the Iowa Watercolor Society on their website: www.iowawatercolorsociety.org

Artists with work in the show include:

Julie Nalley-Jewell a native of Iowa started painting at the age of 13 following in the footsteps of her grandmother also a painter. She remembers as a child her grandmother sketching on paper and drawing her little pictures. This affection for painting led her to paint at a young age and study art at the college level.

She states she fell in love with water, nature and blending of colors early on, growing up on Lake MacBride in Iowa. Water is also her latest inspiration.  She enjoys the way a wave hits rocks, the sun shines off the surface, and the refection of the trees. She finds water very magical.

Julie advises her latest works are full of color mixing into one another, layers on top of each other and a desire to mystify the viewer. She states, “I think looking at the way the colors blend, the way water and paint mix, and even what colors lie beneath are intriguing. I like to let the paint and water do the work, mixing, intermingling and laying on top of each other. As nature creates beauty on the surface of water I put this onto canvas, capturing it for eternity.”

Marilyn Johnson grew up in northern Iowa and graduated from Bishop Garrigan High School and Iowa Lakes Community College nursing program. She worked the ophthalmology field until retirement.

As an avid photographer and art lover she has taken classes at The Des Moines Art Center, DMACC and E-courses. In search of the perfect watercolor class she discovered an amazing new media ALCOHOL INK. The flow of the inks is a different challenge for an artist.

Marilyn fell in love with the vivid colors and positive energy of Alcohol Ink and so will you!