Brad Kiefer
http://www.bkieferart.com

As long as I can remember I have enjoyed working with diverse and varied building materials.  In the summer of 1978, as I was beginning my senior year of high school, my parents decided to build a log home.  We spent the summer building the log shell of the cabin, at the end of this we concentrated on the interior.  My parents graciously gave me their trust and artistic license to build kitchen cabinets, doors, a kitchen light and stain glass window.  I believe this was the start of my interest with material use and design.

In early 2000 my wife and I started plans to build our own home in rural Boone County. The entire project from design to building the structure was a family project.

Again, I found myself enjoying artistic license.  One of the prime interests I developed during the building phase of our home was my fascination with material texture, and the use of natural and artificial light. I learned how I could use the two to create a mood and an aesthetically pleasing environment.  Extending this to the light designs, I use a mix of copper and wood.  For the light source I use a LED puck light that consumes 1.25 watts of power that gives a “Moonlight Glow” to the lamp.  I like to call them Moon Lights. I also use a 20 Watt puck light depending on the light effect I’m trying to achieve.

Michael Lundberg
https://www.facebook.com/MeekaMouseArt

Iowa native and horse lover, Michael Lundberg, received her bachelor’s and master’s degree in painting and 2-D mixed media from Iowa State University. Her master’s thesis revolved around the artistic interpretation of the Moorish influences in the Iberian Peninsula.

Her passion for horses and rich ornamentation led her to live in Salamanca, Spain, for six years working on a doctorate degree in art history at the Universidad de Salamanca. While living there, Michael continued her research on pattern, decorative motifs and rich surface treatments of architectural structures and textile designs in the Iberian Peninsula and northern Africa.

​It is Michael’s belief that intricate patterns, texture and surface treatments not only visually stimulate and dazzle the eye, but also allow the viewer a moment of reflection and quiet contemplation; something desperately needed in a fast-paced world.

Betsy Peterson
https://www.facebook.com/BetsyPetersonDesigns

When I was young, I wanted to grow up to be an Artist.  My Mother was an Artist. It was her creativity and divergent ways of solving  problems that, in part, trained me to to think and design in novel ways.

 Courage, Joy, Whimsey, Resilience, and Grace, are all woven into my 3-dimentional Sculptures and Wooden Paintings to inspire the same in others. Wire, Clay, Wood, and Acrylic Paint are the mediums I use to bring my Heart to each Piece.

Mika Sorak​-Weirbach

Southern Iowa artist that has been teaching herself modern and traditional blacksmithing methods to create one of a kind nature inspired sculptures. Artwork is created with various metals, glass and can be painted or left in it's natural state. All works are designed and created in our little art studio located about a mile from the American Gothic House. I'm continually inspired by the nature around me and strive to show that in my work.

Richard Wright
rwrightstudios.com

Like all men, I am in a constant battle to control nature. I utilize natural processes, to create beautiful and functional pieces out of industry. In addition, I use hammering, cutting, intentional rusting, and welding, to create my work.

I enjoy creating  decorative art with organic forms that best identify my fascination with nature. I allow the shapes to take form more organically instead of determining every aspect myself. These pieces serve as a reminder that as we work to control nature it uses its own forces for its own path.

Over the past few years, my love of blacksmithing and iron work has increased, and I have been self-teaching myself as I create new tools and discover new techniques. Each time I pick up the hammer I learn new things, and not a day goes by that I don't pick up the hammer. I love turning scraps into beautiful and functional pieces of art for the kitchen and home.

RWright Studios started (and still very much is) a studio dedicated to fine art. I love to work with and create beautiful pieces of art with rusted, welded, and recycled metal scraps. 

​The shop is based in Des Moines, IA, where each piece is carefully made by hand out of recycled materials.