Sara Burrier
http://www.sarabillustration.com

Sara Burrier is an award winning watercolorist in fairy illustration, and a published instructor for drawing and painting. Her work is inspired by florals, birds, faith, women, children, and all things nature, created using watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and ink. These inspire her imagination to fill with fantasy, demonstrating the relationship they have to herself, the relationships we all have with the world, and how we view ourselves. For Sara, it isn’t the beauty on the outside, but how the beauty on the inside is transcended outward, working in harmony with the world. Traveling throughout the midwest selling her work, she finds the best parts about her job are connecting with her customers, listening to life stories, giving hugs, helping others discover their light through art, and teaching. When Sara isn’t creating you can find her cooking, raising her two children, and playing in the yard.
 

Karen Cooper
karencooperpaintings.com 

I am a people watcher. I do it with intensity. And then I paint it.
I have seen so many amazingly interesting people out in the world, and I see no other path but
to share them with viewers who need to revel in these fascinating images too.
While this longing is present, the absolute necessity of the matter, and what drives me forward,
is that the painting must be a thing of substance and solidity and interest and beauty.
The current work is oil on canvas. All are focused on people and their daily routines, and the thought-provoking images they make. It’s the simple stuff that we all do, but when you attach it to a person, it communicates something of each one of us, to the other of us. And then there occurs that magic moment in which the story appears, and the painting becomes. 

Lisa Cooper
Lisa Cooper Artist

Painting pet personalities - from dogs, cats to cows and donkeys. I love to capture each pet's personality on canvas.

Nash Cox
www.facebook.com/nashcoxart

Fueled by a love of the vintage automobile with a background in photography, this self taught artist can often be found cruising back roads in his 1953 GMC pickup in search of old forgotten iron.

Nash’s award winning contemporary realist watercolor paintings depict vintage automobiles in various states of repair. “There was a time when the automobile was a perfect balance between mechanical and artistic beauty. I'm fascinated with the simple mechanical honesty and graceful body lines of our earlier forms of transportation. Vintage automobiles are Art in themselves and painting them is my way of sharing what I see and love in these old things. Art, like old cars, is best when shared with the world. My dream is to share my Art and my love of classic automobiles in all forms".

​Nash is a member of Iowa Artists and a Signature Member of the Iowa Watercolor Society. He is also deeply involved in the support and promotion of the Arts in his community. Born in 1971, Nash lives in Chariton, Iowa with his wife, Terry, and their two dogs. He has a private studio on the Chariton square and can be visited by appointment.

Gwen Foster
​www.facebook.com/GLFosters-artWorks

Classic transparent watercolor. Portraits, landscapes, still life. Gwen Foster is best known for her classical watercolor style and interesting variety of images.

Her influences come from travel, friends, and family. Gwen’s images will take you on a journey of color, texture, and imagery that is pleasurable and satisfying. Always striving for a peaceful feeling even if the image is old and rusty.

​Watercolor is one of the more challenging mediums to master. Gwen enjoys the problem solving involved with composition, problem solving, and decision making that brings a painting to life. She especially finds satisfaction in the the unique challenges of mastering watercolor pigments which often seem to have a mind of their own.

Floriana Hayes
www.flohayes.com

Flo studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and The American Academy of Art in Chicago. Having moved to Iowa in 2009, she retired in 2011 and returned to her love of painting and capturing many awards. Working primarily in pastels, Flo finds the medium gives her the the versatility and bright non-fading colors she enjoys.

Will Hildebrandt
http://hildebrandtarts.weebly.com

My art career began at Tripoli High School and moved to Wartburg College where I received A BA in Art Education. I received my MA from the University of Northern Iowa in 1979. During my teaching life I continued to take classes,attending workshops to develop my art.

My work has been accepted into shows at Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Polk County Heritage Gallery, Des Moines, Des Moines Art Center, Blanden Art Museum, Fort Dodge, Soux City Art Center, MacNider Art Museum, Mason City. A few awards were received as well at these events.

​I have taught workshops in Colored Pencil at the Amana Arts Guild. I have focused on Pastel and Colored Pencil in my latest work, but also experimented in wood cuts and mono printing.

Diane Kunzler
www.kunzlerstudios.com

Kunzler Studios is a family of artists that work in a variety of fine art media and styles. Diane's paintings and drawings are nature-based and she also does functional clay pieces; Kendall does abstract pastel work and whimsical sculptures; Kelly does figurative paintings and sculptures; Mike does figurative paintings and illustrations.

Leslie Leavenworth
www.leslieleavenworth.com

Although a nurse by profession, Leslie has studied painting since age six. Now that her three children are raised, she has time to focus on developing her art.

Since moving here 20 years ago, Leslie has fallen in love with the quiet beauty of the Iowa landscape. You will find her most weekends painting on location with the Saturday sketch group or studying portraits under Mary Muller. Leslie is experimental in her approach, trying a variety of mediums and subject ideas. Her artwork is an eclectic mix of landscapes, portraits, and abstracts reflecting this journey of exploration.

​Leslie has participated in juried shows in the metro area, and her awards include first place in oil painting at the Iowa State Fair, first place at the Hoyt Sherman Women's Show and best in show at the Heritage Gallery Des Moines Exhibited Show. She is a signature member of the Iowa Watercolor Society. She believes she paints best out of her joy, and she finds great satisfaction in communicating that joy to others through her artwork.
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Jennifer Mally
​www.etsy.com/shop/jennifermally 
www.facebook.com/JenniferMallyArt

Every painting of mine is meant to express the simple joy that can be found in any moment. They aren't moments of any earth-shaking proportions -- sometimes there's a story there, sometimes not. I take an idea and bring it down to its most basic form, and then throw back in unexpected detail and quirky interpretation.

Nature is my greatest inspiration, but symbols, pattern and words are also predominant in my work. I have a love of rhythm and repetition, depth of color, and creating works that make you smile. I use acrylic paints on canvas, watercolor paper and sometimes wood and other found stuff to bring my inspirations to life.

​Born in Los Angeles and raised in Minneapolis, I made Des Moines my home after getting my BA from Iowa State University.

Louise O'Donnell

I graduated from Iowa State University in Graphic Design and went on to have a varied career in product design, marketing, creative direction and merchandising on both the East and West Coasts and in Colorado and Chicago. I returned to Iowa and I’m happily engrossed in the pursuit of watercolor and pastel painting. I’m drawn to the big spaces of the Iowa plains and in the lives of those who have occupied this earth before me.It’s very satisfying to return to Iowa and to the world of art. I do watercolor and pastel paintings and portraits, and charcoal portraits.

Shawn and Misty Palek
http://shawnpalek.com
http://mistypalek.com​

Shawn Palek
With coming up on 27 years of experience in the industry, Shawn has achieved success over many spans of media, such as Art Shows, Competitions, Teaching, Television Interviews, Magazines and Rallies. He's accumulated many awards, and friends along the way. When asked what the best advice he'd ever received, it was "Get to Work!" That no one was going to do the work for him. He knew then, at the age of 19, that he wanted to leave his mark on this world, in one way or another! The airbrush found him, and he has mastered it's ability to achieve great things. Just like the airbrush found him, Shawn also believes he will always need to find the right person for each of his one-of-a-kind paintings. "The rightful owners of the painting are out there, you just have to find them!" Shawn is a master of "Speed-Realism." He spends his days teaching at a local college, participating in/and curating various art shows, as well as working on commission works for clients. You can visit his website to find out more:  ShawnPalek.com 

Misty Palek
Shawn's wife is quite frankly, in love with watercolors, but not in the traditional sense. She enjoys using them in a non-traditional form, to create vibrant fruit and vegetable paintings, among other crazy depictions of photographs. She is also currently working on a new book series: Misty Palek is a short story author, and award winning illustrator/artist.  Her work is forthcoming to many venues, including Amazon.com, local and regional book stores.  When Misty isn't entertaining her Iowa based family and dogs, she's spending time illustrating her zany characters from her newest works: The FrVeges Series.   You can visit her work at: MistyPalek.com

Connie Pruitt
www.conniepruittart.com

Artist Connie Pruitt was raised on a farm in southwest Iowa where she learned to appreciate the beauty of nature around her.  Gardens, timbers, farm ponds and animals  were an inspiration to Connie as she began to develop a love of creating art.   Her current work is in oil, acrylic and mixed media paintings on canvas and is a reflection of her love of the beauty in nature.

Connie attended Iowa State University where she graduated with a degree in Art Education in 1982.  In 1993 she obtained her Master’s Degree in Art Education at Northwest Missouri State University.  She also received her Art Therapy Certificate through Grandview University in 2010. Connie retired this year after 36 years of teaching art.

Connie has created many commissioned art pieces over the years. She has created everything from murals on library walls to limited edition watercolor prints of historical buildings to artwork for the president of Tanzania.  Every year she works with the American Cancer Association to create a one of a kind, interactive art piece to be auctioned off at the Iowa Coaches Verses Cancer Gala.  One of those pieces is hanging in the Hope Lodge in Iowa City.
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Visit her website to view her work at www.conniepruittart.com.

Jill Woodword
woodwardart.com

One of my earliest memories is entering a drawing in a local art show (Stuart, Iowa), at the age of four. I have been drawing and painting ever since. I earned a degree in art education and psychology from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa and a master's degree in counseling from the University of South Dakota. As an adult I have lived in Nebraska and Minnesota and just recently returned to Iowa.

​My oil paintings typically feature children and childhood themes. In a painterly-realistic style, I capture serene and peaceful moments in time; a child engaged in his or her own world and happily absorbed in a simple endeavor. The child figures are frequently depicted in a mid-western landscape or setting. Although children are difficult subjects to paint due to their softly formed features and aversion to staying still, I am captivated by their uninhibited charm and the authentic way they present themselves to the world. They always appreciate their likeness on canvas, enthusiastically accepting how they appear to the artist. Along with their physical features, their self-perceptions are also softly formed and open to feedback. In my paintings you may see yourself as a child or you may be reminded of your children and the fleeting journey of childhood.