Deb Baughman
Southeast Iowa painter, using oils and water media, somewhat impressionistic. Representational subjects, midwest scenes and people, and plein air paintings. I love the painting process and various views, and like having viewers find a connection through their own experiences.

Joan Broek
An artist, wife, mother and grandmother, Joan Broek explores the subject of women in her work.  Her pieces focus on the female form, accompanied by social, spiritual, and religious dialog.   Joan works in several media including watercolor, oil, acrylic, and pastel.  
Joan Broek was raised in an artistic family in Atlantic, Ia.  She always had a passion for art, but her first collegiate degree was in science.  After a busy motherhood with three children, she was able to rekindle her love of art with classes from varied instructors, and eventually completed her second undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Drake University.
Joan currently gives private art instruction as well as volunteering at the Iowa Correctional Facility for Women in Mitchellville, Iowa, where she teaches art to women inmates.  Outside of teaching, she is actively producing her own work.
Joan lives in Urbandale, Iowa with her husband Curt.
Recent Artwork
Currently, Joan spends much of her time working on mixed media portraits layered with collage papers, inks, pastels, and paint. When doors were replaced in her house this past spring, the old ones became her canvases.  Although often iconic and other-worldly, Joan's art speaks of the human condition - particularly the strength of women.

Sara Burrier
http://www.sarabillustration.com
Sara Burrier is an award winning watercolorist in fairy illustration, and a published instructor for drawing and painting. She works in watercolor, gouache, colored pencils, and ink, and inspired by florals, birds, faith, women, children, and all things nature. These inspirations drive her imagination of fantasy and their relationship to herself; emotionally and physically, as well as the relationships we all have with nature and how we view our own beauty. For Sara, it isn't the beauty on the outside, but how the beauty on the inside is transcended outward and works in harmony with the nature around us. Traveling throughout the midwest selling her work, she finds the best parts about her job are connecting with her customers, giving out smiles and 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.

Nash Cox
www.facebook.com/nashcoxart
The Artist: 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 contemporary realist watercolor paintings depict vintage automobiles and architectural Americana in various states of use and neglect. There was a time when the automobile was a perfect balance between mechanical and artistic beauty. That's what draws me to the old stuff and it's what I hope to communicate in my paintings.

Nash is a member of the Iowa Watercolor Society and Iowa Artists. His work has been displayed at the Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Exhibit and in 2016 he placed third in the Iowa Watercolor Society's annual exhibit and, first in peoples choice at both Albia's Restoration Days Art Show and Art on the Prairie in Perry,Ia. 

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
Gwen Foster is best known for her classical watercolor style and interesting variety of images. Her influences come from travel, friends, and family. Influences in her painting also comes from world class watercolorists such as: 

Carol Carter, unique imagery and use of watercolor

Paul Jackson, painting on a grand scale
Anne Abgott, "use more pigment"

Lynn Ferris, an eye for beautiful paintings in ordinary settings. 

These these artists differ wildly in style but share a love of teaching and sharing how they do best what sets them apart.

Gwen's images will take you on a journey of color, texture, and imagery that is pleasurable and satisfying. Gwen's work is much like sitting with a friend in quiet conversation over tea on a dappled shade afternoon. Gwen strives 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 composing 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.

Statement:

Strength in creativity comes from understanding basic Design Elements and Principles in whatever medium an individual finds appealing for personal expression.  Images that attract Gwen are rural and rustic or personal images that evoke nostalgic memories and emotions.

Charlotte Hamity
My training began in high school when I spent my summers at the Cranbrook Academy and the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts in Michigan. Then I studied art history at Duke University and later received a degree at the Chicago Academy of Fine Art. After working as a commercial artist and designer I retired to the mountains of Colorado and returned to my first love, painting with watercolors. My work reflected the images of the old mining town and the gorgeous mountains. After moving to Iowa I painted the farms and rivers and anything that caught my eye. I exhibit and many art shows, join competitions, and became a signature member of the Iowa Watercolor Society.

Floriana Hayes
www.flohayes.com
Since her earliest memories she's loved to paint and draw. During her formal education at the Art Institute, and the American Academy of Art she was introduced to pastels and fell in love with the versatility, range of color and tone they offered. Although she married, raised a child and held a full time job, she still found time to occasionally produce art work. In 2012 Flo retired and threw herself back into the art arena, capturing awards and exhibiting in many juried shows.

Flo exhibits in the Rock Island, Illinois Quad Cities Gallery, Art House on State in Madrid, Iowa and at the Octagon Gallery in Ames, Iowa.

Will Hildebrandt
http://hildebrandtarts.weebly.com
During my art teaching career I continued to practice my art by taking workshops and entering shows throughout the region. I have been accepted into show at the Pearson Lakes Gallery in Okoboji, Iowa, The Polk County Heritage Gallery in Des Moines and many art festivals in Iowa. I have an MA in Painting from the University of Northern Iowa and a BA in Art Education from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa. 


The effect of light hitting objects, people, and landscapes is prominent in my pastel, acrylic, colored pencil and print work.

Diane Kunzler
www.kunzlerstudios.com
I have spent the majority of my adult life living in small, rural Iowa towns, yet my artistic connection to the surrounding land and water was initially surprising to me. I didn't grow up with a particularly strong interest in the environment and no one has ever described me as a "nature girl".  But over time and repeated exposure, the land and water of Iowa and the Midwest has gradually invaded my consciousness and shaped my imagery. Whether manifesting itself in traditional panoramic or more close-cropped views, nature has been a constant in my work. What started out as a casual, somewhat passive interest in my subject matter became increasingly intentional and intimate. I have become more aware of and focused on the layers and subtleties of nature that we often overlook. 

Gin Lammert
​ginlammert.com
My work can be categorized as Representational Impressionism.  Each stroke of color made on canvas, board or paper is carefully applied next to each other to create the illusion of form on a flat surface.  I create custom work as portraits and landscapes and also participate in plein air (painting on location in the fresh air) competitions through out the Midwest USA. The primary mediums I work with is Soft Pastels or Oil paints.

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 16 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.

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 what was then called Advertising Design and went on to work as an art director in the Chicago area. Later I was pleased to find my perfect job, heading up both merchandising, design, and the creative departments in the catalog industry, basically translating ideas into marketing and product successes (hopefully!). After returning to Iowa to be near family, I made a list of what I wanted to achieve and at the top was a return to art and re-introducing myself to what I started with years ago. 

I work in both watercolor and pastel, concentrating on light and shadow and choosing subjects that evoke emotions in myself and hopefully the viewer. I love the retro scenes of life on the farm, the hot sun  beating down and the shadows under the trees that I remember in my own childhood.  People interest me  most in subject matter and I strive to make each painting speak to me and to the audience.

Misty and Shawn 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

Karrie Wright
A self taught artist who doubles as a scientist by day. Karrie loves to look at the world in a different way and that is reflected in her art. Using bright bold colors, fun subjects, and subtle but various textures, she tries to have her art experienced by all of your senses.